2008-09-11
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 326 petitioners praying that the four actions listed in the petition be taken to save Darwin Harbour. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
such development is completed;
investigated with full community participation.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 576 petitioners praying that the three actions listed in the petition be taken to save Darwin Harbour. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
1. Darwin Harbour be declared a national conservation park to protect the harbour’s precious environment;
developments is completed; and
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources): Madam Speaker, I present a report detailing this government’s commitments to ensure that the fishing experience available today continues well into the future. Fishing is more popular in the Territory than anywhere in Australia. We have the highest level of boat ownership in the country. Our tourism industry and regional economies are boosted enormously through the attraction of tourists to our fishing mecca. That is why this government is committed to ensuring the proper protection of our fisheries resources, both now and into the future, through comprehensive fisheries management arrangements developed in consultation with stakeholders.
The future of our fisheries resources is reliant upon the protection of our pristine waterways. The fisheries management strategies implemented here in the Territory protect our fisheries stocks by ensuring overall catch levels are maintained at appropriate levels. Anglers themselves wholeheartedly embrace the need to afford an adequate level of protection to fisheries resources and the habitat on which they rely.
Our premier barramundi fishing competitions - the Barra Nationals and Barra Classic – practice catch and release fishing. Anglers also promote the use of fishing gear to minimise the stress on fish including Environets and removing barbs to ensure the greatest chance of survival. Information provided by the event organisers also provides a valuable insight into the long-term catch rates and health of our barra stocks.
Our fisheries management arrangements are underpinned by cutting-edge research such as the gene tag hook, the barracade, acoustic tagging, geo-reference framework to analyse the seascape and climatic variables, and analysis of catch of reporting – to name a few. A comprehensive recreational fishing survey is also planned for 2009-10 at the cost of around $400 000. This will give us essential data on recreational fishing participation, fishing effort and catch to provide the necessary information to better manage our stocks into the future and build on the results of earlier surveys. We continue to be at the leading edge of science. The gene tag hook methodology, pioneered here in the Territory, has been adopted elsewhere, including our shark fisheries and, now, internationally for deep water fish species.
I should mention that the way in which we manage our fisheries and the habitat on which they rely has been independently accredited under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This process includes an independent peer review and considers the combined impacts of commercial, recreational and customary fishing impacts. The Territory’s fisheries assessed through this process have all received accreditation.
Perhaps most importantly, this government has also acted to protect one of our most iconic fishing destinations; that being the Daly River. This government has extended the moratorium on land clearing in the Daly catchment. However, the Country Liberal Party supports wholesale land clearing of the Daly by proposing to lift the moratorium and immediately approve all land clearing applications.
When asked about the CLP’s position on the Daly, the former member for Katherine, who had carriage of the policy, responded - and I quote from the transcript:
Fay Miller, ex-member for Katherine.
Two million hectares would be put at risk and the future of the Daly River and our icon barramundi fishery would be threatened under the Country Liberal Party’s policy when it comes to the Daly. I hope the CLP will see the error of its ways and understand that science must underpin the sustainable management of our fisheries resources and the environment on which they so heavily rely. Everyone else understands the importance of protecting our fisheries resources, both now and for future generations, and the importance of our iconic Daly River. Madam Speaker, I just hope the CLP does too.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina for his report this morning. I agree with many of the things that the member for Casuarina has said in his report. All fisheries in the Northern Territory, particularly the barramundi fishery, need to be protected. They need to be looked after and made the centrepiece of, perhaps, the whole tourism industry in the Northern Territory. It is absolutely imperative.
I do take exception, however, to the member’s intimation that the Country Liberals are for wholesale land clearing in the Daly. That is simply incorrect. We are looking to remove a moratorium which removes the uncertainty around land clearing and other issues in the Daly region. Each and every application after that would be, and should be, subject to the scrutiny of an independent - and I stress independent – EPA, to ensure that the decisions that are made - and those decisions being on a case-by-case basis - in the best interests of the fishery, and using a scientific approach.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I also comment on the minister’s report. Much of what he said is welcome. I believe there was an opportunity for him to talk about the barramundi licences. I know there are people in the House who believe - well, I started to think that they believe - that all barramundi licences should be bought out. I always also wonder: ‘Well, what am I going to eat when I go to my fish and chip shop?’ I certainly do not want to eat Asian barramundi - I have nothing against the people who produce it - I want to eat Territory barramundi. I would like to see a bit more debate about where we are going with the buy-back. Does one side, the amateur side of fishing, have more clout than the professional side of fishing? The professional side of fishing is a very important part of our economy as well as the amateur side, and we need some balance in this debate. That is something that should have been brought up to date.
The minister was talking about bag limits. I believe there is a good opportunity to employ Aboriginal people in remote communities as fishing officers, with the same powers as police officers, to check boats for safety gear and for bag limits.
Land clearing: if you pick up the Northern Territory Planning Scheme you can see the stringent requirements of land clearing in the Northern Territory. To say that you can have wholesale land clearing in the Northern Territory is bunkum. You already have in the act what you can and cannot clear, and you must go to a Development Consent Authority meeting before you can get approval. You can say that land clearing is an issue, but to make broad-brush statements that there will be wholesale land clearing in the Daly River is a total exaggeration for political gain. It does nothing to help the debate, which is an important debate.
In relation to the Labor Party talking about science, ask the Chief Minister why he moved the satellite dishes from the open education centre in Nightcliff - not science, politics …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his contribution. I agree with him about the need to protect our species. The big difference between us and the other side is that we said we are going to use science to determine what is going to be done in the Daly River. The other side is saying: ‘Let us do it now, let us approve any application, let us put crops, even irrigation crops, without any consideration for science ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: … and we will. After all, Madam Speaker, fishing is so popular in the Territory that some people are prepared to give up their career in cricket to go fishing. Ask Andrew Symonds how important fishing in the Territory is ...
Mr Mills: You need to get serious about your job, mate.
Mr VATSKALIS: It is your sports man who said that, it is not made up. It is your sports spokesperson who said that just before the election - very clever.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, September is Water Safety Month. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of launching Water Safety Month at the Community Fun Day at Lake Alexander. It was a great day and many Territory families turned up throughout the day to teach their kids about being water safety wise. This year’s program includes a great range of family fun events and I encourage all Territorians to participate.
Our government understands the importance of our outdoor lifestyle and how much water plays a part in that lifestyle - whether it is in the back yard spa or pool, in a creek or billabong, or during the Dry Season in the ocean.
Events for Water Safety Month are planned across the Northern Territory. Staff from the Water Safety Branch will visit over 30 schools throughout the Territory to encourage water safety practices in and around water. This program includes school visits in Alice Springs, Ti Tree, Yuendumu and Nhulunbuy. As always, Boof the Barra, our Water Safety mascot, will help promote the five key water safety tips for kids. They are: watch your mate; obey safety signs; shut the gate; always wear a personal floatation device; and always swim between the flags. Members may have already heard some of the messages from Boof on commercial radio, and they will continue.
I also encourage our young Territorians to participate in the water safety colouring competition currently being advertised in our major newspapers. Major sponsors for this competition are Royal Life Saving Northern Territory and McDonalds, and I thank them for their very important support for this month’s activities.
While Water Safety Month is intended to be a fun time, it is also a very serious issue. Prior to 2000, the Northern Territory had one of the worst rates of child drowning in the nation. Today, we have the best record for the under fives in the nation. We have increased pool safety and water safety awareness, but there is always more to be done. As you would be aware, all kids in the Territory aged between six months and five years old can access the free water safety lessons, sponsored by this government under our highly successful Water Safety Awareness program. Since 2005, over 5000 Territory kids have benefited from this program, and we will continue to do this important work and expand that work into the bush centres.
I take this opportunity to thank some of our key partners in these activities. Royal Life Saving Northern Territory play a huge role; all the teachers in our schools throughout the Territory play a huge part; and also the mums and dads who come along to these events and, throughout the year, to try to encourage their kids to be water safety aware and learn to swim. I ask all members to make their communities aware of these activities.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his report this morning. Water safety is an extremely important issue. Too many children die in the Northern Territory and Australia due to drowning. Every effort should be made to ensure that our water safety record is kept as well as it possibly can, and that will be through the decisions made by government and by the support of organisations such as Royal Life Saving Northern Territory.
I have children and I would be devastated to lose one by any means, including drowning in a pool or elsewhere. I fully support the government’s moves to continue to improve our situation in that regard.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for his response. Yes, your children have been down the back of your place on the Katherine River and had a bit of a swim. That waterhole behind your place is very deep and smells of crocodile, too.
I thank all members. It is important …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: It is; there is a big croc in there somewhere.
I also encourage members to look at the calendar of events for this month. You should be aware that the closing of the Water Safety Month will be at the Nightcliff Aquatic Centre on 28 September, from 1 pm to 4 pm. So, bring your togs along and participate. There is also the disco by the pool at Palmerston.
I thank the Water Safety Advisory Committee chaired by Daphne Read AO - she is a great leader of that organisation; all the participants; also Floss Roberts from Royal Life Saving Northern Territory, and also to the staff of my department, Shaan Myall and Meryl Gowing. They do a great job. All the staff do a great job. They are passionate about this particular area of the department. I strongly encourage everybody to participate in this event.
Des Abbott is a 22-year-old Darwin born and raised athlete, who was part of the men’s Olympic hockey team, the Kookaburras. Des is only the second male Indigenous hockey player to ever represent Australia at an Olympic Games. Des has been a Northern Territory Institute of Sport scholarship holder since 2001, and an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder since 2005.
Des made his senior international debut for Australia a little over 18 months ago on 28 January 2007 in a test series against the Netherlands, where he gave a hint of what was to come by scoring a goal in only his second game.
During the lead-up to the Olympics, Des was an integral part of the Australian team which won the 2008 Champions Trophy in Rotterdam. He was also part of the team that won a four-test series against Korea in Cairns; won the Four Nations tournament, played over the two legs in Perth and Darwin; toured South Africa with the successful Kookaburras squad; and won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in late 2007.
On 11 August 2008, Des made his Olympic debut, fulfilling his boyhood dream and scoring a hat trick of goals to lead the Kookaburras to a 6:1 win over Canada. In doing so, Des announced, in emphatic terms, that he was ready to mix it with the best in the world. This was confirmed several days later when Des scored another goal in Australia’s 10:0 demolition of South Africa. He went on to play an important role in the Kookaburras’ next two games: a 3:1 win over Pakistan, and a 3:3 draw against Great Britain. Australia rallied for their last game and Des scored another goal in the Kookaburras’ resounding 6:2 win over the Netherlands, securing the bronze medal for Australia in the process.
Des is the first to admit that he could not have achieved what he has without the support of his family, friends, the NT Hockey community in particular, and the Northern Territory sporting community in more general terms. The Northern Territory government is proud to have supported Des through the Northern Territory Institute of Sport as well.
Melanie Hall’s courage, determination and training paid off when she was selected in the Australian wheelchair basketball team, aptly named the Gliders, at the Paralympics in Beijing. After a car accident in 1996, she was introduced to wheelchair basketball in 1997. She quickly progressed to the elite level, representing Australia for the first time in 1998.
In her younger years, Melanie competed in netball, track and field, swimming and softball. I also add that the Chief Minister recently caught up with Mel just before she left for China, presenting this proud Territorian with an NT flag to take with her to the Paralympics.
The Gliders went into the Paralympics rated fourth in the world and won their first two games. They were too strong for the British team winning 66:30, and in the second game they beat Brazil with the identical score. In the third match they lost to the strong USA team 61:42, but I am reliably informed that they are still a good chance for a medal. The Australian Gliders’ next game is on Friday against Canada, and I encourage everyone in the House and all Territorians to get behind Mel and the team.
I am sure you will all agree with me that we are all very proud of these two fantastic and outstanding Territory athletes, and wish Des every success in the Netherlands, and Melanie and the team good luck for the remainder of their games in Beijing and their efforts in securing a medal.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his brilliant report. These sporting people from the Territory, stepping out into the national fields and international fields of our sporting codes, are brilliant achievers. Regardless of whether they take home a medal, they are true champions because they have achieved the best in their level. It is not necessary that everyone reach that level, but it is important that we encourage all our sporting children to stay active in sports. I encourage that we continue to work towards that, because keeping our children active in sports increases their health, and that is vital. They learn skills, they socialise, they become better people because of their involvements in sport.
Our athletes like Des Abbott, have achieved fantastic results. He is going to be a much better person for his achievements, and we are extremely proud of that. Melanie Hall has achieved much with adversity. She has strived to achieve, and she has achieved those results. Not everything in life is easy, and these people show the dedication that other people in society should consider very important: get out there, get involved.
Let us not forget that the Down Syndrome Games are coming up in Portugal. We have Tahnee Afuhaamango, who is a brilliant athlete. We cannot forget that there are many different forms of athletes. We need to continue to get behind all our athletes, and I urge you to do the same. I wish them all very well.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. It seems that hockey seems to attract the best in the Northern Territory. Des is the second Olympian to represent the Northern Territory and Australia. When we speak about hockey, I wonder whether there is some way we can increase the facilities in the Northern Territory. People used to play on the Alawa Ovals and that was covered with people playing hockey. Now, you play on you-beaut surfaces, and that is fantastic as well. However, it does seem to be a sport that is limited in its potential for the Northern Territory.
I do not know whether the government would be able to provide those facilities that we have at Marrara in other centres. They are not cheap to provide but, if you are going to produce the best, to Olympic standards – champions - then we need to have those facilities elsewhere, not just in Darwin.
Even though we support our elite sportsmen and women, we should not forget those who are not quite at that standard. We had the Northern Territory Athletics championships on the weekend and there was a range of people who participated in that, from young to old. Some even ran the 100 m in 16.9 seconds. If you go to the NT Athletics, you will see the great participation rates of children throughout the Northern Territory - they came from Arnhem, Alice Springs, from Katherine, some came from ...
Mr Vatskalis: Broome.
Mr WOOD: Yes, Broome. Many from Darwin and the Darwin rural area participated as well. I was pleased that what we call the Rural Athletics actually won the overall championships - probably helped by the ‘rusty rurals’, of course, to get a few more points. They had a wonderful day. Although it is great to recognise our champions, we also have to ensure that the ones who may never be champions are still encouraged to participate in sport.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their contributions – they made some very valid points. My department of Sport and Recreation is focused on grassroots participation. The story behind this is what you can achieve in the Territory. The Territory is a great place of opportunities, whether you are in politics - for people who are born and bred in the Territory to get into this House is a great achievement – or people like Des and Mel to achieve Olympic status. The Paralympics is fantastic, and there is a great story behind it. My department is focused on grassroots participation, and will continue to do that.
The member for Nelson mentioned facilities. We only have to look at Traeger Park, our commitment in Tennant Creek with the Purkiss Reserve, and also Palmerston. We are committed to spreading facilities throughout the region. That is something that this side of the House is very keen on, and we and the Chief Minister will deliver on that.
Reports agreed to pursuant to standing orders.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend section 7A of the Bail Act which provides a presumption against bail for certain offences. The amendment provides a presumption against bail for persons who are charged with committing a serious violence offence, and who have been found guilty of committing a serious violence offence in the past five years. The presumption applies to both adults and youths.
The bill also amends section 38 of the Bail Act, to provide that a court must revoke bail if a person charged with a serious violence offence, despite the presumption against bail, has been granted bail and the court finds that the person has failed to comply with a bail undertaking or bail condition.
‘Serious violence offences’ is defined in the Bail Act. The definition covers all the offences in the Criminal Code that include violence or unlawful sexual contact, and that are punishable by a term of imprisonment of five years or more. Aggravated assault causing serious harm, rape, indecent dealing with a child under 16, robbery, and manslaughter, are all examples of the serious violence offence as defined in the Bail Act.
The Bail Act currently provides a presumption against bail for certain persons charged with a serious violence offence. However, the provision applies only to adults and only in circumstances where that adult is already on bail for a serious offence and has previously been found guilty of a serious offence or a serious violence offence.
The proposed amendment reviews the distinction between adults and youths. It also provides that the presumption of bail applies at an earlier stage so, if a person has a conviction for a serious violence offence, then that presumption against bail applies if they are charged again within five years.
This government is concerned with the impact that violent crime is having in our community. This bill has been developed to send a clear message to those people who have already been found guilty of committing a serious violence offence, that they cannot expect to get bail if they are charged with another serious violence offence within five years of the prior offence. It does not matter if they are adults or youths; there will be a presumption against bail being granted. If bail is granted, despite the presumption against bail, and a bail undertaking or condition of bail is breached - for example, by failing to turn up at court, not abiding by a curfew or not reporting to police – then the court ‘must’ revoke bail and remand that person in custody. That is the effect of the proposed amendment to section 38. Section 38, as it currently stands, provides only that a court ‘may’ revoke bail for a person who is in breach of an undertaking or condition. The amendment removes the discretion where a person has been charged with a serious violent offence.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend section 78BA of the Sentencing Act to require courts to sentence offenders who are guilty of committing certain violent offences to serve a term of actual imprisonment.
Restrictions on judicial discretion already exist for certain offences in the Northern Territory. For example, when sentencing an offender found guilty of murder, courts are required to set a 20-year minimum non-parole period, with a minimum non-parole period rising to 25 years if aggravating circumstances are present. Also, under the Domestic and Family Violence Act, when a Domestic Violence Order is breached for a subsequent time and the protected person is harmed, courts are required to impose a sentence of imprisonment of at least seven days.
The Sentencing Act also currently contains provisions that limit judicial discretion. Offenders who are guilty of a sexual offence or a subsequent violent offence are required to serve a term of actual imprisonment that is not wholly suspended.
This government is concerned about the rising level of violent crime. It is also concerned that sentences passed for serious crimes of violence often do not align with community expectations. It is important for the community to have faith in the sentencing process. The government, therefore, believes that there is a need for consistency when sentencing violent offenders, with that consistency being clear so it can be understood by the community.
Section 78BA of the act currently provides that offenders guilty of a second or subsequent violent offence must serve an actual term of imprisonment. The term ‘violent offence’ is defined so as to include all aggravated assaults, except indecent assault - which is a sexual offence for the purposes of the act - as well as a raft of other offences ranging from terrorism, manslaughter and attempted murder to assaulting the Administrator and committing an assault with intent to commit an offence.
The most serious of the violent offences, such as manslaughter and attempted murder, almost invariably attract a term of actual imprisonment, whether or not the offender has a criminal history. It is, therefore, perceived that there is no practical need for legislation to provide that the courts must impose a term of actual imprisonment for these offences.
Community concern lies with the sentencing of serious assaults. Accordingly, under this bill, the Sentencing Act is to be amended to require that all offenders guilty of prescribed violent offences, being offences which cause serious harm or harm, will have to serve a term of actual imprisonment. There will be no second chance as applies under the current law.
It would be hard to argue that, in circumstances where a victim suffers serious harm, that imprisonment is not appropriate. Can any offender really complain about being gaoled if they have assaulted and harmed another person? The problem is that, under the current law, the option of imprisonment is not always given. To ensure that such an amendment would not produce serious injustice, it is proposed that its operation be limited to offences causing actual harm.
The bill proposes that the following offences will be prescribed offences attracting mandatory imprisonment: sections 181 and 186 of the Criminal Code which concern causing serious harm or harm; section 188(2)(a) of the Criminal Code being aggravated assault causing harm; and section 189A(2) of the Criminal Code being aggravated assault on a police officer.
A common feature of all these offences is that either serious harm or harm is caused. These amendments will not change the sentencing regime for other violent offences, whereby offenders guilty of a second or subsequent offence must serve an actual term of imprisonment. ‘Serious harm’ and ‘harm’ are both defined in the Criminal Code. ‘Serious harm’ includes harm that is life endangering or likely to be significant or long-standing. Examples of serious harm include loss of an eye or a broken jaw. ‘Harm’ involves less serious injury. It includes both physical harm such as unconsciousness, pain, disfigurement or infection with a disease, and significant psychological harm. A broken arm, bruised ribs and a black eye are all examples of physical harm. Psychological harm includes depression or post traumatic stress disorder. This government …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, this is a very serious bill and I pick up on the laughter of the member for Fong Lim …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Honourable members, this is the second reading debate. It is the convention to listen to this speech in silence. This is used as part of the interpretation of the legislation by the courts, and has been a convention of this parliament to listen to the second reading of the minister in silence. The debate happens in the next sittings, where robust debate is expected. I would appreciate you following that convention.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. This government is taking a tough no-nonsense approach to people who commit serious, violent assaults and sets a tough regime that offers no second chances. Sentencing violent offenders to terms of actual imprisonment meets community expectations about the severity of the offence. It will be a significant deterrent to those who commit these violent offences.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Gallery of students from Years 10, 11 and 12 from Katherine High School, accompanied by Mr Daniel Eakins, Ms Lauren Phillips and Mr Justin Lee. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from 10 September 2008.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I join with members to welcome the Administrator’s address. I also welcome all new members to our parliament. I am particularly looking forward to working very closely with the members for Nhulunbuy, Barkly, and Fannie Bay.
The address outlines this government’s comprehensive plans, priorities, and vision for the next four years. The Territory certainly has its challenges, but we also have enormous opportunity. We are a strong and diverse team in government, representing remote, regional and urban areas of the Northern Territory. That diversity brings with it a great deal of knowledge, and I believe the diversity enhances the decision-making processes of government.
Many of the challenges and opportunities outlined in the Administrator’s address relate to my portfolios. One of the great successes of the first two terms of the Labor government in the Territory was its economic management. It was the Labor government that turned the Territory economy around. It is a fact that when we came to government in 2001 economic growth was at zero percent ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer you to Standing Order 51. A member is delivering her speech. We have listened to their Address-in-Reply contributions. It has been that side which has been trying to be provocative and create …
Mr Tollner: Provocative?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I know it is hard for you to sit still and be quiet for five minutes, member for Fong Lim. I ask that they allow the Treasurer to complete her response.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Deputy Chief Minister. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51. While interjections are absolutely part of the robust debate expected in this Chamber, it is also necessary for the Speaker, in particular, to be able to hear a member on her feet - in this case the Treasurer. I am having difficulty hearing her. If you want to interject, somewhat quieter and less continuous, please.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, when Labor came to government in 2001 economic growth was at zero percent. Zero. Territorians who had been born and raised here were leaving to move interstate to literally put bread on the table of their families. In stark contrast, our economy is strong. Economic growth, employment growth, and population growth are all at the highest levels in the country.
This economic growth, while it brings its rewards, also brings enormous challenges. This strong financial management, underpinned by surpluses that we have delivered - and that we are predicting - and strong debt management, I believe, will position the Territory to meet the challenges of this strong economic growth. We are financially responsible. It has been the hallmark of the Labor government to be financially responsible, but we do this while improving …
Mr Tollner: Absolute nonsense!
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on the interjection from the inane member for Fong Lim. He says ‘absolute nonsense’. Read your budget books, mate. We are delivering surpluses, we are driving debt down and we are delivering increased …
Mr Tollner: You are not.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Please resume your seat, minister.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, when I call order that is exactly what I expect. I have already advised you that while interjections are acceptable, very loud ones contravene Standing Order 51 and are not acceptable. It is very difficult to hear the Treasurer. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are being financially responsible but, importantly, we are also delivering increased resources to deliver more services across the Territory, and we are also delivering record upon record infrastructure budgets. The 2008-09 infrastructure budget is $870m - $870m investment in critical infrastructure right across the Territory.
Right now is a very important time in relation to the COAG reforms and intergovernmental financial frameworks. Under the current Prime Minister, COAG has established seven working groups to progress reform in key human capital and economic areas: health and ageing; productivity and participation; climate change and water; infrastructure; business regulation and competition; housing; and Indigenous reforms.
COAG has agreed to reduce the number of specific purpose payments, known as SPPs, from 92 to five or six, covering the core services of health, housing, early childhood and schools, vocational education and training, and disability services. These new SPPs will be output and outcome focused, with the existing input controls and matching arrangements removed. Base funding levels and indexation rates for the new SPPs will also be addressed and reviewed regularly.
The Prime Minister has tasked our nation’s Treasurers with the job of reforming the SPPs, agreeing to these critically important funding arrangements, and reporting back to COAG with their recommendations. We are at a critical time in this process.
There is a new category of payments called National Partnerships being developed. These will provide incentives or specific funding for inputs in areas of joint Commonwealth/state concern, including the current AusLink Program, and they will help to drive human capital reform.
The new financial framework will be especially important for the Territory, given the extent of our need for Commonwealth funding relative to the other states. This government will put every effort and resource available into making sure the framework works to the benefit of all Territorians. Simplicity and transparency in the new arrangements with the Commonwealth will be the keys to improving our financial flows and enabling these vital funds to reach the clients of our services on the ground, rather than bogging down in red tap and onerous reporting.
As Treasurer, I will continue to play a central role in representing, protecting and pursuing the Territory’s interests in this arena. I am committed to working in cooperation but, equally, committed to ensuring that the Territory gets a fair deal.
We remain committed to low taxes. This government has cut stamp duty across all of the rates, and cut payroll tax. We will deliver on our election commitment to reduce the payroll tax rate further from its current 5.9%, within this term of government, to 5.5%. Based on a business of 100 staff, the Territory is now the lowest taxing jurisdiction in the country. Unlike the other states, the Territory does not have a land tax or an emergency services levy. The Henderson government has committed to continue taxation reform. However, this must be responsibly managed against the funding needs for essential services such as education, health, and law and order, while we also ensure that the ageing infrastructure is adequately maintained and improved, and we continue to extend our infrastructure across the Territory to cater for future growth.
While I am talking about Treasury issues, Madam Speaker, it would be remiss of me not to briefly touch on the CLP’s election commitments and costings. Members will recall the costings that were going to plunge the Territory back into the black hole similar to the one the CLP left us in last time ...
Mr Elferink: You fabricated it and made it up.
Ms LAWRIE: Last night, the member for Port Darwin, in an adjournment debate, tried to justify the CLP’s costings blowout. We know that the member for Port Darwin was the architect of the CLP costings. Essentially, the adjournment last night was an apology to his leader for having bungled it. The member for Port Darwin suggested last night that the CLP costings were okay. He did not bother mentioning that the Under Treasurer assessed the CLP costings and found that they could not be afforded.
The Leader of the Opposition submitted his costings …
Mr Elferink: How come your policies cost more than ours and you are able to somehow justify them?
Ms LAWRIE: The Leader of the Opposition submitted his costings to the Under Treasurer and she wrote back to him. In her letter, the Under Treasurer made the following points: the CLP election commitments had been submitted on 5 August, then revised on 6 August and, then further revised on 7 August; the proposals failed to cost the final year of 2011-12 - instead of going over four years, they missed the last year all together, they only went over three years; and the savings proposals overestimated the savings from asset sales.
I will digress for a minute …
Mr Elferink: Now, is that not interesting? We relied on your budget books for those numbers. Are you telling me that those numbers are wrong?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will digress for a minute. One of their savings was to sell off …
Mr Elferink: When a budget book says that something is worth $80m then it must be, mustn’t it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, the minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, one of their savings …
Mr Elferink: Well, she has …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She has a duty to this parliament to tell the truth, and she is not being honest at the moment, I can tell you.
Ms LAWRIE: I am. I am telling the truth.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! If the member for Port Darwin wants to call the Treasurer a liar, he should do it by substantive motion or withdraw.
Mr Elferink: Do you want me to bring it on? I am happy to do it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink: Do you want me to bring it on?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, I ask you to withdraw. You are aware that if you want to make allegations about a member you need to do so by way of substantive motion. Have you withdrawn?
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I am on the verge of going to that point because they are being dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I ask you to withdraw.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay, I withdraw. I withdraw, but I can tell …
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will give an example. One of the savings was the sale of NT Fleet, but nowhere in the costings was the cost to lease vehicles. So, where would you go, in delivering services right across the Territory, if you did not have a car? What would happen? What would happen to the public servants who currently use cars to deliver services across the Territory? There was nothing in there about how they would pay for the vehicles that are required on a day-to-day basis to deliver government services.
The Under Treasurer also made the point that, to achieve their stated aims, the CLP’s savings proposals required a cut to the public service five times the existing 3% efficiency dividends, and that this would not be achievable. Further, there would be a likely flow-on across the public service of the proposed superannuation benefits provided to limited employees, and that savings would be required to pay for this. Further, they could not afford their payroll tax reduction.
Madam Speaker, there has not been such a damning assessment of CLP costings. This was the most …
Mr Elferink: At least I know where the GST goes.
Ms LAWRIE: I know where the GST goes.
Mr Elferink: No, you do not. Do you want me to quote it back to you?
Ms LAWRIE: You complain about the fact that we get the GST - our fair share ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will be happy to direct my comments through the Chair when the shadow Treasurer, who cannot stand the heat, stops interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: I know he is feeling uncomfortable.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, neither the Leader of the Opposition nor the member for Port Darwin have economic credibility. They would have brought back the black hole.
Speaking of things coming back, as Treasurer I should also mention the Burke power line. In 2005, Territorians rejected the power line plans because experts said that it would drive up power prices. In South Australia, power prices went up 30% when they joined the national grid. The member for Fong Lim wants to revive the CLP’s 2005 election commitment. He said the people opposed to it have ‘their heads buried in the sand’. Presumably, this also includes the Leader of the Opposition, who was forced to ring ABC radio yesterday to outline that the member for Fong Lim’s power line policy was not CLP policy. Extraordinary!
Frontier Economics undertook an independent report into the power line proposal. They found that it would increase power prices substantially. Importantly, they took into account the possibility of a power line being used to power the mine at McArthur River and still found the power prices in Darwin would increase by 35%. The member for Fong Lim has argued that we could sell gas-fired power to southern markets via the power line. This does simply not stack up. It is not viable, and nowhere near viable. We ran this bright idea from the member for Fong Lim past an industry expert yesterday and, when they stopped laughing, they said it was ridiculous. There is currently no proposal in front of government to undertake such a project.
However, under the Henderson government, we have now secured gas supply contracts for the next 25 years …
Mr Tollner: Under the Henderson government what do we have? Diesel.
Mr Elferink: Because you could not manage it from a gas supply 2 km away.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … to provide our domestic electricity supply.
Mr Knight: So you support it, do you?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink: I welcome ideas.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting. Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory government subsidises car prices in the Territory to the tune of around $50m each year with an extra subsidy for pensioners through the Pensioner Concession Scheme. We are getting on with the job of delivering subsidised power to Territorians, not recycling discredited ideas. Today’s newspaper reports:
Members interjecting.
Mr Tollner: No, that is not a correct quote. Finish it; finish the story.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Honourable members, it is becoming extremely difficult for me to hear what the Treasurer is saying. I will repeat: while robust debate is an essential part of any kind of parliament - and it has been part of this parliament as well - it is important that, in particular, the Speaker can hear the person who has the call.
I am having extreme difficulty hearing the Treasurer. Interjections - I say to you once again - are acceptable, but I need to be able to hear the Treasurer more than I hear the interjections. Treasurer, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I can reliably inform the House that the Northern Territory government has not received any such subsidy since 1991. Talk about embarrassing! We have not received a subsidy that the member for Fong Lim is claiming we received and that we should be embarrassed about, since 1991. The fact that the member for Fong Lim was unaware of this demonstrates how little he understands the issue. What is more concerning is that the member for Fong Lim is already arguing that Canberra should cut money provided to the Territory. He is still wearing his old hat, where he used to stand up for Canberra against the interests of the Territory.
There is no area more critical in Territory/Commonwealth relations than Indigenous expenditure. That funding is occurring under Closing the Gap and the Northern Territory Emergency Response. This government will shortly release our second Indigenous expenditure review. We are the only jurisdiction in Australia that undertakes such a review, although, through COAG, all jurisdictions in the Commonwealth will be following our lead and will be reporting on Indigenous expenditure. The first Indigenous expenditure review outlined that about half of Northern Territory government expenditure relates to our Indigenous population. Therefore, claims by some that only $100m is spent annually on Indigenous services are plainly absurd. The figure is more than $1.5bn.
Mr Giles: It is all spent on white fellas.
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on the interjection from the member for Braitling: ‘It is all spent on white fellas’. It is interjections like that that make me ashamed of the debates that occur from time to time in this Chamber. There is $1.5bn spent on delivering services to Indigenous Territorians. You might want to get briefed on the IER before you make racist and stupid comments in this Chamber.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms LAWRIE: We have said that we will cooperate with any Senate inquiry as long as it is broad enough to cover all of the funding issues required to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, and that it truly understands the Commonwealth/Territory funding arrangements at self-government - this is critically important; at self-government. What condition was the Territory in at self-government? What was the funding deficit required to bring it to developed status rather than underdeveloped status? What were those funding arrangements and what have they been since self-government?
Madam Speaker, as minister …
Mr Giles: Most of it goes to administration. How much goes to the people? What goes to administration?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I recommend that the member for Braitling read the Indigenous Expenditure Review.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure is very much an engine room agency of government. We have an expanding economy and a high growth in population that does put pressure on a number of areas across government, none more so than infrastructure provision, especially when we already face a significant issue with a lack of infrastructure, particularly in our remote areas.
The Northern Territory government is undertaking a 10-year infrastructure strategy. This is being undertaken by experts in the field: ACIL Tasman and Evans & Peck. It will provide certainty to the private sector to enable them to gear up and invest in the Territory’s growth. We are investing $3.5bn in infrastructure spending which includes $870m committed in Budget 2008-09. We will be delivering Stage 1 of the 10-year infrastructure plan in this term.
Important to the delivery of infrastructure across the Territory is the establishment of Infrastructure Australia by the federal government. Infrastructure Australia will oversight the expenditure of $23bn for infrastructure spending across our nation. The Territory government moved swiftly. Under my instructions, we have created an Infrastructure Australia bid and that bid has been lodged. I have written to all of the members of Infrastructure Australia inviting them to the Territory to see for themselves what our bid is about.
We are our nation’s gateway. The Port of Darwin can deliver real economic benefits to our nation, but there is no doubt that will need significant infrastructure investment. Whilst we are spending around $60m this financial year to deliver increased hard stand and new conveyor belt systems, the Chief Minister, during the election campaign, has committed our government to a $100m program at the port, and we are pursuing $200m from the federal government through Infrastructure Australia. We have no argument in saying more money needs to be spent at the port, and we are putting our money where that argument is: a $100m commitment from this government, and pursuing $200m from the federal government.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: I welcome the expert advice coming from the members opposite. Put it in writing and lobby Canberra as well.
We will see a great number of upgrades at our port which will include further expanding the minerals stockpiles area and our bulk loading facilities.
The Chief Minister has announced that he is establishing the Territory Growth Planning Unit which will coordinate our planning for the future across whole-of-government. I am looking forward to the role the DPI plays in providing information to the unit.
Obviously, in a growing economy, land release is critical - and it is also critical to get the balance right. We are still the second most affordable capital city in Australia under the Real Estate Institute of Australia report released, but we know we have a tightening marketplace - interestingly enough in a time when demand is moderating. We know there are a few factors influencing the moderating demands. There has been a great deal of nervousness in the marketplace around interest rates, but we are starting to see interest rates coming back down. With interest rates coming back down, we are starting to see an increased confidence in the marketplace in terms of purchase.
It is about getting the mix right and providing for a range in the marketplace - from city apartments, to urban infill, to new suburbs and to - dare I say it - rural subdivisions, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: You have not released one block of land in the rural area since you came to power.
Ms LAWRIE: Not true.
The suburbs include Lyons, Muirhead, Bellamack, Berrimah Farm, and Palmerston East three suburbs of Johnston, Zuccoli and Mitchell. The prison site will become residential, which the opposition does not want. We are pursuing the Commonwealth doggedly to ensure the aerial farm becomes part of the Berrimah corridor residential and light industrial …
Mr Wood: Where is all the industrial going to go from the East Arm port?
Ms LAWRIE: We are not just turning off land here in the Top End; we are turning off land in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek which has had successful auctions. Isn’t that fantastic? We are putting more out to the marketplace in Tennant Creek, as those auctions went really well. Tennant Creek is growing.
It is important, as we know, to plan for the future of Darwin. We are creating a strategic land use plan for the greater Darwin region. The debate will occur. Weddell, in the corner of the member for Nelson …
Mr Wood: No, in the corner of the land use structure plan.
Ms LAWRIE: … or Cox Peninsula.
Mr Wood: How much is that going to cost?
Ms LAWRIE: Weddell or Cox Peninsula.
Mr Wood: You have not had the debate.
Ms LAWRIE: I am looking forward to ensuring that the member for Nelson is engaged in the debate and the process and the detail …
Mr Wood: It will be too late.
Ms LAWRIE: … of Cox Peninsula – I pick up on the interjection ‘It will be too late’. The land release that is occurring in Lyons, Muirhead, Bellamack, Berrimah Farm, and Palmerston East, is at least seven to eight years worth, even at predicted increased growth rates. So, it is not too late. We can actually take the time to properly understand the detail of the future growth of Darwin, Weddell or Cox Peninsula. It would be foolish to rush into that decision …
Mr Elferink: Is that why you have taken so long to release any land?
Mr Wood: I am not asking you to rush.
Ms LAWRIE: I know the members for Port Darwin and Nelson do not like the high-rise apartments they are seeing going up in the city …
Mr Wood: Not side by side.
Ms LAWRIE: They do not like them …
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Again, another untruth. I have never said I do not support high-rise buildings. I just do not support them stacked side by side.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, there is no point of order but, if you feel that you have been misrepresented, you may approach me to make a personal explanation.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I move that the Treasurer’s time be extended to allow her to finish her fantastic speech, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: The good news is I am getting towards the end ...
Mr Wood: Well, talk faster.
Ms LAWRIE: The good news is I am nearing the end. If it was not for the interjections I probably would have got there.
Madam Speaker, the debate about the heights in the city is an important debate for our city, particularly in the context of the growth we are in the midst of. That growth is going to continue. You do not have Treasury predictions of 6.6% growth, Access Economic predictions of 7% growth, without having phenomenal growth in your CBD ...
Mr Wood: And you should control that.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Nelson says ‘You should control it’. Well, guess what?
Mr Wood: Yes.
Ms LAWRIE: Guess what? That is exactly what the Planning minister is doing, but I will follow a process. I will follow a process that is inclusive of our community. The process started when we organised, in conjunction with Darwin City Council, the urban planning forum to focus on the CBD, particularly those chestnut issues of heights. The Urban Design Advisory Panel was appointed. It comprises interstate and local experts in their fields, and they have deliberated on the issue of heights, of varying lot sizes, volume controls, of setbacks, interactive, etcetera, and they have come up with a series of recommendations that I announced publicly.
The CLP has been silent on the UDAP recommendations. I welcome the member for Nelson when he wants to make a contribution on the UDAP recommendations, because at the moment we have a consultative process with stakeholders on the recommendations and that advice will come back to government. So, bring it on, folks, bring it on ...
Mr Tollner: You have already decided on the date.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I put an interim development control order in place to stop anything occurring until that decision has been made ...
Mr Wood: For the moratorium …
Ms LAWRIE: I will send the team to you, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: Oh, good.
Ms LAWRIE: While we have growth in our city, we understand the importance of our city’s lawns, parks, and trees that are giving people living in the city somewhere for their recreation. We are spending $6m on creating Flagstaff Park. We will provide a park at the old hospital site. I might say that the CLP had that earmarked for development, but Labor is different. We are going to put a park on a portion of the old hospital site. We are going to create a park at the Stuart Park tank farm area. We will be spending $12.2m to upgrade our urban centres - new bike tracks, boardwalks, and a greener Darwin CBD.
Transport is important. The Leader of the Opposition kept banging the drum on the bus system in Palmerston, Darwin and the rural area, yet, not one election commitment on transport. Not one - nothing. In stark contrast, this government has committed $13.4m for seniors and students to travel free on our buses, we are introducing new bus services to Bayview Haven, Cullen Bay and the waterfront precinct, an orbital bus service between the interchanges of Darwin, Casuarina and Palmerston, and the establishment of rural park and ride facilities so people can drive, get on the bus and get into work. We have funded Transport Security Officers, and we are developing a very strong regional transport strategy.
Roads are important. It is the Territory Labor government that secured the $386m commitment from the Commonwealth to build our roads across the Territory. The Tanami, the Buntine, the Plenty …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Tiger Brennan Drive will be built. We will have a major flyover coming across. We are delivering the biggest ever spend on roads infrastructure in the history of the Territory. We are building our critical arterial roads. Tiger Brennan Drive will transform the way into our capital. It will transform the freight route and the commuter route.
We have a shameful culture of driving on our roads. I will not go into this too much, because we have an MPI today. However, I can say that we know our road toll is far too high. AS a government, we will continue to do what it takes to save the lives of Territorians. We know that drink-driving, failing to wear seat belts and speeding are causes of the tragedies that occur on our roads. We are committed to doubling the penalties for failing to wear seat belts. We are introducing the alcohol interlock system to deal with recidivist drink-drivers. We have committed an extra $1m for drive safe programs.
I know the opposition wants open speed limits. However, bear this in mind: we had three fatalities this year on the roads where the 130 km speed limit has been introduced - three fatalities this year compared to an average of 12 a year before the limit.
I am proud of the first two terms of the Labor government in the Territory. We have delivered improved services across the Territory, and not just in our urban areas of the past, but into the bush, into remote regions, into our regions, whilst improving our cities. We have achieved a lot, but there is no doubt there is a great deal more still to do. I am committed to working hard as the Treasurer and as the Minister for Planning and Lands, and Infrastructure and Transport to deliver the mandate we were given at this year’s election: to deliver improved services right across the Territory. We have fresh ideas and we will deliver real results ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Treasurer, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his Address-in-Reply to his own statement that the Administrator made, which is an interesting way things are done. I quote from the second paragraph of what the Chief Minister said:
I did not hear anywhere in the whole statement as to what exactly the message was - or at least what he thought the message was.
From my point of view, the message was that people were certainly dissatisfied with the way the election was run; that is, a very short election campaign for an election that was called early. Many people did not accept the fact that the reason, which was about INPEX, was a valid reason for an election to be called early. That should have been the total message that the Chief Minister should have spoken about.
I will get on to some of the areas where I do not think he is listening. The minister has said, through the Administrator, they will plan and listen. Planning is something I believe the government has not done. It has been more interested in the gloss and the spin, rather than the long-term development of the Northern Territory. I cannot get away from some of the things the minister has just said. The Chief Minister announced yesterday that we would have a Territory Growth Planning Unit. We also have an Employment Growth Planning Unit. I start to wonder: are we going around repeating the same thing - bureaucracy, bureaucracy, bureaucracy? It might sound good, but are we just spending more time having reviews, having committees? Are we actually achieving something?
The government has been in power for seven years. It had a document, and still has a document, in relation to the whole of the Darwin area which is the Darwin Regional Land Use Structure Plan. I would like the government to say that it accepts this document. I do not care if it does not, but this is a document that we are presently using to develop the rural area – sorry, the Darwin region including the rural area. There were several options in this plan. One of those was land use structure option four which, basically, said we will develop around the harbour and outside of that area will remain rural, and outside of that area will remain either Aboriginal land or larger rural. That plan was then developed to what they called future urban centres, which were roughly three or four cities to the east and south of the Port of Darwin, and four new cities in the Cox Peninsula area on the western side of the harbour.
I believe it was a good plan. It certainly had some issues in relation to damming up various estuaries in the harbour - that was not something that I could support and that was the reason we fought hard over the Elizabeth River Dam. However, the general concept was good. Yet, we now have the government making statements, for instance, about infill. To me, when you start talking about infill, you talk about lack of a plan, because that is what infill is. You have not planned for that but, because we have not quite worked out what we are going to do and we know we are going to run out of land, we will go to the infill method. What that does is destroy your plan. Unfortunately, that is what this government is doing.
On the other hand, the government is trying to do something, but you have to ask whether it is after the horse has bolted. This is a tender document from the Construction Division - not the Planning Division - which was released recently which actually closed yesterday - originally. The reason for this document was - this was the preamble:
That is their English:
And puts it in quotes:
It says in here, under ‘Action Plan’, that whoever does this tender will:
and that they should provide a report and plan indication, infill and densification possibilities and yields.
If you go further on, under this wonderful heading ‘Spatial land availability analysis’ - you really have to wonder - under a subheading ‘Densification and Infill Possibilities, Brownfields and Greenfields possibilities; Projections of Possible Yields and Economic and Sustainability Projects’, you will see that they start to talk about:
The government has already said it is going to pull the prison down and use the land for housing and it is also going to pretty well close down the Berrimah Farm and use that for housing. Yet, it has just released tender documents asking a company to look at that very possibility. However, it has already decided it. Why should we bother putting out a document which asks them to do the same thing?
It seems that the government is looking for someone to support their ridiculous idea of filling in Berrimah Farm and the prison. In fact, if you look - again, it is not my idea - the back of this land use structure plan has a very large map of the Darwin region and, in that very large map, it shows the Berrimah Farm and the East Arm port in purple, and that purple is industrial. Why is that? Any sensible person would realise that as the port grows so does the requirement for industrial land. Where do you want that industrial land? You want it close to the port, and the railway, and Tiger Brennan Drive, which will be main access out there on to the Stuart Highway.
It makes common sense, but common sense goes out the door here, because the government has not planned well enough for the future. It does not know what its vision is yet. By the time it fills all the land at Palmerston, will it know its vision? I do not know. I am very happy to debate with the Minister for Planning and Lands about the future of Weddell versus Cox Peninsula. It makes me wonder what the government is thinking. Weddell is close to Palmerston; it has a four-lane highway - the Stuart Highway - going to the east of it; it has a railway line; it has the main water line; and it has a power station close by. It also has land that is 75% owned by the government. You would have to wonder what it is doing.
I have asked for many years why the government has not planned for Weddell; that is, done a Canberra. I am not saying it has to be designed like Canberra. What I am saying is that when Canberra was first put forward, they had a competition to design the city. At least they had a design for the city - not perfect; it does not copy exactly what Sir Walter Burley-Griffin designed - and they stuck with it. They did not have infill. The only place that has infill is the airport in Canberra, which is the same problem we have in Darwin, because the Commonwealth seems to be able to avoid planning controls. I must admit, I have a real problem with the Darwin Airport being exempted from the normal planning conditions of any other part of Darwin. Be that as it may, you do not find infill in Canberra; you find people sticking to a plan. If you get rid of that plan, well, you are just like another city. I am hoping that we do not have just another city; we have a city that is developed around the harbour, broken up by environmental, rural, and industrial.
I do not want to see the rural area subdivided. The member for Goyder just talked about the great benefits of living in the rural area. You subdivide down to small blocks in the rural area and those benefits will disappear. There will be room for some small developer in the rural area. I am not saying that will not happen. We are down to one hectare blocks in some areas, but it is still rural. We do not have a predominance of suburban land there because that is the lifestyle people want. Unfortunately, that land is becoming so expensive that most young people cannot afford to raise a family, a few chooks, a horse, a dog or whatever, because the price of land now is becoming astronomical in the rural area.
The government has an opportunity to develop land in the rural area around the forestry; it is zoned residential. It could be developed into one hectare blocks, especially for first homeowners. Yet, the minister has said no. I believe the vision is not there. I have a feeling that what the minister is trying to say is: ‘We are going to cut this land up into little blocks’, but she is not saying that.
The member for Drysdale raised the issue of the prison. The government, all of a sudden, decided the prison would go. It will not tell us where it is going. It will tell us it is not going near a residential area, but it will not tell us where it is going - secret squirrel business: ‘Not good enough for the public to know where it might go’. That is not planning. That is planning put forward by the government, but I do not think that is good planning for the community.
The minister said in parliament yesterday that Gerry Wood does not support INPEX. I have heard it time and time again; it has been bashed around here many times. I have to say that the whole issue of Gunn Point versus Middle Arm is a classic example of not planning. It is a classic example of the government putting forward arguments in relation to Gunn Point that are spin. I have to repeat it in this House because, I have said all the time that whether we use Glyde Point or not, or Gunn Point – Glyde Point is the area set aside - we should have done an environmental impact statement to look at whether that land was suitable.
As I mentioned yesterday, here is a letter from the Acting Chief Minister at the time, Syd Stirling, on 4 January 2006. This was addressed to the Environment Centre. He said at the time:
There we are. Do we have an environmental impact statement? No. Then, along came the minister for Planning last year - the previous Chief Minister – who took a helicopter flight to Glyde Point, and made a public announcement that the land is not suitable because the Environment Centre NT said it was not. Do not forget the Environment Centre. That is based on the Environment Centre’s document Rainforest to Reef just 40 km from Darwin. A nice book, but it is slightly biased because the Environment Centre does not want any development there at all. When you read it, there are a lot of ifs and buts. I would not regard it as an independent scientific assessment of Glyde Point.
They also received a letter from the Australian Conservation Foundation. They do not believe in anything. You ask them about the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, and you might as well talk to a brick wall; they just do not accept some of these things. What would they know about Glyde Point? It is a far-off distant body of conservationists who might do a good job in some things, but they can be bloomin’ …
Ms Purick: Useless when it comes to the Territory.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and very narrow-minded with tunnel vision.
The other group they mentioned is AFANT. Blow me down! I do not know why. AFANT is a group of nice people, but they are not the only people in this world, and they are not scientists. They have a job to say they have concerns about fishing. That is fine, I am not objecting to that at all. However, to use that without some scientific basis as the reason not to open up Glyde Point, to me, is just spin - especially when we do not have the environmental impact statement which was promised.
Then, to top it off, the minister for Planning said: ‘Glyde Point is such a great place we must protect its pristine environment. So, we will. We will zone it public open space’. For crying out loud! If it was that important, you would zone it Open Conservation. But they did not zone it Open Conservation. Public recreation means you can go around there in your four-wheel drives and have a nice day. So much for the protection of the area.
You said you are also protecting Mickett Creek, which was already Conservation Zone. All they did was add about 100 m of where the corridor to the port was going to go, and included that in the existing zone. That was the spin.
To top that all off, the Chief Minister, after that argument was shown to be spin, said: ‘It is going to cost $500m in infrastructure costs’. This is the second argument; this is the one coming up later. Well, of course, it will cost a lot of money. They forgot to talk about the town of Murrumujuk, which is planned for that area - 10 000 to 15 000 people. If people would actually look around for some documents some time, we have the Murrumujuk Land Use Concept Plan 1990. It might not be perfect. I have had many an argument over the development of this town, but that is not to say I am against it.
When you look at the $500m for infrastructure, what they are forgetting is you can build a town, including some of that infrastructure for the town, sell some of the land to cover the costs of the infrastructure, put the infrastructure into Glyde Point, which the companies would pay some of, and you could have developed it. I would like to ask the minister a rhetorical question: you have bought land from landowners in the rural area for the corridors which go to Glyde Point, the non-existing industrial area. How much money did you spend on that 100 m corridor? Did you pay a certain landowner at least $0.5m to take land off him for a corridor that goes nowhere - the one that you might say now is a transport corridor, but it was not, it was a corridor to go to Glyde Point? There are three of those corridors. I would love to know how much money government spent. If it did its planning, we would not have those corridors. However, they have spent a lot of money on these corridors which go from Darwin to Middle Arm, right out to Glyde Point.
This whole thing is a cover for the lack of good planning. If the government had come to us and said: ‘We have had an environmental impact statement’, and the people have had a chance to look at that environmental impact statement, and said: ‘No, it is a bit dicey as to whether we can develop industry in that area’, I would say fair enough. Or the EPA; the EPA would probably be a fine group to have a look at it.
Last week, I went with the members for Goyder and Brennan in a helicopter to see for myself. There is no doubt there is some fantastic country there. There is the rainforest, and we took the vegetation maps up there ...
Ms Scrymgour: Very fragile diversity.
Mr WOOD: Uh, uh, uh. The whole place is not very fragile diversity. If you want to look at fragile diversity, you would close off the Shoal Bay beach. If you want to see damage, have a look at how many people drive their cars all over the beach ...
Ms Scrymgour: It is different kind of damage.
Mr WOOD: No, it is not, it is a very fragile foreshore area and it is very similar to Bathurst Island foreshore. I say to the member for Arafura that there is some fragile land there - I am not disagreeing with you - but are we not clever enough to develop our Territory where we can protect that environment and have development? There is a lot of land up there and much of it is just bush ...
Ms Scrymgour: No one is arguing against that.
Mr WOOD: No, we are not saying that. What we are saying is, the whole lot is off the face of the earth and we will zone it Open Recreation. You have given yourself away. If it was that important, why did you not turn it into a national park? No, that is the spin; you did not do what you said. You did not protect it because it does not need that kind of protection.
Madam Speaker, that is just one example of poor planning. Of course we have the problem now because the government, in its planning, also took that section out of the NT Planning Scheme - 9.1.12 - where we are not allowed to have LNG and heavy industry in the middle of the harbour. They got rid of that and then they said you can.
We got rid of the independent Development Consent Authority, and the minister is now the independent - well, she is not independent, the minister is the Development Consent Authority for that area. Now, what do we have coming? We have Arafura Resources. I do not have a problem with Arafura Resources; I am not one of those. I stood out there yesterday and I told them I support a radioactive waste facility if it can be done correctly with the site. I do not support the banner that was out there saying ‘No nuclear harbour’, because what they were trying to do was make a big noise about a product that Arafura Resources will actually produce as a simple by-product that we already take over the Darwin port every month with the loads of uranium that come in from Jabiru. What I am concerned about is that they will also be attached to Incitec Pivot, a fertiliser company. As a person who supports industry, I am going to be forced to say - the same as the Chief Minister is trying to do with me now: ‘If you do not like it there you do not support INPEX. If you do not like it there you do not support Arafura Resources. If you do not like it there you do not support Incitec Pivot’.
I am supporting those companies in the right place and, unfortunately now, because the government has cut out all the options, I am now forced to say I support them, but I do not support them there, and I will have to wear the criticism from the Chief Minister saying: ‘You are anti-development’ and all this sort of stuff.
It is a sad state of affairs that the middle of our harbour has not been protected. If we had done as much work protecting the middle of the harbour as we have done for the Daly River we would have a beautiful, pristine harbour. We have now scraped the guts out of it for gravel and designed it for heavy industry. The government should be ashamed of that. Where we go with this in relation to the extra heavy industry which is going to be attached to the LNG plant, I do not know. Regarding the LNG plant, we have not done the planning for that either. If it does come to Blaydin Point, why has the government not said a certain amount of the LNG gas will be kept for ourselves - maybe not now, but later on.
If the election had not come early I would have been in Western Australia looking at the Wesfarmers LNG distribution facility. The boss of Wesfarmers believes that LNG is the future energy supply for heavy industry or for transport in Western Australia. We should be looking at the same thing, especially as the mining and trucking industry is such an important part of Northern Territory development ...
A member: Where are the workers going to stay?
Mr WOOD: Well, that is another question. We have not worked out where the 4000 workers who will come in for INPEX will stay. I submit a positive idea that we could look at developing the western part of Weddell into an Olympic-style village which could then be sold off to people who, normally, would not be able to afford a house. I am not going to go into the details of that because it would have to be refined and worked through, but the concept is the way we should go.
In relation to the CBD, I know the minister said that she has put on a moratorium over heights. To me, that is no big deal in some ways because that is not the big issue. The big issue is the boundary-to-boundary development of blocks in the CBD. We can have discussions about it - I am happy to talk to the planning people, I am happy to be on forums. The reality is right now there are buildings being built in Darwin that do not come under any controls which will stop them building from boundary to boundary.
The 28-storey building on the corner of Edmund and Cavenagh Streets will be replicated four times. I would hate to be the person who paid $400 000 or $500 000 on the 22nd storey of the building to find they wake up the next morning with a building right smack against them. That is an issue that is already occurring at Admiralty House. They are building on the old tennis courts, and I know the people next door are not particularly happy with a concrete view because of the amount of money they invested in buying a unit or an apartment in that area.
The government talks about planning as well. I had to laugh at you in the election - I saw the glossy brochures that said ‘youth rehabilitation centres’. Well, out of the seven years you have been in power, for six of those you have told me all the good reasons why we should close down Wildman River Work Camp. On the seventh day, you decided it was a good idea and then announced it in the election as though you had always believed in them. Give us a break! We need youth rehabilitation camps. We need other things besides that. It is very hard for me to accept that, after being told always all the reasons why Wildman River was not good enough, you turn around now and tell me why Hamilton Downs is a fantastic place. I do not want to be too cynical, but I have reason to be.
However, we need to go further. We need more of those centres, and I do not think they just should be weekend holiday camps. We should be taking these kids out to some of these cattle stations - I have said it time and time again - where they have to work, get some education and have time to think. That is one of the biggest problems we have. Kids need a little time to think about their life. We need the people who work with them to be dedicated people; not just paid governmental people. We need to ensure that the people who work in these areas have a real …
Ms Scrymgour: Reckon that is what Brahminy does.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I know, but they have to have the right people otherwise they will fail. Dillinya, down at Katherine with Sheila Millar - she is a hard worker and she is dedicated …
Ms Scrymgour: No one said she is not.
Mr WOOD: No, no, that was not criticism; do not get me wrong. She is dedicated, and you need people like that who are willing to do that.
I went to the Western Central Rehabilitation Centre in Maryville, Ohio. It is a special place that uses a therapeutic type of rehabilitation. I will not go into describe how it is done there, except it is very much based on ‘I am my brother’s keeper’. The staff who work there are fantastic. Some of them might have had a religious bent - in Ohio, of course, there is a fair bit of religion - but they did not espouse that …
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, they did not, and they were very careful about that. But you knew, deep in their heart, they wanted to help those people who were down and out. If we are developing these things, let us do it carefully and ensure we have the right people to support …
Ms Scrymgour: The Brahminy boys have that ethos, too.
Mr WOOD: Yes.
An area that did get much of a look at in the statement was teachers. I am not sure where we are going with the teachers. Something should have been said about teachers in the statement. I gather some teachers are supporting staying on strike and some are not. I do not know whether they work out the total numbers that are for and the total numbers against, but it is obvious that there are still plenty for staying on strike and some for not staying on strike.
I am interested to hear the government’s viewpoint from the minister. There are many issues. The member for Brennan spoke about the Inclusion Support Assistants, the ISAs. I have heard that time and time again. I have concerns about relief teachers and the funding for them. I have heard that time and time again. They are some of the issues that really hit home when you go to school council meetings, yet, I did not hear anything in here. I did not hear anything about what we are looking at to try to solve the problems that the teachers have. Many of the teachers are exhausted and feel that they have been, to some extent, ignored. This has been going on for a long time and we need to come to a solution. The government has to take the lead role here, not just leave it for the public servants to argue about. I believe there is room for a lead role.
The minister said - and it has been spoken about - how they are looking at recreation facilities in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The one place they forgot was the rural area. One of the things that really brought home to me how little care the government has for the rural area was when they announced not $22m but $27m for sporting and recreation facilities, including the water park in Palmerston. I am not knocking Palmerston, it is a fine place. I go there regularly. I get my bread on Sunday because they close the bakery at Howard Springs on Sunday.
However, to just give us a $1.5m so-called pool - which has some big questions about it - which is $0.5m more than was offered in 2001, knowing that we have one of the best sporting facilities in the Northern Territory mainly run through volunteers and the local council and, occasionally, some grant funding from the government - but to hear absolutely zero at the election was a real kick in the butt for many rural people. That epitomised what rural people think the government thinks about the area they live in.
The minister spoke about infrastructure; she spoke about Tiger Brennan Drive. Fantastic. We need Tiger Brennan Drive. But what are we really doing to get people off the road? The minister said we should not be seeing all these people come in from the rural area and Palmerston day in and day out in vehicles. Buses are not going to solve that. They will help and it is good to see we are looking at the park and drive system. Even though it was in the election campaign as an idea of the previous Labor member for Goyder, I will bet you anything that it was said a number of times in this House by the member for Nelson.
How about a bit of future thinking when we come to infrastructure? Why have we not built the rail into Darwin city, and why can we not build the rail to Humpty Doo? You have a corridor which you are not using - because there is nothing at Glyde Point - which goes along Jenkins Road and Goode Road. You could build a railway station at Humpty Doo, connect to the railway line at Weddell, put a railway station at Weddell because that is where the future town should be, a railway station at Palmerston, and another railway station perhaps at Berrimah so some of the workers could get off there, then right into the heart of Darwin. That is where your buses work from. The buses deliver you to the railway station. Why have we not done something like that?
Railway lines are not high-tech stuff today. They have been built since 1880. We could do that with a diesel car. We could run an airconditioned passenger line. We should be going down the track - it has been said many times before. In fact, I do not know whether he copied my idea, but the member for Casuarina said that, and it was in the Katherine Times that we should have a daily rail service from Katherine to Darwin. I agree. We are not stepping out of the comfort zone and going into a more lateral thinking zone. We need to look at that.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: I thank the member for Port Darwin.
I thought that road safety would be a key issue. One of the things that is crying out for debate in this House and, generally, is why 50 people have died on our roads so far this year. There has been much debate in here about the speed limits. There has been a lot of debate about how things were going to improve. I believe there needs to be much more debate and more bipartisan debate in this case.
I am not a fan of the open speed limit being removed but it should have been taken off some other way. It should have been done road by road. The Daly River Road should never have been an open speed limit - I have driven on that - but other roads could have been open speed limit. We just had a blanket ban and that was it. However, without getting into that debate too much, we have a serious problem. We had headlines when nine soldiers were injured in Afghanistan. We have lost six in the last five years we have been there. We have lost 50 in the Northern Territory. Why is that not a bit more serious? Our soldiers go into a danger zone knowing that they could be killed or injured.
We have young people dying in the Territory, especially in the rural area. The young girl who died recently was 17 years old. My wife used to teach at Sacred Heart School, Berrimah, seven years ago. She knew her when she would have been 10 years old. Two young people from the Litchfield Bears have died. There is a young bloke whose parents died on the ATVs. I would love to get time to discuss that we need to do more about ATVs and off-road bikes - about an education program and also a police program to ensure people are wearing helmets and are registered. There are too many people getting injured on those forms of equipment.
Getting back to the numbers of people who are dying, perhaps I could ask the minister - and I am not sure which minister, but maybe the minister for Planning and Infrastructure – if we could see a breakdown of exactly what the reasons were for each individual death so far in the Northern Territory. We have a lot of debate about high speed. I do not know whether there is a Coroner’s report done on each one of those. I am not asking for a full Coroner’s report, but it would be nice to see exactly what it was.
I have said in here before that if someone is, say, on their second drink-driving offence and they are caught driving, take the car off them, because the car kills them. If it is someone else’s car, well, maybe they have to pay a fine to get it back. If the car is not registered or the person is not licensed and they have had one warning, take the car off them, and they can get the car back when the car is registered or they have their licence. We have to be a little more specific about some of these issues, because we just cannot go on doing this - this is terrible.
I have said before one of our problems is we believe drunkenness is okay. I have said this time and time again. Our society seems to say getting drunk is okay. We need to change that attitude. It is not about alcohol, it is not about having a drink, it is not about having a good time; it is about the abuse of alcohol. I get sick of the times we get stuck into Aboriginal communities. I know darn well that is biased, because I see plenty of it in my own community. The people who died in the rural area were not Aboriginal; they were non-Aboriginal. I will bet that, in some cases, it had a fair bit to do with alcohol and mucking about. You become a sort of god when you have had too much to drink.
We talk about smoking and we ban smoking and say how terrible it is. We really need to put out a message that drinking is fine when drinking in moderation. The program the CLP had, Living with Alcohol - I remember seeing some ads, and it was exactly about that. They were saying: ‘Enjoy the alcohol, but do not get carried away, do not drink too much’. We need some good discussion - and it might be robust, but we can do that and still be bipartisan - about how we are going to reduce the numbers of deaths on our roads, to look at the causes and ask whether we are really being fair dinkum.
I have said time and time again that there is too much emphasis on sport and alcohol. There is too much influence with alcohol advertising through sport. If you watch the cricket, it is VB; watch the footy, something else. You have those ads on television. We really have to look at the influences in our society and the effects. I have probably been harping on this since about 1981. I actually found my original posters that we had for Bathurst Island when we spoke about the same problem, the influence of advertising. We had a logo: ‘Think before you drink’. We should be looking at some of those things.
In the time I have left, I want to raise the issue of power. I know that we are, hopefully, going to have power from Blacktip to supply our generators. In the meantime, I am told we are going to have an enormous need for diesel. I asked this question in the Estimates Committee this year and I do not have the figure here. There was a lot of diesel used last year in the Wet Season. I am interested to know how much is going to be used this year - I imagine there is less gas - what is the cost, and how will that be funded? Will that be passed on to the consumers? What is the cost of getting gas from ConocoPhillips? The government is building a line from Wickham Point to the Channel Island Power Station. We need to know some answers about that because, again, planning should have made sure this did not happen.
Madam Speaker, there is one other issue, and that is Aboriginal employment. I have mentioned it before; I mentioned it on television on election night. I heard the minister say that we spend $1.2bn on Aborigines. That is fine, but as has been said before, what is the outcome? We have some of the lowest literacy and numeracy rates, and we have some of the highest unemployment rates. It irks me when the minister says what great employment rates we have in the Northern Territory. I know, from first-hand experience, especially when we got rid of CDEP, that unemployment rates on Aboriginal communities are extremely high. That is a key problem. We need the housing, we need the education, but we need people doing things. Even if you have a house that is no good, it would be nice to get up in the morning to go to work to do something useful.
I say we need simpler solutions. I was the Works Supervisor for Nguiu Shire Council. I know you have heard it before, but we had 107 people working for us because we were given the funds. We made the work. We had tractors, mowers, and equipment. If you want to advance people, then give them work and they will then, with a bit of education to help with night schools - we used to have a few night schools at Bathurst Island but they seem to have gone out the door. Give people an opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy and they have an opportunity to go further. You cannot start halfway, or up at the top. If some people do not have the education, or they are not used to working, then let us start them working and pay them, and we do not have unemployment benefits.
We ensure the Commonwealth supplies sufficient funds, sufficient capital equipment, and the right people to help. Again, not anybody can come in and work in these communities. They are tough, especially when someone knocks on your door and wants your car at night because they want to go for a ride in it, or you have not paid them and then they want to belt down your door because they did not turn up for work so we do did not pay them. I know what that feeling is like and you have to be pretty tough to say no. However, we need to do it. It is a bit of a tough love syndrome but, if we are going to help people, we need full employment in these communities. Give people opportunities. They can work on their own community, or they can make a decision to work somewhere else.
I have said before, look at the Aboriginal people here; what wonderful people they are. However, what did they do? They went to school somewhere else and got a good education. They were lucky. Others are not as lucky as that. We should be working hard and planning. We need to make decisions. I have sat in here for ages and ages and talked about this. We have these grand schemes and I still believe the unemployment level is this high and the literacy and numeracy level is this low. Keep it simple. Go out there and do some things that I know can work from personal experience. Maybe it was 30 years ago, but I do not see any difference between a council 30 years ago and a council today. Maybe the new councils will fix it. I wish them luck. I am not so sure.
Madam Speaker, I know we have covered a broad range of issues, but that is what we should be discussing; the real issues that confound the Territory and confront us as Territorians. We need to work, we need to plan, and we do not need the spin.
Debate suspended.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Hon Steele Hall, the Premier of South Australia from 1968 to 1970, and his wife Mrs Joanna Hall, also a former South Australian member. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I respond to the address by His Honour the Administrator. His Honour said that much has been achieved, and he is right. The result of 9 August represented endorsement of the government’s policies for the future. His Honour made it clear that Territorians expect the government to continue to move the Territory ahead and get the job done.
The election was tough and I thank the people of the Daly electorate for continuing to put their faith in me and the Henderson government. As the Chief Minister said earlier today, this is a very exciting period in our history. I am proud to be part of the Henderson team.
I am privileged to hold four very important portfolios: Housing, Local Government, Essential Services and Public Employment. Getting things right in these portfolios will make the Territory a great place to live, work and raise a family. I intend to inform the House in detail about the directions we will take in each of these areas.
A key factor in moving the Territory ahead is addressing the shortage of housing and making housing more affordable for all Territorians. This is fundamental to creating the future we want for our children and fellow Territorians.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister talked about a partnership with the Commonwealth that is delivering the biggest housing program since self-government. The program, known as the Strategic Indigenous Housing Infrastructure Program (SIHIP), will start in the coming months. The program will deliver $647m in additional remote housing and infrastructure spend over the next five years. The program will reduce the rate of overcrowding in a number of Aboriginal communities across the Territory and enable the upgrade of existing houses to improve the living conditions of those tenants.
The Henderson government believes in economic growth. The benefits of that growth must be shared by the whole community. The SIHIP program has a diverse set of objectives which will improve Indigenous communities by providing better housing and related infrastructure, employment and training outcomes, together with Indigenous participation in both program development and delivery. The alliance partnership approach chosen to deliver the program has proved popular, with 24 responses received from industry interested in tendering as an alliance partner. From these, five companies have been short-listed to submit a request for proposal to form an alliance partnership. I am looking forward to announcing a minimum of three alliance partners next month.
This program will deliver around 1000 new homes, approximately 2500 refurbishments, essential infrastructure to support the new homes, and improvements in living conditions in town camps. The department has a key role in providing employment opportunities for Indigenous people through the housing construction and repairs and maintenance programs. I am looking forward to working with my colleague, the Minister for Regional Development, in his new portfolio, in this respect.
Housing reform is more than building new homes. We are committed to changing the way government delivers housing in the bush. We need sustainable outcomes for these important assets that are fundamental to health and social outcomes. The Remote Public Housing Management Framework aims to improve tenancy management systems in the bush to allow community residents to have access to housing services equivalent to that of urban public housing tenants. Part of the model going forward is a life skills program to give Indigenous people the skills necessary to improve tenancy outcomes.
We are also committed to investing in government employee housing - housing to support the increased numbers of Australian and Northern Territory government public servants who are delivering education, health, and law and order in those communities. Under the Closing the Gap program, we have allocated $42m additional funding to increase the government housing stock in remote communities.
Last week, I travelled to Canberra to attend the Housing Ministers Conference. When I was there, I raised the unique challenges in the delivery of social housing in the Territory. This was to ensure that the Territory gets the most out of the new National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) with the Commonwealth. That is my priority as a minister for this government. I am looking forward to working with my state and federal counterparts for better outcomes for the Territory.
In the Territory, we are continuing to create affordable housing options through the HomeNorth Scheme and by allocating 15% of lots in new land releases for affordable housing. Whilst I was in Canberra, I had the opportunity to have a look at several affordable housing options. I believe they are products we could bring to the Territory.
The Chief Minister has announced that the government also will develop and implement a Territory housing plan. This plan will help address housing affordability in the Territory. I have already met with key officers in the Department of Local Government and Housing to discuss innovative policies, and will make an announcement concerning public and private housing in the coming months.
During the election campaign, we heard loud and clear that the issue of housing affordability is one that needs priority action by this government. We need fresh ideas, and the changes I will be announcing will lead to some real results. We will help those Territorians wanting to enter the housing market, those Territorians who are in need of public housing, and we will target the burden of high rents. Ongoing stamp duty cuts and the HomeNorth program will continue.
I welcome the accelerated land release program that my colleague, minister Lawrie, announced just a few days ago. I also welcome the Chief Minister’s announcement that these plans will not be focused on the Palmerston and Darwin areas alone. Areas in my electorate, including places such as Wadeye, will also benefit from additional land release and housing programs. We need to work hard in the bush, with many remote towns growing at a faster rate than major cities like Darwin. We also need to look at the planned renewal of those towns as well.
In the Local Government area, this government has already embarked upon the most ambitious local government reform process in the Territory’s history. We have implemented the framework which saw eight large, new shire councils and three small shire councils established and operating on 1 July this year. Local government reform has led to the creation of new shires that are now delivering and improving local government services. The process of improving the structure of local government is an ongoing step-by-step process to ensure the new councils have the necessary tools to lead the communities forward.
At present, the new shires are being managed by shire council committees in conjunction with the shire managers. This is to ensure that the views of the community and priorities are key considerations for all shire directions. Local government is moving ahead across the Territory, with strong councils ready to lead regional development in the bush. Some of my discussions in Canberra were that the Australian government is looking at these shires as being a key body to work with. Greater capacity will come to those shires, not only through greater funding, but also through work the department will do in building the knowledge within those elected members.
Through my extensive travel across the Territory, people in the bush have told me they are ready to take that next step in changing local government. Preparations for the upcoming elections are proceeding well. The elections will be run by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. The nominations actually open tomorrow. For all those people intending to stand, they can start to submit nominations then. The elections for the new shires will be held on 25 October. I encourage interested Territorians in those areas to stand for election. These new local governments offer a great opportunity for people to really represent their region, with a new body to take it forward.
A strategy for voter and intending candidate education and awareness has also been developed and that will be rolling out very shortly. The strategy is planned in three stages to dovetail with the key dates of voter enrolment, candidate nomination, and the polling itself. Ensuring the message gets out is critical to the success of the election, ensuring that we have strong local government. The communication strategy for provision of election education and awareness includes: television commercials; radio in Indigenous language and English; press advertising and copies in shires and regional newsletters and community media. I am sure local members would also put something in their newsletters. We are also following this up with posters, leaflets, fact sheets using pictographic representation and translated into language, and the use of audio CDs as well as downloads from the department’s and shire’s websites.
However, the work does not stop after the election. I will continue to meet with people across the Territory to listen to their ideas, comments and concerns surrounding local government. The process of developing the shires will continue for many years under the direction of these newly-elected councillors.
An important part of the reform is governance training, after the election, for all the elected members. This will be a key tool in the development of the capacity of these shires to ensure they function and perform at the highest level.
Creating real jobs in communities is important for their future, as is the engagement of local people in delivering those services in their communities. We have been negotiating with the Australian government to continue funding for real jobs that were identified for the delivery of municipal and essential services to outstations, and were previously CDEP jobs. In October 2007, the Northern Territory government and the Australian government signed a memorandum of understanding that has committed both governments to the transitioning of Indigenous men and women from CDEP into real jobs in local government core services. Already, 408 jobs for Indigenous people in local government core services have been created. This year, we secured funding agreements with the Commonwealth agencies for up to $25m for operational funding to local government councils.
In moving forward, I am committed to ensuring our local government reform delivers strong and effective participation by councils as the proper third sphere of government; strong, stable functioning councils that abide by the legislation and operate with best practice; and stable and professional local government that delivers effective and efficient services to their communities.
My other portfolio responsibility is Public Employment, and the relevant agency I am responsible for is the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment. Under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act the Commissioner for Public Employment has a wide range of functions, amongst which the commissioner is the statutory employer of public servants employed under that act. The commissioner is also required to provide advice to me on the monitoring and implementation of employment policies. In summary, the commissioner has prime responsibility for public sector management and industrial issues.
Also included under the commissioner’s umbrella is NT Build, which administers the Construction Industry Long Service Leave and Benefits Act; and the Office of the Workplace Advocate which provides free advice to private sector employees and employers with the aim of providing fair, safe and more productive workplaces.
Over the life of this government, the commissioner has the role of leading what this government has labelled reform and revitalisation of the Northern Territory public service. The Henderson government set strategic directions for the public sector to achieve this reform and revitalisation agenda. The first task is the development of a whole-of-service strategic workplace plan to cover the next few years. The NTPS, like the rest of the community, is facing skills shortages which are primarily brought about by the ageing population. As Northern Territory public servants leave, whether because of retirement or for other reasons, the competition for available people to take their places is increasing. We need to respond to this by having a plan in place to ensure we have the right people with the right mix of skills and values, at the right time and in the right places.
The reform and revitalisation agenda will also include: a review of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act to ensure it provides a contemporary base for public sector employment; a review of the government’s wages policy; updating the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy, and the Willing and Able Strategy which aims to provide employment for people with disabilities in the Northern Territory public service; and the further development of innovation, recognition and reward programs in government agencies.
The government’s election commitment for the new public sector recognition, Innovation and reward program will see a new scholarship program with financial assistance for 25 public servants to undertake specialist training or studies. We will also introduce a graduate recruitment and career development program aimed at giving on-the-job training to young Territorians with potential. We will also be introducing the Chief Minister’s Public Service Medal to recognise high-performing employees for their innovation and/or service to the community.
The reform and revitalisation package will also see biennial staff surveys introduced across the Northern Territory Public Service so we know how each public servant is feeling about their employment, their aspirations, and how the NTPS and its agencies are being managed. A new approach to executive leadership development will be introduced, with the aim of focusing on the needs of individuals rather than the ‘one size fits all’ approach. The NTPS and Charles Darwin University will also become members of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, the pre-eminent provider of public sector leadership programs in our region. Finally, because we want to uphold all that is good about the NTPS, a package will also be developed that promotes and reinforces public sector values and standards within the service.
As I mentioned earlier, the role of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate is to provide advice to public sector employees and employers with the aim of providing fair, safe and more productive employment.
During the term of this government, NT Build will continue to provide more than 10 000 building and construction industry workers with long-service leave benefits commensurate with workers in other jurisdictions. I look forward to working with the key stakeholders within this area of the public sector to make it a strong, viable sector into the future.
As the Minister for Essential Services, I am also responsible for the Power and Water Corporation. The Power and Water Corporation delivers power, water, and sewerage services to almost 80 000 customers in cities, towns and remote communities across the Territory. As a Government Owned Corporation, it operates commercially to meet a number of challenges. Vast distances, a tough operational environment, nationwide skills shortages, and high fuel prices all impact on its business activities.
Power and Water staff contend with floods and cyclones, high humidity, severe storms, spectacular lightning and the dreaded fruit bat here in the Top End, through to the desert environment in the southern region with water paucity and temperature extremes.
Aside from business as usual, the corporation has a major program to meet the growing demands of expanding business and increased population here in the Northern Territory. In the 2007-08 financial year, the corporation commenced a five-year $1bn asset investment program that will ensure security of electricity and water supply now and in the future, with improving safety standards and environmental performance. This major investment program will not only benefit customers through a better service delivery of essential services, but it will significantly benefit Territory industry. Works on the majority of the key projects of the major investment program are under way.
The projects and their total overall costs include: $126m to build a new power station and power line at Weddell to service the Darwin/Palmerston regions; $35m to progress work on the Darwin Sewerage Strategy which includes the closing of the Larrakeyah outfall by 2010-11 financial year and also the upgrading of the Ludmilla Waste Water Treatment Plant; nearly $80m to build the Owen Springs power station at the Brewer Industrial Estate and transmission line to Alice Springs; $27m to underground power in Darwin’s northern suburbs; $11m to build the Archer Zone Substation for Palmerston; $11m to upgrade power in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Yulara; $11m to raise the height of the Darwin River Dam up to 1.3 m, which will increase the capacity of the dam by 20%; and lastly, $5m to upgrade the Roe Creek bore field in Alice Springs.
These key projects will contribute to increasing the security of supply and reliability of water and electricity service for all Territorians.
Gas to power over 90% of the Territory’s electricity will be sourced from the Blacktip field in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, coming onshore at Wadeye. All major contracts for the onshore and offshore components of this $1bn Blacktip gas project have already been awarded. APA Group has been contracted to construct the $168m 286 km Bonaparte gas pipeline, with works started early in 2008 and on schedule for completion in 2009. This will transport gas from the processing plant at Yelcher Beach, near Wadeye, right across to Ban Ban Springs just off the Stuart Highway. It is a huge undertaking.
As a back-up, a contract for an 11 km interconnection to the Darwin liquefied natural gas facility at Wickham Point has been negotiated, along with the contract to purchase supplementary and emergency gas supplies from April 2009.
In line with the growing importance of sustainability, Power and Water is also working to minimise its impact on the environment, and is delivering a sustainable energy strategy. Over time, Power and Water intends to reduce average emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity generated by about 10%, which equates to a reduction of around 100 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. This will be achieved by using the latest technology in new power stations which will be more efficient and produce fewer emissions than existing plants.
To help overcome the challenge of attracting and keeping skilled staff, Power and Water is growing its own and currently has over 60 apprentices and trainees in the organisation, and is committed to taking on 11 apprentices every year. This is a great achievement. I had the good fortune to meet some of the apprentices whilst I was in Alice Springs looking at the power station. It is great to see an organisation promoting young people into trades.
The closure of the Larrakeyah sewage outfall is under way. Work has commenced and a program is in place to close the Larrakeyah sewage outfall by 2011. The project will reduce potential environmental impact by eliminating untreated sewage discharge to the harbour. Over the next four years, $35m will be spent on completing this project.
A result of the Territory’s booming economy is the growing demand for power and water services for new houses and also new and expanding businesses. Power and Water is well placed to meet these growing demands and to deliver a $1bn infrastructure program over the next five years.
Madam Speaker, the Administrator talked about the important task ahead for this government. This government will deliver on every election commitment we made. I will work hard to ensure that we meet the challenges within my portfolio. I look forward to playing my role in delivering every commitment of the Henderson government to improve the lives of Territorians.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I thank the Administrator for his address on Tuesday. I congratulate you on being elected as the Speaker of this House – a difficult job in the best of times and, perhaps, an almost impossible job in the worst of times. I know you will continue with the dignity you have displayed over the last term and, particularly, over the last 15 months since I have been here.
I also offer my congratulations to all newly elected members on both sides of the House and to all re-elected members. I know it is very special to be elected to parliament.
I concur with the member for Nelson who made the comment in the adjournment on Tuesday night that the speeches had a common theme; that of the betterment of the Northern Territory. There was great stuff from all members. I thought the member for Barkly was very entertaining. I know it was from the heart, but it was also a very entertaining speech. Also, entertaining was the speech by the new member for Nhulunbuy, who finished with around 80% of the primary vote. I remember the former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, saying that if there was one thing the former member for Nhulunbuy wanted, it was to preserve his very high primary vote. The new member for Nhulunbuy has surpassed that and has come out with about 80%. That is a great achievement, and big congratulations. Clearly, there is a fair bit of work for the Country Liberals in the Gove region. Nevertheless, a great result.
The member for Nelson’s primary vote was 70% to 75%. He has done a great job. Congratulations to everyone and, of course, to my colleagues in Alice Springs. The member for Araluen’s vote was 69%, or so it turned out to be in the end ...
Ms Carney: Primary vote
Mr CONLAN: Two party preferred was about 75%. The Old Timers village, which I used to have and nurtured so well over the last 12 months which then went to you, I reckon that was a couple of hundred votes for sure. Nevertheless …
Ms Carney: They still love you, Matt.
Mr CONLAN: They are in very good hands. I thank all the people of Greatorex, to those who have allowed me to be re-elected after the by-election last year. I, too, had an increase in my primary vote and the two party preferred, and that is simply humbling. It is an honour to be backed with such confidence by the people.
However, it is not for lack of hard work. It really is about getting out there and talking to people, knocking on doors and doing the hard physical yakka that goes with fame. In my 15 months in parliament, I have been through two elections, so I am aware of the work required to be re-elected. It is humbling and I am very grateful to all those people of Greatorex who have allowed me to represent them and the people of Central Australia.
Of course, a common theme throughout the course of the maiden speeches and the Address-in-Reply speeches has been that we are here for all constituents, not just those who voted for us. Sometimes, that it is a message which might be a bit hard to get across to those people who did not vote for you, but you can win their confidence - and that has been displayed. The member for Araluen highlighted that in her speech the other day, when some rusted-on Labor voters voted for the member for Araluen for the very first time. Clearly, it is possible to bring people across and to demonstrate that you can represent all people in the electorate. It is interesting too, that people may not vote for you but, as a local member, you take the party politics out of things. We are just people on the ground trying to do the best for those people in our electorate. That is a testament to all of us here today.
My wife, Elara, has been a constant support. Karen Berry, my electorate officer, is an absolute godsend for me. She has a stack of experience in the public service. She was a former electorate officer to former minister, Barry Coulter, in the 1980s and 1990s, so she certainly knows how to get things done and how things are done, and the procedures of the Assembly and government. She has been a great guiding hand.
Michael Jones, the chair of the Alice Springs branch, has done a terrific job. He has reinvigorated the Country Liberal branch in Alice Springs with some youth and enthusiasm. Of course, that is saying nothing about our former chairman, David Koch, who has done a great job as well. As David resigned to contest the mayoral election earlier this year, Michael Jones stepped into the breach and has done a fabulous job. I thank all those people.
I believe the election was a vote for the government to listen, and to listen more. The Chief Minister articulated that on the Sunday morning. I will never forget the photo in the Sunday Territorian of the ashen-faced Chief Minister and ‘Labor Pains’ and, down the side, the swing. The government talked about a mandate and, clearly, this was a mandate to listen. We have been saying it for a very long time. Ever since I have been in this House, and in my previous role interviewing members of this parliament, it has been a common theme around Central Australia and, indeed, across the Northern Territory for a long time: the government needs to listen more and listen properly.
We were accused of talking down the town whenever we said the government needed to do more to address issues in town. It is interesting that Alice Springs and Central Australia did not buy that. Whether the government wanted them to heel, beg, or submit into voting for them – well, they got the reverse. The town of Alice Springs, like it does, jacked up even more.
Areas of law and order, planning, land release, regional development, health and education - there is almost no issue in Central Australia that is void of any concern for the people of Alice Springs and, indeed, Central Australia. I include the Barkly; the member for Barkly would know all too well the issues facing that part of the Northern Territory.
I believe the Country Liberals put forward some terrific and practical policies which resonated with the electorate. That was why the electorates of the Northern Territory showed such confidence in us. Some of these the government has or should take up. We have seen it already with the CCTV cameras and the Department of Regional Development in Central Australia. I am not sure what guise that is going to take on ...
Ms Carney: I do not think they know yet either, Matt.
Mr CONLAN: Well, yes. Our model was perhaps staggered over a longer period of time, but with the view of having a minister based in Central Australia. That is what Central Australia needs and what Central Australia wants. I hold out the hope that the member for Stuart or the member for Macdonnell may be able to obtain that position one day and have the department based in Central Australia.
I have spoken to the new Minister for Central Australia. It is terrific to see a Minister for Central Australia actually from Central Australia. This government broke with a 30-year tradition by appointing the member for Daly to the Minister for Central Australia’s role - whose office is based at Coolalinga. That did not go down well at all with those of us in the Centre and, I believe, perhaps those on the other side of the House. That is not meant to be disparaging towards the member for Daly. He performed reasonably well in difficult circumstances. It is very hard; this is a big place, and it is difficult logistically to get up and down to these parts of the Territory when required, particularly between Alice Springs and Darwin. There was no lack of effort on his part, but this government did break with tradition and, for the first time ever, we saw a Cabinet with no Central Australia representation. It is good to see that that has been restored.
I know the new Minister for Central Australia has been a vocal critic of this government at times. I hope she will continue to be a vocal critic, and advocate for her region and the people of Central Australia. I met with her a couple of weeks ago. We met in my office and talked about some issues relating to the Centre and bipartisan ways we can go forward to address the issues of Central Australia and make headway into some of those areas: law and order, land release, regional development and core government functions like health and education. I hope she continues to be the great advocate for the Centre, as she has been, now that she has a very important job as Minister for Central Australia. I hope she continues that.
Considering the swing in Central Australia the Chief Minister said on 10 August he is going to address issues of Central Australia. I would have thought by now we would have had a ministerial report or even a ministerial statement on the Centre. There has been nothing so far. Perhaps that will come next week. I hope so.
An area we did discuss with the minister, and one which I hope to discuss as we go along, was the CCTV. I know the government is committed to that. That was a commitment we put forward before the election campaign. We believed in freeing up funds for the town council. It is very hard for the Alice Springs Town Council to engage in community projects when they simply do not have the money. We all know that the Alice Springs Town Council’s budget is right to the hilt. They have nothing left over at the end of it. If we are able to free up some of that money for the council, they can proceed with community projects and spend money where necessary around the Alice Springs municipality. That was a commitment by the Country Liberals. It is good to see that the government has committed to closed circuit television throughout Central Australia. I am sure the Alice Springs Town Council will appreciate the extra money they will get as a result of that.
Shade at the Charles Darwin University campus is a big issue. I had a meeting the other week with the Alice Springs Town Council, Charles Darwin University, and the department of Sport and Recreation about shade for CDU. It was another commitment by the Country Liberals. It was staggering and mind-boggling why we could not get any shade there - a simple shade structure. I remember, on a previous committee I was on with the members for Stuart, Arnhem, Macdonnell, and the former member for Katherine, we went to Katherine YMCA. They had some simple shade structures there which cost about $12 000 each. It is not big money. This is the sort of model we are looking for; some very simple shade structure around Charles Darwin University to be used every day of the school year. It is baked in 40C-plus heat throughout summertime and is used every weekend for cricket - junior cricket, particularly, and senior cricket in the afternoon. We have to look after the kids and protect them from exposure to the sun. That has been a pretty long hard-fought battle, but it looks like we may be getting somewhere.
I am not sure whether that has been a directive of anyone in this House. I am not sure if anyone has a hand in that, but I was approached by the department of Sport and Recreation to attend this meeting with the town council and Charles Darwin University, and it looks like it is going to go ahead. Mind you, Probuild (NT) Pty Ltd in Alice Springs is donating it, so no one is actually paying for it. They actually donated it on the proviso they can call it the Probuild Shade Structure ...
Ms Carney: And the government weasled out of it again.
Mr CONLAN: The government will probably highjack the initiative there and say: ‘Look what we have done’. Nevertheless, we have to rise above these things and say it is for the benefit of the Alice Springs community. It is good to see that going ahead. Unfortunately, it will not be in time for the Masters Games but should be in time for the cricket season.
The police station refurbishment was, as you said, member for Araluen. We had a tour of the police station just after the Greatorex by-election and I could not find one person who said that they loved working in the conditions at the Alice Springs Police Station. We find now, on 10 August, and subsequent days, that there is a commitment. I have a recollection that it is $6m for the Alice Springs Police Station upgrade which is very good and well overdue. It is the second oldest police station in the Northern Territory. It has deteriorated significantly in the last seven years. It certainly needs some attention, and it is good to see that it is getting some attention to the tune of $6m.
I will come to health services shortly. Disability health services particularly throughout Central Australia, and parents of disabled children, seem to be areas where government can really step up. Many parents with disabled children find it extremely tough even with little things such as trying to get out of the house. I do not have a disabled child, but I know many of my constituents who do, and it is very tiring and, at times, extremely trying to get five minutes to yourself. It is an area government should be looking into: disability health services for not only the children, but also for the parents.
Acacia Hill School does a marvellous job. They are extremely overworked, but they do a terrific job. Unfortunately, the kids at Acacia Hill will reach the age of 18, 19 or 20 and, then essentially, will have to leave the school. So all those skills they have developed through the years at Acacia Hill School go to waste in many cases; they have nowhere to go, and no jobs to go into. It is an area I would like to see government - the Minister for Health and/or community services - focus a little on.
Oral health services is also a big issue for Central Australia. We have a situation where public dentists are being paid something along the lines of $75 000 a year, when a first-year graduate in private practice gets something to the tune of $150 000 a year. Why would you be in the public sector when you can be earning big money as a first-year graduate in the private sector? Dentists earn pretty good money, and I do not think any of us here likes parting with our hard earned money every time we go to the dentist. However, there is a gap there and it is a serious issue. I am finding situations where, if you go to a public dentist to get a filling, you might need three fillings, but you cannot get all three done at once. You have to make another appointment and it could be anything between six to 12 months before you can get one. I know it is a big issue in Central Australia as it is across the NT.
There are areas of health where we are making great ground, but there are also other areas that get swept under the carpet - perhaps not swept under the carpet; that might be a bit too harsh, but overlooked in the grand scheme of things and they are oral health and disability health services.
Has the government considered doing anything with the Melanka Resort in Central Australia? As you know, it was going to become the new Gilligan’s. I believe there were some planning issues regarding the height of the building so Gilligan’s pulled out. Is it also as a result of lack of confidence in tourism in Central Australia? It has the prime location. It does not get much more prime CBD location than where Melanka is. We now have an eyesore, and I believe the construction company is going to demolish the building and level the site - then it will just be a hole in the ground. I do not know what government can do. I do not know how appropriate it is for government as, obviously, it is a private consideration. Maybe it is a matter of picking up the phone and trying to find someone to develop that site and saying something along the lines of: ‘What do we need to do to get you into this place?’
It is a prime location and, essentially, we have lost 400 beds as a result of that. There were 400 backpacker beds at Melanka, and now they are gone and we have just managed to weather a peak season. Beds are at a premium in Central Australia at the moment. Unfortunately, that is not a direct result of massive tourism; it is largely a result of the intervention. We have many Commonwealth public servants in Central Australia as a result of the federal government’s intervention, and they are taking up the beds and the hire cars. They are not using the tourism operators such as the ballooning, the RFDS, or the Outback Quads, or whatever it might be. I wonder whether the government can look at that. It really does need something, being such a prime location in the Centre.
Cycling tourism is also big. There is a fellow in Alice Springs who is a triathlete, a champion of sorts. He is putting forward suggestions - maybe some of the local members have seen in the Alice Springs News - about cycle tourism and the amount of money that it can bring into a region. It is absolutely huge in Europe. It is very simple. It just needs a little landscaping - designated tracks and that sort of thing. It is pretty simple as it is bicycle tourism not motorbikes. You might have a series of tracks - perhaps like walking tracks we have all over our national parks - for cycling. There is a perfect area in Alice Springs. It is in Stuart – it borders on Greatorex and Stuart – and that is up through Currajong Drive where there is the big bend through there. There are already a couple of little walking tracks and through there would be a perfect spot for cycle tourism.
This fellow’s name is Jack Oldfield and he has already seen me. We are having a meeting in the next couple of weeks. We would be happy to meet with the Minister for Central Australia and the minister for Sport on this. I said I would like to meet him again and, perhaps, bring in stakeholder groups including the ministers and Peter Grigg from Tourism Central Australia to see if this is something we could do. I believe it is relatively inexpensive and the gains certainly outweigh the cost involved.
I am having a meeting with the General Manager of Tourism Central Australia, Peter Grigg, and a dual Finke Desert Race champion, Rick Hall, who most of us in the Centre would know, about a range climb. We have heard about the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, which is an absolute drawcard in Sydney; people love it. We want to talk about introducing a range climb in the MacDonnell Ranges. This is not my idea. This is the idea of Rick Hall, a friend and a constituent. We are going to have a meeting about this tomorrow morning, when I fly back to Alice Springs, to nut out some of the bits and pieces. We will then meet with Peter Grigg. Some Central Australian members, government members and ministers might meet him with me, and with Peter Grigg, to see if we can do this. This has not been costed yet. We are at the grassroots of the idea. However, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, a range climb in Central Australia could be a real winner and drawcard.
Health has obviously been a big topic over the last couple of days. I cannot let the opportunity go by in this Address-in-Reply to comment on the ministerial responsibility that the Minister for Health appears to be dodging. We are faced with extraordinary circumstances. This story in the paper about Margaret Winter is terrible and the Minister for Health is avoiding responsibility for that. I have a couple of texts here. These were written by professors. I would like to read out a couple of quotes and perhaps the minister might listen to those, read them in the Parliamentary Record, take them away and ponder them. This is from a book called Government, Politics and Power in Australia which talks about ministerial responsibility:
That first line particularly says it all, Madam Speaker. ‘Individual ministers are said to be responsible to the parliament for their own and their department’s actions’. That was from Government, Politics and Power in Australia. Another one is, Public Policy in Australia, by Professors Weller and Warhurst and Senior Lecturers, Davis and Wanna:
Another quote is from the book Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice by Graham Maddox, it is the third edition. It is a little longer and more complex and says:
In other words, it is glaringly obvious when they wrote the Constitution, that the Executive - that is, the Cabinet - are ultimately responsible for their decisions. It is pretty plain that we have a situation before this parliament where the Minister for Health is not taking responsibility for the actions of his department which, ultimately, led to the death of Mrs Margaret Winter.
The minister has said resourcing is adequate. The Coroner noted that, in 2006-07 there was no additional money for nurses for general medical wards. The question then is: how is this adequate resourcing - particularly given the minister admits there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital?
We have been through that today, ad nauseam. I can assure you we will be continuing that line throughout the course of parliament. I ask the minister to seriously consider his position as the Minister for Health of the Northern Territory.
By calling an early election and trying to kid the people of the Northern Territory that it had something to do with securing a major infrastructure project for Darwin, the Chief Minister has inadvertently reinvigorated the parliament of the Northern Territory and delivered us eight new members. We now have a unified, vibrant team of 11 versus 13 with one Independent. I believe Senator Scullion said on election night that that Independent is in the bosom of the Country Liberals.
It was clearly lip service to the people of the Territory and …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, your time has expired.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time to finish his speech, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will only be one or two minutes.
Clearly, the people of the Northern Territory did not see it the way the Chief Minister saw it. I turn to the Northern Territory News of Friday. It said on page 4 ‘WA election possible influence’. We have not seen a result in the Western Australia election – have we, member for Fong Lim?
Mr Tollner: No, we have not.
Mr CONLAN: No. It says here:
I just wonder …
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, member for Greatorex. Member for Brennan, there is a standing order in relation to walking between the member speaking and the Speaker. Please continue, member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: I just wonder if that would fly in the face of the Chief Minister’s assertion that he had to go early to secure the gas plant for the infrastructure deal for the Darwin Harbour. Clearly, it was a furphy and Territorians did not buy that. That result was in the vote and it is hard not to gloat. This is a terrific result for the Country Liberals.
The signage and the negativity against the Leader of the Opposition plastered all around every polling booth in the Northern Territory said ‘Terry Mills is not up to the job’. Well, Madam Speaker, Terry Mills is clearly up to the job. The people of the Northern Territory believe that Terry Mills is up to the job. We gave Labor a two seat handicap, and they still scraped across the line by 67 votes. Clearly, the people of the Northern Territory believe that Terry Mills and the Country Liberals are up to the job and are an effective alternative government.
Four-year terms have been proposed by the Northern Territory government - not before time - something they supported in opposition in 2000 and, yet, we have not seen it. We have been advocating four-year fixed terms for quite a while. One of the lines with that ashen-faced picture of the Chief Minister in the Northern Territory News on 10 August was him saying: ‘We will seriously consider four-year fixed terms’. We support that, of course.
Madam Speaker, I finish by saying, in the words of the great Australian – well, perhaps great might be a bit over the top, but certainly famous - Prime Minister, Paul Keating: ‘We support the four-year fixed terms, because we want to do you slowly’.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I respond to the Address by his Honour the Administrator.
Quite a number of other speakers in this debate have congratulated you on being Speaker and, today, you were put to the test. I hope in future all members will honour your position as Speaker and show you courtesy and respect, and that this parliament can operate as a place of debate and not a place of shouting and interjection.
The Administrator set out the government’s priorities for this term. I am privileged to hold the portfolios of Justice and Attorney-General; Health; Alcohol Policy; and Racing, Gaming and Licensing. These are challenging areas, as the member for Greatorex has alluded to. I am keen to drive reform under a Henderson Labor government to deliver real results in these portfolios. As the Chief Minister has described, this government truly reflects the diverse Territory community from our remote communities to the cities. That gives us the capacity to hear the voices of all Territorians. Personally, I am very proud to represent the electorate of Johnston and the people who live there, some of whom have spent their entire lives in the Top End - many generations of them as well - and some who travelled from around the world in a wide range of circumstances to join us. It is always fascinating, as you knock on doors, to find out people’s stories of how they came to the Territory, what sort of work they do, how they enjoy themselves, and how great they think the Territory is.
Regarding the Justice portfolios, I am introducing a suite of legislation and policies to stamp out violent crime and antisocial behaviour. This bill is building on the work of my predecessors in this role, who commenced major Criminal Code and sentencing reform. I continue this reform, for example, strengthening the sentencing regime for the most serious category of offenders.
Recently, the government removed any possible discretion from the DPP in bringing an application, or court in deciding on an application, as to minimum terms for those convicted of murder and certain other aggravating factors such as sexual assault, an offence against a child, or if there is multiple murders. If those are involved there are certainly dire consequences. A lengthy sentence of imprisonment must be imposed, and the community expects this class of prisoner to serve their intended time. We have tightened up defences to the crime of murder and replaced the dangerous act offence to ensure that appropriate charges are laid and proper sentences imposed for homicide offences.
Over this term, I will continue these reforms. This includes legislation to ensure that offenders who commit certain serious offences go to prison. The community expects, and the government agrees, that some offences are so inherently grave that those who commit them deserve detention - not fully suspended sentences as provided under its alternative policies put forward by the opposition during the campaign.
Similarly, this government will bring in new strict rules around bail to limit the ability of repeat offenders to access bail. By reversing the presumption for bail for those convicted of serious offences in the last five years, offenders will quickly learn bail is not an easy avenue if they are charged with a serious violence offence again. If they do manage to secure bail, they will need to maintain exemplary compliance with all conditions imposed, and any breach will lead to revocation of bail.
Following the re-election of the government, I met with the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss ways we can improve the services provided by that organisation. In Budget 2008-09, we provided funding to specifically target cases involving sex offences against children, an essential component of the service. I will be working with the director to ensure prosecution services across all aspects of the organisation are amongst the best in the country.
This government is also dedicated to improving services and support for victims of crime. In 2007, we commenced operation of a new Victims Assistance Scheme to ensure victims receive immediate financial assistance for economic loss, access to free counselling, and a compensation process that is quicker, easier and less traumatic. Over this term, the government will expand the operation of the Crimes Victims Services Unit to ensure applications are finalised even more quickly, and that the Victims Assistance Service continues to provide an essential role helping people negotiate the complex and intimidating court process.
The government makes no apologies for the fact that our tough policies on crime will lead to an increase in the prison population. However, alongside this increase, we need to ensure that prisoners have access to intensive education, employment and rehabilitation programs to minimise, as much as possible, the likelihood that the offender will return to prison.
Berrimah prison is at the end of its functional life and unable to properly accommodate existing prisoner numbers, let alone increases over another 10 or 20 years. We need a new 1000-bed facility that properly caters for this increase, the needs of officers to provide a professional supervision service, and the ability of educators and rehabilitation program coordinators to access as many prisoners as possible. Under alternative proposals put forward during the campaign, Berrimah would be retained and refurbished. This was put forward primarily as a cost-saving measure. Unfortunately, any such action would be doomed to fail, putting our prison system under unsustainable pressure. Total space for prisoners under that model on the present site would fail by 2013. Due to increased recurrent costs of keeping the old prison - most notably maintenance costs and higher staffing ratios - it would actually begin to cost government more than a new facility.
One of the rationales for building a new prison is the fact that Berrimah has passed its useful life - and any visit there will show that. I encourage members opposite who want to visit Berrimah prison - I know some of you probably already have - but for those who want to visit Berrimah prison, I am more than happy for you to have a briefing and go to Berrimah prison to have a look for yourself. However, it is past its use-by date; it is 30 years old. Moreover, because it has grown like Topsy in a higgledy-piggledy fashion, the supervision and flow of prisoners is very difficult, and the actual ratio of prison officers to prisoners is extremely high when compared to more modern institutions.
There is a considerable saving in the longer term, in building a new prison. I imagine the issue of the new prison will be a matter for debate in this House in the near future, and I am more than happy to engage in that debate.
Another important aspect is that there is no possible way of simply expanding the current site to provide the intensive programs and the teaching rooms that are essential to reduce recidivism rates. When I visited Berrimah prison I was concerned about the very cramped quarters, and facilities - I do not know if you would really call them facilities - for education and the other programs that are being offered to prisoners. It is a crying shame and it has gone on for too long. That is why government wants to build a new facility to expand those rehabilitation programs and cut those recidivism rates which are amongst the highest in the country. We want to see education of the prisoners, and programs that will assist them to break the cycle of recidivism.
In that respect, I agree with the Opposition Leader. That was front and centre of some of the policies he talked about during the election campaign. The member for Nelson is also very vocal about that and has toured institutions overseas. So, we do agree on one thing. However, I have set out very briefly here the reasons why government will be building a new 1000-bed prison.
In my discussions with the Northern Territory Prison Officers Association, officers agree that Berrimah has served the Territory well, but it is time for a new, best-practice facility. They recognise that retention and recruitment of high-quality recruits to the officer service requires world’s best working conditions, and that is what the new prison will provide. Our prison population is unique. Indigenous men are dramatically overrepresented in the overall population. Only a new, specifically designed facility can take into account recent developments around the world, designing excellent facilities with certain populations in mind.
The Health portfolio has been undergoing rapid reform and expansion since 2001. The Health budget has grown by 89% to $915m, with a specific focus by government on using this funding to recruit frontline staff: 433 more nurses and 162 more doctors. In Budget 2007-08, provision is made for an improved and expanded Patient Assisted Travel Scheme; expanded escort for interstate patients; boosted accommodation allowance to the highest in the country; and installing a Patient Coordinator in Adelaide to help with transport and accommodation.
Also, my continued focus is on delivering the oncology unit. Since the election of the Rudd Labor government, we have been able to progress this project at all speed. There was an extra $6m committed up-front to make a total of $19m, and I believe that is crucial in moving this project forward. We have been finalising negotiations with Royal Adelaide Hospital to operate it for 10 years and, as members would be aware, the construction tender has been awarded and site works are under way.
This government is committed to providing every Territorian the best possible medical and health care. We have, historically, some of the lowest health levels in Australia, but this government’s focus is always bringing that up to the Australian average as soon as we possibly can. To achieve this goal, government has made specific commitments which I will push through during this term. The first is to deliver a comprehensive $45m, 10-year Heart Health Plan. This new initiative will tackle the growing issue of heart disease in the Territory at all levels of the disease process and, ultimately, ensure that the hundreds of people suffering heart disease will no longer need to leave the Territory to receive high-quality treatment.
This initiative is based on the expert advice provided in the report by Professor Phil Harris and Professor Michael Frommer, entitled Cardiac Services in the Northern Territory 2006-2015. I know, from my days in the Heart Foundation, that Professor Phil Harris is one of Australia’s most eminent cardiologists and is very well suited to provide a plan for the Northern Territory, and a way forward for developing our cardiac services.
The plan will expand early intervention and prevention services and cardiac rehabilitation by investing in primary health care with people in the early stages of cardiac disease. Through prevention and early intervention activities, we will help keep people healthier and reduce the level of more serious cardiac disease requiring surgery. Cardiac stress testing machines will be installed in all regional hospitals to provide early detection of heart disease. Rehabilitation services will be expanded to improve a person’s recovery from a heart attack and help prevent future recurrences.
Specialist equipment will be upgraded at Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital. In addition, we are planning to deliver specialist cardiac surgery services. This is a major commitment to deliver a highly specialised and complex service for the Territory. Implementation will be led by the Northern Territory Preventable Chronic Disease Clinical Reference Group, which comprises leading clinicians and key stakeholders such as AMSANT and the Good Health Alliance. The Good Health Alliance is a group of non-government organisations, including the Heart Foundation, the Asthma Foundation, Diabetes Australia and other organisations from the non-government sector which support developments such as this.
This government recognises that Palmerston, as one of the Territory’s fastest growing communities, requires top-quality health services. The Palmerston Super Clinic after-hours service will be up and running by the end of this year. That is what I have undertaken. I have given a public undertaking that I want to see after-hours services delivered through the existing infrastructure at the Palmerston Health Clinic by the end of this calendar year.
There will be, in the medium term, the construction of a new facility at the Health Precinct site. There has been much interest from a variety of people and organisations about that facility. The super clinic will be supported by additional ambulance crew in Palmerston to be operational next year. We are already in discussion with St John, which welcomes the delivery of this additional service based in Palmerston.
I turn to Racing, Gaming and Licensing and Alcohol Policy. Alcohol Policy is one of the most pressing issues facing the Territory community. Government is working with communities to ensure alcohol management is best suited to their particular circumstances. This has included ID systems in Katherine and Alice Springs, and dry town declarations in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Tennant Creek. There has also been an alcohol permit system introduced in Nhulunbuy which, from initial reports, including your own, Madam Deputy Speaker, has led to a dramatic drop in alcohol-related violence.
As I said in parliament earlier today, we have commissioned a review of alcohol reduction measures in Alice and Tennant Creek to gauge success and guide future government policy.
This is not in my written speech but regarding Katherine, I also intend - it is important, given the introduction of alcohol measures there - to look at having an independent evaluation of those alcohol measures, probably at the 12-month mark. As minister, I would like to see them reviewed and, in a similar way, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
There you go; there is a special announcement for Katherine, which is appropriate.
Mr Westra van Holthe: It is the only one I have heard in a long time, but that is fine.
Dr BURNS: You have only been in parliament a little while.
Mr Westra van Holthe: I do listen to what is going on in the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS: Very good. Government has also announced changes to the Tobacco Act and further moves in tobacco control. We announced they would come into force in January 2010. There has been some criticism of that. Some people have approached me and said: ‘Well, we think it is too long’. However, talking with the liquor industry about this and the clubs and pubs, they have said quite strongly they will need to undertake some works in and around this. The clubs, particularly, have put the case to me that they need to look at their forward budgets. They have a process through their committees to tick off on any major capital work in the clubs. We want to work with industry in moving this policy forward.
However, regarding the general public, I reiterate that we have made a commitment for another tranche of tobacco control legislation to be brought in through the Territory. We will be consulting with the industry and, most importantly, with the public about the nature of those reforms.
I have also announced a cap on poker machines and a reduction in government reliance on gaming revenue. I will be introducing legislation on that in the near future.
Government is also committed to establish a system of alcohol licence buy-backs to transition marginal licensees out of the industry. This is legislation that industry is very interested in. I have had discussions with the AHA, as well as the Liquor Stores Association, over this issue, and we will work with the industry on that particular policy initiative.
It is not written here again, but I gave an undertaking prior to the election that, with the review of the Liquor Act - a very important act for the Territory - I am hopeful within the next month or so we will be bringing forward discussions on that within the community, and also within this House regarding a period of consultation on changes to the Liquor Act. It is time to look at the Liquor Act and its objectives, how the Liquor Act might reflect community concern over alcohol issues, and how it might be a vehicle to really address community concerns about reducing alcohol-related harm across the Territory in a whole range of settings. It will probably be quite controversial; I am sure we will have mixed views on it. However, it is the debate that this House needs to have. I am looking forward to the contributions of new members to this debate. There is a whole range of different experience in the parliament now, and it will be a very good debate with some good ideas put forward on the review of the Liquor Act.
Following the election, I assumed responsibility for the WorkSafe portfolio. I am committed to working closely with industry and unions to ensure working environments across the Territory are made a lot safer. There has been some controversy. I have only been the WorkSafe minister for a short time. I have had representations from the HIA, the housing industry group. I am also hoping to meet with the TCA in the near future to hear the concerns they are raising about extra costs in construction. That concerns me, and I will work constructively with industry and WorkSafe to ensure that their reasonable concerns are met and that, basically, industry can get on and do its job, which is construction, without being overly burdened.
Still, there is a responsibility of industry to ensure that workplaces are safe. We have had a number of workplace deaths in the Territory over the past year or two. It is a tragedy to have a death or serious injury on a worksite and we need to avoid that as much as we can. That is my commitment as WorkSafe minister.
I turn briefly to the election campaign. I did speak about it last night. It is an honour for me to be returned to this Assembly as the member for Johnston. I again congratulate my opponent, Jo Sangster, as I did in the Assembly last night. I thought she was a very good opponent; she is the Deputy Lord Mayor. She is certainly an articulate - well, from my age point of view - young woman. She has been on the council for some time; she has a high profile. I thought she ran a very good campaign. There was a swing in the electorate of Johnston of 7.3% against me as the member. I congratulate Jo on the result she achieved.
Apart from the background of the general swing against government - and which the government has acknowledged - one of the difficulties I faced was that, with the redistribution there were about 2000 new voters in the electorate of Johnston. All of us who have been here before know that incumbency is such an important factor. You knock on people’s door, you interact with people and, to lose 40% of incumbency was a challenge.
I now have the area of Millner in my electorate and they are a great bunch. Millner is an older suburb and it was great to meet many Millner residents as I doorknocked, and I will continue to doorknock there. In the result there was one pleasing aspect for me. Notwithstanding the swing of 7.3%, my primary vote actually went up by 3% from 55% in 2005 to 58% this time. So, whilst that has attributed to a two party preferred result, with a 7.3% swing - and congratulations to Jo Sangster on that - I did take a small amount of comfort that my primary vote actually increased. I will be working hard over the next four years to ensure I connect with the electorate and, basically, am doing my job as a local member.
Thank you to my campaign managers, Kate and Julie, and the set-up and pull-down team of Craig, Alex, Ken, Charlie and Chris. There are many people whose support during the campaign and on the day was fantastic: James, who was making a bit of a pictorial record of the day, Geoff, Nick, Andy and Leanne, Kerri, Brian, George, Andrew, Matt, Shelly and Filomena, Tilly, Susan, Glenda, Catherine, Peter, Julie, Kate, Peter, Jacinta, Geoff and Sue, Tony, Peter and Tita, Mick, Chloe, Rhonda and many others.
I particularly thank my electorate officer, Judy Herring, who has been with me from the beginning. For new members, it is almost like being married to your electorate officer - not quite the same, but you have a close relationship with your electorate officer. They know everything about your life and everything about you which, in Judy’s case, luckily for her she has a great sense of humour. We work well together and she is a great asset to me. I am sure the new members will build that relationship with their electorate officer. It is a crucial relationship and is one of trust.
For my family, Elizabeth, it is hard going through an election and new members know that. For ones who have been here for a while, it is a big strain and a time of stress. Elizabeth has been a great support for me over many years, long before my political career. Although the kids were not here, I felt their support and that is great. I could not finish this speech without mentioning Bruiser, my dog. Late at night when I come home - last night for example - Bruiser was waiting for me, wagging his tail and with a happy face. He now has a companion by the name of Bella. She is a little young yet, but one of these days they might breed. They are great company. So, to Bruiser and Bella, thank you also.
Particularly to the electors of Johnston, thank you for your support. I will continue to try to be the best local member I can be for the electorate of Johnston.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Deputy Speaker, before I respond to His Honour the Administrator’s address, I would like to just share with the parliament that last Friday I represented the Chief Minister at Government House for the awarding of the Australia Day Medals to worthy Territory recipients. His Honour was quite amazing in that, when he gave the medals to each of these recipients, he then preceded to tell a little story about each one of them, without any notes whatsoever. From memory, there were about six or seven of them who came from very diverse backgrounds and experiences and he was able to tell a story about each of them. The crowd was quite rapt to hear these stories and to get to know a personal insight of each of these awardees of the Queen’s birthday medals.
I said to the Administrator afterwards: ‘Your Honour, your memory was fantastic to be able to share those stories so personally with the crowd and, obviously, the recipient. It was quite amazing. You have really set a standard now, so whoever follows behind you in this role of being an Administrator now has to have this really crash-hot memory about every recipient you give an award to’. He said: ‘Actually, it is not a first. The previous Governor-General, Major Michael Jefferies, was able to do it with about 63 recipients’. I said: ‘Okay, he has obviously topped the cake’.
On that day, it was more special for the recipients because Australia saw the swearing-in of the new Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, the first female Governor-General in this country. It was a very special day. I just wanted to share that with the Assembly.
If there is one thing I have learned in my time as the member for Arnhem, it is the value of listening to Territorians and to all people. People in the Northern Territory speak their minds and, usually, they do not get it too wrong. Certainly, Northern Territory voters told our government on 9 August that they expected us to listen to them much more closely. I am confident the Henderson government will respond to the messages that came out of the election and, amongst other things, will be listening more closely to the people on the ground to learn what it is they do expect of us over the next four years. By doing this, we will be better placed to develop fresh ideas that will lead to real results for people across the Northern Territory. It is my intention, as a minister in the Henderson government, to work for Territorians regardless of where they live.
It is an honour to be a member of the Cabinet. When I recall my swearing-in three years ago, accompanied by the Yanyuwa Ngadirdji dancers into this parliament, it was a very special day. The swearing-in this week was a reflection of the short history that I have here. It is an honour to stand as a Labor minister with my colleagues in the Labor government.
As a member from a remote electorate, I appreciate, as well as anyone in this House, the diversity of the Territory and why it is that solutions which might work in Darwin might not necessarily work in towns like Alice Springs or Tennant Creek. The local solution is often the best response to the local problem. The good news is that what I have seen already in moving around the Northern Territory and listening to people since assuming my responsibilities as minister, is that there is a willingness and capacity within my agencies to deliver real results for people right across the Northern Territory.
On 4 April, the Chief Minister announced the creation of a new Department of Health and Families which came into effect on 1 July. The decision for such a comprehensive departmental restructure was, as the Chief Minister said at the time, because of the government’s desire to make Territory families our No 1 priority. Territory families will continue to be our priority over the next four years of government. The restructure saw an amalgamation of government agencies which brought together services relating to child protection, foster care, youth support and diversion programs, together with responsibility for family violence, sexual assault, homelessness, and family support services. The new Department of Health and Families will provide a sharper focus for our efforts on behalf of Territory families as we move forward over the next term of government.
While this government will continue its tough stance against juvenile offenders while holding parents accountable for the crimes of their children through our new parental responsibility orders, we will also work to assist those young people who have lost their way. We will also be better placed in future to assist those families who struggle to deliver the kind of environment and opportunities that all children deserve. The new departmental structure and suite of services targeted at young people will improve government’s capacity to help young people get their lives back on track. Importantly, the new department will provide services to nurture young people to develop into young adults, as well as providing leadership for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and the promotion of safe, healthy and happy families.
As the new Minister for Children and Families, and Minister for Child Protection, it is my responsibility to work towards solutions which improve the lives of children and families, particularly those Territory children and families who struggle with homelessness, family breakdown, family violence and sexual abuse. We have initiated comprehensive reforms to tackle child sexual abuse. Our efforts in this area have been bolstered by the recruitment of a record number of child protection workers and more police. This effort has been further aided by the creation of our Child Abuse Task Force. In all, we have created 91 additional jobs in the Children and Family Services area. Some 51 of these positions are frontline child protection workers, and the remainder of the roles are in areas such as foster care support, youth work, sexual assault counselling, and service management.
I would like to share with the parliament that, in these first couple of weeks as the new minister, I have had the opportunity to travel across the Territory, and spend time here in Darwin visiting the offices in Mitchell Street, Palmerston and Casuarina Plaza, and the hospital, to spend time with staff. It is the staff who are our frontline people and I took the opportunity to speak with them directly. The member for Barkly accompanied me In Tennant Creek and we were able to spend time with the staff there. I also visited Alice Springs.
As a new minister coming into this role, I understand the incredible stress felt by these people who are very dedicated and devoted to wanting to see better and improved outcomes for our youth. These people need the support of all politicians in this House to recognise the field they are working in and the emotional duress this field of work involves, in caring for children and what that entails - in particular, the cultural differences not only with families from non-English speaking backgrounds who have moved here, but also with Aboriginal families who are still struggling with the left-over feelings and healing from Stolen Generations and trying to improve their future. This has had a consequential effect, a generational effect, which has been compounded by policies of governments some of which have been good and some not so good.
To be able to speak directly to these staff and to hear from them their first-hand thoughts about what we, as a government, should be dealing with was deeply appreciated. I put on the record my commitment to these staff across the Northern Territory: I will not only listen but do the best I can to work on the issues they raised directly with me.
This enhanced capacity will give us greater capacity as we move forward over the next few years, but it will be important for us to continue to monitor our capacity.
This government is committed to the protection of our children. Child protection is one of the key targets of our Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage initiative. As you have heard the Chief Minister say, closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage will be at the centre of our efforts over the next four years, because it has to be. It has to be at the centre of all our efforts - of every member of this parliament - to ensure that the lives of our most impoverished and vulnerable Territorians and Australians improves for the betterment of society and for the good of all.
Through Closing the Gap, the Northern Territory government will continue to build on a range of initiatives to support families and children across the Northern Territory, regardless of where they might live. In addition, we are confident our Care and Protection of Children Act will, in coming years, promote the wellbeing of Territory children, helping to protect them from harm so they can strive to reach their full potential.
To further enhance our capacity to protect our children, we have appointed the Territory’s first Children’s Commissioner, Dr Howard Bath. Dr Bath was the author of an audit of high risk clients in the then Family and Community Services area in 2007. My colleague and predecessor, the former Minister for Family and Community Services, the member for Arafura, publicly released the Executive Summary with Dr Bath’s 30 recommendations in December last year. We spoke in the House about the absolute importance of this position of the Children’s Commissioner - not only the importance of this commissioner’s role, but also the historical significance of what this appointment meant for all children in the Northern Territory and all families.
I met with Dr Bath and I am looking forward to working with him closely over my time as the minister for this portfolio. I know the importance of working with our children to improve their lives, and Dr Bath will be integral in that process.
The Northern Territory government has been working to implement the recommendations by Dr Bath. A new, shared client case management strategy has been developed using an action learning approach. A principal practice advisor was appointed to work across programs to facilitate improved case management for complex and shared clients and to develop a new strategy. The strategy will continue to be refined in the coming 12 months to ensure those clients most at risk are being well managed and any gaps in services are highlighted.
All community services programs have reviewed and refined their risk assessment tools and are now rolling out our revised policies and training for staff. All programs have redeveloped their record management procedures.
We are confident the combined effect of these initiatives will improve the capacity and quality of services available to Territorians, regardless of their circumstance. The Northern Territory government recognises the importance of implementing Dr Bath’s recommendations as a way of improving the department’s capacity to deliver for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community.
However, as we have bolstered our efforts in child protection, we have seen a significant increase in the number of Indigenous children being taken into care. In 2001, 60% of cases investigated involved non-Indigenous children, with 40% being Indigenous. In 2007-08, Aboriginal children represented the majority of cases being dealt with by government agencies, and account for much of the growth in service delivery.
I know personally from the experiences of raising not only my two sons but a number of children - nieces and nephews - over the past 10 to 12 years, to try to get them out of the concerns and problems within families, be it because of alcohol, or because they are overcrowded in their homes. We have cared for children to be able to get them through high school - and are still trying to get some of them through high school - just so that they can lead lives for themselves where they have opportunity but, at the same time, not at the expense of their cultural identity - knowing who they are as young Yanyuwa, Garawa, Mara and Gudanji peoples, feeling strong about their sense of identity and their heritage but, at the same time, taking their place in society with the advantages that are there for most people, but do not seem to be there for the most impoverished. We have to, as a government and this parliament, create those equalities or opportunities for equality for all people.
Indigenous children now account for approximately 60% of all notifications and 70% of substantiated cases. As we continue to focus our efforts in children protection over the next four years, this trend will, no doubt, continue. However, as a government we will not resile from our responsibility to protect our children no matter where they live.
Our Child Abuse Task Force will remain central to our ongoing efforts in this area in coming years. The Child Abuse Task Force initiative partners Northern Territory families and children, and child protection officers, with the police in investigating suspected child abuse cases while also providing support for victims. The Northern Territory government recognised the need for better information sharing and coordination between the two agencies, and the structure of the Child Abuse Task Force ensures a cohesive working relationship between the two agencies in our ongoing fight against child abuse.
The Northern Territory government’s Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage is committed to making the Child Abuse Task Force a permanent presence in the fight against child abuse. The Child Abuse Task Force, or CAT team, now has two teams – one located at the Peter McAulay Centre at Berrimah and another in Alice Springs. When I recently visited the task force offices at Berrimah, I was advised that the co-location of police and Family and Children’s Services workers in the one office made for a more efficient and cohesive team. The information sharing goes without saying. If you put a team in the same room of course they are going to be able to share knowledge and information and also be able to strategise in how to deal effectively and quickly with any reports of child abuse received by the CAT team.
The team also includes four Aboriginal community resource workers. I took the time to talk with these workers as well during my visits with the staff. I am very impressed with the work ethic of the workers in this area. I am also aware that it is a tremendous workload on these four workers and that it can only be the beginning of the team in being able to reach out to communities or to families who are experiencing child abuse. Their role is to work with families and communities where child abuse team investigations have, or are to be, conducted and involve and assist families and communities in keeping children safe.
The role of these workers is to carry on after the investigation has occurred, or while it is occurring. This core group of four Aboriginal community resource workers are about being with the family or the community and trying to get them to understand that this behaviour that has just occurred is wrong, or this is how to heal and move on so that the community or the family no longer need to feel ashamed of what may have taken place. It is a culturally necessary thing but, also, like any family which has experienced or been a part of any of these criticisms, it is important to know how to learn from it and to move on and deal with it properly.
I was pleased to visit our Alice Springs team and listen to their thoughts on ways the services might be enhanced. The CAT team in Alice Springs was based in the Alice Springs Police Station but, when I visited them just over a week ago, they were across the road in the building on the corner - I think it is Bath Street. I could see that they are in much better premises. They gave me strong comfort about their feelings on how effective the police and staff of NTFC were working together in co-location. The establishment of the Child Abuse Task Force has resulted in improved levels of communication, coordination and information sharing between agencies. It will be important to continue building on these improved levels of communication coordination as part of our ongoing efforts to protect Territory children.
In July, we announced our intention to introduce universal mandatory reporting of domestic and family violence by all adults in the Northern Territory. To support this decision, the government also provided an additional $15m of funding over three years to demonstrate our commitment to providing a community response to this community problem. Existing Northern Territory legal frameworks do not currently compel the provision of information to police other than mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse. The introduction of universal mandatory reporting of domestic and family violence will be an Australian first. Legislation will be introduced soon and the roll-out will include a community education program which will commence early next year.
We have heard in this House on numerous occasions from members who have bush seats and who know only too well the concerns with family violence and domestic violence that, by no means, is it limited to location. As we all know, it can happen, like any abuse - and I have said it here before - anywhere at any time by anyone. It knows no regions or boundaries, and we all know that.
Legislation is going to be introduced soon. The Northern Territory government will continue to liaise with all key government and non-government domestic and family violence stakeholders regarding strategies, including the universal mandatory reporting. The Northern Territory government remains committed to finding effective solutions to domestic and family violence within our community and to promoting the safety and health of families.
This government is commitment to helping young people who have fallen on hard times. At the April/May sittings of the Assembly, we amended the Youth Justice Act to allow government agencies to enter into family responsibility agreements and orders with families whose children exhibit behavioural disorders. This year’s budget also allocated $2.5m to NT Families and Children to implement our Youth Justice Strategy. We will soon open two service centres, one in Darwin and another in Alice Springs, to help young people at risk and vulnerable families.
As part of the government’s comprehensive Youth Justice Strategy, we have also committed $1m recurrent to the funding of new youth rehabilitation camps. While the camp programs are all different, they will not provide soft options. All three camps will apply strict rules and confront young people with challenges. These youth camps will operate in conjunction with our new family responsibility agreements and orders to address youth crime and provide diversionary activity. These camps will represent a fundamental component of the Northern Territory government’s plan to reduce youth crime in our communities.
There is no doubt, over the coming years, our partnership with the Australian government will be vital in our efforts to better support Territory families and to protect Territory children. The partnership between the Australian and Territory governments has already seen work begin to develop a range of programs to support our children. These include establishing new safe places in communities for women and children, and places for men to cool off. This is really important, because we have heard, time and time again, of the importance in protecting our women and children. One of the things that comes back always - and it does not matter where you live, or what colour you are or what background, whether you speak English or not - it is really important that, in this whole issue of dealing with family violence, the men have the support as well, to understand what is happening. If the case is of a man violent against a woman, you do not just take the man away and that is it. It has to be about the healing of the family, so that the man understands as well. These cooling off places are becoming more and more noticeable in the communities across the Northern Territory.
I have to digress here. It is not as though people did not think about men; the priority was always about the women and children because, usually, it was the women who were the victims so, naturally, you had to have the support for them. However, as time has progressed, as women and the children get stronger, it is no good a family getting stronger without the man learning from the mistakes and getting stronger himself. Speaking from a cultural perspective, in traditional ways, men have had the strong traditional links of taking care of the family. That is not just with Aboriginal people but, as we go back even further into last century and earlier on, it was always men who were the bread winner. We have to know that the men in our society have an opportunity to really learn, to heal and grow as well. Sometimes it can work and sometimes it cannot, but that does not mean we do not try.
The new safe places will provide a focus for community programs and activities to help break the cycle of violence that affects some families, and which has such a harmful impact on children and young people. Both governments have been working together to harness traditional culture and develop other community responses to address family violence. An example, as you would know, Madam Deputy Speaker, is the Raypirri Rom Program in East Arnhem Land.
I am committed to addressing family violence, not only because of its impact on the lives of the victims who are so often women, but because of what it does to children. This week is National Child Protection Week. At the Northern Territory launch this week, the audience heard about the importance of children feeling safe at home and having good role models to help them grow up as healthy, well-adjusted young adults and future parents. At that launch, we had three or four young children from Darwin High School who were very good at debating, so we had a debate. On one side was the children, the youth group, with four parents as role models, and on the opposing side were people like Charlie King, Lesley from NAPCAN, and Dr Howard Bath, the Children’s Commissioner, who were the opposing side of the debate, saying: ‘It is not just your parents who are the role models that help you grow up. It is the influence of television, of sporting identities, and of your teachers. Jennifer Byrne was the commentator for the debate.
There was no winner in it, because it was not really about winning or losing because, at the end of the day, it was always about our children. The debate opened up to those present that it is not wrong; everyone can influence a child. It is how you influence that child if you want that child to grow up to be a good person, to take their place in society, and have respect for those around them. When families struggle to provide that sense of safety and security for their children, governments and communities have a responsibility to provide support.
My portfolio also covers Senior Territorians. It is heartening to note that, since 2001, there has been a 34% increase in the number of over 50s, a 46% increase in over 60s, and a 43% increase in over 65s living in the Territory. These are significant increases and it is projected the number of Territorians aged 65 and over will increase at an average of 4.2% a year over the next 20 years, compared with an average of 1.2% growth in the general Territory population. This gives the Territory the most rapidly ageing population on a per capita basis anywhere in Australia. While I share those statistics I am aware of the short life span in our communities of our elders. There is a major discrepancy here which is what Closing the Gap is about; trying to look at the issues that affect our remote regions, but also our towns and centres where Aboriginal people are not able to reach their full age. We all know that it is 17 or 20 years less than the average national life span.
Following consultations with Darwin seniors as part of our Seniors Housing Forum in December 2007, government granted the old Waratah Oval in Fannie Bay to Southern Cross Incorporated for a seniors housing development. When complete, this development will include independent units, a retirement village, and residential aged-care facility all at the same location. In addition to this commitment from the Northern Territory government of an allocation of 65 residential care beds by the Australian government, Southern Cross has committed to investing an additional $10.8m to the project.
During the election, we also committed to demolish and redevelop Pitcheneder Court in Parap as a seniors village, with bungalow-style homes at a cost of $4m. Planning is also currently progressing for future complexes in Alice Springs and the new subdivision of Bellamack. Territory Housing has also made provisions for seniors by allowing tenants aged 55 years and over to remain in the same building and ask for lower rates of rent for pensioners - 18% instead of the 24% of income, as well as allocating accommodation blocks within general housing stock predominantly for seniors and aged pensioners. We recognise accommodation as an important issue for senior Territorians, which is why we continue to assess the needs for seniors accommodation Territory-wide.
Territory Housing is also developing a Territory framework for affordable housing, which includes addressing the housing needs of senior Territorians. The framework will investigate the feasibility of a not-for-profit company providing affordable housing targeted at seniors. It will also consider a variety of mixed model approaches to broaden the capacity for seniors to either rent or buy …
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member from concluding her speech.
Mr ELFERINK: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! There are no problems supporting extra time but the motion the minister has moved is for an indefinite time. I suggest that we amend that to simply an extension, which is normally 10 minutes.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thank you. The question is for an extension of 10 minutes for the member for Arnhem, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms McCARTHY: Thank you, members. As a result of our commitment during the recent election, pensioners will also receive free motor vehicle licences and a reduction in car registration costs. In December 2007, government released its Active Ageing Framework: Building the Territory for all Generations, a framework for active ageing in the Northern Territory.
Work next year will see the continuation of reform in relation to the provision of home and community care services. In late 2007, 286 CDEP employee program positions used to support home and community care services were transferred to real jobs. The next key step in this work is the development of training and support staff to complement real wages and career pathways for workers doing this most important work.
I am also minister responsible for Women’s Policy and, as such, I want to work toward helping Territory women overcome the economic and social barriers that stand in their way. Given the socioeconomic reality of the Territory, this will be a challenge but, nonetheless, it is one we must confront if Territory women are to enjoy equal opportunity and participation in the community and our workforce. Government’s vision is one of equal opportunity; to see women given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
I would like to see more communication in regions where women can be encouraged to stand for positions whether it is with associations, or the shire council. We have fantastic women’s ranger programs across north-east Arnhem Land and, I believe, in Wadeye. To encourage these groups, which are just starting - some are flourishing more than others - to see that active participation and confidence building will allow greater access for these women into full-time employment and part-time employment but, also, able to contribute to the social changes happening around them and to speak quite strongly of their thoughts and views on where they want to go with their families.
I am also the Minister for Statehood. As minister, I have the job of leading this process. I acknowledge the work of the members of the Statehood Steering Committee for the positive attitude they have maintained so far on this long journey. I recognise the bipartisanship displayed by the opposition and my shadow, the member for Goyder, on this most important issue. Striving as we are for constitutional equality is beyond party politics. I look forward to the ongoing support of the opposition as we move to the next stage in the process.
That next stage is the workshops which will take place next year and, in particular, the visit later this year to knock on the doors of federal parliamentarians and let them know that we exist and the battle for statehood is now on.
Experience also tells us that politicians must treat this process with respect. While our involvement is essential, our role cannot be coercive or domineering. We are there to lead, but not to bully the community. It is vital that we listen to the community. I reassure this parliament I, for one, will certainly not be bullying anyone into statehood.
Next year, the Statehood Steering Committee will commence specific consultations. While these workshops will allow Territorians to give their views, they will also serve to inform the Territory and Australian governments. They will provide a starting point for a possible Constitutional Convention which will, in turn, lead the way to a possible statehood referendum in 2011. We know that the Territory’s last attempt at statehood failed largely because of the opposition of Aboriginal groups and those who felt excluded from the process. I say to those people that this will be an inclusive process, one based on information sharing.
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you, and everyone who has been elected to this House. It is a great opportunity for us all, as Territorians, to work together to ensure that we have a viable, vibrant Territory and that we work for everybody. I take this opportunity to address this Chamber for the first time as a minister of the Northern Territory government. Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you and Madam Speaker also on your appointment to your positions in this Chamber.
My responsibilities are closely tied to the land of the Territory. I have the honour to serve as Minister for Central Australia; Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; and Parks and Wildlife.
Before outlining the government’s priorities for this linked set of portfolios, I would like, for a moment, to cast my thoughts back to my early childhood days, the days when I grew up among wise, loving men and women in the remote Western Desert settlement of Papunya. I would also like to look further back to the time – I always do that – what a sook! I would like also to look further back to the time when the ancestors of the desert landscape shaped and formed the features of our world. Water and fire are the important things of my country and, on the wider landscape, of the Territory. These are the forces that feed the plants and animals of the bush.
My own father’s connection is to fire and water. My mother’s is to tjurrka, the bush plum, and tjupi, the honey-ant emblem and best-known symbol of Papunya art. These presences in nature are special to me. I am not just the minister charged with looking after them; I am them. I am not just a modern parliamentarian, but a desert woman - the desert beliefs live in me. I promise to always make my decision with this special tie of blood and spirit uppermost in my thoughts.
You see standing before you here today not a minister for the Environment, but a minister from the environment. As a young girl in Papunya, I was schooled and trained to love the land. I think specially of Bert Ngyanangyana, old Mick Walangkarri, Johnny Warrangula Tjupurrula, Obed Raggett, Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, Two-Bob Tjungurrayi, Tilau Nangala, Daisy Nakamarra, Yawingie Napanangka and Margaret Napanangka Dempsey.
From these men and women I learned the laws of the nature and nature of the law. I wish I could explain in more detail the beauty and gentleness of that desert country and the men and women who lived there in harmony. If we, in this parliament, could enact policies to maintain the lives and strengths of traditional Aboriginal societies, we would be on the right path. Those old people who were my teachers knew when to hunt and when to spare the animals. They knew how to burn the landscape in season and spur the plants to grow. The flowers on the trees told them when the kangaroos and goannas were fat and when the honey ants were plentiful. They understood that the landscape had been changed forever by the arrival of the pastoral industry. The coming of cattle and buffel grass altered the country, and their understanding of the country, and how best to manage it shifted as it changed. The knowledge of the land was vital and adaptive.
We, in government, who guide and steer the policies of modern land management departments employ different protocols and follow scientific patterns of analysis, but we should strive to marry western and traditional methods of understanding country. There is no single right way to see the landscape; we must be modern custodians informed by science.
However, let us also listen to the voice of tradition and learn from long-established knowledge systems. How skilled old desert men and women were in their ability to sustain life in a harsh and fragile land. They were the ministers of their own environment. I will pay tribute to them and I hope I may succeed in bringing all their resolve and courage into my decision-making in this very different world.
A year ago, as the Chair of the Select Committee on Substance Abuse, I delivered a message to Territorians in both English and Central Australian language. I shall now, once more, say a few words in desert language in the hope that my own young people may feel fully included in the deliberations of our parliament today when a traditional Aboriginal woman takes on the ministerial duties for the land:
For the benefit of the Parliamentary Record, I provided a translation. It is only a paragraph encouraging young people to make sure that they listen to the old people:
Madam Deputy Speaker, before I go on to my portfolios, I thank the people who live in my electorate of Macdonnell - Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra, Luritja, Pintupi, Arrernte, and Eastern Arrernte people - for their support and their confidence they have put in me as their local member. I also take this opportunity to name people like Teresa Nicola Dorry, Judy, Bob, Scotty and Cathy, Clarry, Dickie and Sammy, Irene, Marlene, and Audrey - all those people who were ready on election day to give me a hand. I thank all those people in Macdonnell. Someone said to me that the 100% we have is actually better than Robert Mugabe! I say thank you to all the old people who live on the country.
I am a minister who will work for all Territorians, and specifically for Central Australia because, as the member for Greatorex said, Alice Springs is a town much loved by the people who live there. We brought our children up there, our children played sports with Italians and Greeks. We are a multicultural little Central Australia in Alice Springs. We love each other.
I remember as a child growing up in Alice Springs playing soccer with the Arnos and getting fish and chips from the Hatzimihails on the corner as we went home, and always got a free taxi when we went back down the Gap. That is the kind of atmosphere we need to bring back: that we are a society who love to live together. It is not about whether you are black or white; it is a multicultural society that we want to breed. As politicians and as government we can breed that, not necessarily through doing all the wrong things, but having good policy to breed good people who live in and enjoy the Territory.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I will reiterate the Henderson government’s commitment to the environment and outline my specific objectives as the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; Minister for Parks and Wildlife; and Minister for Central Australia.
My vision across these portfolios is for a Territory rich with healthy people and healthy country. In achieving this vision, first of all we will deliver on all election and budget commitments relating to the environment and heritage. In relation to the 2007-08 Budget, we will: deliver all infrastructure, capital and recurrent funding commitments to NRETAS; monitor the Daly River catchment under the Living Rivers Program; continue implementing the Cool Communities initiative; deliver the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek water initiatives; implement the National Water Initiative, improve regulation and monitor compliance with legislation and declared water allocation plans; develop water allocation plans for the Mataranka, Tindal and Tennant Creek areas, the Oolloo aquifer and the Daly, and commence planning work for the Howard East and Darwin regions; and expand Indigenous ranger programs, including the Marine Rangers program.
I will digress here to tell a story about a young lad who lived in Alice Springs - the member for Arnhem knows him - young Nicholas, who is a family friend. He started working at the Desert Knowledge Park and is now a sea ranger at Borroloola. I say to you, Nicholas, keep up the good work. You are doing good work at Borroloola.
We will also increase funding to the EnvironmeNT grants program for the inclusion of a wildlife category; increase the Bushfires NT program; upgrade Litchfield National Park; upgrade Leanyer Recreational Park; and rebuild the Fogg Dam Boardwalk. I place on the public record that, in that first week when I became a minister, I visited Fogg Dam and was honoured to have met the traditional owners and the rangers at Fogg Dam. They put on a beautiful lunch for me.
The old guy, the traditional owner said: ‘What qualifications do you have to be Environment minister, my girl?’ Just straight up like that, it was my first question time, Chief Minister! I thought: ‘How do I answer this old man?’ I said: ‘Old Man, I come from the country. I am a Luritja Pintupi woman. I come from Papunya and I love the environment. My grandfather taught me this. I speak language’. He said: ‘That is good, but I still cannot understand, one minute you are Environment minister and next minute you are health, so I do not know where you mob get your qualifications from’. I thought I would share that.
Mr Henderson: You could be so lucky, Alison.
Ms ANDERSON: Yes, as bush members we hear some funny things when we go out to our communities from people who really do not understand how parliament works.
We will also develop the Red Centre Way Interpretive Centre for the West MacDonnells National Park. As a result of the commitments made in the election campaign, we will protect the Daly River. The clearing of land in the vicinity of the river will only occur after the use of the world’s best science to review any impacts. We commit $1.8m over the next three years to the Arafura to Alice Springs EcoLinks Project, a visionary concept that will, over time, create a Territory where many of our major conservation areas are buffered and connected in the wider landscape. I will speak in much greater detail on this plan in a ministerial statement next week.
We will provide additional recurrent funding for the Arid Lands Environment Centre and Environment Centre NT to enable a strong, independent voice in the environment debate. From 2009 to 2010, we will increase ECNT funding by $120 000 per annum and ALEC funding by $35 000 per annum.
We will establish a water tank rebate of $500 per application for 500 applicants per year, beginning in 2009-10 in Alice Springs and the three Central Australian shires. We will ensure that any further land clearing applications on Tiwi Islands are subject to a full EIS.
We will establish the Palmerston water park - a $5m project for construction to begin in 2009-10, and the park will begin operating in 2011-12. The park is to be free. The park will be developed as part of a 10-year master plan for the area.
At Nitmiluk National Park we have committed capital expenditure of $1m to install electricity infrastructure to support tourism development.
We will provide $80 000 for a new shed for the Acacia Hills Bushfire Council in 2008-09.
Other key objectives in the environment portfolio include: the world’s best system of environment assessment; a ‘step change’ in the number of people working on the country; an integrated approach to biodiversity; a bigger, better, world-class system of national parks and reserves; increased investment in, and protection and awareness of, the Territory’s heritage places; an independent and effective EPA; a demonstrable climate change focus across the portfolio; and a truly sustainable use of national resources, supported by science and proper planning through a natural resources program.
I am very proud to be the Minister for Central Australia. I went to Central Australia for the first time when I was eight years old and have never looked back. Papunya is still part of Central Australia, but I love Alice Springs – yes - a little more, I think, because it has given me a great life. It gave me great opportunities for my education. I was able to go to school in Alice Springs, make friends, work with people and forge ties with families through my sporting activities.
I will just very quickly, outline some of the initiatives for Central Australia. My objectives as minister are: to bring the issues that matter to Central Australians to the attention of Cabinet and individual ministers; establish the priority issues for Central Australia; help deliver doable, practical projects of importance to Central Australians; establish a long-term sustainable development plan for Alice Springs and other communities in Central Australia; and facilitate effective communication by government to people of Central Australia.
The re-elected Henderson government has hit the ground running in Central Australia. As the Minister for Central Australia, I was delighted to see one of our first Cabinet meetings in Alice Springs, with many more to come. We certainly pushed the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister does not have to be pushed. He loves going to Alice Springs.
Mr Henderson: I do, I do.
Ms ANDERSON: I was also proud to be part of a ministerial delegation to Tennant Creek in the first few days of the new government. It has been the first time for a long time since I have been to Tennant Creek. When I was an ATSIC Commissioner, Tennant Creek was part of my zone, so I travelled to Tennant Creek quite a bit. It was really lovely to go back to Tennant Creek to see all my old friends – we are still connected by telephone - and people who I had worked with for 12 years.
The new government, with the Chief Minister, the Minister for Housing, and the Minister for Regional Development made that trip. The member for Stuart and I went from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs on a little charter plane and we were holding on. The Chief Minister was saying ‘Something is rattling here’, to the pilot - and the pilot was not listening at all. I was holding on to the side on the plane. As the Chief Minister would know, I am petrified of light aircraft!
The Henderson government has demonstrated its commitment to Central Australia by creating a Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources with a strong regional focus that will have its leadership based in Alice Springs. I welcome the announcement by the Chief Minister that our government will ensure that, for other departments, decision-making power is provided to the regions so that local planning can provide true local outcomes. As the Chief Minister has said, no one better knows how a community runs than those who live there. That is very true, Chief Minister.
Central Australia will also greatly benefit from the decision to develop and implement a Territory housing plan. This plan is based on the premise that every Territorian should be able to buy or rent a house at an affordable limit. I look forward to being an active player in the development and implementation of this plan in Central Australian.
The Chief Minister has also announced that a remote transport plan will be established. This plan will provide for the needs of public transport in the bush. It will include a regional aviation strategy. Transport links are essential to the economic, social and cultural life of people in Central Australia. I look forward to developing fresh ideas and delivering real transport results for the people of Central Australia.
The government is determined that Indigenous Territorians will benefit from economic growth and social development. Through our Closing the Gap programs, supported by increased investment by the Australian government, we seek to ensure that every baby born in the Territory gets the same opportunity to be the best they can be. We are targeting the hard issues: child protection, education, health, housing, jobs, policing and community safety. Let us be frank; there are serious challenges across these areas throughout communities in Central Australia. I will never cease in my efforts to honestly address these issues for Indigenous Central Australians. This really is a true partnership; governments can only do so much. We have to ensure that we bring our Indigenous people forward to ensure they get a good quality education in order to get real jobs.
I strongly support the government’s intention to provide a more robust employment strategy for Indigenous Territorians involving employment within the public and private sectors. I am particularly excited about the initiative to create a regional jobs hub in Tennant Creek with a strong emphasis on Indigenous employment. Further, the granting of major project status to the growing investment in and around Ti Tree will be of great assistance to this emerging Central Australian economic success story.
I am from Papunya and I live in Alice Springs, but I intend to be a minister who advocates for the interests of all the communities of Central Australia. Over the coming weeks and months, I will be visiting and revisiting communities across the three central Australian shires. In the Barkly Shire, I look forward to listening to people at Tennant Creek, Elliott, Ampilatwatja, Ali Curung, Alpurrurulam and Utopia. In the Central Desert Shire, I will be seeking the views of men and women at Nyirripi, Lajamanu, Yuendumu, Willowra, Ti Tree, Laramba, Engawala, Atitjere and Yuelamu. In the MacDonnell Shire, I will be sitting down with the residents of Areyonga, Haasts Bluff, Imanpa, Docker River, Hermannsburg, Mutitjulu, Yulara, Kintore, Wallace Rock Hole, Amoonguna, Finke, Santa Teresa, Titjikala and, of course, my home town of Papunya and Mt Liebig.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I said earlier that I was just as much a minister from the environment as the minister for the Environment. I am also just as much a minister from Central Australia as the Minister for Central Australia. When you are from somewhere, you have a special bond and a special responsibility. I promise to respect this bond and shoulder this responsibility as a parliamentarian, a minister, and a proud Territorian.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I respond to His Honour’s Address to the Eleventh Assembly. I congratulate all members on their election or re-election to the Eleventh Assembly. As a member who was elected in 2001, I look around the Chamber and there is such a change in the since 2001. In fact, the two grandfathers of the Chamber are our Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. There are just a few members here who were elected in 2001. It reminds me of what a risky business it is to be a member of parliament. We must always remember that we are, in fact, the servants of the people, and that we are put here with a great trust of the people of the Northern Territory.
As I listened to the first speeches of our new members and other speeches as well, I am reminded that even though many of us have different bases from which we come, we are all joined by our one idea of being united for the people of the Northern Territory. As a parliament, we should be considering this in a positive light.
I thank members for their very kind words on my election as Speaker of this very important place. I particularly thank the Chief Minister for his very kind words during the opening of the Eleventh Assembly of this parliament. I also thank the Leader of the Opposition for very kindly seconding my nomination. I made the comment at the time that I have made Australian history, having been nominated and seconded twice by both the government and the opposition of the day. It is as a great honour and I thank all honourable members.
I thought I might reflect a little on my role as Speaker. Members would be aware that I have a procedural role in this place, and that is a very interesting role in itself. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding about what the Speaker does and does not do. Unlike a judge, the Speaker is more of an adjudicator and works by the rules of the parliament; in fact, adjudicates according to the rules of the parliament. Sometimes people say: ‘Could you not get such and such to do this or do that?’ However, members of parliament are not giving sworn evidence in front of a court. This is not a court proceeding, this is a parliament. We have rules and we follow the rules. It is about allowing people to speak within the rules and allowing the people and the voice of the Northern Territory to come through each of the 25 elected members. This is a very important aspect of this parliament.
Of course, being the Speaker is not just about 33 days of the year. There are two other very significant things which the Speaker does, one of which is the ceremonial aspect of being the Speaker. You may not be aware that, as a Speaker, I receive all delegations, all visiting dignitaries - and there is a significant number of them. I was looking over my diary for the last few weeks since the election and I have received His Excellency Dr Larkindale, the High Commissioner for New Zealand and his wife; and I was present at a lunch for Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao with the Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Hernani de Silva from East Timor. A number of members joined with me and others to meet the CPA delegation from the United Kingdom which was led by the Right Hon John McFall MP with his wife, Joan McFall; Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the Right Hon Keith Hill MP and Mrs Lesley Hill, Mr Laurence Robertson MP and his partner Ms Annie Adams; Mr Andrew Rosindell MP, and Lord and Lady Snape.
I thank the Clerk and Mrs Kit McNeill, Jan Sporn, Phyllis Mitchell; my personal staff, Vishal Mohan-Ram and Karen Philp, as well as Tony Hibberd, for their work in ensuring those delegations were looked after extremely well.
I also received a French delegation of Senators, led by Monsieur Dominique Leclerc, who were looking at uranium mining in the Northern Territory. I also had a German delegation of the Deputy President of the Bundestag, Dr Wolfgang Thierse, and senior staff from Germany, plus senior staff from the embassy in Canberra. This is to give you an idea of the levels of delegations received by the Speaker.
In effect, I am also the minister for the Legislative Assembly, so I spend a lot of time dealing with members and your electorate officers ensuring that the requirements of members are met. I look forward to meeting with all of you. I give you my commitment that if you have issues with your electorate office or what is happening in Parliament House relating to my roles as a Speaker, my door is open and I hope that you will contact me. Sometimes, it can be hard to get things done and, although my staff are excellent, I would be happy to try to expedite anything you might require.
As the Speaker in this last term, I have been particularly interested in parliamentary education, especially for young people, but also for a more general group. I spend a lot of time visiting Aboriginal communities, taking with me the very excellent Parliamentary Education staff from my department, and we spend a lot of time talking to schoolchildren about parliamentary democracy.
In this term I am hoping to extend that to adults. I noticed in this last election that I seem to have many new Australians in my electorate. One of the things they said to me was: ‘We become a new Australian, and we know about that, but we do not know about the system of voting’. They appeared not to understand preferential voting. They do not understand about political parties, or at least they do not understand about our political parties. Some people said to me: ‘I have met you and I will be happy to vote for you, but what does the Australian Labor Party mean? What do the Country Liberals mean? What do the Greens mean in the Northern Territory?’
Therefore, I am going to be exploring - and I will be inviting honourable members to be involved - how we can engage the community in a civics education program. I am looking at extending the Parliamentary Democracy Program, which is simply about democracy in this place, to engage the Northern Territory Electoral Commission - which is part of the Electoral Act together with the Legislative Assembly - on what our preferential voting system is about, and what obligations Territorians have in voting. I would also like to include the Charles Darwin University in this so that they could talk about the political system and the differences in the Northern Territory and in Australia and, then also, invite political parties to be involved, so that you could have all the different strands relating to democracy. It would be excellent if we could run this a few times a year so that new Australians or other people who are interested could receive some form of education about democracy in the Northern Territory. This is one of my challenges for this term.
Another challenge is something which started late in the last term. Many of you would be aware that I had the great fortune of hosting His Excellency President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta in the Northern Territory. I am hopeful that I will receive notice in the next couple of days of what date His Excellency will be speaking on the floor of this parliament – hopefully, in October. We are forging ahead with trying to develop a relationship between our parliament and the East Timor parliament. This provides us with an excellent opportunity, as members in this place, to learn about other parliamentary systems, particularly for staff in my department, the Clerk, the Deputy Clerk - who are very experienced people - and other officers of the parliament, and how we can provide assistance to their parliamentary officers and also to their members of parliament.
I will be pursuing this quite actively. When the President is here, I am hoping we will be able to move to make some arrangements. I am hoping to lead a delegation to Dili either later in the year or early next year, and I hope that members across the Chamber will be joining me.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the people of Nightcliff. It is a great honour to have been elected as the member for Nightcliff three times. In an electorate like Nightcliff, which has a very high turnover and has a great diversity of people, it is a great honour to have been elected three times. I have people in my electorate who come from very humble circumstances, who live in public housing. I have people who are extremely wealthy living in multimillion dollar homes, and I have everybody in between. As would be noted, I have many people who are very concerned about the environment in my electorate. There was a very large Green vote and I take that very seriously. I also have very conservative people as well. One of the challenges as a member of parliament is representing everyone, not simply the people who voted for you.
Once the election is over, in many ways as a local member, you need to put all that aside, and just say, ‘I am the member for Nightcliff’ and open the doors so people come to see you. I make the commitment that I will continue to do that. I will continue to be, as I have for the last seven years, at the Nightcliff Markets every Sunday. I must say, I am not as good at getting up early in the morning as the member for Johnston. I am afraid I do not get there until 10 am. But I do go to church before I go there; that is my excuse. I am there every Sunday morning. I also have the commitment of having a mobile electorate office at the Nightcliff foreshore and also at Nightcliff Woolworths as often as I can. It is a way to keep in contact with the whole electorate. I also continuously doorknock which, as all members know, is quite difficult when you are holding a portfolio, but it is something to which I am very committed.
I thank, once again, the people of Nightcliff, those who voted for me and those who did not, because that reminds me that I have to keep working hard to maintain the seat.
Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. Once again, congratulations to all honourable members on their election.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome all the new members who have commenced this session of parliament. Member for Stuart, welcome; member for Nhulunbuy, welcome to you; member for Fannie Bay; member for Braitling; member for Brennan; member for Goyder, my deputy; member for Katherine; member for Sanderson; member for Port Darwin; and member for Fong Lim, I welcome you.
Dr Burns: I think it was Barkly. Barkly, not Stuart.
Mr MILLS: Oh, Barkly. Welcome to you, too, member for Barkly. New members, welcome.
I have not had the experience of being elected at a general election. The member for Wanguri and I were both elected in a by-election. There are some in the Chamber who were elected in by-elections. It is a different experience.
You belong to an auspicious class, the class of 2008. You will mark this time and you will look ahead and imagine what could possibly be. I ask you to remember this time, where we are in the Territory, what the Territory looks like now, and anticipate change - positive change – what influence that you can bring to bear upon changing the direction of the Northern Territory, to make the Territory a different and better place. That is what we are here for. That is why we start our session with important words.
I remember hearing them right at the beginning because, in all my preparation for parliament, I did not realise there was going to be that traditional start. Those words have stuck with me from the beginning; that is, to advance the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. That is what it is about. I hear it every single time; those words just leap out at me. I believe this is a very special parliament. I have a sense things will occur that will deliver a benefit for the people of the Territory as we conduct our business in this Chamber.
So, welcome to the new members and welcome back to former members.
Also, without mentioning people by name, I acknowledge those who contested the last election but were unsuccessful. That includes those candidates who presented themselves and worked hard and had dreams and aspirations, but were not realised at that point. The member for Sanderson would understand how they may feel. Those candidates and former members who had an experience in this Chamber, I acknowledge you now.
In recognising the auspicious occasion commencing this session and accepting that, notwithstanding a discussion that will be held in this parliament and a decision that will be made in this parliament regarding four-year fixed terms, we will be conducting our business after these words for four years. We anticipate that there will be many issues that will come forward in this Chamber and we will attend to those issues.
We can attend to those issues in a couple of different ways. One would be to advance the best interests of your party - your own personal interests. Or we could be reminded, and reminded again, that we really need to be going back to that default position of advancing business in the best interest of Territorians.
Today, we have heard reference to codes of conduct, and the word ‘integrity’ has been used in discussions in the media. It is a word that is easy to use and it conveys a certain sense in being said. The word actually means ‘an adherence to a moral or ethical code’. That is a personal adherence. It is something that directs your behaviour and your thinking. It is not a word you can bandy around. For it to have real meaning, it is an actual adherence to an underlying ethical or moral code. We can have discussions about what that may mean, but it comes down to basic things such as: do not lie, do not steal, and do not do harm to others. They are primary morals or codes that, if we are going to have any meaning to the word ‘integrity’, should be adhered to.
I come to the election. Before making further comment, I look at the people of Blain. I thank you for your support. It is the fourth time that I have been elected. On this occasion, it was a difficult election because, from 2005 until 2008, I was the only member of the Territory opposition north of Katherine. So, I had a lot of bases to cover and a lot of work to do to keep the opposition in the game. As a result - and this I sincerely regret - I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked with the people of Palmerston, the people of my own electorate. There are many issues, most of them are neighbourhood issues. I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked. That is why, during the campaign, I was urging candidates to spend as much time as possible knocking on doors. I was simply not able to do that. So, it was an immense honour, in that context, to then be re-elected having not been able to spend that much time on the doorstep. Now I have - and I am most fortunate to have - others to assist in carrying the load north of Katherine, I can spend more time in my electorate, with the families, and in the neighbourhood. That is what I particularly enjoy.
To the election itself. I find it is a difficult thing to go back to, and it has not been mentioned before by me, not at any time during the campaign. I will not refer to the effort that was made to discredit and denigrate me personally as a strategy. I make no further comment on that. I make comment on a number of publications that were circulated that contained assertions and, just by the asserting of the statement, it was proposed to be a fact. Such as: ‘If Terry Mills and the Country Liberals are elected INPEX will not come’. To spend money on an advertisement which is a blatant lie, and put that into people’s letterboxes, is unbelievable. When you know that it is not true it is extraordinary. Those who wrote that advertisement thought it might work and they paid money and had artists design it, and had people deliver it.
A comprehensive policy was announced regarding the necessary restructure of the public sector. Much work went into that. No time was, obviously, spent by my opposition, the government, to assess the details of that, or weigh it, consider it, or understand the underlying argument. No time was spent to do that. By the way, this was presented to the media; all questions were asked, questions were answered, material provided. It did not prevent those who thought, ‘This might work’. They then put out an advertisement that said: ‘Do not risk Terry Mills and the CLP because they will cut 2400 public service jobs’. That is a lie! How can those proposing to lead this community spend their time and money to publicise something that is not supported by anything that has been released and send it out?
Mr Henderson: You said that crime had gone up by 78%. That was a lie – an absolute lie. So, do not get on your high horse.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: I will stay on it - I will stay on it.
Mr Henderson: You prove that crime went up 78% across the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Conlan: 83%.
Mr Henderson: Or 83%. You prove that because that is absolutely false.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: However, the point is, to construct your case for government on such a foundation troubles me. There are many other aspects to this, and I will not touch on the other aspect. However, to the great credit of Territorians, they saw and they responded, and that says enough.
What is required, in my view, is to recognise that Territorians saw this business conducted and they responded. It is their interests that we serve, and they are very concerned about the direction of the Northern Territory. And, once again, try to disengage those who are protective of their position - that being, the position they currently hold. Forget that for a second and remember that the positions we hold are to serve the best interests of the people. They are, in fact, very concerned about the direction of the Territory.
Do not take it personally. If I were in government, I would have to take that responsibility. The fact is, if you talk to people, they are concerned - from the remote areas to the urban communities - about the change in our community and about the rising crime. There is a change. I have been here since 1989; I have seen a change. I taught for 10 years; I saw the change in the classroom. I saw the change in the structure of families, in the classroom, in the streets, in the communities. I hear it in the language of those who have lived here for a long time. I hear it from those who have been born here, raised families here and are grandparents now, who are concerned - genuinely concerned.
When I went to the Rapid Creek Markets on the Sunday, the day after the election, there was one man - I do not know his name – who stopped me. He said: ‘Terry, I am not much into politics’. He looked quite humble about approaching me, and he said: ‘Thank you for talking about the things that mattered to us’. They were plain things, simple things, basic things like concern about how we conduct our business in the Territory, thinking about the future. Unless we attend to matters that change the way people think and feel about the Territory, our work here will come to little.
That is why it is so important that we take a new direction when we are dealing with law and order. It is a new direction, and that is what was described by the Country Liberals. Flowing from the election result, we are obligated to continue to represent those who have called for change by supporting the Territory opposition.
At this point, if the bill that is to be presented by the government contains matters that will truly, in our view, advance the welfare of Territorians, it will be supported - aspects of it will be supported. Amendments may be offered, but they are offered not in the interests of the political game, but in the interests of advancing the welfare of Territorians. That is the pledge you will have from us. We want to play a part in this debate to ensure that parliament works to serve the people of the Territory.
I am convinced there needs to be a change of direction. I am pleased that, as a result of 9 August, there has been language from the Chief Minister - and I congratulate you, Chief Minister, on forming government. I am impressed with the words that you used when you recognised that there is a need to listen. I take those words. Those words are easy to say - and I do not mean this in a churlish way - and are difficult to transact in this environment. We will endeavour to do the best we can to play our role in this parliament to ensure that those who have given their support to the opposition are also heard.
I am convinced there is a need for a change of direction – and it still remains - because I am still hearing talk of quantities; that is, amounts of money that are spent on programs as though that is an achievement. I urge you, government, to start changing your thinking so that language may change. Money has been spent hand over fist on all manner of projects, programs, task forces, reforms, plans, etcetera, and the results are not there to match the plan or the proposal. You are talking about quantity spent. To use an analogy, if you have a ship – let us call it the Titanic – and you have deck chairs on that Titanic, and you move those deck chairs around, that is called a restructure or a reorganisation. It may change the view of some on that boat but, unless you change the direction, you are not making a jot of difference. Perhaps a change of scenery, but you are making no difference.
What is required is to recognise that the underlying vessel needs to change direction - change the way we think about the way we deal with the serious problems we have. That is what was proposed and described during the campaign. That is why rehabilitation must be taken seriously. That is why consequences for acts must be taken very seriously, to send the clear and strong message and, at the same time, to provide the help after that moment. Tough, but tough help also. I believe that that approach must be taken. That must be taken; do not hold back.
If you start with the mindset that an individual is not responsible but society is, that if you spend enough money on programs and change the society that the individual then, somehow changes, in my view you are completely misguided. Unless you bring an individual to a personal buy-in and recognise that their own value requires them to have some kind of response or obligation to make some kind of change, you will not affect anything; you will just spend money on programs. People must be held accountable. People must be held responsible for their actions, one way or another. That is why there has to be a consequence. However, people need help. There needs to be help after that event. Help them after the event, but you have to reinforce the law, the standard, the value, and the principle. Otherwise we will not make any difference.
Those were the simple messages described during the campaign, and they will continue because I believe we must change the direction - the way we think, the way we speak - otherwise we will continue to talk about programs, plans, reforms, and task forces. We will continue to talk about quantities of money spent on x, y and z as though that is the achievement. It is not. It is the wrong place to put your emphasis.
Your emphasis should be on the individual’s capacity to respond and to understand. I believe in people. I believe the power of a person is far greater than the power of a program. We need to have that personal buy-in. It is going to be tough. In this parliament after lunch, we had a discussion that it was tough. Underneath it, there are some issues we have to get to if we are going to make any change; that is, personal responsibility and buy-in. Otherwise, we will fluff around and play games in here for four years. At the end of four years, we might say: ‘I served in the Territory parliament’. ‘What did you do?’ ‘Well, I got a couple of plaques on a couple of shopping centres’.
I want more than that. I want to see a change of direction. The Territory deserves that. I am prepared, as the Opposition Leader, to work with government, but that is the objective: to advance the true welfare of Territorians.
Many things were said in this Chamber, and up to this moment. However, from this point forward we have a challenge. This is a very different parliament. This is the Eleventh Assembly. We have a real challenge and opportunity. With the team that I have that I bring to this Chamber, we will play our part in making significant change.
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I begin by acknowledging the Larrakia people. As a member of the Legislative Assembly from Central Australia, I acknowledge their custodianship and their sharing of the land and sea in the Darwin region. I also thank Mr Koolpinyah Barnes for the welcome to country. Thank you also to the Kenbi Dancers for a great performance.
I do not say that as a matter of protocol which is, obviously, important, but in terms of my colleague, my cousin, the member for Macdonnell. Her contribution tonight really brought it home that we do have a fantastic Territory, we come from all walks of life and all have our special connection to land.
On that point, I recognise my elders as I did in my first speech to parliament some two years ago: the Anmatjere and Warlpiri elders from Ti Tree and through the Tanami. They are a great inspiration to me, particularly in teaching me my culture and ceremonies. As I said in my first speech to parliament, my mother was born in the Tanami Desert but, as part of the Stolen Generations, grew up at St Mary’s, and she passed away when I was only 14 or 15 years of age. So, for me to reconnect with my country and my people, the elders played a very significant role and I appreciate and respect that greatly.
I congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on your reappointment as the Speaker. Over the two years of the previous session, I thought you did a fantastic job. I am sure we will be looking for your strength and wisdom in the Chair in the coming Assembly. Over the last few days you have done well, and I look forward to more of your strength and guidance in the House.
Congratulations to all of the other members here, regardless of the side of the House you are on. This is the first general election I have had to stand for because, like the member for Blain and the member for Wanguri, I was elected in a by-election. They are totally different election campaigns. This one, for me, was equally hard because, with the redistribution, I have the largest seat of anyone in this Assembly. It stretches from Pine Creek to Kybrook Farm, down the western side to Nyirripi, through the Tanami and Ti Tree and the communities around there, down to Aileron.
The redistribution did make it hard in terms of travel, and I acknowledge on that point my colleagues in the bush electorate, because they know what a bush campaign is all about. It is different. It is not the doorknocking intensity that the other members have to do; it is the long distances and the driving. On some occasions, it is driving 1000 km in a day just to get from one community to the next for the voting. It is very challenging. The members for Arafura, Daly, Arnhem, Macdonnell, Barkly, and Nhulunbuy are all bush members, all with something in common - we have gone through this process of a bush campaign and we know how hard it is. So, I acknowledge all my bush colleagues as well.
I acknowledge the Indigenous members of parliament. Over the years, we have had quite a number of Indigenous members who have had the honour of being representatives in this House. I particularly welcome the member for Braitling; your maiden speech was fantastic. Well done, and I look forward to working with you over the coming years as the shadow for Regional Development.
I also thank the people of Stuart who have honoured me by electing me to parliament for the next term.
I acknowledge my colleagues in the Henderson government, particularly the Chief Minister who has honoured me by electing me to Cabinet. I acknowledge the trust that has been placed in me and I dedicate myself to serving the people of the Northern Territory.
As a new minister, I am excited about the challenges and the opportunities that are ahead, not the least in my portfolio of Regional Development. As my colleague, the member for Macdonnell said during her speech, she is a minister from the environment and a minister for the Environment. If I could use that terminology, I could say the same for my portfolio. I am a minister from the regions, given my family heritage stretching from Borroloola to Roper River and the Tanami, and my close connections to Alice Springs, as well as being the Minister for Regional Development.
It is fair to say that I have hit the ground running as the new minister, and that we have hit the ground running as a new government, re-elected for our third term. Under new arrangements, Regional Development is now part of the newly-created Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources. This new grouping of functions is timely as Regional Development incorporates components of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources, all of which play a role in the ongoing development of the entire Northern Territory.
With this new department comes an opportunity to establish a stronger regional development component in Alice Springs. We are already working towards making that a reality. The office of the Chief Executive of the department, as well as the leadership of the Regional Development section, will be located in Alice Springs. Yesterday, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to devolve decision-making to the regions. I welcome this, just as I welcome his establishment of the Territory Growth Planning Unit to coordinate the action and forward planning across the whole-of-government.
In his address, His Honour the Administrator emphasised the Henderson government’s commitment to securing the future for the Territory and managing its expanding growth, and of investing in our regional areas to develop and strengthen economic and social capacity. These aspirations are at the heart of my portfolio of Regional Development, which I believe to be one of the Territory’s most enduring challenges.
The department focuses on a wide variety of projects designed to foster development across the regions. For example, the department recently completed the first economic profile of Alice Springs. Three hundred and eighty local businesses contributed to the survey, which resulted in a blueprint for future development. A number of other towns want to learn from this experience. We have just launched the first Katherine Business Survey, the initial phase of a project to develop a profile of Katherine’s economy. This will allow us to better plan appropriate development in that area.
The department is also active in the Tennant Creek and Barkly region, where it is supporting a new organisation called the Tennant Creek Foundation. This has been established to manage and update the Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre and Battery Hill. I have noticed the cooperative manner in which both organisations have worked together to make the foundation a reality and look forward to hearing much more of its success.
Another important departmental activity is the Economic Development Committees. There are nine across the Territory. These are portals through which we engage the communities on economic development matters. Their membership is diverse, containing a mix of business, community and government, all working towards ensuring sustainable development in the regions.
Another example of regional development at the grassroots level is my department’s Indigenous Pastoral Program. The IPP is an agreement between several agencies established to increase Indigenous participation within the Northern Territory’s pastoral industry. The program is set to run until June 2011, and it is fair to say that the IPP program has been highly successful. The program is currently working with 18 high priority properties, covering more than 45 000 km2 – not quite as big as my electorate. Since the IPP began, the number of cattle run on the program stations has increased by 53 000 head. The program currently has 42 Indigenous trainees working on properties, and it is estimated that another 30 could be employed as the program continues to develop. Clearly, this program is delivering regional development at the pastoral level and is another example of the diverse nature of the department’s work.
We have been sponsoring another innovative project in Katherine, based on the business development theories of Ernesto Sirolli. This involves the creation of Growing Katherine Business Ltd, a community-owned and managed organisation that helps people who wish to go into business to form mutually beneficial collaborations. The Sirolli approach is unique and is paying dividends in the Katherine region, so much so that we are looking at undertaking similar business facilitation in Maningrida and Ti Tree.
There is a vast range of regional development opportunities across the Territory. The Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources is committed to playing a major role in assisting industry to realise these opportunities. I assure the House that the department will be at the forefront of ensuring that the Territory continues to develop and grow for the good of all Territorians.
I now turn to my portfolio of Sport and Recreation. In his address, His Honour the Administrator mentioned the Henderson government’s commitment to the people of Palmerston, a $22m investment in a new international standard sporting complex. I, as the new minister, will ensure we deliver on this election commitment. The preferred site for the complex is land beside the Charles Darwin University Palmerston Campus. Stage 1 of the project will incorporate training lights at the Palmerston Magpies AFL oval; a Rugby and soccer field with training lights; a grandstand between the oval and the field with seating on both sides; and changing rooms, toilets, a bar and a kiosk.
Stage 2 will incorporate an international standard 12-court tennis court, including lighting, elevated seating and other supporting facilities. Stage 3 will see the construction of a multipurpose facility providing for gymnastics, judo, wrestling, boxing, and table tennis. Installation of the training lights will begin in 2009-10 with the construction of the rest of Stage 1 planned to commence in 2010-11. Construction of the tennis centre is planned to start 2011-12, with Stage 3 to follow. The Henderson government is determined to make Palmerston an even better place to live and raise a family. If the Leanyer Recreation Park is anything to go by, the Palmerston park will be become the place to hold the kids’ birthday parties.
Over the past five years, the government has invested more than $5m in the Hidden Valley motor sports complex. Much of this investment has gone towards upgrading buildings in the complex, including the provision of an additional eight pit garages. This investment has helped to secure a long-term commitment for the Territory’s own round of the immensely popular V8 Supercars series. I have visited Hidden Valley since becoming Sports minister. The facilities there are fantastic, and I was lucky enough to hitch a ride in a visiting V8 Supercar. Let me tell you, it is quite an experience.
We are committed to enhancing the facilities to a number of other motor sports based at Hidden Valley, including speedway, go-karts, mud racing and drag racing. The government recently commissioned a review of service infrastructure at Hidden Valley, including power, water, sewerage and drainage, to ensure that we stay ahead of the game in maintaining these vital services. As a result of the review, the Henderson government has committed $4m to address key recommendations in the review report.
There will be $2m released in the 2009-10 financial year, with a further $1m in 2010-11, and $1m in 2011-12. Added to this is a $3m commitment from the Rudd Labor government to upgrade the drag-racing facilities at Hidden Valley. There will be some healthy rivalry with Alice Springs, as I had the pleasure of opening the Alice Springs Inland Dragway drag strip late last month. This top-class quarter-mile drag strip was built by the Central Australian Drag Racing Association with a help of a $1m investment from the Northern Territory government, and will help Alice Springs attract bigger and better events in the future.
As well as infrastructure commitments, the Henderson government will continue to bring top-class national and international sporting events to the Territory. These sporting events not only provide spectacular events for the Territorians, they also give our local players, coaches, officials and administrators a chance to rub shoulders with the best, and also pick up a few tips along the way. National and international sporting initiatives on the Territory calendar include a five-year international cricket agreement for Darwin. I am pleased to say that thousands of local cricket fans have just seen three one-day internationals between Australia and Bangladesh at TIO Stadium. We are currently in the final stages of negotiating matches for the remaining four years of the agreement.
The Perth Wildcats will play an NBL game against the Melbourne Tigers at Marrara Indoor Stadium on 29 November. It makes it six years in a row that the Wildcats will have played a Dry Season match in the Territory. A women’s NBL match involving Perth Lynx was played at Marrara last year. We are hoping another match can be scheduled this year.
We have lined up an NRL pre-season game between the Gold Coast Tigers and the Cronulla Sharks - unfortunately not the Raiders - at Richardson Park in February next year. In the same month, we will host an Indigenous All Stars AFL game at TIO.
We will also be looking to host an NAB Cup pre-season AFL game in Darwin, the annual NAB Challenge pre-season game in Alice Springs, and the premiership game in Darwin later in the year.
We have provided $50 000 towards supporting the Northern Territory Storm netball team, competing in the new Australian Netball League. Last month, we saw three games played at Marrara Indoor Stadium, including a victory by the Storm over the Canberra Darters.
We are providing $90 000 towards supporting our local teams, the Stingers and Pearls, in hockey, and Mosquitos in Rugby, to keep competing in their national competitions. We have put together an annual $200 000 funding package for the next five years to help the AFL NT get a Territory AFL team to compete in the new Queensland AFL competition from 2009.
Sport is an integral part of the Territory way of life. It has been an integral part of my life and I am glad to be the minister for fun - the minister for Sport.
I now turn to my portfolio of Information, Communications and Technology Policy. As a bush member representing an electorate bigger than Victoria, I am only too aware of the challenges facing our people who live in remote areas: the challenges of access to services, service delivery, and of attracting and retaining skilled staff. Advanced communications and computing technology have the potential to overcome some of these challenges, which is why access to high-capacity telecommunications infrastructure is crucial. High-speed broadband will enable access to the Health department PCIS, or Patient Care Information System, and this will allow access to a patient’s records and can be used as a clinical decision support tool; for example, in the treatment of chronic disease.
High-speed broadband also enables virtual schooling through two-way interactive video, a 21st century version of the School of the Air. Such technology will be essential if we are to overcome the barriers of distance and scarce specialist teaching staff to deliver schooling in the remote areas.
Another priority in this portfolio is to further develop e-government support to business. The Department of Business and Employment will be consulting with business to identify priorities to streamline the private sector’s dealings with government in areas such as licensing. The Territory Business Centres have been a successful initiative and it is now time to raise e-government support to business to the next level. The Department of Business and Employment has the task of engaging with interested parties, including industry and the Commonwealth, to achieve significantly improved access to telecommunications, including high-speed broadband, especially in the regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
In his address, His Honour the Administrator said the Henderson government would work for all Territorians, regardless of their political persuasions, their geographic locations, or their circumstances of birth. I commit myself to this and, in doing so, I am reminded of one of my heroes, a great spirit in the soul of Central Australia, Mr W Rabuntja. Mr Rabuntja was an Arrernte man, a stockman, cook, butcher, brick maker, gardener, horse trainer, artist, singer, and also my grandfather. Later, he became a voice for his people: an activist, ambassador and leader. Finally, he became a voice for all Territorians, a statesman, and a generous and forgiving advocate of reconciliation. Indeed, he used to say that all children born in Alice Springs, black or white, would inherit the Yeperenye Dreaming, the Caterpillar Dreaming.
Across all my portfolios, I will work for all Territorians, regardless of their political persuasions, their geographic locations or their circumstances of birth.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contributions to the Address-in-Reply, particularly the new members on both sides of the House for their maiden speeches.
It is always interesting to listen to maiden speeches. In this first speech members make, everyone talks about their aspirations in regard to the very high honour they have been accorded by their electorate; the honour of representing their electorate in this parliament. It is always pleasing to hear the aspirations of new members. I personally wish all new members well and hope that you live up to the aspirations you have articulated in your maiden speeches, and that you achieve the goals you have set out to achieve.
It is a tremendous privilege to be in this place. I was talking to some of my colleagues when I entered the parliament in 1999 and one of the pieces of advice I was given was that when you finish your parliamentary career you should be able to look back at your maiden speech and see that you have achieved what you set out to achieve, however long you are here. Congratulations to all the new members and congratulations on your maiden speeches.
The Administrator, in his address, set out the government’s agenda over the next four years. It is an agenda of excitement, of seeking to achieve great things for the Northern Territory at a time when we are going through an economic boom. All of the growth forecasts - the Treasury and the independent forecasts - are for strong periods of economic growth through the life of this parliament. Talking about aspirations, the aspirations of the government during this growth phase is that we work to ensure the benefits of the economic growth in the Northern Territory reach out to all parts of the Northern Territory, and that we make those investments as a government, that are going to set up the Territory into the future - the infrastructure investments which will allow the private sector to do what it does in regard to investments and building enterprise and jobs for Territorians.
On the social side of the infrastructure, we are seeking to improve health, education, and all of the housing issues. The social side of the policy equation is certainly built up over this period as well. Essentially, the Administrator’s speech was talking about, in all of those elements, ensuring that we harness the growth to the benefit of all Territorians.
Regional development was a strong focus in the government’s agenda. As the bush members, and the new Minister for Regional Development, said, we have hit the ground running. Just the week after the Cabinet was sworn in, with a group of ministers and our new local member in the Barkly, we heard from the people in Tennant Creek of their excitement that Tennant’s time is coming again. They had a boom time during the gold rush. There are good times coming again for Tennant Creek. After years in the doldrums, it was really good to hear that excitement from residents.
I was in Alice Springs a week later. Yes, we did not get a good result in Alice Springs, but I was determined, as Chief Minister, that the first thing that we would do – in fact, it was the second Cabinet that we had - would be to go to Alice Springs and engage with people there and listen to the issues that are concerning them. My commitment is that we will continue to work hard for the people in Alice Springs. The immediate commitment to the Alice Springs Town Council about lancing the boil in regard to the fight that we were having around who was responsible for funding CCTV was a demonstration of goodwill and good faith from my government very early in our new term.
The other huge challenge - and the exciting opportunity, having secured a third term in office - is that our government is going to have the responsibility to deliver on the commitments we made through the Closing the Gap policy agenda. We had made a commitment of an additional nearly $300m over the next four years, on top of the $1.5bn that is already going to the provision of services to Indigenous people. This additional funding is the biggest social policy commitment of any Territory government. We are going to have the responsibility of delivering on that. I am excited about the opportunity to deliver on that because we really do aim to make a difference in this term of government. We have set out goals for five-year targets, and I am determined that we are going to do everything we can to achieve the goals that we have set. That is a real commitment and a real challenge for the government. With my new Cabinet team, I know it is one we are really up for and we are going to get stuck into it.
As well as the Closing the Gap money, nearly $700m is going into remote housing over the same period. Over the next four years, we are looking at around a $1bn - $1bn additional for the bush in social programs, housing and infrastructure. I am hoping to look back at the end of four years and be able to say, yes, we really have made a difference, we have made inroads. There is a long way to go, but the policy settings are right. They are delivering on the targets that we have set and, in the maturity of the political discourse at that point in four years’ time, I hope that when we are contesting the next election - given that Closing the Gap is an intergenerational program, there will be new funding targets put in place - that both sides of the House will be able to say, this program is working; there is bipartisan support for it and whoever wins the election will continue with that financial spend to keep the bush moving along. That will be a sign of political maturity if we can achieve that.
There was no commitment - and I am not saying this to be hostile in any way, shape or form this evening - during this recent election campaign that the opposition would continue with the Closing the Gap policy agenda. I am hoping that we can demonstrate the runs on the board so, next time, they will be able to commit to that, so that whoever wins the next election, the intergenerational challenge that faces the Northern Territory is going to be maintained.
Law and order is always an issue in the Northern Territory. We have more police officers in the Northern Territory per capita than any other state by far. A large part of that is because we have such a remote and dispersed population, and Territorians expect - and quite rightly expect - to be able to go about their business safely and securely, whether in the bush or the towns. The government has committed an extra 84 police over the term, an additional 12 police auxiliaries, plus initiatives like the police beats, and upgrades to police stations. The investment in our police will continue.
Crime is down across the Northern Territory. My colleague, the member for Casuarina, very much demonstrated that in all areas of reporting crime is down. We hope to continue pushing that crime down further with legislative reform, with policing activity, reform on the social side of the policy agenda to make the Territory a fairer place and, hopefully, we will see those crime levels continue to come down.
Regarding education, as I said at a media conference the other day, if we are looking at the Closing the Gap agenda, unless we make significant improvements in Indigenous education outcomes, whoever is standing in my place in 10 years time, of whatever political persuasion, will still be facing the same challenges we are facing today. Those challenges really go to improving those education outcomes and, critically to do that, improving attendance outcomes in our remote, regional and urban schools. The minister, my colleague here, has her plans for transforming Indigenous education. Front and centre at the heart of that, she is looking forward to working with the Commonwealth government and the resources they are putting in there but, importantly, working with Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory, with a real focus about getting kids to school. Kids are not going to learn unless they are in school. If we cannot change that, in 10 years time, whoever is standing here will be facing the same set of problems.
In conclusion, statehood really has to be moved on over the course of this parliament. That is a great challenge and commitment that we are making on this side of the House. I will be looking to engage with the minister, the opposition, and the member for Nelson in a bipartisan way about a bipartisan approach and a work program to advance statehood over the course of this parliament because, finally, we have to achieve our full constitutional rights as Territorians. That is something we should all be working to as well.
Madam Speaker, outside of some of the normal argy-bargy in debate in this House, all members of this House quite genuinely believe - and take the politics aside - that we all want to make the Territory a better place for all Territorians. I am sure we are going to have some intense debate and political toing and froing over the next four years, but that is the nature of this parliament. I acknowledge that all 25 members are, essentially, driven by the same thing. We all want to make a difference, leave our mark on the Territory, and want the Territory to be a better place. Politically we might disagree about how we do that, but that is the nature of politics. I thank all members for their contributions in debates.
Motion agreed to.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you that is my intention to present the Address-in-Reply to His Honour the Administrator at Government House on Tuesday, 16 September 2008.
All members will be requested to assemble at Government House at 11 am and accompany me to present the Address. A program will be distributed to all members outlining the order of proceedings.
I also advise that a formal photograph of members of the Eleventh Assembly will be taken following the presentation of the Address-in-Reply.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Braitling:
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Honourable members, I remind you that a matter of public importance has a global time limit of two hours, with the first two members speaking for a maximum of 20 minutes and all other members for a maximum of 15 minutes each.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I talk today about the failure of the Northern Territory government to improve road safety and address rising rates of death on our roads. Road safety is an important issue. Any death on our road affects every Territorian. People would be quite well advised the current fatality rate in the Northern Territory, as at the end of August, was 49. We are now up to 50. We look like we are going on record as having the highest number of fatalities on our roads ever recorded.
Any fatality on our roads affects many people, whether immediate family or friends and other people who may know those people. I know the government has tried to do many things to reduce the death rate on our roads over some time but, quite obviously, things have not been working. The numbers keep going up. For some of my colleagues to my left and right - not everyone would be aware of the history of what has happened to try to reduce the road toll in the Northern Territory. I will shed a little light for people because the road toll is increasing so much.
In 2004, there were 35 deaths on our roads and, while every death is terrible and we all would like the number to be zero, it was not as high as the year earlier. During 2004, the Country Liberals put mounting pressure on the government of the day, and the Labor government of the day did what all Labor governments do; that is, start thinking about the need to conduct a review to look at something to come to a decision on how to make changes. In 2005, the road toll was significantly higher, increasing by 20 up to 55, which is near and is more than where we are at the moment in 2008. Under mounting pressure from the Country Liberals in 2005, the then Chief Minister, under enormous pressure, commissioned the Road Safety Taskforce to examine strategies to help reduce fatalities and serious injuries on NT roads.
The report detailed some very interesting statistics, such as the groups that were at higher risk of death or injury on NT roads, some of the main causes of fatalities, and they also tabled information on how we rank against other countries around the world. I will just pick out a couple of countries so that members can be aware of some of those figures. There was an average taken between 2005 and 2007 between the number of fatalities on NT roads -- and that number was calculated to be 25 people per 100 000 population in 2004 died on NT roads. This is a sad and devastating fact.
It is interesting to see how the Northern Territory ranks against other countries: Sweden, Netherlands - five deaths per 100 000 population in 2004; Norway and the United Kingdom - six; Denmark, Japan, Finland, Germany Sweden - seven; Australia and Iceland – eight; France – nine; Italy – 10; Austria, New Zealand and Spain – 11; Portugal – 12; Hungary – 13; the Czech Republic and Korea -14; and interestingly, USA and Poland – 15. The actual average for the OECD medium is 10. The Northern Territory average calculated between 2000 and 2005 as an average per 100 000 population was 25. So, we are a fair way behind.
I recognise this is an issue for government, not for either side of the Chamber, but it is a very important issue. With the number of 50 at the moment, no one would like to see us get to 51 but we need to do more to try to ensure that these matters do not continue.
It was also interesting to note that one of the three main causes of fatalities identified was drink-driving – something that continues to be an issue today. The transport minister’s media release that I have in front of me here, issued on 13 February 2007, is titled ‘Saving Lives On Territory Roads More Important Than Playing Politics’, and I could not agree more. Almost 50% of crashes in the NT are alcohol-related and other disturbing statistics that cannot be ignored. I note that that was in 2007, but I also understand that the issue of drink-driving and the cause of the fatality rate in the Northern Territory continue.
Another cause that came out was fatigue. It is also interesting to note a comment made in the key findings document published in 2006 about fatigue. On page 11 of the report recommendations, it said:
Although I am not here to talk about speed limits today, it is quite interesting to note that finding.
It is also interesting to see that speed was the third cause identified in that report by the task force. Of note contained in that report were the groups identified at higher risk of death or injury. Those three groups were – and most of us would probably recognise this: new and young drivers are probably most probably due to their inexperience; visitors from either interstate or from overseas; and Indigenous Territorians.
Of the recommendations that were in the report tabled, the government committed to a number of measures titled ‘The Government’s Response to the Task Forces’ Recommendations’. Some of those mentioned focused around:
education programs, and for those of us who live in Central Australia we will see many of those advertisements on Imparja and the like;
decreasing the speed limits – some roads decreased to 110 km/h and the speed limits that decreased to 130 km/h - which the Country
Liberals do not support but that is not what I am talking about;
the timing and responsibility for blood testing and how that can be undertaken and who can undertake the blood sampling or the testing; and
more funding for DPI.
I refer to what the Transport minister said on Stateline, which is quite interesting when we recognise that the report said that it is likely that fatigue, regardless of average speed, plays a significant part in the crashes. We have heard for quite some time that the need to bring in the 130 km/h speed limit apparently was because the federal government put pressure on them. However, I will just read a little excerpt from the Stateline interview of 8 September 2006 where the member for Karama, the Transport minister, said:
I am quite surprised that we did resist when we are trying to become a state. We have to stand up for what Territorians want but we did decrease the speed limit to 130 km/h. It is quite interesting to note, as I found in my research, that the minister for Transport recognised that the federal government played a big role in it.
I could see some correlation between the new and the younger or inexperienced drivers and some of the efforts the Northern Territory government has made in its education campaign. I believe that more can be done. I do not see too many actions that target the groups of visitors from interstate or overseas, or Indigenous Territorians and how we can seek to reduce the fatality rate for those people.
Look at interstate and international visitors. I have just identified a few key areas that could be causing problems for these people - basic ones such as being not sure what side of the road to drive on. We know that these people are told on the plane or when they come in where to drive. Another is not enough rest stops for people. On Lasseter Highway on the way to Uluru you will see a confused international tourist stop in the middle of the road in their Britz van or whatever, confused about Uluru or taking photos of someone and, next minute, a car is coming. There are significant issues. Many people have not driven at speeds of 130 km/h, 110 km/h, 100 km/h, or even 80 km/h because, in the country that they come from, they do not drive over 70 km/h - not to mention not reading the road signs.
Regarding the third group, that is, Indigenous Territorians, there are some terrible roads in regional and rural Northern Territory, and they impact significantly on the accidents that happen in the Northern Territory. I drive these roads, much the same as everyone else in this room has driven on these roads, and we are all aware; we know it is a big issue and a big problem. Something needs to be done to try to fix these roads because these roads are impacting on people’s safety.
We are also aware of road maintenance and its deterioration. Anyone who drives up the Stuart Highway to Darwin and back, as I have done many times, especially last year, would notice that the verges are no longer being maintained the way they were once were. The Country Liberals have called for the verges to be maintained four widths wide rather the current two widths wide, and to be done more frequently than they are at present. At the moment, the chance of animals running onto the road is quite serious and significant. Those matters will impact continually on the death rate in the Northern Territory through road safety.
There is the issue of poor licensing processes in remote communities and how the education programs are undertaken so that people know the road rules and know how to drive before they obtain their licence. Being 2008, surely there is much more we can do to improve the process.
We also see people driving in from the bush in bombed-out cars that are clearly not safe. I see a lot of it in Alice Springs – I do not think I am being political here - there are definitely derelict cars on the roads. Many people who drive on these roads live on communities a long way from town. They might be husband and wife and a couple of children. These people, who need to come to town, to Alice Springs, to access services, buy the shopping, get some clothes, are backwards and forwards on that road in their pre-owned $3000 Falcon. Their car is deteriorating and they do not have the opportunity to drive safely. The roads are unsafe, and the vehicles are becoming unsafe. More and more, we are seeing fewer cars in these communities, so more people are piling in and travelling to town and back, which is creating a greater risk for people.
With the changes to the alcohol policy – and I am not advocating for the alcohol policy to change in any way shape or form, but I am happy to have the debate at a later date - with people now driving into town to get alcohol from remote communities, it is creating more traffic on those roads, which is a serious issue for people on those roads. If those people drive 500 km, 600 km or 700 km to get a carton of beer, it is quite hard for those people, I imagine, to drive back the 500 km, 600 km or 700 km to those communities and drink the beer when they get home - even if they are not allowed to. What we are seeing is a significant problem for people on those roads. I anticipate those problems will grow unless we take action.
However, I have not seen any action apart from what the government has already done. I recognise that the government copied our policy around the repeat drink-drivers and the access to starting their cars. It is very important that the government looks at some of our other policies if they are keen to copy. In fact, if they are keen to copy, we have a few other policies that would be quite good.
Madam Speaker, we have some policies around young road users. I believe, as other Country Liberal members believe, that it is not just about bandaids for the problem. We have to try to come up with the prevention. Just coming up with fines, or trying to catch people who are doing the wrong thing is not always the right way to go. Of course, there is a necessity to try to deter people.
We also need to try to prevent some of these issues. Some of the policies we have for the young road users - and I will just read out from our policy document:
It is a positive move to try to prevent accidents in the first place rather than penalising people later on, whether it be speeding or drinking or otherwise. I am not being political here, but I recommend that the government have a look at that policy. It that could be an important measure which may help reduce the serious road accidents or fatalities in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs and even the bush ...
Ms Carney: God knows, they need some good ideas.
Mr GILES: Yes. I also recommend our policy of rewarding good drivers: drivers who do not incur speeding tickets for the duration of their licence renewal will get the subsequent renewal for free. That is also positive.
Ms Carney: An outstanding policy, member for Braitling – outstanding!
Mr GILES: Good on you, Jodeen.
Many opposition members would know that, during the just completed 2008 election campaign, we also introduced a number of other interesting policies about the penalties for people: if they blow over the legal limit of alcohol between 0.05% and 0.08% - doubling fines or increasing fines; 0.08% to 0.15% - to $4000; and over 0.15% - $4000, chance of 12 months imprisonment and licence suspension. These are very positive things that should be stopping or deterring people from committing such offences.
Some options for the member for Karama, the Transport minister, and government to consider would be better bus services to the rural area so people can get home at night, rather than having to drink and drive home. For people who come into town for a drink, or to go to the Entertainment Centre or wherever, and have to drive home, there needs to be options for getting home. The idea is to stop people drinking and driving. If there is 50% of people drinking and driving causing these accidents, we have to take action on that.
I have only been in this House for three days, Madam Speaker, and I am aware that some of these issues might have been fought before. That is why it is important for me to tell my colleagues, especially those on this side that, at the end of August, 49 people had died on our roads. I recognise that number is now 50 people, unfortunately. If you take into account all those friends and family and others who know, directly or indirectly, the people who have passed away, you have thousands of people being negatively impacted on. I am not talking about the economic cost; I am talking about the social and emotional cost.
We really need to get to the point of asking ourselves why people are drinking, and why they are speeding. It is not just the point that they are and let us just penalise them. We need to try to resolve some of the issues of why they are doing it. I have had a chat to a few of my colleagues. I believe there are a lot of pressures on people today - high mortgage rates, high rents, high electricity costs, high grocery prices, high fuel costs, getting the kids to school, traffic here and there, new lights coming there. People are always in a hurry. People are always under the pump and are always trying to get somewhere fast. I can only say that living pressures on people are caused through lack of planning. Increases in grocery prices, the traffic lights, getting to work, getting home, getting the kids - those are the things that put people under the pump. They are always darting off to school, or darting off to work and people are speeding. I do not condone speeding, but that is what they are doing. Then, when they come home from work, they are tired and sore and they are drinking too much. They will come home and have a beer, or they might have a beer after work and then have to travel home. These are serious issues. I have put forward a couple of ideas about how things can change, but I believe planning is a very important issue.
At the moment, 50 people have passed away, unfortunately. If we look at the end of August figures and we correlate those to the end of August 2007, we can see a 53% increase in numbers since 2007. At the moment 50 people have passed away and it seems likely we will pass that point by the end of the year. It will be an absolute travesty if that happens.
I understand the member for Karama, the minister for Transport, will talk about the road toll and what they are doing, and the inaction and so forth. I expect we will just relate to an old The Simpsons episode I once saw when Homer Simpson said: ‘Look, I can hear someone talking. I know someone is talking and something is going on, but all I seem to hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah’. At the end of the day, the number is 50. This week, when someone else has died, well, it will be on you ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, your time has expired.
Ms LAWRIE (Transport and Planning): Madam Speaker, what an extraordinary start to an MPI! It is pretty sad when, talking about the loss of 50 lives, someone ends their contribution talking about The Simpsons.
Our road toll is tragic; 50 people have died so far on our roads this year. It is not just the deaths; 417 people have been seriously injured. This is why this government acted by bringing a group of experts who undertook – and I know the member for Braitling was disparaging about the task force and how Labor governments like to do reviews. However, when you have year upon year of horrific road tolls, you should go to the experts and bring them together and, very openly, listen to what they have to say. They came up with 21 recommendations. The task force was a group of experts made up of long-term Territorians. Within those 21 recommendations, some were very controversial but, as government, we were prepared to do what it took and take the political pain to introduce and implement those recommendations - to do anything we could to turn around the driving culture on our roads.
There was a lot of focus on speed limits and demerit points because they were the most controversial aspects of the recommendations we implemented. However, there were 19 other recommendations we also implemented. These recommendations were all designed to crack down on the factors that contribute to our road toll. There are enforcement recommendations, and 11 of the recommendations relate to education and awareness. Through a combination of enforcement, education and awareness, we are tackling the main causes of trauma on our roads: drink-driving; unacceptably high numbers of people failing to wear seat belts; speeding; the dangerous practice of running red lights; and fatigue. Tragically, we have not seen the immediate reduction in the road toll we all hoped to see; this year it has increased. We are at 50 tragic deaths so far.
Experts in road safety all agree a reduction in the road toll requires a change in culture. That, the experts all say, takes time. They all say it takes years. It does not happen overnight; it does not happen in the first year. You have to be consistent in addressing your road safety reforms to see the change in the culture of drivers on our roads. Experts like Linda Deans from the AANT, and Trent Sayers from AAMI, all say it takes years to change driving culture ...
Mr Conlan: It has to go up first does it, before it comes down?
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection from the member for Greatorex. We are talking about the loss of lives. We are talking about extremely serious injuries that people carry with them - life changing injuries for the rest of their lives. I do not make light of this debate ...
Mr Conlan: I am not making light. You just said it takes time. I said does it go up first, before it comes down.
Ms LAWRIE: There are some patterns …
Mr Conlan: Isn’t it supposed to decrease slowly over time?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Greatorex!
Mr Conlan: Pick up on the interjection properly, instead of being stupid about it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: We are seeing some patterns in this year’s road toll. The increase is largely due to an increase in young, non-Indigenous males being killed in our urban areas. This time last year, 26 males had been killed; this year it is 37. This time last year, nine people under the age of 25 had been killed; this year it is 17. This time last year, 16 non-Indigenous people had been killed; this year it is 33. This time last year, five people had been killed in urban areas; this year it is 21.
I will table this information which provides a breakdown in these tragic statistics that are our road toll. They are people who have died and, as the member opposite made note, they have left behind people who love them. I repeat: these are fatalities; they are not the 417 seriously injured on our roads. Too many people keep drink-driving and too many people do not wear seat belts.
This is why we have chosen to act beyond the Road Safety Taskforce recommendations. We have implemented the recommendations of the task force, but we have gone beyond the recommendations. We have committed to bring in alcohol interlocks and we are doubling the fine for not wearing seat belts. We are also increasing - because we believe this is critically important, because of the Under 25 group who are at high risk - our education campaign with a $1m Drive Safe initiative.
Alcohol interlocks will be new technology to the Territory, and they are the point of difference in our policy between government and the opposition. This is not about politics. I do not treat these deaths and our tragic road toll through the political prism. What I say, I say in sincerity. The difference between government policy and the opposition’s policy is that the opposition’s policy in response to drink-drive is to confiscate cars. We do not agree. Our view is to use the new technology of the alcohol interlock system which has proven to be effective elsewhere in Australia.
We are introducing alcohol interlocks. It will be a licence condition for repeat drink-drivers to install them before they can get their licence back. They will work at ignition, and they work randomly while driving. If you have alcohol in your breath when you blow into it, the car cannot start - it is an ignition lock system and the car cannot start.
People have used this example: you get your mate, Sober Bob, to blow into it so you can start your car because you have had a few beers at the pub and you are driving. The timing sequence can be set at different sequences such as two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and an alert will come on in your car and you will be required to blow into the system again. When you blow into the system, if alcohol is detected on your breath, the car lights flash, the horn sounds, and everyone on the road knows what is going on inside that car ...
Mr Wood: What if someone drives without a licence, because that is what a lot of them do?
Ms LAWRIE: It is not a licence situation, it is a interlock system on the car ...
Mr Wood: Yes, but they will not go and get one.
Mr Elferink: They have a lot of those in Yuendumu.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection. The reason why we researched the interlocks for the length of time we did - I have been a fan of the interlock since I became the Transport minister - is we were looking for technology that would be good for remote areas of the Territory - and that is what we have. We have two systems of technology – one that is perfect for the urban centres and one that is very robust and perfect for the remote areas. We believe this is a better option than confiscation. It does not penalise the others in the family. It does not penalise the mum and the kids who rely on the family car. It does not penalise the ones who were not the drink-driver, but it does prevent the drink-driver from driving a vehicle.
It deals with the reality that most drink-driving is not planned. People make the decision to drink and drive when they have been drinking. The alcohol interlock systems physically prevent them from driving their car. Alcohol interlocks have been introduced, or are being introduced, in most other states around Australia and they have proven to cut down repeat drink-driving. It has been tested and it is proven.
We need to change the culture of drink-driving. Some people who would never normally contemplate undertaking any illegal activity, have a far more relaxed attitude towards drink-driving. The reality is that drink-driving can lead to far more serious consequences than other illegal activities.
We have increased penalties with fines, automatic licence suspension, and demerit points. We have increased enforcement with highway patrols and more breath tests. We have increased awareness through TIO, Imparja, we are running advertisements targeting drink-drivers, and we are bringing in the alcohol interlocks. However, it will clearly take some time to alter the drink-driving culture that exists in the Territory.
Fifty percent of the vehicle occupant deaths involve people not wearing seat belts. This requires a culture change - a combination of enforcement and education. The government made the extremely courageous decision to introduce speed limits. We did it because we knew, and the experts told us, it was the right thing to do. We knew that, politically, it may cost us, especially when we are the only government in the country dealing with an opposition which opposes speed limits. We did it because we had to show leadership and get people to slow down. We had to take the action. It is extremely simplistic to say that the road toll is up, so speed limits have not worked. Despite our rising road toll …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to have a private conversation can you do so somewhere else? Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, despite our rising road toll in the areas where we have introduced 130 km/h speed limits, three people have died on those roads this year. This compares to an average of 12 in the previous years before the introduction …
Mr Mills: No, it does not.
Ms LAWRIE: Three people have died on the road where we have introduced the 130 km/h speed limit this year. This compares to an average of 12 in previous years before the speed limits came in …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I will be tabling the road statistics document at the end of my contribution, Madam Speaker.
Mr Mills: Well, table what you are just quoting from there.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, the minister has indicated she will table the documents at the end of her speech.
Mr Mills: Well, I tell you because we are …
Madam SPEAKER: I will remind the minister at the end of her speech.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I have the fatalities, 1 January to 10 September each year from 2002 to 2008, as well as the serious injuries 2002 to 2008. Then, I have the fatalities by road user type as well. It includes the 130 km/h zone in the box ...
Mr Wood: We need to know which roads.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Gerry, I will give you a briefing on exactly where those three fatalities were, mate. Not a problem.
I agree with the experts: it is too early to properly assess the impact of our changes. However, the argument that the speed limits have not worked cannot be made.
Most people in this Chamber will know Bob Rennie. Bob is a true Territorian, and he has been the Road Safety Superintendent for many years. He was a key member of the Road Safety Taskforce which made the recommendations that we are implementing. Bob has witnessed the trauma and the deaths on our roads for a long time ...
Mr Conlan: Busy now.
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection. Yes, he is busy. Yes, Bob is busy. Have a talk to him about it sometime, shadow minister.
On 7 June this year, in an NT News article, Bob Rennie made several comments in relation to the measures that have been put in place, and his experience dealing with the carnage on our roads and how it has affected him personally. I will read some of these comments into the Parliamentary Record:
Later in the article, Bob went on to say:
I say to anyone in this House, and especially to our new members who oppose speed limits: have a chat with Bob ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: The CLP would have you believe that our policies have been guided by southern experts. Indeed, they were guided by the task force, by Territory experts, by men like Bob Rennie. Every time a politician in the Territory opposes speed limits, the message is that a young person hears that it is okay to speed ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Opposition members, cease interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: That might not be their intention, but that is what they are hearing.
It has been a year since demerit points came in, and one of the facts of demerit points outlined in a task force report is that while many people get demerit points, very few of these people go on to lose their licence - less than 2%. Demerit points force people to change their driving behaviour. That is the whole point of them: to change the driving behaviour.
In the 12 months since their introduction, around 20 000 Territorians have received demerit points. One hundred and fifty-seven people went on to lose their licence ...
Mr Tollner: What does that mean to revenue?
Ms LAWRIE: These means that of the people that …
Mr Tollner: What does that mean to revenue, because that is what it is about?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Ms LAWRIE: This means that, of the people who get demerit points, less than 1% had enough to lose their licence. Demerit points do change drive behaviour. The CLP has admitted that demerit points save lives, but they still oppose them. They oppose them in name only. They have introduced a series of motions and bills about replacing the demerit point scheme. They involve losing your licence if you repeatedly break road safety laws such as running red lights or not wearing seat belts – exactly the same concept as demerit points. They just did not have the political courage to support demerit points ...
Mr Tollner: Huh, we just have not seen a good argument.
Ms LAWRIE: One of the road safety issues that is being looked at nationally is electronic stability control. This is technology fitted to some makes of vehicles that, essentially, involves the vehicle’s computer system safely controlling the vehicle if it slides or if it skids. This technology is particularly suited to the Northern Territory where three-quarters of our roads are unsealed. The states, the Commonwealth and the Territory are working on measures to increase the take-up of this technology in cars. This government will continue to do all that it can to address road safety. We will keep looking at new ideas and raising awareness …
Members: You are failing! You are failing, seriously.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Ms LAWRIE: We will seek to change the tragic culture of driving on our roads. Too many people are losing their lives. Too many people are seriously injured. We will not shy away from the tough decisions that come with trying to address our tragic road toll.
We will be introducing the alcohol interlock into legislation …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Minister, you were going to table those documents? Thank you.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, road safety is a controversial issue even with the introduction by the government of a range of steps in an attempt to reduce the road toll. If you were an outsider looking in and you had heard the debate and saw what the government had done, and saw that the road toll had nearly doubled, you would have to ask what went wrong. Even though we have put in all these stringent measures such as demerit points, increased the fines, and reduced the speed limit, for some reason we have one of the worst road tolls in Australia. I ask whether we are tackling the real issues that need to be addressed as a society.
We can look at the issues that relate to a car accident such as: what was the cause of the accident; what was the physical cause of the death or injury? Was it alcohol or drugs, or was it speed, a powerful car, or was it hooning? Was it an unroadworthy vehicle? Was it inexperienced drivers, or as mentioned by the member for Braitling, was it tourists or new drivers? Were the road conditions faulty; were there severely corrugated roads or were people driving in dust? Were cars overloaded with too many people? Were people not wearing seat belts? Were there animals on the road? We need to look at those factors and then we need to look at the broader issues, which are societal issues.
In my response to the Chief Minister’s statement I said that I still believe our attitude to drinking is one of the main problems. I am not sure of the figure for fatalities involving alcohol. It is just far too many. The member for Braitling looked at whether some of the issues related to pressures of work, etcetera. Unfortunately, many of the accidents in the rural area were simply young people who probably did not have those pressures of a mortgage. They were just young people who went out partying one night, had too much to drink, did not have a Sober Bob, and got into a vehicle - many times a very powerful vehicle - and we know the consequences of that.
I believe we really have not tackled the issue of the way we, as a society, handle alcohol. It is not an issue of banning alcohol; that does not serve any purpose. It is about sending a message to young people that drunkenness is not the way to go. I still think our society says the opposite: that it is fine to get drunk. Why do you have Discovery and places like that open in Mitchell Street to 3 am or 4 am? What is the reason for them being open? It is not simply to have a good night. Most people go there and, in the end, get pretty well drunk. I think if the federal intervention had come further into Darwin, it probably would put up a couple of those big white signs: ‘No alcohol in Mitchell Street’. The violence occurring in Mitchell Street is no different to the violence occurring in Aboriginal communities which we are so concerned about.
The government has to make some real, broad changes as part of its policy to promote the proper use of alcohol. I am sure the Living with Alcohol advertisements on television I remember did exactly that. I have a note that says that in a recent RBT campaign in the rural area, one in 20 drivers were over the limit. So, it is something that is glossed over too much. It is not something that is fashionable.
We know that sport is supported by alcohol. We know many people love their sport; we know many clubs survive on the funds from alcohol. I congratulate the Katherine Football Association, which has continued to run a football competition without having sponsorship from alcohol companies. I believe that alcohol is not supplied at the football ground. They have lost crowds, but it has made the game much safer for families to attend.
I believe we have to look at the broader issues. We have to put some of the emphasis back on the motor vehicle manufacturers. I recently went to a car sales company in Darwin - I will not say which one - as my vehicle was due to be replaced. I looked at all the utes there. They are not just old farm yard utes anymore. They are utes with a double exhaust, low profile tyres and low suspension, they have those packs across the back, sports bars - you name it, they have it. They have the SS on the side. These are not just working utes. These are utes that are meant to fly. You get people driving these, especially inexperienced kids, who put their foot to the floor and they have difficulty controlling them. We have to ask if we are we selling cars that are unsuitable for young people - or actually for anyone?
Even if we do not get into the argument about speed limits, you still have to ask the question: if the speed limit is 130 km/h and the speedometer on your car says 260 km/h, why do you need a car that, legally, you cannot take that far? Maybe if it was on a race track. Do I need an engine that big, for what reason? It is all about promotion. It is about the car dealers trying to sell an image. You could say it is a bit of a male image about having a fast, you-beaut, red vehicle that can do 0 to 100 in 3.6 seconds. In the hands of an inexperienced person, it can be lethal.
Government through education and advertising has to work on the problem of peer pressure. I do not know what has happened to the advertising campaigns we used to see on television, especially from Victoria, which spoke about being a bloody idiot if you drink-drive. I know that if you keep putting the same ad on television it tends to have less of an effect. However, some of those advertisements where you see the kids get into a vehicle and, in a very short time, one or two of those kids is dead or buried, is very effective.
I still get a shock seeing the ad with two blokes hopping into a ute and driving across an intersection and, within a blink of an eye, a truck goes straight through them. I know it might be acting but, by gee, it leaves an impression.
When I was younger and went to horticultural college, we had to study tractor safety. We saw films of people who had been caught up in the PTO shaft of the tractor, or who had gone through a wheat thresher, or something like that. They were pretty horrible but to this day I do not go near a PTO unless it is turned off because I know the danger and the effects that can have. We need to put more emphasis on telling young people of the tragic consequences of an instant decision which, in many cases, can change their lives.
There is that broader attitude that needs to be looked at - and a lot of that will have to be a part of the government’s role. Parents also have a responsibility because we also put too much responsibility back on government. Parents have responsibilities. It is not always easy with young teenagers, but they have a job to ensure that kids fully understand the ramifications of too much drinking and mucking about in cars.
One area I mentioned before - and this is what disappoints me with the government - is that over two years ago I asked the government to look at hooning legislation. I believe the hooning legislation is faulty. The reason it is faulty is because, basically, for a first offence you get a yellow ticket. The government gave me some figures some time ago saying that approximately 178 people had been booked under the hooning legislation but only one vehicle had been confiscated. In other states, confiscation is the first approach; there is a 48-hour confiscation. In the Northern Territory you just get a yellow ticket. There are two problems with that. One is you can only give a yellow ticket to a driver; you cannot give it to the car. The other problem is it is not deterring people from the hooning offence and is not getting rid of the nuisance in the neighbourhood.
If the police find someone doing burnouts, donuts - you name it - they can impound the vehicle and the noise is finished, the car is off the road, and the kids are safe. With a yellow ticket, I can tell you from experience, especially if you know the distance between Howard River Park and the Palmerston Police Station - and you know what mobile phones are good for; you put someone halfway up the road to keep an eye out - they know once the police have been, it will take them 20 minutes to get back to Palmerston and another 20 minutes to get back to Howard River Park when the complaints come in. So, they have nearly 40 minutes of hooning, because all they have is a yellow ticket. If you confiscate the vehicle, you do not have to worry about who the driver is. You just take the vehicle off the road. That is what is happening in other states. In fact, in Western Australia, they are considering taking cars off the road for a week for the first offence.
I have asked the minister in this parliament, and actually introduced a proposed amendment to the Traffic Act to allow this to happen. The minister said she would review this legislation and she would send it off to the Road Safety Coordination Group - that was on the 22 March 2006. Then she promised we would see it later, after a number of questions, and that she would come back with an answer early this year. Nothing has happened. It is over two years -2 years - since I asked the minister to review this legislation to bring in this change and still nothing has happened.
Hooning is one of the major causes of these accidents. People doing fishtails with high-powered cars will lose control. I have a fairly good idea that one young man’s family, whom I know very well - I know his mother and father quite well because I used to work for them - lost their son simply because he was hooning. We need to send a message out to young people that if you do this kind of behaviour, you will lose your vehicle. I know the minister does not even like that idea in relation to drink-drivers. I still think that if a person is on their second offence and they have been told they are not to drive because they have lost their licence, and they drink-driving again - goodbye car. If it belongs to the family, maybe there is a way around that. If you can take the car away, you are taking the problem away.
The steering lock system might sound fine, but I would like to ask any policeman that does RBTs, how many repeat offenders continue to drive cars unregistered. Plenty in the rural area could not give two hoots because they know they will get away with it. Even if they are charged with driving an unregistered car or they are unlicensed - well, you just go round and round in circles. Take the car away, well, they cannot do that so much. The government might say it is a good idea, I am not saying it does not have merit. However, I know how people work in the Top End, in the rural area. I am not the experienced one; there are some police officers here who have worked on the road. When they have done RBTs or registration tests in the rural area, the number of vehicles they pick up that are not registered or have not been registered for ages is quite high. So, it might sound good, but I do not think it is practical. The idea of confiscating vehicles, especially after people have had a fair warning, is the better way to go.
Madam Speaker, there is much more we could say on this issue. We have to have some social changes, as well as other changes. If alcohol is one of the main causes, then we have to start to tell people - not only the young people, there are a lot of older people who drink too much - that we have to be responsible about the amount of alcohol we drink. Let us just not use Sober Bob as an excuse, let us take responsibility for our own actions.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for his comments, and also the member for Karama, and endorse much of what the member for Nelson has said.
The member for Karama said: ‘What an extraordinary MPI’, and had an inquisitive look on her face. I do not think this is an extraordinary MPI. This is a very serious matter. Most of us in this House have children, some who are drivers and some who are not. I have three kids who are now adults who are driving on those roads, and I fear for their safety.
The member for Karama raised the issue of the interlock. What concerns me about these interlocks is that, perhaps not so much in Sanderson, but out in Nelson and in some remote areas, we are going to have someone getting in a car who is affected by alcohol, and is going to take the kid with them, stick them on the knee and, every time that they need to blow into the machine, say: ‘Here, kid, blow into the machine’. So, if we do have accidents, we are going to have extra passengers in the car in grave dangerous situations, not wearing seat belts. I am concerned about that.
Road safety continues to be one of the Territory’s most serious public health issues. It affects people right across the community - not only families and friends, but also emergency service workers, tow truck drivers, vehicle examiners, insurance assessors, and many more.
I will read from the Northern Territory Road Safety Taskforce recommendation report 2006. On the second page, which is actually the opening, it says you are at risk of being killed in a road crash in the Territory. That is very good. However, the first paragraph says that Territorians are at greater risk of being killed in a road crash than people in the rest of the developed world. In fact, the risk of being killed in the Northern Territory on NT roads is about three times greater than anywhere else in Australia.
We are dealing with a major problem for our community. Road crashes are a huge cause of human trauma. Since recordkeeping began in 1925, there have been over 169 000 road fatalities in Australia. In addition to the huge personal suffering, the monetary cost of crashes in Australia is in the order of $15bn per annum - and that is in 1996 dollars.
Comments made in relation to this MPI so far have been in relation to some of the short-term policies and the immediate actions that both we and the government recommend. Any death on our roads is tragic. We all need to work to ensure that it is reduced to an absolute minimum. What plans are there for the long-term reduction in road deaths?
Good road safety starts with education at a very young age. I relate this to my own children. Fortunately, none of them have had accidents, or been involved in drink-driving. Perhaps because I have seen terrible things in my former role as a police officer and I have drummed into them right from the time they could walk that: ‘You need to do this, you need to be careful crossing the road, you need to hang on to someone when you cross the road until you understand the rules’. Perhaps we need to educate our young people from when they start walking.
What happened to the Road Safety Training Centre at Parap? The facility was closed a number of years ago. I spent some time in my former role as a police officer, and as a community police officer, taking children and being with classes at that wonderful centre and with the great people who used to teach young people how to cross roads, and more importantly, how to survive on the roads. They taught them survival skills.
I recall in my own childhood on many occasions visiting the road safety centre in my major city, which was Perth, and learning lessons there - some of which, as I stand here today, I remember very clearly. I noticed that at Parap we did not have a braking machine which gives you a vision of how long it takes you to stop a car. How often do we see tail-end road smashes on our roads? Almost everyday driving home from work, you will see someone has cleaned up the rear end of some other car. These are some of the issues that we need to deal with, and we need to train people on. As a result of my training in those road safety education facilities, I took up the role in my school as a school safety officer. After school, we would be out there teaching other young people, and using a bit of peer pressure as well, to indicate to these people that some of their behaviour was dangerous. We did it day in and day out. Not only were our parents, our community and our government educating us, but we were educating our peer groups.
It appears that some parents are unable or unwilling, or lack the skills, to teach their children some of these very important road safety and survival skills. These are the skills we take with us into adulthood. When we have driving lessons, or take the driving test, or get in the cars that the member for Nelson talks about and start to drive around, perhaps some of those things we learned in our childhood remain in our memories. I believe it is important we have these driver training facilities available to the young people of the Northern Territory.
I note some of this road safety has fallen back on to the shoulders of teachers. I know from experience that teachers in classrooms have an enormous curriculum load already. This government, a number of years ago, also threw on another huge responsibility to teachers to try to teach road safety and some of these important skills which, more importantly, need to be done on a regular basis to reinforce it in the minds of young people. We have a definite need for resources to be put into the education of young people.
We need to ensure we retain the support of our essential services personnel such as ambulance officers, firefighters, police, and medical personal, and ensure the carnage on our roads is reduced so that it reduces the impact on those people. Often, these people find themselves needing counselling to deal with the carnage they have to deal with on a regular basis. That is not forgetting, of course, the family and friends of those injured.
I refer to a Northern Territory government media release by the then minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Burns, released on 18 December 2006 announcing a dedicated police traffic branch for Territorians. That was as a result of the 2003 O’Sullivan Report on police. I quote from that media release. It says:
That was towards the end of 2006. The number of road deaths in 2006 was, unfortunately, 44 poor souls, which is a tragic figure indeed. The second point is that the road toll went from 44 in 2006 to 57 in 2007, an increase of 13 or 30%. Even sadder, it appears that there is an upward trend in 2008; as at 13 August 2008 the road toll stood at 49. If you extrapolate that on the trend that means we are going to go from 44 in 2006, to 57 in 2007, and, if the current trend continues, we are going to have 66 road deaths in 2008, which is absolutely appalling.
In the same media release, on 18 December 2006, Dr Burns said:
Driving around Darwin - and that is where my experience is of recent times - on Saturday night, I was on my way to a function at the Cypriot Club - a very fine organisation and a great function it was. On the way, I was saddened to see a major traffic accident at the corner of McMillans Road and Kalymnos Drive where someone had tried to slip across in front of someone and was cleaned up. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. I noted that there was not a uniform police car there. There were fire engines but no uniform or marked police cars. In fact, the only police car there was an unmarked police car. I can only assume, because the people were in plain clothes, that it may have been detectives or some other officers performing plain clothes duty.
From the same 18 December media release by Dr Burns, I will read another quote:
This was in 2006. What is happening is that they are not being caught because they are out there doing these sorts of things that are causing our road toll to increase dramatically.
Deaths on our roads are tragic, and family and friends suffer. As I said, for ambulance officers, firefighters, and all of the emergency service people, these deaths have a ripple effect right through the community. How can we prevent these deaths from occurring? We can look at better public transport so that there are alternatives to driving motor cars when under the effects of alcohol which, hopefully, will reduce the number of these tragic incidences on our roads.
Roads need to be maintained. We have heard that some roads are falling apart. Parents of friends of mine returned from holiday recently. They said that when they came to the Territory 30 years ago, when you drove south from Darwin and you got to the border, especially after they opened the bitumen road in 1986 from Kulgera south, you used to hit South Australia and the roads were terrible. You would hit Queensland and Western Australia, and those roads were terrible. However, people coming back into the Northern Territory say that is where the deterioration is. You need to know that money is going to be spent on maintaining our road infrastructure. Verges need to be mowed; fatigue needs to be addressed with more road stops so that people can have a rest.
We need to look at increasing the number of ambulances. I note that the government said, and Dr Burns said today, they were trying to get another one to Palmerston. However, we need to do more. We need to look at remunerating paramedics so that they do not decide to go interstate to pursue better terms and conditions, and where they may feel better appreciated. Just recently, a paramedic shared with me their frustration about terms and conditions and the fact that they felt that they were not appreciated in the Northern Territory. We have to ensure that our ambulances are not delayed, if possible, by holding patients in the back of them while they are waiting for beds in hospitals. They need to be back out in the community where they can respond to emergencies in the shortest possible time which will help reduce the number of fatalities.
We need look at the feasibility of helicopter services for emergency extraction of people involved in things like road accidents. It is not acceptable to simply say that is all too hard to look at that option. We have vast areas of the Northern Territory to cover. We need to work in partnership with the federal government and all in this House. Since it is the government’s friends who are in control in Canberra, perhaps they could have a word with them and see if we can get this ball rolling fairly quickly.
The government could start by looking at the feasibility, the need, the capacity to save lives, and the potential for various local suppliers. We, on this side, know there is a company called Airborne Solutions, which is trying to interest the government in getting an economical twin-engine helicopter here for the very things we are talking about - people who are stuck on the road and cannot get an ambulance because they are parked at the hospital with someone in the back of them and, then, they have to rush to somewhere halfway to Katherine; in the meantime, the person dies. Why do we not get these people to the table and start talking to them?
We all know the value of bringing immediate care to people who are seriously injured. How can we speed this process up? We need to get more nurses in the acute care areas at the hospitals so that people can be treated, or at least looked at as soon as possible. I know that the staff at hospitals like Royal Darwin work themselves into the ground to ensure the safety and care of patients. I speak with some knowledge on this subject. My wife, before her passing, was a nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital and I used to cop - although it is historical now - all sorts of issues that these people have. I do know that they work extremely hard, and I am sure that all members of this House appreciate the fine and hard work those people do. However, it would appear that, so far, this is falling on deaf ears because we really do need to look at getting more nurses into those very valuable areas.
Madam Speaker, the road toll is very worrying. The greater numbers of road deaths this year is an absolute tragedy. In the future, if the government does not take a more active role in educating Territorians on better road safety, and do it right from when they are old enough, I fear that it is only going to go up ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, your time has expired.
Mr KNIGHT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the relevant minister responsible for allowing me to speak. As a member of the Labor Party and having a bush seat, bush members certainly know and have an awareness of bush roads.
As the member for Daly, I averaged about 100 000 km a year in my first few years of parliament getting around my electorate. Having been in the Territory for 20 years, and all that time living outside of Darwin travelling around the bush, I have certainly seen many roads in my time and have also come upon accidents and seen some behaviours on the road which are concerning.
The fundamental challenge to reducing our unacceptable road toll is changing the culture of driving in the Territory. There are so many social cultures in the Territory which need to change; and it has been highlighted that alcohol consumption is one of the big areas. The culture of driving in the Territory, although it might have been novel in the beginning, certainly is not a long-term, sustainable habit.
I travel some of the urban roads and they are very well maintained roads. I also travel a whole range of roads and dirt roads, at different times of the year, have different conditions. In the context of the Northern Territory compared to other jurisdictions, we have a small population base which drives a small income through Commonwealth roads funding, but we have a vast road network - thousands and thousands of kilometres of both bitumen and dirt road, in some of the most inaccessible areas of Australia. With only 23% of the road network actually sealed, those bush roads take a lot to maintain and people need to be aware of the road conditions when they are driving on them.
They also pose challenges for the medical crews who respond to these accidents. With the vast distances, there will be delays. If you are a 100 km, 200 km, or 500 km out bush and there is an accident, it takes time for the Flying Doctor Service or Emergency Services or ambulance crews to get to you. That can be a contributing factor to remote road accident fatalities as well. The road toll is too high and there is no argument about that. Any death on our roads is a tragedy.
The MPI today has not enlightened me, from what the opposition have actually brought to the debate. I have heard the Road Safety Taskforce report read twice now. We have all read the report; we have acted on the report. To have it read almost verbatim by the member proposing this MPI was extraordinary. Nothing new came to the table with this MPI from the member for Braitling. They really do not have any new policies around this - except for two, sorry. One policy says that ‘we will open up the speed limits’. The second policy - and I hope I get this right, member for Braitling - you said that you will limit the kilowatt capacity of a car for 16- to 23-year-olds to 95kW. Is that right?
Mr Giles: Yes.
Mr KNIGHT: Okay. So, under the first policy, you can go as fast as you like on the open road - 300 km/h. Under the second policy …
Mr Giles: That is not true.
Mr KNIGHT: Under the second policy, you can do up to 245km/h in a 95kW car. That is your policy. So a 16-year-old can get in a car and do 245 km/h. I knew you were behind it - 245 km/h in a 95kW car. It is ridiculous. It is about the culture and the ability of the driver.
I believe that Territorians expect a government to do what it can to reduce the carnage on our roads. We should be working collaboratively to target the core factors that influence our road toll. On average, one person dies every week on Territory roads - far too many, but we have to act.
In 2007, we saw the introduction of the government’s road safety reform agenda, with wide-ranging reforms. The majority of Territorians drive carefully and safely. Unfortunately, others put the lives of Territory families at risk. Our reforms addressed the 21 recommendations of the Road Safety Taskforce. This government is committed to make our roads safer for all Territory road users. It is not about just penalising and fining people with a big-stick approach. This is about targeting offenders in our community, encouraging better road safety education, increasing enforcement activities, and actively encouraging road safety messages.
I again remind the House of the changes that we have made with respect to this. For alcohol-related offences below 0.08%, fines have been doubled; speeding - all fines doubled; not wearing seatbelts – all fines doubled; running traffic lights – fines have been increased; repeated drink-driving offences – suspension of the driver’s licence; tougher seatbelt regulations; demerit point system that targets repeat offenders; and the improved detection of drink-driving. Now, we have the time limit for breath testing on taking blood samples increased from two hours to four hours. Blood samples can also be collected by a wider range of qualified persons.
We have also introduced legislation to target drug-driving. For the first time, police have been given the appropriate powers to address this road safety issue. We know there are people who come into town and drink water all night but they are off their tree. So, the drug-driving measures will certainly help address that.
We have now introduced a speed limit on the roads –130 km/h for the Stuart, Arnhem, Barkly, and Victoria Highways, and 110 km/h for the rural roads, and where otherwise posted. We also introduced a graduated driver’s licence scheme for new drivers - minimum six months on L-plates and two years on P-plates for drivers under 25; a total ban on mobile phone usage, including hands free for L- and P-plate drivers; the doubling of fines for failing to display L- and P-plates; and the installation of integrated red light and speed cameras.
We also have the new highway patrols and remote area traffic units operating out of Katherine and Alice Springs. We also have re-established a dedicated traffic section in NT Police …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: … member for Sanderson, after your mob - your mob - scrapped it.
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr KNIGHT: By all accounts, the member for Sanderson does not seem to think that his former colleagues in the Road Safety Branch are doing their job. They are out there working very hard, member for Sanderson, and you seem to think they are not doing their job. They are doing a very good job.
We have also improved the road safety education curriculum for NT students. Road Safety is included in the school curriculum, member for Sanderson. We have also upgraded the drink-driver education course; remote community road safety officers will be used in remote communities; there will be improved signage on routes of high tourist traffic; and improved road safety awareness campaigns. We have already announced the addition of a $1m package called Drive Safe NT to better prepare young people for driving. This is a fantastic initiative of this government. I did not hear any ideas from the other side, but this is a great initiative ...
Mr Tollner: Why don’t you fix the roads?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning!
Mr KNIGHT: This initiative demonstrates the government is listening to road safety experts and acting. Drive Safe NT will better prepare young Territorians for the road and will make our roads safer. The program provides a real focus on novice drivers spending time behind the wheel with experienced drivers, and a focus on defensive driving skills. It is a fresh, contemporary approach to driver licensing.
The road safety experts of the AANT argue the recent reforms will take time to make a fundamental change in our road safety record, and I agree. I believe the changes we have made will target the causative factors that influence the road toll. Over time, we will see the benefits to all Territorians.
Last year, we reported a number of fatalities on rural roads. I have already spoken about the array of initiatives we were using in the bush to improve road safety. These initiatives, together with the record roads funding from this government and a significant increase in the funding from the Commonwealth government to improve rural roads, are welcome. I believe it was a record year in the budget for roads funding, so the money is out there and being spent. There is also a record amount of money on maintenance of those roads.
I talk to many people around the roads. I do not live in Darwin like the member for Sanderson; I talk to people down the track. They find our roads very good, compared to other states. You drive across the Queensland border and it is down to one lane. The Territory roads are vastly better than those of other states ...
Mr Giles: Go for a drive; it is 50. Fifty people have died.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Mr KNIGHT: I also acknowledge that not wearing seat belts and driving under the influence continue to be significant areas of concern. In recent years, 44% of deaths on regional roads involved seat belts not being worn, where available. It is clear that more needs to be done to encourage greater use of seat belts, particularly in regional areas. That is why we have doubled the fines for not wearing a seat belt or having a passenger not wearing a seat belt. We need to change the road safety culture in the bush.
This government will continue to show leadership and stop the carnage on the road. Drink-driving remains a significant contributor to our road toll. Members opposite may be aware that, over the last five years, 50% of all fatalities involved alcohol. Last year, this trend was down, which was encouraging. We hope to continue that effort to reduce drink-driving. We have introduced the ‘two strikes and you are out’ policy with drink-driving offences. With the new alcohol interlock, hopefully, those repeat drink-drivers will be targeted and it will stop them from getting behind the wheel.
All these initiatives should receive bipartisan support. They are all tools in reducing the number of deaths on our roads. The member for Sanderson alluded to this; there needs to be much more personal responsibility. We are doing a whole range of things. People do not have to jump in their car and drive around with their kids without their seat belts on. Personal responsibility is a huge aspect with all of this. People need to have a good think about what they do.
This government commissioned a task force of experts to come up with recommendations. We have implemented every single one of those recommendations. We will continue to look across the Territory, across the nation, for initiatives to keep putting pressure on those poor-performing road users so that we drive the road deaths down. I have not heard a single productive comment from the opposition about a new initiative which would stop the road deaths ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning!
Mr KNIGHT: The only thing you want to do is make people drive faster. That is all your policies are about. If you think that is going to lead to fewer road deaths, well, that is your position. We do not think it is. We think a holistic approach to this is a better way to go, and we will continue to work with the experts and the community to get this right. We hope that there is bipartisan support with that because the experts are the experts, whether they are in opposition or not …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Giles: You need to take action and do something.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Giles: It is a matter of public importance.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you do not reflect on the Speaker. I ask you to withdraw from the Chamber for an hour, please.
Mr Giles: Now?
Madam SPEAKER: Immediately.
Mr KNIGHT: In closing, Madam Speaker, this is a very serious matter. We are very genuine on this side about trying to do it. We have gone to the experts; we have implemented everything that they have said. We have continued to look at ways of doing it. If you have some good ideas, please give them to us. I have not heard any tonight. We are always listening. We can, hopefully, work on this to reduce our road toll.
Discussion concluded.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
This evening I wholeheartedly thank the residents of Karama and Malak who have chosen to return me as their local member. I accept and appreciate that not everyone would have voted for me. That is certainly reflected in the election result. I will continue to be a hard-working member for the constituents of Karama and Malak, irrespective as to where they cast their vote on polling day. You are not returned three times without a fantastic amount of support behind you. Tonight I really want to acknowledge the incredible support I received over the years - and it has been enduring support. I feel very humbled and privileged to be elected as the member for Karama.
Karama and Malak are great suburbs and fantastic places in which to live. We are a very diverse multicultural group of people in Karama/Malak. We have the highest multicultural mix of anywhere in urban Northern Territory. That is one of the things I really love about where we live - its absolute diversity. We have a very high urban Indigenous population, but we have the highest number of people from overseas backgrounds in Karama and Malak. I continue to get enormous support from our multicultural residents of Karama and Malak.
The Thai people were fantastic. They made sure that the monks came and saw me. I caught up with the monks during the campaign. It was that strange morning of 30 July and the heavy fog had set in. The monks walked through Karama to take alms in the morning from the new temple along Earhart Drive near Batten Road. I had been collected by a dear Thai friend of mine, Samsong and Le. We went to Koolinda Crescent near a park waiting to see the monks come through for their normal morning alms. I had the food to provide to the monk. A constituent was riding by on his push bike and stopped and had a chat. The park was thick with the heavy fog. Samsong and I kept chatting to the constituent, but we were looking out for the monks at the same time. Emerging from the mist were the monks, walking gently and quietly in our direction. I have to say it was one of the most amazing scenes that I have witnessed in my life. It certainly took my breath away. To be there in my own home patch and to give alms to the monks and to get the monks’ blessings was a very important moment of the election campaign for me - a very moving moment. I am eternally grateful to the three communities of the Thais, the Laotians and Cambodians for the way in which they have embraced me with their generosity. They are very supportive.
There was a certain view, I am sure, that was held by the Country Liberals, that by preselecting a Filipino candidate, the Filipino community on a whole would support that candidate. I knew that would not be the case. Of course, it is not the case that communities vote for someone because they are of the same ethnic background. They tend to vote for people they know and trust. I had overwhelming support from the Filipino community. I continue to receive overwhelming support from the Timorese and Indonesian community, the Greek families were tremendous and amazing, the Italian families, the Chinese families, the Serbians and Croatians mixed in there - refugees from the Bosnian War – the African families with whom I have worked very closely over the years, and also, the Indigenous families and the Anglo Saxons like myself.
One of the joys of being a local member is how closely you are able to work with families. People tend to come to their local member when they have a problem. They do not come when things are going fine; they visit their local member when they have a problem in their life. I have been able to provide ongoing support through the years to families and deal with their problems - and it is a wide variety of issues that we deal with in my office. My Karama electorate office is a very busy office, and it has been a privilege to work with the families, to nurture them through the difficult times. I look forward to the four years ahead and working with the families of Karama and Malak.
Everyone in here knows that you are as good locally when you are a minister as your electorate officer. I have an absolute inspirational Territorian as my electorate officer, Kerry Wetherall. She is a force to behold. She is a young, single, Indigenous mother. She has four children of her own, and she is a foster carer. She won the NAIDOC Volunteer of the Year Award a few years ago. In classic Kerry style, as busy as we were in an election campaign, she had two little foster care kids living with her at the time - a two-year-old and a five-year-old. They came to every single sausage sizzle we had. They came around to my place because we were having lots of meetings after hours - Kerry and her four kids, plus the two foster kids, plus my three kids because I am also a single mother of three kids. We had a kid-infused election campaign in Karama and Malak.
Given the logistics of an election campaign, I asked my ex-husband whether he would be willing to return to Darwin for a few weeks to take care of the three kids to help me out. He said yes, so I had the wonderful occasion of having my ex-husband living in my spare room for the three-week election campaign. Kerry did her best to take the same action, so she asked her ex-husband if he would be willing to move into her home to take care of her kids for the election campaign. She lasted three days. I am happy to say I did last out the three weeks with my ex-husband living in my spare room. They are the lengths that members go to be re-elected. I sincerely thank Tim for coming back to Darwin and helping out. He not only helped me out, but he worked extremely hard on the Fong Lim campaign for Matthew Bonson. He took leave to do that, so thank you to him.
I have to thank the campaign manager I have had working with me - a local man, a man of great integrity and dignity, Greg Wills. He is the sort of person who would do anything and everything to assist, and he has been great. He is a dear friend, but I also find him a man of great integrity and inspiration as well. He is a specialist in working with children with disabilities and is brilliant at what he does. He is a very hard-working, committed person. Nothing was too hard and no amount of time and effort was too much for the rest of the team: Dee, Kevin, Rita, Chandra, Hemali, John, Marg and Denis. Bless them because they are a fantastic group of people who have swung in and helped me with regular meetings and doing a whole variety of activities that election campaigns require.
Thanks also to Samsong, Ishfaq, Thien, Tania, Sheree and Joanne, Wendy and Margie, Sharon, Vickianne, Jenny, Bong, Alex and Marcus - who I believe is the youngest campaigner, he was aged two when he had his photo taken putting up my posters on fences - Carlieta, Brad, Sonya, Trisha and Lewis and their gorgeous daughters, Wayne, Giovanna, Grahame, Adrian for the posters - Adrian was our poster man, he loved the poster job, Ross, Henry, Joe, Peter and Harry. Thank you all for your help; you were terrific and your support has been great over the years.
We had sausage sizzles, breakfast by the schools and it was a great team effort. I have to thank wholeheartedly Wolf, who became the sausage sizzle man, a great sausage sizzler, Sam, Alf, Trace, Brett and Gracie. Thank you for your help; you have been fantastic. I loved working with you in the campaign, and before and beyond.
I thank my family, because it always comes down to the family to give you a whole lot of support in so many different ways: my mother, Dawn, my sister, Dianne and her boyfriend, Terry. I have to say Terry is a bit of a legend because it is fantastic to have someone who is trained in Army logistics on your campaign team. When he first discovered our method of sausage sizzles, in loading and unloading and certain aspects of that, he redesigned and re-worked our entire logistics for sausage sizzles and breakfasts in the morning. They became well polished and executed ventures, thanks to the logistics expert, Terry. It is always handy to have someone trained by the Army on your team if you are in an election campaign mode.
To Hannah and Arphila, my gorgeous girls, thank you – teenagers who got a whole new lesson and an awakening about elections and politics. They were a joy. They helped in many ways and they were fantastic. They, for the first time, participated on the polling booths, and got a lot out of it and enjoyed themselves greatly.
I am looking forward to continuing to work hard as the local member. I am really looking forward to the second stage of Leanyer Recreation Park opening. I cannot wait to see that. I drive past on weekends and see hundreds of families enjoying themselves and, as hard as this job is, and as crazy as the hours are and as much as it takes me away from my children who I love above all else, when you see that, you understand why you work so hard. You can actually make people’s lives better, even if it is something like a recreation park. I know there are families in my electorate who cannot afford a whole lot of activities, and that is free. They go down there on a hot day. There might have tempers running in the household, but they go down there and everyone is happy. Everyone splashes around, the parents are less stressed, the kids are happy, and the grandparents are happy, and it works. It just simply works. The Stage 2 big waterslides - my goodness, we are looking forward to that.
I am looking forward to the Karama family hub. It will be a really important new location for the Toy Library, the Playgroup Association, SIDS and Kids, and Down Syndrome and others who are co-locating there. It will be a really important resource for disadvantaged families, primarily. I am looking forward to seeing the Malak Primary School assembly area being refurbished. I am looking forward to the $300 000 spent upgrading the local public primary schools in my electorate.
I will continue to work very closely with Catholic education in my electorate - Rainbows Early Learning Centre, Holy Family School and O’Loughlin College. I picked up Marrara Christian School with the redistribution of the electorate and I am looking forward to working with them. I really love Manunda Terrace Primary, Malak Primary and Karama Primary Schools; they are great local public primary schools doing a fantastic job educating our kids, getting really good results against the odds. Sanderson Middle School has really interesting, innovative programs there with Clontarf. Gerry has just started a girls program, which is the girls’ first pilot program similar to Clontarf. It is early days, but I am excited about what that will produce with our disadvantaged girls in the electorate.
In the context of thanking people for working on the campaign, I mostly thank my children, Jhenne, Bronte and Zac. They are little tackers, and I know what it is to be the child of a politician. I know what it means to miss your mum. I guess my kids get a double whammy - they miss their dad, because he is mostly not around, but they miss their mum. They are great. When I asked: ‘Are you guys okay that I keep working this hard?’ they said: ‘Mum, we are proud of you. You go, girl, we are proud of you’. It means a lot. Zac does not join in that because he is only 3. He is not quite up to giving me the ‘you go, girl’ speeches. However, it means a lot to know your kids understand and accept that they give up their parent to the community, which is what the kids of pollies tend to have to do.
I am incredibly humbled by the ongoing support I have received from my constituents. I am privileged to have the opportunity to do what I am passionate about doing; which is making the place in which I was born, raised, and live, better for all Territorians. Yes, I am a saltwater girl from Darwin, but I have grown extremely fond of that Red Centre of ours. I have grown to love those diverse remote communities, and grown to respect those regional towns. I will continue to work hard as a local member, but I know the job also takes me right across this amazing Territory of ours.
Again, thanks to the team. Without them, I am sure I would not be standing here as the member of Karama. I really enjoy working with my campaign team. They never leave me, because they are my local branch members and they love politics and grilling me on politics. If you guys think I get a hard time here, you ain’t seen anything compared to my branch meetings! They are great people, intelligent and capable. People came out of the woodwork this time. I had more people offering to volunteer …
Mr Wood: You ought to see my branch meetings.
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, the chooks, Gerry. I had more people offering to volunteer than I had tasks, which was just the most beautiful experience; that people step up in the community sense. It is very humbling.
I look forward to being out and about around Karama, where I live. I enjoy Malak so much. I have many good friends living in Malak and it is a great community. For people who think that it is not such a great place, then they do not truly understand it. We have great people and we are in a beautiful part of Darwin - and it is going places.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, today, the opposition is committed to ensure that Territorians know the truth about the situation at Royal Darwin Hospital - as it was in 2006, and as it is today.
I give great credit to my predecessor, the former member for Greatorex, Dr Richard Lim, who was on to this government in 2006 and 2007, pursuing them on the issue of nurse numbers at our hospitals. It is interesting that, then, the minister was not so keen on admitting that there was a staff nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. The then member for Greatorex asked the minister for Health a number of very direct questions about nurse staffing and overtime - excessive overtime nurses had to work because of the crisis facing the Royal Darwin Hospital. At that time, the now Chief Minister said we were just scaremongering. I also note the Chief Minister failed to answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question to him on this very issue.
In the past two days, we have seen an astonishing turn of events. The minister is now admitting that there was a nurse staff crisis in 2006 and 2007. We are yet to get him to admit what the situation is in 2008. However, we have him admit that there was a crisis in 2006 and 2007. The first step was for him to accept the Coroner’s findings, which were handed down on Friday, in their entirety. It took him a few days to get to that point, but he finally got there. This led him to admit there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2006 and 2007.
The astonishing thing is that he will not admit that he knew why there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital, and that he did nothing about it. His argument today is: ‘I was misled by my department,’ - once again, handballing the issue to his department. That is what he said on the news. ‘They just told me because of recruitment difficulties’, was his argument – a pretty poor defence. That is because the minister has refused to hear any evidence to the contrary on this matter. The Coroner said:
However, the minister chose to be deliberately ignorant of these matters ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister did not choose to be deliberately ignorant. What a nonsense statement to make.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Member for Greatorex, please continue.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will say again: the minister chose to be deliberately ignorant of these matters. The minister’s defence is exposed now. It is exposed because we now know that, when senior nursing staff at the hospital tried to tell him about the very real dangerous situation facing Royal Darwin Hospital, he refused to meet with them. He refused to meet with the people who were going to explain to him the situation facing the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital ...
A member: Wrong. It is wrong.
Mr CONLAN: It is true. It is true and I will get to that.
Professor Di Brown, the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital between 2006 and 2007, has today taken the unprecedented step of going on the public record and admitting that she met with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets. There is nothing in it for her than to speak the truth. She has nothing to lose or gain by lying. She has gone on the public record and very clearly said that she tried to speak with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets to tell him about the nursing staffing crises at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She offered to give him a face-to-face report - from the top nurse. This is the top nurse at the Royal Darwin Hospital working with other nurses, hearing from other nurses, hearing from patients …
Mr Tollner: The Director of Nursing.
Mr CONLAN: The Director of Nursing, exactly. … seeing what is happening. She was seeing what was happening on the wards; the mounting number of nurses working overtime and the growing list of unfilled shifts because of the nursing staffing crisis. She knows what is going on; she is the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
She tried to meet with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets. Obviously, she was not getting a hearing from her peers in the Health department so she took the step, unsolicited, because her conscience said it was the right thing to do because of what was happening at the Royal Darwin Hospital with the nursing crisis. She went to speak to the minister directly, by virtue of the minister going to the Rapid Creek Markets every Sunday, as he has done since 2001, to meet with people. She has gone there, taken the step to meet with the minister at the markets and talk to him directly. What response did she get? Nothing, absolutely nothing except: ‘Go and speak to my advisor’. The Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital, the Territory’s largest hospital: ‘Go and speak to my advisor’.
Despite most likely finding this an astonishing comment, as I am sure she did, she did what the minister asked …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister very clearly explained at Question Time today that he goes to the markets to meet his Johnston constitutes, and if people come to him on ministerial matters he refers them to his ministerial office. He explained that in Question Time today.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is not a point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Leader of Government Business. Resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: After being blown off by the minister to go and speak to one of the advisors, she goes up to one of the advisors at the Royal Darwin Hospital when the minister is actually visiting the hospital. The minister was at the hospital; she tells the advisor who was with him that she needed to meet with the minister to discuss the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She said to the minister’s advisor at the Royal Darwin Hospital: ‘I need to speak to the minister to discuss the nursing staffing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital’. What transpires? No meeting.
Here was an opportunity for the minister to hear first-hand from the senior nurse, from the Executive Director of Nursing of the Royal Darwin Hospital, of the nursing staffing crisis and the consequences as a result of that crisis or shortage at the Royal Darwin Hospital and the advisor does not arrange a meeting. It was an opportunity to validate and confirm the advice the minister said today he was receiving from his bureaucrats. What happened? He refused to meet with her ...
Ms Carney: Gutless, cowardly.
Mr CONLAN: It is a shameful situation. The minister should be ashamed of himself …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Araluen is using extremely colourful language which is unnecessary and unbecoming of a member of parliament.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I would like you to withdraw that comment regarding the minister.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I did not say that the minister was gutless or cowardly; I simply said the words ‘gutless’ and ‘cowardly’. However, Madam Speaker, in deference to you, I withdraw those words.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, the minister said in parliament today - and I quote from the Daily Hansard:
Ms Carney: So, he is lying, is he?
Minister, you have been caught out …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex heard the minister say in Question Time today, very clearly, he meets a lot of people at the markets; he does not remember meeting Di Brown.
Mr Conlan: It is in here. It is in the Hansard. He said ‘never’.
Ms LAWRIE: He is trying to misconstrue what the minister said.
Mr Tollner: Madam Speaker, that is not a point of order!
Ms Scrymgour: Oh, who are you to decide?
Mr Elferink: The member for Fong Lim. The seat that you guys lost.
Madam SPEAKER: Please resume your seat, member for Fong Lim. Member for Greatorex, you may continue but, remember, if you are considering making an allegation …
Ms Lawrie: Don’t mislead.
Madam SPEAKER: … regarding the minister, you may …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: … only do so by way of a substantiative motion. I am sorry?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of Government Business has just suggested that I was misleading the House, and I ask her to withdraw that low comment, please.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I did not. A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I did not hear it, but can you simply withdraw?
Ms LAWRIE: I did not.
Mr Elferink: Just withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I ask you to withdraw.
Ms LAWRIE: Sorry, I withdraw. Happy to withdraw. I did not - sensitive.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, please continue.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, I quote again the minister today. When it was put very directly to him in parliament, he responded:
That flies in the face of what was on the Channel 9 and the ABC news this evening where Professor Di Brown specifically said that she went to the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets, spoke to him and requested a meeting to discuss the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. I say …
Ms Scrymgour: He said that.
Mr CONLAN: He did not say that. I answer the interjection that he did not say that. I suggest, member for Arafura, that you pick up Daily Hansard and have a look because he did not say that. I will tell you what he said again. He said:
Wrong. The minister has been caught out. He has been caught misleading this parliament ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex cannot make that allegation here. It is ridiculous.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, please resume your seat. Member for Greatorex, I ask you to withdraw. You cannot make those sorts of comments except by way of substantiative motion.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Excuse me! The member for Greatorex has just said that the minister has misled the House.
Mr Elferink: He has not.
Ms Lawrie: Yes, he did. Absolutely! Open your ears.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, I ask you to withdraw unreservedly.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
However, I ask how the minister can enter this place again and be believed? How can he be believed? It is in Hansard, and I suggest you all have a look before you start leaping to the defence of this irresponsible minister that you call the Minister for Health in the Northern Territory. From day one of this very tragic saga, the minister has ducked and weaved like nothing else. He has taken the Sergeant Schultz line that ‘I know nothing’, all because he could have done something and he did not. He could have done something. He knew about it; we all know that he knew about it; he knows that he knew about it; he has done nothing. He has cowered behind the coattails of his bureaucrats.
He has nowhere to hide now. He has been caught out and he needs to come clean. Be a man, minister, and face up to your responsibilities as the Health Minister of the Northern Territory. Accept that you knew the problems at the Royal Darwin Hospital were beyond recruitment difficulties, and accept that you have abrogated your responsibility as Health Minister of the Northern Territory.
The public expects nothing less of a minister than to do his job and put the care of Territorians first - to do his job and put the care of Territorians first ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Very clearly, we went through this in Question Time today. The minister has put an expert in place to oversight the nursing staff model at Royal Darwin Hospital. That is doing his job.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr Elferink: I am not sure what the point of order is.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I say, the Territory public expects their minister - all ministers and the Health Minister - to put the care of Territorians first. This minister has clearly not done that. He knows he has been caught out, we know he has been caught out, and everyone knows he has been caught out. He has not done his job, and he knows it. The minister must resign and he must resign now.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I pay respect to a great man who passed away recently, an elder from the Papunya/Mt Liebig area. I take this time to pay my respects to Glenis and Tim, Graham and Mark, and Faye and Jamie. These people are non-Indigenous people who loved him and worked with him at Mt Liebig, and looked after him in the last couple of weeks of his life.
I pay respect to a great man who passed away recently. Billy Tjapaltjarri Whiskey was a senior man with a wealth of knowledge. He passed away in Alice Springs on 19 August 2008. He was born in a shallow hole scooped out of the red earth in a place called Pirupa Alka, known as White Cocky Country. We believe this to be around the year 1920. The first born from his father, it was here that Tjapaltjarri would grow, immersed in a life that had preceded him for generations before. He lived off the land and was to have his first contact with a non-Aboriginal person as a teenager. Shortly after, he would return with his family to the country he grew up in.
It was not until his father passed away that he walked to Haasts Bluff to start the next chapter in his life. It was here that he met his wife, Colleen Nampitjinpa, with whom he was to have five children: Herman, Paul, Shawn, and two daughters, Kathleen and Louise. At Haasts Bluff, he was to grow a beard and was given the name Billy Whiskery. I have to tell you this story. Because he had a beard, the missionaries said: ‘Oh, Bill, you have really long whiskers’, but the Aboriginal people thought, oh that is his new name and called him Bill Whiskery, for the whiskers, later to be abbreviated to Whiskey. It was here that he helped to lay the building blocks of what is now an established community of Haasts Bluff.
Decades after, he moved to an outstation near Mt Liebig. Tjapaltjarri was a Nangkarri and was visited by people from afar. A Nangkarri is a witch doctor, a person who fixes and heals people. I can vouch for that, because people came from South Australia, Western Australia and all over Central Australia to visit him for the healing powers that he had. Today, I hear of those close to him saying that he had an influence that he, perhaps, did not fully realise.
He was a senior man with a wealth of knowledge. When I say this, I do not say it lightly. People talk about having the Queen as the head of the state - well, he was the king of the Aboriginal state of Central Australia.
Remarkably, it was not until he was in his mid-80s that he began to paint acrylic on canvas. Instantly, he became one of Australia’s most recognised artists. He painted all day and every day, the story of his country, and that of the cockatoo. In 2007, when he returned to his country, he proudly pointed out the significant parts of the story and his association with the eagle and the crow.
His memory will not only be etched in the minds of those who knew him, and with the families and legacy that followed, but in the timeless art that he created as a senior man. It tells the story of a man who, long ago, with his generation, was raised in a world identical in all aspects to thousands of generations before him. In adulthood, this would change, but it is the remnants of the past and the knowledge and wisdom that forms the bedrock to our identity as Aboriginal people in Central Australia.
I pay my tribute to Tjapaltjarri, and to my sister, Colleen. When I was growing up at Haasts Bluff, I used to live with this old man and grew up with him. He taught me all the hunting techniques and how to survive on country, and how to look for water. This was before we ever lived in three-bedroom brick houses. We lived in humpies across the creek and got soakage water from the river. We used to come up once a week to get rations from the mission. I loved him and respected him and, obviously, as Indigenous people from Central Australia, we will miss him. I say thank you to Glenis and Tim for the love they showed him in the last days of his life at Mt Liebig.
I also speak about the Breast Cancer Golf Day recently held in Alice Springs. I believe this was something the member for Araluen took part in, because two years ago I played this game of golf when the member for Araluen championed this golf day for breast cancer. We had a lot of fun two years ago, rocking up with high-heeled shoes and a pretty dress and playing the eight holes or something and then going home tired, after hitting the ball around and paying someone else to tee off for you.
The Breast Cancer Golf Day has become an institution in Alice Springs. Over 200 women each year take to the Alice Springs Golf Course in all manner of costumes and decorated golf buggies to socialise, raise some money for a good cause and, if there is time, to play some golf. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it is. However, the day has a serious purpose. Since the Breast Cancer Golf Day began six years ago, over $90 000 has been raised to advance research on breast cancer and to support Centralian women and their families affected by breast cancer. This year alone, the 235 players raised over $21 000 on the day.
In addition to the golf day, the organisers had a specialist bra fitter for women in the lead-up to the event. For women, a correct fitting bra is essential to maintaining breast health, and it was great to see this service offered for the benefit of all Alice Springs women.
I congratulate the organisers of the golf day, Karen Jones and Deb Pepper, who worked tirelessly in the weeks and months leading up to the event to make sure it went off without a hitch. The fact that the maximum capacity was reached a week out from the event is testament to the hard work put in by Karen and Deb and the many others who assist them behind the scenes. I also thank and congratulate many Alice Springs businesses who got in on the fun and sponsored the event. Without the support of those individual business and major sponsors such as the Alice Springs Wine Club, the golf day could not be the enormous success that it is. It was our great pleasure to support the golf day through the Chief Minister’s Office in Alice Springs.
To that end, I acknowledge and say thanks to Nyree Slatter and Judy Buckley for their time and effort in registering players and for coordinating our sponsorship. Congratulations to all those women who turned up because, without those women, we would not have had a golf day. Also, to the businesses as well for the support.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, recently I attended the Litchfield Football Club’s Presentation Day at Freds Pass. It is a soccer club and the event was at the reserve from 3.30 pm onwards. My good colleague from Nelson was also there. On arrival, it was a lovely sight to see in excess of 200 children and young people running around on the oval playing various games, on the jumping castle, or rolling an earth ball. For the littlies, there was a water suds slide which was very popular. There were many parents, friends, coaches, and guests in attendance. The colours of the club are black, red and white, and their logo is a pretty scary looking snake around a soccer ball with a green tree frog sitting on the ball. I am not sure of the meaning behind the popular Territory animals on their logo, but I suspect the players are true and strong strikers, hence the snake. The green tree frog is because they can hop, skip and jump very well during their games. It is a very fitting choice for a logo for a rural sporting club.
The club had set up music for the evening in a DJ style and played all manner of music, most of which I did not really identify with. But the young ones seem to appreciate it. Getting old!
The evening was well organised and well run. They had special presentations and I acknowledge and congratulate the Volunteer of the Year which was Suzanne Keillor, Club Sportsperson of the Year, Nikita Kruger, the Coach of the Year, James Edwards, Junior Referee of the Year, Nikita Kruger. The teams then received their participation medals, from the under six-year-olds who were about knee high to a flea, through to the senior men.
The club has a strong membership with a total of 218 players: 133 junior males, 18 senior males, 62 junior females, and five senior females. They have 18 teams from the under six-year-olds to senior men, which demonstrates how popular and successful this club is in its activities.
A little bit of background: the Litchfield Soccer Club had its first season in 2002 as a result of the Palmerston Club being forced to turn away junior players in the 2001 season. Initial inquiries into opportunities for other rural-based junior players were made in 2000 by the Berry Springs Reserve Committee. The Soccer Federation held discussions but no firm decisions were made at the time.
Following the Palmerston Club turning away players, the soccer people moved to support the formation of a second Palmerston Rural Soccer Club. So, in 2002, the Litchfield Soccer Club was born and has moved from strength to strength and now boasts some of the highest junior registration numbers in the Northern Territory. After seeing the large number of children at that presentation day, and the level of fun they were having, it is not surprising it is such a successful club. A number of junior and senior teams have won premiership and cup trophies, with many of the Litchfield players selected to represent the Northern Territory.
The club is now moving forward into a new era for football both in the Northern Territory and Australia, and we all know how popular soccer is and is becoming because of our Australian team. They are striving to raise funds for a permanent home of their own at Freds Pass Reserve. Given the success of the club, its membership and levels, and strong support from families and community, it is not only timely but right that the club should receive support from government towards its own clubroom and facilities.
Currently, the club shares an oval and facilities with the Aussie Rules football club and, while the relationship is very good, there is a potential for a clash in fixtures as the activities of the seasons do overlap. I will be taking up their club cause and working with the club and others to see if we can secure their own facilities very soon. The Litchfield Football Club’s philosophy - which is probably why it is so successful - is based on the concept of fun, fairness and participation. With this philosophy we, and they, hope to instil in the players the love of the game of football and a concept of participation in both the club and the community that they can take into life generally.
I congratulate the president of the club, Shane Pilkie and his committee, the club, all the members, and family supporters, and thank them for inviting me to their special day.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak about the recent election and acknowledge a number of people. I congratulate the Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, on his victory at the election and on his being re-elected as the leader of the Labor Party and the Chief Minister. Also, my colleagues - we have a very strong and effective team and we will serve Territorians well in this term of parliament.
There is one person who has been invaluable and that is my electorate officer. Sharon McAlear came to me as an electorate officer when my new office opened at Coolalinga late last year. At that time, we were just trying to get used working together. Then, in February, I became a minister and things got very busy for me with the local government reform and travelling around. That then led to the election. We have been working flat out since late last year with setting up the office and getting ready for the election as well.
It was the first time for Sharon, who has worked in the Department of the Legislative Assembly. She had a steep learning curve but she thoroughly enjoyed herself and succeeded in pulling together a campaign. I thank her, and her husband and children for allowing her to be away from home so much. She certainly put in the hours and did the work effectively.
I also thank my children whom I did not get to see a great deal over those weeks of the election. Kody and Lily, like many children of politicians, do not get to see their parents very much. However, I hope the time I do spend with them is significant.
I would just like to run through the campaign workers. Bronnie was a stalwart, yet again, for the second election in a row. Nick travelled around the bush electorate. He used his own car much of the time, and helped me set up the Berry Springs Booth at about 4.30 am. Thanks to Nick. Also to Richard Snr and Richard Jr, and Richard Jr’s mate, John, who came out on the road. They certainly did a great job. They got some beef for us at Palumpa. It was great to have those guys travelling with us.
Jack Crosby is a stalwart of the Labor Party. He certainly knows the bush and is a tough bush campaigner. He was good to have around.
Some of the people in the communities helped me. Leon at Port Keats, and also Michelle Parmbuk, William Parmbuk and Basil Parmbuk were great and certainly humorous on the polling booth at Port Keats. Jack Wattidge and his wife, Rosanne, made a great contribution and helped out at Palumpa. Betty Daly and Kathy Sams at Daly were invaluable at Nauiyu community. David and Pat Coles at Batchelor had been very helpful in setting up booths and moving around in those few weeks of the election campaign. Also, to Maddi for coming out to Adelaide River and helping us there. She is someone everybody knew and respected, and that helped things at Adelaide River. I cannot go on without mentioning Jim and Carol Bourke who are people who have been around politics for a long time and are always willing to help out. I thank them for all their support.
I should reflect a bit on the campaign. Unusually, the CLP ran two candidates against me. I guess they do not have a great deal of trust in their candidates if they feel they have to run two – a so-called independent candidate who previously ran for the CLP and sought preselection for the CLP. I believe he is a member of the CLP. He was having his corflutes taken around by the CLP, and he was taking the CLP’s around. His people were handing out CLP how-to-votes and vice versa, so it was a very cosy relationship. It reflects poorly on the CLP that they cannot trust their candidates.
I thank the people of the Daly electorate. There are certainly challenging issues out there …
Mr Wood: Look at the Labor figure in Nelson.
Mr KNIGHT: … as in many campaigns. I reflect on a story, member for Nelson, if you continue to interject. At my electorate office, we have a bush area at the back and my electorate officer reported that there was a rooster which kept on walking around near our office. She did comment that it may have been one of Gerry’s spies. We kept an eye on that rooster and, strangely, after the election it disappeared. Very strange, indeed.
The Daly electorate faces some challenges and it is something I am keenly focused on. This government has put a lot more money into infrastructure, with commitments for the Port Keats road and the Daly River bridge. That showed the great deal of confidence we have in the people of that region going ahead. We are looking at options for the school at Wooliana, as that site is coming to the end of its use. There are some great challenges and this government is committed. The housing upgrade at Port Keats, Palumpa, Peppimenarti and Emu Point are areas where we are showing that commitment.
I thank Terry Sams at Emu Point. He is a great guy. I think Gerry has a caravan there, haven’t you, Gerry? He is a great guy. He has a great deal of vision and drive in that community, and he was very helpful in the election. I thank him for his help. I also thank Naya at Peppimenarti. She helped out with the election campaign and I thank her very much for her help.
In this election, I have new areas in the electorate and I have lost some as well. Pine Creek was an area which, unfortunately, I lost. I value my friendships with the people there and I will continue to work for them in the Local Government portfolio. I did commit to a range of things with that community, and I am absolutely committed to working through those issues that they have. I made some very strong relationships and friendships there, and I think they will be enduring. I hope to visit them very shortly. I believe I am going down there for October Business Month to host that event. I am sure the member for Stuart, who has inherited that area, will service them well. I am sure he will soon realise, through his ongoing interaction with them, that they are an absolutely great bunch of people and they really make that town.
I look forward to engaging with the new areas of Wagait Beach and Belyuen. I actually live at Wagait Beach now. It is a beautiful little area. Unfortunately, with this job, it is one of the big disappointments, I guess, that I do not get to spend a bit more time sitting on the beach at Wagait, at Imaluk Beach, I hope to spend a bit more time there myself. I am looking at the issues associated with that area and looking forward to working with the local people in addressing them.
Belyuen has had a problematic past and present, and I hope to work with them, not only as the local member, but through the ministerial responsibilities, to try to rebuild the governance in that community. There are some great opportunities and I look forward to those challenges.
For the people of Dundee Beach, I do not mind buying you a beer …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I thought it was amazing that I was criticised for buying someone a beer. You cannot do it nowadays. The CLP took great umbrage ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Kangaroo tails, playing cards. Why can we not just have a beer with someone?
Dundee poses some great challenges because of the historic development of that area. We are unravelling a bit of a birds nest of a knot there, with development and things all over the place. However, we are getting there. We have acquired some community land, after all this time. We are looking at the planning issues, and the road has been upgraded significantly in the previous term of government, with another $1.5m in this current budget. The road is progressively being upgraded. It has certainly come a long way since Labor came to power in 2001. We have a $6.5m power line out there. This government has shown extreme commitment to that area, and we will keep working to address the ongoing issues.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I look forward to the portfolios that I have been given by the Chief Minister, ones I am delighted to have. They are certainly challenging portfolios. I am delighted to have the chance of completing the work with local government. The Essential Services portfolio provides some great challenges and learning having a government owned corporation in amongst that. In the Housing area, there is the biggest housing reform ever in the Northern Territory, and I am happy to play my part in making sure it happens, and happens in a very successful way for Aboriginal Territorians who live in remote communities. I certainly am delighted to have that, as well as Public Employment. It, obviously, brings its challenges. Delivering good results for 14 000 public servants is something that I and this government is committed to. We have to do it in a sustainable way. We have looked after public servants, and we will continue to look after public servants - those essential teachers, nurses, police, port workers, dentists. We will do our best to look after them. I look forward to playing my part.
I congratulate every other minister as well, especially the Minister for Health, an honourable man who does not deserve the grubby politics of the last couple of days ...
Mr Conlan: Justly deserved. You are as bad as him.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: The member for Greatorex must acknowledge that the member for Johnston is an honourable man. He is an honest and honourable man. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that he is not an honourable and honest, hard-working man. He is not someone who would …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Daly, please direct your comments through the Chair. Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Mr KNIGHT: I support the Minister for Health, the member for Johnston and my friend, Chris Burns. He is an honourable man and does the best he can possibly do. He puts tireless amounts of hours into his job to get it right. Unfortunately, things do happen. In local government, when a road does not get fixed, garbage does not get picked up, it is a problem. However, in health, there are more serious consequences.
As the Minister for Public Employment, I have read the Public Sector Employment and Management Act and it quite clearly describes the roles and responsibilities. It is something we do need to be conscious of, and the minister is very conscious of it. He works very hard; he is very committed to the work he does. I have full trust in the Minister for Health because it is a tough gig.
As for the big talk from the member for Greatorex, I think he would be a very worried person if he was the Minister for Health, because it is a huge portfolio. I know that every …
Mr Conlan: Well, I would not sit on a report for three years. I would not sit on the advice for three years.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr KNIGHT: I believe the member for Johnston is the most capable person in this parliament to handle that portfolio. It is a very difficult portfolio. The member for Johnston is an honourable and decent man who works very hard - the best he can - in his portfolio area.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, during my Address-in-Reply, I referred to the tension between the Crown and the parliament and how that has grown over the years through the British system. Some of the newer members may be surprised to discover that even today, England has no constitutional document. The English system is the product of evolution and has a series of protocols or conventions which it adheres to, but it does not have an express separation of powers as later described by Baron de Montesquieu during the French enlightenment. That is largely because the English system started evolving long before the doctrine of separation of powers was described.
That tension between parliament and the Crown exists to this day, and is expressed by England’s history. I refer to the English Civil War and the relationship between the Crown and the parliament during those very turbulent times. Ultimately, the parliament, by expressing the will of the people, became the stronger of the two institutions. Over time, the Crown became subordinate to the two institutions. That environment is captured in many documents. That theory or philosophy is captured in any number of documents. One of the processes that have been gone through to make the parliament the superior institution is the development of common law.
Even in cases which deal with defamation and such things - and I was reading Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1997 on a completely different issue today, and I could not help but notice that, even in that, there was still reference to the development of the common law in the English system and even how it applies to the Australian system. The High Court of Australia in 1997 said:
One of the ways that we keep the Crown in check as a parliament is that we insist, by convention – and, in fact, the Australian Constitution insists in writing - that a minister of the Crown must be a member of parliament. That is not entirely true. The Australian Constitution says that a minister of the Crown does not have to be a member of parliament but, when a minister of the Crown becomes a minister of the Crown, they cannot hold that position for more than three months unless they enter parliament and become a member of parliament.
Why did that convention or system grow up in that fashion? It is so that ministers of the Crown come into the parliament and are answerable to the parliament, which will put inquiries to the minister of the Crown.
I heard the member for Greatorex refer to Graham Maddox’s Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, Third Edition, earlier today. It is worth repeating the observations that he made because there is an inconsistency in the Australian Constitution because it does not seem to mention these principles. In referring to that inconsistency, Mr Maddox quotes Colin Howard. It said:
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr ELFERINK: They were so used to operating under a system of responsible government, the system which had grown up in England, that it was taken for granted that the Constitution would assume this. That is repeated in the High Court of Australia in the case that I just cited. However, it does go on to say that there is some uncertainty as to the level of that responsibility:
There is still wriggle room in the Minister for Health’s position, if you accept that as the ultimate position, because it says this stuff changes. The level of responsibility changes, so it is expressed in different environments - sorry, it is expressed differently in differently times. We turn to the modern era and how we interpret ministerial responsibility in the modern era. This is a standard text used – it is Government, Politics and Power in Australia, Fourth Edition. It is used as a standard text by many universities in Political Science degrees. It says on page 19:
There is still wriggle room. He still has wriggle room. It is a Cabinet decision that he can avoid responsibility for. But, let us see how that translates in another standard text from Political Science degrees:
So say Davis, Wanna, Warhurst and Weller in the Second Edition of Public Policy in Australia. There is no longer any wriggle room for this minister because these are the modern expressions of ministerial responsibility as described by Howard and Maddox.
How does that express itself in more common usage and phraseology? Well, let us have a look at Wickipedia:
Madam Speaker, your document is Government in the Northern Territory. It has on the front cover a picture of this Parliament House. What does this document say on page 22 in relation to ministerial responsibility? It says:
Well, you have lost my confidence, minister, and I can tell you, you have lost the confidence of the 11 members on this side of the House.
There is also a document prepared by this parliament entitled Who does what in parliament. They give it to schoolkids. Schoolkids gets this, and they leave this House knowing this:
The schoolkids know this; this minister still does not know it.
Let us turn to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Standard of Ministerial Ethics:
Two years ago, Mrs Winter, sadly, died. Two days later, somebody in the public service decided it was time for the minister to whack out a media release. This media release said that the Royal Darwin Hospital was in good shape. Coincidence? Perhaps. After that, the minister maintained that he was not told about the death of Mrs Winter until much later - late in 2007. At that time, both the Attorney-General’s department and the Health department realised, as a result of the Coronial inquiry, they better tell the boss. So, they told the boss that Mrs Winter had died and that there was a Coronial investigation under way. What did the minister do? Nothing.
Ms Lawrie: He allowed due process.
Mr ELFERINK: He does nothing!
Ms Lawrie: He allowed due process.
Mr ELFERINK: He does nothing. He does not ask any questions. He does not ask any questions which is his job. It is his job to ask questions. What happens when Professor Di Brown, the Head of Nursing, came to him out of hours in a desperate attempt to tell him what was going on in nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital? He sticks his fingers in his ears and says ‘mi, mi, mi, mi. I do not want to hear it, I do not want to hear it, I do not want to hear it’. That is not how you conduct yourself as a minister. That is …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Maybe the member for Port Darwin might exhibit that bizarre behaviour, but I have never witnessed our minister exhibit that bizarre behaviour.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: It is just incomprehensible that he does not look. He tells us that he meets regularly with Health department officials. What do they talk about? The football? What they are having for lunch? Surely, the minister would think for half a second: ‘Oh, my gosh, the Coroner is looking into a death in my department. Should I ask the question? Naaa. Not going to ask a question about that’. This goes to competence – the competence of a person to hold a position as minister. For him to come into this place and deny ‘I am not responsible, I do not have any responsibility in this area. I will leave this all to the department. It is only my job to make sure that the department has the right resources’ is just not credible.
If the provision of resources was the only job of the minister, then the Treasurer can be the minister for Health and he can let the CEO run off and do these things.
The minister must get involved in the processes that happen, particularly in the areas of senior management. No, ministerial responsibility does not go all the way down the level. If something happens on the shop floor with a registered nurse we do not make the minister responsible, especially if that nurse or whoever on the shop floor is on a frolic of their own. However, when it comes to senior management and what is happening at the highest levels of the department, the minister has no capacity to say that he remained uninformed. The only thing that could have led the minister to be uninformed in this environment is that he chose to remain uninformed. He chose to remain uninformed and he deliberately sought to keep himself ignorant of what was going on in that department.
That is disgraceful behaviour. I cannot bring myself to have any faith or confidence in a minister who rejects centuries of established traditions and conventions, simply because it suits him because he needs particular wriggle room.
Madam Speaker, this minister should resign. He should resign for his incompetence and his …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms Scrymgour: We should breath test you mob.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Port Darwin likes to be theatrical. He should address his remarks through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but please direct …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can we stop the clock?
Madam SPEAKER: Stop the clock.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have just heard the Deputy Chief Minister say that we should be breath tested. This disgusting behaviour from the Deputy Chief Minister is a re-run of the stuff that used to happen under the former member for Sanderson, Len Kiely. That scurrilous assertion now has to be defended. I ask that I am breath tested; that is the only defence I have against that scurrilous assertion. It is outrageous that that suggestion was made.
Madam SPEAKER: Please resume your seat, member for Port Darwin. Deputy Chief Minister, I would like you to withdraw and apologise …
Ms Scrymgour: I withdraw that comment, Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Deputy Chief Minister, I would like you to apologise to the member for Port Darwin.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I withdraw, and apologise if that offended him, but some people do have glasses of wine with their tea.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I withdraw. I apologise, member for Port Darwin, if it hurt you.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Resume your seat.
Mr Conlan: How many wines have you had tonight, Delia? Maybe you should be breath tested.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Members interjecting.
Mr Conlan: Exactly …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you will leave the Chamber for one hour, thank you. Member for Port Darwin, you may continue for the last few seconds of your adjournment.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, this minister has abandoned convention for the sake of defending an indefensible position. He has failed. He has failed in a monumental way, and the only option for this Chief Minister, if this minister will not resign, is to sack him.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I also express my profound concern about the Health Minister’s handling of a cover-up of circumstances that led to a preventable death. It was a preventable death; we heard that in the Coroner’s findings. Somewhere along the line, someone has to get to the bottom of this matter. It is the role of the minister, as was so well put and enunciated by the member for Port Darwin, when he spoke about the role of a minister.
In the last two days, we have heard that the minister was aware of nursing shortages. He had been aware of nursing shortages for quite some time. Irrespective of this, he was quite prepared to put out media releases saying that Royal Darwin Hospital was in good shape, knowing at the time there were massive nursing shortages. He was not hearing this from the heads of his department, but he was hearing this from a whole range of other places – the Australian Nurses Federation mentioned it time and time again. We heard information from Professor Di Brown, the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She gave evidence to the Coroner saying that she had met with general managers and the Assistant Secretary to discuss nursing:
She was on the television news tonight, both Channel 9 and ABC, saying that she had made numerous attempts to talk to the minister and explain her concerns to the minister, but the minister refused to listen to that.
The minister said that he had knowledge about nursing shortages, but the reason for this was that nurses could not be found. We also know that, back in early 2006, the CEO of the department changed the staff appointment delegation for nurses from a General Manager, Mr Robin Michael to the Assistant Secretary, Mr Campos. The Coroner said in his report that this was instituted because the department wanted staffing levels contained for budgetary reasons.
Mr Michael, in his evidence to the Coroner, noted that:
He gave oral evidence that he remembered a point where there were 40 to 50 staff applications sitting in Mr Campos’ office without a formal response. His written evidence went on to say:
We knew that was the case because we heard the cries coming from all different sectors in that department - people complaining that there were not enough nurses. The minister said: ‘Oh, no, it is just because there are not enough nurses; we cannot find them’. This is evidence of the minister not prepared to burrow deeper into issues of direct concern to him.
As I said yesterday, this minister is a man who comes to this place with a medical background. He is not a truckie or a brickie who has been thrown into the Health portfolio. He is a person with medical knowledge. He should have understood, roughly, before he even got into the job, how hospitals and the like work. He is a person who cannot use the excuse that he was not quite up to the job and he was finding his feet along the way. This minister is a man who said that he had been briefed on at least a weekly basis, sometimes more. He goes to the heads of the department and he gets briefings, constantly.
I have to support the calls of the members for Greatorex and Port Darwin in their assessment that the minister is not up to the job and he should resign. I ask the question: if he will not resign, why will the Chief Minister not sack him? That is the next line up the tree.
A member: Where is the Chief Minister?
Mr TOLLNER: The Chief Minister is not here …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: You are not able to reflect on the presence or absence of members of this Chamber. I ask you to withdraw those comments
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw that comment.
Ms Scrymgour: How many terms were you in federal parliament?
A member: You did not learn anything.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr TOLLNER: All right, why would the Chief Minister not sack him?
Ms Lawrie: Because he is a good minister doing a good job.
Mr TOLLNER: I will tell you why the Chief Minister will not sack him.
Ms Lawrie: Pick up on the interjection from me.
Mr TOLLNER: I will pick up on your interjection. I will tell you why the Chief Minister will not get rid of him: the Chief Minister sits at his desk and he looks to his right, and what does he see? Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. He looks to his left and what does he see? Another dumb-dumb. He looks behind him and what does he see? More dumb-dumbs. He knows he has no choice but to leave this minister in the job. It is a case of out of the frying pan into the fire. You wonder about these sorts of things.
I was watching the news tonight and I saw that bizarre Labor administration in New South Wales and the mess they have themselves in - very similar to Labor administration in the Northern Territory has themselves. There was a two-day old police minister …
Ms Lawrie: Three-day old. Get it right. Who is dumb?
Mr TOLLNER: All right, three-day old. Sorry, I take that back; it is a three-day old police minister. What happened to him? He dropped his duds and was dancing around in his jocks at a private function two or three months ago.
Mr Mills: He admitted it.
Mr TOLLNER: That is right. The Opposition Leader is right; he admitted it. That is what he did at a private function with a group of friends: he was caught dancing around on a table in his jocks, acting a bit of a goose. Well, big deal! We have all done stupid things.
Mr Mills interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Maybe the Opposition Leader might not have done it. I have to admit, I have not done anything like that, but I have done some pretty stupid things too. We will not go into the silly things that I have done.
It is certainly not the sort of incident you would think would warrant the sacking of a three-day-old Police minister who turned up and said that he did that. The Premier in New South Wales, the new joker, Comrade Rees, said he is not going to put up with any of this nonsense so this fellow is gone. What do we have in the Northern Territory? We have a situation where there is a total abrogation of responsibility - a complete cover-up. A definite attempt to ignore the problem, to ignore the issue …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The allegations that the member for Fong Lim is making have not been proved at all. It is his assertions.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice on this. Member for Fong Lim, I will allow you to continue but be reminded of Standing Order 63, and be as mindful as you can be not to make offensive remarks and ones which need to be made by way of substantive motion.
Mr TOLLNER: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have heard evidence in the last two days that there was a substantial cover-up within the department. We have heard evidence of a minister who is not prepared to ask the questions to find out what is going on. We saw in Question Time today - first, let me quote from an article in the Northern Territory News today. I have to admit that I actually thought there was a bit of mischief going on when I picked up the paper this morning and read this particular article. It is on page 9 of today’s Northern Territory News, ‘Desperate; move to keep; report quiet’. The first paragraph said:
The article went on. Later in the article it said:
I looked at that article and I thought there was a bit of mischief going on here. Some of the comrades in the NT News were assisting the minister, trying to help him over the line and substantiate his case that he has not been told these things by his department that should be up-front and honest with him. He is meeting with them every week, sometimes more. They tried to hide this away.
Then I found, in Question Time, the member for Greatorex tried to table the document and, after some deliberation by you, Madam Speaker, you said you had given it some thought prior to Question Time - correct me if I am wrong, I think the line you said was you had sought some preliminary legal advice; you were aware that sections had already been quoted in the media; you were quite prepared to allow it to be tabled, but you would not allow it to be made public until …
Madam SPEAKER: Please stop the clock. That is not correct. What I said was that I would allow the member to seek leave to table the document because, of course, a member can only seek leave to table a document unless they are ordered by the Speaker. You can start the clock again.
Mr TOLLNER: That is correct, Madam Speaker, but you also did say that you would not allow the publication of the documentation until it was – so there was that opportunity given to these parliament to allow that document to be tabled ...
Mr Knight: Madam Speaker, is the member reflecting on the decision of the Chair?
Madam SPEAKER: I do not believe so.
Mr Knight: He is saying there was an opportunity to table it, and you did not allow it to be tabled.
Mr TOLLNER: No, no.
Madam SPEAKER: No.
Mr TOLLNER: No, I did not say that at all. I said the parliament did not allow it to be tabled.
There was one particular section of the parliament that found it offensive for it to be tabled. Right? The point is, now we have seen - and I am sure members opposite have had a chance to see the media, the negative media, you have copped for trying to stop that document being tabled so that the minister could have a look at it; so the minister could get a bit of an understanding of what was being kept from him by his own department, as written in the newspaper today. But, what did the government do? They said: ‘No, we do not want to see it. Do not show it. Do not show it. Stop’ ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We went through this debate at Question Time. Very clearly the government said that we would respect the judicial process that this is before the courts. There is an injunction on this draft.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, they have had time to reflect on it. I have seen the way past governments in the Northern Territory react to the slightest bit of negative media. There is one thing that is guaranteed to get them off their tails, which is run a little negative story in a newspaper or the media - all of a sudden you might actually see something done.
I thought maybe now, having seen the news, and the negative media they are getting out of this; the fact that you are trying to cover up these documents so that not everyone in the public is going to see it. Madam Speaker said that it would not be printed for public viewing until it was – but at least the minister could have seen it. I am going to give them a chance again, and I seek leave to table this document …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, your time has expired. Resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Thank goodness, Madam Speaker. I have never heard such inane ramblings in my life. Three terms in this parliament and there have been many debates that have been quite enlightening, and people have contributed quite productively, and they have added - because this is what this is for; robust debate. Listening to the member for Port Darwin’s contribution, the inane ramblings from the member for Greatorex in his shadow portfolio and, then, the member for Fong Lim - God help the people in Fong Lim! But they did vote.
Nevertheless, I wish to acknowledge the many supporters and family members who have been there for me over the last 12 months. Since the last election in 2005, this has been a long and arduous time as a consequence of a traumatic experience in early 2006-07. This year saw our government re-elected for another term.
I will start with the many people who have helped and supported me on the Tiwi Islands: my brother Robert, his wife Joanne Portaminni, Maurice Rioli, Manny Rioli, and my mum’s sister or my mum, Anita Pangiraminni, Virigina Garlala, Barry and Kilpayuwu Puruntatameri, Gawin Tipiloura, and Pamela Warlapinni. At Maningrida, Peter Danaga and Matthew Ryan, and all of the outstation people who gave their full support. Also to all my constituents at Minjilang, Warrawi, Gunbalanya and Maningrida.
To the staff at the fifth floor, thank you for your support and assistance. To Eva Lawler and Vicki Nungala Tippett thank you both for your assistance on the campaign trail. Through all the hard work, even though it is stressful at times, we do try to have a laugh in between. Thank you all for being there.
On a serious note, there is one particular person I want to thank and, in my opinion, is irreplaceable, my PA, Karlee Russell throughout the election and still with me today. I say thank you for your loyalty, patience and friendship, and it makes facing the day all the better. To my electorate officer, Nick, it certainly has been a year of up and downs, and sometimes we forget to say thank you. I very much appreciate your hard work. My re-election this year saw him participate in his first political campaign.
Often in this job, you do not get much time to spend with your partner, your husband - or your wife, in the case of some of my male colleagues. It was good in the election to be able to spend some of that time with my husband out on the election trail, although I do not know how well he fared with all the screaming and the shouting. Nevertheless, it gave us an opportunity to spend some time together.
To my sisters, Valerie, Marie, Jackie and Frankie, thank you for sharing the sweat and tears of the campaign. To my brother, Robert, it was hard and it was a quite an emotional time when the election moved to the Tiwi Islands, because my big brother, Mollominni, who passed away in 2006, had run my previous two election campaigns out there. He was certainly missed in this election but was with us in spirit. To my daughter, Cherise, who took two weeks leave without pay to assist me in the election campaign, I could not have done it without her being there.
For the last two elections - this being my third election campaign, I must say, this election was probably the dirtiest that I have ever participated in. The CLP candidates, in that whole process - the lies and all of the things that were spread right throughout the electorate in shutting …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! That is an unparliamentary comment and I ask that the minister withdraw.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: What was unparliamentary?
Mr TOLLNER: There was an assertion that CLP candidates were spreading lies. I was a CLP candidate; I was not spreading lies.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I said in my election, in my electorate.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, please pause. Member for Fong Lim, I will confer with the Clerk. Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order as long as the comments from the member for Arafura do not reflect on the members here, but refer directly to her electorate of Arafura. Please continue, member for Arafura.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I will qualify that, Madam Deputy Speaker. That is right; it does not reflect on the integrity or credibility of any of the candidates in this House at the moment. However, it does go to the heart of the selection by the CLP of certain people who ran certain campaigns. It was quite funny, I was out in one of the communities when I heard the president of the CLP speaking out and criticising my colleague, the member for Daly, about shouting beers. Some of these people should join a bush campaign, in terms of some of the shouting of the beers and everything else that gets passed out there for a few votes …
Mr Henderson: Running drugs, wasn’t it – the CLP candidate?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: That is right. Nevertheless, on the issue of the drugs - and I am sure former police officers in this Chamber would be horrified at candidates who take drugs out. The one thing that was run against me was: ‘If she gets re-elected, look out because she talks too much about you mobs’ grog and ganja’. One of the biggest scourges that we have in these communities, and the biggest problem we have with the abuse against children, is the issue of grog and ganja. I do not mind standing up here and saying: ‘Yes, I am a bit of a wowser’. I have a very extreme view when it comes to alcohol and drugs because I see that impact of grog and ganja every single time I go out to my communities, and what it does to the children in those communities.
Having three CLP candidates thrown up against me, I was going to have a swing away from me - but these are some of things you wear. I came back and I will continue my fight against the trafficking of drugs and grog into those remote Aboriginal communities.
Also, the issue of gambling, which you get criticised for, but these are major issues on the ground in those communities. To have CLP candidates stand up and say the CLP would not allow this to happen reeks of hypocrisy. People stand up in this House and lecture us about the stance we take saying it is left wing ideology. Let me tell you, I do not stand here with left wing ideology when it comes to the abuse that I see out on the ground in communities.
Yes, I suppose my comments have been well documented - and misquoted at times - regarding the stance that I took on some aspects of the intervention. I did not criticise, however, the policing and the law and order that we needed to put into these communities. I fully support any measure - like every member of our government - in relation to tackling child sexual abuse in those communities, and fully support the issues that we have to tackle relating to education. If it means taking the hard decisions that we need to in turning around the appalling education levels that we are seeing on the ground in our communities because there is complacency amongst Aboriginal parents getting their kids to school, well, those are the hard decisions that I am prepared to take. That was said very clearly to those communities out there.
A lot of it is reflected in that swing away. You are not going to be a popular member by standing up and saying to people: ‘I do not support gambling in these communities, I fully support the welfare quarantining and it should be tied to school attendance because we have a major issue with kids going to school’. I fully supported that.
There was the one issue which has always rankled me. I actually said to Mal Brough, the former federal Indigenous Affairs minister, that I applauded him for putting Indigenous affairs fairly and squarely on top in the national arena because, for too long, it had been a political football. For me who holds a bush seat and many of my bush colleagues, I believe we have seen that neglect. I know it is something that the CLP hates to be reminded of, but we have seen a historical deficit out in those communities. It has to be fixed. I accept that we have to stop saying: ‘Oh, well, it was the CLP legacy and you have to be constantly reminded’. What every member needs to remember in here is we are always going to go back to that history because it is important to put that history into the context of what we are dealing with today; that is, huge, historical deficits. At least we have a package, Closing the Gap.
I urge the member for Braitling - and I congratulate the member for Braitling - and the CLP – you have your first Indigenous Aboriginal member elected to this parliament ...
Mr Mills: No.
Mr Wood: Not true, not true! He is one of your countrymen.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Hold on, hold on, I was going to say he follows after Hyacinth Tungutalum, my father from the Tiwi Islands. I congratulate the member for Braitling, because it is fantastic – a young Aboriginal male, even though he is in an urban seat in Alice Springs. I look forward to working with him as the shadow for Indigenous Policy, because this area needs total bipartisan support. We have to stop the political football happening between different political ideology, and work together to try to close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage that we see in our remote communities. If we do not do that now, we are going still be here in this parliament, in 10 years time - although I do not think will not be in this parliament in 10 years time. We will be seeing future parliamentarians in this parliament in 10 years time still talking about the appalling statistics that we see in our bush communities; that is, that the levels of literacy and numeracy have not improved, that health outcomes have not improved, that services have not improved, and that we have not fixed housing. So, stop the political football in relation to this. Everyone needs to work together.
I join with my colleague, the member for Daly, in reaffirming my support for my colleague, the member for Johnston, the current Health Minister. I have worked for over 10 years in the Health field, just like Dr Burns. Both he and I came out of that same sector. It is not an easy job. I have worked with many successive Northern Territory CLP Health ministers as well as federal Health ministers, and can I say that you could not get a more credible man with integrity. All the accusations that have been aimed at him as being a coward and a liar are not true. This is a man who does work very hard and works quite hard with his agency. The accusations are a bit over the top. It comes under unfortunate circumstances. It is the opposition’s job to try to prosecute these things, but these personal accusations have been a bit much - sitting here and listening to them attacking a man who has incredible integrity. These are people who have been here for five minutes ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, your time has expired. .
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, today marks the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America. These were cowardly and, especially for the victims, totally unprovoked attacks. Many thousands of lives were lost, senselessly. Many more lives will never be the same again as a result of the tragic loss of friends and loved ones. I acknowledge the family and friends of the victims of this horrible departure from acceptable and civilised behaviour.
Earlier today, the Speaker acknowledged the presence of a number of students from Katherine High School. These students are ordinary young people, the sons and daughters of ordinary mums and dads, yet they set themselves above the crowd in the effort they are putting into what most of us would remember as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. In Australia, these are now referred to as simply ‘The Award’.
The Award program was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1956 as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The aim is to motivate boys, aged between 15 and 18, to become involved in a balanced program of voluntary self-development activities to take them through the potentially difficult period between adolescence and adulthood. The program is designed with great care by a small team, led by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Dr Kurt Hahn, German educationalist and founder of Outward Bound and the United World Colleges, and Sir John - later Lord – Hunt, the leader of the first team to conquer Mt Everest. Within the first year of its establishment, the lower age limit was reduced to 14 where it has stayed ever since.
A girl’s scheme was launched in 1958, and the two separate schemes were amalgamated in 1969. In 1957, the upper age limit was increased to 19 and, finally, increased to 25 in 1980. The unique flexibility of the award made it ideally suited to easy adaptation and integration into different cultures and societies, and it was soon adopted by schools and youth organisations in other countries. Since 1956, the program has developed and grown and, now, reaches young people in over 120 countries.
Internationally, the award operates under the same principles, but under a number of different titles. For example, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the International Award for Young People, the President’s Award and the National Youth Achievement Award. Today, the basic principles of The Award remain the same, but the activities and delivery continue to evolve and adapt to suit the changing demands of modern society and the varying needs of young people. The Award is now a major international program recognised and used by organisations working with young people throughout the world. Any young person aged 14 to 25 can do The Award, no matter their gender, cultural background, religious or political affiliation, or ability.
One will get out of The Award what one puts in. There is the opportunity for participants to grow personally and connect with others through a range of new experiences. They have a chance to discover their potential. The Award is not a competition against anyone else but, rather, a personal challenge. It offers the opportunity to work with others whilst focusing on one’s own unique abilities. The Award offers a framework for people to focus their interests, improve their abilities, and do something they have always wanted to do. They can enter The Award at the level that best suits them, and choose activities that fit in with their lives. The different sections of The Award give young people the chance to experience a wide range of challenges. They have the opportunity to extend their existing abilities and to also try something new.
They can improve their abilities and increase their personalisation of The Award with each level of achievement - either bronze, silver or gold. They set their own goals and work towards them. Their achievements are their own and they are not benchmarked against anyone else. The Award is about showing regular commitment and perseverance. Their efforts are recognised over time. Their achievements are their own actual improvements. The choice to do The Award is entirely up to the individual. Their commitment to each section and level is about setting their own goals and going about achieving them. Adult volunteers are there to guide and help participants recognise their abilities, and to keep them motivated when they need it.
Today, six participants in The Award visited this House and have undertaken a number of activities whilst in Darwin. For example, earlier today they participated in a version of the Amazing Race as seen on television. Their pathway took them by bicycle from East Point to Fannie Bay, and then by bus or foot into the city, along the way picking up clues and completing tasks. In talking to them, they were having fun while improving their knowledge of the world around them.
I offer my congratulations and well wishes to this dedicated group of young people. I congratulate them on stepping up to the challenge to improve their lives by participating in this scheme. Sometimes, it is not easy to stand out from the crowd; peer group pressure can and does destroy personal will. It takes courage to push past the negative pressure that is all too abundant amongst today’s young people. I offer my well wishes to this group of young people in the hope that they will carry on through the stages of The Award and succeed in whatever path they ultimately take in their lives.
I acknowledge the following young people who are participating in this award, and who were present here today: Amy Bates, Mary Cunningham, Ngarie Boyle, Brett Woods-Alum, Dean Blunden, and Tyron Bettison.
I am refreshed that this group of young people have taken up the challenge to better themselves and I urge them to keep up the good work.
Madam Speaker, earlier today, the member for Greatorex sought to table a document titled The Investigation of the Department of Health and Community Services, the Royal Darwin Hospital, Health and Community Services Complaints Commission. The member for Fong Lim missed out by just a few seconds in his attempt to have this document tabled.
I make another attempt to have this document tabled. I seek leave, Madam Speaker, to table this document.
Leave denied.
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that, once again, the government has stymied this issue. They are simply not allowing the due process to occur ...
Mr Henderson: You are supposed to be an ex-police officer; you should understand the law, how the courts work.
Mr Tollner: Why don’t you want the minister to see it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
A member: Walk it outside and give it out. You walk it outside.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Government members, order!
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, we are seeking to have the document brought to the attention of the Minister for Health.
Mr Knight: Walk it outside and give it to the press.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Daly!
A member: Is that enticing someone to commit an offence?
Mr Knight: Oh, it is an offence, is it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting! Member for Daly!
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, perhaps the member for Daly is trying to procure me to commit an offence.
Mr Knight: So, it is an offence to distribute it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting! Member for Katherine, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker. I am sure that the debate on this issue is not over. There will be further attempts made, I am sure, to table this document. It needs to be brought to the attention of the minister.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I would like to talk about my electorate. There are several important anniversaries happening in my electorate this year. Tonight, I want to recognise two of them.
This year, Parap Primary School is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It first opened its doors in February 1958, when 361 children arrived on that first morning for enrolment. There are currently over 400 students at Parap Primary School, and it is the oldest school in Darwin still in operation.
A reunion activity and celebration took place in August to celebrate Parap Primary School’s 50 years of service to the community, and many past students and teachers travelled from interstate to help their old school celebrate.
Events commenced on Saturday, 16 August, with the 50th Anniversary Ball being held at the Darwin Turf Club. It was a wonderful evening, not only for the fine dining and light music, but to see so many people brought back together. There were past students, teachers and principals, as well as current teachers and staff, parents and friends. Theona Mitaros travelled from Perth and was the MC for the evening, and was as classy as always. Jim Henderson, the auctioneer for the evening, did a great job and successfully sold all the items up for auction, raising valuable funds for the school.
There were also entertaining speeches throughout the night by Mick Myers, the current school principal; Clare Martin, former local member for Fannie Bay; Wilf Stiller, one of the school’s original teachers from its opening day in 1958; and John Anictomatis, an original student from 1958, who took the opportunity to apologise to fellow student, Mitchell Lee, for clocking him with a baseball bat all those years ago in the playground.
I acknowledge Brian Pearson, the schools IT teacher, for the many hours he spent compiling the hundreds of Parap Primary School photos in the months leading up to the anniversary event. Throughout the ball, an endless stream of photos flashed across a huge screen in the marquee. It was great to see so many old and new photos of the school, its teachers and students. The guests at the ball enjoyed watching the many photos presented on the screen - well, not everyone enjoyed seeing their old school photos, but it certainly made for a lot of fun. I was sitting next to Paul Rowston and he elbowed me in the ribs every time he saw himself, his brother, or one of his mates. My ribs were pretty sore by the end of the night. I do not know if anyone knows Rowdy, but he is a pretty big lad
A school assembly was held on Tuesday, 19 August. Four huge birthday cakes sat on the assembly stage and I joined 49 students, parents and teachers and we each placed 50 lit candles in front of the cakes. Wilf Stiller spoke about his experiences as a teacher at the school. He taught at Parap from its opening in 1958 until his retirement in 1985. Chris Mitchell then spoke to the assembly about his experiences as a former student. Chris attended Parap Primary from 1958 to 1962 and told the assembly of his memories of being a milk monitor, and of a time of when you never knew when your milk would be lovely and cold or horrible and warm. I was lucky enough to go to school after the tradition of milk in the morning had ended.
A sunset cruise also took place during the week of festivities. It was a way to get past and present school members together for a yarn aboard the Spirit of Darwin, watching the spectacular sunset in Darwin harbour. It was a little more relaxed than the terrific energy of the school fete. The week of anniversary celebrations culminated with the Back to the Fifties Fete, with everyone encouraged to come dressed in the fashions that were so popular when the school first began.
Every teacher and class was responsible for organising a stall and raising funds. There was a jumping castle, face painting, cake stall, plant store, lucky jars, white elephant, 50th anniversary memorabilia, art gallery, raffles, and many different food stalls. I have no doubt the fete would have been the highlight of the week for most children.
I acknowledge and thank the many sponsors that assisted the school - over 80, I believe, which is a magnificent effort - and for the school’s fundraising committee for all of their efforts. The members are: Suzie Spain, Ann Grace, Penny Anderson, Kerry Hudson, Yvonne Harding, Helen Murray, Magdaline Coleman. Stephanie Cvirn and Stephanie Jungfer. I also congratulate all students, teachers, staff and parents and everyone involved in this well-organised celebration for all of their hard work and commitment. They all did a wonderful job and they should be extremely proud.
Parap Primary’s 50th anniversary celebrations were a huge success. If its first 50 years are anything to go by, then Parap Primary will remain one of the Territory’s best schools over the next 50 years.
Another Parap institution is celebrating an anniversary. Parap Fine Foods is proudly celebrating 40 years in business - a business that all began with Paul and Rene Pantazis. Readers may have read the excellent spreads the NT News has featured by Peter and Shelia Forrest on the Pantazis family. Some of the key dates and the historic information in my comments tonight are drawn from their work.
Paul was born in Cyprus and brought up in Paphos where everyone worked the land and grew almost all their own food. He learnt from a young age to value food. It was from his mother, who was a very good cook, that he gained an interest in ingredients and varied cooking. When he first arrived in Darwin, Paul gained employment in a kitchen at the Catholic Cathedral Belsen camp, a government accommodation facility for male office workers and their families. In 1953, he began taxi driving. It was while working at the Rendezvous Caf that he met his wife-to-be, Rene Kanaris. They became engaged in 1956 and were married in 1957.
Paul and Rene started Parap Fine Foods in 1968 when it was then called Parap Fruit and Veg Supply. They first began the shop in what is now occupied by Prickles Restaurant. Nowadays, it is a gourmet food institution serving everything from continental meats, cheese, olives, fruit, and vegies to seafood, pasta, bread, wine, condiments and sweets. Neville and Debra Pantazis and Neville’s sister, Paula, took over the reins from Paul and Rene in 1986. Paul and Rene still help them run the shop, although perhaps not with the energy of the old days. It is great to visit Parap Fine Foods to see the family all working together. It was only a couple of years ago that the Pantazis family and their business featured on the SBS popular television show The Food Lover’s Guide to Australia.
The Pantazis family brought gourmet to Darwin. People who love to cook will agree when I say that it is very common in Darwin to hear the phrase ‘You can only get it at Parap Fine Foods’. Just the other day I needed Sicilian green olives and I bought them there. It was very good for my lemon Sicilian chicken. In order to keep the shelves stocked with the huge variety of culinary delights, Neville sources interstate markets and attends many trade markets and fairs.
I congratulate the Pantazis family for 40 fantastic years at Parap Fine Foods. You have contributed so much to the community over the years and not only has your business been a success, but Darwin would not be the same without it.
I would like to finish up tonight by talking about an iconic business in Parap. Fred’s Fuel has been a part of the Parap Shopping Village for 20 years. At the end of this month, the business will serve its last customer as it closes to make way for a new car park to service an office block that will be built in Parap.
Owner, Fred Wilson, came to Darwin 43 years ago with his parents, Fred and Dorothy, and brother, Troy, when they made the big move from Junee in New South Wales to open the Nightcliff Swimming Pool. Fred was 18 when his family arrived and after living for a short while in a caravan next to the pool complex, Fred, Troy and his parents moved into their family home in Poinciana Street, Nightcliff. Being involved in swimming must have run in the family, as Fred ran the Parap Swimming Pool for 12 years from 1975 till 1987. He not only ran the pool, but also coached children’s swimming. In fact, one of his swimmers, Ian Van der Wal, went on to swim in the men’s freestyle relay in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and won silver in the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships at Fukuoka.
Before opening his business, Fred gained experience in a variety of jobs. He has driven road trains, been a trade assistant at the Darwin City Council, an operations manager at MSS, a plant operator in Gove, worked for Bill Gartner Wine Merchants, and was employed at the Caltex oil terminal when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin in 1974. Fred remembers he was at the Pints Club having a drink when Cyclone Tracy came:
Fred was a foundation member of the King Cobra Road and Custom Club, which built the first drag strip at Livingstone airstrip. In those days, to clear the scrub they would drag long logs behind their utes, while their mates balanced precariously on the logs to keep them steady before, invariably, tumbling off.
In his spare time, Fred also drove for two seasons at the Bagot Park Speedway in a vehicle known as a ‘super modified’. In 1988, Fred took on the service station in Parap, and it was renamed Fred’s Fuel. Since then, not only has the business grown, but so too has his family. Fred has the invaluable love and support of his three wonderful daughters and six grandchildren.
Fred’s Fuel has remained as it was the day it opened, with the exception of a coat of paint. Every customer still receives the full driveway service they did when the business began all those years ago. In fact, there are many ladies in the area who have never filled up their car with fuel, checked their oil, or put water in their radiator. Over the years, Fred has provided endless help to wives whose husbands have died. He has helped those ladies fix mechanical problems with their cars, and even taken them to smash repairers when they have had accidents. There are also customers in wheelchairs and customers who just cannot put petrol in the car without assistance, who visit Fred.
Fred has employed 12 great staff members over the years who, like Fred, have always been focused on good, old-fashioned customer service; employees like Ken Scott who worked at Fred’s Fuel for eight years, and Geoff Robb who has been with Fred for the past seven years and will be with him when they close the doors for the very last time.
Fred’s Fuel has been a place of social gathering over the years. When Fred told long-time customers about the business’ pending closure, many said to him: ‘But this is where we see our friends and have a chat’.
Fred describes Parap as a small village all of its own, simply located within the larger confines of Darwin. It has a small community feel and there is no doubt that residents will miss their local petrol station on the corner and the friendly service they have received for so many years. I acknowledge and thank Fred for all his hard work over the years and the difference he has made to the local community.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a number of issues tonight that concern residents in the electorate of Brennan. However, I cannot agree with the member for Fannie Bay that the Parap Primary School is, indeed, the best primary school in the Northern Territory, because that is Bakewell Primary School. You cannot keep people away from there, so it must be the best.
I have a number of letters from constituents with concerns they have on a number of issues. Most people, during adjournment debates, would find it necessary to do a lot of research. These letters have come in thick and fast since taking over the office. Many of them are to do with Health; some are to do with Education.
The first one is addressed to Dr Chris Burns. The reason I have this letter from the constituent was because they had sent the letter to Dr Burns. They had also sent the letter to the previous member for Brennan and no one had ever written back to them. The background on this complaint is that the constituent’s father-in-law is 74 years old and disabled due to a stroke. He lost his wife last year and has been living mostly alone since then. Although he is independent in many ways, he still requires support from Family and Support Services to continue to live independently.
In regards to the incident, he attended Royal Darwin Hospital for laser eye treatment. At his pre-meeting, he had been advised that, as he lived alone and needed to attend the following day for post-op check-ups, he would be staying overnight in hospital. He was happy with this arrangement.
Many of the debates today have been around some of the health issues. This was not intended to be a direct attack against anyone, but I would have thought that, in the two years since the tragic accident has happened, that much would have been done to improve the systems at Royal Darwin Hospital.
At about 9.15 pm, the gentleman rang his daughter-in-law and advised that he was in Accident and Emergency and asked if they could come and collect him. When they arrived they were told the following: at 2.30 pm in the afternoon he had received his treatment and was given a sandwich. At around 4.30 pm, an orderly took him across to the drug and rehab centre. He was placed in a room which he referred to as a dungeon. He was unaware of any nursing staff; only a man in an office was in attendance. Somewhere around 8.30 pm, he was experiencing pain in his eye and had to go to this office and ask for help.
The man advised that no drugs were available and called security to take him to the Accident and Emergency ward. The Accident and Emergency ward provided pain relief and checked blood pressure etcetera, but advised there were no beds available. Therefore, he called his son and daughter-in-law and they went to Accident and Emergency to pick him up about 9.45 pm and found that he had had no food since 2.30 pm. They arranged to take him home that night and get him back to Royal Darwin Hospital the next morning.
This family is shocked that someone would consider it acceptable to leave a person of this age and disability in a situation with such vulnerability. All staff mentioned above have acted acceptably within the limitations of their positions, but this person believes someone prior to this had made a grave mistake in the suitable care of this gentleman.
The action that this family wants is that they do not consider the fact that this gentleman was taken to the drug and rehabilitation centre and left to his own devices is good enough. He was not provided with nursing care as was indicated at his pre-op meeting. If his family had been aware that this was the case they would not have agreed in the first place and would have provided care at home. This family believes that some action needs to be taken and reassurances given to ensure that this mistake does not happen to a poor person like this again. They also believe that this gentleman is owed an apology for the situation he was placed in. I look forward to hearing from the minister in regard to this matter.
This letter was sent to the Health Minister and, as I said, to the previous member for Brennan. Not once did anyone get back to them.
Regarding the second letter, this lady rang to advise that on 3 September she was walking around the lakes when she fell on a tree seed and shattered her arm. She went straight to the emergency room at Royal Darwin Hospital where she was looked at, at 6 am. There was not much of a wait. She was told repeatedly that there were no beds, and was eventually placed in several different beds in the Emergency area and short-term stay. After 36 hours without any treatment on her arm or any beds being available, she lodged a complaint with the Customer Complaints Officer. She was taken to a ward and her arm was placed in a cast. She continually asked to be taken to the private hospital because she is a private patient, but was told there was no doctor there who could help her. They also lost her X-rays. She said that nurses were very rushed off their feet, almost running from patient to patient. Again, this person is very happy that this matter is brought to the attention of the parliament.
The next letter regards a family who was told that this gentleman needed treatment for prostate cancer in Adelaide, and that he should pack his winter bags because the operation was going to happen sooner rather than later. He has had his bags packed in the hallway since April. They also paid lots of bills such as rates, phone and insurance, etcetera, thinking they would be away for seven weeks. He had seen a specialist who comes to Darwin once in a blue moon, and is now waiting for the notification to fly down. The specialist directed him to the travel agent for the hospital who continues to advise: ‘Give it another month’, ‘Give it another week and you will hear back’.
The man had a scan in May to see if the cancer had spread to his bones. At the time, thankfully, after a wait this long, the cancer had not spread to his bones, but now we are in September, another four months later. He is still waiting and will need to be checked again to see if the cancer has not spread further.
The family just wanted a date. They understand that there are waiting lists but, if they were told it would be six months, they would have been happy with the answer. The problem is they were told it was going to be sooner.
This one, I think, is truly shocking. It is not to do with the Royal Darwin Hospital; it is to do with our ambulance service and lack of resources. This resident reports that, at 10.30 am on Wednesday, 3 September, she fell in her home from what she described as a bursting feeling in her lower back. My understanding is she was actually in the toilet area and fell around the toilet. Her daughter called an ambulance immediately, being advised that they would despatch a vehicle to the area.
At 11.15 am, 45 minutes later, a representative from the ambulance service telephoned the resident back explaining that they could not give a time frame for when the ambulance would arrive, stating that it would be in an hour or more. At 1.30 pm, after waiting three hours - three hours for an ambulance - the resident called the ambulance service and cancelled the request, only after being told that the operator, at the time, could still not give a time frame for an ambulance to arrive. Three hours this lady lay in pain around a toilet with a back injury that could have been so much worse. Again, these people do not mind that this information was spoken about here in parliament.
The last two issues are probably about Education. I am dealing with one lady at the moment and trying to find a result for her. She lives opposite Bakewell Primary School. They have three young children. They moved to the Bakewell area because of the Bakewell Primary School. They are told their first child cannot go to Bakewell. In fact, they were told they need to send their child to Howard Springs or another school within the Palmerston area. They live opposite a school.
This is because this government removed three teachers recently from the Bakewell Primary School - two because of the cohort of Year 7 students moving to Palmerston High, but they took an additional teacher as well - leaving the numbers in such a position that they cannot take any more children. How would you feel as a parent, if you move into a suburb, you live opposite a school, you can see the school and, yet, you cannot get your child into it? That is a sad indictment of the lack of education facilities that have been planned for Palmerston for many years.
I appreciate that this government is going to work hard to build the much-needed schools in Rosebery, but this should have happened years ago - not let schools get to bursting point today.
The last issue is in relation to a child with special needs. These people live in the suburb of Gray and they are trying to get their child into the Driver Primary School. They currently have their child in a private school, and they are not getting the needs met for their child who has Asperger Syndrome, in addition to ADD and ADHD, I believe. They are pulling their child out of a private school because they cannot get the needed attention. The only way that they can get government assistance, through Inclusion Support Assistance and other assistance, is in a public school - and I commend public schools for having that kind of assistance. The problem here is, they cannot get into the school that they want to get into - that is, the Driver Primary School. They have been told that because they live in Gray they need to go to the Gray school.
This family is a Defence family. They have needs which, sometimes, the average person does not really understand, particularly with children with special needs. This is amplified even further when a parent of the child is away for much of that time because of Defence service. This family has been told that the child cannot go to the Driver Primary School, even though the Driver Primary School has capacity, because they live in Gray.
I believe I can solve this issue through common sense just by talking to the principal of the school. However, I do not think that it needs to get to this stage. The situation here involves a Defence family who have requested, through DHA, for a move into the suburb of Driver. The school then does not have an excuse to refuse to take the child. Why in the world would we have a situation where the federal government, at great expense, would need to move a family into a suburb to allow that one child to go to that one school? Would you not think, with a little common sense, we could get that child moved into the school without having to put that family through the difficulties of a move at great public expense?
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is interesting being asked to talk on the issue I am going to talk about now that the noise has died down. I will also say something about the issues in relation to the Minister for Health and much of the debate that has gone on today and yesterday.
I have no doubt that the minister is a hard-working minister. My comments are not personal, but I believe parliament has the right to scrutinise all ministers to see whether the job they are doing is a job they are doing well. That is my role, just as it is the role of any other member of parliament: to scrutinise the workmanship of each minister in this parliament.
When I came to work this morning, I considered how there had been a lot of accusations made; those accusations have continued during today’s debate. This morning, I issued a media release and it said the following:
I consider that is the way we should be going with this debate. To make sure we get to the bottom of this debate, I ask the minister, at the very least, to step aside while this public inquiry takes place. I feel there is a range of issues need to be clarified in this whole debate. It is difficult for someone like me to hear claim and counterclaim and to know who is telling the truth.
Some issues have been raised that, for me, are very important. It is not so much now about the actual Coroner’s report; it is about what has been said by the Coroner and in this parliament that needs to be scrutinised.
Much of the debate evolved around the issue of nursing, nursing numbers, and about policies that were put in place, according to the Coroner, in the first half of 2006. In fact, the Coroner said:
That decision was made before this minister was minister. This decision by the CEO was made under a different minister for Health, who was Peter Toyne. The present minister started his job in August 2006. Therefore, we have to see what was happening before this minister took over the job.
The problem we have is that we do not know whether the government - that is, the ministers - knew that staffing levels had to be contained for budgetary reasons. That is what is being said today. According to the ABC news:
I understand the minister is right in saying: ‘It is not my job to deal with those day-to-day issues of where staff members go, and how many people should work in this office’. That is right; it is not the minister’s job. However, the minister is the one who controls the purse strings. I know he controls it through the Treasury, but he must know that there is a certain amount of money that his government has for the running of the Health department.
Therefore, when I see something which says that the department wanted staffing levels contained for budgetary reasons - well, who made those budgetary reasons? Surely, the minister would have known that someone? I would have thought the minister would have sent a message to the department saying: ‘Tighten up your budget, you must keep within your budget’.
This is an area that should be looked at in an inquiry, because it was not only in Peter Toyne’s time, it was also in the minister’s time. He said that in the statement that he made today before the ABC. He said he was aware of a nursing shortage, but he was disappointed in the findings of the Coroner that there were obstacles put in the way of the recruitment of nurses. If he was aware of a nursing shortage and did not see any changes, then he should have asked more questions as to why they were not attracting more nurses.
I know it is difficult to get nurses. That is common throughout Australia. But that does not seem to be the reason we did not have nurses in this hospital. It seems there was a policy to make sure we did not have nurses according to a formula - and the Coroner has had trouble finding out how that worked. The minister has said that he was not necessarily aware of this. However, in the August/September 2008 Australian Nursing Federation Northern Territory Nursing Newsletter, there is a message from the secretary, Yvonne Falckh, which said:
That is August/September 2008. It is nearly two years since the tragic death of this person, and not a great amount appears to have changed since that time. In fact, in the Coroner’s report, if you go to the very last section, in section 105, it talks about the present:
My feeling is that this needs an open inquiry because it just seems to be a crazy, mixed-up system. It is more annoying to see that this is happening when the government, or the minister, said in a media release on 30 April 2008 under the heading ‘Record Health Budget’:
His quoted figure is, I think, how much extra went to Royal Darwin Hospital - an extra $225m. If that is the sort of money the government is bragging about, why do we have a nursing shortage? Where has that money gone? I believe there is a large range of questions that a public inquiry under our Inquiries Act would answer. We need to know who was responsible in 2006 for this idea of limiting the number of nursing staff during the first half of 2006. Why did that continue under the present minister? Did he have any idea that there was a nursing shortage and, if he did, did he act upon it or did he just leave it to his staff to sort out? When so much money has been spent since 2001 - $915m in the health budget with $225m for Royal Darwin Hospital - why do we have a shortage of nurses?
The other area is: who in the department has made these decisions, and what was the role of the minister internally? There have been discussions about whether the minister had regular meetings with the staff. I would have thought that, if it is true that the minister had regular meetings with his staff, and he did not know about this policy, then either he was not asking the right questions or, if he did ask the right questions and did not get the right answers, then heads should have rolled. It should be the case of the minister running the department, not the department running the minister. That is what appears to have happened here.
I believe the only way you are going to find out, or get an answer about this whole, messy business - because I do not want this messy business to continue – is if people like Dr Di Brown who have concerns are able to speak to an inquiry. If Yvonne Falckh from the Australian Nursing Federation NT Branch had concerns, she would be able to speak out. If nurses who were at the coalface had problems, they would be able to speak up freely. This is the only way we are going to come to a conclusion with this. I am calling for a public inquiry, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I am asking the minister to step down until that inquiry is complete.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, I bring you a good news story to finish our long night. I bring to the attention of the House a number of Northern Territory family groups I was fortunate to spend some time with this past weekend. From Friday, 5 September until Sunday, 7 September 2008, I spent time with these families in Millicent, South Australia. Millicent is 50 km from Mt Gambier, South Australia.
These energetic and dedicated families - seven groups, or teams in total - had all travelled mainly from Central Australia. Each team had an average of five people. I travelled from Darwin. They were all representing the Northern Territory in the fifth round of the Australian Off-Road Championships 2008, the Teagle’s Excavations Off Road Pines Enduro. They all invested, first, in their race cars or the trucks and, second, in the massive journey with their families and friends for a fantastic, sunny Millicent weekend – rare that it was sunny, but it was sunny.
It was a beautiful weekend, and even the locals commented on what a magnificent weekend it turned out to be. It was a beautiful weekend amongst the Teagle’s quarry and the SA pine forests that we raced. It was a truly fantastic event in fantastic country conditions, with like-minded people from all over this great nation.
I name the race teams for the record: Chris Coulthard, Rob Hawker of G&E Auto Electrical; Andrew Pinto; Jason Prior of GGS Glass; Andrew Moles, driving a single seater vehicle of Alice Hose Power; Brett Taylor and Damien Smart; David Fellows and Andrew Kittle - these gentlemen formerly Territorians, still Territory linked - of Team Kittle, being Peter Kittle Motor company, a long-term Territory company; and Robert Gwynn, a navigator who, although South Australian, owns the Stuart Caravan Park in Alice Springs. I also had a vehicle there - Team Ngingtaka - with a navigator. I had electrical issues which put me out - a $25 part cost me a lot. Chris Coulthard rolled his car, and Andrew Pinto took on a bridge and failed, but the rest of the members finished.
All these teams participated at the top level of the sport in Australia, and represented this great Territory in a way that I am personally proud of. I commend these families and their teams in their dedicated pursuit of the sport, and for being at the leading edge of technology for this sport.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
PETITIONS
Save Darwin Harbour – Four Actions
Save Darwin Harbour – Four Actions
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 326 petitioners praying that the four actions listed in the petition be taken to save Darwin Harbour. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the Speaker and members of the NT Legislative Assembly, we the undersigned citizens of the Northern Territory do respectively request:
such development is completed;
investigated with full community participation.
And your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.
Save Darwin Harbour – Three Actions
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 576 petitioners praying that the three actions listed in the petition be taken to save Darwin Harbour. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the Speaker and members of the NT Legislative Assembly, we the undersigned citizens of the Northern Territory do respectively request:
1. Darwin Harbour be declared a national conservation park to protect the harbour’s precious environment;
developments is completed; and
- And your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Recreational Fishing in the Territory
Recreational Fishing in the Territory
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources): Madam Speaker, I present a report detailing this government’s commitments to ensure that the fishing experience available today continues well into the future. Fishing is more popular in the Territory than anywhere in Australia. We have the highest level of boat ownership in the country. Our tourism industry and regional economies are boosted enormously through the attraction of tourists to our fishing mecca. That is why this government is committed to ensuring the proper protection of our fisheries resources, both now and into the future, through comprehensive fisheries management arrangements developed in consultation with stakeholders.
The future of our fisheries resources is reliant upon the protection of our pristine waterways. The fisheries management strategies implemented here in the Territory protect our fisheries stocks by ensuring overall catch levels are maintained at appropriate levels. Anglers themselves wholeheartedly embrace the need to afford an adequate level of protection to fisheries resources and the habitat on which they rely.
Our premier barramundi fishing competitions - the Barra Nationals and Barra Classic – practice catch and release fishing. Anglers also promote the use of fishing gear to minimise the stress on fish including Environets and removing barbs to ensure the greatest chance of survival. Information provided by the event organisers also provides a valuable insight into the long-term catch rates and health of our barra stocks.
Our fisheries management arrangements are underpinned by cutting-edge research such as the gene tag hook, the barracade, acoustic tagging, geo-reference framework to analyse the seascape and climatic variables, and analysis of catch of reporting – to name a few. A comprehensive recreational fishing survey is also planned for 2009-10 at the cost of around $400 000. This will give us essential data on recreational fishing participation, fishing effort and catch to provide the necessary information to better manage our stocks into the future and build on the results of earlier surveys. We continue to be at the leading edge of science. The gene tag hook methodology, pioneered here in the Territory, has been adopted elsewhere, including our shark fisheries and, now, internationally for deep water fish species.
I should mention that the way in which we manage our fisheries and the habitat on which they rely has been independently accredited under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This process includes an independent peer review and considers the combined impacts of commercial, recreational and customary fishing impacts. The Territory’s fisheries assessed through this process have all received accreditation.
Perhaps most importantly, this government has also acted to protect one of our most iconic fishing destinations; that being the Daly River. This government has extended the moratorium on land clearing in the Daly catchment. However, the Country Liberal Party supports wholesale land clearing of the Daly by proposing to lift the moratorium and immediately approve all land clearing applications.
When asked about the CLP’s position on the Daly, the former member for Katherine, who had carriage of the policy, responded - and I quote from the transcript:
- Miller: The moratorium would be lifted. Those people that already have applications should be able to proceed straightaway with the clearing.
Fay Miller, ex-member for Katherine.
Two million hectares would be put at risk and the future of the Daly River and our icon barramundi fishery would be threatened under the Country Liberal Party’s policy when it comes to the Daly. I hope the CLP will see the error of its ways and understand that science must underpin the sustainable management of our fisheries resources and the environment on which they so heavily rely. Everyone else understands the importance of protecting our fisheries resources, both now and for future generations, and the importance of our iconic Daly River. Madam Speaker, I just hope the CLP does too.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina for his report this morning. I agree with many of the things that the member for Casuarina has said in his report. All fisheries in the Northern Territory, particularly the barramundi fishery, need to be protected. They need to be looked after and made the centrepiece of, perhaps, the whole tourism industry in the Northern Territory. It is absolutely imperative.
I do take exception, however, to the member’s intimation that the Country Liberals are for wholesale land clearing in the Daly. That is simply incorrect. We are looking to remove a moratorium which removes the uncertainty around land clearing and other issues in the Daly region. Each and every application after that would be, and should be, subject to the scrutiny of an independent - and I stress independent – EPA, to ensure that the decisions that are made - and those decisions being on a case-by-case basis - in the best interests of the fishery, and using a scientific approach.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I also comment on the minister’s report. Much of what he said is welcome. I believe there was an opportunity for him to talk about the barramundi licences. I know there are people in the House who believe - well, I started to think that they believe - that all barramundi licences should be bought out. I always also wonder: ‘Well, what am I going to eat when I go to my fish and chip shop?’ I certainly do not want to eat Asian barramundi - I have nothing against the people who produce it - I want to eat Territory barramundi. I would like to see a bit more debate about where we are going with the buy-back. Does one side, the amateur side of fishing, have more clout than the professional side of fishing? The professional side of fishing is a very important part of our economy as well as the amateur side, and we need some balance in this debate. That is something that should have been brought up to date.
The minister was talking about bag limits. I believe there is a good opportunity to employ Aboriginal people in remote communities as fishing officers, with the same powers as police officers, to check boats for safety gear and for bag limits.
Land clearing: if you pick up the Northern Territory Planning Scheme you can see the stringent requirements of land clearing in the Northern Territory. To say that you can have wholesale land clearing in the Northern Territory is bunkum. You already have in the act what you can and cannot clear, and you must go to a Development Consent Authority meeting before you can get approval. You can say that land clearing is an issue, but to make broad-brush statements that there will be wholesale land clearing in the Daly River is a total exaggeration for political gain. It does nothing to help the debate, which is an important debate.
In relation to the Labor Party talking about science, ask the Chief Minister why he moved the satellite dishes from the open education centre in Nightcliff - not science, politics …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his contribution. I agree with him about the need to protect our species. The big difference between us and the other side is that we said we are going to use science to determine what is going to be done in the Daly River. The other side is saying: ‘Let us do it now, let us approve any application, let us put crops, even irrigation crops, without any consideration for science ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: … and we will. After all, Madam Speaker, fishing is so popular in the Territory that some people are prepared to give up their career in cricket to go fishing. Ask Andrew Symonds how important fishing in the Territory is ...
Mr Mills: You need to get serious about your job, mate.
Mr VATSKALIS: It is your sports man who said that, it is not made up. It is your sports spokesperson who said that just before the election - very clever.
Water Safety Month
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, September is Water Safety Month. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of launching Water Safety Month at the Community Fun Day at Lake Alexander. It was a great day and many Territory families turned up throughout the day to teach their kids about being water safety wise. This year’s program includes a great range of family fun events and I encourage all Territorians to participate.
Our government understands the importance of our outdoor lifestyle and how much water plays a part in that lifestyle - whether it is in the back yard spa or pool, in a creek or billabong, or during the Dry Season in the ocean.
Events for Water Safety Month are planned across the Northern Territory. Staff from the Water Safety Branch will visit over 30 schools throughout the Territory to encourage water safety practices in and around water. This program includes school visits in Alice Springs, Ti Tree, Yuendumu and Nhulunbuy. As always, Boof the Barra, our Water Safety mascot, will help promote the five key water safety tips for kids. They are: watch your mate; obey safety signs; shut the gate; always wear a personal floatation device; and always swim between the flags. Members may have already heard some of the messages from Boof on commercial radio, and they will continue.
I also encourage our young Territorians to participate in the water safety colouring competition currently being advertised in our major newspapers. Major sponsors for this competition are Royal Life Saving Northern Territory and McDonalds, and I thank them for their very important support for this month’s activities.
While Water Safety Month is intended to be a fun time, it is also a very serious issue. Prior to 2000, the Northern Territory had one of the worst rates of child drowning in the nation. Today, we have the best record for the under fives in the nation. We have increased pool safety and water safety awareness, but there is always more to be done. As you would be aware, all kids in the Territory aged between six months and five years old can access the free water safety lessons, sponsored by this government under our highly successful Water Safety Awareness program. Since 2005, over 5000 Territory kids have benefited from this program, and we will continue to do this important work and expand that work into the bush centres.
I take this opportunity to thank some of our key partners in these activities. Royal Life Saving Northern Territory play a huge role; all the teachers in our schools throughout the Territory play a huge part; and also the mums and dads who come along to these events and, throughout the year, to try to encourage their kids to be water safety aware and learn to swim. I ask all members to make their communities aware of these activities.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his report this morning. Water safety is an extremely important issue. Too many children die in the Northern Territory and Australia due to drowning. Every effort should be made to ensure that our water safety record is kept as well as it possibly can, and that will be through the decisions made by government and by the support of organisations such as Royal Life Saving Northern Territory.
I have children and I would be devastated to lose one by any means, including drowning in a pool or elsewhere. I fully support the government’s moves to continue to improve our situation in that regard.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for his response. Yes, your children have been down the back of your place on the Katherine River and had a bit of a swim. That waterhole behind your place is very deep and smells of crocodile, too.
I thank all members. It is important …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: It is; there is a big croc in there somewhere.
I also encourage members to look at the calendar of events for this month. You should be aware that the closing of the Water Safety Month will be at the Nightcliff Aquatic Centre on 28 September, from 1 pm to 4 pm. So, bring your togs along and participate. There is also the disco by the pool at Palmerston.
I thank the Water Safety Advisory Committee chaired by Daphne Read AO - she is a great leader of that organisation; all the participants; also Floss Roberts from Royal Life Saving Northern Territory, and also to the staff of my department, Shaan Myall and Meryl Gowing. They do a great job. All the staff do a great job. They are passionate about this particular area of the department. I strongly encourage everybody to participate in this event.
Beijing Olympics and Paralympics – Participation by Territorians
Des Abbott is a 22-year-old Darwin born and raised athlete, who was part of the men’s Olympic hockey team, the Kookaburras. Des is only the second male Indigenous hockey player to ever represent Australia at an Olympic Games. Des has been a Northern Territory Institute of Sport scholarship holder since 2001, and an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder since 2005.
Des made his senior international debut for Australia a little over 18 months ago on 28 January 2007 in a test series against the Netherlands, where he gave a hint of what was to come by scoring a goal in only his second game.
During the lead-up to the Olympics, Des was an integral part of the Australian team which won the 2008 Champions Trophy in Rotterdam. He was also part of the team that won a four-test series against Korea in Cairns; won the Four Nations tournament, played over the two legs in Perth and Darwin; toured South Africa with the successful Kookaburras squad; and won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in late 2007.
On 11 August 2008, Des made his Olympic debut, fulfilling his boyhood dream and scoring a hat trick of goals to lead the Kookaburras to a 6:1 win over Canada. In doing so, Des announced, in emphatic terms, that he was ready to mix it with the best in the world. This was confirmed several days later when Des scored another goal in Australia’s 10:0 demolition of South Africa. He went on to play an important role in the Kookaburras’ next two games: a 3:1 win over Pakistan, and a 3:3 draw against Great Britain. Australia rallied for their last game and Des scored another goal in the Kookaburras’ resounding 6:2 win over the Netherlands, securing the bronze medal for Australia in the process.
Des is the first to admit that he could not have achieved what he has without the support of his family, friends, the NT Hockey community in particular, and the Northern Territory sporting community in more general terms. The Northern Territory government is proud to have supported Des through the Northern Territory Institute of Sport as well.
Melanie Hall’s courage, determination and training paid off when she was selected in the Australian wheelchair basketball team, aptly named the Gliders, at the Paralympics in Beijing. After a car accident in 1996, she was introduced to wheelchair basketball in 1997. She quickly progressed to the elite level, representing Australia for the first time in 1998.
In her younger years, Melanie competed in netball, track and field, swimming and softball. I also add that the Chief Minister recently caught up with Mel just before she left for China, presenting this proud Territorian with an NT flag to take with her to the Paralympics.
The Gliders went into the Paralympics rated fourth in the world and won their first two games. They were too strong for the British team winning 66:30, and in the second game they beat Brazil with the identical score. In the third match they lost to the strong USA team 61:42, but I am reliably informed that they are still a good chance for a medal. The Australian Gliders’ next game is on Friday against Canada, and I encourage everyone in the House and all Territorians to get behind Mel and the team.
I am sure you will all agree with me that we are all very proud of these two fantastic and outstanding Territory athletes, and wish Des every success in the Netherlands, and Melanie and the team good luck for the remainder of their games in Beijing and their efforts in securing a medal.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his brilliant report. These sporting people from the Territory, stepping out into the national fields and international fields of our sporting codes, are brilliant achievers. Regardless of whether they take home a medal, they are true champions because they have achieved the best in their level. It is not necessary that everyone reach that level, but it is important that we encourage all our sporting children to stay active in sports. I encourage that we continue to work towards that, because keeping our children active in sports increases their health, and that is vital. They learn skills, they socialise, they become better people because of their involvements in sport.
Our athletes like Des Abbott, have achieved fantastic results. He is going to be a much better person for his achievements, and we are extremely proud of that. Melanie Hall has achieved much with adversity. She has strived to achieve, and she has achieved those results. Not everything in life is easy, and these people show the dedication that other people in society should consider very important: get out there, get involved.
Let us not forget that the Down Syndrome Games are coming up in Portugal. We have Tahnee Afuhaamango, who is a brilliant athlete. We cannot forget that there are many different forms of athletes. We need to continue to get behind all our athletes, and I urge you to do the same. I wish them all very well.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. It seems that hockey seems to attract the best in the Northern Territory. Des is the second Olympian to represent the Northern Territory and Australia. When we speak about hockey, I wonder whether there is some way we can increase the facilities in the Northern Territory. People used to play on the Alawa Ovals and that was covered with people playing hockey. Now, you play on you-beaut surfaces, and that is fantastic as well. However, it does seem to be a sport that is limited in its potential for the Northern Territory.
I do not know whether the government would be able to provide those facilities that we have at Marrara in other centres. They are not cheap to provide but, if you are going to produce the best, to Olympic standards – champions - then we need to have those facilities elsewhere, not just in Darwin.
Even though we support our elite sportsmen and women, we should not forget those who are not quite at that standard. We had the Northern Territory Athletics championships on the weekend and there was a range of people who participated in that, from young to old. Some even ran the 100 m in 16.9 seconds. If you go to the NT Athletics, you will see the great participation rates of children throughout the Northern Territory - they came from Arnhem, Alice Springs, from Katherine, some came from ...
Mr Vatskalis: Broome.
Mr WOOD: Yes, Broome. Many from Darwin and the Darwin rural area participated as well. I was pleased that what we call the Rural Athletics actually won the overall championships - probably helped by the ‘rusty rurals’, of course, to get a few more points. They had a wonderful day. Although it is great to recognise our champions, we also have to ensure that the ones who may never be champions are still encouraged to participate in sport.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their contributions – they made some very valid points. My department of Sport and Recreation is focused on grassroots participation. The story behind this is what you can achieve in the Territory. The Territory is a great place of opportunities, whether you are in politics - for people who are born and bred in the Territory to get into this House is a great achievement – or people like Des and Mel to achieve Olympic status. The Paralympics is fantastic, and there is a great story behind it. My department is focused on grassroots participation, and will continue to do that.
The member for Nelson mentioned facilities. We only have to look at Traeger Park, our commitment in Tennant Creek with the Purkiss Reserve, and also Palmerston. We are committed to spreading facilities throughout the region. That is something that this side of the House is very keen on, and we and the Chief Minister will deliver on that.
Reports agreed to pursuant to standing orders.
Serious Violent Offenders (Presumption Against Bail) Amendment Bill
(Serial 6)
(Serial 6)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend section 7A of the Bail Act which provides a presumption against bail for certain offences. The amendment provides a presumption against bail for persons who are charged with committing a serious violence offence, and who have been found guilty of committing a serious violence offence in the past five years. The presumption applies to both adults and youths.
The bill also amends section 38 of the Bail Act, to provide that a court must revoke bail if a person charged with a serious violence offence, despite the presumption against bail, has been granted bail and the court finds that the person has failed to comply with a bail undertaking or bail condition.
‘Serious violence offences’ is defined in the Bail Act. The definition covers all the offences in the Criminal Code that include violence or unlawful sexual contact, and that are punishable by a term of imprisonment of five years or more. Aggravated assault causing serious harm, rape, indecent dealing with a child under 16, robbery, and manslaughter, are all examples of the serious violence offence as defined in the Bail Act.
The Bail Act currently provides a presumption against bail for certain persons charged with a serious violence offence. However, the provision applies only to adults and only in circumstances where that adult is already on bail for a serious offence and has previously been found guilty of a serious offence or a serious violence offence.
The proposed amendment reviews the distinction between adults and youths. It also provides that the presumption of bail applies at an earlier stage so, if a person has a conviction for a serious violence offence, then that presumption against bail applies if they are charged again within five years.
This government is concerned with the impact that violent crime is having in our community. This bill has been developed to send a clear message to those people who have already been found guilty of committing a serious violence offence, that they cannot expect to get bail if they are charged with another serious violence offence within five years of the prior offence. It does not matter if they are adults or youths; there will be a presumption against bail being granted. If bail is granted, despite the presumption against bail, and a bail undertaking or condition of bail is breached - for example, by failing to turn up at court, not abiding by a curfew or not reporting to police – then the court ‘must’ revoke bail and remand that person in custody. That is the effect of the proposed amendment to section 38. Section 38, as it currently stands, provides only that a court ‘may’ revoke bail for a person who is in breach of an undertaking or condition. The amendment removes the discretion where a person has been charged with a serious violent offence.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
SENTENCING AMENDMENT (VIOLENT OFFENCES) BILL
(Serial 7)
(Serial 7)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend section 78BA of the Sentencing Act to require courts to sentence offenders who are guilty of committing certain violent offences to serve a term of actual imprisonment.
Restrictions on judicial discretion already exist for certain offences in the Northern Territory. For example, when sentencing an offender found guilty of murder, courts are required to set a 20-year minimum non-parole period, with a minimum non-parole period rising to 25 years if aggravating circumstances are present. Also, under the Domestic and Family Violence Act, when a Domestic Violence Order is breached for a subsequent time and the protected person is harmed, courts are required to impose a sentence of imprisonment of at least seven days.
The Sentencing Act also currently contains provisions that limit judicial discretion. Offenders who are guilty of a sexual offence or a subsequent violent offence are required to serve a term of actual imprisonment that is not wholly suspended.
This government is concerned about the rising level of violent crime. It is also concerned that sentences passed for serious crimes of violence often do not align with community expectations. It is important for the community to have faith in the sentencing process. The government, therefore, believes that there is a need for consistency when sentencing violent offenders, with that consistency being clear so it can be understood by the community.
Section 78BA of the act currently provides that offenders guilty of a second or subsequent violent offence must serve an actual term of imprisonment. The term ‘violent offence’ is defined so as to include all aggravated assaults, except indecent assault - which is a sexual offence for the purposes of the act - as well as a raft of other offences ranging from terrorism, manslaughter and attempted murder to assaulting the Administrator and committing an assault with intent to commit an offence.
The most serious of the violent offences, such as manslaughter and attempted murder, almost invariably attract a term of actual imprisonment, whether or not the offender has a criminal history. It is, therefore, perceived that there is no practical need for legislation to provide that the courts must impose a term of actual imprisonment for these offences.
Community concern lies with the sentencing of serious assaults. Accordingly, under this bill, the Sentencing Act is to be amended to require that all offenders guilty of prescribed violent offences, being offences which cause serious harm or harm, will have to serve a term of actual imprisonment. There will be no second chance as applies under the current law.
It would be hard to argue that, in circumstances where a victim suffers serious harm, that imprisonment is not appropriate. Can any offender really complain about being gaoled if they have assaulted and harmed another person? The problem is that, under the current law, the option of imprisonment is not always given. To ensure that such an amendment would not produce serious injustice, it is proposed that its operation be limited to offences causing actual harm.
The bill proposes that the following offences will be prescribed offences attracting mandatory imprisonment: sections 181 and 186 of the Criminal Code which concern causing serious harm or harm; section 188(2)(a) of the Criminal Code being aggravated assault causing harm; and section 189A(2) of the Criminal Code being aggravated assault on a police officer.
A common feature of all these offences is that either serious harm or harm is caused. These amendments will not change the sentencing regime for other violent offences, whereby offenders guilty of a second or subsequent offence must serve an actual term of imprisonment. ‘Serious harm’ and ‘harm’ are both defined in the Criminal Code. ‘Serious harm’ includes harm that is life endangering or likely to be significant or long-standing. Examples of serious harm include loss of an eye or a broken jaw. ‘Harm’ involves less serious injury. It includes both physical harm such as unconsciousness, pain, disfigurement or infection with a disease, and significant psychological harm. A broken arm, bruised ribs and a black eye are all examples of physical harm. Psychological harm includes depression or post traumatic stress disorder. This government …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, this is a very serious bill and I pick up on the laughter of the member for Fong Lim …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Honourable members, this is the second reading debate. It is the convention to listen to this speech in silence. This is used as part of the interpretation of the legislation by the courts, and has been a convention of this parliament to listen to the second reading of the minister in silence. The debate happens in the next sittings, where robust debate is expected. I would appreciate you following that convention.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. This government is taking a tough no-nonsense approach to people who commit serious, violent assaults and sets a tough regime that offers no second chances. Sentencing violent offenders to terms of actual imprisonment meets community expectations about the severity of the offence. It will be a significant deterrent to those who commit these violent offences.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Gallery of students from Years 10, 11 and 12 from Katherine High School, accompanied by Mr Daniel Eakins, Ms Lauren Phillips and Mr Justin Lee. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY
Continued from 10 September 2008.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I join with members to welcome the Administrator’s address. I also welcome all new members to our parliament. I am particularly looking forward to working very closely with the members for Nhulunbuy, Barkly, and Fannie Bay.
The address outlines this government’s comprehensive plans, priorities, and vision for the next four years. The Territory certainly has its challenges, but we also have enormous opportunity. We are a strong and diverse team in government, representing remote, regional and urban areas of the Northern Territory. That diversity brings with it a great deal of knowledge, and I believe the diversity enhances the decision-making processes of government.
Many of the challenges and opportunities outlined in the Administrator’s address relate to my portfolios. One of the great successes of the first two terms of the Labor government in the Territory was its economic management. It was the Labor government that turned the Territory economy around. It is a fact that when we came to government in 2001 economic growth was at zero percent ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer you to Standing Order 51. A member is delivering her speech. We have listened to their Address-in-Reply contributions. It has been that side which has been trying to be provocative and create …
Mr Tollner: Provocative?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I know it is hard for you to sit still and be quiet for five minutes, member for Fong Lim. I ask that they allow the Treasurer to complete her response.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Deputy Chief Minister. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51. While interjections are absolutely part of the robust debate expected in this Chamber, it is also necessary for the Speaker, in particular, to be able to hear a member on her feet - in this case the Treasurer. I am having difficulty hearing her. If you want to interject, somewhat quieter and less continuous, please.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, when Labor came to government in 2001 economic growth was at zero percent. Zero. Territorians who had been born and raised here were leaving to move interstate to literally put bread on the table of their families. In stark contrast, our economy is strong. Economic growth, employment growth, and population growth are all at the highest levels in the country.
This economic growth, while it brings its rewards, also brings enormous challenges. This strong financial management, underpinned by surpluses that we have delivered - and that we are predicting - and strong debt management, I believe, will position the Territory to meet the challenges of this strong economic growth. We are financially responsible. It has been the hallmark of the Labor government to be financially responsible, but we do this while improving …
Mr Tollner: Absolute nonsense!
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on the interjection from the inane member for Fong Lim. He says ‘absolute nonsense’. Read your budget books, mate. We are delivering surpluses, we are driving debt down and we are delivering increased …
Mr Tollner: You are not.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Please resume your seat, minister.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, when I call order that is exactly what I expect. I have already advised you that while interjections are acceptable, very loud ones contravene Standing Order 51 and are not acceptable. It is very difficult to hear the Treasurer. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are being financially responsible but, importantly, we are also delivering increased resources to deliver more services across the Territory, and we are also delivering record upon record infrastructure budgets. The 2008-09 infrastructure budget is $870m - $870m investment in critical infrastructure right across the Territory.
Right now is a very important time in relation to the COAG reforms and intergovernmental financial frameworks. Under the current Prime Minister, COAG has established seven working groups to progress reform in key human capital and economic areas: health and ageing; productivity and participation; climate change and water; infrastructure; business regulation and competition; housing; and Indigenous reforms.
COAG has agreed to reduce the number of specific purpose payments, known as SPPs, from 92 to five or six, covering the core services of health, housing, early childhood and schools, vocational education and training, and disability services. These new SPPs will be output and outcome focused, with the existing input controls and matching arrangements removed. Base funding levels and indexation rates for the new SPPs will also be addressed and reviewed regularly.
The Prime Minister has tasked our nation’s Treasurers with the job of reforming the SPPs, agreeing to these critically important funding arrangements, and reporting back to COAG with their recommendations. We are at a critical time in this process.
There is a new category of payments called National Partnerships being developed. These will provide incentives or specific funding for inputs in areas of joint Commonwealth/state concern, including the current AusLink Program, and they will help to drive human capital reform.
The new financial framework will be especially important for the Territory, given the extent of our need for Commonwealth funding relative to the other states. This government will put every effort and resource available into making sure the framework works to the benefit of all Territorians. Simplicity and transparency in the new arrangements with the Commonwealth will be the keys to improving our financial flows and enabling these vital funds to reach the clients of our services on the ground, rather than bogging down in red tap and onerous reporting.
As Treasurer, I will continue to play a central role in representing, protecting and pursuing the Territory’s interests in this arena. I am committed to working in cooperation but, equally, committed to ensuring that the Territory gets a fair deal.
We remain committed to low taxes. This government has cut stamp duty across all of the rates, and cut payroll tax. We will deliver on our election commitment to reduce the payroll tax rate further from its current 5.9%, within this term of government, to 5.5%. Based on a business of 100 staff, the Territory is now the lowest taxing jurisdiction in the country. Unlike the other states, the Territory does not have a land tax or an emergency services levy. The Henderson government has committed to continue taxation reform. However, this must be responsibly managed against the funding needs for essential services such as education, health, and law and order, while we also ensure that the ageing infrastructure is adequately maintained and improved, and we continue to extend our infrastructure across the Territory to cater for future growth.
While I am talking about Treasury issues, Madam Speaker, it would be remiss of me not to briefly touch on the CLP’s election commitments and costings. Members will recall the costings that were going to plunge the Territory back into the black hole similar to the one the CLP left us in last time ...
Mr Elferink: You fabricated it and made it up.
Ms LAWRIE: Last night, the member for Port Darwin, in an adjournment debate, tried to justify the CLP’s costings blowout. We know that the member for Port Darwin was the architect of the CLP costings. Essentially, the adjournment last night was an apology to his leader for having bungled it. The member for Port Darwin suggested last night that the CLP costings were okay. He did not bother mentioning that the Under Treasurer assessed the CLP costings and found that they could not be afforded.
The Leader of the Opposition submitted his costings …
Mr Elferink: How come your policies cost more than ours and you are able to somehow justify them?
Ms LAWRIE: The Leader of the Opposition submitted his costings to the Under Treasurer and she wrote back to him. In her letter, the Under Treasurer made the following points: the CLP election commitments had been submitted on 5 August, then revised on 6 August and, then further revised on 7 August; the proposals failed to cost the final year of 2011-12 - instead of going over four years, they missed the last year all together, they only went over three years; and the savings proposals overestimated the savings from asset sales.
I will digress for a minute …
Mr Elferink: Now, is that not interesting? We relied on your budget books for those numbers. Are you telling me that those numbers are wrong?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will digress for a minute. One of their savings was to sell off …
Mr Elferink: When a budget book says that something is worth $80m then it must be, mustn’t it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, the minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, one of their savings …
Mr Elferink: Well, she has …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She has a duty to this parliament to tell the truth, and she is not being honest at the moment, I can tell you.
Ms LAWRIE: I am. I am telling the truth.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! If the member for Port Darwin wants to call the Treasurer a liar, he should do it by substantive motion or withdraw.
Mr Elferink: Do you want me to bring it on? I am happy to do it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink: Do you want me to bring it on?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, I ask you to withdraw. You are aware that if you want to make allegations about a member you need to do so by way of substantive motion. Have you withdrawn?
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I am on the verge of going to that point because they are being dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I ask you to withdraw.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay, I withdraw. I withdraw, but I can tell …
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will give an example. One of the savings was the sale of NT Fleet, but nowhere in the costings was the cost to lease vehicles. So, where would you go, in delivering services right across the Territory, if you did not have a car? What would happen? What would happen to the public servants who currently use cars to deliver services across the Territory? There was nothing in there about how they would pay for the vehicles that are required on a day-to-day basis to deliver government services.
The Under Treasurer also made the point that, to achieve their stated aims, the CLP’s savings proposals required a cut to the public service five times the existing 3% efficiency dividends, and that this would not be achievable. Further, there would be a likely flow-on across the public service of the proposed superannuation benefits provided to limited employees, and that savings would be required to pay for this. Further, they could not afford their payroll tax reduction.
Madam Speaker, there has not been such a damning assessment of CLP costings. This was the most …
Mr Elferink: At least I know where the GST goes.
Ms LAWRIE: I know where the GST goes.
Mr Elferink: No, you do not. Do you want me to quote it back to you?
Ms LAWRIE: You complain about the fact that we get the GST - our fair share ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I will be happy to direct my comments through the Chair when the shadow Treasurer, who cannot stand the heat, stops interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: I know he is feeling uncomfortable.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, neither the Leader of the Opposition nor the member for Port Darwin have economic credibility. They would have brought back the black hole.
Speaking of things coming back, as Treasurer I should also mention the Burke power line. In 2005, Territorians rejected the power line plans because experts said that it would drive up power prices. In South Australia, power prices went up 30% when they joined the national grid. The member for Fong Lim wants to revive the CLP’s 2005 election commitment. He said the people opposed to it have ‘their heads buried in the sand’. Presumably, this also includes the Leader of the Opposition, who was forced to ring ABC radio yesterday to outline that the member for Fong Lim’s power line policy was not CLP policy. Extraordinary!
Frontier Economics undertook an independent report into the power line proposal. They found that it would increase power prices substantially. Importantly, they took into account the possibility of a power line being used to power the mine at McArthur River and still found the power prices in Darwin would increase by 35%. The member for Fong Lim has argued that we could sell gas-fired power to southern markets via the power line. This does simply not stack up. It is not viable, and nowhere near viable. We ran this bright idea from the member for Fong Lim past an industry expert yesterday and, when they stopped laughing, they said it was ridiculous. There is currently no proposal in front of government to undertake such a project.
However, under the Henderson government, we have now secured gas supply contracts for the next 25 years …
Mr Tollner: Under the Henderson government what do we have? Diesel.
Mr Elferink: Because you could not manage it from a gas supply 2 km away.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … to provide our domestic electricity supply.
Mr Knight: So you support it, do you?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink: I welcome ideas.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting. Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory government subsidises car prices in the Territory to the tune of around $50m each year with an extra subsidy for pensioners through the Pensioner Concession Scheme. We are getting on with the job of delivering subsidised power to Territorians, not recycling discredited ideas. Today’s newspaper reports:
- Mr Tollner said it was embarrassing to receive millions of dollars of electricity subsidies from the federal government ...
Members interjecting.
Mr Tollner: No, that is not a correct quote. Finish it; finish the story.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Honourable members, it is becoming extremely difficult for me to hear what the Treasurer is saying. I will repeat: while robust debate is an essential part of any kind of parliament - and it has been part of this parliament as well - it is important that, in particular, the Speaker can hear the person who has the call.
I am having extreme difficulty hearing the Treasurer. Interjections - I say to you once again - are acceptable, but I need to be able to hear the Treasurer more than I hear the interjections. Treasurer, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I can reliably inform the House that the Northern Territory government has not received any such subsidy since 1991. Talk about embarrassing! We have not received a subsidy that the member for Fong Lim is claiming we received and that we should be embarrassed about, since 1991. The fact that the member for Fong Lim was unaware of this demonstrates how little he understands the issue. What is more concerning is that the member for Fong Lim is already arguing that Canberra should cut money provided to the Territory. He is still wearing his old hat, where he used to stand up for Canberra against the interests of the Territory.
There is no area more critical in Territory/Commonwealth relations than Indigenous expenditure. That funding is occurring under Closing the Gap and the Northern Territory Emergency Response. This government will shortly release our second Indigenous expenditure review. We are the only jurisdiction in Australia that undertakes such a review, although, through COAG, all jurisdictions in the Commonwealth will be following our lead and will be reporting on Indigenous expenditure. The first Indigenous expenditure review outlined that about half of Northern Territory government expenditure relates to our Indigenous population. Therefore, claims by some that only $100m is spent annually on Indigenous services are plainly absurd. The figure is more than $1.5bn.
Mr Giles: It is all spent on white fellas.
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on the interjection from the member for Braitling: ‘It is all spent on white fellas’. It is interjections like that that make me ashamed of the debates that occur from time to time in this Chamber. There is $1.5bn spent on delivering services to Indigenous Territorians. You might want to get briefed on the IER before you make racist and stupid comments in this Chamber.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms LAWRIE: We have said that we will cooperate with any Senate inquiry as long as it is broad enough to cover all of the funding issues required to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, and that it truly understands the Commonwealth/Territory funding arrangements at self-government - this is critically important; at self-government. What condition was the Territory in at self-government? What was the funding deficit required to bring it to developed status rather than underdeveloped status? What were those funding arrangements and what have they been since self-government?
Madam Speaker, as minister …
Mr Giles: Most of it goes to administration. How much goes to the people? What goes to administration?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I recommend that the member for Braitling read the Indigenous Expenditure Review.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure is very much an engine room agency of government. We have an expanding economy and a high growth in population that does put pressure on a number of areas across government, none more so than infrastructure provision, especially when we already face a significant issue with a lack of infrastructure, particularly in our remote areas.
The Northern Territory government is undertaking a 10-year infrastructure strategy. This is being undertaken by experts in the field: ACIL Tasman and Evans & Peck. It will provide certainty to the private sector to enable them to gear up and invest in the Territory’s growth. We are investing $3.5bn in infrastructure spending which includes $870m committed in Budget 2008-09. We will be delivering Stage 1 of the 10-year infrastructure plan in this term.
Important to the delivery of infrastructure across the Territory is the establishment of Infrastructure Australia by the federal government. Infrastructure Australia will oversight the expenditure of $23bn for infrastructure spending across our nation. The Territory government moved swiftly. Under my instructions, we have created an Infrastructure Australia bid and that bid has been lodged. I have written to all of the members of Infrastructure Australia inviting them to the Territory to see for themselves what our bid is about.
We are our nation’s gateway. The Port of Darwin can deliver real economic benefits to our nation, but there is no doubt that will need significant infrastructure investment. Whilst we are spending around $60m this financial year to deliver increased hard stand and new conveyor belt systems, the Chief Minister, during the election campaign, has committed our government to a $100m program at the port, and we are pursuing $200m from the federal government through Infrastructure Australia. We have no argument in saying more money needs to be spent at the port, and we are putting our money where that argument is: a $100m commitment from this government, and pursuing $200m from the federal government.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: I welcome the expert advice coming from the members opposite. Put it in writing and lobby Canberra as well.
We will see a great number of upgrades at our port which will include further expanding the minerals stockpiles area and our bulk loading facilities.
The Chief Minister has announced that he is establishing the Territory Growth Planning Unit which will coordinate our planning for the future across whole-of-government. I am looking forward to the role the DPI plays in providing information to the unit.
Obviously, in a growing economy, land release is critical - and it is also critical to get the balance right. We are still the second most affordable capital city in Australia under the Real Estate Institute of Australia report released, but we know we have a tightening marketplace - interestingly enough in a time when demand is moderating. We know there are a few factors influencing the moderating demands. There has been a great deal of nervousness in the marketplace around interest rates, but we are starting to see interest rates coming back down. With interest rates coming back down, we are starting to see an increased confidence in the marketplace in terms of purchase.
It is about getting the mix right and providing for a range in the marketplace - from city apartments, to urban infill, to new suburbs and to - dare I say it - rural subdivisions, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: You have not released one block of land in the rural area since you came to power.
Ms LAWRIE: Not true.
The suburbs include Lyons, Muirhead, Bellamack, Berrimah Farm, and Palmerston East three suburbs of Johnston, Zuccoli and Mitchell. The prison site will become residential, which the opposition does not want. We are pursuing the Commonwealth doggedly to ensure the aerial farm becomes part of the Berrimah corridor residential and light industrial …
Mr Wood: Where is all the industrial going to go from the East Arm port?
Ms LAWRIE: We are not just turning off land here in the Top End; we are turning off land in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek which has had successful auctions. Isn’t that fantastic? We are putting more out to the marketplace in Tennant Creek, as those auctions went really well. Tennant Creek is growing.
It is important, as we know, to plan for the future of Darwin. We are creating a strategic land use plan for the greater Darwin region. The debate will occur. Weddell, in the corner of the member for Nelson …
Mr Wood: No, in the corner of the land use structure plan.
Ms LAWRIE: … or Cox Peninsula.
Mr Wood: How much is that going to cost?
Ms LAWRIE: Weddell or Cox Peninsula.
Mr Wood: You have not had the debate.
Ms LAWRIE: I am looking forward to ensuring that the member for Nelson is engaged in the debate and the process and the detail …
Mr Wood: It will be too late.
Ms LAWRIE: … of Cox Peninsula – I pick up on the interjection ‘It will be too late’. The land release that is occurring in Lyons, Muirhead, Bellamack, Berrimah Farm, and Palmerston East, is at least seven to eight years worth, even at predicted increased growth rates. So, it is not too late. We can actually take the time to properly understand the detail of the future growth of Darwin, Weddell or Cox Peninsula. It would be foolish to rush into that decision …
Mr Elferink: Is that why you have taken so long to release any land?
Mr Wood: I am not asking you to rush.
Ms LAWRIE: I know the members for Port Darwin and Nelson do not like the high-rise apartments they are seeing going up in the city …
Mr Wood: Not side by side.
Ms LAWRIE: They do not like them …
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Again, another untruth. I have never said I do not support high-rise buildings. I just do not support them stacked side by side.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, there is no point of order but, if you feel that you have been misrepresented, you may approach me to make a personal explanation.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I move that the Treasurer’s time be extended to allow her to finish her fantastic speech, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: The good news is I am getting towards the end ...
Mr Wood: Well, talk faster.
Ms LAWRIE: The good news is I am nearing the end. If it was not for the interjections I probably would have got there.
Madam Speaker, the debate about the heights in the city is an important debate for our city, particularly in the context of the growth we are in the midst of. That growth is going to continue. You do not have Treasury predictions of 6.6% growth, Access Economic predictions of 7% growth, without having phenomenal growth in your CBD ...
Mr Wood: And you should control that.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Nelson says ‘You should control it’. Well, guess what?
Mr Wood: Yes.
Ms LAWRIE: Guess what? That is exactly what the Planning minister is doing, but I will follow a process. I will follow a process that is inclusive of our community. The process started when we organised, in conjunction with Darwin City Council, the urban planning forum to focus on the CBD, particularly those chestnut issues of heights. The Urban Design Advisory Panel was appointed. It comprises interstate and local experts in their fields, and they have deliberated on the issue of heights, of varying lot sizes, volume controls, of setbacks, interactive, etcetera, and they have come up with a series of recommendations that I announced publicly.
The CLP has been silent on the UDAP recommendations. I welcome the member for Nelson when he wants to make a contribution on the UDAP recommendations, because at the moment we have a consultative process with stakeholders on the recommendations and that advice will come back to government. So, bring it on, folks, bring it on ...
Mr Tollner: You have already decided on the date.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I put an interim development control order in place to stop anything occurring until that decision has been made ...
Mr Wood: For the moratorium …
Ms LAWRIE: I will send the team to you, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: Oh, good.
Ms LAWRIE: While we have growth in our city, we understand the importance of our city’s lawns, parks, and trees that are giving people living in the city somewhere for their recreation. We are spending $6m on creating Flagstaff Park. We will provide a park at the old hospital site. I might say that the CLP had that earmarked for development, but Labor is different. We are going to put a park on a portion of the old hospital site. We are going to create a park at the Stuart Park tank farm area. We will be spending $12.2m to upgrade our urban centres - new bike tracks, boardwalks, and a greener Darwin CBD.
Transport is important. The Leader of the Opposition kept banging the drum on the bus system in Palmerston, Darwin and the rural area, yet, not one election commitment on transport. Not one - nothing. In stark contrast, this government has committed $13.4m for seniors and students to travel free on our buses, we are introducing new bus services to Bayview Haven, Cullen Bay and the waterfront precinct, an orbital bus service between the interchanges of Darwin, Casuarina and Palmerston, and the establishment of rural park and ride facilities so people can drive, get on the bus and get into work. We have funded Transport Security Officers, and we are developing a very strong regional transport strategy.
Roads are important. It is the Territory Labor government that secured the $386m commitment from the Commonwealth to build our roads across the Territory. The Tanami, the Buntine, the Plenty …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Tiger Brennan Drive will be built. We will have a major flyover coming across. We are delivering the biggest ever spend on roads infrastructure in the history of the Territory. We are building our critical arterial roads. Tiger Brennan Drive will transform the way into our capital. It will transform the freight route and the commuter route.
We have a shameful culture of driving on our roads. I will not go into this too much, because we have an MPI today. However, I can say that we know our road toll is far too high. AS a government, we will continue to do what it takes to save the lives of Territorians. We know that drink-driving, failing to wear seat belts and speeding are causes of the tragedies that occur on our roads. We are committed to doubling the penalties for failing to wear seat belts. We are introducing the alcohol interlock system to deal with recidivist drink-drivers. We have committed an extra $1m for drive safe programs.
I know the opposition wants open speed limits. However, bear this in mind: we had three fatalities this year on the roads where the 130 km speed limit has been introduced - three fatalities this year compared to an average of 12 a year before the limit.
I am proud of the first two terms of the Labor government in the Territory. We have delivered improved services across the Territory, and not just in our urban areas of the past, but into the bush, into remote regions, into our regions, whilst improving our cities. We have achieved a lot, but there is no doubt there is a great deal more still to do. I am committed to working hard as the Treasurer and as the Minister for Planning and Lands, and Infrastructure and Transport to deliver the mandate we were given at this year’s election: to deliver improved services right across the Territory. We have fresh ideas and we will deliver real results ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Treasurer, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his Address-in-Reply to his own statement that the Administrator made, which is an interesting way things are done. I quote from the second paragraph of what the Chief Minister said:
- It was an election with a clear message to my government; a message that we are listening to and will act on.
I did not hear anywhere in the whole statement as to what exactly the message was - or at least what he thought the message was.
From my point of view, the message was that people were certainly dissatisfied with the way the election was run; that is, a very short election campaign for an election that was called early. Many people did not accept the fact that the reason, which was about INPEX, was a valid reason for an election to be called early. That should have been the total message that the Chief Minister should have spoken about.
I will get on to some of the areas where I do not think he is listening. The minister has said, through the Administrator, they will plan and listen. Planning is something I believe the government has not done. It has been more interested in the gloss and the spin, rather than the long-term development of the Northern Territory. I cannot get away from some of the things the minister has just said. The Chief Minister announced yesterday that we would have a Territory Growth Planning Unit. We also have an Employment Growth Planning Unit. I start to wonder: are we going around repeating the same thing - bureaucracy, bureaucracy, bureaucracy? It might sound good, but are we just spending more time having reviews, having committees? Are we actually achieving something?
The government has been in power for seven years. It had a document, and still has a document, in relation to the whole of the Darwin area which is the Darwin Regional Land Use Structure Plan. I would like the government to say that it accepts this document. I do not care if it does not, but this is a document that we are presently using to develop the rural area – sorry, the Darwin region including the rural area. There were several options in this plan. One of those was land use structure option four which, basically, said we will develop around the harbour and outside of that area will remain rural, and outside of that area will remain either Aboriginal land or larger rural. That plan was then developed to what they called future urban centres, which were roughly three or four cities to the east and south of the Port of Darwin, and four new cities in the Cox Peninsula area on the western side of the harbour.
I believe it was a good plan. It certainly had some issues in relation to damming up various estuaries in the harbour - that was not something that I could support and that was the reason we fought hard over the Elizabeth River Dam. However, the general concept was good. Yet, we now have the government making statements, for instance, about infill. To me, when you start talking about infill, you talk about lack of a plan, because that is what infill is. You have not planned for that but, because we have not quite worked out what we are going to do and we know we are going to run out of land, we will go to the infill method. What that does is destroy your plan. Unfortunately, that is what this government is doing.
On the other hand, the government is trying to do something, but you have to ask whether it is after the horse has bolted. This is a tender document from the Construction Division - not the Planning Division - which was released recently which actually closed yesterday - originally. The reason for this document was - this was the preamble:
- The Department of Planning and Infrastructure will be establishing future land uses and land release options for the Darwin Region.
The department’s Land Group Business Plan 2007-08 lists the following strategy to achieve the outcome measure of government endorsed strategic plans are in place …
That is their English:
- … with appropriate links to Regional Development Plans: …
And puts it in quotes:
- ‘Develop an integrated strategic land use plan for the Darwin Region with a 15-year horizon’.
It says in here, under ‘Action Plan’, that whoever does this tender will:
- … evaluate the Brownfield and Greenfield development possibilities and provide a report and plan indicating development possibilities and yields …
and that they should provide a report and plan indication, infill and densification possibilities and yields.
If you go further on, under this wonderful heading ‘Spatial land availability analysis’ - you really have to wonder - under a subheading ‘Densification and Infill Possibilities, Brownfields and Greenfields possibilities; Projections of Possible Yields and Economic and Sustainability Projects’, you will see that they start to talk about:
… brownfield redevelopment possibilities is the further development of underutilised …
- … land parcels as the purposes that it is used for has outlived a specific use and should be redeveloped with a more appropriate use. Examples of such land parcels are the MVR site next to Goyder Road, or the prison and DPIFM sites at Berrimah.
The government has already said it is going to pull the prison down and use the land for housing and it is also going to pretty well close down the Berrimah Farm and use that for housing. Yet, it has just released tender documents asking a company to look at that very possibility. However, it has already decided it. Why should we bother putting out a document which asks them to do the same thing?
It seems that the government is looking for someone to support their ridiculous idea of filling in Berrimah Farm and the prison. In fact, if you look - again, it is not my idea - the back of this land use structure plan has a very large map of the Darwin region and, in that very large map, it shows the Berrimah Farm and the East Arm port in purple, and that purple is industrial. Why is that? Any sensible person would realise that as the port grows so does the requirement for industrial land. Where do you want that industrial land? You want it close to the port, and the railway, and Tiger Brennan Drive, which will be main access out there on to the Stuart Highway.
It makes common sense, but common sense goes out the door here, because the government has not planned well enough for the future. It does not know what its vision is yet. By the time it fills all the land at Palmerston, will it know its vision? I do not know. I am very happy to debate with the Minister for Planning and Lands about the future of Weddell versus Cox Peninsula. It makes me wonder what the government is thinking. Weddell is close to Palmerston; it has a four-lane highway - the Stuart Highway - going to the east of it; it has a railway line; it has the main water line; and it has a power station close by. It also has land that is 75% owned by the government. You would have to wonder what it is doing.
I have asked for many years why the government has not planned for Weddell; that is, done a Canberra. I am not saying it has to be designed like Canberra. What I am saying is that when Canberra was first put forward, they had a competition to design the city. At least they had a design for the city - not perfect; it does not copy exactly what Sir Walter Burley-Griffin designed - and they stuck with it. They did not have infill. The only place that has infill is the airport in Canberra, which is the same problem we have in Darwin, because the Commonwealth seems to be able to avoid planning controls. I must admit, I have a real problem with the Darwin Airport being exempted from the normal planning conditions of any other part of Darwin. Be that as it may, you do not find infill in Canberra; you find people sticking to a plan. If you get rid of that plan, well, you are just like another city. I am hoping that we do not have just another city; we have a city that is developed around the harbour, broken up by environmental, rural, and industrial.
I do not want to see the rural area subdivided. The member for Goyder just talked about the great benefits of living in the rural area. You subdivide down to small blocks in the rural area and those benefits will disappear. There will be room for some small developer in the rural area. I am not saying that will not happen. We are down to one hectare blocks in some areas, but it is still rural. We do not have a predominance of suburban land there because that is the lifestyle people want. Unfortunately, that land is becoming so expensive that most young people cannot afford to raise a family, a few chooks, a horse, a dog or whatever, because the price of land now is becoming astronomical in the rural area.
The government has an opportunity to develop land in the rural area around the forestry; it is zoned residential. It could be developed into one hectare blocks, especially for first homeowners. Yet, the minister has said no. I believe the vision is not there. I have a feeling that what the minister is trying to say is: ‘We are going to cut this land up into little blocks’, but she is not saying that.
The member for Drysdale raised the issue of the prison. The government, all of a sudden, decided the prison would go. It will not tell us where it is going. It will tell us it is not going near a residential area, but it will not tell us where it is going - secret squirrel business: ‘Not good enough for the public to know where it might go’. That is not planning. That is planning put forward by the government, but I do not think that is good planning for the community.
The minister said in parliament yesterday that Gerry Wood does not support INPEX. I have heard it time and time again; it has been bashed around here many times. I have to say that the whole issue of Gunn Point versus Middle Arm is a classic example of not planning. It is a classic example of the government putting forward arguments in relation to Gunn Point that are spin. I have to repeat it in this House because, I have said all the time that whether we use Glyde Point or not, or Gunn Point – Glyde Point is the area set aside - we should have done an environmental impact statement to look at whether that land was suitable.
As I mentioned yesterday, here is a letter from the Acting Chief Minister at the time, Syd Stirling, on 4 January 2006. This was addressed to the Environment Centre. He said at the time:
The potential for significant environmental impact resulting from the Glyde Point proposal is recognised and accordingly the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage has determined that an environmental impact statement (EIS) be prepared for this development.
There we are. Do we have an environmental impact statement? No. Then, along came the minister for Planning last year - the previous Chief Minister – who took a helicopter flight to Glyde Point, and made a public announcement that the land is not suitable because the Environment Centre NT said it was not. Do not forget the Environment Centre. That is based on the Environment Centre’s document Rainforest to Reef just 40 km from Darwin. A nice book, but it is slightly biased because the Environment Centre does not want any development there at all. When you read it, there are a lot of ifs and buts. I would not regard it as an independent scientific assessment of Glyde Point.
They also received a letter from the Australian Conservation Foundation. They do not believe in anything. You ask them about the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, and you might as well talk to a brick wall; they just do not accept some of these things. What would they know about Glyde Point? It is a far-off distant body of conservationists who might do a good job in some things, but they can be bloomin’ …
Ms Purick: Useless when it comes to the Territory.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and very narrow-minded with tunnel vision.
The other group they mentioned is AFANT. Blow me down! I do not know why. AFANT is a group of nice people, but they are not the only people in this world, and they are not scientists. They have a job to say they have concerns about fishing. That is fine, I am not objecting to that at all. However, to use that without some scientific basis as the reason not to open up Glyde Point, to me, is just spin - especially when we do not have the environmental impact statement which was promised.
Then, to top it off, the minister for Planning said: ‘Glyde Point is such a great place we must protect its pristine environment. So, we will. We will zone it public open space’. For crying out loud! If it was that important, you would zone it Open Conservation. But they did not zone it Open Conservation. Public recreation means you can go around there in your four-wheel drives and have a nice day. So much for the protection of the area.
You said you are also protecting Mickett Creek, which was already Conservation Zone. All they did was add about 100 m of where the corridor to the port was going to go, and included that in the existing zone. That was the spin.
To top that all off, the Chief Minister, after that argument was shown to be spin, said: ‘It is going to cost $500m in infrastructure costs’. This is the second argument; this is the one coming up later. Well, of course, it will cost a lot of money. They forgot to talk about the town of Murrumujuk, which is planned for that area - 10 000 to 15 000 people. If people would actually look around for some documents some time, we have the Murrumujuk Land Use Concept Plan 1990. It might not be perfect. I have had many an argument over the development of this town, but that is not to say I am against it.
When you look at the $500m for infrastructure, what they are forgetting is you can build a town, including some of that infrastructure for the town, sell some of the land to cover the costs of the infrastructure, put the infrastructure into Glyde Point, which the companies would pay some of, and you could have developed it. I would like to ask the minister a rhetorical question: you have bought land from landowners in the rural area for the corridors which go to Glyde Point, the non-existing industrial area. How much money did you spend on that 100 m corridor? Did you pay a certain landowner at least $0.5m to take land off him for a corridor that goes nowhere - the one that you might say now is a transport corridor, but it was not, it was a corridor to go to Glyde Point? There are three of those corridors. I would love to know how much money government spent. If it did its planning, we would not have those corridors. However, they have spent a lot of money on these corridors which go from Darwin to Middle Arm, right out to Glyde Point.
This whole thing is a cover for the lack of good planning. If the government had come to us and said: ‘We have had an environmental impact statement’, and the people have had a chance to look at that environmental impact statement, and said: ‘No, it is a bit dicey as to whether we can develop industry in that area’, I would say fair enough. Or the EPA; the EPA would probably be a fine group to have a look at it.
Last week, I went with the members for Goyder and Brennan in a helicopter to see for myself. There is no doubt there is some fantastic country there. There is the rainforest, and we took the vegetation maps up there ...
Ms Scrymgour: Very fragile diversity.
Mr WOOD: Uh, uh, uh. The whole place is not very fragile diversity. If you want to look at fragile diversity, you would close off the Shoal Bay beach. If you want to see damage, have a look at how many people drive their cars all over the beach ...
Ms Scrymgour: It is different kind of damage.
Mr WOOD: No, it is not, it is a very fragile foreshore area and it is very similar to Bathurst Island foreshore. I say to the member for Arafura that there is some fragile land there - I am not disagreeing with you - but are we not clever enough to develop our Territory where we can protect that environment and have development? There is a lot of land up there and much of it is just bush ...
Ms Scrymgour: No one is arguing against that.
Mr WOOD: No, we are not saying that. What we are saying is, the whole lot is off the face of the earth and we will zone it Open Recreation. You have given yourself away. If it was that important, why did you not turn it into a national park? No, that is the spin; you did not do what you said. You did not protect it because it does not need that kind of protection.
Madam Speaker, that is just one example of poor planning. Of course we have the problem now because the government, in its planning, also took that section out of the NT Planning Scheme - 9.1.12 - where we are not allowed to have LNG and heavy industry in the middle of the harbour. They got rid of that and then they said you can.
We got rid of the independent Development Consent Authority, and the minister is now the independent - well, she is not independent, the minister is the Development Consent Authority for that area. Now, what do we have coming? We have Arafura Resources. I do not have a problem with Arafura Resources; I am not one of those. I stood out there yesterday and I told them I support a radioactive waste facility if it can be done correctly with the site. I do not support the banner that was out there saying ‘No nuclear harbour’, because what they were trying to do was make a big noise about a product that Arafura Resources will actually produce as a simple by-product that we already take over the Darwin port every month with the loads of uranium that come in from Jabiru. What I am concerned about is that they will also be attached to Incitec Pivot, a fertiliser company. As a person who supports industry, I am going to be forced to say - the same as the Chief Minister is trying to do with me now: ‘If you do not like it there you do not support INPEX. If you do not like it there you do not support Arafura Resources. If you do not like it there you do not support Incitec Pivot’.
I am supporting those companies in the right place and, unfortunately now, because the government has cut out all the options, I am now forced to say I support them, but I do not support them there, and I will have to wear the criticism from the Chief Minister saying: ‘You are anti-development’ and all this sort of stuff.
It is a sad state of affairs that the middle of our harbour has not been protected. If we had done as much work protecting the middle of the harbour as we have done for the Daly River we would have a beautiful, pristine harbour. We have now scraped the guts out of it for gravel and designed it for heavy industry. The government should be ashamed of that. Where we go with this in relation to the extra heavy industry which is going to be attached to the LNG plant, I do not know. Regarding the LNG plant, we have not done the planning for that either. If it does come to Blaydin Point, why has the government not said a certain amount of the LNG gas will be kept for ourselves - maybe not now, but later on.
If the election had not come early I would have been in Western Australia looking at the Wesfarmers LNG distribution facility. The boss of Wesfarmers believes that LNG is the future energy supply for heavy industry or for transport in Western Australia. We should be looking at the same thing, especially as the mining and trucking industry is such an important part of Northern Territory development ...
A member: Where are the workers going to stay?
Mr WOOD: Well, that is another question. We have not worked out where the 4000 workers who will come in for INPEX will stay. I submit a positive idea that we could look at developing the western part of Weddell into an Olympic-style village which could then be sold off to people who, normally, would not be able to afford a house. I am not going to go into the details of that because it would have to be refined and worked through, but the concept is the way we should go.
In relation to the CBD, I know the minister said that she has put on a moratorium over heights. To me, that is no big deal in some ways because that is not the big issue. The big issue is the boundary-to-boundary development of blocks in the CBD. We can have discussions about it - I am happy to talk to the planning people, I am happy to be on forums. The reality is right now there are buildings being built in Darwin that do not come under any controls which will stop them building from boundary to boundary.
The 28-storey building on the corner of Edmund and Cavenagh Streets will be replicated four times. I would hate to be the person who paid $400 000 or $500 000 on the 22nd storey of the building to find they wake up the next morning with a building right smack against them. That is an issue that is already occurring at Admiralty House. They are building on the old tennis courts, and I know the people next door are not particularly happy with a concrete view because of the amount of money they invested in buying a unit or an apartment in that area.
The government talks about planning as well. I had to laugh at you in the election - I saw the glossy brochures that said ‘youth rehabilitation centres’. Well, out of the seven years you have been in power, for six of those you have told me all the good reasons why we should close down Wildman River Work Camp. On the seventh day, you decided it was a good idea and then announced it in the election as though you had always believed in them. Give us a break! We need youth rehabilitation camps. We need other things besides that. It is very hard for me to accept that, after being told always all the reasons why Wildman River was not good enough, you turn around now and tell me why Hamilton Downs is a fantastic place. I do not want to be too cynical, but I have reason to be.
However, we need to go further. We need more of those centres, and I do not think they just should be weekend holiday camps. We should be taking these kids out to some of these cattle stations - I have said it time and time again - where they have to work, get some education and have time to think. That is one of the biggest problems we have. Kids need a little time to think about their life. We need the people who work with them to be dedicated people; not just paid governmental people. We need to ensure that the people who work in these areas have a real …
Ms Scrymgour: Reckon that is what Brahminy does.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I know, but they have to have the right people otherwise they will fail. Dillinya, down at Katherine with Sheila Millar - she is a hard worker and she is dedicated …
Ms Scrymgour: No one said she is not.
Mr WOOD: No, no, that was not criticism; do not get me wrong. She is dedicated, and you need people like that who are willing to do that.
I went to the Western Central Rehabilitation Centre in Maryville, Ohio. It is a special place that uses a therapeutic type of rehabilitation. I will not go into describe how it is done there, except it is very much based on ‘I am my brother’s keeper’. The staff who work there are fantastic. Some of them might have had a religious bent - in Ohio, of course, there is a fair bit of religion - but they did not espouse that …
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, they did not, and they were very careful about that. But you knew, deep in their heart, they wanted to help those people who were down and out. If we are developing these things, let us do it carefully and ensure we have the right people to support …
Ms Scrymgour: The Brahminy boys have that ethos, too.
Mr WOOD: Yes.
An area that did get much of a look at in the statement was teachers. I am not sure where we are going with the teachers. Something should have been said about teachers in the statement. I gather some teachers are supporting staying on strike and some are not. I do not know whether they work out the total numbers that are for and the total numbers against, but it is obvious that there are still plenty for staying on strike and some for not staying on strike.
I am interested to hear the government’s viewpoint from the minister. There are many issues. The member for Brennan spoke about the Inclusion Support Assistants, the ISAs. I have heard that time and time again. I have concerns about relief teachers and the funding for them. I have heard that time and time again. They are some of the issues that really hit home when you go to school council meetings, yet, I did not hear anything in here. I did not hear anything about what we are looking at to try to solve the problems that the teachers have. Many of the teachers are exhausted and feel that they have been, to some extent, ignored. This has been going on for a long time and we need to come to a solution. The government has to take the lead role here, not just leave it for the public servants to argue about. I believe there is room for a lead role.
The minister said - and it has been spoken about - how they are looking at recreation facilities in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The one place they forgot was the rural area. One of the things that really brought home to me how little care the government has for the rural area was when they announced not $22m but $27m for sporting and recreation facilities, including the water park in Palmerston. I am not knocking Palmerston, it is a fine place. I go there regularly. I get my bread on Sunday because they close the bakery at Howard Springs on Sunday.
However, to just give us a $1.5m so-called pool - which has some big questions about it - which is $0.5m more than was offered in 2001, knowing that we have one of the best sporting facilities in the Northern Territory mainly run through volunteers and the local council and, occasionally, some grant funding from the government - but to hear absolutely zero at the election was a real kick in the butt for many rural people. That epitomised what rural people think the government thinks about the area they live in.
The minister spoke about infrastructure; she spoke about Tiger Brennan Drive. Fantastic. We need Tiger Brennan Drive. But what are we really doing to get people off the road? The minister said we should not be seeing all these people come in from the rural area and Palmerston day in and day out in vehicles. Buses are not going to solve that. They will help and it is good to see we are looking at the park and drive system. Even though it was in the election campaign as an idea of the previous Labor member for Goyder, I will bet you anything that it was said a number of times in this House by the member for Nelson.
How about a bit of future thinking when we come to infrastructure? Why have we not built the rail into Darwin city, and why can we not build the rail to Humpty Doo? You have a corridor which you are not using - because there is nothing at Glyde Point - which goes along Jenkins Road and Goode Road. You could build a railway station at Humpty Doo, connect to the railway line at Weddell, put a railway station at Weddell because that is where the future town should be, a railway station at Palmerston, and another railway station perhaps at Berrimah so some of the workers could get off there, then right into the heart of Darwin. That is where your buses work from. The buses deliver you to the railway station. Why have we not done something like that?
Railway lines are not high-tech stuff today. They have been built since 1880. We could do that with a diesel car. We could run an airconditioned passenger line. We should be going down the track - it has been said many times before. In fact, I do not know whether he copied my idea, but the member for Casuarina said that, and it was in the Katherine Times that we should have a daily rail service from Katherine to Darwin. I agree. We are not stepping out of the comfort zone and going into a more lateral thinking zone. We need to look at that.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: I thank the member for Port Darwin.
I thought that road safety would be a key issue. One of the things that is crying out for debate in this House and, generally, is why 50 people have died on our roads so far this year. There has been much debate in here about the speed limits. There has been a lot of debate about how things were going to improve. I believe there needs to be much more debate and more bipartisan debate in this case.
I am not a fan of the open speed limit being removed but it should have been taken off some other way. It should have been done road by road. The Daly River Road should never have been an open speed limit - I have driven on that - but other roads could have been open speed limit. We just had a blanket ban and that was it. However, without getting into that debate too much, we have a serious problem. We had headlines when nine soldiers were injured in Afghanistan. We have lost six in the last five years we have been there. We have lost 50 in the Northern Territory. Why is that not a bit more serious? Our soldiers go into a danger zone knowing that they could be killed or injured.
We have young people dying in the Territory, especially in the rural area. The young girl who died recently was 17 years old. My wife used to teach at Sacred Heart School, Berrimah, seven years ago. She knew her when she would have been 10 years old. Two young people from the Litchfield Bears have died. There is a young bloke whose parents died on the ATVs. I would love to get time to discuss that we need to do more about ATVs and off-road bikes - about an education program and also a police program to ensure people are wearing helmets and are registered. There are too many people getting injured on those forms of equipment.
Getting back to the numbers of people who are dying, perhaps I could ask the minister - and I am not sure which minister, but maybe the minister for Planning and Infrastructure – if we could see a breakdown of exactly what the reasons were for each individual death so far in the Northern Territory. We have a lot of debate about high speed. I do not know whether there is a Coroner’s report done on each one of those. I am not asking for a full Coroner’s report, but it would be nice to see exactly what it was.
I have said in here before that if someone is, say, on their second drink-driving offence and they are caught driving, take the car off them, because the car kills them. If it is someone else’s car, well, maybe they have to pay a fine to get it back. If the car is not registered or the person is not licensed and they have had one warning, take the car off them, and they can get the car back when the car is registered or they have their licence. We have to be a little more specific about some of these issues, because we just cannot go on doing this - this is terrible.
I have said before one of our problems is we believe drunkenness is okay. I have said this time and time again. Our society seems to say getting drunk is okay. We need to change that attitude. It is not about alcohol, it is not about having a drink, it is not about having a good time; it is about the abuse of alcohol. I get sick of the times we get stuck into Aboriginal communities. I know darn well that is biased, because I see plenty of it in my own community. The people who died in the rural area were not Aboriginal; they were non-Aboriginal. I will bet that, in some cases, it had a fair bit to do with alcohol and mucking about. You become a sort of god when you have had too much to drink.
We talk about smoking and we ban smoking and say how terrible it is. We really need to put out a message that drinking is fine when drinking in moderation. The program the CLP had, Living with Alcohol - I remember seeing some ads, and it was exactly about that. They were saying: ‘Enjoy the alcohol, but do not get carried away, do not drink too much’. We need some good discussion - and it might be robust, but we can do that and still be bipartisan - about how we are going to reduce the numbers of deaths on our roads, to look at the causes and ask whether we are really being fair dinkum.
I have said time and time again that there is too much emphasis on sport and alcohol. There is too much influence with alcohol advertising through sport. If you watch the cricket, it is VB; watch the footy, something else. You have those ads on television. We really have to look at the influences in our society and the effects. I have probably been harping on this since about 1981. I actually found my original posters that we had for Bathurst Island when we spoke about the same problem, the influence of advertising. We had a logo: ‘Think before you drink’. We should be looking at some of those things.
In the time I have left, I want to raise the issue of power. I know that we are, hopefully, going to have power from Blacktip to supply our generators. In the meantime, I am told we are going to have an enormous need for diesel. I asked this question in the Estimates Committee this year and I do not have the figure here. There was a lot of diesel used last year in the Wet Season. I am interested to know how much is going to be used this year - I imagine there is less gas - what is the cost, and how will that be funded? Will that be passed on to the consumers? What is the cost of getting gas from ConocoPhillips? The government is building a line from Wickham Point to the Channel Island Power Station. We need to know some answers about that because, again, planning should have made sure this did not happen.
Madam Speaker, there is one other issue, and that is Aboriginal employment. I have mentioned it before; I mentioned it on television on election night. I heard the minister say that we spend $1.2bn on Aborigines. That is fine, but as has been said before, what is the outcome? We have some of the lowest literacy and numeracy rates, and we have some of the highest unemployment rates. It irks me when the minister says what great employment rates we have in the Northern Territory. I know, from first-hand experience, especially when we got rid of CDEP, that unemployment rates on Aboriginal communities are extremely high. That is a key problem. We need the housing, we need the education, but we need people doing things. Even if you have a house that is no good, it would be nice to get up in the morning to go to work to do something useful.
I say we need simpler solutions. I was the Works Supervisor for Nguiu Shire Council. I know you have heard it before, but we had 107 people working for us because we were given the funds. We made the work. We had tractors, mowers, and equipment. If you want to advance people, then give them work and they will then, with a bit of education to help with night schools - we used to have a few night schools at Bathurst Island but they seem to have gone out the door. Give people an opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy and they have an opportunity to go further. You cannot start halfway, or up at the top. If some people do not have the education, or they are not used to working, then let us start them working and pay them, and we do not have unemployment benefits.
We ensure the Commonwealth supplies sufficient funds, sufficient capital equipment, and the right people to help. Again, not anybody can come in and work in these communities. They are tough, especially when someone knocks on your door and wants your car at night because they want to go for a ride in it, or you have not paid them and then they want to belt down your door because they did not turn up for work so we do did not pay them. I know what that feeling is like and you have to be pretty tough to say no. However, we need to do it. It is a bit of a tough love syndrome but, if we are going to help people, we need full employment in these communities. Give people opportunities. They can work on their own community, or they can make a decision to work somewhere else.
I have said before, look at the Aboriginal people here; what wonderful people they are. However, what did they do? They went to school somewhere else and got a good education. They were lucky. Others are not as lucky as that. We should be working hard and planning. We need to make decisions. I have sat in here for ages and ages and talked about this. We have these grand schemes and I still believe the unemployment level is this high and the literacy and numeracy level is this low. Keep it simple. Go out there and do some things that I know can work from personal experience. Maybe it was 30 years ago, but I do not see any difference between a council 30 years ago and a council today. Maybe the new councils will fix it. I wish them luck. I am not so sure.
Madam Speaker, I know we have covered a broad range of issues, but that is what we should be discussing; the real issues that confound the Territory and confront us as Territorians. We need to work, we need to plan, and we do not need the spin.
Debate suspended.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Hon Steele Hall, the Premier of South Australia from 1968 to 1970, and his wife Mrs Joanna Hall, also a former South Australian member. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I respond to the address by His Honour the Administrator. His Honour said that much has been achieved, and he is right. The result of 9 August represented endorsement of the government’s policies for the future. His Honour made it clear that Territorians expect the government to continue to move the Territory ahead and get the job done.
The election was tough and I thank the people of the Daly electorate for continuing to put their faith in me and the Henderson government. As the Chief Minister said earlier today, this is a very exciting period in our history. I am proud to be part of the Henderson team.
I am privileged to hold four very important portfolios: Housing, Local Government, Essential Services and Public Employment. Getting things right in these portfolios will make the Territory a great place to live, work and raise a family. I intend to inform the House in detail about the directions we will take in each of these areas.
A key factor in moving the Territory ahead is addressing the shortage of housing and making housing more affordable for all Territorians. This is fundamental to creating the future we want for our children and fellow Territorians.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister talked about a partnership with the Commonwealth that is delivering the biggest housing program since self-government. The program, known as the Strategic Indigenous Housing Infrastructure Program (SIHIP), will start in the coming months. The program will deliver $647m in additional remote housing and infrastructure spend over the next five years. The program will reduce the rate of overcrowding in a number of Aboriginal communities across the Territory and enable the upgrade of existing houses to improve the living conditions of those tenants.
The Henderson government believes in economic growth. The benefits of that growth must be shared by the whole community. The SIHIP program has a diverse set of objectives which will improve Indigenous communities by providing better housing and related infrastructure, employment and training outcomes, together with Indigenous participation in both program development and delivery. The alliance partnership approach chosen to deliver the program has proved popular, with 24 responses received from industry interested in tendering as an alliance partner. From these, five companies have been short-listed to submit a request for proposal to form an alliance partnership. I am looking forward to announcing a minimum of three alliance partners next month.
This program will deliver around 1000 new homes, approximately 2500 refurbishments, essential infrastructure to support the new homes, and improvements in living conditions in town camps. The department has a key role in providing employment opportunities for Indigenous people through the housing construction and repairs and maintenance programs. I am looking forward to working with my colleague, the Minister for Regional Development, in his new portfolio, in this respect.
Housing reform is more than building new homes. We are committed to changing the way government delivers housing in the bush. We need sustainable outcomes for these important assets that are fundamental to health and social outcomes. The Remote Public Housing Management Framework aims to improve tenancy management systems in the bush to allow community residents to have access to housing services equivalent to that of urban public housing tenants. Part of the model going forward is a life skills program to give Indigenous people the skills necessary to improve tenancy outcomes.
We are also committed to investing in government employee housing - housing to support the increased numbers of Australian and Northern Territory government public servants who are delivering education, health, and law and order in those communities. Under the Closing the Gap program, we have allocated $42m additional funding to increase the government housing stock in remote communities.
Last week, I travelled to Canberra to attend the Housing Ministers Conference. When I was there, I raised the unique challenges in the delivery of social housing in the Territory. This was to ensure that the Territory gets the most out of the new National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) with the Commonwealth. That is my priority as a minister for this government. I am looking forward to working with my state and federal counterparts for better outcomes for the Territory.
In the Territory, we are continuing to create affordable housing options through the HomeNorth Scheme and by allocating 15% of lots in new land releases for affordable housing. Whilst I was in Canberra, I had the opportunity to have a look at several affordable housing options. I believe they are products we could bring to the Territory.
The Chief Minister has announced that the government also will develop and implement a Territory housing plan. This plan will help address housing affordability in the Territory. I have already met with key officers in the Department of Local Government and Housing to discuss innovative policies, and will make an announcement concerning public and private housing in the coming months.
During the election campaign, we heard loud and clear that the issue of housing affordability is one that needs priority action by this government. We need fresh ideas, and the changes I will be announcing will lead to some real results. We will help those Territorians wanting to enter the housing market, those Territorians who are in need of public housing, and we will target the burden of high rents. Ongoing stamp duty cuts and the HomeNorth program will continue.
I welcome the accelerated land release program that my colleague, minister Lawrie, announced just a few days ago. I also welcome the Chief Minister’s announcement that these plans will not be focused on the Palmerston and Darwin areas alone. Areas in my electorate, including places such as Wadeye, will also benefit from additional land release and housing programs. We need to work hard in the bush, with many remote towns growing at a faster rate than major cities like Darwin. We also need to look at the planned renewal of those towns as well.
In the Local Government area, this government has already embarked upon the most ambitious local government reform process in the Territory’s history. We have implemented the framework which saw eight large, new shire councils and three small shire councils established and operating on 1 July this year. Local government reform has led to the creation of new shires that are now delivering and improving local government services. The process of improving the structure of local government is an ongoing step-by-step process to ensure the new councils have the necessary tools to lead the communities forward.
At present, the new shires are being managed by shire council committees in conjunction with the shire managers. This is to ensure that the views of the community and priorities are key considerations for all shire directions. Local government is moving ahead across the Territory, with strong councils ready to lead regional development in the bush. Some of my discussions in Canberra were that the Australian government is looking at these shires as being a key body to work with. Greater capacity will come to those shires, not only through greater funding, but also through work the department will do in building the knowledge within those elected members.
Through my extensive travel across the Territory, people in the bush have told me they are ready to take that next step in changing local government. Preparations for the upcoming elections are proceeding well. The elections will be run by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. The nominations actually open tomorrow. For all those people intending to stand, they can start to submit nominations then. The elections for the new shires will be held on 25 October. I encourage interested Territorians in those areas to stand for election. These new local governments offer a great opportunity for people to really represent their region, with a new body to take it forward.
A strategy for voter and intending candidate education and awareness has also been developed and that will be rolling out very shortly. The strategy is planned in three stages to dovetail with the key dates of voter enrolment, candidate nomination, and the polling itself. Ensuring the message gets out is critical to the success of the election, ensuring that we have strong local government. The communication strategy for provision of election education and awareness includes: television commercials; radio in Indigenous language and English; press advertising and copies in shires and regional newsletters and community media. I am sure local members would also put something in their newsletters. We are also following this up with posters, leaflets, fact sheets using pictographic representation and translated into language, and the use of audio CDs as well as downloads from the department’s and shire’s websites.
However, the work does not stop after the election. I will continue to meet with people across the Territory to listen to their ideas, comments and concerns surrounding local government. The process of developing the shires will continue for many years under the direction of these newly-elected councillors.
An important part of the reform is governance training, after the election, for all the elected members. This will be a key tool in the development of the capacity of these shires to ensure they function and perform at the highest level.
Creating real jobs in communities is important for their future, as is the engagement of local people in delivering those services in their communities. We have been negotiating with the Australian government to continue funding for real jobs that were identified for the delivery of municipal and essential services to outstations, and were previously CDEP jobs. In October 2007, the Northern Territory government and the Australian government signed a memorandum of understanding that has committed both governments to the transitioning of Indigenous men and women from CDEP into real jobs in local government core services. Already, 408 jobs for Indigenous people in local government core services have been created. This year, we secured funding agreements with the Commonwealth agencies for up to $25m for operational funding to local government councils.
In moving forward, I am committed to ensuring our local government reform delivers strong and effective participation by councils as the proper third sphere of government; strong, stable functioning councils that abide by the legislation and operate with best practice; and stable and professional local government that delivers effective and efficient services to their communities.
My other portfolio responsibility is Public Employment, and the relevant agency I am responsible for is the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment. Under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act the Commissioner for Public Employment has a wide range of functions, amongst which the commissioner is the statutory employer of public servants employed under that act. The commissioner is also required to provide advice to me on the monitoring and implementation of employment policies. In summary, the commissioner has prime responsibility for public sector management and industrial issues.
Also included under the commissioner’s umbrella is NT Build, which administers the Construction Industry Long Service Leave and Benefits Act; and the Office of the Workplace Advocate which provides free advice to private sector employees and employers with the aim of providing fair, safe and more productive workplaces.
Over the life of this government, the commissioner has the role of leading what this government has labelled reform and revitalisation of the Northern Territory public service. The Henderson government set strategic directions for the public sector to achieve this reform and revitalisation agenda. The first task is the development of a whole-of-service strategic workplace plan to cover the next few years. The NTPS, like the rest of the community, is facing skills shortages which are primarily brought about by the ageing population. As Northern Territory public servants leave, whether because of retirement or for other reasons, the competition for available people to take their places is increasing. We need to respond to this by having a plan in place to ensure we have the right people with the right mix of skills and values, at the right time and in the right places.
The reform and revitalisation agenda will also include: a review of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act to ensure it provides a contemporary base for public sector employment; a review of the government’s wages policy; updating the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy, and the Willing and Able Strategy which aims to provide employment for people with disabilities in the Northern Territory public service; and the further development of innovation, recognition and reward programs in government agencies.
The government’s election commitment for the new public sector recognition, Innovation and reward program will see a new scholarship program with financial assistance for 25 public servants to undertake specialist training or studies. We will also introduce a graduate recruitment and career development program aimed at giving on-the-job training to young Territorians with potential. We will also be introducing the Chief Minister’s Public Service Medal to recognise high-performing employees for their innovation and/or service to the community.
The reform and revitalisation package will also see biennial staff surveys introduced across the Northern Territory Public Service so we know how each public servant is feeling about their employment, their aspirations, and how the NTPS and its agencies are being managed. A new approach to executive leadership development will be introduced, with the aim of focusing on the needs of individuals rather than the ‘one size fits all’ approach. The NTPS and Charles Darwin University will also become members of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, the pre-eminent provider of public sector leadership programs in our region. Finally, because we want to uphold all that is good about the NTPS, a package will also be developed that promotes and reinforces public sector values and standards within the service.
As I mentioned earlier, the role of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate is to provide advice to public sector employees and employers with the aim of providing fair, safe and more productive employment.
During the term of this government, NT Build will continue to provide more than 10 000 building and construction industry workers with long-service leave benefits commensurate with workers in other jurisdictions. I look forward to working with the key stakeholders within this area of the public sector to make it a strong, viable sector into the future.
As the Minister for Essential Services, I am also responsible for the Power and Water Corporation. The Power and Water Corporation delivers power, water, and sewerage services to almost 80 000 customers in cities, towns and remote communities across the Territory. As a Government Owned Corporation, it operates commercially to meet a number of challenges. Vast distances, a tough operational environment, nationwide skills shortages, and high fuel prices all impact on its business activities.
Power and Water staff contend with floods and cyclones, high humidity, severe storms, spectacular lightning and the dreaded fruit bat here in the Top End, through to the desert environment in the southern region with water paucity and temperature extremes.
Aside from business as usual, the corporation has a major program to meet the growing demands of expanding business and increased population here in the Northern Territory. In the 2007-08 financial year, the corporation commenced a five-year $1bn asset investment program that will ensure security of electricity and water supply now and in the future, with improving safety standards and environmental performance. This major investment program will not only benefit customers through a better service delivery of essential services, but it will significantly benefit Territory industry. Works on the majority of the key projects of the major investment program are under way.
The projects and their total overall costs include: $126m to build a new power station and power line at Weddell to service the Darwin/Palmerston regions; $35m to progress work on the Darwin Sewerage Strategy which includes the closing of the Larrakeyah outfall by 2010-11 financial year and also the upgrading of the Ludmilla Waste Water Treatment Plant; nearly $80m to build the Owen Springs power station at the Brewer Industrial Estate and transmission line to Alice Springs; $27m to underground power in Darwin’s northern suburbs; $11m to build the Archer Zone Substation for Palmerston; $11m to upgrade power in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Yulara; $11m to raise the height of the Darwin River Dam up to 1.3 m, which will increase the capacity of the dam by 20%; and lastly, $5m to upgrade the Roe Creek bore field in Alice Springs.
These key projects will contribute to increasing the security of supply and reliability of water and electricity service for all Territorians.
Gas to power over 90% of the Territory’s electricity will be sourced from the Blacktip field in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, coming onshore at Wadeye. All major contracts for the onshore and offshore components of this $1bn Blacktip gas project have already been awarded. APA Group has been contracted to construct the $168m 286 km Bonaparte gas pipeline, with works started early in 2008 and on schedule for completion in 2009. This will transport gas from the processing plant at Yelcher Beach, near Wadeye, right across to Ban Ban Springs just off the Stuart Highway. It is a huge undertaking.
As a back-up, a contract for an 11 km interconnection to the Darwin liquefied natural gas facility at Wickham Point has been negotiated, along with the contract to purchase supplementary and emergency gas supplies from April 2009.
In line with the growing importance of sustainability, Power and Water is also working to minimise its impact on the environment, and is delivering a sustainable energy strategy. Over time, Power and Water intends to reduce average emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity generated by about 10%, which equates to a reduction of around 100 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. This will be achieved by using the latest technology in new power stations which will be more efficient and produce fewer emissions than existing plants.
To help overcome the challenge of attracting and keeping skilled staff, Power and Water is growing its own and currently has over 60 apprentices and trainees in the organisation, and is committed to taking on 11 apprentices every year. This is a great achievement. I had the good fortune to meet some of the apprentices whilst I was in Alice Springs looking at the power station. It is great to see an organisation promoting young people into trades.
The closure of the Larrakeyah sewage outfall is under way. Work has commenced and a program is in place to close the Larrakeyah sewage outfall by 2011. The project will reduce potential environmental impact by eliminating untreated sewage discharge to the harbour. Over the next four years, $35m will be spent on completing this project.
A result of the Territory’s booming economy is the growing demand for power and water services for new houses and also new and expanding businesses. Power and Water is well placed to meet these growing demands and to deliver a $1bn infrastructure program over the next five years.
Madam Speaker, the Administrator talked about the important task ahead for this government. This government will deliver on every election commitment we made. I will work hard to ensure that we meet the challenges within my portfolio. I look forward to playing my role in delivering every commitment of the Henderson government to improve the lives of Territorians.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I thank the Administrator for his address on Tuesday. I congratulate you on being elected as the Speaker of this House – a difficult job in the best of times and, perhaps, an almost impossible job in the worst of times. I know you will continue with the dignity you have displayed over the last term and, particularly, over the last 15 months since I have been here.
I also offer my congratulations to all newly elected members on both sides of the House and to all re-elected members. I know it is very special to be elected to parliament.
I concur with the member for Nelson who made the comment in the adjournment on Tuesday night that the speeches had a common theme; that of the betterment of the Northern Territory. There was great stuff from all members. I thought the member for Barkly was very entertaining. I know it was from the heart, but it was also a very entertaining speech. Also, entertaining was the speech by the new member for Nhulunbuy, who finished with around 80% of the primary vote. I remember the former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, saying that if there was one thing the former member for Nhulunbuy wanted, it was to preserve his very high primary vote. The new member for Nhulunbuy has surpassed that and has come out with about 80%. That is a great achievement, and big congratulations. Clearly, there is a fair bit of work for the Country Liberals in the Gove region. Nevertheless, a great result.
The member for Nelson’s primary vote was 70% to 75%. He has done a great job. Congratulations to everyone and, of course, to my colleagues in Alice Springs. The member for Araluen’s vote was 69%, or so it turned out to be in the end ...
Ms Carney: Primary vote
Mr CONLAN: Two party preferred was about 75%. The Old Timers village, which I used to have and nurtured so well over the last 12 months which then went to you, I reckon that was a couple of hundred votes for sure. Nevertheless …
Ms Carney: They still love you, Matt.
Mr CONLAN: They are in very good hands. I thank all the people of Greatorex, to those who have allowed me to be re-elected after the by-election last year. I, too, had an increase in my primary vote and the two party preferred, and that is simply humbling. It is an honour to be backed with such confidence by the people.
However, it is not for lack of hard work. It really is about getting out there and talking to people, knocking on doors and doing the hard physical yakka that goes with fame. In my 15 months in parliament, I have been through two elections, so I am aware of the work required to be re-elected. It is humbling and I am very grateful to all those people of Greatorex who have allowed me to represent them and the people of Central Australia.
Of course, a common theme throughout the course of the maiden speeches and the Address-in-Reply speeches has been that we are here for all constituents, not just those who voted for us. Sometimes, that it is a message which might be a bit hard to get across to those people who did not vote for you, but you can win their confidence - and that has been displayed. The member for Araluen highlighted that in her speech the other day, when some rusted-on Labor voters voted for the member for Araluen for the very first time. Clearly, it is possible to bring people across and to demonstrate that you can represent all people in the electorate. It is interesting too, that people may not vote for you but, as a local member, you take the party politics out of things. We are just people on the ground trying to do the best for those people in our electorate. That is a testament to all of us here today.
My wife, Elara, has been a constant support. Karen Berry, my electorate officer, is an absolute godsend for me. She has a stack of experience in the public service. She was a former electorate officer to former minister, Barry Coulter, in the 1980s and 1990s, so she certainly knows how to get things done and how things are done, and the procedures of the Assembly and government. She has been a great guiding hand.
Michael Jones, the chair of the Alice Springs branch, has done a terrific job. He has reinvigorated the Country Liberal branch in Alice Springs with some youth and enthusiasm. Of course, that is saying nothing about our former chairman, David Koch, who has done a great job as well. As David resigned to contest the mayoral election earlier this year, Michael Jones stepped into the breach and has done a fabulous job. I thank all those people.
I believe the election was a vote for the government to listen, and to listen more. The Chief Minister articulated that on the Sunday morning. I will never forget the photo in the Sunday Territorian of the ashen-faced Chief Minister and ‘Labor Pains’ and, down the side, the swing. The government talked about a mandate and, clearly, this was a mandate to listen. We have been saying it for a very long time. Ever since I have been in this House, and in my previous role interviewing members of this parliament, it has been a common theme around Central Australia and, indeed, across the Northern Territory for a long time: the government needs to listen more and listen properly.
We were accused of talking down the town whenever we said the government needed to do more to address issues in town. It is interesting that Alice Springs and Central Australia did not buy that. Whether the government wanted them to heel, beg, or submit into voting for them – well, they got the reverse. The town of Alice Springs, like it does, jacked up even more.
Areas of law and order, planning, land release, regional development, health and education - there is almost no issue in Central Australia that is void of any concern for the people of Alice Springs and, indeed, Central Australia. I include the Barkly; the member for Barkly would know all too well the issues facing that part of the Northern Territory.
I believe the Country Liberals put forward some terrific and practical policies which resonated with the electorate. That was why the electorates of the Northern Territory showed such confidence in us. Some of these the government has or should take up. We have seen it already with the CCTV cameras and the Department of Regional Development in Central Australia. I am not sure what guise that is going to take on ...
Ms Carney: I do not think they know yet either, Matt.
Mr CONLAN: Well, yes. Our model was perhaps staggered over a longer period of time, but with the view of having a minister based in Central Australia. That is what Central Australia needs and what Central Australia wants. I hold out the hope that the member for Stuart or the member for Macdonnell may be able to obtain that position one day and have the department based in Central Australia.
I have spoken to the new Minister for Central Australia. It is terrific to see a Minister for Central Australia actually from Central Australia. This government broke with a 30-year tradition by appointing the member for Daly to the Minister for Central Australia’s role - whose office is based at Coolalinga. That did not go down well at all with those of us in the Centre and, I believe, perhaps those on the other side of the House. That is not meant to be disparaging towards the member for Daly. He performed reasonably well in difficult circumstances. It is very hard; this is a big place, and it is difficult logistically to get up and down to these parts of the Territory when required, particularly between Alice Springs and Darwin. There was no lack of effort on his part, but this government did break with tradition and, for the first time ever, we saw a Cabinet with no Central Australia representation. It is good to see that that has been restored.
I know the new Minister for Central Australia has been a vocal critic of this government at times. I hope she will continue to be a vocal critic, and advocate for her region and the people of Central Australia. I met with her a couple of weeks ago. We met in my office and talked about some issues relating to the Centre and bipartisan ways we can go forward to address the issues of Central Australia and make headway into some of those areas: law and order, land release, regional development and core government functions like health and education. I hope she continues to be the great advocate for the Centre, as she has been, now that she has a very important job as Minister for Central Australia. I hope she continues that.
Considering the swing in Central Australia the Chief Minister said on 10 August he is going to address issues of Central Australia. I would have thought by now we would have had a ministerial report or even a ministerial statement on the Centre. There has been nothing so far. Perhaps that will come next week. I hope so.
An area we did discuss with the minister, and one which I hope to discuss as we go along, was the CCTV. I know the government is committed to that. That was a commitment we put forward before the election campaign. We believed in freeing up funds for the town council. It is very hard for the Alice Springs Town Council to engage in community projects when they simply do not have the money. We all know that the Alice Springs Town Council’s budget is right to the hilt. They have nothing left over at the end of it. If we are able to free up some of that money for the council, they can proceed with community projects and spend money where necessary around the Alice Springs municipality. That was a commitment by the Country Liberals. It is good to see that the government has committed to closed circuit television throughout Central Australia. I am sure the Alice Springs Town Council will appreciate the extra money they will get as a result of that.
Shade at the Charles Darwin University campus is a big issue. I had a meeting the other week with the Alice Springs Town Council, Charles Darwin University, and the department of Sport and Recreation about shade for CDU. It was another commitment by the Country Liberals. It was staggering and mind-boggling why we could not get any shade there - a simple shade structure. I remember, on a previous committee I was on with the members for Stuart, Arnhem, Macdonnell, and the former member for Katherine, we went to Katherine YMCA. They had some simple shade structures there which cost about $12 000 each. It is not big money. This is the sort of model we are looking for; some very simple shade structure around Charles Darwin University to be used every day of the school year. It is baked in 40C-plus heat throughout summertime and is used every weekend for cricket - junior cricket, particularly, and senior cricket in the afternoon. We have to look after the kids and protect them from exposure to the sun. That has been a pretty long hard-fought battle, but it looks like we may be getting somewhere.
I am not sure whether that has been a directive of anyone in this House. I am not sure if anyone has a hand in that, but I was approached by the department of Sport and Recreation to attend this meeting with the town council and Charles Darwin University, and it looks like it is going to go ahead. Mind you, Probuild (NT) Pty Ltd in Alice Springs is donating it, so no one is actually paying for it. They actually donated it on the proviso they can call it the Probuild Shade Structure ...
Ms Carney: And the government weasled out of it again.
Mr CONLAN: The government will probably highjack the initiative there and say: ‘Look what we have done’. Nevertheless, we have to rise above these things and say it is for the benefit of the Alice Springs community. It is good to see that going ahead. Unfortunately, it will not be in time for the Masters Games but should be in time for the cricket season.
The police station refurbishment was, as you said, member for Araluen. We had a tour of the police station just after the Greatorex by-election and I could not find one person who said that they loved working in the conditions at the Alice Springs Police Station. We find now, on 10 August, and subsequent days, that there is a commitment. I have a recollection that it is $6m for the Alice Springs Police Station upgrade which is very good and well overdue. It is the second oldest police station in the Northern Territory. It has deteriorated significantly in the last seven years. It certainly needs some attention, and it is good to see that it is getting some attention to the tune of $6m.
I will come to health services shortly. Disability health services particularly throughout Central Australia, and parents of disabled children, seem to be areas where government can really step up. Many parents with disabled children find it extremely tough even with little things such as trying to get out of the house. I do not have a disabled child, but I know many of my constituents who do, and it is very tiring and, at times, extremely trying to get five minutes to yourself. It is an area government should be looking into: disability health services for not only the children, but also for the parents.
Acacia Hill School does a marvellous job. They are extremely overworked, but they do a terrific job. Unfortunately, the kids at Acacia Hill will reach the age of 18, 19 or 20 and, then essentially, will have to leave the school. So all those skills they have developed through the years at Acacia Hill School go to waste in many cases; they have nowhere to go, and no jobs to go into. It is an area I would like to see government - the Minister for Health and/or community services - focus a little on.
Oral health services is also a big issue for Central Australia. We have a situation where public dentists are being paid something along the lines of $75 000 a year, when a first-year graduate in private practice gets something to the tune of $150 000 a year. Why would you be in the public sector when you can be earning big money as a first-year graduate in the private sector? Dentists earn pretty good money, and I do not think any of us here likes parting with our hard earned money every time we go to the dentist. However, there is a gap there and it is a serious issue. I am finding situations where, if you go to a public dentist to get a filling, you might need three fillings, but you cannot get all three done at once. You have to make another appointment and it could be anything between six to 12 months before you can get one. I know it is a big issue in Central Australia as it is across the NT.
There are areas of health where we are making great ground, but there are also other areas that get swept under the carpet - perhaps not swept under the carpet; that might be a bit too harsh, but overlooked in the grand scheme of things and they are oral health and disability health services.
Has the government considered doing anything with the Melanka Resort in Central Australia? As you know, it was going to become the new Gilligan’s. I believe there were some planning issues regarding the height of the building so Gilligan’s pulled out. Is it also as a result of lack of confidence in tourism in Central Australia? It has the prime location. It does not get much more prime CBD location than where Melanka is. We now have an eyesore, and I believe the construction company is going to demolish the building and level the site - then it will just be a hole in the ground. I do not know what government can do. I do not know how appropriate it is for government as, obviously, it is a private consideration. Maybe it is a matter of picking up the phone and trying to find someone to develop that site and saying something along the lines of: ‘What do we need to do to get you into this place?’
It is a prime location and, essentially, we have lost 400 beds as a result of that. There were 400 backpacker beds at Melanka, and now they are gone and we have just managed to weather a peak season. Beds are at a premium in Central Australia at the moment. Unfortunately, that is not a direct result of massive tourism; it is largely a result of the intervention. We have many Commonwealth public servants in Central Australia as a result of the federal government’s intervention, and they are taking up the beds and the hire cars. They are not using the tourism operators such as the ballooning, the RFDS, or the Outback Quads, or whatever it might be. I wonder whether the government can look at that. It really does need something, being such a prime location in the Centre.
Cycling tourism is also big. There is a fellow in Alice Springs who is a triathlete, a champion of sorts. He is putting forward suggestions - maybe some of the local members have seen in the Alice Springs News - about cycle tourism and the amount of money that it can bring into a region. It is absolutely huge in Europe. It is very simple. It just needs a little landscaping - designated tracks and that sort of thing. It is pretty simple as it is bicycle tourism not motorbikes. You might have a series of tracks - perhaps like walking tracks we have all over our national parks - for cycling. There is a perfect area in Alice Springs. It is in Stuart – it borders on Greatorex and Stuart – and that is up through Currajong Drive where there is the big bend through there. There are already a couple of little walking tracks and through there would be a perfect spot for cycle tourism.
This fellow’s name is Jack Oldfield and he has already seen me. We are having a meeting in the next couple of weeks. We would be happy to meet with the Minister for Central Australia and the minister for Sport on this. I said I would like to meet him again and, perhaps, bring in stakeholder groups including the ministers and Peter Grigg from Tourism Central Australia to see if this is something we could do. I believe it is relatively inexpensive and the gains certainly outweigh the cost involved.
I am having a meeting with the General Manager of Tourism Central Australia, Peter Grigg, and a dual Finke Desert Race champion, Rick Hall, who most of us in the Centre would know, about a range climb. We have heard about the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, which is an absolute drawcard in Sydney; people love it. We want to talk about introducing a range climb in the MacDonnell Ranges. This is not my idea. This is the idea of Rick Hall, a friend and a constituent. We are going to have a meeting about this tomorrow morning, when I fly back to Alice Springs, to nut out some of the bits and pieces. We will then meet with Peter Grigg. Some Central Australian members, government members and ministers might meet him with me, and with Peter Grigg, to see if we can do this. This has not been costed yet. We are at the grassroots of the idea. However, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, a range climb in Central Australia could be a real winner and drawcard.
Health has obviously been a big topic over the last couple of days. I cannot let the opportunity go by in this Address-in-Reply to comment on the ministerial responsibility that the Minister for Health appears to be dodging. We are faced with extraordinary circumstances. This story in the paper about Margaret Winter is terrible and the Minister for Health is avoiding responsibility for that. I have a couple of texts here. These were written by professors. I would like to read out a couple of quotes and perhaps the minister might listen to those, read them in the Parliamentary Record, take them away and ponder them. This is from a book called Government, Politics and Power in Australia which talks about ministerial responsibility:
- Individual ministers are said to be responsible to parliament for their own and their department’s actions. Collective ministerial responsibility requires that all ministers take responsibility for the government’s decisions. Members of the ministry are unable to deny responsibility for the government’s actions by disassociating themselves from cabinet decisions.
That first line particularly says it all, Madam Speaker. ‘Individual ministers are said to be responsible to the parliament for their own and their department’s actions’. That was from Government, Politics and Power in Australia. Another one is, Public Policy in Australia, by Professors Weller and Warhurst and Senior Lecturers, Davis and Wanna:
- Ministers are responsible to parliament for the actions of their departments. They act as the link between the administration and the parliament, to ensure that there is a line of accountability for all the actions of the executive. They are required to explain their policy to parliament, to account for the activities of their officials ...
Another quote is from the book Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice by Graham Maddox, it is the third edition. It is a little longer and more complex and says:
- This glaring discrepancy between chapter 2 of the constitution and the real structure of government is one of several serious and fundamental problems which the constitution creates for this country ... The historical explanation is a simple one. The draftsmen of the constitution took responsible government, or cabinet government to give it another name, for granted. They also recognized however that it is not easy to reduce such a constantly changing and evolving political concept to a strict constitutional formula. They therefore adopted the basically sensible device of sketching in the formal position of the crown and the governor-general on the assumption that the realities of government in a parliamentary system could be taken for granted.
In other words, it is glaringly obvious when they wrote the Constitution, that the Executive - that is, the Cabinet - are ultimately responsible for their decisions. It is pretty plain that we have a situation before this parliament where the Minister for Health is not taking responsibility for the actions of his department which, ultimately, led to the death of Mrs Margaret Winter.
The minister has said resourcing is adequate. The Coroner noted that, in 2006-07 there was no additional money for nurses for general medical wards. The question then is: how is this adequate resourcing - particularly given the minister admits there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital?
We have been through that today, ad nauseam. I can assure you we will be continuing that line throughout the course of parliament. I ask the minister to seriously consider his position as the Minister for Health of the Northern Territory.
By calling an early election and trying to kid the people of the Northern Territory that it had something to do with securing a major infrastructure project for Darwin, the Chief Minister has inadvertently reinvigorated the parliament of the Northern Territory and delivered us eight new members. We now have a unified, vibrant team of 11 versus 13 with one Independent. I believe Senator Scullion said on election night that that Independent is in the bosom of the Country Liberals.
It was clearly lip service to the people of the Territory and …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, your time has expired.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time to finish his speech, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will only be one or two minutes.
Clearly, the people of the Northern Territory did not see it the way the Chief Minister saw it. I turn to the Northern Territory News of Friday. It said on page 4 ‘WA election possible influence’. We have not seen a result in the Western Australia election – have we, member for Fong Lim?
Mr Tollner: No, we have not.
Mr CONLAN: No. It says here:
- A coalition victory at Saturday’s Western Australia election could hurt Darwin’s chances of securing a $12bn gas plant.
I just wonder …
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, member for Greatorex. Member for Brennan, there is a standing order in relation to walking between the member speaking and the Speaker. Please continue, member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: I just wonder if that would fly in the face of the Chief Minister’s assertion that he had to go early to secure the gas plant for the infrastructure deal for the Darwin Harbour. Clearly, it was a furphy and Territorians did not buy that. That result was in the vote and it is hard not to gloat. This is a terrific result for the Country Liberals.
The signage and the negativity against the Leader of the Opposition plastered all around every polling booth in the Northern Territory said ‘Terry Mills is not up to the job’. Well, Madam Speaker, Terry Mills is clearly up to the job. The people of the Northern Territory believe that Terry Mills is up to the job. We gave Labor a two seat handicap, and they still scraped across the line by 67 votes. Clearly, the people of the Northern Territory believe that Terry Mills and the Country Liberals are up to the job and are an effective alternative government.
Four-year terms have been proposed by the Northern Territory government - not before time - something they supported in opposition in 2000 and, yet, we have not seen it. We have been advocating four-year fixed terms for quite a while. One of the lines with that ashen-faced picture of the Chief Minister in the Northern Territory News on 10 August was him saying: ‘We will seriously consider four-year fixed terms’. We support that, of course.
Madam Speaker, I finish by saying, in the words of the great Australian – well, perhaps great might be a bit over the top, but certainly famous - Prime Minister, Paul Keating: ‘We support the four-year fixed terms, because we want to do you slowly’.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I respond to the Address by his Honour the Administrator.
Quite a number of other speakers in this debate have congratulated you on being Speaker and, today, you were put to the test. I hope in future all members will honour your position as Speaker and show you courtesy and respect, and that this parliament can operate as a place of debate and not a place of shouting and interjection.
The Administrator set out the government’s priorities for this term. I am privileged to hold the portfolios of Justice and Attorney-General; Health; Alcohol Policy; and Racing, Gaming and Licensing. These are challenging areas, as the member for Greatorex has alluded to. I am keen to drive reform under a Henderson Labor government to deliver real results in these portfolios. As the Chief Minister has described, this government truly reflects the diverse Territory community from our remote communities to the cities. That gives us the capacity to hear the voices of all Territorians. Personally, I am very proud to represent the electorate of Johnston and the people who live there, some of whom have spent their entire lives in the Top End - many generations of them as well - and some who travelled from around the world in a wide range of circumstances to join us. It is always fascinating, as you knock on doors, to find out people’s stories of how they came to the Territory, what sort of work they do, how they enjoy themselves, and how great they think the Territory is.
Regarding the Justice portfolios, I am introducing a suite of legislation and policies to stamp out violent crime and antisocial behaviour. This bill is building on the work of my predecessors in this role, who commenced major Criminal Code and sentencing reform. I continue this reform, for example, strengthening the sentencing regime for the most serious category of offenders.
Recently, the government removed any possible discretion from the DPP in bringing an application, or court in deciding on an application, as to minimum terms for those convicted of murder and certain other aggravating factors such as sexual assault, an offence against a child, or if there is multiple murders. If those are involved there are certainly dire consequences. A lengthy sentence of imprisonment must be imposed, and the community expects this class of prisoner to serve their intended time. We have tightened up defences to the crime of murder and replaced the dangerous act offence to ensure that appropriate charges are laid and proper sentences imposed for homicide offences.
Over this term, I will continue these reforms. This includes legislation to ensure that offenders who commit certain serious offences go to prison. The community expects, and the government agrees, that some offences are so inherently grave that those who commit them deserve detention - not fully suspended sentences as provided under its alternative policies put forward by the opposition during the campaign.
Similarly, this government will bring in new strict rules around bail to limit the ability of repeat offenders to access bail. By reversing the presumption for bail for those convicted of serious offences in the last five years, offenders will quickly learn bail is not an easy avenue if they are charged with a serious violence offence again. If they do manage to secure bail, they will need to maintain exemplary compliance with all conditions imposed, and any breach will lead to revocation of bail.
Following the re-election of the government, I met with the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss ways we can improve the services provided by that organisation. In Budget 2008-09, we provided funding to specifically target cases involving sex offences against children, an essential component of the service. I will be working with the director to ensure prosecution services across all aspects of the organisation are amongst the best in the country.
This government is also dedicated to improving services and support for victims of crime. In 2007, we commenced operation of a new Victims Assistance Scheme to ensure victims receive immediate financial assistance for economic loss, access to free counselling, and a compensation process that is quicker, easier and less traumatic. Over this term, the government will expand the operation of the Crimes Victims Services Unit to ensure applications are finalised even more quickly, and that the Victims Assistance Service continues to provide an essential role helping people negotiate the complex and intimidating court process.
The government makes no apologies for the fact that our tough policies on crime will lead to an increase in the prison population. However, alongside this increase, we need to ensure that prisoners have access to intensive education, employment and rehabilitation programs to minimise, as much as possible, the likelihood that the offender will return to prison.
Berrimah prison is at the end of its functional life and unable to properly accommodate existing prisoner numbers, let alone increases over another 10 or 20 years. We need a new 1000-bed facility that properly caters for this increase, the needs of officers to provide a professional supervision service, and the ability of educators and rehabilitation program coordinators to access as many prisoners as possible. Under alternative proposals put forward during the campaign, Berrimah would be retained and refurbished. This was put forward primarily as a cost-saving measure. Unfortunately, any such action would be doomed to fail, putting our prison system under unsustainable pressure. Total space for prisoners under that model on the present site would fail by 2013. Due to increased recurrent costs of keeping the old prison - most notably maintenance costs and higher staffing ratios - it would actually begin to cost government more than a new facility.
One of the rationales for building a new prison is the fact that Berrimah has passed its useful life - and any visit there will show that. I encourage members opposite who want to visit Berrimah prison - I know some of you probably already have - but for those who want to visit Berrimah prison, I am more than happy for you to have a briefing and go to Berrimah prison to have a look for yourself. However, it is past its use-by date; it is 30 years old. Moreover, because it has grown like Topsy in a higgledy-piggledy fashion, the supervision and flow of prisoners is very difficult, and the actual ratio of prison officers to prisoners is extremely high when compared to more modern institutions.
There is a considerable saving in the longer term, in building a new prison. I imagine the issue of the new prison will be a matter for debate in this House in the near future, and I am more than happy to engage in that debate.
Another important aspect is that there is no possible way of simply expanding the current site to provide the intensive programs and the teaching rooms that are essential to reduce recidivism rates. When I visited Berrimah prison I was concerned about the very cramped quarters, and facilities - I do not know if you would really call them facilities - for education and the other programs that are being offered to prisoners. It is a crying shame and it has gone on for too long. That is why government wants to build a new facility to expand those rehabilitation programs and cut those recidivism rates which are amongst the highest in the country. We want to see education of the prisoners, and programs that will assist them to break the cycle of recidivism.
In that respect, I agree with the Opposition Leader. That was front and centre of some of the policies he talked about during the election campaign. The member for Nelson is also very vocal about that and has toured institutions overseas. So, we do agree on one thing. However, I have set out very briefly here the reasons why government will be building a new 1000-bed prison.
In my discussions with the Northern Territory Prison Officers Association, officers agree that Berrimah has served the Territory well, but it is time for a new, best-practice facility. They recognise that retention and recruitment of high-quality recruits to the officer service requires world’s best working conditions, and that is what the new prison will provide. Our prison population is unique. Indigenous men are dramatically overrepresented in the overall population. Only a new, specifically designed facility can take into account recent developments around the world, designing excellent facilities with certain populations in mind.
The Health portfolio has been undergoing rapid reform and expansion since 2001. The Health budget has grown by 89% to $915m, with a specific focus by government on using this funding to recruit frontline staff: 433 more nurses and 162 more doctors. In Budget 2007-08, provision is made for an improved and expanded Patient Assisted Travel Scheme; expanded escort for interstate patients; boosted accommodation allowance to the highest in the country; and installing a Patient Coordinator in Adelaide to help with transport and accommodation.
Also, my continued focus is on delivering the oncology unit. Since the election of the Rudd Labor government, we have been able to progress this project at all speed. There was an extra $6m committed up-front to make a total of $19m, and I believe that is crucial in moving this project forward. We have been finalising negotiations with Royal Adelaide Hospital to operate it for 10 years and, as members would be aware, the construction tender has been awarded and site works are under way.
This government is committed to providing every Territorian the best possible medical and health care. We have, historically, some of the lowest health levels in Australia, but this government’s focus is always bringing that up to the Australian average as soon as we possibly can. To achieve this goal, government has made specific commitments which I will push through during this term. The first is to deliver a comprehensive $45m, 10-year Heart Health Plan. This new initiative will tackle the growing issue of heart disease in the Territory at all levels of the disease process and, ultimately, ensure that the hundreds of people suffering heart disease will no longer need to leave the Territory to receive high-quality treatment.
This initiative is based on the expert advice provided in the report by Professor Phil Harris and Professor Michael Frommer, entitled Cardiac Services in the Northern Territory 2006-2015. I know, from my days in the Heart Foundation, that Professor Phil Harris is one of Australia’s most eminent cardiologists and is very well suited to provide a plan for the Northern Territory, and a way forward for developing our cardiac services.
The plan will expand early intervention and prevention services and cardiac rehabilitation by investing in primary health care with people in the early stages of cardiac disease. Through prevention and early intervention activities, we will help keep people healthier and reduce the level of more serious cardiac disease requiring surgery. Cardiac stress testing machines will be installed in all regional hospitals to provide early detection of heart disease. Rehabilitation services will be expanded to improve a person’s recovery from a heart attack and help prevent future recurrences.
Specialist equipment will be upgraded at Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital. In addition, we are planning to deliver specialist cardiac surgery services. This is a major commitment to deliver a highly specialised and complex service for the Territory. Implementation will be led by the Northern Territory Preventable Chronic Disease Clinical Reference Group, which comprises leading clinicians and key stakeholders such as AMSANT and the Good Health Alliance. The Good Health Alliance is a group of non-government organisations, including the Heart Foundation, the Asthma Foundation, Diabetes Australia and other organisations from the non-government sector which support developments such as this.
This government recognises that Palmerston, as one of the Territory’s fastest growing communities, requires top-quality health services. The Palmerston Super Clinic after-hours service will be up and running by the end of this year. That is what I have undertaken. I have given a public undertaking that I want to see after-hours services delivered through the existing infrastructure at the Palmerston Health Clinic by the end of this calendar year.
There will be, in the medium term, the construction of a new facility at the Health Precinct site. There has been much interest from a variety of people and organisations about that facility. The super clinic will be supported by additional ambulance crew in Palmerston to be operational next year. We are already in discussion with St John, which welcomes the delivery of this additional service based in Palmerston.
I turn to Racing, Gaming and Licensing and Alcohol Policy. Alcohol Policy is one of the most pressing issues facing the Territory community. Government is working with communities to ensure alcohol management is best suited to their particular circumstances. This has included ID systems in Katherine and Alice Springs, and dry town declarations in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Tennant Creek. There has also been an alcohol permit system introduced in Nhulunbuy which, from initial reports, including your own, Madam Deputy Speaker, has led to a dramatic drop in alcohol-related violence.
As I said in parliament earlier today, we have commissioned a review of alcohol reduction measures in Alice and Tennant Creek to gauge success and guide future government policy.
This is not in my written speech but regarding Katherine, I also intend - it is important, given the introduction of alcohol measures there - to look at having an independent evaluation of those alcohol measures, probably at the 12-month mark. As minister, I would like to see them reviewed and, in a similar way, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
There you go; there is a special announcement for Katherine, which is appropriate.
Mr Westra van Holthe: It is the only one I have heard in a long time, but that is fine.
Dr BURNS: You have only been in parliament a little while.
Mr Westra van Holthe: I do listen to what is going on in the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS: Very good. Government has also announced changes to the Tobacco Act and further moves in tobacco control. We announced they would come into force in January 2010. There has been some criticism of that. Some people have approached me and said: ‘Well, we think it is too long’. However, talking with the liquor industry about this and the clubs and pubs, they have said quite strongly they will need to undertake some works in and around this. The clubs, particularly, have put the case to me that they need to look at their forward budgets. They have a process through their committees to tick off on any major capital work in the clubs. We want to work with industry in moving this policy forward.
However, regarding the general public, I reiterate that we have made a commitment for another tranche of tobacco control legislation to be brought in through the Territory. We will be consulting with the industry and, most importantly, with the public about the nature of those reforms.
I have also announced a cap on poker machines and a reduction in government reliance on gaming revenue. I will be introducing legislation on that in the near future.
Government is also committed to establish a system of alcohol licence buy-backs to transition marginal licensees out of the industry. This is legislation that industry is very interested in. I have had discussions with the AHA, as well as the Liquor Stores Association, over this issue, and we will work with the industry on that particular policy initiative.
It is not written here again, but I gave an undertaking prior to the election that, with the review of the Liquor Act - a very important act for the Territory - I am hopeful within the next month or so we will be bringing forward discussions on that within the community, and also within this House regarding a period of consultation on changes to the Liquor Act. It is time to look at the Liquor Act and its objectives, how the Liquor Act might reflect community concern over alcohol issues, and how it might be a vehicle to really address community concerns about reducing alcohol-related harm across the Territory in a whole range of settings. It will probably be quite controversial; I am sure we will have mixed views on it. However, it is the debate that this House needs to have. I am looking forward to the contributions of new members to this debate. There is a whole range of different experience in the parliament now, and it will be a very good debate with some good ideas put forward on the review of the Liquor Act.
Following the election, I assumed responsibility for the WorkSafe portfolio. I am committed to working closely with industry and unions to ensure working environments across the Territory are made a lot safer. There has been some controversy. I have only been the WorkSafe minister for a short time. I have had representations from the HIA, the housing industry group. I am also hoping to meet with the TCA in the near future to hear the concerns they are raising about extra costs in construction. That concerns me, and I will work constructively with industry and WorkSafe to ensure that their reasonable concerns are met and that, basically, industry can get on and do its job, which is construction, without being overly burdened.
Still, there is a responsibility of industry to ensure that workplaces are safe. We have had a number of workplace deaths in the Territory over the past year or two. It is a tragedy to have a death or serious injury on a worksite and we need to avoid that as much as we can. That is my commitment as WorkSafe minister.
I turn briefly to the election campaign. I did speak about it last night. It is an honour for me to be returned to this Assembly as the member for Johnston. I again congratulate my opponent, Jo Sangster, as I did in the Assembly last night. I thought she was a very good opponent; she is the Deputy Lord Mayor. She is certainly an articulate - well, from my age point of view - young woman. She has been on the council for some time; she has a high profile. I thought she ran a very good campaign. There was a swing in the electorate of Johnston of 7.3% against me as the member. I congratulate Jo on the result she achieved.
Apart from the background of the general swing against government - and which the government has acknowledged - one of the difficulties I faced was that, with the redistribution there were about 2000 new voters in the electorate of Johnston. All of us who have been here before know that incumbency is such an important factor. You knock on people’s door, you interact with people and, to lose 40% of incumbency was a challenge.
I now have the area of Millner in my electorate and they are a great bunch. Millner is an older suburb and it was great to meet many Millner residents as I doorknocked, and I will continue to doorknock there. In the result there was one pleasing aspect for me. Notwithstanding the swing of 7.3%, my primary vote actually went up by 3% from 55% in 2005 to 58% this time. So, whilst that has attributed to a two party preferred result, with a 7.3% swing - and congratulations to Jo Sangster on that - I did take a small amount of comfort that my primary vote actually increased. I will be working hard over the next four years to ensure I connect with the electorate and, basically, am doing my job as a local member.
Thank you to my campaign managers, Kate and Julie, and the set-up and pull-down team of Craig, Alex, Ken, Charlie and Chris. There are many people whose support during the campaign and on the day was fantastic: James, who was making a bit of a pictorial record of the day, Geoff, Nick, Andy and Leanne, Kerri, Brian, George, Andrew, Matt, Shelly and Filomena, Tilly, Susan, Glenda, Catherine, Peter, Julie, Kate, Peter, Jacinta, Geoff and Sue, Tony, Peter and Tita, Mick, Chloe, Rhonda and many others.
I particularly thank my electorate officer, Judy Herring, who has been with me from the beginning. For new members, it is almost like being married to your electorate officer - not quite the same, but you have a close relationship with your electorate officer. They know everything about your life and everything about you which, in Judy’s case, luckily for her she has a great sense of humour. We work well together and she is a great asset to me. I am sure the new members will build that relationship with their electorate officer. It is a crucial relationship and is one of trust.
For my family, Elizabeth, it is hard going through an election and new members know that. For ones who have been here for a while, it is a big strain and a time of stress. Elizabeth has been a great support for me over many years, long before my political career. Although the kids were not here, I felt their support and that is great. I could not finish this speech without mentioning Bruiser, my dog. Late at night when I come home - last night for example - Bruiser was waiting for me, wagging his tail and with a happy face. He now has a companion by the name of Bella. She is a little young yet, but one of these days they might breed. They are great company. So, to Bruiser and Bella, thank you also.
Particularly to the electors of Johnston, thank you for your support. I will continue to try to be the best local member I can be for the electorate of Johnston.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Deputy Speaker, before I respond to His Honour the Administrator’s address, I would like to just share with the parliament that last Friday I represented the Chief Minister at Government House for the awarding of the Australia Day Medals to worthy Territory recipients. His Honour was quite amazing in that, when he gave the medals to each of these recipients, he then preceded to tell a little story about each one of them, without any notes whatsoever. From memory, there were about six or seven of them who came from very diverse backgrounds and experiences and he was able to tell a story about each of them. The crowd was quite rapt to hear these stories and to get to know a personal insight of each of these awardees of the Queen’s birthday medals.
I said to the Administrator afterwards: ‘Your Honour, your memory was fantastic to be able to share those stories so personally with the crowd and, obviously, the recipient. It was quite amazing. You have really set a standard now, so whoever follows behind you in this role of being an Administrator now has to have this really crash-hot memory about every recipient you give an award to’. He said: ‘Actually, it is not a first. The previous Governor-General, Major Michael Jefferies, was able to do it with about 63 recipients’. I said: ‘Okay, he has obviously topped the cake’.
On that day, it was more special for the recipients because Australia saw the swearing-in of the new Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, the first female Governor-General in this country. It was a very special day. I just wanted to share that with the Assembly.
If there is one thing I have learned in my time as the member for Arnhem, it is the value of listening to Territorians and to all people. People in the Northern Territory speak their minds and, usually, they do not get it too wrong. Certainly, Northern Territory voters told our government on 9 August that they expected us to listen to them much more closely. I am confident the Henderson government will respond to the messages that came out of the election and, amongst other things, will be listening more closely to the people on the ground to learn what it is they do expect of us over the next four years. By doing this, we will be better placed to develop fresh ideas that will lead to real results for people across the Northern Territory. It is my intention, as a minister in the Henderson government, to work for Territorians regardless of where they live.
It is an honour to be a member of the Cabinet. When I recall my swearing-in three years ago, accompanied by the Yanyuwa Ngadirdji dancers into this parliament, it was a very special day. The swearing-in this week was a reflection of the short history that I have here. It is an honour to stand as a Labor minister with my colleagues in the Labor government.
As a member from a remote electorate, I appreciate, as well as anyone in this House, the diversity of the Territory and why it is that solutions which might work in Darwin might not necessarily work in towns like Alice Springs or Tennant Creek. The local solution is often the best response to the local problem. The good news is that what I have seen already in moving around the Northern Territory and listening to people since assuming my responsibilities as minister, is that there is a willingness and capacity within my agencies to deliver real results for people right across the Northern Territory.
On 4 April, the Chief Minister announced the creation of a new Department of Health and Families which came into effect on 1 July. The decision for such a comprehensive departmental restructure was, as the Chief Minister said at the time, because of the government’s desire to make Territory families our No 1 priority. Territory families will continue to be our priority over the next four years of government. The restructure saw an amalgamation of government agencies which brought together services relating to child protection, foster care, youth support and diversion programs, together with responsibility for family violence, sexual assault, homelessness, and family support services. The new Department of Health and Families will provide a sharper focus for our efforts on behalf of Territory families as we move forward over the next term of government.
While this government will continue its tough stance against juvenile offenders while holding parents accountable for the crimes of their children through our new parental responsibility orders, we will also work to assist those young people who have lost their way. We will also be better placed in future to assist those families who struggle to deliver the kind of environment and opportunities that all children deserve. The new departmental structure and suite of services targeted at young people will improve government’s capacity to help young people get their lives back on track. Importantly, the new department will provide services to nurture young people to develop into young adults, as well as providing leadership for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and the promotion of safe, healthy and happy families.
As the new Minister for Children and Families, and Minister for Child Protection, it is my responsibility to work towards solutions which improve the lives of children and families, particularly those Territory children and families who struggle with homelessness, family breakdown, family violence and sexual abuse. We have initiated comprehensive reforms to tackle child sexual abuse. Our efforts in this area have been bolstered by the recruitment of a record number of child protection workers and more police. This effort has been further aided by the creation of our Child Abuse Task Force. In all, we have created 91 additional jobs in the Children and Family Services area. Some 51 of these positions are frontline child protection workers, and the remainder of the roles are in areas such as foster care support, youth work, sexual assault counselling, and service management.
I would like to share with the parliament that, in these first couple of weeks as the new minister, I have had the opportunity to travel across the Territory, and spend time here in Darwin visiting the offices in Mitchell Street, Palmerston and Casuarina Plaza, and the hospital, to spend time with staff. It is the staff who are our frontline people and I took the opportunity to speak with them directly. The member for Barkly accompanied me In Tennant Creek and we were able to spend time with the staff there. I also visited Alice Springs.
As a new minister coming into this role, I understand the incredible stress felt by these people who are very dedicated and devoted to wanting to see better and improved outcomes for our youth. These people need the support of all politicians in this House to recognise the field they are working in and the emotional duress this field of work involves, in caring for children and what that entails - in particular, the cultural differences not only with families from non-English speaking backgrounds who have moved here, but also with Aboriginal families who are still struggling with the left-over feelings and healing from Stolen Generations and trying to improve their future. This has had a consequential effect, a generational effect, which has been compounded by policies of governments some of which have been good and some not so good.
To be able to speak directly to these staff and to hear from them their first-hand thoughts about what we, as a government, should be dealing with was deeply appreciated. I put on the record my commitment to these staff across the Northern Territory: I will not only listen but do the best I can to work on the issues they raised directly with me.
This enhanced capacity will give us greater capacity as we move forward over the next few years, but it will be important for us to continue to monitor our capacity.
This government is committed to the protection of our children. Child protection is one of the key targets of our Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage initiative. As you have heard the Chief Minister say, closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage will be at the centre of our efforts over the next four years, because it has to be. It has to be at the centre of all our efforts - of every member of this parliament - to ensure that the lives of our most impoverished and vulnerable Territorians and Australians improves for the betterment of society and for the good of all.
Through Closing the Gap, the Northern Territory government will continue to build on a range of initiatives to support families and children across the Northern Territory, regardless of where they might live. In addition, we are confident our Care and Protection of Children Act will, in coming years, promote the wellbeing of Territory children, helping to protect them from harm so they can strive to reach their full potential.
To further enhance our capacity to protect our children, we have appointed the Territory’s first Children’s Commissioner, Dr Howard Bath. Dr Bath was the author of an audit of high risk clients in the then Family and Community Services area in 2007. My colleague and predecessor, the former Minister for Family and Community Services, the member for Arafura, publicly released the Executive Summary with Dr Bath’s 30 recommendations in December last year. We spoke in the House about the absolute importance of this position of the Children’s Commissioner - not only the importance of this commissioner’s role, but also the historical significance of what this appointment meant for all children in the Northern Territory and all families.
I met with Dr Bath and I am looking forward to working with him closely over my time as the minister for this portfolio. I know the importance of working with our children to improve their lives, and Dr Bath will be integral in that process.
The Northern Territory government has been working to implement the recommendations by Dr Bath. A new, shared client case management strategy has been developed using an action learning approach. A principal practice advisor was appointed to work across programs to facilitate improved case management for complex and shared clients and to develop a new strategy. The strategy will continue to be refined in the coming 12 months to ensure those clients most at risk are being well managed and any gaps in services are highlighted.
All community services programs have reviewed and refined their risk assessment tools and are now rolling out our revised policies and training for staff. All programs have redeveloped their record management procedures.
We are confident the combined effect of these initiatives will improve the capacity and quality of services available to Territorians, regardless of their circumstance. The Northern Territory government recognises the importance of implementing Dr Bath’s recommendations as a way of improving the department’s capacity to deliver for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community.
However, as we have bolstered our efforts in child protection, we have seen a significant increase in the number of Indigenous children being taken into care. In 2001, 60% of cases investigated involved non-Indigenous children, with 40% being Indigenous. In 2007-08, Aboriginal children represented the majority of cases being dealt with by government agencies, and account for much of the growth in service delivery.
I know personally from the experiences of raising not only my two sons but a number of children - nieces and nephews - over the past 10 to 12 years, to try to get them out of the concerns and problems within families, be it because of alcohol, or because they are overcrowded in their homes. We have cared for children to be able to get them through high school - and are still trying to get some of them through high school - just so that they can lead lives for themselves where they have opportunity but, at the same time, not at the expense of their cultural identity - knowing who they are as young Yanyuwa, Garawa, Mara and Gudanji peoples, feeling strong about their sense of identity and their heritage but, at the same time, taking their place in society with the advantages that are there for most people, but do not seem to be there for the most impoverished. We have to, as a government and this parliament, create those equalities or opportunities for equality for all people.
Indigenous children now account for approximately 60% of all notifications and 70% of substantiated cases. As we continue to focus our efforts in children protection over the next four years, this trend will, no doubt, continue. However, as a government we will not resile from our responsibility to protect our children no matter where they live.
Our Child Abuse Task Force will remain central to our ongoing efforts in this area in coming years. The Child Abuse Task Force initiative partners Northern Territory families and children, and child protection officers, with the police in investigating suspected child abuse cases while also providing support for victims. The Northern Territory government recognised the need for better information sharing and coordination between the two agencies, and the structure of the Child Abuse Task Force ensures a cohesive working relationship between the two agencies in our ongoing fight against child abuse.
The Northern Territory government’s Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage is committed to making the Child Abuse Task Force a permanent presence in the fight against child abuse. The Child Abuse Task Force, or CAT team, now has two teams – one located at the Peter McAulay Centre at Berrimah and another in Alice Springs. When I recently visited the task force offices at Berrimah, I was advised that the co-location of police and Family and Children’s Services workers in the one office made for a more efficient and cohesive team. The information sharing goes without saying. If you put a team in the same room of course they are going to be able to share knowledge and information and also be able to strategise in how to deal effectively and quickly with any reports of child abuse received by the CAT team.
The team also includes four Aboriginal community resource workers. I took the time to talk with these workers as well during my visits with the staff. I am very impressed with the work ethic of the workers in this area. I am also aware that it is a tremendous workload on these four workers and that it can only be the beginning of the team in being able to reach out to communities or to families who are experiencing child abuse. Their role is to work with families and communities where child abuse team investigations have, or are to be, conducted and involve and assist families and communities in keeping children safe.
The role of these workers is to carry on after the investigation has occurred, or while it is occurring. This core group of four Aboriginal community resource workers are about being with the family or the community and trying to get them to understand that this behaviour that has just occurred is wrong, or this is how to heal and move on so that the community or the family no longer need to feel ashamed of what may have taken place. It is a culturally necessary thing but, also, like any family which has experienced or been a part of any of these criticisms, it is important to know how to learn from it and to move on and deal with it properly.
I was pleased to visit our Alice Springs team and listen to their thoughts on ways the services might be enhanced. The CAT team in Alice Springs was based in the Alice Springs Police Station but, when I visited them just over a week ago, they were across the road in the building on the corner - I think it is Bath Street. I could see that they are in much better premises. They gave me strong comfort about their feelings on how effective the police and staff of NTFC were working together in co-location. The establishment of the Child Abuse Task Force has resulted in improved levels of communication, coordination and information sharing between agencies. It will be important to continue building on these improved levels of communication coordination as part of our ongoing efforts to protect Territory children.
In July, we announced our intention to introduce universal mandatory reporting of domestic and family violence by all adults in the Northern Territory. To support this decision, the government also provided an additional $15m of funding over three years to demonstrate our commitment to providing a community response to this community problem. Existing Northern Territory legal frameworks do not currently compel the provision of information to police other than mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse. The introduction of universal mandatory reporting of domestic and family violence will be an Australian first. Legislation will be introduced soon and the roll-out will include a community education program which will commence early next year.
We have heard in this House on numerous occasions from members who have bush seats and who know only too well the concerns with family violence and domestic violence that, by no means, is it limited to location. As we all know, it can happen, like any abuse - and I have said it here before - anywhere at any time by anyone. It knows no regions or boundaries, and we all know that.
Legislation is going to be introduced soon. The Northern Territory government will continue to liaise with all key government and non-government domestic and family violence stakeholders regarding strategies, including the universal mandatory reporting. The Northern Territory government remains committed to finding effective solutions to domestic and family violence within our community and to promoting the safety and health of families.
This government is commitment to helping young people who have fallen on hard times. At the April/May sittings of the Assembly, we amended the Youth Justice Act to allow government agencies to enter into family responsibility agreements and orders with families whose children exhibit behavioural disorders. This year’s budget also allocated $2.5m to NT Families and Children to implement our Youth Justice Strategy. We will soon open two service centres, one in Darwin and another in Alice Springs, to help young people at risk and vulnerable families.
As part of the government’s comprehensive Youth Justice Strategy, we have also committed $1m recurrent to the funding of new youth rehabilitation camps. While the camp programs are all different, they will not provide soft options. All three camps will apply strict rules and confront young people with challenges. These youth camps will operate in conjunction with our new family responsibility agreements and orders to address youth crime and provide diversionary activity. These camps will represent a fundamental component of the Northern Territory government’s plan to reduce youth crime in our communities.
There is no doubt, over the coming years, our partnership with the Australian government will be vital in our efforts to better support Territory families and to protect Territory children. The partnership between the Australian and Territory governments has already seen work begin to develop a range of programs to support our children. These include establishing new safe places in communities for women and children, and places for men to cool off. This is really important, because we have heard, time and time again, of the importance in protecting our women and children. One of the things that comes back always - and it does not matter where you live, or what colour you are or what background, whether you speak English or not - it is really important that, in this whole issue of dealing with family violence, the men have the support as well, to understand what is happening. If the case is of a man violent against a woman, you do not just take the man away and that is it. It has to be about the healing of the family, so that the man understands as well. These cooling off places are becoming more and more noticeable in the communities across the Northern Territory.
I have to digress here. It is not as though people did not think about men; the priority was always about the women and children because, usually, it was the women who were the victims so, naturally, you had to have the support for them. However, as time has progressed, as women and the children get stronger, it is no good a family getting stronger without the man learning from the mistakes and getting stronger himself. Speaking from a cultural perspective, in traditional ways, men have had the strong traditional links of taking care of the family. That is not just with Aboriginal people but, as we go back even further into last century and earlier on, it was always men who were the bread winner. We have to know that the men in our society have an opportunity to really learn, to heal and grow as well. Sometimes it can work and sometimes it cannot, but that does not mean we do not try.
The new safe places will provide a focus for community programs and activities to help break the cycle of violence that affects some families, and which has such a harmful impact on children and young people. Both governments have been working together to harness traditional culture and develop other community responses to address family violence. An example, as you would know, Madam Deputy Speaker, is the Raypirri Rom Program in East Arnhem Land.
I am committed to addressing family violence, not only because of its impact on the lives of the victims who are so often women, but because of what it does to children. This week is National Child Protection Week. At the Northern Territory launch this week, the audience heard about the importance of children feeling safe at home and having good role models to help them grow up as healthy, well-adjusted young adults and future parents. At that launch, we had three or four young children from Darwin High School who were very good at debating, so we had a debate. On one side was the children, the youth group, with four parents as role models, and on the opposing side were people like Charlie King, Lesley from NAPCAN, and Dr Howard Bath, the Children’s Commissioner, who were the opposing side of the debate, saying: ‘It is not just your parents who are the role models that help you grow up. It is the influence of television, of sporting identities, and of your teachers. Jennifer Byrne was the commentator for the debate.
There was no winner in it, because it was not really about winning or losing because, at the end of the day, it was always about our children. The debate opened up to those present that it is not wrong; everyone can influence a child. It is how you influence that child if you want that child to grow up to be a good person, to take their place in society, and have respect for those around them. When families struggle to provide that sense of safety and security for their children, governments and communities have a responsibility to provide support.
My portfolio also covers Senior Territorians. It is heartening to note that, since 2001, there has been a 34% increase in the number of over 50s, a 46% increase in over 60s, and a 43% increase in over 65s living in the Territory. These are significant increases and it is projected the number of Territorians aged 65 and over will increase at an average of 4.2% a year over the next 20 years, compared with an average of 1.2% growth in the general Territory population. This gives the Territory the most rapidly ageing population on a per capita basis anywhere in Australia. While I share those statistics I am aware of the short life span in our communities of our elders. There is a major discrepancy here which is what Closing the Gap is about; trying to look at the issues that affect our remote regions, but also our towns and centres where Aboriginal people are not able to reach their full age. We all know that it is 17 or 20 years less than the average national life span.
Following consultations with Darwin seniors as part of our Seniors Housing Forum in December 2007, government granted the old Waratah Oval in Fannie Bay to Southern Cross Incorporated for a seniors housing development. When complete, this development will include independent units, a retirement village, and residential aged-care facility all at the same location. In addition to this commitment from the Northern Territory government of an allocation of 65 residential care beds by the Australian government, Southern Cross has committed to investing an additional $10.8m to the project.
During the election, we also committed to demolish and redevelop Pitcheneder Court in Parap as a seniors village, with bungalow-style homes at a cost of $4m. Planning is also currently progressing for future complexes in Alice Springs and the new subdivision of Bellamack. Territory Housing has also made provisions for seniors by allowing tenants aged 55 years and over to remain in the same building and ask for lower rates of rent for pensioners - 18% instead of the 24% of income, as well as allocating accommodation blocks within general housing stock predominantly for seniors and aged pensioners. We recognise accommodation as an important issue for senior Territorians, which is why we continue to assess the needs for seniors accommodation Territory-wide.
Territory Housing is also developing a Territory framework for affordable housing, which includes addressing the housing needs of senior Territorians. The framework will investigate the feasibility of a not-for-profit company providing affordable housing targeted at seniors. It will also consider a variety of mixed model approaches to broaden the capacity for seniors to either rent or buy …
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member from concluding her speech.
Mr ELFERINK: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! There are no problems supporting extra time but the motion the minister has moved is for an indefinite time. I suggest that we amend that to simply an extension, which is normally 10 minutes.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thank you. The question is for an extension of 10 minutes for the member for Arnhem, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms McCARTHY: Thank you, members. As a result of our commitment during the recent election, pensioners will also receive free motor vehicle licences and a reduction in car registration costs. In December 2007, government released its Active Ageing Framework: Building the Territory for all Generations, a framework for active ageing in the Northern Territory.
Work next year will see the continuation of reform in relation to the provision of home and community care services. In late 2007, 286 CDEP employee program positions used to support home and community care services were transferred to real jobs. The next key step in this work is the development of training and support staff to complement real wages and career pathways for workers doing this most important work.
I am also minister responsible for Women’s Policy and, as such, I want to work toward helping Territory women overcome the economic and social barriers that stand in their way. Given the socioeconomic reality of the Territory, this will be a challenge but, nonetheless, it is one we must confront if Territory women are to enjoy equal opportunity and participation in the community and our workforce. Government’s vision is one of equal opportunity; to see women given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
I would like to see more communication in regions where women can be encouraged to stand for positions whether it is with associations, or the shire council. We have fantastic women’s ranger programs across north-east Arnhem Land and, I believe, in Wadeye. To encourage these groups, which are just starting - some are flourishing more than others - to see that active participation and confidence building will allow greater access for these women into full-time employment and part-time employment but, also, able to contribute to the social changes happening around them and to speak quite strongly of their thoughts and views on where they want to go with their families.
I am also the Minister for Statehood. As minister, I have the job of leading this process. I acknowledge the work of the members of the Statehood Steering Committee for the positive attitude they have maintained so far on this long journey. I recognise the bipartisanship displayed by the opposition and my shadow, the member for Goyder, on this most important issue. Striving as we are for constitutional equality is beyond party politics. I look forward to the ongoing support of the opposition as we move to the next stage in the process.
That next stage is the workshops which will take place next year and, in particular, the visit later this year to knock on the doors of federal parliamentarians and let them know that we exist and the battle for statehood is now on.
Experience also tells us that politicians must treat this process with respect. While our involvement is essential, our role cannot be coercive or domineering. We are there to lead, but not to bully the community. It is vital that we listen to the community. I reassure this parliament I, for one, will certainly not be bullying anyone into statehood.
Next year, the Statehood Steering Committee will commence specific consultations. While these workshops will allow Territorians to give their views, they will also serve to inform the Territory and Australian governments. They will provide a starting point for a possible Constitutional Convention which will, in turn, lead the way to a possible statehood referendum in 2011. We know that the Territory’s last attempt at statehood failed largely because of the opposition of Aboriginal groups and those who felt excluded from the process. I say to those people that this will be an inclusive process, one based on information sharing.
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you, and everyone who has been elected to this House. It is a great opportunity for us all, as Territorians, to work together to ensure that we have a viable, vibrant Territory and that we work for everybody. I take this opportunity to address this Chamber for the first time as a minister of the Northern Territory government. Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you and Madam Speaker also on your appointment to your positions in this Chamber.
My responsibilities are closely tied to the land of the Territory. I have the honour to serve as Minister for Central Australia; Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; and Parks and Wildlife.
Before outlining the government’s priorities for this linked set of portfolios, I would like, for a moment, to cast my thoughts back to my early childhood days, the days when I grew up among wise, loving men and women in the remote Western Desert settlement of Papunya. I would also like to look further back to the time – I always do that – what a sook! I would like also to look further back to the time when the ancestors of the desert landscape shaped and formed the features of our world. Water and fire are the important things of my country and, on the wider landscape, of the Territory. These are the forces that feed the plants and animals of the bush.
My own father’s connection is to fire and water. My mother’s is to tjurrka, the bush plum, and tjupi, the honey-ant emblem and best-known symbol of Papunya art. These presences in nature are special to me. I am not just the minister charged with looking after them; I am them. I am not just a modern parliamentarian, but a desert woman - the desert beliefs live in me. I promise to always make my decision with this special tie of blood and spirit uppermost in my thoughts.
You see standing before you here today not a minister for the Environment, but a minister from the environment. As a young girl in Papunya, I was schooled and trained to love the land. I think specially of Bert Ngyanangyana, old Mick Walangkarri, Johnny Warrangula Tjupurrula, Obed Raggett, Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, Two-Bob Tjungurrayi, Tilau Nangala, Daisy Nakamarra, Yawingie Napanangka and Margaret Napanangka Dempsey.
From these men and women I learned the laws of the nature and nature of the law. I wish I could explain in more detail the beauty and gentleness of that desert country and the men and women who lived there in harmony. If we, in this parliament, could enact policies to maintain the lives and strengths of traditional Aboriginal societies, we would be on the right path. Those old people who were my teachers knew when to hunt and when to spare the animals. They knew how to burn the landscape in season and spur the plants to grow. The flowers on the trees told them when the kangaroos and goannas were fat and when the honey ants were plentiful. They understood that the landscape had been changed forever by the arrival of the pastoral industry. The coming of cattle and buffel grass altered the country, and their understanding of the country, and how best to manage it shifted as it changed. The knowledge of the land was vital and adaptive.
We, in government, who guide and steer the policies of modern land management departments employ different protocols and follow scientific patterns of analysis, but we should strive to marry western and traditional methods of understanding country. There is no single right way to see the landscape; we must be modern custodians informed by science.
However, let us also listen to the voice of tradition and learn from long-established knowledge systems. How skilled old desert men and women were in their ability to sustain life in a harsh and fragile land. They were the ministers of their own environment. I will pay tribute to them and I hope I may succeed in bringing all their resolve and courage into my decision-making in this very different world.
A year ago, as the Chair of the Select Committee on Substance Abuse, I delivered a message to Territorians in both English and Central Australian language. I shall now, once more, say a few words in desert language in the hope that my own young people may feel fully included in the deliberations of our parliament today when a traditional Aboriginal woman takes on the ministerial duties for the land:
- Kulilla
Wati, kunga tjuta, wanala tjillpi wukumanu nganampa tjutana, nyintilangku manta atumankgu. Mantangku myuntuanya, palypalku munu worka yungkuku, ngurra nyutupa ngatja. Nyintirriwa kuutjaraku walpalaku palangke mune ngamanugku. Nyurra wiya kulininyka walpangku – atum atamanku wangka tjanampa kati-ku.
For the benefit of the Parliamentary Record, I provided a translation. It is only a paragraph encouraging young people to make sure that they listen to the old people:
- Young men and women, follow your old people and learn and absorb their wisdom about the land. The land will nurture you, guide you, and heal you. It will give you life, and it will give you work and it is your true home. Study hard and learn well, both in your own traditions and in the knowledge of the wider world, and grow up to be worthy of your ancestors. Study their example, preserve their wisdom or the culture they hold will vanish as swiftly and silently as the desert wind blows.
Madam Deputy Speaker, before I go on to my portfolios, I thank the people who live in my electorate of Macdonnell - Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra, Luritja, Pintupi, Arrernte, and Eastern Arrernte people - for their support and their confidence they have put in me as their local member. I also take this opportunity to name people like Teresa Nicola Dorry, Judy, Bob, Scotty and Cathy, Clarry, Dickie and Sammy, Irene, Marlene, and Audrey - all those people who were ready on election day to give me a hand. I thank all those people in Macdonnell. Someone said to me that the 100% we have is actually better than Robert Mugabe! I say thank you to all the old people who live on the country.
I am a minister who will work for all Territorians, and specifically for Central Australia because, as the member for Greatorex said, Alice Springs is a town much loved by the people who live there. We brought our children up there, our children played sports with Italians and Greeks. We are a multicultural little Central Australia in Alice Springs. We love each other.
I remember as a child growing up in Alice Springs playing soccer with the Arnos and getting fish and chips from the Hatzimihails on the corner as we went home, and always got a free taxi when we went back down the Gap. That is the kind of atmosphere we need to bring back: that we are a society who love to live together. It is not about whether you are black or white; it is a multicultural society that we want to breed. As politicians and as government we can breed that, not necessarily through doing all the wrong things, but having good policy to breed good people who live in and enjoy the Territory.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I will reiterate the Henderson government’s commitment to the environment and outline my specific objectives as the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; Minister for Parks and Wildlife; and Minister for Central Australia.
My vision across these portfolios is for a Territory rich with healthy people and healthy country. In achieving this vision, first of all we will deliver on all election and budget commitments relating to the environment and heritage. In relation to the 2007-08 Budget, we will: deliver all infrastructure, capital and recurrent funding commitments to NRETAS; monitor the Daly River catchment under the Living Rivers Program; continue implementing the Cool Communities initiative; deliver the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek water initiatives; implement the National Water Initiative, improve regulation and monitor compliance with legislation and declared water allocation plans; develop water allocation plans for the Mataranka, Tindal and Tennant Creek areas, the Oolloo aquifer and the Daly, and commence planning work for the Howard East and Darwin regions; and expand Indigenous ranger programs, including the Marine Rangers program.
I will digress here to tell a story about a young lad who lived in Alice Springs - the member for Arnhem knows him - young Nicholas, who is a family friend. He started working at the Desert Knowledge Park and is now a sea ranger at Borroloola. I say to you, Nicholas, keep up the good work. You are doing good work at Borroloola.
We will also increase funding to the EnvironmeNT grants program for the inclusion of a wildlife category; increase the Bushfires NT program; upgrade Litchfield National Park; upgrade Leanyer Recreational Park; and rebuild the Fogg Dam Boardwalk. I place on the public record that, in that first week when I became a minister, I visited Fogg Dam and was honoured to have met the traditional owners and the rangers at Fogg Dam. They put on a beautiful lunch for me.
The old guy, the traditional owner said: ‘What qualifications do you have to be Environment minister, my girl?’ Just straight up like that, it was my first question time, Chief Minister! I thought: ‘How do I answer this old man?’ I said: ‘Old Man, I come from the country. I am a Luritja Pintupi woman. I come from Papunya and I love the environment. My grandfather taught me this. I speak language’. He said: ‘That is good, but I still cannot understand, one minute you are Environment minister and next minute you are health, so I do not know where you mob get your qualifications from’. I thought I would share that.
Mr Henderson: You could be so lucky, Alison.
Ms ANDERSON: Yes, as bush members we hear some funny things when we go out to our communities from people who really do not understand how parliament works.
We will also develop the Red Centre Way Interpretive Centre for the West MacDonnells National Park. As a result of the commitments made in the election campaign, we will protect the Daly River. The clearing of land in the vicinity of the river will only occur after the use of the world’s best science to review any impacts. We commit $1.8m over the next three years to the Arafura to Alice Springs EcoLinks Project, a visionary concept that will, over time, create a Territory where many of our major conservation areas are buffered and connected in the wider landscape. I will speak in much greater detail on this plan in a ministerial statement next week.
We will provide additional recurrent funding for the Arid Lands Environment Centre and Environment Centre NT to enable a strong, independent voice in the environment debate. From 2009 to 2010, we will increase ECNT funding by $120 000 per annum and ALEC funding by $35 000 per annum.
We will establish a water tank rebate of $500 per application for 500 applicants per year, beginning in 2009-10 in Alice Springs and the three Central Australian shires. We will ensure that any further land clearing applications on Tiwi Islands are subject to a full EIS.
We will establish the Palmerston water park - a $5m project for construction to begin in 2009-10, and the park will begin operating in 2011-12. The park is to be free. The park will be developed as part of a 10-year master plan for the area.
At Nitmiluk National Park we have committed capital expenditure of $1m to install electricity infrastructure to support tourism development.
We will provide $80 000 for a new shed for the Acacia Hills Bushfire Council in 2008-09.
Other key objectives in the environment portfolio include: the world’s best system of environment assessment; a ‘step change’ in the number of people working on the country; an integrated approach to biodiversity; a bigger, better, world-class system of national parks and reserves; increased investment in, and protection and awareness of, the Territory’s heritage places; an independent and effective EPA; a demonstrable climate change focus across the portfolio; and a truly sustainable use of national resources, supported by science and proper planning through a natural resources program.
I am very proud to be the Minister for Central Australia. I went to Central Australia for the first time when I was eight years old and have never looked back. Papunya is still part of Central Australia, but I love Alice Springs – yes - a little more, I think, because it has given me a great life. It gave me great opportunities for my education. I was able to go to school in Alice Springs, make friends, work with people and forge ties with families through my sporting activities.
I will just very quickly, outline some of the initiatives for Central Australia. My objectives as minister are: to bring the issues that matter to Central Australians to the attention of Cabinet and individual ministers; establish the priority issues for Central Australia; help deliver doable, practical projects of importance to Central Australians; establish a long-term sustainable development plan for Alice Springs and other communities in Central Australia; and facilitate effective communication by government to people of Central Australia.
The re-elected Henderson government has hit the ground running in Central Australia. As the Minister for Central Australia, I was delighted to see one of our first Cabinet meetings in Alice Springs, with many more to come. We certainly pushed the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister does not have to be pushed. He loves going to Alice Springs.
Mr Henderson: I do, I do.
Ms ANDERSON: I was also proud to be part of a ministerial delegation to Tennant Creek in the first few days of the new government. It has been the first time for a long time since I have been to Tennant Creek. When I was an ATSIC Commissioner, Tennant Creek was part of my zone, so I travelled to Tennant Creek quite a bit. It was really lovely to go back to Tennant Creek to see all my old friends – we are still connected by telephone - and people who I had worked with for 12 years.
The new government, with the Chief Minister, the Minister for Housing, and the Minister for Regional Development made that trip. The member for Stuart and I went from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs on a little charter plane and we were holding on. The Chief Minister was saying ‘Something is rattling here’, to the pilot - and the pilot was not listening at all. I was holding on to the side on the plane. As the Chief Minister would know, I am petrified of light aircraft!
The Henderson government has demonstrated its commitment to Central Australia by creating a Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources with a strong regional focus that will have its leadership based in Alice Springs. I welcome the announcement by the Chief Minister that our government will ensure that, for other departments, decision-making power is provided to the regions so that local planning can provide true local outcomes. As the Chief Minister has said, no one better knows how a community runs than those who live there. That is very true, Chief Minister.
Central Australia will also greatly benefit from the decision to develop and implement a Territory housing plan. This plan is based on the premise that every Territorian should be able to buy or rent a house at an affordable limit. I look forward to being an active player in the development and implementation of this plan in Central Australian.
The Chief Minister has also announced that a remote transport plan will be established. This plan will provide for the needs of public transport in the bush. It will include a regional aviation strategy. Transport links are essential to the economic, social and cultural life of people in Central Australia. I look forward to developing fresh ideas and delivering real transport results for the people of Central Australia.
The government is determined that Indigenous Territorians will benefit from economic growth and social development. Through our Closing the Gap programs, supported by increased investment by the Australian government, we seek to ensure that every baby born in the Territory gets the same opportunity to be the best they can be. We are targeting the hard issues: child protection, education, health, housing, jobs, policing and community safety. Let us be frank; there are serious challenges across these areas throughout communities in Central Australia. I will never cease in my efforts to honestly address these issues for Indigenous Central Australians. This really is a true partnership; governments can only do so much. We have to ensure that we bring our Indigenous people forward to ensure they get a good quality education in order to get real jobs.
I strongly support the government’s intention to provide a more robust employment strategy for Indigenous Territorians involving employment within the public and private sectors. I am particularly excited about the initiative to create a regional jobs hub in Tennant Creek with a strong emphasis on Indigenous employment. Further, the granting of major project status to the growing investment in and around Ti Tree will be of great assistance to this emerging Central Australian economic success story.
I am from Papunya and I live in Alice Springs, but I intend to be a minister who advocates for the interests of all the communities of Central Australia. Over the coming weeks and months, I will be visiting and revisiting communities across the three central Australian shires. In the Barkly Shire, I look forward to listening to people at Tennant Creek, Elliott, Ampilatwatja, Ali Curung, Alpurrurulam and Utopia. In the Central Desert Shire, I will be seeking the views of men and women at Nyirripi, Lajamanu, Yuendumu, Willowra, Ti Tree, Laramba, Engawala, Atitjere and Yuelamu. In the MacDonnell Shire, I will be sitting down with the residents of Areyonga, Haasts Bluff, Imanpa, Docker River, Hermannsburg, Mutitjulu, Yulara, Kintore, Wallace Rock Hole, Amoonguna, Finke, Santa Teresa, Titjikala and, of course, my home town of Papunya and Mt Liebig.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I said earlier that I was just as much a minister from the environment as the minister for the Environment. I am also just as much a minister from Central Australia as the Minister for Central Australia. When you are from somewhere, you have a special bond and a special responsibility. I promise to respect this bond and shoulder this responsibility as a parliamentarian, a minister, and a proud Territorian.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I respond to His Honour’s Address to the Eleventh Assembly. I congratulate all members on their election or re-election to the Eleventh Assembly. As a member who was elected in 2001, I look around the Chamber and there is such a change in the since 2001. In fact, the two grandfathers of the Chamber are our Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. There are just a few members here who were elected in 2001. It reminds me of what a risky business it is to be a member of parliament. We must always remember that we are, in fact, the servants of the people, and that we are put here with a great trust of the people of the Northern Territory.
As I listened to the first speeches of our new members and other speeches as well, I am reminded that even though many of us have different bases from which we come, we are all joined by our one idea of being united for the people of the Northern Territory. As a parliament, we should be considering this in a positive light.
I thank members for their very kind words on my election as Speaker of this very important place. I particularly thank the Chief Minister for his very kind words during the opening of the Eleventh Assembly of this parliament. I also thank the Leader of the Opposition for very kindly seconding my nomination. I made the comment at the time that I have made Australian history, having been nominated and seconded twice by both the government and the opposition of the day. It is as a great honour and I thank all honourable members.
I thought I might reflect a little on my role as Speaker. Members would be aware that I have a procedural role in this place, and that is a very interesting role in itself. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding about what the Speaker does and does not do. Unlike a judge, the Speaker is more of an adjudicator and works by the rules of the parliament; in fact, adjudicates according to the rules of the parliament. Sometimes people say: ‘Could you not get such and such to do this or do that?’ However, members of parliament are not giving sworn evidence in front of a court. This is not a court proceeding, this is a parliament. We have rules and we follow the rules. It is about allowing people to speak within the rules and allowing the people and the voice of the Northern Territory to come through each of the 25 elected members. This is a very important aspect of this parliament.
Of course, being the Speaker is not just about 33 days of the year. There are two other very significant things which the Speaker does, one of which is the ceremonial aspect of being the Speaker. You may not be aware that, as a Speaker, I receive all delegations, all visiting dignitaries - and there is a significant number of them. I was looking over my diary for the last few weeks since the election and I have received His Excellency Dr Larkindale, the High Commissioner for New Zealand and his wife; and I was present at a lunch for Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao with the Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Hernani de Silva from East Timor. A number of members joined with me and others to meet the CPA delegation from the United Kingdom which was led by the Right Hon John McFall MP with his wife, Joan McFall; Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the Right Hon Keith Hill MP and Mrs Lesley Hill, Mr Laurence Robertson MP and his partner Ms Annie Adams; Mr Andrew Rosindell MP, and Lord and Lady Snape.
I thank the Clerk and Mrs Kit McNeill, Jan Sporn, Phyllis Mitchell; my personal staff, Vishal Mohan-Ram and Karen Philp, as well as Tony Hibberd, for their work in ensuring those delegations were looked after extremely well.
I also received a French delegation of Senators, led by Monsieur Dominique Leclerc, who were looking at uranium mining in the Northern Territory. I also had a German delegation of the Deputy President of the Bundestag, Dr Wolfgang Thierse, and senior staff from Germany, plus senior staff from the embassy in Canberra. This is to give you an idea of the levels of delegations received by the Speaker.
In effect, I am also the minister for the Legislative Assembly, so I spend a lot of time dealing with members and your electorate officers ensuring that the requirements of members are met. I look forward to meeting with all of you. I give you my commitment that if you have issues with your electorate office or what is happening in Parliament House relating to my roles as a Speaker, my door is open and I hope that you will contact me. Sometimes, it can be hard to get things done and, although my staff are excellent, I would be happy to try to expedite anything you might require.
As the Speaker in this last term, I have been particularly interested in parliamentary education, especially for young people, but also for a more general group. I spend a lot of time visiting Aboriginal communities, taking with me the very excellent Parliamentary Education staff from my department, and we spend a lot of time talking to schoolchildren about parliamentary democracy.
In this term I am hoping to extend that to adults. I noticed in this last election that I seem to have many new Australians in my electorate. One of the things they said to me was: ‘We become a new Australian, and we know about that, but we do not know about the system of voting’. They appeared not to understand preferential voting. They do not understand about political parties, or at least they do not understand about our political parties. Some people said to me: ‘I have met you and I will be happy to vote for you, but what does the Australian Labor Party mean? What do the Country Liberals mean? What do the Greens mean in the Northern Territory?’
Therefore, I am going to be exploring - and I will be inviting honourable members to be involved - how we can engage the community in a civics education program. I am looking at extending the Parliamentary Democracy Program, which is simply about democracy in this place, to engage the Northern Territory Electoral Commission - which is part of the Electoral Act together with the Legislative Assembly - on what our preferential voting system is about, and what obligations Territorians have in voting. I would also like to include the Charles Darwin University in this so that they could talk about the political system and the differences in the Northern Territory and in Australia and, then also, invite political parties to be involved, so that you could have all the different strands relating to democracy. It would be excellent if we could run this a few times a year so that new Australians or other people who are interested could receive some form of education about democracy in the Northern Territory. This is one of my challenges for this term.
Another challenge is something which started late in the last term. Many of you would be aware that I had the great fortune of hosting His Excellency President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta in the Northern Territory. I am hopeful that I will receive notice in the next couple of days of what date His Excellency will be speaking on the floor of this parliament – hopefully, in October. We are forging ahead with trying to develop a relationship between our parliament and the East Timor parliament. This provides us with an excellent opportunity, as members in this place, to learn about other parliamentary systems, particularly for staff in my department, the Clerk, the Deputy Clerk - who are very experienced people - and other officers of the parliament, and how we can provide assistance to their parliamentary officers and also to their members of parliament.
I will be pursuing this quite actively. When the President is here, I am hoping we will be able to move to make some arrangements. I am hoping to lead a delegation to Dili either later in the year or early next year, and I hope that members across the Chamber will be joining me.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the people of Nightcliff. It is a great honour to have been elected as the member for Nightcliff three times. In an electorate like Nightcliff, which has a very high turnover and has a great diversity of people, it is a great honour to have been elected three times. I have people in my electorate who come from very humble circumstances, who live in public housing. I have people who are extremely wealthy living in multimillion dollar homes, and I have everybody in between. As would be noted, I have many people who are very concerned about the environment in my electorate. There was a very large Green vote and I take that very seriously. I also have very conservative people as well. One of the challenges as a member of parliament is representing everyone, not simply the people who voted for you.
Once the election is over, in many ways as a local member, you need to put all that aside, and just say, ‘I am the member for Nightcliff’ and open the doors so people come to see you. I make the commitment that I will continue to do that. I will continue to be, as I have for the last seven years, at the Nightcliff Markets every Sunday. I must say, I am not as good at getting up early in the morning as the member for Johnston. I am afraid I do not get there until 10 am. But I do go to church before I go there; that is my excuse. I am there every Sunday morning. I also have the commitment of having a mobile electorate office at the Nightcliff foreshore and also at Nightcliff Woolworths as often as I can. It is a way to keep in contact with the whole electorate. I also continuously doorknock which, as all members know, is quite difficult when you are holding a portfolio, but it is something to which I am very committed.
I thank, once again, the people of Nightcliff, those who voted for me and those who did not, because that reminds me that I have to keep working hard to maintain the seat.
Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. Once again, congratulations to all honourable members on their election.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome all the new members who have commenced this session of parliament. Member for Stuart, welcome; member for Nhulunbuy, welcome to you; member for Fannie Bay; member for Braitling; member for Brennan; member for Goyder, my deputy; member for Katherine; member for Sanderson; member for Port Darwin; and member for Fong Lim, I welcome you.
Dr Burns: I think it was Barkly. Barkly, not Stuart.
Mr MILLS: Oh, Barkly. Welcome to you, too, member for Barkly. New members, welcome.
I have not had the experience of being elected at a general election. The member for Wanguri and I were both elected in a by-election. There are some in the Chamber who were elected in by-elections. It is a different experience.
You belong to an auspicious class, the class of 2008. You will mark this time and you will look ahead and imagine what could possibly be. I ask you to remember this time, where we are in the Territory, what the Territory looks like now, and anticipate change - positive change – what influence that you can bring to bear upon changing the direction of the Northern Territory, to make the Territory a different and better place. That is what we are here for. That is why we start our session with important words.
I remember hearing them right at the beginning because, in all my preparation for parliament, I did not realise there was going to be that traditional start. Those words have stuck with me from the beginning; that is, to advance the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. That is what it is about. I hear it every single time; those words just leap out at me. I believe this is a very special parliament. I have a sense things will occur that will deliver a benefit for the people of the Territory as we conduct our business in this Chamber.
So, welcome to the new members and welcome back to former members.
Also, without mentioning people by name, I acknowledge those who contested the last election but were unsuccessful. That includes those candidates who presented themselves and worked hard and had dreams and aspirations, but were not realised at that point. The member for Sanderson would understand how they may feel. Those candidates and former members who had an experience in this Chamber, I acknowledge you now.
In recognising the auspicious occasion commencing this session and accepting that, notwithstanding a discussion that will be held in this parliament and a decision that will be made in this parliament regarding four-year fixed terms, we will be conducting our business after these words for four years. We anticipate that there will be many issues that will come forward in this Chamber and we will attend to those issues.
We can attend to those issues in a couple of different ways. One would be to advance the best interests of your party - your own personal interests. Or we could be reminded, and reminded again, that we really need to be going back to that default position of advancing business in the best interest of Territorians.
Today, we have heard reference to codes of conduct, and the word ‘integrity’ has been used in discussions in the media. It is a word that is easy to use and it conveys a certain sense in being said. The word actually means ‘an adherence to a moral or ethical code’. That is a personal adherence. It is something that directs your behaviour and your thinking. It is not a word you can bandy around. For it to have real meaning, it is an actual adherence to an underlying ethical or moral code. We can have discussions about what that may mean, but it comes down to basic things such as: do not lie, do not steal, and do not do harm to others. They are primary morals or codes that, if we are going to have any meaning to the word ‘integrity’, should be adhered to.
I come to the election. Before making further comment, I look at the people of Blain. I thank you for your support. It is the fourth time that I have been elected. On this occasion, it was a difficult election because, from 2005 until 2008, I was the only member of the Territory opposition north of Katherine. So, I had a lot of bases to cover and a lot of work to do to keep the opposition in the game. As a result - and this I sincerely regret - I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked with the people of Palmerston, the people of my own electorate. There are many issues, most of them are neighbourhood issues. I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked. That is why, during the campaign, I was urging candidates to spend as much time as possible knocking on doors. I was simply not able to do that. So, it was an immense honour, in that context, to then be re-elected having not been able to spend that much time on the doorstep. Now I have - and I am most fortunate to have - others to assist in carrying the load north of Katherine, I can spend more time in my electorate, with the families, and in the neighbourhood. That is what I particularly enjoy.
To the election itself. I find it is a difficult thing to go back to, and it has not been mentioned before by me, not at any time during the campaign. I will not refer to the effort that was made to discredit and denigrate me personally as a strategy. I make no further comment on that. I make comment on a number of publications that were circulated that contained assertions and, just by the asserting of the statement, it was proposed to be a fact. Such as: ‘If Terry Mills and the Country Liberals are elected INPEX will not come’. To spend money on an advertisement which is a blatant lie, and put that into people’s letterboxes, is unbelievable. When you know that it is not true it is extraordinary. Those who wrote that advertisement thought it might work and they paid money and had artists design it, and had people deliver it.
A comprehensive policy was announced regarding the necessary restructure of the public sector. Much work went into that. No time was, obviously, spent by my opposition, the government, to assess the details of that, or weigh it, consider it, or understand the underlying argument. No time was spent to do that. By the way, this was presented to the media; all questions were asked, questions were answered, material provided. It did not prevent those who thought, ‘This might work’. They then put out an advertisement that said: ‘Do not risk Terry Mills and the CLP because they will cut 2400 public service jobs’. That is a lie! How can those proposing to lead this community spend their time and money to publicise something that is not supported by anything that has been released and send it out?
Mr Henderson: You said that crime had gone up by 78%. That was a lie – an absolute lie. So, do not get on your high horse.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: I will stay on it - I will stay on it.
Mr Henderson: You prove that crime went up 78% across the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Conlan: 83%.
Mr Henderson: Or 83%. You prove that because that is absolutely false.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: However, the point is, to construct your case for government on such a foundation troubles me. There are many other aspects to this, and I will not touch on the other aspect. However, to the great credit of Territorians, they saw and they responded, and that says enough.
What is required, in my view, is to recognise that Territorians saw this business conducted and they responded. It is their interests that we serve, and they are very concerned about the direction of the Northern Territory. And, once again, try to disengage those who are protective of their position - that being, the position they currently hold. Forget that for a second and remember that the positions we hold are to serve the best interests of the people. They are, in fact, very concerned about the direction of the Territory.
Do not take it personally. If I were in government, I would have to take that responsibility. The fact is, if you talk to people, they are concerned - from the remote areas to the urban communities - about the change in our community and about the rising crime. There is a change. I have been here since 1989; I have seen a change. I taught for 10 years; I saw the change in the classroom. I saw the change in the structure of families, in the classroom, in the streets, in the communities. I hear it in the language of those who have lived here for a long time. I hear it from those who have been born here, raised families here and are grandparents now, who are concerned - genuinely concerned.
When I went to the Rapid Creek Markets on the Sunday, the day after the election, there was one man - I do not know his name – who stopped me. He said: ‘Terry, I am not much into politics’. He looked quite humble about approaching me, and he said: ‘Thank you for talking about the things that mattered to us’. They were plain things, simple things, basic things like concern about how we conduct our business in the Territory, thinking about the future. Unless we attend to matters that change the way people think and feel about the Territory, our work here will come to little.
That is why it is so important that we take a new direction when we are dealing with law and order. It is a new direction, and that is what was described by the Country Liberals. Flowing from the election result, we are obligated to continue to represent those who have called for change by supporting the Territory opposition.
At this point, if the bill that is to be presented by the government contains matters that will truly, in our view, advance the welfare of Territorians, it will be supported - aspects of it will be supported. Amendments may be offered, but they are offered not in the interests of the political game, but in the interests of advancing the welfare of Territorians. That is the pledge you will have from us. We want to play a part in this debate to ensure that parliament works to serve the people of the Territory.
I am convinced there needs to be a change of direction. I am pleased that, as a result of 9 August, there has been language from the Chief Minister - and I congratulate you, Chief Minister, on forming government. I am impressed with the words that you used when you recognised that there is a need to listen. I take those words. Those words are easy to say - and I do not mean this in a churlish way - and are difficult to transact in this environment. We will endeavour to do the best we can to play our role in this parliament to ensure that those who have given their support to the opposition are also heard.
I am convinced there is a need for a change of direction – and it still remains - because I am still hearing talk of quantities; that is, amounts of money that are spent on programs as though that is an achievement. I urge you, government, to start changing your thinking so that language may change. Money has been spent hand over fist on all manner of projects, programs, task forces, reforms, plans, etcetera, and the results are not there to match the plan or the proposal. You are talking about quantity spent. To use an analogy, if you have a ship – let us call it the Titanic – and you have deck chairs on that Titanic, and you move those deck chairs around, that is called a restructure or a reorganisation. It may change the view of some on that boat but, unless you change the direction, you are not making a jot of difference. Perhaps a change of scenery, but you are making no difference.
What is required is to recognise that the underlying vessel needs to change direction - change the way we think about the way we deal with the serious problems we have. That is what was proposed and described during the campaign. That is why rehabilitation must be taken seriously. That is why consequences for acts must be taken very seriously, to send the clear and strong message and, at the same time, to provide the help after that moment. Tough, but tough help also. I believe that that approach must be taken. That must be taken; do not hold back.
If you start with the mindset that an individual is not responsible but society is, that if you spend enough money on programs and change the society that the individual then, somehow changes, in my view you are completely misguided. Unless you bring an individual to a personal buy-in and recognise that their own value requires them to have some kind of response or obligation to make some kind of change, you will not affect anything; you will just spend money on programs. People must be held accountable. People must be held responsible for their actions, one way or another. That is why there has to be a consequence. However, people need help. There needs to be help after that event. Help them after the event, but you have to reinforce the law, the standard, the value, and the principle. Otherwise we will not make any difference.
Those were the simple messages described during the campaign, and they will continue because I believe we must change the direction - the way we think, the way we speak - otherwise we will continue to talk about programs, plans, reforms, and task forces. We will continue to talk about quantities of money spent on x, y and z as though that is the achievement. It is not. It is the wrong place to put your emphasis.
Your emphasis should be on the individual’s capacity to respond and to understand. I believe in people. I believe the power of a person is far greater than the power of a program. We need to have that personal buy-in. It is going to be tough. In this parliament after lunch, we had a discussion that it was tough. Underneath it, there are some issues we have to get to if we are going to make any change; that is, personal responsibility and buy-in. Otherwise, we will fluff around and play games in here for four years. At the end of four years, we might say: ‘I served in the Territory parliament’. ‘What did you do?’ ‘Well, I got a couple of plaques on a couple of shopping centres’.
I want more than that. I want to see a change of direction. The Territory deserves that. I am prepared, as the Opposition Leader, to work with government, but that is the objective: to advance the true welfare of Territorians.
Many things were said in this Chamber, and up to this moment. However, from this point forward we have a challenge. This is a very different parliament. This is the Eleventh Assembly. We have a real challenge and opportunity. With the team that I have that I bring to this Chamber, we will play our part in making significant change.
Debate suspended.
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I begin by acknowledging the Larrakia people. As a member of the Legislative Assembly from Central Australia, I acknowledge their custodianship and their sharing of the land and sea in the Darwin region. I also thank Mr Koolpinyah Barnes for the welcome to country. Thank you also to the Kenbi Dancers for a great performance.
I do not say that as a matter of protocol which is, obviously, important, but in terms of my colleague, my cousin, the member for Macdonnell. Her contribution tonight really brought it home that we do have a fantastic Territory, we come from all walks of life and all have our special connection to land.
On that point, I recognise my elders as I did in my first speech to parliament some two years ago: the Anmatjere and Warlpiri elders from Ti Tree and through the Tanami. They are a great inspiration to me, particularly in teaching me my culture and ceremonies. As I said in my first speech to parliament, my mother was born in the Tanami Desert but, as part of the Stolen Generations, grew up at St Mary’s, and she passed away when I was only 14 or 15 years of age. So, for me to reconnect with my country and my people, the elders played a very significant role and I appreciate and respect that greatly.
I congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on your reappointment as the Speaker. Over the two years of the previous session, I thought you did a fantastic job. I am sure we will be looking for your strength and wisdom in the Chair in the coming Assembly. Over the last few days you have done well, and I look forward to more of your strength and guidance in the House.
Congratulations to all of the other members here, regardless of the side of the House you are on. This is the first general election I have had to stand for because, like the member for Blain and the member for Wanguri, I was elected in a by-election. They are totally different election campaigns. This one, for me, was equally hard because, with the redistribution, I have the largest seat of anyone in this Assembly. It stretches from Pine Creek to Kybrook Farm, down the western side to Nyirripi, through the Tanami and Ti Tree and the communities around there, down to Aileron.
The redistribution did make it hard in terms of travel, and I acknowledge on that point my colleagues in the bush electorate, because they know what a bush campaign is all about. It is different. It is not the doorknocking intensity that the other members have to do; it is the long distances and the driving. On some occasions, it is driving 1000 km in a day just to get from one community to the next for the voting. It is very challenging. The members for Arafura, Daly, Arnhem, Macdonnell, Barkly, and Nhulunbuy are all bush members, all with something in common - we have gone through this process of a bush campaign and we know how hard it is. So, I acknowledge all my bush colleagues as well.
I acknowledge the Indigenous members of parliament. Over the years, we have had quite a number of Indigenous members who have had the honour of being representatives in this House. I particularly welcome the member for Braitling; your maiden speech was fantastic. Well done, and I look forward to working with you over the coming years as the shadow for Regional Development.
I also thank the people of Stuart who have honoured me by electing me to parliament for the next term.
I acknowledge my colleagues in the Henderson government, particularly the Chief Minister who has honoured me by electing me to Cabinet. I acknowledge the trust that has been placed in me and I dedicate myself to serving the people of the Northern Territory.
As a new minister, I am excited about the challenges and the opportunities that are ahead, not the least in my portfolio of Regional Development. As my colleague, the member for Macdonnell said during her speech, she is a minister from the environment and a minister for the Environment. If I could use that terminology, I could say the same for my portfolio. I am a minister from the regions, given my family heritage stretching from Borroloola to Roper River and the Tanami, and my close connections to Alice Springs, as well as being the Minister for Regional Development.
It is fair to say that I have hit the ground running as the new minister, and that we have hit the ground running as a new government, re-elected for our third term. Under new arrangements, Regional Development is now part of the newly-created Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources. This new grouping of functions is timely as Regional Development incorporates components of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources, all of which play a role in the ongoing development of the entire Northern Territory.
With this new department comes an opportunity to establish a stronger regional development component in Alice Springs. We are already working towards making that a reality. The office of the Chief Executive of the department, as well as the leadership of the Regional Development section, will be located in Alice Springs. Yesterday, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to devolve decision-making to the regions. I welcome this, just as I welcome his establishment of the Territory Growth Planning Unit to coordinate the action and forward planning across the whole-of-government.
In his address, His Honour the Administrator emphasised the Henderson government’s commitment to securing the future for the Territory and managing its expanding growth, and of investing in our regional areas to develop and strengthen economic and social capacity. These aspirations are at the heart of my portfolio of Regional Development, which I believe to be one of the Territory’s most enduring challenges.
The department focuses on a wide variety of projects designed to foster development across the regions. For example, the department recently completed the first economic profile of Alice Springs. Three hundred and eighty local businesses contributed to the survey, which resulted in a blueprint for future development. A number of other towns want to learn from this experience. We have just launched the first Katherine Business Survey, the initial phase of a project to develop a profile of Katherine’s economy. This will allow us to better plan appropriate development in that area.
The department is also active in the Tennant Creek and Barkly region, where it is supporting a new organisation called the Tennant Creek Foundation. This has been established to manage and update the Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre and Battery Hill. I have noticed the cooperative manner in which both organisations have worked together to make the foundation a reality and look forward to hearing much more of its success.
Another important departmental activity is the Economic Development Committees. There are nine across the Territory. These are portals through which we engage the communities on economic development matters. Their membership is diverse, containing a mix of business, community and government, all working towards ensuring sustainable development in the regions.
Another example of regional development at the grassroots level is my department’s Indigenous Pastoral Program. The IPP is an agreement between several agencies established to increase Indigenous participation within the Northern Territory’s pastoral industry. The program is set to run until June 2011, and it is fair to say that the IPP program has been highly successful. The program is currently working with 18 high priority properties, covering more than 45 000 km2 – not quite as big as my electorate. Since the IPP began, the number of cattle run on the program stations has increased by 53 000 head. The program currently has 42 Indigenous trainees working on properties, and it is estimated that another 30 could be employed as the program continues to develop. Clearly, this program is delivering regional development at the pastoral level and is another example of the diverse nature of the department’s work.
We have been sponsoring another innovative project in Katherine, based on the business development theories of Ernesto Sirolli. This involves the creation of Growing Katherine Business Ltd, a community-owned and managed organisation that helps people who wish to go into business to form mutually beneficial collaborations. The Sirolli approach is unique and is paying dividends in the Katherine region, so much so that we are looking at undertaking similar business facilitation in Maningrida and Ti Tree.
There is a vast range of regional development opportunities across the Territory. The Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources is committed to playing a major role in assisting industry to realise these opportunities. I assure the House that the department will be at the forefront of ensuring that the Territory continues to develop and grow for the good of all Territorians.
I now turn to my portfolio of Sport and Recreation. In his address, His Honour the Administrator mentioned the Henderson government’s commitment to the people of Palmerston, a $22m investment in a new international standard sporting complex. I, as the new minister, will ensure we deliver on this election commitment. The preferred site for the complex is land beside the Charles Darwin University Palmerston Campus. Stage 1 of the project will incorporate training lights at the Palmerston Magpies AFL oval; a Rugby and soccer field with training lights; a grandstand between the oval and the field with seating on both sides; and changing rooms, toilets, a bar and a kiosk.
Stage 2 will incorporate an international standard 12-court tennis court, including lighting, elevated seating and other supporting facilities. Stage 3 will see the construction of a multipurpose facility providing for gymnastics, judo, wrestling, boxing, and table tennis. Installation of the training lights will begin in 2009-10 with the construction of the rest of Stage 1 planned to commence in 2010-11. Construction of the tennis centre is planned to start 2011-12, with Stage 3 to follow. The Henderson government is determined to make Palmerston an even better place to live and raise a family. If the Leanyer Recreation Park is anything to go by, the Palmerston park will be become the place to hold the kids’ birthday parties.
Over the past five years, the government has invested more than $5m in the Hidden Valley motor sports complex. Much of this investment has gone towards upgrading buildings in the complex, including the provision of an additional eight pit garages. This investment has helped to secure a long-term commitment for the Territory’s own round of the immensely popular V8 Supercars series. I have visited Hidden Valley since becoming Sports minister. The facilities there are fantastic, and I was lucky enough to hitch a ride in a visiting V8 Supercar. Let me tell you, it is quite an experience.
We are committed to enhancing the facilities to a number of other motor sports based at Hidden Valley, including speedway, go-karts, mud racing and drag racing. The government recently commissioned a review of service infrastructure at Hidden Valley, including power, water, sewerage and drainage, to ensure that we stay ahead of the game in maintaining these vital services. As a result of the review, the Henderson government has committed $4m to address key recommendations in the review report.
There will be $2m released in the 2009-10 financial year, with a further $1m in 2010-11, and $1m in 2011-12. Added to this is a $3m commitment from the Rudd Labor government to upgrade the drag-racing facilities at Hidden Valley. There will be some healthy rivalry with Alice Springs, as I had the pleasure of opening the Alice Springs Inland Dragway drag strip late last month. This top-class quarter-mile drag strip was built by the Central Australian Drag Racing Association with a help of a $1m investment from the Northern Territory government, and will help Alice Springs attract bigger and better events in the future.
As well as infrastructure commitments, the Henderson government will continue to bring top-class national and international sporting events to the Territory. These sporting events not only provide spectacular events for the Territorians, they also give our local players, coaches, officials and administrators a chance to rub shoulders with the best, and also pick up a few tips along the way. National and international sporting initiatives on the Territory calendar include a five-year international cricket agreement for Darwin. I am pleased to say that thousands of local cricket fans have just seen three one-day internationals between Australia and Bangladesh at TIO Stadium. We are currently in the final stages of negotiating matches for the remaining four years of the agreement.
The Perth Wildcats will play an NBL game against the Melbourne Tigers at Marrara Indoor Stadium on 29 November. It makes it six years in a row that the Wildcats will have played a Dry Season match in the Territory. A women’s NBL match involving Perth Lynx was played at Marrara last year. We are hoping another match can be scheduled this year.
We have lined up an NRL pre-season game between the Gold Coast Tigers and the Cronulla Sharks - unfortunately not the Raiders - at Richardson Park in February next year. In the same month, we will host an Indigenous All Stars AFL game at TIO.
We will also be looking to host an NAB Cup pre-season AFL game in Darwin, the annual NAB Challenge pre-season game in Alice Springs, and the premiership game in Darwin later in the year.
We have provided $50 000 towards supporting the Northern Territory Storm netball team, competing in the new Australian Netball League. Last month, we saw three games played at Marrara Indoor Stadium, including a victory by the Storm over the Canberra Darters.
We are providing $90 000 towards supporting our local teams, the Stingers and Pearls, in hockey, and Mosquitos in Rugby, to keep competing in their national competitions. We have put together an annual $200 000 funding package for the next five years to help the AFL NT get a Territory AFL team to compete in the new Queensland AFL competition from 2009.
Sport is an integral part of the Territory way of life. It has been an integral part of my life and I am glad to be the minister for fun - the minister for Sport.
I now turn to my portfolio of Information, Communications and Technology Policy. As a bush member representing an electorate bigger than Victoria, I am only too aware of the challenges facing our people who live in remote areas: the challenges of access to services, service delivery, and of attracting and retaining skilled staff. Advanced communications and computing technology have the potential to overcome some of these challenges, which is why access to high-capacity telecommunications infrastructure is crucial. High-speed broadband will enable access to the Health department PCIS, or Patient Care Information System, and this will allow access to a patient’s records and can be used as a clinical decision support tool; for example, in the treatment of chronic disease.
High-speed broadband also enables virtual schooling through two-way interactive video, a 21st century version of the School of the Air. Such technology will be essential if we are to overcome the barriers of distance and scarce specialist teaching staff to deliver schooling in the remote areas.
Another priority in this portfolio is to further develop e-government support to business. The Department of Business and Employment will be consulting with business to identify priorities to streamline the private sector’s dealings with government in areas such as licensing. The Territory Business Centres have been a successful initiative and it is now time to raise e-government support to business to the next level. The Department of Business and Employment has the task of engaging with interested parties, including industry and the Commonwealth, to achieve significantly improved access to telecommunications, including high-speed broadband, especially in the regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
In his address, His Honour the Administrator said the Henderson government would work for all Territorians, regardless of their political persuasions, their geographic locations, or their circumstances of birth. I commit myself to this and, in doing so, I am reminded of one of my heroes, a great spirit in the soul of Central Australia, Mr W Rabuntja. Mr Rabuntja was an Arrernte man, a stockman, cook, butcher, brick maker, gardener, horse trainer, artist, singer, and also my grandfather. Later, he became a voice for his people: an activist, ambassador and leader. Finally, he became a voice for all Territorians, a statesman, and a generous and forgiving advocate of reconciliation. Indeed, he used to say that all children born in Alice Springs, black or white, would inherit the Yeperenye Dreaming, the Caterpillar Dreaming.
Across all my portfolios, I will work for all Territorians, regardless of their political persuasions, their geographic locations or their circumstances of birth.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contributions to the Address-in-Reply, particularly the new members on both sides of the House for their maiden speeches.
It is always interesting to listen to maiden speeches. In this first speech members make, everyone talks about their aspirations in regard to the very high honour they have been accorded by their electorate; the honour of representing their electorate in this parliament. It is always pleasing to hear the aspirations of new members. I personally wish all new members well and hope that you live up to the aspirations you have articulated in your maiden speeches, and that you achieve the goals you have set out to achieve.
It is a tremendous privilege to be in this place. I was talking to some of my colleagues when I entered the parliament in 1999 and one of the pieces of advice I was given was that when you finish your parliamentary career you should be able to look back at your maiden speech and see that you have achieved what you set out to achieve, however long you are here. Congratulations to all the new members and congratulations on your maiden speeches.
The Administrator, in his address, set out the government’s agenda over the next four years. It is an agenda of excitement, of seeking to achieve great things for the Northern Territory at a time when we are going through an economic boom. All of the growth forecasts - the Treasury and the independent forecasts - are for strong periods of economic growth through the life of this parliament. Talking about aspirations, the aspirations of the government during this growth phase is that we work to ensure the benefits of the economic growth in the Northern Territory reach out to all parts of the Northern Territory, and that we make those investments as a government, that are going to set up the Territory into the future - the infrastructure investments which will allow the private sector to do what it does in regard to investments and building enterprise and jobs for Territorians.
On the social side of the infrastructure, we are seeking to improve health, education, and all of the housing issues. The social side of the policy equation is certainly built up over this period as well. Essentially, the Administrator’s speech was talking about, in all of those elements, ensuring that we harness the growth to the benefit of all Territorians.
Regional development was a strong focus in the government’s agenda. As the bush members, and the new Minister for Regional Development, said, we have hit the ground running. Just the week after the Cabinet was sworn in, with a group of ministers and our new local member in the Barkly, we heard from the people in Tennant Creek of their excitement that Tennant’s time is coming again. They had a boom time during the gold rush. There are good times coming again for Tennant Creek. After years in the doldrums, it was really good to hear that excitement from residents.
I was in Alice Springs a week later. Yes, we did not get a good result in Alice Springs, but I was determined, as Chief Minister, that the first thing that we would do – in fact, it was the second Cabinet that we had - would be to go to Alice Springs and engage with people there and listen to the issues that are concerning them. My commitment is that we will continue to work hard for the people in Alice Springs. The immediate commitment to the Alice Springs Town Council about lancing the boil in regard to the fight that we were having around who was responsible for funding CCTV was a demonstration of goodwill and good faith from my government very early in our new term.
The other huge challenge - and the exciting opportunity, having secured a third term in office - is that our government is going to have the responsibility to deliver on the commitments we made through the Closing the Gap policy agenda. We had made a commitment of an additional nearly $300m over the next four years, on top of the $1.5bn that is already going to the provision of services to Indigenous people. This additional funding is the biggest social policy commitment of any Territory government. We are going to have the responsibility of delivering on that. I am excited about the opportunity to deliver on that because we really do aim to make a difference in this term of government. We have set out goals for five-year targets, and I am determined that we are going to do everything we can to achieve the goals that we have set. That is a real commitment and a real challenge for the government. With my new Cabinet team, I know it is one we are really up for and we are going to get stuck into it.
As well as the Closing the Gap money, nearly $700m is going into remote housing over the same period. Over the next four years, we are looking at around a $1bn - $1bn additional for the bush in social programs, housing and infrastructure. I am hoping to look back at the end of four years and be able to say, yes, we really have made a difference, we have made inroads. There is a long way to go, but the policy settings are right. They are delivering on the targets that we have set and, in the maturity of the political discourse at that point in four years’ time, I hope that when we are contesting the next election - given that Closing the Gap is an intergenerational program, there will be new funding targets put in place - that both sides of the House will be able to say, this program is working; there is bipartisan support for it and whoever wins the election will continue with that financial spend to keep the bush moving along. That will be a sign of political maturity if we can achieve that.
There was no commitment - and I am not saying this to be hostile in any way, shape or form this evening - during this recent election campaign that the opposition would continue with the Closing the Gap policy agenda. I am hoping that we can demonstrate the runs on the board so, next time, they will be able to commit to that, so that whoever wins the next election, the intergenerational challenge that faces the Northern Territory is going to be maintained.
Law and order is always an issue in the Northern Territory. We have more police officers in the Northern Territory per capita than any other state by far. A large part of that is because we have such a remote and dispersed population, and Territorians expect - and quite rightly expect - to be able to go about their business safely and securely, whether in the bush or the towns. The government has committed an extra 84 police over the term, an additional 12 police auxiliaries, plus initiatives like the police beats, and upgrades to police stations. The investment in our police will continue.
Crime is down across the Northern Territory. My colleague, the member for Casuarina, very much demonstrated that in all areas of reporting crime is down. We hope to continue pushing that crime down further with legislative reform, with policing activity, reform on the social side of the policy agenda to make the Territory a fairer place and, hopefully, we will see those crime levels continue to come down.
Regarding education, as I said at a media conference the other day, if we are looking at the Closing the Gap agenda, unless we make significant improvements in Indigenous education outcomes, whoever is standing in my place in 10 years time, of whatever political persuasion, will still be facing the same challenges we are facing today. Those challenges really go to improving those education outcomes and, critically to do that, improving attendance outcomes in our remote, regional and urban schools. The minister, my colleague here, has her plans for transforming Indigenous education. Front and centre at the heart of that, she is looking forward to working with the Commonwealth government and the resources they are putting in there but, importantly, working with Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory, with a real focus about getting kids to school. Kids are not going to learn unless they are in school. If we cannot change that, in 10 years time, whoever is standing here will be facing the same set of problems.
In conclusion, statehood really has to be moved on over the course of this parliament. That is a great challenge and commitment that we are making on this side of the House. I will be looking to engage with the minister, the opposition, and the member for Nelson in a bipartisan way about a bipartisan approach and a work program to advance statehood over the course of this parliament because, finally, we have to achieve our full constitutional rights as Territorians. That is something we should all be working to as well.
Madam Speaker, outside of some of the normal argy-bargy in debate in this House, all members of this House quite genuinely believe - and take the politics aside - that we all want to make the Territory a better place for all Territorians. I am sure we are going to have some intense debate and political toing and froing over the next four years, but that is the nature of this parliament. I acknowledge that all 25 members are, essentially, driven by the same thing. We all want to make a difference, leave our mark on the Territory, and want the Territory to be a better place. Politically we might disagree about how we do that, but that is the nature of politics. I thank all members for their contributions in debates.
Motion agreed to.
PRESENTATION OF THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you that is my intention to present the Address-in-Reply to His Honour the Administrator at Government House on Tuesday, 16 September 2008.
All members will be requested to assemble at Government House at 11 am and accompany me to present the Address. A program will be distributed to all members outlining the order of proceedings.
I also advise that a formal photograph of members of the Eleventh Assembly will be taken following the presentation of the Address-in-Reply.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Road Safety and Rising Death Toll
Road Safety and Rising Death Toll
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Braitling:
- Madam Speaker,
I propose for the discussion this day the following definite matter of public importance: the failure of the Territory government to improve road safety and rising rates of death on our roads.
Yours sincerely,
Member for Braitling MLA
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Honourable members, I remind you that a matter of public importance has a global time limit of two hours, with the first two members speaking for a maximum of 20 minutes and all other members for a maximum of 15 minutes each.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I talk today about the failure of the Northern Territory government to improve road safety and address rising rates of death on our roads. Road safety is an important issue. Any death on our road affects every Territorian. People would be quite well advised the current fatality rate in the Northern Territory, as at the end of August, was 49. We are now up to 50. We look like we are going on record as having the highest number of fatalities on our roads ever recorded.
Any fatality on our roads affects many people, whether immediate family or friends and other people who may know those people. I know the government has tried to do many things to reduce the death rate on our roads over some time but, quite obviously, things have not been working. The numbers keep going up. For some of my colleagues to my left and right - not everyone would be aware of the history of what has happened to try to reduce the road toll in the Northern Territory. I will shed a little light for people because the road toll is increasing so much.
In 2004, there were 35 deaths on our roads and, while every death is terrible and we all would like the number to be zero, it was not as high as the year earlier. During 2004, the Country Liberals put mounting pressure on the government of the day, and the Labor government of the day did what all Labor governments do; that is, start thinking about the need to conduct a review to look at something to come to a decision on how to make changes. In 2005, the road toll was significantly higher, increasing by 20 up to 55, which is near and is more than where we are at the moment in 2008. Under mounting pressure from the Country Liberals in 2005, the then Chief Minister, under enormous pressure, commissioned the Road Safety Taskforce to examine strategies to help reduce fatalities and serious injuries on NT roads.
The report detailed some very interesting statistics, such as the groups that were at higher risk of death or injury on NT roads, some of the main causes of fatalities, and they also tabled information on how we rank against other countries around the world. I will just pick out a couple of countries so that members can be aware of some of those figures. There was an average taken between 2005 and 2007 between the number of fatalities on NT roads -- and that number was calculated to be 25 people per 100 000 population in 2004 died on NT roads. This is a sad and devastating fact.
It is interesting to see how the Northern Territory ranks against other countries: Sweden, Netherlands - five deaths per 100 000 population in 2004; Norway and the United Kingdom - six; Denmark, Japan, Finland, Germany Sweden - seven; Australia and Iceland – eight; France – nine; Italy – 10; Austria, New Zealand and Spain – 11; Portugal – 12; Hungary – 13; the Czech Republic and Korea -14; and interestingly, USA and Poland – 15. The actual average for the OECD medium is 10. The Northern Territory average calculated between 2000 and 2005 as an average per 100 000 population was 25. So, we are a fair way behind.
I recognise this is an issue for government, not for either side of the Chamber, but it is a very important issue. With the number of 50 at the moment, no one would like to see us get to 51 but we need to do more to try to ensure that these matters do not continue.
It was also interesting to note that one of the three main causes of fatalities identified was drink-driving – something that continues to be an issue today. The transport minister’s media release that I have in front of me here, issued on 13 February 2007, is titled ‘Saving Lives On Territory Roads More Important Than Playing Politics’, and I could not agree more. Almost 50% of crashes in the NT are alcohol-related and other disturbing statistics that cannot be ignored. I note that that was in 2007, but I also understand that the issue of drink-driving and the cause of the fatality rate in the Northern Territory continue.
Another cause that came out was fatigue. It is also interesting to note a comment made in the key findings document published in 2006 about fatigue. On page 11 of the report recommendations, it said:
- However, the NT report concludes that with travel involving long distances in remote country, it is likely fatigue, regardless of average speed, plays a significant part in NT crashes.
Although I am not here to talk about speed limits today, it is quite interesting to note that finding.
It is also interesting to see that speed was the third cause identified in that report by the task force. Of note contained in that report were the groups identified at higher risk of death or injury. Those three groups were – and most of us would probably recognise this: new and young drivers are probably most probably due to their inexperience; visitors from either interstate or from overseas; and Indigenous Territorians.
Of the recommendations that were in the report tabled, the government committed to a number of measures titled ‘The Government’s Response to the Task Forces’ Recommendations’. Some of those mentioned focused around:
education programs, and for those of us who live in Central Australia we will see many of those advertisements on Imparja and the like;
decreasing the speed limits – some roads decreased to 110 km/h and the speed limits that decreased to 130 km/h - which the Country
Liberals do not support but that is not what I am talking about;
the timing and responsibility for blood testing and how that can be undertaken and who can undertake the blood sampling or the testing; and
more funding for DPI.
I refer to what the Transport minister said on Stateline, which is quite interesting when we recognise that the report said that it is likely that fatigue, regardless of average speed, plays a significant part in the crashes. We have heard for quite some time that the need to bring in the 130 km/h speed limit apparently was because the federal government put pressure on them. However, I will just read a little excerpt from the Stateline interview of 8 September 2006 where the member for Karama, the Transport minister, said:
- We’ve been put on notice several times by the federal government that they’re unhappy with our current road conditions in terms of speed limits, they’re unhappy that it makes it more difficult for conformity across Australia and, you know, consistent Territory governments have resisted the pressure from the federal government.
I am quite surprised that we did resist when we are trying to become a state. We have to stand up for what Territorians want but we did decrease the speed limit to 130 km/h. It is quite interesting to note, as I found in my research, that the minister for Transport recognised that the federal government played a big role in it.
I could see some correlation between the new and the younger or inexperienced drivers and some of the efforts the Northern Territory government has made in its education campaign. I believe that more can be done. I do not see too many actions that target the groups of visitors from interstate or overseas, or Indigenous Territorians and how we can seek to reduce the fatality rate for those people.
Look at interstate and international visitors. I have just identified a few key areas that could be causing problems for these people - basic ones such as being not sure what side of the road to drive on. We know that these people are told on the plane or when they come in where to drive. Another is not enough rest stops for people. On Lasseter Highway on the way to Uluru you will see a confused international tourist stop in the middle of the road in their Britz van or whatever, confused about Uluru or taking photos of someone and, next minute, a car is coming. There are significant issues. Many people have not driven at speeds of 130 km/h, 110 km/h, 100 km/h, or even 80 km/h because, in the country that they come from, they do not drive over 70 km/h - not to mention not reading the road signs.
Regarding the third group, that is, Indigenous Territorians, there are some terrible roads in regional and rural Northern Territory, and they impact significantly on the accidents that happen in the Northern Territory. I drive these roads, much the same as everyone else in this room has driven on these roads, and we are all aware; we know it is a big issue and a big problem. Something needs to be done to try to fix these roads because these roads are impacting on people’s safety.
We are also aware of road maintenance and its deterioration. Anyone who drives up the Stuart Highway to Darwin and back, as I have done many times, especially last year, would notice that the verges are no longer being maintained the way they were once were. The Country Liberals have called for the verges to be maintained four widths wide rather the current two widths wide, and to be done more frequently than they are at present. At the moment, the chance of animals running onto the road is quite serious and significant. Those matters will impact continually on the death rate in the Northern Territory through road safety.
There is the issue of poor licensing processes in remote communities and how the education programs are undertaken so that people know the road rules and know how to drive before they obtain their licence. Being 2008, surely there is much more we can do to improve the process.
We also see people driving in from the bush in bombed-out cars that are clearly not safe. I see a lot of it in Alice Springs – I do not think I am being political here - there are definitely derelict cars on the roads. Many people who drive on these roads live on communities a long way from town. They might be husband and wife and a couple of children. These people, who need to come to town, to Alice Springs, to access services, buy the shopping, get some clothes, are backwards and forwards on that road in their pre-owned $3000 Falcon. Their car is deteriorating and they do not have the opportunity to drive safely. The roads are unsafe, and the vehicles are becoming unsafe. More and more, we are seeing fewer cars in these communities, so more people are piling in and travelling to town and back, which is creating a greater risk for people.
With the changes to the alcohol policy – and I am not advocating for the alcohol policy to change in any way shape or form, but I am happy to have the debate at a later date - with people now driving into town to get alcohol from remote communities, it is creating more traffic on those roads, which is a serious issue for people on those roads. If those people drive 500 km, 600 km or 700 km to get a carton of beer, it is quite hard for those people, I imagine, to drive back the 500 km, 600 km or 700 km to those communities and drink the beer when they get home - even if they are not allowed to. What we are seeing is a significant problem for people on those roads. I anticipate those problems will grow unless we take action.
However, I have not seen any action apart from what the government has already done. I recognise that the government copied our policy around the repeat drink-drivers and the access to starting their cars. It is very important that the government looks at some of our other policies if they are keen to copy. In fact, if they are keen to copy, we have a few other policies that would be quite good.
Madam Speaker, we have some policies around young road users. I believe, as other Country Liberal members believe, that it is not just about bandaids for the problem. We have to try to come up with the prevention. Just coming up with fines, or trying to catch people who are doing the wrong thing is not always the right way to go. Of course, there is a necessity to try to deter people.
We also need to try to prevent some of these issues. Some of the policies we have for the young road users - and I will just read out from our policy document:
- Under the CLP, drivers between the age of 16 to 23 who purchase a car less than seven years old with an engine capable of generating no greater than 95 kW capacity, will be entitled to claim no stamp duty, no cost of registration for two years, no cost of third party insurance for two years, and those that complete the provisional driving period without incident will receive their licence for free.
It is a positive move to try to prevent accidents in the first place rather than penalising people later on, whether it be speeding or drinking or otherwise. I am not being political here, but I recommend that the government have a look at that policy. It that could be an important measure which may help reduce the serious road accidents or fatalities in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs and even the bush ...
Ms Carney: God knows, they need some good ideas.
Mr GILES: Yes. I also recommend our policy of rewarding good drivers: drivers who do not incur speeding tickets for the duration of their licence renewal will get the subsequent renewal for free. That is also positive.
Ms Carney: An outstanding policy, member for Braitling – outstanding!
Mr GILES: Good on you, Jodeen.
Many opposition members would know that, during the just completed 2008 election campaign, we also introduced a number of other interesting policies about the penalties for people: if they blow over the legal limit of alcohol between 0.05% and 0.08% - doubling fines or increasing fines; 0.08% to 0.15% - to $4000; and over 0.15% - $4000, chance of 12 months imprisonment and licence suspension. These are very positive things that should be stopping or deterring people from committing such offences.
Some options for the member for Karama, the Transport minister, and government to consider would be better bus services to the rural area so people can get home at night, rather than having to drink and drive home. For people who come into town for a drink, or to go to the Entertainment Centre or wherever, and have to drive home, there needs to be options for getting home. The idea is to stop people drinking and driving. If there is 50% of people drinking and driving causing these accidents, we have to take action on that.
I have only been in this House for three days, Madam Speaker, and I am aware that some of these issues might have been fought before. That is why it is important for me to tell my colleagues, especially those on this side that, at the end of August, 49 people had died on our roads. I recognise that number is now 50 people, unfortunately. If you take into account all those friends and family and others who know, directly or indirectly, the people who have passed away, you have thousands of people being negatively impacted on. I am not talking about the economic cost; I am talking about the social and emotional cost.
We really need to get to the point of asking ourselves why people are drinking, and why they are speeding. It is not just the point that they are and let us just penalise them. We need to try to resolve some of the issues of why they are doing it. I have had a chat to a few of my colleagues. I believe there are a lot of pressures on people today - high mortgage rates, high rents, high electricity costs, high grocery prices, high fuel costs, getting the kids to school, traffic here and there, new lights coming there. People are always in a hurry. People are always under the pump and are always trying to get somewhere fast. I can only say that living pressures on people are caused through lack of planning. Increases in grocery prices, the traffic lights, getting to work, getting home, getting the kids - those are the things that put people under the pump. They are always darting off to school, or darting off to work and people are speeding. I do not condone speeding, but that is what they are doing. Then, when they come home from work, they are tired and sore and they are drinking too much. They will come home and have a beer, or they might have a beer after work and then have to travel home. These are serious issues. I have put forward a couple of ideas about how things can change, but I believe planning is a very important issue.
At the moment, 50 people have passed away, unfortunately. If we look at the end of August figures and we correlate those to the end of August 2007, we can see a 53% increase in numbers since 2007. At the moment 50 people have passed away and it seems likely we will pass that point by the end of the year. It will be an absolute travesty if that happens.
I understand the member for Karama, the minister for Transport, will talk about the road toll and what they are doing, and the inaction and so forth. I expect we will just relate to an old The Simpsons episode I once saw when Homer Simpson said: ‘Look, I can hear someone talking. I know someone is talking and something is going on, but all I seem to hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah’. At the end of the day, the number is 50. This week, when someone else has died, well, it will be on you ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, your time has expired.
Ms LAWRIE (Transport and Planning): Madam Speaker, what an extraordinary start to an MPI! It is pretty sad when, talking about the loss of 50 lives, someone ends their contribution talking about The Simpsons.
Our road toll is tragic; 50 people have died so far on our roads this year. It is not just the deaths; 417 people have been seriously injured. This is why this government acted by bringing a group of experts who undertook – and I know the member for Braitling was disparaging about the task force and how Labor governments like to do reviews. However, when you have year upon year of horrific road tolls, you should go to the experts and bring them together and, very openly, listen to what they have to say. They came up with 21 recommendations. The task force was a group of experts made up of long-term Territorians. Within those 21 recommendations, some were very controversial but, as government, we were prepared to do what it took and take the political pain to introduce and implement those recommendations - to do anything we could to turn around the driving culture on our roads.
There was a lot of focus on speed limits and demerit points because they were the most controversial aspects of the recommendations we implemented. However, there were 19 other recommendations we also implemented. These recommendations were all designed to crack down on the factors that contribute to our road toll. There are enforcement recommendations, and 11 of the recommendations relate to education and awareness. Through a combination of enforcement, education and awareness, we are tackling the main causes of trauma on our roads: drink-driving; unacceptably high numbers of people failing to wear seat belts; speeding; the dangerous practice of running red lights; and fatigue. Tragically, we have not seen the immediate reduction in the road toll we all hoped to see; this year it has increased. We are at 50 tragic deaths so far.
Experts in road safety all agree a reduction in the road toll requires a change in culture. That, the experts all say, takes time. They all say it takes years. It does not happen overnight; it does not happen in the first year. You have to be consistent in addressing your road safety reforms to see the change in the culture of drivers on our roads. Experts like Linda Deans from the AANT, and Trent Sayers from AAMI, all say it takes years to change driving culture ...
Mr Conlan: It has to go up first does it, before it comes down?
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection from the member for Greatorex. We are talking about the loss of lives. We are talking about extremely serious injuries that people carry with them - life changing injuries for the rest of their lives. I do not make light of this debate ...
Mr Conlan: I am not making light. You just said it takes time. I said does it go up first, before it comes down.
Ms LAWRIE: There are some patterns …
Mr Conlan: Isn’t it supposed to decrease slowly over time?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Greatorex!
Mr Conlan: Pick up on the interjection properly, instead of being stupid about it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: We are seeing some patterns in this year’s road toll. The increase is largely due to an increase in young, non-Indigenous males being killed in our urban areas. This time last year, 26 males had been killed; this year it is 37. This time last year, nine people under the age of 25 had been killed; this year it is 17. This time last year, 16 non-Indigenous people had been killed; this year it is 33. This time last year, five people had been killed in urban areas; this year it is 21.
I will table this information which provides a breakdown in these tragic statistics that are our road toll. They are people who have died and, as the member opposite made note, they have left behind people who love them. I repeat: these are fatalities; they are not the 417 seriously injured on our roads. Too many people keep drink-driving and too many people do not wear seat belts.
This is why we have chosen to act beyond the Road Safety Taskforce recommendations. We have implemented the recommendations of the task force, but we have gone beyond the recommendations. We have committed to bring in alcohol interlocks and we are doubling the fine for not wearing seat belts. We are also increasing - because we believe this is critically important, because of the Under 25 group who are at high risk - our education campaign with a $1m Drive Safe initiative.
Alcohol interlocks will be new technology to the Territory, and they are the point of difference in our policy between government and the opposition. This is not about politics. I do not treat these deaths and our tragic road toll through the political prism. What I say, I say in sincerity. The difference between government policy and the opposition’s policy is that the opposition’s policy in response to drink-drive is to confiscate cars. We do not agree. Our view is to use the new technology of the alcohol interlock system which has proven to be effective elsewhere in Australia.
We are introducing alcohol interlocks. It will be a licence condition for repeat drink-drivers to install them before they can get their licence back. They will work at ignition, and they work randomly while driving. If you have alcohol in your breath when you blow into it, the car cannot start - it is an ignition lock system and the car cannot start.
People have used this example: you get your mate, Sober Bob, to blow into it so you can start your car because you have had a few beers at the pub and you are driving. The timing sequence can be set at different sequences such as two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and an alert will come on in your car and you will be required to blow into the system again. When you blow into the system, if alcohol is detected on your breath, the car lights flash, the horn sounds, and everyone on the road knows what is going on inside that car ...
Mr Wood: What if someone drives without a licence, because that is what a lot of them do?
Ms LAWRIE: It is not a licence situation, it is a interlock system on the car ...
Mr Wood: Yes, but they will not go and get one.
Mr Elferink: They have a lot of those in Yuendumu.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection. The reason why we researched the interlocks for the length of time we did - I have been a fan of the interlock since I became the Transport minister - is we were looking for technology that would be good for remote areas of the Territory - and that is what we have. We have two systems of technology – one that is perfect for the urban centres and one that is very robust and perfect for the remote areas. We believe this is a better option than confiscation. It does not penalise the others in the family. It does not penalise the mum and the kids who rely on the family car. It does not penalise the ones who were not the drink-driver, but it does prevent the drink-driver from driving a vehicle.
It deals with the reality that most drink-driving is not planned. People make the decision to drink and drive when they have been drinking. The alcohol interlock systems physically prevent them from driving their car. Alcohol interlocks have been introduced, or are being introduced, in most other states around Australia and they have proven to cut down repeat drink-driving. It has been tested and it is proven.
We need to change the culture of drink-driving. Some people who would never normally contemplate undertaking any illegal activity, have a far more relaxed attitude towards drink-driving. The reality is that drink-driving can lead to far more serious consequences than other illegal activities.
We have increased penalties with fines, automatic licence suspension, and demerit points. We have increased enforcement with highway patrols and more breath tests. We have increased awareness through TIO, Imparja, we are running advertisements targeting drink-drivers, and we are bringing in the alcohol interlocks. However, it will clearly take some time to alter the drink-driving culture that exists in the Territory.
Fifty percent of the vehicle occupant deaths involve people not wearing seat belts. This requires a culture change - a combination of enforcement and education. The government made the extremely courageous decision to introduce speed limits. We did it because we knew, and the experts told us, it was the right thing to do. We knew that, politically, it may cost us, especially when we are the only government in the country dealing with an opposition which opposes speed limits. We did it because we had to show leadership and get people to slow down. We had to take the action. It is extremely simplistic to say that the road toll is up, so speed limits have not worked. Despite our rising road toll …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to have a private conversation can you do so somewhere else? Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, despite our rising road toll in the areas where we have introduced 130 km/h speed limits, three people have died on those roads this year. This compares to an average of 12 in the previous years before the introduction …
Mr Mills: No, it does not.
Ms LAWRIE: Three people have died on the road where we have introduced the 130 km/h speed limit this year. This compares to an average of 12 in previous years before the speed limits came in …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I will be tabling the road statistics document at the end of my contribution, Madam Speaker.
Mr Mills: Well, table what you are just quoting from there.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, the minister has indicated she will table the documents at the end of her speech.
Mr Mills: Well, I tell you because we are …
Madam SPEAKER: I will remind the minister at the end of her speech.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I have the fatalities, 1 January to 10 September each year from 2002 to 2008, as well as the serious injuries 2002 to 2008. Then, I have the fatalities by road user type as well. It includes the 130 km/h zone in the box ...
Mr Wood: We need to know which roads.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Gerry, I will give you a briefing on exactly where those three fatalities were, mate. Not a problem.
I agree with the experts: it is too early to properly assess the impact of our changes. However, the argument that the speed limits have not worked cannot be made.
Most people in this Chamber will know Bob Rennie. Bob is a true Territorian, and he has been the Road Safety Superintendent for many years. He was a key member of the Road Safety Taskforce which made the recommendations that we are implementing. Bob has witnessed the trauma and the deaths on our roads for a long time ...
Mr Conlan: Busy now.
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up on the interjection. Yes, he is busy. Yes, Bob is busy. Have a talk to him about it sometime, shadow minister.
On 7 June this year, in an NT News article, Bob Rennie made several comments in relation to the measures that have been put in place, and his experience dealing with the carnage on our roads and how it has affected him personally. I will read some of these comments into the Parliamentary Record:
- This government is trying everything they can to reduce the road trauma - demerit points, speed cameras and all the rest, they are simply tools to get drivers to alter and improve their driving behaviour ...
People say that the 130 km/h and 110 km/h speed limits are not working, but I disagree - there is a massive difference in 5 km/h when you hit something. While, yes, we may be still having crashes on the highway, the severity and trauma has in effect, been reduced.
We have to ask the question, ‘If we had not brought in the speed limits and demerit points, how many more people would be dead?’
Later in the article, Bob went on to say:
- I’ve been doing road safety and traffic enforcement for some time now, and I’ve put many people in body bags from 81-year-olds to 12-month-old babies - and it doesn’t get any easier ...
You get to crash scenes and people are screaming, there’s body parts everywhere and often dead bodies. And as a police officer I have had to perform CPR on victims - some I have saved and others not. I will never forget the ones I’ve lost.
One of the worst jobs any police officer has to do is a death knock. To see the anguish and the emotion that is spontaneous when you drop that short sentence is phenomenal.
And after that outburst is over, they want answers - why did this happen? How did this happen? You see so many people just collapse within themselves.’
I say to anyone in this House, and especially to our new members who oppose speed limits: have a chat with Bob ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: The CLP would have you believe that our policies have been guided by southern experts. Indeed, they were guided by the task force, by Territory experts, by men like Bob Rennie. Every time a politician in the Territory opposes speed limits, the message is that a young person hears that it is okay to speed ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Opposition members, cease interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: That might not be their intention, but that is what they are hearing.
It has been a year since demerit points came in, and one of the facts of demerit points outlined in a task force report is that while many people get demerit points, very few of these people go on to lose their licence - less than 2%. Demerit points force people to change their driving behaviour. That is the whole point of them: to change the driving behaviour.
In the 12 months since their introduction, around 20 000 Territorians have received demerit points. One hundred and fifty-seven people went on to lose their licence ...
Mr Tollner: What does that mean to revenue?
Ms LAWRIE: These means that of the people that …
Mr Tollner: What does that mean to revenue, because that is what it is about?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Ms LAWRIE: This means that, of the people who get demerit points, less than 1% had enough to lose their licence. Demerit points do change drive behaviour. The CLP has admitted that demerit points save lives, but they still oppose them. They oppose them in name only. They have introduced a series of motions and bills about replacing the demerit point scheme. They involve losing your licence if you repeatedly break road safety laws such as running red lights or not wearing seat belts – exactly the same concept as demerit points. They just did not have the political courage to support demerit points ...
Mr Tollner: Huh, we just have not seen a good argument.
Ms LAWRIE: One of the road safety issues that is being looked at nationally is electronic stability control. This is technology fitted to some makes of vehicles that, essentially, involves the vehicle’s computer system safely controlling the vehicle if it slides or if it skids. This technology is particularly suited to the Northern Territory where three-quarters of our roads are unsealed. The states, the Commonwealth and the Territory are working on measures to increase the take-up of this technology in cars. This government will continue to do all that it can to address road safety. We will keep looking at new ideas and raising awareness …
Members: You are failing! You are failing, seriously.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Ms LAWRIE: We will seek to change the tragic culture of driving on our roads. Too many people are losing their lives. Too many people are seriously injured. We will not shy away from the tough decisions that come with trying to address our tragic road toll.
We will be introducing the alcohol interlock into legislation …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Minister, you were going to table those documents? Thank you.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, road safety is a controversial issue even with the introduction by the government of a range of steps in an attempt to reduce the road toll. If you were an outsider looking in and you had heard the debate and saw what the government had done, and saw that the road toll had nearly doubled, you would have to ask what went wrong. Even though we have put in all these stringent measures such as demerit points, increased the fines, and reduced the speed limit, for some reason we have one of the worst road tolls in Australia. I ask whether we are tackling the real issues that need to be addressed as a society.
We can look at the issues that relate to a car accident such as: what was the cause of the accident; what was the physical cause of the death or injury? Was it alcohol or drugs, or was it speed, a powerful car, or was it hooning? Was it an unroadworthy vehicle? Was it inexperienced drivers, or as mentioned by the member for Braitling, was it tourists or new drivers? Were the road conditions faulty; were there severely corrugated roads or were people driving in dust? Were cars overloaded with too many people? Were people not wearing seat belts? Were there animals on the road? We need to look at those factors and then we need to look at the broader issues, which are societal issues.
In my response to the Chief Minister’s statement I said that I still believe our attitude to drinking is one of the main problems. I am not sure of the figure for fatalities involving alcohol. It is just far too many. The member for Braitling looked at whether some of the issues related to pressures of work, etcetera. Unfortunately, many of the accidents in the rural area were simply young people who probably did not have those pressures of a mortgage. They were just young people who went out partying one night, had too much to drink, did not have a Sober Bob, and got into a vehicle - many times a very powerful vehicle - and we know the consequences of that.
I believe we really have not tackled the issue of the way we, as a society, handle alcohol. It is not an issue of banning alcohol; that does not serve any purpose. It is about sending a message to young people that drunkenness is not the way to go. I still think our society says the opposite: that it is fine to get drunk. Why do you have Discovery and places like that open in Mitchell Street to 3 am or 4 am? What is the reason for them being open? It is not simply to have a good night. Most people go there and, in the end, get pretty well drunk. I think if the federal intervention had come further into Darwin, it probably would put up a couple of those big white signs: ‘No alcohol in Mitchell Street’. The violence occurring in Mitchell Street is no different to the violence occurring in Aboriginal communities which we are so concerned about.
The government has to make some real, broad changes as part of its policy to promote the proper use of alcohol. I am sure the Living with Alcohol advertisements on television I remember did exactly that. I have a note that says that in a recent RBT campaign in the rural area, one in 20 drivers were over the limit. So, it is something that is glossed over too much. It is not something that is fashionable.
We know that sport is supported by alcohol. We know many people love their sport; we know many clubs survive on the funds from alcohol. I congratulate the Katherine Football Association, which has continued to run a football competition without having sponsorship from alcohol companies. I believe that alcohol is not supplied at the football ground. They have lost crowds, but it has made the game much safer for families to attend.
I believe we have to look at the broader issues. We have to put some of the emphasis back on the motor vehicle manufacturers. I recently went to a car sales company in Darwin - I will not say which one - as my vehicle was due to be replaced. I looked at all the utes there. They are not just old farm yard utes anymore. They are utes with a double exhaust, low profile tyres and low suspension, they have those packs across the back, sports bars - you name it, they have it. They have the SS on the side. These are not just working utes. These are utes that are meant to fly. You get people driving these, especially inexperienced kids, who put their foot to the floor and they have difficulty controlling them. We have to ask if we are we selling cars that are unsuitable for young people - or actually for anyone?
Even if we do not get into the argument about speed limits, you still have to ask the question: if the speed limit is 130 km/h and the speedometer on your car says 260 km/h, why do you need a car that, legally, you cannot take that far? Maybe if it was on a race track. Do I need an engine that big, for what reason? It is all about promotion. It is about the car dealers trying to sell an image. You could say it is a bit of a male image about having a fast, you-beaut, red vehicle that can do 0 to 100 in 3.6 seconds. In the hands of an inexperienced person, it can be lethal.
Government through education and advertising has to work on the problem of peer pressure. I do not know what has happened to the advertising campaigns we used to see on television, especially from Victoria, which spoke about being a bloody idiot if you drink-drive. I know that if you keep putting the same ad on television it tends to have less of an effect. However, some of those advertisements where you see the kids get into a vehicle and, in a very short time, one or two of those kids is dead or buried, is very effective.
I still get a shock seeing the ad with two blokes hopping into a ute and driving across an intersection and, within a blink of an eye, a truck goes straight through them. I know it might be acting but, by gee, it leaves an impression.
When I was younger and went to horticultural college, we had to study tractor safety. We saw films of people who had been caught up in the PTO shaft of the tractor, or who had gone through a wheat thresher, or something like that. They were pretty horrible but to this day I do not go near a PTO unless it is turned off because I know the danger and the effects that can have. We need to put more emphasis on telling young people of the tragic consequences of an instant decision which, in many cases, can change their lives.
There is that broader attitude that needs to be looked at - and a lot of that will have to be a part of the government’s role. Parents also have a responsibility because we also put too much responsibility back on government. Parents have responsibilities. It is not always easy with young teenagers, but they have a job to ensure that kids fully understand the ramifications of too much drinking and mucking about in cars.
One area I mentioned before - and this is what disappoints me with the government - is that over two years ago I asked the government to look at hooning legislation. I believe the hooning legislation is faulty. The reason it is faulty is because, basically, for a first offence you get a yellow ticket. The government gave me some figures some time ago saying that approximately 178 people had been booked under the hooning legislation but only one vehicle had been confiscated. In other states, confiscation is the first approach; there is a 48-hour confiscation. In the Northern Territory you just get a yellow ticket. There are two problems with that. One is you can only give a yellow ticket to a driver; you cannot give it to the car. The other problem is it is not deterring people from the hooning offence and is not getting rid of the nuisance in the neighbourhood.
If the police find someone doing burnouts, donuts - you name it - they can impound the vehicle and the noise is finished, the car is off the road, and the kids are safe. With a yellow ticket, I can tell you from experience, especially if you know the distance between Howard River Park and the Palmerston Police Station - and you know what mobile phones are good for; you put someone halfway up the road to keep an eye out - they know once the police have been, it will take them 20 minutes to get back to Palmerston and another 20 minutes to get back to Howard River Park when the complaints come in. So, they have nearly 40 minutes of hooning, because all they have is a yellow ticket. If you confiscate the vehicle, you do not have to worry about who the driver is. You just take the vehicle off the road. That is what is happening in other states. In fact, in Western Australia, they are considering taking cars off the road for a week for the first offence.
I have asked the minister in this parliament, and actually introduced a proposed amendment to the Traffic Act to allow this to happen. The minister said she would review this legislation and she would send it off to the Road Safety Coordination Group - that was on the 22 March 2006. Then she promised we would see it later, after a number of questions, and that she would come back with an answer early this year. Nothing has happened. It is over two years -2 years - since I asked the minister to review this legislation to bring in this change and still nothing has happened.
Hooning is one of the major causes of these accidents. People doing fishtails with high-powered cars will lose control. I have a fairly good idea that one young man’s family, whom I know very well - I know his mother and father quite well because I used to work for them - lost their son simply because he was hooning. We need to send a message out to young people that if you do this kind of behaviour, you will lose your vehicle. I know the minister does not even like that idea in relation to drink-drivers. I still think that if a person is on their second offence and they have been told they are not to drive because they have lost their licence, and they drink-driving again - goodbye car. If it belongs to the family, maybe there is a way around that. If you can take the car away, you are taking the problem away.
The steering lock system might sound fine, but I would like to ask any policeman that does RBTs, how many repeat offenders continue to drive cars unregistered. Plenty in the rural area could not give two hoots because they know they will get away with it. Even if they are charged with driving an unregistered car or they are unlicensed - well, you just go round and round in circles. Take the car away, well, they cannot do that so much. The government might say it is a good idea, I am not saying it does not have merit. However, I know how people work in the Top End, in the rural area. I am not the experienced one; there are some police officers here who have worked on the road. When they have done RBTs or registration tests in the rural area, the number of vehicles they pick up that are not registered or have not been registered for ages is quite high. So, it might sound good, but I do not think it is practical. The idea of confiscating vehicles, especially after people have had a fair warning, is the better way to go.
Madam Speaker, there is much more we could say on this issue. We have to have some social changes, as well as other changes. If alcohol is one of the main causes, then we have to start to tell people - not only the young people, there are a lot of older people who drink too much - that we have to be responsible about the amount of alcohol we drink. Let us just not use Sober Bob as an excuse, let us take responsibility for our own actions.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for his comments, and also the member for Karama, and endorse much of what the member for Nelson has said.
The member for Karama said: ‘What an extraordinary MPI’, and had an inquisitive look on her face. I do not think this is an extraordinary MPI. This is a very serious matter. Most of us in this House have children, some who are drivers and some who are not. I have three kids who are now adults who are driving on those roads, and I fear for their safety.
The member for Karama raised the issue of the interlock. What concerns me about these interlocks is that, perhaps not so much in Sanderson, but out in Nelson and in some remote areas, we are going to have someone getting in a car who is affected by alcohol, and is going to take the kid with them, stick them on the knee and, every time that they need to blow into the machine, say: ‘Here, kid, blow into the machine’. So, if we do have accidents, we are going to have extra passengers in the car in grave dangerous situations, not wearing seat belts. I am concerned about that.
Road safety continues to be one of the Territory’s most serious public health issues. It affects people right across the community - not only families and friends, but also emergency service workers, tow truck drivers, vehicle examiners, insurance assessors, and many more.
I will read from the Northern Territory Road Safety Taskforce recommendation report 2006. On the second page, which is actually the opening, it says you are at risk of being killed in a road crash in the Territory. That is very good. However, the first paragraph says that Territorians are at greater risk of being killed in a road crash than people in the rest of the developed world. In fact, the risk of being killed in the Northern Territory on NT roads is about three times greater than anywhere else in Australia.
We are dealing with a major problem for our community. Road crashes are a huge cause of human trauma. Since recordkeeping began in 1925, there have been over 169 000 road fatalities in Australia. In addition to the huge personal suffering, the monetary cost of crashes in Australia is in the order of $15bn per annum - and that is in 1996 dollars.
Comments made in relation to this MPI so far have been in relation to some of the short-term policies and the immediate actions that both we and the government recommend. Any death on our roads is tragic. We all need to work to ensure that it is reduced to an absolute minimum. What plans are there for the long-term reduction in road deaths?
Good road safety starts with education at a very young age. I relate this to my own children. Fortunately, none of them have had accidents, or been involved in drink-driving. Perhaps because I have seen terrible things in my former role as a police officer and I have drummed into them right from the time they could walk that: ‘You need to do this, you need to be careful crossing the road, you need to hang on to someone when you cross the road until you understand the rules’. Perhaps we need to educate our young people from when they start walking.
What happened to the Road Safety Training Centre at Parap? The facility was closed a number of years ago. I spent some time in my former role as a police officer, and as a community police officer, taking children and being with classes at that wonderful centre and with the great people who used to teach young people how to cross roads, and more importantly, how to survive on the roads. They taught them survival skills.
I recall in my own childhood on many occasions visiting the road safety centre in my major city, which was Perth, and learning lessons there - some of which, as I stand here today, I remember very clearly. I noticed that at Parap we did not have a braking machine which gives you a vision of how long it takes you to stop a car. How often do we see tail-end road smashes on our roads? Almost everyday driving home from work, you will see someone has cleaned up the rear end of some other car. These are some of the issues that we need to deal with, and we need to train people on. As a result of my training in those road safety education facilities, I took up the role in my school as a school safety officer. After school, we would be out there teaching other young people, and using a bit of peer pressure as well, to indicate to these people that some of their behaviour was dangerous. We did it day in and day out. Not only were our parents, our community and our government educating us, but we were educating our peer groups.
It appears that some parents are unable or unwilling, or lack the skills, to teach their children some of these very important road safety and survival skills. These are the skills we take with us into adulthood. When we have driving lessons, or take the driving test, or get in the cars that the member for Nelson talks about and start to drive around, perhaps some of those things we learned in our childhood remain in our memories. I believe it is important we have these driver training facilities available to the young people of the Northern Territory.
I note some of this road safety has fallen back on to the shoulders of teachers. I know from experience that teachers in classrooms have an enormous curriculum load already. This government, a number of years ago, also threw on another huge responsibility to teachers to try to teach road safety and some of these important skills which, more importantly, need to be done on a regular basis to reinforce it in the minds of young people. We have a definite need for resources to be put into the education of young people.
We need to ensure we retain the support of our essential services personnel such as ambulance officers, firefighters, police, and medical personal, and ensure the carnage on our roads is reduced so that it reduces the impact on those people. Often, these people find themselves needing counselling to deal with the carnage they have to deal with on a regular basis. That is not forgetting, of course, the family and friends of those injured.
I refer to a Northern Territory government media release by the then minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Burns, released on 18 December 2006 announcing a dedicated police traffic branch for Territorians. That was as a result of the 2003 O’Sullivan Report on police. I quote from that media release. It says:
- Dr Burns said the recent Road Safety Taskforce report also highlighted that a substantial increase in police enforcement was required to reduce the number of deaths and crashes on our roads.
That was towards the end of 2006. The number of road deaths in 2006 was, unfortunately, 44 poor souls, which is a tragic figure indeed. The second point is that the road toll went from 44 in 2006 to 57 in 2007, an increase of 13 or 30%. Even sadder, it appears that there is an upward trend in 2008; as at 13 August 2008 the road toll stood at 49. If you extrapolate that on the trend that means we are going to go from 44 in 2006, to 57 in 2007, and, if the current trend continues, we are going to have 66 road deaths in 2008, which is absolutely appalling.
In the same media release, on 18 December 2006, Dr Burns said:
- The traffic branch will mean a more visible police presence on our roads.
Driving around Darwin - and that is where my experience is of recent times - on Saturday night, I was on my way to a function at the Cypriot Club - a very fine organisation and a great function it was. On the way, I was saddened to see a major traffic accident at the corner of McMillans Road and Kalymnos Drive where someone had tried to slip across in front of someone and was cleaned up. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. I noted that there was not a uniform police car there. There were fire engines but no uniform or marked police cars. In fact, the only police car there was an unmarked police car. I can only assume, because the people were in plain clothes, that it may have been detectives or some other officers performing plain clothes duty.
From the same 18 December media release by Dr Burns, I will read another quote:
- With these extra enforcement resources, those motorists who speed, run red lights, don’t wear seatbelts and drink and drive will be caught.
This was in 2006. What is happening is that they are not being caught because they are out there doing these sorts of things that are causing our road toll to increase dramatically.
Deaths on our roads are tragic, and family and friends suffer. As I said, for ambulance officers, firefighters, and all of the emergency service people, these deaths have a ripple effect right through the community. How can we prevent these deaths from occurring? We can look at better public transport so that there are alternatives to driving motor cars when under the effects of alcohol which, hopefully, will reduce the number of these tragic incidences on our roads.
Roads need to be maintained. We have heard that some roads are falling apart. Parents of friends of mine returned from holiday recently. They said that when they came to the Territory 30 years ago, when you drove south from Darwin and you got to the border, especially after they opened the bitumen road in 1986 from Kulgera south, you used to hit South Australia and the roads were terrible. You would hit Queensland and Western Australia, and those roads were terrible. However, people coming back into the Northern Territory say that is where the deterioration is. You need to know that money is going to be spent on maintaining our road infrastructure. Verges need to be mowed; fatigue needs to be addressed with more road stops so that people can have a rest.
We need to look at increasing the number of ambulances. I note that the government said, and Dr Burns said today, they were trying to get another one to Palmerston. However, we need to do more. We need to look at remunerating paramedics so that they do not decide to go interstate to pursue better terms and conditions, and where they may feel better appreciated. Just recently, a paramedic shared with me their frustration about terms and conditions and the fact that they felt that they were not appreciated in the Northern Territory. We have to ensure that our ambulances are not delayed, if possible, by holding patients in the back of them while they are waiting for beds in hospitals. They need to be back out in the community where they can respond to emergencies in the shortest possible time which will help reduce the number of fatalities.
We need look at the feasibility of helicopter services for emergency extraction of people involved in things like road accidents. It is not acceptable to simply say that is all too hard to look at that option. We have vast areas of the Northern Territory to cover. We need to work in partnership with the federal government and all in this House. Since it is the government’s friends who are in control in Canberra, perhaps they could have a word with them and see if we can get this ball rolling fairly quickly.
The government could start by looking at the feasibility, the need, the capacity to save lives, and the potential for various local suppliers. We, on this side, know there is a company called Airborne Solutions, which is trying to interest the government in getting an economical twin-engine helicopter here for the very things we are talking about - people who are stuck on the road and cannot get an ambulance because they are parked at the hospital with someone in the back of them and, then, they have to rush to somewhere halfway to Katherine; in the meantime, the person dies. Why do we not get these people to the table and start talking to them?
We all know the value of bringing immediate care to people who are seriously injured. How can we speed this process up? We need to get more nurses in the acute care areas at the hospitals so that people can be treated, or at least looked at as soon as possible. I know that the staff at hospitals like Royal Darwin work themselves into the ground to ensure the safety and care of patients. I speak with some knowledge on this subject. My wife, before her passing, was a nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital and I used to cop - although it is historical now - all sorts of issues that these people have. I do know that they work extremely hard, and I am sure that all members of this House appreciate the fine and hard work those people do. However, it would appear that, so far, this is falling on deaf ears because we really do need to look at getting more nurses into those very valuable areas.
Madam Speaker, the road toll is very worrying. The greater numbers of road deaths this year is an absolute tragedy. In the future, if the government does not take a more active role in educating Territorians on better road safety, and do it right from when they are old enough, I fear that it is only going to go up ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, your time has expired.
Mr KNIGHT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the relevant minister responsible for allowing me to speak. As a member of the Labor Party and having a bush seat, bush members certainly know and have an awareness of bush roads.
As the member for Daly, I averaged about 100 000 km a year in my first few years of parliament getting around my electorate. Having been in the Territory for 20 years, and all that time living outside of Darwin travelling around the bush, I have certainly seen many roads in my time and have also come upon accidents and seen some behaviours on the road which are concerning.
The fundamental challenge to reducing our unacceptable road toll is changing the culture of driving in the Territory. There are so many social cultures in the Territory which need to change; and it has been highlighted that alcohol consumption is one of the big areas. The culture of driving in the Territory, although it might have been novel in the beginning, certainly is not a long-term, sustainable habit.
I travel some of the urban roads and they are very well maintained roads. I also travel a whole range of roads and dirt roads, at different times of the year, have different conditions. In the context of the Northern Territory compared to other jurisdictions, we have a small population base which drives a small income through Commonwealth roads funding, but we have a vast road network - thousands and thousands of kilometres of both bitumen and dirt road, in some of the most inaccessible areas of Australia. With only 23% of the road network actually sealed, those bush roads take a lot to maintain and people need to be aware of the road conditions when they are driving on them.
They also pose challenges for the medical crews who respond to these accidents. With the vast distances, there will be delays. If you are a 100 km, 200 km, or 500 km out bush and there is an accident, it takes time for the Flying Doctor Service or Emergency Services or ambulance crews to get to you. That can be a contributing factor to remote road accident fatalities as well. The road toll is too high and there is no argument about that. Any death on our roads is a tragedy.
The MPI today has not enlightened me, from what the opposition have actually brought to the debate. I have heard the Road Safety Taskforce report read twice now. We have all read the report; we have acted on the report. To have it read almost verbatim by the member proposing this MPI was extraordinary. Nothing new came to the table with this MPI from the member for Braitling. They really do not have any new policies around this - except for two, sorry. One policy says that ‘we will open up the speed limits’. The second policy - and I hope I get this right, member for Braitling - you said that you will limit the kilowatt capacity of a car for 16- to 23-year-olds to 95kW. Is that right?
Mr Giles: Yes.
Mr KNIGHT: Okay. So, under the first policy, you can go as fast as you like on the open road - 300 km/h. Under the second policy …
Mr Giles: That is not true.
Mr KNIGHT: Under the second policy, you can do up to 245km/h in a 95kW car. That is your policy. So a 16-year-old can get in a car and do 245 km/h. I knew you were behind it - 245 km/h in a 95kW car. It is ridiculous. It is about the culture and the ability of the driver.
I believe that Territorians expect a government to do what it can to reduce the carnage on our roads. We should be working collaboratively to target the core factors that influence our road toll. On average, one person dies every week on Territory roads - far too many, but we have to act.
In 2007, we saw the introduction of the government’s road safety reform agenda, with wide-ranging reforms. The majority of Territorians drive carefully and safely. Unfortunately, others put the lives of Territory families at risk. Our reforms addressed the 21 recommendations of the Road Safety Taskforce. This government is committed to make our roads safer for all Territory road users. It is not about just penalising and fining people with a big-stick approach. This is about targeting offenders in our community, encouraging better road safety education, increasing enforcement activities, and actively encouraging road safety messages.
I again remind the House of the changes that we have made with respect to this. For alcohol-related offences below 0.08%, fines have been doubled; speeding - all fines doubled; not wearing seatbelts – all fines doubled; running traffic lights – fines have been increased; repeated drink-driving offences – suspension of the driver’s licence; tougher seatbelt regulations; demerit point system that targets repeat offenders; and the improved detection of drink-driving. Now, we have the time limit for breath testing on taking blood samples increased from two hours to four hours. Blood samples can also be collected by a wider range of qualified persons.
We have also introduced legislation to target drug-driving. For the first time, police have been given the appropriate powers to address this road safety issue. We know there are people who come into town and drink water all night but they are off their tree. So, the drug-driving measures will certainly help address that.
We have now introduced a speed limit on the roads –130 km/h for the Stuart, Arnhem, Barkly, and Victoria Highways, and 110 km/h for the rural roads, and where otherwise posted. We also introduced a graduated driver’s licence scheme for new drivers - minimum six months on L-plates and two years on P-plates for drivers under 25; a total ban on mobile phone usage, including hands free for L- and P-plate drivers; the doubling of fines for failing to display L- and P-plates; and the installation of integrated red light and speed cameras.
We also have the new highway patrols and remote area traffic units operating out of Katherine and Alice Springs. We also have re-established a dedicated traffic section in NT Police …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: … member for Sanderson, after your mob - your mob - scrapped it.
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr KNIGHT: By all accounts, the member for Sanderson does not seem to think that his former colleagues in the Road Safety Branch are doing their job. They are out there working very hard, member for Sanderson, and you seem to think they are not doing their job. They are doing a very good job.
We have also improved the road safety education curriculum for NT students. Road Safety is included in the school curriculum, member for Sanderson. We have also upgraded the drink-driver education course; remote community road safety officers will be used in remote communities; there will be improved signage on routes of high tourist traffic; and improved road safety awareness campaigns. We have already announced the addition of a $1m package called Drive Safe NT to better prepare young people for driving. This is a fantastic initiative of this government. I did not hear any ideas from the other side, but this is a great initiative ...
Mr Tollner: Why don’t you fix the roads?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning!
Mr KNIGHT: This initiative demonstrates the government is listening to road safety experts and acting. Drive Safe NT will better prepare young Territorians for the road and will make our roads safer. The program provides a real focus on novice drivers spending time behind the wheel with experienced drivers, and a focus on defensive driving skills. It is a fresh, contemporary approach to driver licensing.
The road safety experts of the AANT argue the recent reforms will take time to make a fundamental change in our road safety record, and I agree. I believe the changes we have made will target the causative factors that influence the road toll. Over time, we will see the benefits to all Territorians.
Last year, we reported a number of fatalities on rural roads. I have already spoken about the array of initiatives we were using in the bush to improve road safety. These initiatives, together with the record roads funding from this government and a significant increase in the funding from the Commonwealth government to improve rural roads, are welcome. I believe it was a record year in the budget for roads funding, so the money is out there and being spent. There is also a record amount of money on maintenance of those roads.
I talk to many people around the roads. I do not live in Darwin like the member for Sanderson; I talk to people down the track. They find our roads very good, compared to other states. You drive across the Queensland border and it is down to one lane. The Territory roads are vastly better than those of other states ...
Mr Giles: Go for a drive; it is 50. Fifty people have died.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Mr KNIGHT: I also acknowledge that not wearing seat belts and driving under the influence continue to be significant areas of concern. In recent years, 44% of deaths on regional roads involved seat belts not being worn, where available. It is clear that more needs to be done to encourage greater use of seat belts, particularly in regional areas. That is why we have doubled the fines for not wearing a seat belt or having a passenger not wearing a seat belt. We need to change the road safety culture in the bush.
This government will continue to show leadership and stop the carnage on the road. Drink-driving remains a significant contributor to our road toll. Members opposite may be aware that, over the last five years, 50% of all fatalities involved alcohol. Last year, this trend was down, which was encouraging. We hope to continue that effort to reduce drink-driving. We have introduced the ‘two strikes and you are out’ policy with drink-driving offences. With the new alcohol interlock, hopefully, those repeat drink-drivers will be targeted and it will stop them from getting behind the wheel.
All these initiatives should receive bipartisan support. They are all tools in reducing the number of deaths on our roads. The member for Sanderson alluded to this; there needs to be much more personal responsibility. We are doing a whole range of things. People do not have to jump in their car and drive around with their kids without their seat belts on. Personal responsibility is a huge aspect with all of this. People need to have a good think about what they do.
This government commissioned a task force of experts to come up with recommendations. We have implemented every single one of those recommendations. We will continue to look across the Territory, across the nation, for initiatives to keep putting pressure on those poor-performing road users so that we drive the road deaths down. I have not heard a single productive comment from the opposition about a new initiative which would stop the road deaths ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning!
Mr KNIGHT: The only thing you want to do is make people drive faster. That is all your policies are about. If you think that is going to lead to fewer road deaths, well, that is your position. We do not think it is. We think a holistic approach to this is a better way to go, and we will continue to work with the experts and the community to get this right. We hope that there is bipartisan support with that because the experts are the experts, whether they are in opposition or not …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Giles: You need to take action and do something.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr Giles: It is a matter of public importance.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you do not reflect on the Speaker. I ask you to withdraw from the Chamber for an hour, please.
Mr Giles: Now?
Madam SPEAKER: Immediately.
Mr KNIGHT: In closing, Madam Speaker, this is a very serious matter. We are very genuine on this side about trying to do it. We have gone to the experts; we have implemented everything that they have said. We have continued to look at ways of doing it. If you have some good ideas, please give them to us. I have not heard any tonight. We are always listening. We can, hopefully, work on this to reduce our road toll.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
This evening I wholeheartedly thank the residents of Karama and Malak who have chosen to return me as their local member. I accept and appreciate that not everyone would have voted for me. That is certainly reflected in the election result. I will continue to be a hard-working member for the constituents of Karama and Malak, irrespective as to where they cast their vote on polling day. You are not returned three times without a fantastic amount of support behind you. Tonight I really want to acknowledge the incredible support I received over the years - and it has been enduring support. I feel very humbled and privileged to be elected as the member for Karama.
Karama and Malak are great suburbs and fantastic places in which to live. We are a very diverse multicultural group of people in Karama/Malak. We have the highest multicultural mix of anywhere in urban Northern Territory. That is one of the things I really love about where we live - its absolute diversity. We have a very high urban Indigenous population, but we have the highest number of people from overseas backgrounds in Karama and Malak. I continue to get enormous support from our multicultural residents of Karama and Malak.
The Thai people were fantastic. They made sure that the monks came and saw me. I caught up with the monks during the campaign. It was that strange morning of 30 July and the heavy fog had set in. The monks walked through Karama to take alms in the morning from the new temple along Earhart Drive near Batten Road. I had been collected by a dear Thai friend of mine, Samsong and Le. We went to Koolinda Crescent near a park waiting to see the monks come through for their normal morning alms. I had the food to provide to the monk. A constituent was riding by on his push bike and stopped and had a chat. The park was thick with the heavy fog. Samsong and I kept chatting to the constituent, but we were looking out for the monks at the same time. Emerging from the mist were the monks, walking gently and quietly in our direction. I have to say it was one of the most amazing scenes that I have witnessed in my life. It certainly took my breath away. To be there in my own home patch and to give alms to the monks and to get the monks’ blessings was a very important moment of the election campaign for me - a very moving moment. I am eternally grateful to the three communities of the Thais, the Laotians and Cambodians for the way in which they have embraced me with their generosity. They are very supportive.
There was a certain view, I am sure, that was held by the Country Liberals, that by preselecting a Filipino candidate, the Filipino community on a whole would support that candidate. I knew that would not be the case. Of course, it is not the case that communities vote for someone because they are of the same ethnic background. They tend to vote for people they know and trust. I had overwhelming support from the Filipino community. I continue to receive overwhelming support from the Timorese and Indonesian community, the Greek families were tremendous and amazing, the Italian families, the Chinese families, the Serbians and Croatians mixed in there - refugees from the Bosnian War – the African families with whom I have worked very closely over the years, and also, the Indigenous families and the Anglo Saxons like myself.
One of the joys of being a local member is how closely you are able to work with families. People tend to come to their local member when they have a problem. They do not come when things are going fine; they visit their local member when they have a problem in their life. I have been able to provide ongoing support through the years to families and deal with their problems - and it is a wide variety of issues that we deal with in my office. My Karama electorate office is a very busy office, and it has been a privilege to work with the families, to nurture them through the difficult times. I look forward to the four years ahead and working with the families of Karama and Malak.
Everyone in here knows that you are as good locally when you are a minister as your electorate officer. I have an absolute inspirational Territorian as my electorate officer, Kerry Wetherall. She is a force to behold. She is a young, single, Indigenous mother. She has four children of her own, and she is a foster carer. She won the NAIDOC Volunteer of the Year Award a few years ago. In classic Kerry style, as busy as we were in an election campaign, she had two little foster care kids living with her at the time - a two-year-old and a five-year-old. They came to every single sausage sizzle we had. They came around to my place because we were having lots of meetings after hours - Kerry and her four kids, plus the two foster kids, plus my three kids because I am also a single mother of three kids. We had a kid-infused election campaign in Karama and Malak.
Given the logistics of an election campaign, I asked my ex-husband whether he would be willing to return to Darwin for a few weeks to take care of the three kids to help me out. He said yes, so I had the wonderful occasion of having my ex-husband living in my spare room for the three-week election campaign. Kerry did her best to take the same action, so she asked her ex-husband if he would be willing to move into her home to take care of her kids for the election campaign. She lasted three days. I am happy to say I did last out the three weeks with my ex-husband living in my spare room. They are the lengths that members go to be re-elected. I sincerely thank Tim for coming back to Darwin and helping out. He not only helped me out, but he worked extremely hard on the Fong Lim campaign for Matthew Bonson. He took leave to do that, so thank you to him.
I have to thank the campaign manager I have had working with me - a local man, a man of great integrity and dignity, Greg Wills. He is the sort of person who would do anything and everything to assist, and he has been great. He is a dear friend, but I also find him a man of great integrity and inspiration as well. He is a specialist in working with children with disabilities and is brilliant at what he does. He is a very hard-working, committed person. Nothing was too hard and no amount of time and effort was too much for the rest of the team: Dee, Kevin, Rita, Chandra, Hemali, John, Marg and Denis. Bless them because they are a fantastic group of people who have swung in and helped me with regular meetings and doing a whole variety of activities that election campaigns require.
Thanks also to Samsong, Ishfaq, Thien, Tania, Sheree and Joanne, Wendy and Margie, Sharon, Vickianne, Jenny, Bong, Alex and Marcus - who I believe is the youngest campaigner, he was aged two when he had his photo taken putting up my posters on fences - Carlieta, Brad, Sonya, Trisha and Lewis and their gorgeous daughters, Wayne, Giovanna, Grahame, Adrian for the posters - Adrian was our poster man, he loved the poster job, Ross, Henry, Joe, Peter and Harry. Thank you all for your help; you were terrific and your support has been great over the years.
We had sausage sizzles, breakfast by the schools and it was a great team effort. I have to thank wholeheartedly Wolf, who became the sausage sizzle man, a great sausage sizzler, Sam, Alf, Trace, Brett and Gracie. Thank you for your help; you have been fantastic. I loved working with you in the campaign, and before and beyond.
I thank my family, because it always comes down to the family to give you a whole lot of support in so many different ways: my mother, Dawn, my sister, Dianne and her boyfriend, Terry. I have to say Terry is a bit of a legend because it is fantastic to have someone who is trained in Army logistics on your campaign team. When he first discovered our method of sausage sizzles, in loading and unloading and certain aspects of that, he redesigned and re-worked our entire logistics for sausage sizzles and breakfasts in the morning. They became well polished and executed ventures, thanks to the logistics expert, Terry. It is always handy to have someone trained by the Army on your team if you are in an election campaign mode.
To Hannah and Arphila, my gorgeous girls, thank you – teenagers who got a whole new lesson and an awakening about elections and politics. They were a joy. They helped in many ways and they were fantastic. They, for the first time, participated on the polling booths, and got a lot out of it and enjoyed themselves greatly.
I am looking forward to continuing to work hard as the local member. I am really looking forward to the second stage of Leanyer Recreation Park opening. I cannot wait to see that. I drive past on weekends and see hundreds of families enjoying themselves and, as hard as this job is, and as crazy as the hours are and as much as it takes me away from my children who I love above all else, when you see that, you understand why you work so hard. You can actually make people’s lives better, even if it is something like a recreation park. I know there are families in my electorate who cannot afford a whole lot of activities, and that is free. They go down there on a hot day. There might have tempers running in the household, but they go down there and everyone is happy. Everyone splashes around, the parents are less stressed, the kids are happy, and the grandparents are happy, and it works. It just simply works. The Stage 2 big waterslides - my goodness, we are looking forward to that.
I am looking forward to the Karama family hub. It will be a really important new location for the Toy Library, the Playgroup Association, SIDS and Kids, and Down Syndrome and others who are co-locating there. It will be a really important resource for disadvantaged families, primarily. I am looking forward to seeing the Malak Primary School assembly area being refurbished. I am looking forward to the $300 000 spent upgrading the local public primary schools in my electorate.
I will continue to work very closely with Catholic education in my electorate - Rainbows Early Learning Centre, Holy Family School and O’Loughlin College. I picked up Marrara Christian School with the redistribution of the electorate and I am looking forward to working with them. I really love Manunda Terrace Primary, Malak Primary and Karama Primary Schools; they are great local public primary schools doing a fantastic job educating our kids, getting really good results against the odds. Sanderson Middle School has really interesting, innovative programs there with Clontarf. Gerry has just started a girls program, which is the girls’ first pilot program similar to Clontarf. It is early days, but I am excited about what that will produce with our disadvantaged girls in the electorate.
In the context of thanking people for working on the campaign, I mostly thank my children, Jhenne, Bronte and Zac. They are little tackers, and I know what it is to be the child of a politician. I know what it means to miss your mum. I guess my kids get a double whammy - they miss their dad, because he is mostly not around, but they miss their mum. They are great. When I asked: ‘Are you guys okay that I keep working this hard?’ they said: ‘Mum, we are proud of you. You go, girl, we are proud of you’. It means a lot. Zac does not join in that because he is only 3. He is not quite up to giving me the ‘you go, girl’ speeches. However, it means a lot to know your kids understand and accept that they give up their parent to the community, which is what the kids of pollies tend to have to do.
I am incredibly humbled by the ongoing support I have received from my constituents. I am privileged to have the opportunity to do what I am passionate about doing; which is making the place in which I was born, raised, and live, better for all Territorians. Yes, I am a saltwater girl from Darwin, but I have grown extremely fond of that Red Centre of ours. I have grown to love those diverse remote communities, and grown to respect those regional towns. I will continue to work hard as a local member, but I know the job also takes me right across this amazing Territory of ours.
Again, thanks to the team. Without them, I am sure I would not be standing here as the member of Karama. I really enjoy working with my campaign team. They never leave me, because they are my local branch members and they love politics and grilling me on politics. If you guys think I get a hard time here, you ain’t seen anything compared to my branch meetings! They are great people, intelligent and capable. People came out of the woodwork this time. I had more people offering to volunteer …
Mr Wood: You ought to see my branch meetings.
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, the chooks, Gerry. I had more people offering to volunteer than I had tasks, which was just the most beautiful experience; that people step up in the community sense. It is very humbling.
I look forward to being out and about around Karama, where I live. I enjoy Malak so much. I have many good friends living in Malak and it is a great community. For people who think that it is not such a great place, then they do not truly understand it. We have great people and we are in a beautiful part of Darwin - and it is going places.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, today, the opposition is committed to ensure that Territorians know the truth about the situation at Royal Darwin Hospital - as it was in 2006, and as it is today.
I give great credit to my predecessor, the former member for Greatorex, Dr Richard Lim, who was on to this government in 2006 and 2007, pursuing them on the issue of nurse numbers at our hospitals. It is interesting that, then, the minister was not so keen on admitting that there was a staff nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. The then member for Greatorex asked the minister for Health a number of very direct questions about nurse staffing and overtime - excessive overtime nurses had to work because of the crisis facing the Royal Darwin Hospital. At that time, the now Chief Minister said we were just scaremongering. I also note the Chief Minister failed to answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question to him on this very issue.
In the past two days, we have seen an astonishing turn of events. The minister is now admitting that there was a nurse staff crisis in 2006 and 2007. We are yet to get him to admit what the situation is in 2008. However, we have him admit that there was a crisis in 2006 and 2007. The first step was for him to accept the Coroner’s findings, which were handed down on Friday, in their entirety. It took him a few days to get to that point, but he finally got there. This led him to admit there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2006 and 2007.
The astonishing thing is that he will not admit that he knew why there was a nursing staffing crisis at Royal Darwin Hospital, and that he did nothing about it. His argument today is: ‘I was misled by my department,’ - once again, handballing the issue to his department. That is what he said on the news. ‘They just told me because of recruitment difficulties’, was his argument – a pretty poor defence. That is because the minister has refused to hear any evidence to the contrary on this matter. The Coroner said:
- I heard evidence about three policy decisions made in 2006 that I consider are likely to have had significant detrimental effects on nursing staffing arrangements, over and above the normal difficulties in recruiting.
However, the minister chose to be deliberately ignorant of these matters ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister did not choose to be deliberately ignorant. What a nonsense statement to make.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Member for Greatorex, please continue.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will say again: the minister chose to be deliberately ignorant of these matters. The minister’s defence is exposed now. It is exposed because we now know that, when senior nursing staff at the hospital tried to tell him about the very real dangerous situation facing Royal Darwin Hospital, he refused to meet with them. He refused to meet with the people who were going to explain to him the situation facing the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital ...
A member: Wrong. It is wrong.
Mr CONLAN: It is true. It is true and I will get to that.
Professor Di Brown, the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital between 2006 and 2007, has today taken the unprecedented step of going on the public record and admitting that she met with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets. There is nothing in it for her than to speak the truth. She has nothing to lose or gain by lying. She has gone on the public record and very clearly said that she tried to speak with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets to tell him about the nursing staffing crises at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She offered to give him a face-to-face report - from the top nurse. This is the top nurse at the Royal Darwin Hospital working with other nurses, hearing from other nurses, hearing from patients …
Mr Tollner: The Director of Nursing.
Mr CONLAN: The Director of Nursing, exactly. … seeing what is happening. She was seeing what was happening on the wards; the mounting number of nurses working overtime and the growing list of unfilled shifts because of the nursing staffing crisis. She knows what is going on; she is the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
She tried to meet with the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets. Obviously, she was not getting a hearing from her peers in the Health department so she took the step, unsolicited, because her conscience said it was the right thing to do because of what was happening at the Royal Darwin Hospital with the nursing crisis. She went to speak to the minister directly, by virtue of the minister going to the Rapid Creek Markets every Sunday, as he has done since 2001, to meet with people. She has gone there, taken the step to meet with the minister at the markets and talk to him directly. What response did she get? Nothing, absolutely nothing except: ‘Go and speak to my advisor’. The Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital, the Territory’s largest hospital: ‘Go and speak to my advisor’.
Despite most likely finding this an astonishing comment, as I am sure she did, she did what the minister asked …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister very clearly explained at Question Time today that he goes to the markets to meet his Johnston constitutes, and if people come to him on ministerial matters he refers them to his ministerial office. He explained that in Question Time today.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is not a point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Leader of Government Business. Resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: After being blown off by the minister to go and speak to one of the advisors, she goes up to one of the advisors at the Royal Darwin Hospital when the minister is actually visiting the hospital. The minister was at the hospital; she tells the advisor who was with him that she needed to meet with the minister to discuss the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She said to the minister’s advisor at the Royal Darwin Hospital: ‘I need to speak to the minister to discuss the nursing staffing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital’. What transpires? No meeting.
Here was an opportunity for the minister to hear first-hand from the senior nurse, from the Executive Director of Nursing of the Royal Darwin Hospital, of the nursing staffing crisis and the consequences as a result of that crisis or shortage at the Royal Darwin Hospital and the advisor does not arrange a meeting. It was an opportunity to validate and confirm the advice the minister said today he was receiving from his bureaucrats. What happened? He refused to meet with her ...
Ms Carney: Gutless, cowardly.
Mr CONLAN: It is a shameful situation. The minister should be ashamed of himself …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Araluen is using extremely colourful language which is unnecessary and unbecoming of a member of parliament.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I would like you to withdraw that comment regarding the minister.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I did not say that the minister was gutless or cowardly; I simply said the words ‘gutless’ and ‘cowardly’. However, Madam Speaker, in deference to you, I withdraw those words.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, the minister said in parliament today - and I quote from the Daily Hansard:
- … I have never had a conversation with Professor Di Brown on the issues that the member for Greatorex is talking about.
Ms Carney: So, he is lying, is he?
- Mr CONLAN: … I have never had a conversation with Professor Di Brown on the issues that the member for Greatorex is talking about.
Minister, you have been caught out …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex heard the minister say in Question Time today, very clearly, he meets a lot of people at the markets; he does not remember meeting Di Brown.
Mr Conlan: It is in here. It is in the Hansard. He said ‘never’.
Ms LAWRIE: He is trying to misconstrue what the minister said.
Mr Tollner: Madam Speaker, that is not a point of order!
Ms Scrymgour: Oh, who are you to decide?
Mr Elferink: The member for Fong Lim. The seat that you guys lost.
Madam SPEAKER: Please resume your seat, member for Fong Lim. Member for Greatorex, you may continue but, remember, if you are considering making an allegation …
Ms Lawrie: Don’t mislead.
Madam SPEAKER: … regarding the minister, you may …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: … only do so by way of a substantiative motion. I am sorry?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of Government Business has just suggested that I was misleading the House, and I ask her to withdraw that low comment, please.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I did not. A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I did not hear it, but can you simply withdraw?
Ms LAWRIE: I did not.
Mr Elferink: Just withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I ask you to withdraw.
Ms LAWRIE: Sorry, I withdraw. Happy to withdraw. I did not - sensitive.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, please continue.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, I quote again the minister today. When it was put very directly to him in parliament, he responded:
- … I never had a conversation with Professor Di Brown on the issues that the member for Greatorex is talking about.
That flies in the face of what was on the Channel 9 and the ABC news this evening where Professor Di Brown specifically said that she went to the minister at the Rapid Creek Markets, spoke to him and requested a meeting to discuss the nursing crisis at the Royal Darwin Hospital. I say …
Ms Scrymgour: He said that.
Mr CONLAN: He did not say that. I answer the interjection that he did not say that. I suggest, member for Arafura, that you pick up Daily Hansard and have a look because he did not say that. I will tell you what he said again. He said:
- … I have never had a conversation with Professor Di Brown on the issues that the member for Greatorex is talking about.
Wrong. The minister has been caught out. He has been caught misleading this parliament ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex cannot make that allegation here. It is ridiculous.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, please resume your seat. Member for Greatorex, I ask you to withdraw. You cannot make those sorts of comments except by way of substantiative motion.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Excuse me! The member for Greatorex has just said that the minister has misled the House.
Mr Elferink: He has not.
Ms Lawrie: Yes, he did. Absolutely! Open your ears.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, I ask you to withdraw unreservedly.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
However, I ask how the minister can enter this place again and be believed? How can he be believed? It is in Hansard, and I suggest you all have a look before you start leaping to the defence of this irresponsible minister that you call the Minister for Health in the Northern Territory. From day one of this very tragic saga, the minister has ducked and weaved like nothing else. He has taken the Sergeant Schultz line that ‘I know nothing’, all because he could have done something and he did not. He could have done something. He knew about it; we all know that he knew about it; he knows that he knew about it; he has done nothing. He has cowered behind the coattails of his bureaucrats.
He has nowhere to hide now. He has been caught out and he needs to come clean. Be a man, minister, and face up to your responsibilities as the Health Minister of the Northern Territory. Accept that you knew the problems at the Royal Darwin Hospital were beyond recruitment difficulties, and accept that you have abrogated your responsibility as Health Minister of the Northern Territory.
The public expects nothing less of a minister than to do his job and put the care of Territorians first - to do his job and put the care of Territorians first ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Very clearly, we went through this in Question Time today. The minister has put an expert in place to oversight the nursing staff model at Royal Darwin Hospital. That is doing his job.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr Elferink: I am not sure what the point of order is.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I say, the Territory public expects their minister - all ministers and the Health Minister - to put the care of Territorians first. This minister has clearly not done that. He knows he has been caught out, we know he has been caught out, and everyone knows he has been caught out. He has not done his job, and he knows it. The minister must resign and he must resign now.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I pay respect to a great man who passed away recently, an elder from the Papunya/Mt Liebig area. I take this time to pay my respects to Glenis and Tim, Graham and Mark, and Faye and Jamie. These people are non-Indigenous people who loved him and worked with him at Mt Liebig, and looked after him in the last couple of weeks of his life.
I pay respect to a great man who passed away recently. Billy Tjapaltjarri Whiskey was a senior man with a wealth of knowledge. He passed away in Alice Springs on 19 August 2008. He was born in a shallow hole scooped out of the red earth in a place called Pirupa Alka, known as White Cocky Country. We believe this to be around the year 1920. The first born from his father, it was here that Tjapaltjarri would grow, immersed in a life that had preceded him for generations before. He lived off the land and was to have his first contact with a non-Aboriginal person as a teenager. Shortly after, he would return with his family to the country he grew up in.
It was not until his father passed away that he walked to Haasts Bluff to start the next chapter in his life. It was here that he met his wife, Colleen Nampitjinpa, with whom he was to have five children: Herman, Paul, Shawn, and two daughters, Kathleen and Louise. At Haasts Bluff, he was to grow a beard and was given the name Billy Whiskery. I have to tell you this story. Because he had a beard, the missionaries said: ‘Oh, Bill, you have really long whiskers’, but the Aboriginal people thought, oh that is his new name and called him Bill Whiskery, for the whiskers, later to be abbreviated to Whiskey. It was here that he helped to lay the building blocks of what is now an established community of Haasts Bluff.
Decades after, he moved to an outstation near Mt Liebig. Tjapaltjarri was a Nangkarri and was visited by people from afar. A Nangkarri is a witch doctor, a person who fixes and heals people. I can vouch for that, because people came from South Australia, Western Australia and all over Central Australia to visit him for the healing powers that he had. Today, I hear of those close to him saying that he had an influence that he, perhaps, did not fully realise.
He was a senior man with a wealth of knowledge. When I say this, I do not say it lightly. People talk about having the Queen as the head of the state - well, he was the king of the Aboriginal state of Central Australia.
Remarkably, it was not until he was in his mid-80s that he began to paint acrylic on canvas. Instantly, he became one of Australia’s most recognised artists. He painted all day and every day, the story of his country, and that of the cockatoo. In 2007, when he returned to his country, he proudly pointed out the significant parts of the story and his association with the eagle and the crow.
His memory will not only be etched in the minds of those who knew him, and with the families and legacy that followed, but in the timeless art that he created as a senior man. It tells the story of a man who, long ago, with his generation, was raised in a world identical in all aspects to thousands of generations before him. In adulthood, this would change, but it is the remnants of the past and the knowledge and wisdom that forms the bedrock to our identity as Aboriginal people in Central Australia.
I pay my tribute to Tjapaltjarri, and to my sister, Colleen. When I was growing up at Haasts Bluff, I used to live with this old man and grew up with him. He taught me all the hunting techniques and how to survive on country, and how to look for water. This was before we ever lived in three-bedroom brick houses. We lived in humpies across the creek and got soakage water from the river. We used to come up once a week to get rations from the mission. I loved him and respected him and, obviously, as Indigenous people from Central Australia, we will miss him. I say thank you to Glenis and Tim for the love they showed him in the last days of his life at Mt Liebig.
I also speak about the Breast Cancer Golf Day recently held in Alice Springs. I believe this was something the member for Araluen took part in, because two years ago I played this game of golf when the member for Araluen championed this golf day for breast cancer. We had a lot of fun two years ago, rocking up with high-heeled shoes and a pretty dress and playing the eight holes or something and then going home tired, after hitting the ball around and paying someone else to tee off for you.
The Breast Cancer Golf Day has become an institution in Alice Springs. Over 200 women each year take to the Alice Springs Golf Course in all manner of costumes and decorated golf buggies to socialise, raise some money for a good cause and, if there is time, to play some golf. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it is. However, the day has a serious purpose. Since the Breast Cancer Golf Day began six years ago, over $90 000 has been raised to advance research on breast cancer and to support Centralian women and their families affected by breast cancer. This year alone, the 235 players raised over $21 000 on the day.
In addition to the golf day, the organisers had a specialist bra fitter for women in the lead-up to the event. For women, a correct fitting bra is essential to maintaining breast health, and it was great to see this service offered for the benefit of all Alice Springs women.
I congratulate the organisers of the golf day, Karen Jones and Deb Pepper, who worked tirelessly in the weeks and months leading up to the event to make sure it went off without a hitch. The fact that the maximum capacity was reached a week out from the event is testament to the hard work put in by Karen and Deb and the many others who assist them behind the scenes. I also thank and congratulate many Alice Springs businesses who got in on the fun and sponsored the event. Without the support of those individual business and major sponsors such as the Alice Springs Wine Club, the golf day could not be the enormous success that it is. It was our great pleasure to support the golf day through the Chief Minister’s Office in Alice Springs.
To that end, I acknowledge and say thanks to Nyree Slatter and Judy Buckley for their time and effort in registering players and for coordinating our sponsorship. Congratulations to all those women who turned up because, without those women, we would not have had a golf day. Also, to the businesses as well for the support.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, recently I attended the Litchfield Football Club’s Presentation Day at Freds Pass. It is a soccer club and the event was at the reserve from 3.30 pm onwards. My good colleague from Nelson was also there. On arrival, it was a lovely sight to see in excess of 200 children and young people running around on the oval playing various games, on the jumping castle, or rolling an earth ball. For the littlies, there was a water suds slide which was very popular. There were many parents, friends, coaches, and guests in attendance. The colours of the club are black, red and white, and their logo is a pretty scary looking snake around a soccer ball with a green tree frog sitting on the ball. I am not sure of the meaning behind the popular Territory animals on their logo, but I suspect the players are true and strong strikers, hence the snake. The green tree frog is because they can hop, skip and jump very well during their games. It is a very fitting choice for a logo for a rural sporting club.
The club had set up music for the evening in a DJ style and played all manner of music, most of which I did not really identify with. But the young ones seem to appreciate it. Getting old!
The evening was well organised and well run. They had special presentations and I acknowledge and congratulate the Volunteer of the Year which was Suzanne Keillor, Club Sportsperson of the Year, Nikita Kruger, the Coach of the Year, James Edwards, Junior Referee of the Year, Nikita Kruger. The teams then received their participation medals, from the under six-year-olds who were about knee high to a flea, through to the senior men.
The club has a strong membership with a total of 218 players: 133 junior males, 18 senior males, 62 junior females, and five senior females. They have 18 teams from the under six-year-olds to senior men, which demonstrates how popular and successful this club is in its activities.
A little bit of background: the Litchfield Soccer Club had its first season in 2002 as a result of the Palmerston Club being forced to turn away junior players in the 2001 season. Initial inquiries into opportunities for other rural-based junior players were made in 2000 by the Berry Springs Reserve Committee. The Soccer Federation held discussions but no firm decisions were made at the time.
Following the Palmerston Club turning away players, the soccer people moved to support the formation of a second Palmerston Rural Soccer Club. So, in 2002, the Litchfield Soccer Club was born and has moved from strength to strength and now boasts some of the highest junior registration numbers in the Northern Territory. After seeing the large number of children at that presentation day, and the level of fun they were having, it is not surprising it is such a successful club. A number of junior and senior teams have won premiership and cup trophies, with many of the Litchfield players selected to represent the Northern Territory.
The club is now moving forward into a new era for football both in the Northern Territory and Australia, and we all know how popular soccer is and is becoming because of our Australian team. They are striving to raise funds for a permanent home of their own at Freds Pass Reserve. Given the success of the club, its membership and levels, and strong support from families and community, it is not only timely but right that the club should receive support from government towards its own clubroom and facilities.
Currently, the club shares an oval and facilities with the Aussie Rules football club and, while the relationship is very good, there is a potential for a clash in fixtures as the activities of the seasons do overlap. I will be taking up their club cause and working with the club and others to see if we can secure their own facilities very soon. The Litchfield Football Club’s philosophy - which is probably why it is so successful - is based on the concept of fun, fairness and participation. With this philosophy we, and they, hope to instil in the players the love of the game of football and a concept of participation in both the club and the community that they can take into life generally.
I congratulate the president of the club, Shane Pilkie and his committee, the club, all the members, and family supporters, and thank them for inviting me to their special day.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak about the recent election and acknowledge a number of people. I congratulate the Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, on his victory at the election and on his being re-elected as the leader of the Labor Party and the Chief Minister. Also, my colleagues - we have a very strong and effective team and we will serve Territorians well in this term of parliament.
There is one person who has been invaluable and that is my electorate officer. Sharon McAlear came to me as an electorate officer when my new office opened at Coolalinga late last year. At that time, we were just trying to get used working together. Then, in February, I became a minister and things got very busy for me with the local government reform and travelling around. That then led to the election. We have been working flat out since late last year with setting up the office and getting ready for the election as well.
It was the first time for Sharon, who has worked in the Department of the Legislative Assembly. She had a steep learning curve but she thoroughly enjoyed herself and succeeded in pulling together a campaign. I thank her, and her husband and children for allowing her to be away from home so much. She certainly put in the hours and did the work effectively.
I also thank my children whom I did not get to see a great deal over those weeks of the election. Kody and Lily, like many children of politicians, do not get to see their parents very much. However, I hope the time I do spend with them is significant.
I would just like to run through the campaign workers. Bronnie was a stalwart, yet again, for the second election in a row. Nick travelled around the bush electorate. He used his own car much of the time, and helped me set up the Berry Springs Booth at about 4.30 am. Thanks to Nick. Also to Richard Snr and Richard Jr, and Richard Jr’s mate, John, who came out on the road. They certainly did a great job. They got some beef for us at Palumpa. It was great to have those guys travelling with us.
Jack Crosby is a stalwart of the Labor Party. He certainly knows the bush and is a tough bush campaigner. He was good to have around.
Some of the people in the communities helped me. Leon at Port Keats, and also Michelle Parmbuk, William Parmbuk and Basil Parmbuk were great and certainly humorous on the polling booth at Port Keats. Jack Wattidge and his wife, Rosanne, made a great contribution and helped out at Palumpa. Betty Daly and Kathy Sams at Daly were invaluable at Nauiyu community. David and Pat Coles at Batchelor had been very helpful in setting up booths and moving around in those few weeks of the election campaign. Also, to Maddi for coming out to Adelaide River and helping us there. She is someone everybody knew and respected, and that helped things at Adelaide River. I cannot go on without mentioning Jim and Carol Bourke who are people who have been around politics for a long time and are always willing to help out. I thank them for all their support.
I should reflect a bit on the campaign. Unusually, the CLP ran two candidates against me. I guess they do not have a great deal of trust in their candidates if they feel they have to run two – a so-called independent candidate who previously ran for the CLP and sought preselection for the CLP. I believe he is a member of the CLP. He was having his corflutes taken around by the CLP, and he was taking the CLP’s around. His people were handing out CLP how-to-votes and vice versa, so it was a very cosy relationship. It reflects poorly on the CLP that they cannot trust their candidates.
I thank the people of the Daly electorate. There are certainly challenging issues out there …
Mr Wood: Look at the Labor figure in Nelson.
Mr KNIGHT: … as in many campaigns. I reflect on a story, member for Nelson, if you continue to interject. At my electorate office, we have a bush area at the back and my electorate officer reported that there was a rooster which kept on walking around near our office. She did comment that it may have been one of Gerry’s spies. We kept an eye on that rooster and, strangely, after the election it disappeared. Very strange, indeed.
The Daly electorate faces some challenges and it is something I am keenly focused on. This government has put a lot more money into infrastructure, with commitments for the Port Keats road and the Daly River bridge. That showed the great deal of confidence we have in the people of that region going ahead. We are looking at options for the school at Wooliana, as that site is coming to the end of its use. There are some great challenges and this government is committed. The housing upgrade at Port Keats, Palumpa, Peppimenarti and Emu Point are areas where we are showing that commitment.
I thank Terry Sams at Emu Point. He is a great guy. I think Gerry has a caravan there, haven’t you, Gerry? He is a great guy. He has a great deal of vision and drive in that community, and he was very helpful in the election. I thank him for his help. I also thank Naya at Peppimenarti. She helped out with the election campaign and I thank her very much for her help.
In this election, I have new areas in the electorate and I have lost some as well. Pine Creek was an area which, unfortunately, I lost. I value my friendships with the people there and I will continue to work for them in the Local Government portfolio. I did commit to a range of things with that community, and I am absolutely committed to working through those issues that they have. I made some very strong relationships and friendships there, and I think they will be enduring. I hope to visit them very shortly. I believe I am going down there for October Business Month to host that event. I am sure the member for Stuart, who has inherited that area, will service them well. I am sure he will soon realise, through his ongoing interaction with them, that they are an absolutely great bunch of people and they really make that town.
I look forward to engaging with the new areas of Wagait Beach and Belyuen. I actually live at Wagait Beach now. It is a beautiful little area. Unfortunately, with this job, it is one of the big disappointments, I guess, that I do not get to spend a bit more time sitting on the beach at Wagait, at Imaluk Beach, I hope to spend a bit more time there myself. I am looking at the issues associated with that area and looking forward to working with the local people in addressing them.
Belyuen has had a problematic past and present, and I hope to work with them, not only as the local member, but through the ministerial responsibilities, to try to rebuild the governance in that community. There are some great opportunities and I look forward to those challenges.
For the people of Dundee Beach, I do not mind buying you a beer …
Members interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I thought it was amazing that I was criticised for buying someone a beer. You cannot do it nowadays. The CLP took great umbrage ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Kangaroo tails, playing cards. Why can we not just have a beer with someone?
Dundee poses some great challenges because of the historic development of that area. We are unravelling a bit of a birds nest of a knot there, with development and things all over the place. However, we are getting there. We have acquired some community land, after all this time. We are looking at the planning issues, and the road has been upgraded significantly in the previous term of government, with another $1.5m in this current budget. The road is progressively being upgraded. It has certainly come a long way since Labor came to power in 2001. We have a $6.5m power line out there. This government has shown extreme commitment to that area, and we will keep working to address the ongoing issues.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I look forward to the portfolios that I have been given by the Chief Minister, ones I am delighted to have. They are certainly challenging portfolios. I am delighted to have the chance of completing the work with local government. The Essential Services portfolio provides some great challenges and learning having a government owned corporation in amongst that. In the Housing area, there is the biggest housing reform ever in the Northern Territory, and I am happy to play my part in making sure it happens, and happens in a very successful way for Aboriginal Territorians who live in remote communities. I certainly am delighted to have that, as well as Public Employment. It, obviously, brings its challenges. Delivering good results for 14 000 public servants is something that I and this government is committed to. We have to do it in a sustainable way. We have looked after public servants, and we will continue to look after public servants - those essential teachers, nurses, police, port workers, dentists. We will do our best to look after them. I look forward to playing my part.
I congratulate every other minister as well, especially the Minister for Health, an honourable man who does not deserve the grubby politics of the last couple of days ...
Mr Conlan: Justly deserved. You are as bad as him.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: The member for Greatorex must acknowledge that the member for Johnston is an honourable man. He is an honest and honourable man. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that he is not an honourable and honest, hard-working man. He is not someone who would …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Daly, please direct your comments through the Chair. Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Mr KNIGHT: I support the Minister for Health, the member for Johnston and my friend, Chris Burns. He is an honourable man and does the best he can possibly do. He puts tireless amounts of hours into his job to get it right. Unfortunately, things do happen. In local government, when a road does not get fixed, garbage does not get picked up, it is a problem. However, in health, there are more serious consequences.
As the Minister for Public Employment, I have read the Public Sector Employment and Management Act and it quite clearly describes the roles and responsibilities. It is something we do need to be conscious of, and the minister is very conscious of it. He works very hard; he is very committed to the work he does. I have full trust in the Minister for Health because it is a tough gig.
As for the big talk from the member for Greatorex, I think he would be a very worried person if he was the Minister for Health, because it is a huge portfolio. I know that every …
Mr Conlan: Well, I would not sit on a report for three years. I would not sit on the advice for three years.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr KNIGHT: I believe the member for Johnston is the most capable person in this parliament to handle that portfolio. It is a very difficult portfolio. The member for Johnston is an honourable and decent man who works very hard - the best he can - in his portfolio area.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, during my Address-in-Reply, I referred to the tension between the Crown and the parliament and how that has grown over the years through the British system. Some of the newer members may be surprised to discover that even today, England has no constitutional document. The English system is the product of evolution and has a series of protocols or conventions which it adheres to, but it does not have an express separation of powers as later described by Baron de Montesquieu during the French enlightenment. That is largely because the English system started evolving long before the doctrine of separation of powers was described.
That tension between parliament and the Crown exists to this day, and is expressed by England’s history. I refer to the English Civil War and the relationship between the Crown and the parliament during those very turbulent times. Ultimately, the parliament, by expressing the will of the people, became the stronger of the two institutions. Over time, the Crown became subordinate to the two institutions. That environment is captured in many documents. That theory or philosophy is captured in any number of documents. One of the processes that have been gone through to make the parliament the superior institution is the development of common law.
Even in cases which deal with defamation and such things - and I was reading Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1997 on a completely different issue today, and I could not help but notice that, even in that, there was still reference to the development of the common law in the English system and even how it applies to the Australian system. The High Court of Australia in 1997 said:
- … historically was a potent instrument by which the House of Commons defended its right to consider and express opinions on the conduct of affairs of State by the Sovereign and her Ministers, advisors and servants of the Crown.
One of the ways that we keep the Crown in check as a parliament is that we insist, by convention – and, in fact, the Australian Constitution insists in writing - that a minister of the Crown must be a member of parliament. That is not entirely true. The Australian Constitution says that a minister of the Crown does not have to be a member of parliament but, when a minister of the Crown becomes a minister of the Crown, they cannot hold that position for more than three months unless they enter parliament and become a member of parliament.
Why did that convention or system grow up in that fashion? It is so that ministers of the Crown come into the parliament and are answerable to the parliament, which will put inquiries to the minister of the Crown.
I heard the member for Greatorex refer to Graham Maddox’s Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, Third Edition, earlier today. It is worth repeating the observations that he made because there is an inconsistency in the Australian Constitution because it does not seem to mention these principles. In referring to that inconsistency, Mr Maddox quotes Colin Howard. It said:
- This glaring discrepancy between chapter 2 of the constitution and the real structure of government is one of a several serious and fundamental problems which the constitution creates for this country ... The historical explanation is a simple one. The draftsmen of the constitution took responsible government, or cabinet government to give it another name …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr ELFERINK: They were so used to operating under a system of responsible government, the system which had grown up in England, that it was taken for granted that the Constitution would assume this. That is repeated in the High Court of Australia in the case that I just cited. However, it does go on to say that there is some uncertainty as to the level of that responsibility:
- They also recognized however that it is not easy to reduce such a constantly changing and evolving political concept to a strict constitutional formula. They therefore adopted the basically sensible device of sketching in the formal position of the crown and the governor-general on the assumption that the realities of government in a parliamentary system could be taken for granted.
There is still wriggle room in the Minister for Health’s position, if you accept that as the ultimate position, because it says this stuff changes. The level of responsibility changes, so it is expressed in different environments - sorry, it is expressed differently in differently times. We turn to the modern era and how we interpret ministerial responsibility in the modern era. This is a standard text used – it is Government, Politics and Power in Australia, Fourth Edition. It is used as a standard text by many universities in Political Science degrees. It says on page 19:
- Individual ministers are said to be responsible to parliament for their own and their department’s actions. Collective ministerial responsibility requires that all ministers take responsibility for the government’s decisions. Members of the ministry are unable to deny responsibility for the government’s action by disassociating themselves from cabinet decisions.
There is still wriggle room. He still has wriggle room. It is a Cabinet decision that he can avoid responsibility for. But, let us see how that translates in another standard text from Political Science degrees:
- Ministers are responsible to parliament for the actions of their departments. They act as the link between the administration and the parliament, to ensure that there is a line of accountability for all the actions of the executives. They are required to explain their policy to parliament, to account for the activities of their officials ...
So say Davis, Wanna, Warhurst and Weller in the Second Edition of Public Policy in Australia. There is no longer any wriggle room for this minister because these are the modern expressions of ministerial responsibility as described by Howard and Maddox.
How does that express itself in more common usage and phraseology? Well, let us have a look at Wickipedia:
- Ministerial responsibility or individual ministerial responsibility is a constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that a cabinet minister bears the ultimate responsibility for the actions of their ministry or department.
Madam Speaker, your document is Government in the Northern Territory. It has on the front cover a picture of this Parliament House. What does this document say on page 22 in relation to ministerial responsibility? It says:
- Under the traditions Australia has inherited from the Britain’s ‘Westminster’ system of government, ministers are responsible, not only for their actions, but also for … their department’s. This accountability is facilitated through the parliamentary system. As well as being under the constant scrutiny of the opposition, a government minister must account to parliament for any actions for which he or she is responsible. If the minister cannot and, in failing to do so, loses the confidence of the parliament, he or she must be called upon to resign from the ministry.
Well, you have lost my confidence, minister, and I can tell you, you have lost the confidence of the 11 members on this side of the House.
There is also a document prepared by this parliament entitled Who does what in parliament. They give it to schoolkids. Schoolkids gets this, and they leave this House knowing this:
- Ministers are elected members of parliament. They are given responsibility for government departments.
The schoolkids know this; this minister still does not know it.
Let us turn to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Standard of Ministerial Ethics:
- Ministers must accept accountability for the exercise of the powers and functions of their office - that is, to ensure that their conduct, representations, and the decisions as Ministers, and the conduct, representations and decisions of those who act as their delegates or on their behalf - are open to public scrutiny and explanation.
Two years ago, Mrs Winter, sadly, died. Two days later, somebody in the public service decided it was time for the minister to whack out a media release. This media release said that the Royal Darwin Hospital was in good shape. Coincidence? Perhaps. After that, the minister maintained that he was not told about the death of Mrs Winter until much later - late in 2007. At that time, both the Attorney-General’s department and the Health department realised, as a result of the Coronial inquiry, they better tell the boss. So, they told the boss that Mrs Winter had died and that there was a Coronial investigation under way. What did the minister do? Nothing.
Ms Lawrie: He allowed due process.
Mr ELFERINK: He does nothing!
Ms Lawrie: He allowed due process.
Mr ELFERINK: He does nothing. He does not ask any questions. He does not ask any questions which is his job. It is his job to ask questions. What happens when Professor Di Brown, the Head of Nursing, came to him out of hours in a desperate attempt to tell him what was going on in nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital? He sticks his fingers in his ears and says ‘mi, mi, mi, mi. I do not want to hear it, I do not want to hear it, I do not want to hear it’. That is not how you conduct yourself as a minister. That is …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Maybe the member for Port Darwin might exhibit that bizarre behaviour, but I have never witnessed our minister exhibit that bizarre behaviour.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: It is just incomprehensible that he does not look. He tells us that he meets regularly with Health department officials. What do they talk about? The football? What they are having for lunch? Surely, the minister would think for half a second: ‘Oh, my gosh, the Coroner is looking into a death in my department. Should I ask the question? Naaa. Not going to ask a question about that’. This goes to competence – the competence of a person to hold a position as minister. For him to come into this place and deny ‘I am not responsible, I do not have any responsibility in this area. I will leave this all to the department. It is only my job to make sure that the department has the right resources’ is just not credible.
If the provision of resources was the only job of the minister, then the Treasurer can be the minister for Health and he can let the CEO run off and do these things.
The minister must get involved in the processes that happen, particularly in the areas of senior management. No, ministerial responsibility does not go all the way down the level. If something happens on the shop floor with a registered nurse we do not make the minister responsible, especially if that nurse or whoever on the shop floor is on a frolic of their own. However, when it comes to senior management and what is happening at the highest levels of the department, the minister has no capacity to say that he remained uninformed. The only thing that could have led the minister to be uninformed in this environment is that he chose to remain uninformed. He chose to remain uninformed and he deliberately sought to keep himself ignorant of what was going on in that department.
That is disgraceful behaviour. I cannot bring myself to have any faith or confidence in a minister who rejects centuries of established traditions and conventions, simply because it suits him because he needs particular wriggle room.
Madam Speaker, this minister should resign. He should resign for his incompetence and his …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms Scrymgour: We should breath test you mob.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Port Darwin likes to be theatrical. He should address his remarks through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but please direct …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can we stop the clock?
Madam SPEAKER: Stop the clock.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have just heard the Deputy Chief Minister say that we should be breath tested. This disgusting behaviour from the Deputy Chief Minister is a re-run of the stuff that used to happen under the former member for Sanderson, Len Kiely. That scurrilous assertion now has to be defended. I ask that I am breath tested; that is the only defence I have against that scurrilous assertion. It is outrageous that that suggestion was made.
Madam SPEAKER: Please resume your seat, member for Port Darwin. Deputy Chief Minister, I would like you to withdraw and apologise …
Ms Scrymgour: I withdraw that comment, Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Deputy Chief Minister, I would like you to apologise to the member for Port Darwin.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I withdraw, and apologise if that offended him, but some people do have glasses of wine with their tea.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I withdraw. I apologise, member for Port Darwin, if it hurt you.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Resume your seat.
Mr Conlan: How many wines have you had tonight, Delia? Maybe you should be breath tested.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Members interjecting.
Mr Conlan: Exactly …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you will leave the Chamber for one hour, thank you. Member for Port Darwin, you may continue for the last few seconds of your adjournment.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, this minister has abandoned convention for the sake of defending an indefensible position. He has failed. He has failed in a monumental way, and the only option for this Chief Minister, if this minister will not resign, is to sack him.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I also express my profound concern about the Health Minister’s handling of a cover-up of circumstances that led to a preventable death. It was a preventable death; we heard that in the Coroner’s findings. Somewhere along the line, someone has to get to the bottom of this matter. It is the role of the minister, as was so well put and enunciated by the member for Port Darwin, when he spoke about the role of a minister.
In the last two days, we have heard that the minister was aware of nursing shortages. He had been aware of nursing shortages for quite some time. Irrespective of this, he was quite prepared to put out media releases saying that Royal Darwin Hospital was in good shape, knowing at the time there were massive nursing shortages. He was not hearing this from the heads of his department, but he was hearing this from a whole range of other places – the Australian Nurses Federation mentioned it time and time again. We heard information from Professor Di Brown, the Executive Director of Nursing at the Royal Darwin Hospital. She gave evidence to the Coroner saying that she had met with general managers and the Assistant Secretary to discuss nursing:
- … she said ‘you realise your decisions are causing people to be harmed by this, that if we don’t have enough nurses it causes harm to patients’, and there was no response.
She was on the television news tonight, both Channel 9 and ABC, saying that she had made numerous attempts to talk to the minister and explain her concerns to the minister, but the minister refused to listen to that.
The minister said that he had knowledge about nursing shortages, but the reason for this was that nurses could not be found. We also know that, back in early 2006, the CEO of the department changed the staff appointment delegation for nurses from a General Manager, Mr Robin Michael to the Assistant Secretary, Mr Campos. The Coroner said in his report that this was instituted because the department wanted staffing levels contained for budgetary reasons.
Mr Michael, in his evidence to the Coroner, noted that:
- … Mr Campos displayed a very slow (deliberate or otherwise) response time in processing approving/declining [the applications].
He gave oral evidence that he remembered a point where there were 40 to 50 staff applications sitting in Mr Campos’ office without a formal response. His written evidence went on to say:
- … the poor turnaround of Mr Campos caused the RDH to lose a number of important staff particularly nursing, as these staff applied for different hospitals across Australia and accepted more responsive hospitals before RDH was in a position to respond ... consequently RDH went through a period where it was struggling to staff its roster and nurses were required to work extensive overtime to ensure adequate staffing levels.
We knew that was the case because we heard the cries coming from all different sectors in that department - people complaining that there were not enough nurses. The minister said: ‘Oh, no, it is just because there are not enough nurses; we cannot find them’. This is evidence of the minister not prepared to burrow deeper into issues of direct concern to him.
As I said yesterday, this minister is a man who comes to this place with a medical background. He is not a truckie or a brickie who has been thrown into the Health portfolio. He is a person with medical knowledge. He should have understood, roughly, before he even got into the job, how hospitals and the like work. He is a person who cannot use the excuse that he was not quite up to the job and he was finding his feet along the way. This minister is a man who said that he had been briefed on at least a weekly basis, sometimes more. He goes to the heads of the department and he gets briefings, constantly.
I have to support the calls of the members for Greatorex and Port Darwin in their assessment that the minister is not up to the job and he should resign. I ask the question: if he will not resign, why will the Chief Minister not sack him? That is the next line up the tree.
A member: Where is the Chief Minister?
Mr TOLLNER: The Chief Minister is not here …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: You are not able to reflect on the presence or absence of members of this Chamber. I ask you to withdraw those comments
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw that comment.
Ms Scrymgour: How many terms were you in federal parliament?
A member: You did not learn anything.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr TOLLNER: All right, why would the Chief Minister not sack him?
Ms Lawrie: Because he is a good minister doing a good job.
Mr TOLLNER: I will tell you why the Chief Minister will not sack him.
Ms Lawrie: Pick up on the interjection from me.
Mr TOLLNER: I will pick up on your interjection. I will tell you why the Chief Minister will not get rid of him: the Chief Minister sits at his desk and he looks to his right, and what does he see? Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. He looks to his left and what does he see? Another dumb-dumb. He looks behind him and what does he see? More dumb-dumbs. He knows he has no choice but to leave this minister in the job. It is a case of out of the frying pan into the fire. You wonder about these sorts of things.
I was watching the news tonight and I saw that bizarre Labor administration in New South Wales and the mess they have themselves in - very similar to Labor administration in the Northern Territory has themselves. There was a two-day old police minister …
Ms Lawrie: Three-day old. Get it right. Who is dumb?
Mr TOLLNER: All right, three-day old. Sorry, I take that back; it is a three-day old police minister. What happened to him? He dropped his duds and was dancing around in his jocks at a private function two or three months ago.
Mr Mills: He admitted it.
Mr TOLLNER: That is right. The Opposition Leader is right; he admitted it. That is what he did at a private function with a group of friends: he was caught dancing around on a table in his jocks, acting a bit of a goose. Well, big deal! We have all done stupid things.
Mr Mills interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Maybe the Opposition Leader might not have done it. I have to admit, I have not done anything like that, but I have done some pretty stupid things too. We will not go into the silly things that I have done.
It is certainly not the sort of incident you would think would warrant the sacking of a three-day-old Police minister who turned up and said that he did that. The Premier in New South Wales, the new joker, Comrade Rees, said he is not going to put up with any of this nonsense so this fellow is gone. What do we have in the Northern Territory? We have a situation where there is a total abrogation of responsibility - a complete cover-up. A definite attempt to ignore the problem, to ignore the issue …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The allegations that the member for Fong Lim is making have not been proved at all. It is his assertions.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice on this. Member for Fong Lim, I will allow you to continue but be reminded of Standing Order 63, and be as mindful as you can be not to make offensive remarks and ones which need to be made by way of substantive motion.
Mr TOLLNER: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have heard evidence in the last two days that there was a substantial cover-up within the department. We have heard evidence of a minister who is not prepared to ask the questions to find out what is going on. We saw in Question Time today - first, let me quote from an article in the Northern Territory News today. I have to admit that I actually thought there was a bit of mischief going on when I picked up the paper this morning and read this particular article. It is on page 9 of today’s Northern Territory News, ‘Desperate; move to keep; report quiet’. The first paragraph said:
- Northern Territory Health only moved to block an Ombudsman’s investigation critical of the department when it learned the report was to be handed to Health Minister, Chris Burns, court documents revealed.
The article went on. Later in the article it said:
- Lawyers for the Ombudsman …
… say the Health Department only sought to block the investigation after July 24, when Ms Carlsen advised she would be sending her draft report to Dr Burns on August 31.
The department went to the Supreme Court two days before the August 31 deadline, to prevent Dr Burns receiving the draft report.
I looked at that article and I thought there was a bit of mischief going on here. Some of the comrades in the NT News were assisting the minister, trying to help him over the line and substantiate his case that he has not been told these things by his department that should be up-front and honest with him. He is meeting with them every week, sometimes more. They tried to hide this away.
Then I found, in Question Time, the member for Greatorex tried to table the document and, after some deliberation by you, Madam Speaker, you said you had given it some thought prior to Question Time - correct me if I am wrong, I think the line you said was you had sought some preliminary legal advice; you were aware that sections had already been quoted in the media; you were quite prepared to allow it to be tabled, but you would not allow it to be made public until …
Madam SPEAKER: Please stop the clock. That is not correct. What I said was that I would allow the member to seek leave to table the document because, of course, a member can only seek leave to table a document unless they are ordered by the Speaker. You can start the clock again.
Mr TOLLNER: That is correct, Madam Speaker, but you also did say that you would not allow the publication of the documentation until it was – so there was that opportunity given to these parliament to allow that document to be tabled ...
Mr Knight: Madam Speaker, is the member reflecting on the decision of the Chair?
Madam SPEAKER: I do not believe so.
Mr Knight: He is saying there was an opportunity to table it, and you did not allow it to be tabled.
Mr TOLLNER: No, no.
Madam SPEAKER: No.
Mr TOLLNER: No, I did not say that at all. I said the parliament did not allow it to be tabled.
There was one particular section of the parliament that found it offensive for it to be tabled. Right? The point is, now we have seen - and I am sure members opposite have had a chance to see the media, the negative media, you have copped for trying to stop that document being tabled so that the minister could have a look at it; so the minister could get a bit of an understanding of what was being kept from him by his own department, as written in the newspaper today. But, what did the government do? They said: ‘No, we do not want to see it. Do not show it. Do not show it. Stop’ ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We went through this debate at Question Time. Very clearly the government said that we would respect the judicial process that this is before the courts. There is an injunction on this draft.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, they have had time to reflect on it. I have seen the way past governments in the Northern Territory react to the slightest bit of negative media. There is one thing that is guaranteed to get them off their tails, which is run a little negative story in a newspaper or the media - all of a sudden you might actually see something done.
I thought maybe now, having seen the news, and the negative media they are getting out of this; the fact that you are trying to cover up these documents so that not everyone in the public is going to see it. Madam Speaker said that it would not be printed for public viewing until it was – but at least the minister could have seen it. I am going to give them a chance again, and I seek leave to table this document …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, your time has expired. Resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Thank goodness, Madam Speaker. I have never heard such inane ramblings in my life. Three terms in this parliament and there have been many debates that have been quite enlightening, and people have contributed quite productively, and they have added - because this is what this is for; robust debate. Listening to the member for Port Darwin’s contribution, the inane ramblings from the member for Greatorex in his shadow portfolio and, then, the member for Fong Lim - God help the people in Fong Lim! But they did vote.
Nevertheless, I wish to acknowledge the many supporters and family members who have been there for me over the last 12 months. Since the last election in 2005, this has been a long and arduous time as a consequence of a traumatic experience in early 2006-07. This year saw our government re-elected for another term.
I will start with the many people who have helped and supported me on the Tiwi Islands: my brother Robert, his wife Joanne Portaminni, Maurice Rioli, Manny Rioli, and my mum’s sister or my mum, Anita Pangiraminni, Virigina Garlala, Barry and Kilpayuwu Puruntatameri, Gawin Tipiloura, and Pamela Warlapinni. At Maningrida, Peter Danaga and Matthew Ryan, and all of the outstation people who gave their full support. Also to all my constituents at Minjilang, Warrawi, Gunbalanya and Maningrida.
To the staff at the fifth floor, thank you for your support and assistance. To Eva Lawler and Vicki Nungala Tippett thank you both for your assistance on the campaign trail. Through all the hard work, even though it is stressful at times, we do try to have a laugh in between. Thank you all for being there.
On a serious note, there is one particular person I want to thank and, in my opinion, is irreplaceable, my PA, Karlee Russell throughout the election and still with me today. I say thank you for your loyalty, patience and friendship, and it makes facing the day all the better. To my electorate officer, Nick, it certainly has been a year of up and downs, and sometimes we forget to say thank you. I very much appreciate your hard work. My re-election this year saw him participate in his first political campaign.
Often in this job, you do not get much time to spend with your partner, your husband - or your wife, in the case of some of my male colleagues. It was good in the election to be able to spend some of that time with my husband out on the election trail, although I do not know how well he fared with all the screaming and the shouting. Nevertheless, it gave us an opportunity to spend some time together.
To my sisters, Valerie, Marie, Jackie and Frankie, thank you for sharing the sweat and tears of the campaign. To my brother, Robert, it was hard and it was a quite an emotional time when the election moved to the Tiwi Islands, because my big brother, Mollominni, who passed away in 2006, had run my previous two election campaigns out there. He was certainly missed in this election but was with us in spirit. To my daughter, Cherise, who took two weeks leave without pay to assist me in the election campaign, I could not have done it without her being there.
For the last two elections - this being my third election campaign, I must say, this election was probably the dirtiest that I have ever participated in. The CLP candidates, in that whole process - the lies and all of the things that were spread right throughout the electorate in shutting …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! That is an unparliamentary comment and I ask that the minister withdraw.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: What was unparliamentary?
Mr TOLLNER: There was an assertion that CLP candidates were spreading lies. I was a CLP candidate; I was not spreading lies.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I said in my election, in my electorate.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, please pause. Member for Fong Lim, I will confer with the Clerk. Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order as long as the comments from the member for Arafura do not reflect on the members here, but refer directly to her electorate of Arafura. Please continue, member for Arafura.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I will qualify that, Madam Deputy Speaker. That is right; it does not reflect on the integrity or credibility of any of the candidates in this House at the moment. However, it does go to the heart of the selection by the CLP of certain people who ran certain campaigns. It was quite funny, I was out in one of the communities when I heard the president of the CLP speaking out and criticising my colleague, the member for Daly, about shouting beers. Some of these people should join a bush campaign, in terms of some of the shouting of the beers and everything else that gets passed out there for a few votes …
Mr Henderson: Running drugs, wasn’t it – the CLP candidate?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: That is right. Nevertheless, on the issue of the drugs - and I am sure former police officers in this Chamber would be horrified at candidates who take drugs out. The one thing that was run against me was: ‘If she gets re-elected, look out because she talks too much about you mobs’ grog and ganja’. One of the biggest scourges that we have in these communities, and the biggest problem we have with the abuse against children, is the issue of grog and ganja. I do not mind standing up here and saying: ‘Yes, I am a bit of a wowser’. I have a very extreme view when it comes to alcohol and drugs because I see that impact of grog and ganja every single time I go out to my communities, and what it does to the children in those communities.
Having three CLP candidates thrown up against me, I was going to have a swing away from me - but these are some of things you wear. I came back and I will continue my fight against the trafficking of drugs and grog into those remote Aboriginal communities.
Also, the issue of gambling, which you get criticised for, but these are major issues on the ground in those communities. To have CLP candidates stand up and say the CLP would not allow this to happen reeks of hypocrisy. People stand up in this House and lecture us about the stance we take saying it is left wing ideology. Let me tell you, I do not stand here with left wing ideology when it comes to the abuse that I see out on the ground in communities.
Yes, I suppose my comments have been well documented - and misquoted at times - regarding the stance that I took on some aspects of the intervention. I did not criticise, however, the policing and the law and order that we needed to put into these communities. I fully support any measure - like every member of our government - in relation to tackling child sexual abuse in those communities, and fully support the issues that we have to tackle relating to education. If it means taking the hard decisions that we need to in turning around the appalling education levels that we are seeing on the ground in our communities because there is complacency amongst Aboriginal parents getting their kids to school, well, those are the hard decisions that I am prepared to take. That was said very clearly to those communities out there.
A lot of it is reflected in that swing away. You are not going to be a popular member by standing up and saying to people: ‘I do not support gambling in these communities, I fully support the welfare quarantining and it should be tied to school attendance because we have a major issue with kids going to school’. I fully supported that.
There was the one issue which has always rankled me. I actually said to Mal Brough, the former federal Indigenous Affairs minister, that I applauded him for putting Indigenous affairs fairly and squarely on top in the national arena because, for too long, it had been a political football. For me who holds a bush seat and many of my bush colleagues, I believe we have seen that neglect. I know it is something that the CLP hates to be reminded of, but we have seen a historical deficit out in those communities. It has to be fixed. I accept that we have to stop saying: ‘Oh, well, it was the CLP legacy and you have to be constantly reminded’. What every member needs to remember in here is we are always going to go back to that history because it is important to put that history into the context of what we are dealing with today; that is, huge, historical deficits. At least we have a package, Closing the Gap.
I urge the member for Braitling - and I congratulate the member for Braitling - and the CLP – you have your first Indigenous Aboriginal member elected to this parliament ...
Mr Mills: No.
Mr Wood: Not true, not true! He is one of your countrymen.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Hold on, hold on, I was going to say he follows after Hyacinth Tungutalum, my father from the Tiwi Islands. I congratulate the member for Braitling, because it is fantastic – a young Aboriginal male, even though he is in an urban seat in Alice Springs. I look forward to working with him as the shadow for Indigenous Policy, because this area needs total bipartisan support. We have to stop the political football happening between different political ideology, and work together to try to close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage that we see in our remote communities. If we do not do that now, we are going still be here in this parliament, in 10 years time - although I do not think will not be in this parliament in 10 years time. We will be seeing future parliamentarians in this parliament in 10 years time still talking about the appalling statistics that we see in our bush communities; that is, that the levels of literacy and numeracy have not improved, that health outcomes have not improved, that services have not improved, and that we have not fixed housing. So, stop the political football in relation to this. Everyone needs to work together.
I join with my colleague, the member for Daly, in reaffirming my support for my colleague, the member for Johnston, the current Health Minister. I have worked for over 10 years in the Health field, just like Dr Burns. Both he and I came out of that same sector. It is not an easy job. I have worked with many successive Northern Territory CLP Health ministers as well as federal Health ministers, and can I say that you could not get a more credible man with integrity. All the accusations that have been aimed at him as being a coward and a liar are not true. This is a man who does work very hard and works quite hard with his agency. The accusations are a bit over the top. It comes under unfortunate circumstances. It is the opposition’s job to try to prosecute these things, but these personal accusations have been a bit much - sitting here and listening to them attacking a man who has incredible integrity. These are people who have been here for five minutes ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, your time has expired. .
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, today marks the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America. These were cowardly and, especially for the victims, totally unprovoked attacks. Many thousands of lives were lost, senselessly. Many more lives will never be the same again as a result of the tragic loss of friends and loved ones. I acknowledge the family and friends of the victims of this horrible departure from acceptable and civilised behaviour.
Earlier today, the Speaker acknowledged the presence of a number of students from Katherine High School. These students are ordinary young people, the sons and daughters of ordinary mums and dads, yet they set themselves above the crowd in the effort they are putting into what most of us would remember as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. In Australia, these are now referred to as simply ‘The Award’.
The Award program was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1956 as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The aim is to motivate boys, aged between 15 and 18, to become involved in a balanced program of voluntary self-development activities to take them through the potentially difficult period between adolescence and adulthood. The program is designed with great care by a small team, led by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Dr Kurt Hahn, German educationalist and founder of Outward Bound and the United World Colleges, and Sir John - later Lord – Hunt, the leader of the first team to conquer Mt Everest. Within the first year of its establishment, the lower age limit was reduced to 14 where it has stayed ever since.
A girl’s scheme was launched in 1958, and the two separate schemes were amalgamated in 1969. In 1957, the upper age limit was increased to 19 and, finally, increased to 25 in 1980. The unique flexibility of the award made it ideally suited to easy adaptation and integration into different cultures and societies, and it was soon adopted by schools and youth organisations in other countries. Since 1956, the program has developed and grown and, now, reaches young people in over 120 countries.
Internationally, the award operates under the same principles, but under a number of different titles. For example, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the International Award for Young People, the President’s Award and the National Youth Achievement Award. Today, the basic principles of The Award remain the same, but the activities and delivery continue to evolve and adapt to suit the changing demands of modern society and the varying needs of young people. The Award is now a major international program recognised and used by organisations working with young people throughout the world. Any young person aged 14 to 25 can do The Award, no matter their gender, cultural background, religious or political affiliation, or ability.
One will get out of The Award what one puts in. There is the opportunity for participants to grow personally and connect with others through a range of new experiences. They have a chance to discover their potential. The Award is not a competition against anyone else but, rather, a personal challenge. It offers the opportunity to work with others whilst focusing on one’s own unique abilities. The Award offers a framework for people to focus their interests, improve their abilities, and do something they have always wanted to do. They can enter The Award at the level that best suits them, and choose activities that fit in with their lives. The different sections of The Award give young people the chance to experience a wide range of challenges. They have the opportunity to extend their existing abilities and to also try something new.
They can improve their abilities and increase their personalisation of The Award with each level of achievement - either bronze, silver or gold. They set their own goals and work towards them. Their achievements are their own and they are not benchmarked against anyone else. The Award is about showing regular commitment and perseverance. Their efforts are recognised over time. Their achievements are their own actual improvements. The choice to do The Award is entirely up to the individual. Their commitment to each section and level is about setting their own goals and going about achieving them. Adult volunteers are there to guide and help participants recognise their abilities, and to keep them motivated when they need it.
Today, six participants in The Award visited this House and have undertaken a number of activities whilst in Darwin. For example, earlier today they participated in a version of the Amazing Race as seen on television. Their pathway took them by bicycle from East Point to Fannie Bay, and then by bus or foot into the city, along the way picking up clues and completing tasks. In talking to them, they were having fun while improving their knowledge of the world around them.
I offer my congratulations and well wishes to this dedicated group of young people. I congratulate them on stepping up to the challenge to improve their lives by participating in this scheme. Sometimes, it is not easy to stand out from the crowd; peer group pressure can and does destroy personal will. It takes courage to push past the negative pressure that is all too abundant amongst today’s young people. I offer my well wishes to this group of young people in the hope that they will carry on through the stages of The Award and succeed in whatever path they ultimately take in their lives.
I acknowledge the following young people who are participating in this award, and who were present here today: Amy Bates, Mary Cunningham, Ngarie Boyle, Brett Woods-Alum, Dean Blunden, and Tyron Bettison.
I am refreshed that this group of young people have taken up the challenge to better themselves and I urge them to keep up the good work.
Madam Speaker, earlier today, the member for Greatorex sought to table a document titled The Investigation of the Department of Health and Community Services, the Royal Darwin Hospital, Health and Community Services Complaints Commission. The member for Fong Lim missed out by just a few seconds in his attempt to have this document tabled.
I make another attempt to have this document tabled. I seek leave, Madam Speaker, to table this document.
Leave denied.
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that, once again, the government has stymied this issue. They are simply not allowing the due process to occur ...
Mr Henderson: You are supposed to be an ex-police officer; you should understand the law, how the courts work.
Mr Tollner: Why don’t you want the minister to see it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
A member: Walk it outside and give it out. You walk it outside.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Government members, order!
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, we are seeking to have the document brought to the attention of the Minister for Health.
Mr Knight: Walk it outside and give it to the press.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Daly!
A member: Is that enticing someone to commit an offence?
Mr Knight: Oh, it is an offence, is it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting! Member for Daly!
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Madam Speaker, perhaps the member for Daly is trying to procure me to commit an offence.
Mr Knight: So, it is an offence to distribute it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, cease interjecting! Member for Katherine, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr WELSTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, Madam Speaker. I am sure that the debate on this issue is not over. There will be further attempts made, I am sure, to table this document. It needs to be brought to the attention of the minister.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I would like to talk about my electorate. There are several important anniversaries happening in my electorate this year. Tonight, I want to recognise two of them.
This year, Parap Primary School is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It first opened its doors in February 1958, when 361 children arrived on that first morning for enrolment. There are currently over 400 students at Parap Primary School, and it is the oldest school in Darwin still in operation.
A reunion activity and celebration took place in August to celebrate Parap Primary School’s 50 years of service to the community, and many past students and teachers travelled from interstate to help their old school celebrate.
Events commenced on Saturday, 16 August, with the 50th Anniversary Ball being held at the Darwin Turf Club. It was a wonderful evening, not only for the fine dining and light music, but to see so many people brought back together. There were past students, teachers and principals, as well as current teachers and staff, parents and friends. Theona Mitaros travelled from Perth and was the MC for the evening, and was as classy as always. Jim Henderson, the auctioneer for the evening, did a great job and successfully sold all the items up for auction, raising valuable funds for the school.
There were also entertaining speeches throughout the night by Mick Myers, the current school principal; Clare Martin, former local member for Fannie Bay; Wilf Stiller, one of the school’s original teachers from its opening day in 1958; and John Anictomatis, an original student from 1958, who took the opportunity to apologise to fellow student, Mitchell Lee, for clocking him with a baseball bat all those years ago in the playground.
I acknowledge Brian Pearson, the schools IT teacher, for the many hours he spent compiling the hundreds of Parap Primary School photos in the months leading up to the anniversary event. Throughout the ball, an endless stream of photos flashed across a huge screen in the marquee. It was great to see so many old and new photos of the school, its teachers and students. The guests at the ball enjoyed watching the many photos presented on the screen - well, not everyone enjoyed seeing their old school photos, but it certainly made for a lot of fun. I was sitting next to Paul Rowston and he elbowed me in the ribs every time he saw himself, his brother, or one of his mates. My ribs were pretty sore by the end of the night. I do not know if anyone knows Rowdy, but he is a pretty big lad
A school assembly was held on Tuesday, 19 August. Four huge birthday cakes sat on the assembly stage and I joined 49 students, parents and teachers and we each placed 50 lit candles in front of the cakes. Wilf Stiller spoke about his experiences as a teacher at the school. He taught at Parap from its opening in 1958 until his retirement in 1985. Chris Mitchell then spoke to the assembly about his experiences as a former student. Chris attended Parap Primary from 1958 to 1962 and told the assembly of his memories of being a milk monitor, and of a time of when you never knew when your milk would be lovely and cold or horrible and warm. I was lucky enough to go to school after the tradition of milk in the morning had ended.
A sunset cruise also took place during the week of festivities. It was a way to get past and present school members together for a yarn aboard the Spirit of Darwin, watching the spectacular sunset in Darwin harbour. It was a little more relaxed than the terrific energy of the school fete. The week of anniversary celebrations culminated with the Back to the Fifties Fete, with everyone encouraged to come dressed in the fashions that were so popular when the school first began.
Every teacher and class was responsible for organising a stall and raising funds. There was a jumping castle, face painting, cake stall, plant store, lucky jars, white elephant, 50th anniversary memorabilia, art gallery, raffles, and many different food stalls. I have no doubt the fete would have been the highlight of the week for most children.
I acknowledge and thank the many sponsors that assisted the school - over 80, I believe, which is a magnificent effort - and for the school’s fundraising committee for all of their efforts. The members are: Suzie Spain, Ann Grace, Penny Anderson, Kerry Hudson, Yvonne Harding, Helen Murray, Magdaline Coleman. Stephanie Cvirn and Stephanie Jungfer. I also congratulate all students, teachers, staff and parents and everyone involved in this well-organised celebration for all of their hard work and commitment. They all did a wonderful job and they should be extremely proud.
Parap Primary’s 50th anniversary celebrations were a huge success. If its first 50 years are anything to go by, then Parap Primary will remain one of the Territory’s best schools over the next 50 years.
Another Parap institution is celebrating an anniversary. Parap Fine Foods is proudly celebrating 40 years in business - a business that all began with Paul and Rene Pantazis. Readers may have read the excellent spreads the NT News has featured by Peter and Shelia Forrest on the Pantazis family. Some of the key dates and the historic information in my comments tonight are drawn from their work.
Paul was born in Cyprus and brought up in Paphos where everyone worked the land and grew almost all their own food. He learnt from a young age to value food. It was from his mother, who was a very good cook, that he gained an interest in ingredients and varied cooking. When he first arrived in Darwin, Paul gained employment in a kitchen at the Catholic Cathedral Belsen camp, a government accommodation facility for male office workers and their families. In 1953, he began taxi driving. It was while working at the Rendezvous Caf that he met his wife-to-be, Rene Kanaris. They became engaged in 1956 and were married in 1957.
Paul and Rene started Parap Fine Foods in 1968 when it was then called Parap Fruit and Veg Supply. They first began the shop in what is now occupied by Prickles Restaurant. Nowadays, it is a gourmet food institution serving everything from continental meats, cheese, olives, fruit, and vegies to seafood, pasta, bread, wine, condiments and sweets. Neville and Debra Pantazis and Neville’s sister, Paula, took over the reins from Paul and Rene in 1986. Paul and Rene still help them run the shop, although perhaps not with the energy of the old days. It is great to visit Parap Fine Foods to see the family all working together. It was only a couple of years ago that the Pantazis family and their business featured on the SBS popular television show The Food Lover’s Guide to Australia.
The Pantazis family brought gourmet to Darwin. People who love to cook will agree when I say that it is very common in Darwin to hear the phrase ‘You can only get it at Parap Fine Foods’. Just the other day I needed Sicilian green olives and I bought them there. It was very good for my lemon Sicilian chicken. In order to keep the shelves stocked with the huge variety of culinary delights, Neville sources interstate markets and attends many trade markets and fairs.
I congratulate the Pantazis family for 40 fantastic years at Parap Fine Foods. You have contributed so much to the community over the years and not only has your business been a success, but Darwin would not be the same without it.
I would like to finish up tonight by talking about an iconic business in Parap. Fred’s Fuel has been a part of the Parap Shopping Village for 20 years. At the end of this month, the business will serve its last customer as it closes to make way for a new car park to service an office block that will be built in Parap.
Owner, Fred Wilson, came to Darwin 43 years ago with his parents, Fred and Dorothy, and brother, Troy, when they made the big move from Junee in New South Wales to open the Nightcliff Swimming Pool. Fred was 18 when his family arrived and after living for a short while in a caravan next to the pool complex, Fred, Troy and his parents moved into their family home in Poinciana Street, Nightcliff. Being involved in swimming must have run in the family, as Fred ran the Parap Swimming Pool for 12 years from 1975 till 1987. He not only ran the pool, but also coached children’s swimming. In fact, one of his swimmers, Ian Van der Wal, went on to swim in the men’s freestyle relay in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and won silver in the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships at Fukuoka.
Before opening his business, Fred gained experience in a variety of jobs. He has driven road trains, been a trade assistant at the Darwin City Council, an operations manager at MSS, a plant operator in Gove, worked for Bill Gartner Wine Merchants, and was employed at the Caltex oil terminal when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin in 1974. Fred remembers he was at the Pints Club having a drink when Cyclone Tracy came:
- The bar staff were closing all the shutters, saying the cyclone was coming. We tried to stop them from closing the shutters as we did not believe it was true.
Fred was a foundation member of the King Cobra Road and Custom Club, which built the first drag strip at Livingstone airstrip. In those days, to clear the scrub they would drag long logs behind their utes, while their mates balanced precariously on the logs to keep them steady before, invariably, tumbling off.
In his spare time, Fred also drove for two seasons at the Bagot Park Speedway in a vehicle known as a ‘super modified’. In 1988, Fred took on the service station in Parap, and it was renamed Fred’s Fuel. Since then, not only has the business grown, but so too has his family. Fred has the invaluable love and support of his three wonderful daughters and six grandchildren.
Fred’s Fuel has remained as it was the day it opened, with the exception of a coat of paint. Every customer still receives the full driveway service they did when the business began all those years ago. In fact, there are many ladies in the area who have never filled up their car with fuel, checked their oil, or put water in their radiator. Over the years, Fred has provided endless help to wives whose husbands have died. He has helped those ladies fix mechanical problems with their cars, and even taken them to smash repairers when they have had accidents. There are also customers in wheelchairs and customers who just cannot put petrol in the car without assistance, who visit Fred.
Fred has employed 12 great staff members over the years who, like Fred, have always been focused on good, old-fashioned customer service; employees like Ken Scott who worked at Fred’s Fuel for eight years, and Geoff Robb who has been with Fred for the past seven years and will be with him when they close the doors for the very last time.
Fred’s Fuel has been a place of social gathering over the years. When Fred told long-time customers about the business’ pending closure, many said to him: ‘But this is where we see our friends and have a chat’.
Fred describes Parap as a small village all of its own, simply located within the larger confines of Darwin. It has a small community feel and there is no doubt that residents will miss their local petrol station on the corner and the friendly service they have received for so many years. I acknowledge and thank Fred for all his hard work over the years and the difference he has made to the local community.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a number of issues tonight that concern residents in the electorate of Brennan. However, I cannot agree with the member for Fannie Bay that the Parap Primary School is, indeed, the best primary school in the Northern Territory, because that is Bakewell Primary School. You cannot keep people away from there, so it must be the best.
I have a number of letters from constituents with concerns they have on a number of issues. Most people, during adjournment debates, would find it necessary to do a lot of research. These letters have come in thick and fast since taking over the office. Many of them are to do with Health; some are to do with Education.
The first one is addressed to Dr Chris Burns. The reason I have this letter from the constituent was because they had sent the letter to Dr Burns. They had also sent the letter to the previous member for Brennan and no one had ever written back to them. The background on this complaint is that the constituent’s father-in-law is 74 years old and disabled due to a stroke. He lost his wife last year and has been living mostly alone since then. Although he is independent in many ways, he still requires support from Family and Support Services to continue to live independently.
In regards to the incident, he attended Royal Darwin Hospital for laser eye treatment. At his pre-meeting, he had been advised that, as he lived alone and needed to attend the following day for post-op check-ups, he would be staying overnight in hospital. He was happy with this arrangement.
Many of the debates today have been around some of the health issues. This was not intended to be a direct attack against anyone, but I would have thought that, in the two years since the tragic accident has happened, that much would have been done to improve the systems at Royal Darwin Hospital.
At about 9.15 pm, the gentleman rang his daughter-in-law and advised that he was in Accident and Emergency and asked if they could come and collect him. When they arrived they were told the following: at 2.30 pm in the afternoon he had received his treatment and was given a sandwich. At around 4.30 pm, an orderly took him across to the drug and rehab centre. He was placed in a room which he referred to as a dungeon. He was unaware of any nursing staff; only a man in an office was in attendance. Somewhere around 8.30 pm, he was experiencing pain in his eye and had to go to this office and ask for help.
The man advised that no drugs were available and called security to take him to the Accident and Emergency ward. The Accident and Emergency ward provided pain relief and checked blood pressure etcetera, but advised there were no beds available. Therefore, he called his son and daughter-in-law and they went to Accident and Emergency to pick him up about 9.45 pm and found that he had had no food since 2.30 pm. They arranged to take him home that night and get him back to Royal Darwin Hospital the next morning.
This family is shocked that someone would consider it acceptable to leave a person of this age and disability in a situation with such vulnerability. All staff mentioned above have acted acceptably within the limitations of their positions, but this person believes someone prior to this had made a grave mistake in the suitable care of this gentleman.
The action that this family wants is that they do not consider the fact that this gentleman was taken to the drug and rehabilitation centre and left to his own devices is good enough. He was not provided with nursing care as was indicated at his pre-op meeting. If his family had been aware that this was the case they would not have agreed in the first place and would have provided care at home. This family believes that some action needs to be taken and reassurances given to ensure that this mistake does not happen to a poor person like this again. They also believe that this gentleman is owed an apology for the situation he was placed in. I look forward to hearing from the minister in regard to this matter.
This letter was sent to the Health Minister and, as I said, to the previous member for Brennan. Not once did anyone get back to them.
Regarding the second letter, this lady rang to advise that on 3 September she was walking around the lakes when she fell on a tree seed and shattered her arm. She went straight to the emergency room at Royal Darwin Hospital where she was looked at, at 6 am. There was not much of a wait. She was told repeatedly that there were no beds, and was eventually placed in several different beds in the Emergency area and short-term stay. After 36 hours without any treatment on her arm or any beds being available, she lodged a complaint with the Customer Complaints Officer. She was taken to a ward and her arm was placed in a cast. She continually asked to be taken to the private hospital because she is a private patient, but was told there was no doctor there who could help her. They also lost her X-rays. She said that nurses were very rushed off their feet, almost running from patient to patient. Again, this person is very happy that this matter is brought to the attention of the parliament.
The next letter regards a family who was told that this gentleman needed treatment for prostate cancer in Adelaide, and that he should pack his winter bags because the operation was going to happen sooner rather than later. He has had his bags packed in the hallway since April. They also paid lots of bills such as rates, phone and insurance, etcetera, thinking they would be away for seven weeks. He had seen a specialist who comes to Darwin once in a blue moon, and is now waiting for the notification to fly down. The specialist directed him to the travel agent for the hospital who continues to advise: ‘Give it another month’, ‘Give it another week and you will hear back’.
The man had a scan in May to see if the cancer had spread to his bones. At the time, thankfully, after a wait this long, the cancer had not spread to his bones, but now we are in September, another four months later. He is still waiting and will need to be checked again to see if the cancer has not spread further.
The family just wanted a date. They understand that there are waiting lists but, if they were told it would be six months, they would have been happy with the answer. The problem is they were told it was going to be sooner.
This one, I think, is truly shocking. It is not to do with the Royal Darwin Hospital; it is to do with our ambulance service and lack of resources. This resident reports that, at 10.30 am on Wednesday, 3 September, she fell in her home from what she described as a bursting feeling in her lower back. My understanding is she was actually in the toilet area and fell around the toilet. Her daughter called an ambulance immediately, being advised that they would despatch a vehicle to the area.
At 11.15 am, 45 minutes later, a representative from the ambulance service telephoned the resident back explaining that they could not give a time frame for when the ambulance would arrive, stating that it would be in an hour or more. At 1.30 pm, after waiting three hours - three hours for an ambulance - the resident called the ambulance service and cancelled the request, only after being told that the operator, at the time, could still not give a time frame for an ambulance to arrive. Three hours this lady lay in pain around a toilet with a back injury that could have been so much worse. Again, these people do not mind that this information was spoken about here in parliament.
The last two issues are probably about Education. I am dealing with one lady at the moment and trying to find a result for her. She lives opposite Bakewell Primary School. They have three young children. They moved to the Bakewell area because of the Bakewell Primary School. They are told their first child cannot go to Bakewell. In fact, they were told they need to send their child to Howard Springs or another school within the Palmerston area. They live opposite a school.
This is because this government removed three teachers recently from the Bakewell Primary School - two because of the cohort of Year 7 students moving to Palmerston High, but they took an additional teacher as well - leaving the numbers in such a position that they cannot take any more children. How would you feel as a parent, if you move into a suburb, you live opposite a school, you can see the school and, yet, you cannot get your child into it? That is a sad indictment of the lack of education facilities that have been planned for Palmerston for many years.
I appreciate that this government is going to work hard to build the much-needed schools in Rosebery, but this should have happened years ago - not let schools get to bursting point today.
The last issue is in relation to a child with special needs. These people live in the suburb of Gray and they are trying to get their child into the Driver Primary School. They currently have their child in a private school, and they are not getting the needs met for their child who has Asperger Syndrome, in addition to ADD and ADHD, I believe. They are pulling their child out of a private school because they cannot get the needed attention. The only way that they can get government assistance, through Inclusion Support Assistance and other assistance, is in a public school - and I commend public schools for having that kind of assistance. The problem here is, they cannot get into the school that they want to get into - that is, the Driver Primary School. They have been told that because they live in Gray they need to go to the Gray school.
This family is a Defence family. They have needs which, sometimes, the average person does not really understand, particularly with children with special needs. This is amplified even further when a parent of the child is away for much of that time because of Defence service. This family has been told that the child cannot go to the Driver Primary School, even though the Driver Primary School has capacity, because they live in Gray.
I believe I can solve this issue through common sense just by talking to the principal of the school. However, I do not think that it needs to get to this stage. The situation here involves a Defence family who have requested, through DHA, for a move into the suburb of Driver. The school then does not have an excuse to refuse to take the child. Why in the world would we have a situation where the federal government, at great expense, would need to move a family into a suburb to allow that one child to go to that one school? Would you not think, with a little common sense, we could get that child moved into the school without having to put that family through the difficulties of a move at great public expense?
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is interesting being asked to talk on the issue I am going to talk about now that the noise has died down. I will also say something about the issues in relation to the Minister for Health and much of the debate that has gone on today and yesterday.
I have no doubt that the minister is a hard-working minister. My comments are not personal, but I believe parliament has the right to scrutinise all ministers to see whether the job they are doing is a job they are doing well. That is my role, just as it is the role of any other member of parliament: to scrutinise the workmanship of each minister in this parliament.
When I came to work this morning, I considered how there had been a lot of accusations made; those accusations have continued during today’s debate. This morning, I issued a media release and it said the following:
- Gerry Wood, the Independent member for Nelson, says the only way to get to the bottom of some of the issues coming from the Coroner’s report on the death of a patient in 2006 is for the government to call for a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act.
Gerry says the terms of reference should be wide ranging but also focus on issues such as funding for nurses, nurse recruiting and nurses’ working conditions which were raised in the report. The inquiry could also look at policy making within the department of health including the role of the minister and the management in formulating and carrying out those policies, especially those relating to nursing numbers.
Gerry says that an inquiry should make sure all those who wish to have a say could do so, without fear or favour and without fear of losing their jobs.
I consider that is the way we should be going with this debate. To make sure we get to the bottom of this debate, I ask the minister, at the very least, to step aside while this public inquiry takes place. I feel there is a range of issues need to be clarified in this whole debate. It is difficult for someone like me to hear claim and counterclaim and to know who is telling the truth.
Some issues have been raised that, for me, are very important. It is not so much now about the actual Coroner’s report; it is about what has been said by the Coroner and in this parliament that needs to be scrutinised.
Much of the debate evolved around the issue of nursing, nursing numbers, and about policies that were put in place, according to the Coroner, in the first half of 2006. In fact, the Coroner said:
- In early 2006 the CEO of the Department of Health withdrew the delegation to appoint Royal Darwin Hospital staff from the General Manager and gave it to the Assistant Secretary, that is, to Mr Campos. This was instituted because the Department wanted staffing levels contained for budgetary reasons.
That decision was made before this minister was minister. This decision by the CEO was made under a different minister for Health, who was Peter Toyne. The present minister started his job in August 2006. Therefore, we have to see what was happening before this minister took over the job.
The problem we have is that we do not know whether the government - that is, the ministers - knew that staffing levels had to be contained for budgetary reasons. That is what is being said today. According to the ABC news:
- Health Minister Chris Burns has indicated he was lied to by his department about the reasons for a shortage of nurses on the medical wards at Royal Darwin Hospital in late 2006.
- ‘I was aware of a nursing shortage at Royal Darwin Hospital, but the advice that came to me from the Department was that that shortage … was due to difficulty in recruitment, certainly I’m very disappointed in the findings of the coroner that there were obstacles put in the way of recruitment of nurses’.
I understand the minister is right in saying: ‘It is not my job to deal with those day-to-day issues of where staff members go, and how many people should work in this office’. That is right; it is not the minister’s job. However, the minister is the one who controls the purse strings. I know he controls it through the Treasury, but he must know that there is a certain amount of money that his government has for the running of the Health department.
Therefore, when I see something which says that the department wanted staffing levels contained for budgetary reasons - well, who made those budgetary reasons? Surely, the minister would have known that someone? I would have thought the minister would have sent a message to the department saying: ‘Tighten up your budget, you must keep within your budget’.
This is an area that should be looked at in an inquiry, because it was not only in Peter Toyne’s time, it was also in the minister’s time. He said that in the statement that he made today before the ABC. He said he was aware of a nursing shortage, but he was disappointed in the findings of the Coroner that there were obstacles put in the way of the recruitment of nurses. If he was aware of a nursing shortage and did not see any changes, then he should have asked more questions as to why they were not attracting more nurses.
I know it is difficult to get nurses. That is common throughout Australia. But that does not seem to be the reason we did not have nurses in this hospital. It seems there was a policy to make sure we did not have nurses according to a formula - and the Coroner has had trouble finding out how that worked. The minister has said that he was not necessarily aware of this. However, in the August/September 2008 Australian Nursing Federation Northern Territory Nursing Newsletter, there is a message from the secretary, Yvonne Falckh, which said:
- Recruitment of nurses and midwives to the NT is a major issue affecting the safe delivery of health care. The major hospitals and some remote health communities are severely understaffed, with nurses staffing workplaces through overtime. The dependence on the use of overtime as a routine method of staffing workplaces is both unacceptable and dangerous.
The NT government has just launched a campaign ‘Nursing Territory Style’ trying to recruit people to study as a nurse and to encourage nurses and midwives to nurse in the NT. This is a great move and much needed, although the results are at least three years away. A problem we face is competing for nurses and midwives in a market where there are insufficient nurses and midwives in the workforce to meet industry demands.
Unless this Territory government seriously recognises the urgent need to have a very attractive package of wages and conditions, we will have a hard time attracting those much needed nurses to the NT. Nursing is facing huge resource issues, where baby boomers are considering retirement within the next 5 to 10 years. There does not appear to be any strategy by this government to retain these nurses in the workforce.
That is August/September 2008. It is nearly two years since the tragic death of this person, and not a great amount appears to have changed since that time. In fact, in the Coroner’s report, if you go to the very last section, in section 105, it talks about the present:
- Overall it is not surprising that significant issues with nursing staff still exist. The Department’s persistence in ignoring the recommendation of its own reports, and its own industrial agreement, in relation to the implementation of an evidence-based methodology means the RDH is still setting nursing numbers without sufficient reference to the evidence in relation to the numbers required for safe care.
My feeling is that this needs an open inquiry because it just seems to be a crazy, mixed-up system. It is more annoying to see that this is happening when the government, or the minister, said in a media release on 30 April 2008 under the heading ‘Record Health Budget’:
- The Northern Territory government will reach a record $915m in Budget 2008 to deliver better health services to Territory families.
The Health Minister Chris Burns said since 2001 the Territory’s Health Budget has increased by 89%.
His quoted figure is, I think, how much extra went to Royal Darwin Hospital - an extra $225m. If that is the sort of money the government is bragging about, why do we have a nursing shortage? Where has that money gone? I believe there is a large range of questions that a public inquiry under our Inquiries Act would answer. We need to know who was responsible in 2006 for this idea of limiting the number of nursing staff during the first half of 2006. Why did that continue under the present minister? Did he have any idea that there was a nursing shortage and, if he did, did he act upon it or did he just leave it to his staff to sort out? When so much money has been spent since 2001 - $915m in the health budget with $225m for Royal Darwin Hospital - why do we have a shortage of nurses?
The other area is: who in the department has made these decisions, and what was the role of the minister internally? There have been discussions about whether the minister had regular meetings with the staff. I would have thought that, if it is true that the minister had regular meetings with his staff, and he did not know about this policy, then either he was not asking the right questions or, if he did ask the right questions and did not get the right answers, then heads should have rolled. It should be the case of the minister running the department, not the department running the minister. That is what appears to have happened here.
I believe the only way you are going to find out, or get an answer about this whole, messy business - because I do not want this messy business to continue – is if people like Dr Di Brown who have concerns are able to speak to an inquiry. If Yvonne Falckh from the Australian Nursing Federation NT Branch had concerns, she would be able to speak out. If nurses who were at the coalface had problems, they would be able to speak up freely. This is the only way we are going to come to a conclusion with this. I am calling for a public inquiry, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I am asking the minister to step down until that inquiry is complete.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, I bring you a good news story to finish our long night. I bring to the attention of the House a number of Northern Territory family groups I was fortunate to spend some time with this past weekend. From Friday, 5 September until Sunday, 7 September 2008, I spent time with these families in Millicent, South Australia. Millicent is 50 km from Mt Gambier, South Australia.
These energetic and dedicated families - seven groups, or teams in total - had all travelled mainly from Central Australia. Each team had an average of five people. I travelled from Darwin. They were all representing the Northern Territory in the fifth round of the Australian Off-Road Championships 2008, the Teagle’s Excavations Off Road Pines Enduro. They all invested, first, in their race cars or the trucks and, second, in the massive journey with their families and friends for a fantastic, sunny Millicent weekend – rare that it was sunny, but it was sunny.
It was a beautiful weekend, and even the locals commented on what a magnificent weekend it turned out to be. It was a beautiful weekend amongst the Teagle’s quarry and the SA pine forests that we raced. It was a truly fantastic event in fantastic country conditions, with like-minded people from all over this great nation.
I name the race teams for the record: Chris Coulthard, Rob Hawker of G&E Auto Electrical; Andrew Pinto; Jason Prior of GGS Glass; Andrew Moles, driving a single seater vehicle of Alice Hose Power; Brett Taylor and Damien Smart; David Fellows and Andrew Kittle - these gentlemen formerly Territorians, still Territory linked - of Team Kittle, being Peter Kittle Motor company, a long-term Territory company; and Robert Gwynn, a navigator who, although South Australian, owns the Stuart Caravan Park in Alice Springs. I also had a vehicle there - Team Ngingtaka - with a navigator. I had electrical issues which put me out - a $25 part cost me a lot. Chris Coulthard rolled his car, and Andrew Pinto took on a bridge and failed, but the rest of the members finished.
All these teams participated at the top level of the sport in Australia, and represented this great Territory in a way that I am personally proud of. I commend these families and their teams in their dedicated pursuit of the sport, and for being at the leading edge of technology for this sport.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016