2006-11-30
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 507 petitioners praying that the proposed development of Lot 7717 Dalgety Road, Alice Springs, does not go ahead. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, last month we introduced restrictions on takeaway alcohol as part of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan. The abuse of alcohol has been an issue in Alice Springs for decades. It contributes to family violence, assault and poor health, and places an inordinate strain on our health, police and emergency services.
Decisive measures were required to stem the tide. Earlier this year, I formed an alcohol task force to develop and ratify the alcohol management plan. Its purpose is to minimise the impact of alcohol abuse in Alice Springs, and it has three clear objectives: to reduce supply; reduce harm; and reduce demand. If we achieve these objectives, we will see a reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour and improved health and social outcomes for people living in Alice Springs.
So far, we have introduced liquor restrictions on the sale of fortified and cask wines, and licensees will be subject to new regulations to ensure the responsible sale of alcohol. The alcohol management plan will be closely monitored by the recently established alcohol reference panel. I will meet with them regularly to discuss key issues arising from the implementation of the plan.
It is still early days and, when I last met with the reference panel, there were some promising signs. For example, one licensee who normally sells approximately 6000 litres of cask wine per week has seen sales reduced by about 90% to 600 litres. He has also seen a marked reduction in antisocial behaviour around his premises. That was backed up by another licensee at the same meeting. That is encouraging feedback.
While we are seeing an increase in the sale of beer and canned spirits, the alcohol content of these products is lower than the cask and fortified wines. This product substitution was anticipated and will be closely monitored. We are confident the sale of pure alcohol will reduce over time.
As I reported to the House last month, there is anecdotal evidence that alcohol-related presentations to the Alice Springs Hospital continue to decrease, especially among Aboriginal males. The police also report a reduction in serious assaults: down around 40% since the restrictions were introduced. While this is encouraging, preliminary data on domestic violence indicates no shift in the pattern of presentations to the hospital.
Alcohol restrictions are just one part of our strategy. Other initiatives include investigating the potential of a permit system for the purchase of alcohol such as the IDI system, enhancing alcohol treatment and withdrawal services, and developing support programs for families.
In 2005, we introduced new antisocial behaviour legislation which gives private property owners the capacity to have their homes declared restricted premises. We also introduced the Alcohol Court Act, which allows courts to impose alcohol intervention and prohibition orders on people who are dependent on alcohol and commit criminal offences.
Earlier this year, we also introduced public dry areas legislation, which enables local councils to apply to the Liquor Commission to have public areas declared dry. Alice Springs Town Council is the first in the Territory to lodge an application. The commission must consider the views of the public and we anticipate a decision as early as possible in 2007.
We have also increased and focused police resources in areas where they are most needed. The ongoing problem of domestic violence in the region has seen the creation of a new Domestic Violence Unit to follow up on DV reports and breaches of DV orders. We must establish agreed protocols between police, medical staff and Family and Community Services. This will ensure victims of domestic violence are safe and connected to services that will help them break the cycle of violence.
Domestic violence has to stop, and there is no doubt that alcohol abuse is a key factor underpinning the unacceptable levels of antisocial behaviour and domestic violence. We have introduced the broadest range of initiatives ever seen in the Territory to reduce the impact of alcohol in our community. Madam Speaker, the problem is real and we are taking action.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for talking about Alice Springs and I note her miraculous recovery after yesterday. So much to say; so little time.
There are, of course, problems with alcohol in Darwin. I note that this government, obviously not interested in the people of Darwin either, has not set its mind to addressing those matters.
It was nice to hear the Chief Minister use the words ‘domestic violence’. Those words have not been in the forefront of her mind. She will be aware - and if she is not, she should be - of a report at the Alice Springs Hospital showing that there was one woman in particular who presented 189 times during a six-year period. This year alone, more than 666 indigenous women have sought treatment as a consequence of being victims of domestic violence.
I note with great interest the Chief Minister’s reference to establishing protocols. We thought protocols would have been in place before now. We understood that was the case. They are conceding failure on yet another front in the area of indigenous policy. We have a situation where some protocols are going to be implemented to see if that can address the situation. I am heartened that some people have taken this matter much more seriously than the Chief Minister.
Regarding safety on the street and the effects of alcohol, we hope that the Northern Territory government will review its contemptuous approach and direction when it comes to Alice Springs. We hope, therefore, that they will provide funds for the establishment and operation of CCTV cameras in Alice Springs. Police on the beat - well, do you not have some problems there? Picking up drunks, the figures are staggering; they have gone up under your watch, Chief Minister. The figures are as bad as they can ever be and it is about time you moved over, let your little friend on the left there take your job so that some outcomes can be achieved.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, obviously when we introduce alcohol restrictions, some people are going to be disadvantaged. That has been the reaction of people in Alice Springs. We are always wary of restrictions on our right to drink what we like. Unfortunately, it is not the people who drink sensibly who cause the problems; it is people who drink in an unacceptable manner. They do so because they cannot do what you and I do; have a drink quietly in their own homes. They have to come into town, buy lots of grog, sit in the creek or in a public house and drink it all at once. It is from there that unacceptable behaviour stems.
I urge the government to look seriously at wet canteens on communities in a way that they become a social place where there are activities for families and there is controlled drinking. Groote Eylandt seems successful, but Central Australia has missed out. They are the ones who are suffering. That is where your alcohol abuse is occurring.
With the substitution also came the problem of glass, which is disadvantaging elderly people because they have Gophers and do not like getting punctures, but they know now where to avoid glass. I notice that, along the Stuart Highway opposite Hearne Place, paths are being swept every day by contractors early in the morning, but the highway to Hoppy’s Camp along the river bed is still littered and really unattractive for tourists.
On the issue of tourists, there was a tourist in K-Mart who was on his phone saying: ‘Hey, mate. You’re not going to believe this: you can’t get a drink in this town until 2 pm’, which was a reference to the fact that he could not buy any takeaway alcohol until 2 pm, and that is something that is quite unacceptable in any other part of Australia. We need to be careful that what we are doing is for the good of the town and that we do not receive bad publicity because of it.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this year, a lot of effort has been put in by the alcohol task force, a community group, to look at the measures that need to be taken in Alice Springs. It is interesting to hear complaints both from the member for Braitling and the Opposition Leader about what is being done, but never throughout this whole year did either approach me and say: ‘Can I be part of the alcohol task force?’
It was a task force that had two members of council - Mayor, Fran Kilgariff and then Deputy Mayor, David Koch, two members from the combined Aboriginal organisations in Pat Miller and Neville Perkins, and Terry Lillis from the business community. It was quite public that we were having these meetings and tackling a very difficult problem for Alice Springs. A lot of work was done. There was never a word from the Opposition Leader or the member for Braitling about being part of the solution …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Or the member for Greatorex. Their complaints should be dismissed.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, road accidents take a terrible human toll every year in the Northern Territory. A few statistics tell the story. For many years now, we have been averaging about 50 deaths per year, or one a week, due to road trauma,. This is about 40% of all deaths due to injury, and about 5% of all deaths each year in the Northern Territory. It is also about three times the national average on a per capita basis. Aside from the tragic deaths, many people are injured and admitted to hospital for varying lengths of stay and procedures, as well as requiring follow-up treatment. This is a problem that affects all Territorians.
Road fatalities affect Aboriginal people disproportionately, with approximately 45% of people killed on our roads being Aboriginal. However, when we look at people admitted to hospital for road crashes, then Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are affected equally; that is, the proportion of admissions reflects closely the proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the population. In recent times, there have been about 700 hospital admissions per year related to road trauma. Within the hospital system, our emergency departments are at the front line and deal every day with road trauma. For example, the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department in the last week of June this year managed 20 people injured in crashes on our public roads, 10 of whom had multiple injuries. Many of these people end up in intensive care.
The Intensive Care Unit in Royal Darwin Hospital manages about 100 cases of major trauma per year, half of which are the result of road trauma. That is about one every week. In Alice Springs, the Intensive Care Unit had 26 such patients in 2005. Lest we forget that these are real people, we have recently heard Dr Di Stephens, the Director of ICU at Royal Darwin Hospital, speak with great passion and concern about the tragedy that she sees unfolding for those unfortunate people and their families. Aside from the human tragedy, these figures represent substantial financial costs to our community.
For example, the direct costs of the hospital emergency and inpatient care plus interstate transfers due to road crashes amount to some $4m each year. Of course, there are many other direct and indirect costs, both inside and outside the health sector: police; ambulance services; long-term rehabilitation such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and limb prostheses; not to mention time off work, long-term disabilities and lost productivity due to bereavement.
A recent study from the University of Queensland estimated that the total cost to the Northern Territory economy due to road crashes in 2003 was $330m, or the equivalent of 3.6% of the Territory’s gross domestic product. This compares nationally to only 2.3% of the Australian GDP and is the highest percentage of any state or territory. Clearly, the human and financial cost of road crashes in the Northern Territory is too high and fully justifies and, indeed, requires the comprehensive and bold approach this government has taken in addressing the problem.
There has been much public discussion about some of the recommendations this government is now implementing. One person is killed and nine are seriously injured every week on Territory roads. That is why this government has acted decisively. This is about saving lives. To those who argue that speed limits are not important, will not work, or are not necessary, I remind them that when limits were introduced on the Lasseter Highway, the incidence of deaths, serious injuries and crashes dropped by one-third. In fact, it is actually more than one-third. If the measures we have introduced only reduce road crashes by 10%, then that will mean every year there are five fewer people killed on our roads. That will mean five families and their friends who do not have to go through the grief and pain of losing a loved one.
Madam Speaker, I challenge any member of this Assembly to tell Territorians that these lives and these families are not worth it.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, this really puzzles me. The Health Minister raved on about trauma on the roads and trying to save lives in hospitals.
No one disputes the fact that we all want to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents across the Territory. Of course, the cost in human lives and to the Northern Territory economy is something of which we all have to be very aware. However, the minister raved on for five minutes trying to tell us that it is the accidents on the open Stuart Highway that is the cause of this extra load on the health system. The reality is that accidents are within the built-up areas. That is what it is. The minister shakes his head, but that is what it is. Here is a cynical, political exercise over five minutes to try to tell us that by reducing the open highway speed limit, we will prevent all these admissions to the ICU at the Royal Darwin Hospital because we can avoid road crashes. That is stupid logic.
I used to live on the Princess Highway out in the country. I used to be the doctor who went and retrieved patients from motor vehicle accidents. I am fully aware of what motor vehicle accidents can do. This report said nothing about crashes in built-up areas. The speed limit cap is about limiting speed on the open Stuart Highway. Minister, do not come in here politicising this issue. If you want to do it as the Health Minister, talk about what you can do to ensure that the health system is well looked after.
Your police have failed to take care of our Territory roads, especially in built-up areas. That is your problem. Admit to it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, it is a pity that when one criticises a report which was not made available to the public for scrutiny, one is then accused of supporting increasing death and injuries on our roads. It is sad that we are given a document by the government and it is presumed that we accept it without any analysis or criticism. That is poor.
The government is totally inconsistent. You were saying that 110 km/h on the Lasseter Highway has been demonstrated to have reduced the number of fatalities. Minister, you gave us a piece of paper to support that. Fair enough.
There is only reason why you made 130 km/h on the Stuart, Barkly, Arnhem and Victoria Highways: you knew people would not like 110 km/h. Your principles were: ‘We did it on Lasseter’s, which was an open highway, we reduced it to 110 km/h; we reduced the fatalities and injuries’. The evidence base of your report said: ‘Make it 110 km/h’. You went out and did your own little community consultation and you realised that people do not travel at that speed; so you said: ‘Well, let us forget the evidence base; forget the Lasseter Highway. We will make it 130 km/h’. Arbitrary, not evidence-based. That has made this whole issue of speed limits hypocritical. You might as well have left it open. People will see through it. If you really believed you were doing the right thing, you would have made all roads 110 km/h, and then taken the hard decision. You have not and people will see through it as totally hypocritical.
You also said evidence-based. If you look under Table 9 of the document, it says: ‘19 people killed on unlimited speed roads in the Northern Territory over the last six years’. Nowhere does it say in the document where those people were killed and, to this day, I have not seen anything. I have looked for the evidence. It is up to the government to tell me where those fatalities occurred on open roads. There is nothing in this document to say where; just a bland statement to say that they have occurred.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, my message to the member for Nelson who wants to send it off to a committee is that delay equals death. If you want to delay it …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: I have already pointed to the people who potentially might die. The Lasseter Highway is a different standard from the other highways.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Just listen for a change! You might learn something. The Lasseter Highway is a different standard from the other highways. We arrived at 130 km/h for a number of reasons, including the need to pass road trains. Categorisation of speed on our highways has been addressed within the report.
In answer to the member for Greatorex, 60% of fatalities occur within the urban areas and 40% in the non-urban areas. They do not all occur within the urban area.
Finally, member for Greatorex, you are out of step with your professional body. The AMA has come out strongly on this issue. Where are you? You are out of step ethically and with the position of the AMA and the Royal College of Surgeons on this issue. As someone in a senior position said, you are politically grandstanding.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired; resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, listening to the views of seniors is high on this government’s agenda, and today I am pleased to announce that I have appointed a new Advisory Council on Ageing.
Over the next 20 years, the Northern Territory will experience an increase in the number of its citizens over 65 years old, and an increase in their numbers as a percentage of our population. Our baby boomers have high expectations of lifestyle and the services they will need, which places increasing demands on government.
The Northern Territory government needs good information regarding the current and future needs of older Territorians so we can anticipate, respond to, and plan for the changing demographic.
The Northern Territory Advisory Council on Ageing has developed from the Seniors Advisory Council established by this government shortly after we took office in 2001. The role of the council is to identify issues of concern to older Territorians and to advise government on changes needed to existing policies or legislation to accommodate the changing demographic in the Territory. Council members will also consult on ageing issues in the community, and identify priority areas for action and future research.
I am pleased to announce that Mr Cecil Black will chair the council for the next two years. He is a well-known lawyer who is active in the Family Court, and is a former Lord Mayor of Darwin. Appointed are six other Territorians as members of the advisory council:
Sister Anne Gardiner is a member of the Order of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and a tireless worker with the people of the Tiwi Islands. She is a member of the Order of Australia granted in 1996 for service to Aboriginal education and cultural development;
The council meets for the first time on 15 December and I look forward to meeting with this important group at that time. I take this opportunity to thank the members of the previous advisory council, whose terms expired in August, for their hard work: John Pollock, Barry Densley, Les Garraway, Penny McConville, Bill Roy, Richard Slack-Smith and Ian Wagner.
Meeting our seniors around the Territory always give me a lot of pleasure. Just last week, I was in Katherine and had a really good meeting with the senior citizens group. They had a lot of good ideas and suggestions, which I am sure the advisory council will appreciate from this and other similar groups across the Territory.
The government continues to make the Territory a great place to live, no matter what age you are, and a place where seniors are valued for their contribution. We are committed to encouraging seniors to remain in the Territory when they retire because there are huge benefits to staying in a community where you have your roots, support networks and where it is easy to get involved.
The Office of Senior Territorians now holds pre-retirement workshops with the assistance of local businesses and organisations to help people plan for retirement in the Territory. Over 100 people have so far attended these workshops in Darwin and Alice, and feedback has been excellent.
Another initiative is our Seniors Card scheme. Over 600 businesses now support the Seniors Card, which is more than any other state in Australia, and brings considerable benefits to over 10 000 card holders. Of course, we have Seniors Month in August every year, which is eagerly anticipated and actively supported by seniors across the breadth of the Territory.
The new advisory council has a lot of work to do and it will play a key role in keeping government informed of and attuned to the needs of senior Territorians.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report this morning. Minister, I agree that our seniors are very valuable people. I happen to be one of them. If you are 50 years of age, you are a senior, and there might be a few in this building today ...
Mr Wood: Speak for yourself.
Mrs MILLER: I have no problem and am proud to say I am a senior. In the main, seniors do not usually complain; they are usually pretty accepting of what happens in their lives.
I know that, particularly last week when you were in the Katherine electorate, they did speak to you about a lack of facilities etcetera. One of issues I have is that if government is so serious about supporting seniors, why is it that in the 2006-07 Budget, there was a reduction to Territory seniors?
I do not believe that there has been any meeting of the advisory council over the last 12 months. As you just said, there is a new one, but I do not believe that there has been a meeting of any Senior Territorians’ Advisory Committee over 12 months. I would also like to know, minister, what initiatives the Labor government has introduced for seniors over the past five years that were not initiated by the former CLP government.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, as the most senior member of this parliament - and proud of it - thank goodness, at last we have the Seniors Advisory Council up and running, even though they have not met. The last one was a dismal failure. As you know, minister, they never met and a lot of them walked away through sheer frustration because they were not treated as an advisory council; they were often stifled. I am not sure why they were there. I hope this committee is strong enough to say: ‘We are here to look at policy’.
Alice Springs has an amazing number of seniors and they do not want to leave town. Many of them are happy to be there. Our U3A group is one of the most active groups I have seen. They work out of my office. The seniors group in Alice Springs now have people on the national policy body.
I hope your new committee will meet with these two representative groups in Alice Springs who are keeping the seniors within the town. It is really important that you come up with some policies that help the seniors of the town feel secure within their retirement. That is all they really ask: to feel secure where they live. We have constantly looked for a retirement village complex in the town, but I believe the proposal that was put up by Ron Sterry still has not been given the green light.
I am pleased to see Philomena Hali on the advisory council. She is a lady who will be strong and speak up for the town, and that is important. You need to get these members out into the community, making sure they are accessible to seniors who constantly need someone to talk to. It is not just with the NT government that seniors have problems; it is also with Centrelink, probably one of the most frustrating areas for seniors.
Minister, thank goodness at last it is up and going. I hope you listen to them and give them a voice, and it is not just tokenism.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their responses because it is an important area. I know that the member for Braitling has been on the case. The council should have met before this. There was to have been a meeting, but it cancelled and will now be on 15 December.
There are a number of initiatives on which our government has built, and we have never said that we introduced them. We have expanded the Pensioner Concession Scheme introduced by the CLP government. The expansion, which the CLP did not undertake and ignored the many benefits that now flow to senior Territorians, has been applauded.
I met recently with seniors in Alice Springs and Katherine, and will continue to do so. We have said we will promote the names of members of the new advisory council so that seniors in the community know who their members are. They also know that they can have direct contact with my office.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Professional Standards Act 2004.
The Professional Standards Act 2004 was enacted as part of the national tort law reforms with the specific objective of improving professional service standards and limiting the occupational liability of professionals and members of occupations in certain circumstances. The groups affected include lawyers, medical professionals, real estate agents, conveyancers, engineers, accountants, surveyors and auditors.
With schemes that are approved under the act, members of professional associations have the benefit of having their liability capped in the event of a claim brought against them in connection with the performance of their professional occupation. The Northern Territory act is based on the Victorian Professional Standards Act 2003. In turn, that act was based on the 1994 New South Wales act. Legislation dealing with professional standards schemes is now in place in each Australian state, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
The effect of professional standards schemes is also recognised by Commonwealth law so that liability is limited under Commonwealth legislation such as the Trade Practices Act. Typically, persons seeking professional indemnity coverage seek to protect themselves from the costs and expenses in fighting claims against them. They do this either by obtaining insurance that covers them for their liability up to a certain dollar figure plus defence costs; or by obtaining coverage for a total amount that includes all defence costs. The second approach has the effect of limiting the amount that is covered for defence costs. This costs-inclusive insurance is generally cheaper than costs-exclusive insurance.
Most professional indemnity insurance is costs-inclusive because, apart from cost, it is also much easier to obtain. However, in late 2005, professional associations seeking to register schemes in Victoria and New South Wales raised concerns that the wording in the legislation does not permit schemes to be approved on a costs-inclusive basis. This matter was referred to the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General. In April 2006, that committee approved the development of model legislation to remove the anomaly.
The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General recognised that the Professional Standards Council should have the option to approve schemes that were either costs-inclusive or costs-plus insurance.
The national Committee of Parliamentary Counsel produced a model national bill, versions of which have been introduced in New South Wales and Victoria. The amendments contained in this bill seek to correct a drafting anomaly by enabling professionals who are members of capped liability schemes to hold either costs-inclusive or costs-in-addition insurance cover.
The legal profession will be one immediate beneficiary from this legislation. Northern Territory legal practitioners are currently required to hold costs-inclusive cover. However, other professional service providers also generally hold costs-inclusive cover due to the wider availability of this type of policy in the current insurance market.
The amending bill will also ensure that consumers of professional services will not be disadvantaged. The professional’s maximum liability to the consumer will remain up to the amount of the cap as determined under the act, regardless of whether the relevant professional holds a costs-inclusive or costs-in-addition insurance policy.
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.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of the bill is to make consequential amendments to various Northern Territory laws following the enactment of the Criminal Code Amendment (Criminal Responsibility Reform) Bill (No. 2) 2005. The bill also updates superseded references, corrects typographical and grammatical errors and omissions, and clarifies ambiguous terminology in the affected acts and subordinate legislation. None of the amendments constitute substantive changes in policy or programs of government.
Consequential amendments following the enactment of the Criminal Code Amendment (Criminal Responsibility Reform) Bill (No 2) 2005 include correcting references to offences which will be renumbered or reclassified when the changes come into effect following the passage of that act.
This bill also removes references to section 154 of the Criminal Code to take into account the repeal of the dangerous acts or omissions offence. The bill also amends various acts and other subordinate legislation by replacing all references to the ‘consolidated revenue account’ with ‘the Central Holding Authority’.
Following earlier amendments to the Financial Management Act, the definition of ‘consolidated revenue account’ was defined in the Interpretation Act to mean ‘the Central Holding Authority’. However, this was intended to be a temporary measure, and it is now considered appropriate to update all of the items of relevant legislation to reflect this change.
Section 36 of the Cemeteries Act currently provides that the minister may order that burials or cremations in a cemetery cease. This section is being amended to make it clear that, despite this section, the minister may still give approval for a multiple burial in either an open or closed cemetery under the regulations.
The bill also amends section 28(2) of the Swimming Pool Safety Act. This amendment will permit a transferee who is an immediate family member of the previous registered owner to apply for a temporary acknowledgement notice to facilitate the transfer of the fee simple interest in the prescribed premises at which there is an existing swimming pool that is not certified or notified. This amendment is made to address current problems occurring where persons wishing to transfer property following a death or divorce are obliged to ensure that the pool complies with the current standards. This was not intended to be the case. A definition of ‘immediate family member’ is inserted in section 28(6).
Additionally, the bill amends section 21(3) of the Northern Territory Licensing Commission Act to increase the time required for tabling annual reports in parliament from three sitting days to six sitting days. This amendment was made to align the time requirements for the tabling of reports with other statutory bodies which have a six-day tabling rule.
Section 82 of the Taxation Administration Act is repealed. Sections 81(1) and 96(7) are amended in order to remove reference to ‘adhesive stamps’. Adhesive stamps are no longer used as a result of amendments to the Taxation Administration Act earlier this year abolishing their use.
The definition of ‘amateur drag net’ in regulation 4(b) of the Fisheries Regulations is to be amended to reduce the maximum mesh size of the net from 65 mm to 28 mm. This amendment occurs as a result of an agreement made at the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreational Fishing in 2000 to reduce amateur drag net dimensions. A phase-out period of two years was announced by the previous government in 2001 and was promoted in the 2002 Northern Territory Recreational Fishing Controls publication and other public notices. It is considered appropriate to bring these changes into effect. There are other amendments made by the bill which are of a very minor nature, and are self-explanatory.
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.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The bill will amend the Work Health Act to enable the Northern Territory to comply with nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions. The current workers’ compensation arrangements have placed a burden on employers in cases where workers are required to work interstate for periods of time. In such a case, a Territory employer is required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage for an individual worker in more than one state or territory.
Often, there is legal argument required to determine which compensation scheme is liable for workers injured, and this is costly for employers and workers alike. Over the past year or so, Australian jurisdictions have been working to introduce cross-border workers’ compensation provisions, and it is important that the Territory does the same.
The benefits of participating in nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions are clear. Not only will this arrangement reduce premium and administrative costs for employers, it will reduce the confusion faced by workers injured interstate by ensuring their workers’ compensation coverage is in one jurisdiction only. It will also avoid the possibility of some insured workers falling through the gap when a dispute arises as to which jurisdiction should be liable for their injury.
These new provisions mean that employers will only need to obtain workers’ compensation insurance to cover a particular worker in one state or territory. Under the new provisions, the state or territory in which workers’ compensation premiums relating to a particular worker are payable is referred to as ‘the worker’s state of connection’. Similarly, the benefits to which an injured worker is entitled are also determined by the state of connection. It is in that jurisdiction the employer needs to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for that worker.
The state of connection of a worker is determined by a series of tests. These tests apply to a particular contract or term of employment for a worker. The tests provided by these amendments to the Work Health Act are designed to establish the worker’s state of connection. The tests are progressive in that, if a state of connection is not ascertained from the first limb of the test, the second limb of the test is examined. If the second limb of the test does not identify a single state of connection, then the third limb is examined.
The amendments establish that a worker’s state of connection is the jurisdiction in which the worker usually works in that employment. If no one jurisdiction is identified by that first test, then the jurisdiction in which the worker is usually based for the purposes of that employment is examined. If no one jurisdiction is identified by either the first or second test, then the employer’s principal place of business in Australia is located. A worker usually works in the jurisdiction where he or she spends the greatest proportion of his or her working time.
The new cross-border provisions allow a worker to work temporarily for the same employer outside their state of connection for up to six months without the employer needing to consider whether or not a new workers’ compensation insurance policy is required. There may be cases where a worker works comparable periods of time across a number of jurisdictions, and people driving transport rigs come to mind. In these cases, the worker’s employment is connected to the jurisdiction where they are usually based.
When deciding where a worker is usually based, a number of factors will be considered. These include: the work location specified in the worker’s contract of employment; the location the worker will attend routinely to receive directions or collect materials, equipment, or instructions; and the locations from which the worker’s wages are paid.
There may be cases where a worker works equally across a number of jurisdictions and is not usually based in any particular state or territory. In these cases, the worker’s employment is connected to the jurisdiction in which the employer’s principal place of business in Australia is located. The employer’s principal place of business is the address registered in connection with the employer’s Australian Business Number. If the employer is not registered for an ABN, the state registered on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s National Names Index is the jurisdiction in which the employer’s business or trade is carried out. If the employer is not registered for an ABN or on the National Names Index, the employer’s business mailing address will establish the employer’s principal place of business.
If no jurisdiction has been identified by these tests, the worker’s employment is connected to the Northern Territory if they were in the Territory when injured, and they can establish that no compensation may be payable to them under the law of another country. At any time, a worker will be linked to one single state or territory only, and any compensation payable will be linked to that one state of connection, regardless of where the injury occurred.
In the very rare situation where it cannot be decided to which jurisdiction a worker is connected, it is recommended the employer purchase a workers’ compensation policy in each of the jurisdictions to which the worker could reasonably be connected. While generally we expect that establishing a worker’s state of connection will be a simple process directed by the legislation, the states and territories, through the Heads of Workers Compensation, have developed and are continuing to enhance a set of scenarios to assist employers and insurers manage this process.
The amendments provide a defence to a prosecution for an employer accused of not having a valid workers’ compensation policy for a particular worker. The defence will be available if the employer establishes that they did not deliberately intend to avoid their workers’ compensation insurance responsibilities. This can be shown by evidence that:
Finally, I anticipate the financial impact of this change on the Northern Territory Workers Compensation Scheme will be small, but positive. It will lessen the premium and administrative burden on those Territory businesses that have interstate operations by ensuring that they only need to insure any one worker in one jurisdiction, despite the fact that he or she may travel to other jurisdictions to work. The proposal will result in a very small overall premium income reduction for Northern Territory workers’ compensation insurers, but will in no way affect our scheme’s viability.
The bill repeals previous Work Health amendment bills passed but not commenced. In 1995, the Northern Territory embraced the need for cross-border consistency in workers’ compensation arrangements, and this House passed the appropriate amendment to the Work Health Act with the intent of commencing it when the other jurisdictions had complementary cross-border legislation in place. However, as a national agreement was unable to be reached at the time, the legislation was not commenced.
All Australian jurisdictions are now participating in cross-border provisions for workers’ compensation. This government believes it is vital that the Northern Territory joins this national strategy to improve the provision of workers’ compensation insurance in Australia. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move:
In speaking to this motion, I would first like to recognise the member for Barkly for his tireless work as committee chair, and thank him for leaving both committees in such good shape, and welcome the member for Arnhem as the new committee chair.
On 8 September 2006, the government created a new portfolio and appointed the Treasurer as Minister for Statehood. The opposition has subsequently appointed the member for Blain as shadow minister, and I wish both members well in their new portfolio roles.
The motion to which I speak today comes before the Assembly in order to provide a clear process for advice to be provided, where required, to both the minister and shadow minister in a bipartisan arrangement. The minister has a distinct function separate from the Statehood Steering Committee. The Statehood Steering Committee’s purpose under its Terms of Reference at clause 3 includes:
The Statehood Steering Committee does not report to the minister and does not wish to report to the minister. The Statehood Steering Committee is a function of this Assembly’s committee system, whereas the minister is a function of executive government.
However, it is clear that in a small jurisdiction with finite human resources, the office of the Chairman of the Statehood Steering Committee is a source of knowledge and understanding of statehood from which the executive government and the opposition may wish to seek advice.
In order to effect this, the Standing Committee has met to discuss the protocol reflected in proposed clause 13A. It allows the minister and shadow minister to be able to seek advice from the office of the chairman through the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, with the process overseen by the Statehood Steering Committee Executive Group. The office of the Chairman of the Statehood Steering Committee is established under the Terms of Reference approved by the Ninth Assembly on 17 August 2004, and amended on 24 March 2005. It is staffed by the Executive Officer, a Community Liaison Officer and an Administration Officer. It is a small, cohesive unit providing secretariat services to the Statehood Steering Committee.
The office holds a range of information and knowledge on statehood that is a resource for all Territorians. The executive officer to the committee is appointed by the Standing Committee and shall serve under the direction and supervision of the executive group:
That appears in clause 13 of the Terms of Reference. The executive group will be made aware of all requests for advice from the office of the chairman and this information is, therefore, available to the standing committee and to the steering committee.
The executive group is like a management board. It supervises the work of the executive officer, controls the resources allocated and prioritises the steering committee’s work for any given year. Even though the Statehood Steering Committee has no direct relationship with the minister, sharing resources is an intelligent approach to facilitating high levels of advice to the government and opposition as well as to the committee from the same source.
The Clerk of the Assembly and the Executive Officer to the Statehood Steering Committee met with the Minister for Statehood on 28 September to discuss the proposed change to the Terms of Reference. The chosen option has also been discussed by standing committee members at a meeting with the Clerk. The proposed model also reflects the structure whereby the executive officer reports administratively to the Clerk.
The standing committee, in conjunction with the steering committee, has developed a graphical diagram to illustrate the proposed arrangement and to make clear the roles of government and parliament in terms of statehood.
It became very clear to me at the recent seminars conducted by the Commonwealth that a number of Territorians still see the statehood education and consultation process as a product of government rather than as a product of an independent committee. I table the diagram, which depicts the provision of information to the minister and shadow minister through the office of the Clerk. It also provides a brief outline of process and responsibilities for the education, consultation, future convention and referendum.
I trust it goes some way towards clarifying the roles of each of us in the statehood quest, and I will be asking the steering committee to publish a copy on their website. I trust that all members of parliament support this motion.
Motion agreed to.
Continued from 18 October 2006.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports this bill; however, I want to make some comments.
It is logical that we provide optometrists with the ability to supply and sell eye medication. If you consider the matter from the perspective of manpower, we have only three specialist ophthalmologists in the Northern Territory: one in Alice Springs at the Alice Springs Hospital; one employed at Royal Darwin Hospital; and a private specialist in Darwin. It is obvious, having only three eye specialists in the Northern Territory, that it is going to be well nigh impossible for them to cover the whole of the Territory in an effective way. They do their best, but you can do only so much. To include optometrists in the team is a logical thing to do.
At the moment, medical practitioners, dental practitioners, veterinary practitioners, nurses and some Aboriginal health workers are legally permitted to prescribe, sell or dispense medication. This bill will include optometrists in the list of authorised people.
Many optometrists in the Northern Territory are keen to see this legislation passed. It will enhance their professionalism and they will be able to extend their services. Some optometrists have outreach practices; they travel out bush and to regional centres to provide their professional services. To be able to prescribe and dispense will be a good thing.
I approached several ophthalmologists across the country and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists to seek their views on this matter. Across the country, five jurisdictions have this legislation already in place. Those still going through this exercise are the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. The jurisdictions that already have this legislation allow optometrists to use the medication from a formulary or a list of permitted medication. I will come back to that issue.
Ophthalmologists and the Australian college of ophthalmology – I will call them RANZCO - expressed mixed feelings. They recognise that, particularly in the Northern Territory context if not the rest of Australia, that optometrists should be included in the system where they can prescribe and dispense. Their concern, however, is about the level of training that will be provided for optometrists to ensure that they have the clinical skills to diagnose and the clinical knowledge to prescribe. I understand that optometry is a three-year university course with, then, one year of extra training for any optometrist who wishes to have the ability to prescribe and dispense.
I raised this issue at a briefing with the Chief Medical Officer, and he assured me that he was satisfied with the level of training that optometrists will receive prior to achieving this added ability to prescribe and to dispense. I have not seen the course, so I can only rely on the Chief Medical Officer’s support for the course, and I take his word for it.
RANZCO and the ophthalmologists to whom I spoke said that there has to be significant distinction between the ability of an ophthalmologist to prescribe versus an optometrist to be able to prescribe. That is logical: ophthalmologists spend five or six years at medical school to become a doctor in the first instance and, then, between four and six years postgraduate to be trained as an ophthalmologist. That means an eye specialist has six more years of training, exposure to clinical conditions, learning diagnoses and being able to differentiate one form of eye disease from another. Six years training is significantly different to the one extra year of training that optometrists will have.
In respect of prescribing, you need to understand therapeutics very well. An ophthalmologist will have a full range of medication to use, not only topical, which means application, but oral medication if not intra- or injection-type medication. I understand, looking at the list that they have provided for me, that optometrists will be restricted to only topical eye medication. That is a major distinction, which is a good approach.
To summarise or paraphrase the opinions of ophthalmologists in RANZCO, yes, this needs to happen. We will support this, but we need to ensure that training is adequate, that understanding of medical conditions of the eye is adequate and that knowledge of drugs is adequate.
I want to now go through a paper provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. I seek leave to table a copy it because I am not sure whether the minister or his advisors have referred to this in the development of the bill.
Leave granted.
Dr LIM: The background to the paper, and it is entitled Optometrists Therapeutic Prescribing, by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia. Under the heading Background, it says:
It then deals with General Therapeutic Principles of Prescribing which, essentially, applies to all health professionals. I quote:
A. The authority to prescribe therapeutic agents granted to any health professional must be based on a single level of competence acquired, proven and maintained, and must be shown to protect public safety and be in the public interest.
C. Medical practitioners, understanding that book knowledge, of itself, does not constitute competency, are also involved in a lengthy period of treating patients with diseases under medical supervision. This is done in order to obtain competency in the understanding of patients’ responses to treatment and the complications of such treatments. Competency requires both aspects of training to be valid.
D. Once competencies have been met, the treating practitioners should have processes established and see sufficient patients requiring therapeutic care in order to maintain their skills.
E. The obtaining of informed patient consent to a treatment, covering the consequences of treating or not treating, the complications of treatment and alternative treatments available is an established principle.
G. Proper governance of the body granting authority requires that the body be qualified to expertly judge competence and have the expertise to assess therapeutic agents and, specifically:
(i) the endorsing body should receive expert advice from clinicians able to make decisions on the range of drugs appropriate for use by practitioners, commensurate with their competency.
I was assured at the briefing that the Optometry Board and the Therapeutic Advisory Committee will have the appropriate personnel, including medical practitioners, both general practitioners and eye specialists, optometrists and others on the board or committee to ensure the appropriate type of medication will be allowed in the Northern Territory formulary.
I continue quoting from the paper:
H. Practitioners involved in the educational process should be directly involved in the trainee’s assessment procedures.
This, I assume, refers to the fact that only in exceptional circumstances would medical practitioners be allowed to dispense and supply medication. Normally, you would receive a prescription from your medical practitioner and go to a pharmacy from where it is dispensed. Under ethical considerations, if a medical practitioner was allowed to dispense and supply at the same time, they may supply or dispense on financial interests rather than purely clinical interests. For instance, if I have shares in a penicillin company and dispense it all the time from my practice, that could be seen to be a conflict of interest even though the use of penicillin might be the most appropriate medication for the condition that has to be treated.
RANZCO went on to Specific Therapeutic Principles for Prescribing, which it recommends for all governments. It said:
(i) sight-threatening, or
In this instance, we are talking about things such as glaucoma. Glaucoma is a difficult condition to diagnose. It is a disease with great potential to cause blindness. There is concern that optometrists should not be allowed to treat glaucoma in the first instance. If an optometrist suspects the patient has glaucoma, it would be better if the patient was seen urgently by an eye specialist, an ophthalmologist, under whom the treatment will be commenced. At a later stage, if need be, an optometrist can go into joint management of the patient. The college is very concerned that anti-glaucoma drugs are not part of the formulary. I understand, from the list I have seen, that will be the case in the Northern Territory.
The college went on further:
B. The topical drugs to be used should be commensurate with the training and competencies gained. Factors to be considered are:
Sometimes you can have an eye problem that is associated with a medical problem. Diabetes will cause eye problems, and so on:
(ii) to identify differential diagnoses is basic to treatment decision making. If knowledge of disease systems is lacking and differential diagnoses are not considered by the treating non-medical practitioner, treatment may be both inadequate and inappropriate.
This is about training, in the first instance, to ensure that the practitioner is fully aware of the diseases that are likely to be occurring, but also about the constancy of the practice. For instance, if I became one of the world’s best open-heart surgeons and came to work in Darwin and did two open-heart surgeries a year, after a year or two you are going to start asking questions about how much de-skilling has occurred. You need to do enough to maintain your skill so it is important that, whatever health professional you are - whether you are an optometrist, ophthalmologist or a general practitioner - you need to ensure that you have the training required to achieve your skill level, but you have sufficient exposure to retain your skills:
(iii) a capacity to initiate investigations based on the differential diagnoses being considered is a basic competency. An understanding of, and availability of investigations involving pathology, neuroradiology, etc, is limited to medically trained practitioners. This limits a non-medical practitioner’s ability to distinguish and establish the disease entity requiring treatment.
This is a bit of a restriction. When a patient comes to see a doctor and the doctor, upon assessment, makes a differential diagnosis of two or three illnesses that may be causing a particular set of symptoms and signs, the doctor can request investigation. He can do a blood test, X-rays, and a variety of investigations to confirm which one of those three potential diagnoses is the appropriate one.
In this bill, there is no provision for optometrists to order investigations. If they could, patients can go to any of the pathology services and have the tests at full cost. As a medical practitioner, if I order those investigations, Medicare will cover it. That may be an issue. For instance, a person presents with a very pussy eye. If you go to a GP, he or she will probably take a swab from the eye and send it to the pathology services to check out what was the germ that is causing the pussy eye, and you could then treat the pussy eye with the most appropriate anti-infective agent. Will an optometrist be able to do that or will an optometrist have to make an educated guess that this is the most likely cause of the pussy eye, and give the patient a broad spectrum topical antibiotic which, in 99% of cases, will fix the infection? He can do that, and if it does not heal or settle in a few days, then he has to reconsider the treatment regime. That is what B(iii) refers to, which is something that really needs to be considered.
RANZCO goes on:
(iv) an understanding of drug interaction (including those between topical eye medications and systemic medications taken by patients for any number of unrelated conditions), local and systemic side effects of drugs and complications of treatments and a practitioner’s ability to recognise these, is a basic competency.
C. In relation to informed patient consent, it would be appropriate for patients to also be informed of the option to be treated by a medical practitioner if the condition requires therapeutic drugs.
Then it goes on with the list of drugs. In respect of the drugs proposed, I sought, during the briefing, a full list of the formularies available in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales. Victoria has a very comprehensive list. The agents they are providing to have the following functions: they are anti-infective, anti-inflammatories, decongestives or antiallergics and anti-glaucoma preparations. Then there are drops for dilating or constricting the pupil called mydriatics dilating cycloplegics - mydriatics is the one to constrict - and local anaesthetics.
As I said, Victoria has a full list, including all the medications that could be used for glaucoma. It is the only jurisdiction to allow that. Queensland and New South Wales are toying with the idea but have not proceeded with it. RANZCO and ophthalmologists to whom I have spoken are concerned about it. Tasmania and Queensland have the same list as Victoria, apart from the anti-glaucoma medication, and New South Wales is a bit more restrictive in what topical medication can be used.
I have a list of drugs proposed for the Northern Territory Formulary. When I put it to the ophthalmologists, they were concerned about a couple. I want to put on record what they are concerned about so that the minister can take it on board to discuss with his department and the Optometry Board. Ciprofloxacin is one they suggest should not be in the formulary, and another is Ofloxacin. Vidarabine is no longer used and is on the Northern Territory’s proposed list, so you might consider taking that off all together.
The ones that were of no concern include: Amethocaine, Atropine, Bacitracin, Chloramphenicol Cyclopentolate, Diclofenac, Dipivefrin, Flurbiprofen, Gentamicin, Gramicidin, Homatropine, Hydrocortisone, Indomethacin, Ketoraolac, Ketotifen, Levocabastine, Lignocaine, Lodoxamide, Neomycin, Olopatadine, Oxybuprocaine, Phenylephrine, Pilocarpine, Polymyxin, Prednisolone, Proxymetacaine, Sodium cromoglycate, Tetracycline, Tobramycin, Topicamide.
Mrs Miller: How are you going in Hansard, girls?
Dr LIM: I will send you a list, girls; do not worry about that.
The drugs that I said ought to be excluded were Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin, but also Aciclovir should be excluded.
That is the information I need to pass on to the minister to ensure things are done satisfactorily to allow optometrists to prescribe and dispense, and to enable them to perform their work.
At the briefing, I asked several questions which I should put on record, and raise a couple of issues about them. I sought information about whether optometrists were allowed to supply, sell or prescribe drugs in the formulary. The legislation allows an optometrist to sell and supply, and in the definition, ‘sell’:
whereas ‘supply’:
Normally, the drug refrigerator you keep your drugs in - which is not a refrigerator that you would put your lunch in because you need to maintain the cold cycle – is a special refrigerator in which an appropriate temperature and sterility is maintained. You keep a supply of eye antibiotics. If a patient comes in with conjunctivitis, the optometrist sees the patient, checks it out and, yes, that is what they have. The optometrist may take a swab from the discharging eyes and then provide the patient with some eye antibiotic ointment. Do you charge the patient for the eye antibiotic? I assume you would. Or should you just write a prescription for the patient to go to the pharmacy next door to get the same antibiotic? This is something that I am sure the Optometry Board will consider and I leave the board to deal with the issue. The board will be very cognisant of the fact that you would want to ensure that the optometrist does not have a shareholding in the company that manufactures that drug or it may be seen as a conflict of interest. It may not be.
Then I asked a question about the differentiation between an optometrist who has prescribing rights and an optometrist who does not. In Smith Street mall there are two or three optometrists. How are you going to tell which one has prescribing rights, who can treat you with antibiotics, and which one does not? That is a problem. If you go to a general practitioner, essentially you know what the general practitioner can do. If a general practitioner says: ‘I am going to do brain surgery on you’, you say: ‘Oh, yes?’, and you will knock the general practitioner back because you know that the general practitioner would normally not be qualified or trained enough. Legally, the general practitioner can do the surgery, but the general practitioner would not be trained to do it, so you would knock that back. That needs to be sorted out. I hope the Optometrist Board will sort it out quickly and advise how it intends to differentiate between those optometrists who have prescribing rights and those who do not so that when a patient walks off the street, they will be able to tell. That is important.
I do not need to go any further than that, Madam Speaker. The opposition supports the bill. It is logical that we encourage optometrists to achieve higher qualifications so that they can better service Territorians. It is needed because of the lack of ophthalmologists. Giving optometrists this legal ability to prescribe and supply will allow patients in the Territory to get better treatment and encourage optometrists to continue to improve their qualifications, which can only be good for their patients. For that reason, we support the bill.
Again, I ask the minister to ensure that the Northern Territory formulary is well developed and say that any consideration to allow for glaucoma treatment should not be considered at this point.
I look forward to seeing the complete formulary for the Northern Territory. It is not available except for the proposed list, which might not be the definitive list. I would like to have a look at the list when it is available.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I definitely will not be speaking in the same technical terms as the member for Greatorex. That was a very educated response and gives one an understanding of the background to this bill.
I support the bill, especially the part in the second reading when the minister said:
That is a positive objective. Of course, you have to balance that with ensuring optometrists are suitably trained and qualified to administer drugs that people, especially in remote and rural areas, require.
I have a couple of questions. The minister said that Queensland will be introducing a similar system. Minister, there is a long history in that state of ophthalmologists lobbying against the proposal because they argue that optometrists are not medically trained. I am interested to know whether that argument continues, or has it abated? In light of that, has the government asked the AMA for a response? I did ring them and the relevant person is away on leave at the moment so I did not get a response. I am interested to know whether the government did get a response from the AMA about this bill.
The member for Greatorex has given this a pretty thorough going over; I know Hansard will be struggling with some of the names listed on the formulary, but I am sure he will pass some of the relevant information in print to them. I thank the minister for presenting this bill to the parliament and I am interested in his response.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their contributions, particularly the member for Greatorex. He has taken a keen interest in this bill. He sought briefings and asked some very detailed, sensible and logical questions in relation to it. He made a contribution to the further development of the formulary and procedures for implementation of the bill.
I will turn to some of the issues the member for Greatorex has raised in a minute. First, I will deal with what the member for Nelson said. He, too, supported the bill on the basis that it will provide prompt treatment, particularly to people in rural and remote areas. He raised the issue of debate nationally and in other states about the desirability of optometrists being able to prescribe, supply and treat patients in the way proposed here.
Any profession would be looking askance at another profession which is seeking rights of prescription, supply and treatment of drugs that have always been the province of that profession. As the member for Greatorex pointed out, ophthalmologists undergo six years of medical training, and then they might have a further six years being trained as ophthalmologists. As the member for Greatorex is well aware, many ophthalmologists from interstate have trained and had rotations through the Northern Territory. Through the work of Fred Hollows, that has been a profession with a very strong connection with the Northern Territory. It is only natural that people would be raising questions about steps like these.
The member for Nelson asked whether there had been any consultation between the government and the ophthalmologists. A letter was written to Jill Huck, who is Director of the Northern Territory Health Professions Licensing Authority, by Dr Alan Rosenberg, who is from RANZCO, the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, as the member for Greatorex mentioned. Dr Rosenberg raised a number of issues which we have addressed and accommodated to a large degree. The three areas that Dr Rosenberg raised in his note to Jill Huck were first, that a mechanism for the collection of data on adverse outcomes should be included in the bill. It is proposed not to have that within the bill, but to have that within the processes that follow on from the bill, so that is an important suggestion made by RANZCO. The second issue raised by Dr Rosenberg was that medical indemnity arrangements should be in place so it will only be those optometrists who do have medical indemnity who will be afforded these rights of prescribing and treating. Third, Dr Rosenberg suggested an optometrists drug advisory committee should be set up along the lines of other jurisdictions to advise the minister on which therapeutic medications are appropriate for optometric use.
That was an issue that the member for Greatorex raised. There will, indeed, be such an organisation. I will turn to that now and let the House know the membership of the Therapeutic Advisory Committee. Membership of the committee will include an ophthalmologist, a general practitioner, a pharmacist and an optometrist with authorisation to use ocular therapeutics. There will be a group that will examine some of the procedures and protocols around this step, as well as the very drugs that can be prescribed by optometrists.
The member for Greatorex has raised a number of very important issues, and for the sake of continuity, I will talk to those issues now. He was speaking about the draft proposed formulary, which contains a range of agents. As the member for Greatorex pointed out, all the agents are for topical use; there are none for parenteral or other sorts of use. There is a range of agents. Optometrists are already using some of them in diagnostic practice.
The member for Greatorex mentioned mydriatic drugs, which are used for the dilation of pupils. There are a lot of others, some strong cortisone-type drugs. Some of the ones that the member for Greatorex mentioned are drugs used in the treatment of cancer. Some caution has to be exercised. There are some quite strong agents in that list that need to be used with care and experience, as the member for Greatorex pointed out. I certainly concur with the member for Greatorex that the Therapeutic Advisory Committee needs to have a good look at this proposed formulary and make some decisions.
The member for Greatorex wanted a table of comparison between jurisdictions of the agents that can be used by optometrists. He was quite correct to say they are not consistent. The challenge for our Therapeutic Advisory Committee is to look at the safety needs of patients, the skills of optometrists who will be prescribing, with the needs to which the member for Nelson was alluding in our rural and remote areas. If there is one thing we cannot do, it is compromise patient safety. Those are some crucial issues in the consideration of this bill. A number of pertinent issues have been raised by the member for Greatorex.
He said the opposition supports this bill. He has called it logical. He has obviously consulted with ophthalmologists in the Territory. I have not spoken to the ophthalmologists directly, but it is my understanding that, whilst there might be reservations about this step, already relationships exist between the ophthalmologists and the optometrists. That lies at the heart of moving forward in a cooperative way. As I said in my second reading speech, optometrists have also established co-management relationships with ophthalmologists, so there are already relationships with treatment cooperation, and that is a positive thing. The Territory is certainly a place where that can occur between professions.
I understand why the ophthalmologists nationally have reservations. In relation to the issue of overseas trained doctors coming to the Northern Territory, the local branch of the AMA seems to be a little more flexible in its position than the AMA is nationally. So it is with ophthalmologists. Both bodies stand firm on the issue of patient safety.
The member for Greatorex has approached RANZCO. He quoted from the same letter that I quoted from. He also had a paper that raises very important issues in relation to the steps being proposed.
The member for Greatorex mentioned the training aspect, which I have just mentioned, about how an ophthalmologist has basic medical training and then goes on and gets their speciality - some 10 to 12 years of study. That is very important and should be recognised. I would be expecting - and I believe it already exists - that optometrists would be referring to the ophthalmologists. That is a key to the whole situation; that optometrists recognise their limitations and when they need to be referring to an ophthalmologist.
The member for Greatorex also quoted from the RANZCO letter, which really addresses the issue of referral and competence. Dr Rosenberg said:
The member for Greatorex quoted a similar extract from the RANZCO document at 3A, and I have quoted again because it is central to the issue. Basically, the two professions can operate together in a very constructive way which can only benefit the patient. If there is a clear delineation based on the depth of training in the professional areas, this can work well for patients and for the Territory.
The member for Greatorex raised, a number of times, the issue of the supply of drugs and ethical issues related to the supply of drugs. It is my understanding that, as we have both been briefed, optometrists can supply, prescribe and sell these drugs. The amendments specifically provide for the sale and supply, including prescription of Schedule 2, 3 and 4 drugs for the treatment of the eye subject to conditions and restrictions imposed by the Optometrists Board of the Northern Territory. The terms ‘sell’ and ‘supply’ are defined in section 29(5) of the act as follows:
Member for Greatorex, they can indeed supply, sell and prescribe drugs; however, I expect that to be in an ethical fashion.
The issue of currency of someone’s practice and whether they have the background and experience to practice with these drugs will, once again, sit with the Optometrists Board and the Therapeutic Advisory Committee, which is where it should be. The member for Greatorex went into some detail with the list for the proposed formulary. I do not propose to get into the sort of detail he did; suffice to say that your reservations to a number of agents will be passed on, through your contribution in this debate, to the Therapeutic Advisory Committee. They will consider your reservations about some of those agents.
The member for Greatorex raised the issue of treatment for glaucoma and those agents, I believe, have been excluded from the formulary.
Dr Lim: What about advertising?
Dr BURNS: Advertising, yes, I am coming to that. That is the last one I had on the list. It is an important issue you have raised, and it has been taken on board. Essentially you were asking how members of the general public will know who is authorised to use ocular therapeutics and who is not. The advice I have is that this matter has been referred to the Optometrists Board for their further consideration and determination. I understand that information will be available on the board’s website, or by contacting the Health Professionals Licensing Authority.
That does not really help someone coming in off the street. However, if it is possible, having something incorporated into their qualifications on the person’s shingle is something I would be willing to consider. It is the same for someone who goes to a dentist or a doctor who has specialised qualifications in a particular area. It is easy to see by the qualifications on the person’s shingle what their interests and specialities are. That could be a way to address the issues you have raised.
All in all, I compliment the member for Greatorex for his contribution to this debate. He had a lot contact with my office and I hope we have been able to supply all the pertinent information and the relevant briefings. I know that all the issues the member for Greatorex has raised have been constructive and have helped this bill along, particularly in relation to the implementation issues which are crucially important.
To reiterate what I said in my second reading speech:
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr BURNS (Health)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 18 October 2006.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support the Health Minister’s chronic diseases statement. Earlier this week, I had the honour of representing the minister at the launch of World AIDS Day in the Northern Territory. The launch of AIDS Awareness Week takes us to the 18th anniversary of World AIDS Day.
Just over 25 years ago, scientists in the US reported the first clinical evidence of the disease that was to become known as acquired immuno deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Since that time, almost 22 million people globally have died from AIDS, and over 28 million people continue to live with HIV. HIV AIDS does not discriminate. Over those years, it has affected people from all backgrounds, all ethnicities, all ages and in all parts of the world. However, its impact has been most devastating for those in some of the world’s least developed countries where the virus has decimated a generation of young adults, leaving thousands of children orphaned.
In the Northern Territory, many of our population were not even born when AIDS was discovered and may not have been exposed to the earlier campaigns. They may, in fact, think that HIV and AIDS belong to another generation. While epidemiology for southern states indicates that new infections remain predominantly in the gay community, in the Northern Territory we are somewhat different. While our number of new infections annually generally follows the national pattern, 50% of people diagnosed with HIV in the Northern Territory are heterosexual. We also have a very high proportion of Aboriginal Territorians who have significantly poorer overall health status than the average Australian, and we can be grateful that HIV and AIDS have not, until now, taken hold in our indigenous communities. Still, no government, community or individual should become complacent.
The chronic disease statement in the last sittings demonstrated a consistent pattern in our government of securing the health and future of all Territorians and, in particular, Aboriginal Territorians. The Northern Territory budget for health has risen by 64% since we came into government in 2001. It is quite clear from my trips throughout Arnhem Land in the 16 communities in my electorate that we are making inroads. I am happy to report to the parliament and, indeed, to the minister, that on my recent visit to Ramingining, the health clinic is about to undergo a facelift, which is not before time. The clinic nurse, Rhonda Goldsby-Smith, is quite excited about the fact that they are going to now have an expanded clinic, which is a very busy place.
The outreach programs at Ramingining incorporate a really strong partnership with the Education department. The teaching principal at Ramingining School, Coralyn Armstrong, has successfully seen through a large new shed facility which is being turned into an early childhood area where young mums with their babies can come to the Ramingining School and take part in any early childhood programs. The health and education people in Ramingining have come together. The nurses go to the school and work with the babies. They see the young mums and talk about post-natal programs for mothers and look at the health of the babies. They work directly with the babies in terms of immunisation and checking their hearing, and then they move along from visiting the babies in that new area of the school up to the preschool. And so it goes.
In fact, I put on the record that the program at Ramingining between the Health and Education departments is quite exciting. It is an initiative that has been praised by the departments and by people across the Northern Territory who have been able to witness what is going on at Ramingining.
At this point, I congratulate Rhonda and Coralyn in Ramingining for the fantastic work that they are doing to try to combat some of the early incidence of chronic disease that we see affecting Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory.
Aboriginal people are not the only ones who suffer from chronic disease. We see that 22% of non-Aboriginal people also suffer from diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, renal disease, chronic lung disease and heart disease, and 31% of the diseases are the burden for Aboriginal people.
When you take into consideration that our population of Aboriginal Territorians is around 30%, the enormity of chronic disease is made quite clear. In fact, we have heard from other speakers, in particular bush members who have been able to share experiences of a personal nature in regard to the many effects of chronic disease in their families. We heard the member for Stuart speak about his young son, and these are the stories that this House needs to hear more about.
I speak on a personal level, too. It is access to renal dialysis which our communities and families are finding becomes more urgent. It is only in the last five or six years that close members in my family have had to access renal dialysis. I impress on parliament the fear that comes into families when they think about having to go on those machines in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine or Tennant Creek. These are families who have to move hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from their homelands to receive treatment. If they do not get on these machines, their chances of survival are fairly slim and somewhat uncomfortable, no doubt, with the struggles that they have to ensure with other factors such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, which is a common occurrence along with renal dialysis and lung disease.
When these families feel that someone close to them has to go on a dialysis machine, the fear is: will they come back? The fear is: how long are they going to be away? I know of many examples - and I am sure other members have shared these examples - of patients who have wanted to leave and go off the dialysis machine to go back to country, knowing full well that their decision to remove themselves from the machines is a decision that says: ‘Yes, I accept death’ simply because they do not want to die in a city or a town that is far away from where they come from. These are enormous and very real fears for many people across the Northern Territory. I am, indeed, heartened by the fact that our government is equally aware of these fears and supportive of the many programs dealing with preventative health, and looking at increased support for those patients suffering from renal disease.
Poor nutrition and limited physical activity, poor environmental conditions which lead to infection, alcohol misuse, tobacco smoking, childhood malnutrition and low birth weight are among the risk factors in individuals experiencing chronic disease. It is only with the combination of government and non-government organisations, such as the Asthma Foundation, the National Heart Foundation, and, in my particular case, with SIDS and Kids Northern Territory, working in partnership that we will be able to reduce chronic disease that is being experienced by a large proportion of Northern Territory residents.
SIDS and Kids Northern Territory is very focused, especially on reducing infant mortality. We have heard the minister say in the House that it is particularly encouraging that the Northern Territory indigenous infant mortality rate has fallen by a dramatic 36% in the last few years. At the end of the 1990s, the indigenous infant mortality rate was 25 per 1000 births. In the period 2001 to 2003, it was down to 16 per 1000 births. It is still too high, and over double the non-indigenous rate of 6.5 per 1000 births. However, the gap is narrowing and it is promising that the figures are moving in the right direction.
Those who work with SIDS and Kids Northern Territory are very aware of those statistics and are very passionate about reaching out to health clinics and health professionals in our regions to try to educate and show that there are alternatives; that there are better ways of raising all our children so that they have a better life expectancy.
I would like to give an example of one young girl at Milingimbi. Leonie Maranginy has a three-month-old son, Jamal. Leonie is an amazing young woman. She is going to be one of the first of two Year 12 graduates at Milingimbi. It is a momentous occasion for the community of Milingimbi because they have never had any students graduate from the community itself. There have certainly been residents of Milingimbi who have graduated here in Darwin, but this, I believe, is an historic time for them.
The reason why I raised Leonie as a strong example is that I was quite impressed with her last year when I met her on the election campaign. I have been watching a lot of our young people in Years 10, 11 and 12 and have encouraged them to keep going in their communities, or at least come and see me in Darwin for support as they go through Kormilda, St John’s, or Marrara Christian School. Leonie fell pregnant last year in Year 11 and, obviously, went through enormous turmoil as to where she was going and what she was going to do. We have spoken often about pregnancy in teenagers and the concerns of many of our youth in the remote regions, especially the young women. Leonie still went to school, and I have to say it was with the encouragement of her teacher Amy Birchett who encouraged Leonie and the other Year 12 student, Shawn Gunamalmal, both of whom have now finished their exams. Leonie took little Jamaal into class with her at school at Milingimbi, and was very conscious that Jamaal also has to have his early childhood and medicinal needs met with immunisation and all those sorts of things.
When you see people like Leonie and Shawn as role models within their own community, you know that it is getting the message through to these young people who are going to carry it on in the way they live their lives, and be able to share that and encourage others who come through. That is a big plus for Milingimbi. It is certainly something that our government should be very proud of supporting, especially the Health Minister and Education minister, with Milingimbi and Ramingining in these instances.
Earlier in the year, we spoke about health for control of disease in the Northern Territory, and also health for mothers and children in August last year, when the previous member for Stuart and Health Minister spoke, and about how the Centre for Disease Control should be congratulated for the vision in establishing the immunisation database here in the Northern Territory. All of that is the whole-of-government approach and recognition that health and education is absolutely vital for all Territorians. When I see the consistency in our government’s record of supporting all these programs and the needs to be met out there – yes, sure, we have a long way to go. We need to keep going; it is when we stop and sit back and say: ‘It is too hard, let us not go there any more’ is when we need to have the courage to say: ‘Yes, it is a hard problem. Yes, it is quite overwhelming, but one day at a time’.
It is the people like the Leonies and Shawn out there, like Rhonda at Ramingining, and Coralyn,like the Sunrise Health Service in the Katherine East region which are tremendous in the way they get out with preventative programs to encourage all people in the communities to be more aware about all these chronic diseases such as diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, renal disease and heart disease. This week, in particular, we must remember many people who have suffered and died from AIDS or HIV related illnesses.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I commend the minister’s statement.
Debate suspended.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Parliament House Public Tour program visitors. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: I wish all honourable members a very happy and safe Christmas, and thank you all for your support over the past year.
I also take the opportunity to thank staff of the Legislative Assembly who do a terrific job on behalf of all honourable members, in particular the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, the staff of the Table Office, the very patient people in Hansard, staff of the Parliamentary Information and Liaison Unit, committee staff and all parliamentary officers, and wish you a very happy and safe festive season.
I also wish members of the media who follow our proceedings throughout the year a very merry Christmas, as well.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, thank you for wearing the red ribbon today, the international symbol of World AIDS Day, which falls tomorrow. This is an important symbol which helps raise awareness of this terrible disease.
Continued from earlier this day.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I must confess that I will be closing this debate without my notes, but we have probably had enough paper here today and I know enough about chronic disease to close the debate. I certainly perused the comments made by the member for Greatorex in the last session in relation to his response, and I compliment the member for Greatorex on his response, which was very thoughtful. He alluded to an article written by Professor John Mathews in 1985 in which he drew some parallels between what was happening in Britain during the industrial revolution and the health problems of people associated with that and some of what is happening within the Northern Territory.
The member for Greatorex mentioned all the social factors that impact on health. It was a very thoughtful contribution to this very important debate. As the member for Greatorex rightly said, the Chronic Diseases Network was something that was begun during the CLP’s time, but we have certainly heavily invested in preventable chronic disease in a whole range of areas. Unfortunately, as the member for Greatorex alluded to, we are seeing a veritable torrent of renal disease in Alice Springs and the Top End and it is putting a great strain on resources.
Government is investing approximately $1m into the Flynn Drive Renal Centre. I visited that centre not long ago. There are extra beds there and extra beds at Alice Springs Hospital. I compliment those people who work in the renal area. It is an intense area in which people are often very ill and the whole operation does require some management.
The member for Greatorex mentioned camp dogs as a major problem, and said that they carry many infections and have the potential for spreading infection to children who play in the vicinity. The advice I have from the department is that transmission of infections from dogs to humans is not as great as is often assumed. For example, people often believe scabies is transmitted to children from dogs. In fact, research at the Menzies School of Health Research in the 1990s demonstrated that dog scabies and human scabies are different and, although transmission can occur, it is generally not serious. Indeed, transmission of scabies is mainly human to human, not dog to human.
The department has also advised that they have dog control staff advising councils which are, of course, responsible for dog control programs. The member for Greatorex said that scabies is a major issue, and I agree with him about that. I am sure that he is aware, as I and others in the House are, of the research evidence showing the link between scabies and skin infections are strongly linked to chronic disease.
The Northern Territory is leading the country in this area. For example, Dr Christine Connors of the department, and Professor Jonathan Carapetis of Menzies School of Health Research, have been working for a long time on models of reducing scabies rates in children. A number of communities are successfully taking up the findings from such research; for example, Anyinginyi Congress in Tennant Creek and the health services at Wadeye. These programs typically involve community workers who work with health centres to identify treatment and follow up babies with scabies, as well as education in schools and community education.
Housing was mentioned by the member for Greatorex. It is important in the current debate because we know that a lot of these skin infections and social problems, I suggest, that confront Aboriginal people do revolve around overcrowded housing.
This government is working to safeguard the health of Territorians most in need through a range of healthy housing imperatives. All new community housing dwellings are constructed to meet environmental health standards and comply with the nine healthy living practices. It is important to say that this government has invested $100m in housing, and that was announced during the October sittings. That was welcomed throughout the regions, and local members who represent bush electorates certainly welcomed it. That initiative will bear fruit and have positive effects on people’s health.
I have said before that I compliment the Commonwealth government. John Herron, when he was Aboriginal Affairs minister, ensured that NAHS monies went in to housing. That was a serious investment by the Commonwealth government. However, as the Chief Minister has requested, the Commonwealth government needs to be doing more in the area of housing. Aboriginal housing was a responsibility handed over with self-government and the Commonwealth should be stepping up to the plate. We are certainly a government that has done so.
There is one thing on which I did disagree with the member for Greatorex. He asserted that three or four years ago, this Labor government cut back on primary health care funding in preference for funding for acute care in hospitals. As members would be aware, this government increased overall health funding by 64% since 2001, and budgets are always adjusted to meet needs. After this government came to power, the crisis in the acute care system needed special attention. There has been a demonstrated overall significant increase in primary health care funding, particularly in Central Australia. I have a table headed: ‘Remote Health, Top End’. In 2002-03 it $19.2m, and in 2005-06, it was $21m, which means a 9% increase. Similarly, for remote health in Central Australia, the allocation was $11.9m in 2002-03, and in 2005-06 it was $17.6m, a 48% increase. We have demonstrated that an increased effort around early detection and management can stabilise and even gain ground against chronic disease, but we have to increase our prevention work.
The member for Greatorex made comment about Aboriginal women having five times as much chance of dying in childbirth than non-Aboriginal women. It is true that maternal mortality is higher in the NT. However, with our small population, we are talking about one case in the last three years. Whilst it is an issue and we need to be vigilant, we can also point to positives in the reduction in infant mortality, which has been quite significant.
In antenatal care and education, I cannot stress enough the importance of this government’s $2.2m per year child health initiatives: 25 Aboriginal health workers, nurses, and community workers around the Northern Territory, some in government and some in non-government organisations. There is great news from Central Australia. From Congress data, of babies born with low birth weight, which is below 2500 gm, there are 13 per 100 live births for Aboriginal women nationally, six per 100 live births for non-Aboriginal women nationally, and six per 100 live births for Alice Springs Aboriginal women. That is positive. When the Chief Minister and I were in Central Australia two weeks ago, we received a briefing from Congress. The Chief Minister was as impressed as I to receive that briefing. This was one of the real positives that came out of that, which we were privileged to receive.
Better antenatal care is largely through Congress. Congress Alukura has improved the rate of normal birth weight to the same as the national level for non-Aboriginal people. I say again that this is a great achievement.
The member for Greatorex said we know that renal disease continues to be a problem for us in the Territory. He said that he was pleased that his concern about spreading dialysis all across the Territory into bush communities has proven to be unfounded. I welcome the acknowledgement by the member for Greatorex. He had concerns and there would have been a basis for his concern some years ago, but he has been able to see and hear that some of those concerns were unfounded. It is something that is growing; demand is outstripping our resources. I am particularly concerned about Central Australia and Alice Springs where we have more renal patients than dialysis places. It takes some management to deal with, but it is an issue to which we have to attend.
Some areas of action by this government include: opening a 32-place Tennant Creek renal unit; establishing remote home dialysis; increased recurrent expenditure from $14m in 2002-03 to $20.5m in 2006-07, which is an increase of 46%; and we are currently engaged in a $1m refurbishment of the Flynn Drive Renal Unit in Alice Springs.
The member for Greatorex talked about tobacco control. He said that the Northern Territory continues to receive the Dirty Ashtray Award and exhorted us to work harder to try to stop that. ‘You should take the next step’, he said, ‘and ensure that your legislation is enforced properly’. This matter falls within my colleague’s portfolio; however, I am advised that enforcement officers from a number of agencies have completed inspection of all licensed premises resulting in improved compliance. I agree: we do need to take more steps in terms of tobacco control. It is a major health issue in the Northern Territory.
The member for Stuart made a very thoughtful contribution. He talked about the psychological impact on the individual and the family of a chronic disease sufferer, which needs to be recognised and supported. He was talking from his own family perspective in a very personal way, and I certainly appreciated your contribution, member for Stuart. This is a very important aspect of managing chronic disease. We do need primary health care staff and those with chronic disease in their families to work closely together.
Teaching clients about self-management of their condition has a significant focus on helping them adjust psychologically to living permanently with a disease. Mental wellness is included in the development of client care plans.
The member for Stuart said he would like to see education for bush people about the impact of sleeping and cooking around an open fire. It would be interesting to find out what impact there is for respiratory conditions of these people over a long period of time. I have camped around a camp fire, member for Stuart, and I have coughed a few times. If the wrong sort of timber gets on the fire, it gets a bit smoky. The only time you need smoke is when you have mosquitoes. I am informed the impact of smoke is mainly in enclosed places. The major respiratory risk by far for Territorians is tobacco smoke, both directly inhaled and passive smoking. That is something we need to watch.
The member for Sanderson, as always, made a lively contribution to this debate. In researching the subject of chronic disease, he saw the glaringly obvious link between chronic disease and obesity. GO NT is a primary prevention activity aimed at all Territorians based on the strong link between physical activity reducing the risk of chronic disease. On 8 November, I was very pleased to announce the launch of GO NT when I took my dog, the inimitable Bruiser, to Wagaman Park. He loved the walk and I think the media was very impressed. Bruiser and I should get out for a walk more often. Walking your dog is a good thing to do. I undertook to walk up the stairs every day. I think I have done it about a half dozen times since that day, but I do go up the five storeys and it is a bit of exercise, which is more exercise than I was having before. The Heart Foundation has a program where you can climb Everest. You really need to do it in a team, so I am encouraging people in my office to try to join me in walking up the stairs every day and, maybe in a year or so, we would have scaled Everest. It is a bit of fun.
GO NT has been given the highest level of support through the establishment of the Chief Minister’s Active Living Council. The Active Living Council will implement and monitor the GO NT physical activity strategy and a first year action plan, which was developed through a collaborative process by the council earlier this year.
I am sorry I missed some of your presentation, member for Arnhem but, as always, you spoke passionately about the link between education and health, particularly for young people in your electorate. The link between education and health is critically important; populations that are better educated have better health. As I noted in my statement, international research pioneered by Jack and Pat Calwell demonstrates that education levels, particularly of young women, are strongly associated with improved health. In particular, international research shows that the education of young mothers is powerfully linked to reductions in infant mortality. The research suggests that educated, literate mothers have greater control over their own lives and the health choices for their children. Educating young mothers is a key strategy in achieving significant individual and community gain.
I wish to acknowledge a number of people who contribute to tackling chronic disease in the Territory, many of whom are recognised nationally and internationally for their work: Dr Tarun Weeramanthri; Dr Christine Connors; Dr David Ashbridge; Jenny Cleary and Vivian Hobson; Peter Pangquee who is our principal Aboriginal health worker, whom I have known for many years; Professor Kerin O’Dea formerly of Menzies; the current director of Menzies, Dr Jonathon Carapetis, a world-class researcher and paediatrician; Professor John Mathews to whom both the member for Greatorex and I have paid tribute here today, and his contribution to the Northern Territory will endure; Professor Ross Bailey; Stephanie Bell; and John Boffa; I have already mentioned Congress and their important role; Andrew Bell from the Katherine West Health Board; Anne Kemp who has been around for a long time and made such a significant contribution from Healthy Living NT; Greg Hallam, the new Director of the National Heart Foundation; former director, Graham Opie; and Jan Saunders from the Asthma Foundation.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I appreciated the thoughtful contributions by members from both sides. We have an enormous challenge with preventable chronic disease. We have a very young population, but the way things have been in the past, that young population would be destined for death and disability within their middle life - unnecessarily, I believe - and it is a real tragedy.
I have told this story before and I will tell it again. I can mention the name of a good friend of mine from Maningrida, Mr Milak Winunquj, with his family’s permission. There is a lovely picture of Milak which was taken by a photographer in the 1950s called Axel Poignant at a place called Ngalarramba, which is over the river from Maningrida. Axel Poignant was an ethnographer. He took fantastic photographs and they appear in a book called Encounter at Ngalarramba. There is a picture of Milak as a very young boy, probably three, on his father’s shoulders. I am probably going to need an extension here.
Mr BURKE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the minister be granted an extension of time to conclude his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: I thank members for allowing me to finish my comments. There is a lovely picture of Milak on his father’s shoulders. His father, at that time, I would say, would have been in his 50s or older, but he was sinew and muscle, a very healthy elderly man out hunting with his spear with young Milak on his shoulders. You can see from the rest of the pictures in the book that these were people who were full-on hunters and gatherers. This is in the 1950s. The pictures show their ceremonial and everyday life, and how they gathered their food.
Within a generation, at the age of 42, Milak was dead from a massive stroke. To this day, I think what a tragedy in one generation. The message for me is that this can happen in one generation. Milak talked to me about this and I know he would not mind my talking about it; he had diabetes, he was overweight, he had hypertension, and a whole lot of stress in his life. Basically, this happened in one generation. I take heart from that and I hope we can turn it around in a generation or less. It took a generation to set in; let us work together to turn this around and make the next generation healthy, and give them a quality of life that has been lost.
Once again, I thank all members. I commend the statement to the House.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Continued from 10 October 2006.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on regional economic development.
When it came to office, this government recognised the need for regional economic development and the Chief Minister made a statement to that effect at the opening of parliament in June 2005. I will support the minister’s statement by highlighting some areas in my electorate which show the result of what this government is doing, and how lives are improving in the bush.
Without upsetting too many of my urban colleagues, the regions of the Northern Territory support the lifestyle of urban centres in some ways. As the minister said, production in the non-metropolitan areas of the Northern Territory is some $3.5bn, and that was in 2004-05. I estimate that would now be a considerable amount more because of a number of major projects occurring in regional Northern Territory as we speak.
The Northern Territory derives a lot of its economic input from the mining industry, the resource sector, agricultural areas and, obviously, tourism. Whilst people come to Darwin for their holidays, just as many go to regional areas of the Northern Territory for their holidays. Certainly, there are no major mines in the northern suburbs of Darwin, no great mango plantations or agricultural crops in Rapid Creek, so it comes back to the bush of the Northern Territory which is driving the economy and supporting the lifestyle we have.
Within the mining industry, there are a number of mines that are opening and have opened in my electorate. Recently, we had the official opening of the GBS Gold plant at Union Reef near Pine Creek. GBS Gold has accumulated a large number of tenements from Terra Gold and Anglo Gold over the last two years, and they have swung all those into an operation which feeds the Union Reef mill. They are making discoveries. Even in this last week, they have announced a great number of discoveries on top of the existing resource they had identified.
They are directly employing 200 people within the Pine Creek and Adelaide River region. There is an accommodation facility at Pine Creek which has about 60 employees, and there is one at Cosmo which has probably as much again. There are other employees who come from Pine Creek and Adelaide River, and they commute each day. You have 200 people on good money which goes back into the families of the Northern Territory.
A number of contractors are benefiting from this mining activity. I thank Tony Simpson and Tom Heaton who have taken control of the operations at Pine Creek and have really tried to get local contractors involved and local people employed. There is a major mining segment of the contracts which has been issued to Tony Harbrow, a local bloke, and G and K Akers from Adelaide River. They have employed a lot of people, brought a lot of equipment into the town, and they have the responsibility of mining and loading ore into the mill.
One of the other mines which will open up fairly soon will be Territory Iron. Again, this is a company which has committed very early on to employing local people. They are in negotiations with the Northern Land Council in respect of a percentage of their employees being indigenous. That will, I hope, come from the majority of the tribal people. Territory Iron will employ up to 70 or 80 people by the time they get into full operation. Not only will they benefit the local people through direct employment, there is the servicing of the mine and additional usage of the railway. They plan to have seven carriages a week go to Darwin and return. They have made a fairly significant investment in the port as well for their stockpile. There are two operations which, on rough figures, are looking at employing 350 people.
One of the other key areas is Compass Resources in Batchelor. Just on the figures that I have been given, they are, in the construction phase, looking at employing up to 200 people. These are skilled, non-skilled and professional people. When they get into operation, there will be something like 80 to 100 people, which is fairly conservative. They have been exploring and doing a great deal of drilling and there will be a lot more heard about the resources available in the Batchelor region.
All that has had had a ripple effect on the Batchelor community: the community is growing, there is a lot more interest, you now have developers coming into the region, assisted by the Lands and Planning department on opening up rural subdivisions to cater for those people who want to work at the mine. This mine has a projected life of 10, 20, 30 years, so people can see an opportunity to earn a good living and live in a beautiful town like Batchelor. There is a great deal of input coming from those three mines alone.
The Maud Creek Mine, which is part of GBS Gold operations, will start later next year and will employ up to 80 people when it is fully operating. They will be carting ore from Maud Creek, which is the east of Katherine, to the mill at Pine Creek. The operation will be based at Katherine, so Katherine will see the additional boost of wages, subcontractors for servicing of equipment, and all the ancillary operations that go with it.
In the agricultural sector, the Douglas Daly region is really ready to boom. The work has been done by NRETA to get the science right in the Douglas Daly region. It will be done and owners and people who buy in the future into that region will certainly be up there with their operations and their allocation of water. Unlike what has happened in the southern states, they will be able to have a lot more certainty about their operations in the future. If I was a bank manager, I would gladly give money to a farmer if I knew they were going to get that allocation of water, that precious resource, and the land is fertile. Production within the Douglas Daly region will continue to the future.
Several other major projects occurring around the Territory include the Bradshaw field training area run by the ADF. The ADF bought Bradshaw Station several years ago - it would be about six or seven years ago now - and they are turning it into a training field for troops, tanks and armies from overseas. Over the last few years, they have built a bridge across the Victoria River and set up two 500-man camps and 160 km of road network throughout the station. That has employed a great number of people. The Bradshaw Station area is recognised as the land of the Jamunjung, Njaliwurru and Wardeman people. These traditional owners - and there are about 400 involved - have been brought into that operation and given opportunities by the ADF. I congratulate them.
John Holland is contracted by Defence to construct the various facilities which include a task force management area, a range control facility, and the 160 km road network. Through their Indigenous Economic Development Project, John Holland has employed numerous indigenous people from the Timber Creek area since they have been in operation, and I am very familiar with how it has improved their lives. Having those jobs out there has certainly improved those families whom I know personally. I thank John Holland for showing the commitment to those people. John Holland was nominated for the NT Indigenous Employer Excellence Awards in the category of Top Indigenous Employer. This category is awarded to the company or business which has made a difference by showing outstanding initiative and commitment to engage with local people, which they certainly have.
Defence intends to continue to invest in the Bradshaw training area and have the facility as one of its largest in Australia, which is a huge claim. The benefits from Defence to indigenous people, the local community and the surrounding area will continue to grow. Defence does not seem to be short of money and we appreciate their patronage.
A major project is Blacktip, a $750m construction of an onshore gas condensing plant, and piping the gas from Port Keats on the shores of Yeltcher Beach adjacent to the Wadeye community some 280 km to the north-south gas pipeline to Darwin. This is a huge project. Work has started in earnest and sacred site and land clearances have been occurring over the Dry Season. I thank NLC staff and traditional owners who have worked very hard. I know that some staff have given up their weekends to get all those clearances done so construction on this $750m project can occur next year.
It will mean some 200 construction jobs for the gas plant and some 150 jobs on the construction of the pipeline over that time. I hope that the majority of employees will come from the local area. There are 5000 people in the area and I hope a significant proportion of that workforce will come from the local Aboriginal people.
Associated with that region, the NT government has committed $10m for the Port Keats road. There is a 190 km dirt road which has several major rivers and large creek systems running through it. It is a $55m project to get that to all-weather condition. The commitment of $10m by the Northern Territory government in 2005 was a significant investment in the bush. It showed that this government can see the benefits of improving the road networks to improve economic development opportunities and the lifestyles of people living out bush. Half of that money, or $4m, has been committed in this financial year. Department of Transport staff have been working very closely with local road crews and have managed to get the Nauiyu Nambiyu construction team and the Palumpa Station road construction team. There are about 30-odd guys who are working flat out on a 50 km stretch of road between Palumpa and Port Keats to get that up to all-weather status so that people can commute over the Wet Season.
My hope is that those people will move through skills development on that project to the gas pipeline and gas plant projects. The Works Supervisor of both teams is excellent. Andy McTaggert engenders a great deal of camaraderie among the boys. They learn a lot and do great work on those roads.
It was my goal to have a lot of my electorate moving ahead through economic development because people need jobs; they need to have income to improve their lives. A lot of these communities are doing it for themselves with the assistance of government. One of those areas is Adelaide River. They have had an Economic Development Committee operating for several years now, and they meet on a regular basis with the assistance of departmental staff. Tourism staff meet with them regularly about promoting the town, and I keep a keen watch on the things that they come up with.
Similarly, Pine Creek has an Economic Development Committee, and they have put a number of proposals to the Northern Territory government over the years about sustaining and building their town. The Northern Territory government is assisting local communities to improve their economic development opportunities to move themselves ahead.
I want to comment on changes with the CDEP and also the welfare reform, with the lifting of the remote area exemption. Yes, this will present a big challenge to communities to adapt, and it puts a great obligation on the federal government to support that change. They have to support that change. If, through the lifting of the remote area exemption, they short change on training opportunities, STEP programs or any of the programs for transition to work, they will have failed those communities. If it is done properly, and we realise the potential of the land out there, lives will certainly improve.
One of my key goals is unleashing of the value of these land trusts. There is certainly valuable, beautiful and rich land out there and, with the agreement of traditional owners and the support of this government, we can build the potential of those areas and improve the lives of the traditional owners and their families.
I support the statement. It demonstrates that this minister is very keen to make a difference and that this government will continue on the path of economic development, as it stated following the last election.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on regional economic development.
I have always thought about how we can further develop our regions in the Northern Territory, particularly in the bush. When I think about regional economic development, I immediately think about the remote regions of the Northern Territory and what activities or projects are happening. Where are the jobs? Where are the industries to create the employment opportunities? How can we as a government help many indigenous communities and regional centres become stronger regions and economically independent? Our responsibilities as the government are to address and deliver core services and to support the economic aspirations of all Territorians, no matter where they live.
I am pleased to say that, since Labor won government in August 2001, regional and economic development has been a priority. Because of this priority, things are moving in the right direction, but as we all know, there is a lot more to be done. Effective regional and economic development can only happen where it is supported by a strong economy. This government, early into its first term, addressed the serious economic issues that confronted the Northern Territory and did something about it. When the Labor Party came to office in 2001, the Territory economy was on its knees. There was a massive movement of people out of the Territory, the construction industry was almost idle, debt was spiralling out of control, and the budget deficit was set to be $130m. Our regions were totally ignored.
Immediately following our election, the World Trade Centre attacks, SARS and the collapse of Ansett combined to bring about a massive reduction in tourists. This government fought for the Northern Territory, and has successfully clawed its way out of the abysmal heritage that was the CLP’s legacy to the Territory. That turnaround is now leading to a successful and very modern Territory economy. It was achieved by providing a higher level of cash for capital works and infrastructure, focusing funds on the economic drivers to produce future growth, making sensible and strategic reductions to taxation on business and the community, and maintaining strong fiscal discipline.
These principles now guide our economic strategies and underpin our economic plans. For example: capital works cash $2.7bn in five years; funds focused on rescuing tourism, $30m additional in publicity over three years; $74m in reduced tax with $134m to come; and three surplus budgets. This would be the framework of our policies going forward. The successes are that the economic growth rate is 5.8%, the second highest in Australia compared to 0% in 2000; employment now bordering on 110 000 employed persons, with a participation rate of 71% and a growth rate of more than 2%; tourism has rebounded to pre-2001 levels; construction is booming with the Territory and Western Australia acknowledged as Australia’s construction powerhouses; and the Territory economy diversifying with the railway bringing the freight forwarding industry, gas bringing downstream condensate processing, and the minerals boom bringing on a range of new mining opportunities.
This has not happened by accident. As a result of Labor government actions on the economy, we have seen a number of economic summits. At the same time, this government has engaged the indigenous communities by holding an indigenous economic summit. These summits took a lot of planning and have produced very important outcomes that fill in the pieces of the government’s regional economic development strategy. Planning, recommendations and work since these economic summits have resulted in the following: launch of the Northern Territory Indigenous Economic Strategy, which has identified three industry sectors last year; the creation of a schedule under the bilateral agreement the Chief Minister signed with the Prime Minister entitled Boosting Indigenous Employment and Economic Development; and the Territory’s economic development framework launched by the Chief Minister last month.
Fostering and delivering sustainable regional economic development, particularly in our rural and remote regions, will be very challenging. This government is working hard to meet this challenge because it is a challenge we have to win for the future of the Territory and our children. This direction on regional economic development by the Labor government has seen a fresh and re-energised approach to how our regions will move into the future.
There is no doubt our regions in the Northern Territory provide a very big challenge for this government, and not only in regional economic development. Whilst there are certain challenges for regional communities throughout Australia with the movement of people, I see some positives in this challenge. What we are seeing in the Territory is our indigenous populations in regional centres and remote communities growing, and they will continue to grow. To a minority of Territorians this is a problem but, to people on this side of the House, it is an opportunity. This is why it is imperative that any regional or economic plan engages all sectors of the community, and is dynamic and adjustable to meet these changes. Why dynamic? Because these plans must be able to attract industry sectors, the business sector, and resources from outside the regions and be mobile to take on the challenges that come before them from a social economic perspective. It also means that plans should not simply sit on the shelf and collect dust, but truly represent the region for which they are developed.
In my own electorate of Stuart, the mining, pastoral, horticultural and arts industries are all significant contributors to the Territory economy. Speaking of dust, you only have to drive down a pretty good road known as the Tanami Highway, about six hours drive from Alice Springs, and you find the very prospective mining province of the Granites and Tanami mines.
Having worked at the Granites for a year, I have seen firsthand the amount of machinery required to do the work, the numbers and variety of jobs on-site and, I must say, many locals from Alice Springs work there as well. The services and supplies needed to keep the mine open demonstrate the importance this industry has in the Central Australian region.
I commend the minister’s actions and approach on the formation of new economic development committees. These committees will engage all stakeholders in the regions they represent. The growth in our indigenous population and the inclusion of indigenous members to these economic development committees will provide many solutions to the challenges they will face. With indigenous land ownership around Central Australia, intellectual property resulting from strong traditional law and cultural practices also brings advantages and unique opportunities.
I recognise other regional economic models that I have researched around Australia and overseas: the Cape York Partnerships model in Queensland; the Auckland Regional Development Strategy in New Zealand; and the Kimberley Economic Development Strategy in Western Australia. One unique thing about all of these partnerships, strategies, or whatever you want to call them, is their involvement of and engagement with their indigenous peoples.
Another great initiative by this government which deserves recognition in this statement is Community Cabinet. Community Cabinet give our Cabinet ministers the opportunity to travel around the regions and see them firsthand and to meet the people. In my electorate, we have had Community Cabinet in the Anmatjere region and the Utopia and Ampilatwatja region. Both regions have seen movements in the regional development area. In the Anmatjere region, we have the Anmatjere master plan. The Anmatjere region is also appropriately named ‘the growing centre of Australia’ for good reason. In their plan, the Anmatjere are working and achieving their goals of the plan with things such as increasing tourism, expanding pastoral and horticulture industries, improving infrastructure, fostering social harmony, expanding regional employment and training, developing the township of Ti Tree as a regional centre, and fostering Aboriginal development.
There are many other economic development opportunities or initiatives that I would quickly like to mention. We see in the construction industry in Central Australia the great work that Tangentyere Constructions is undertaking through the IHANT builder trainer program. I have talked about this program previously and acknowledged the programs in my communities of Ampilatwatja and Laramba where these programs have given opportunities for young indigenous men to participate in apprenticeships and traineeships in the building area.
I note, last sittings, the Chief Minister’s announcement of the 20-year plan and the indigenous housing program, which will add many more opportunities in the bush.
During my time at the Granites gold mine, I had the opportunity to do some great work with the Yuendumu Mining Company and S&J Earthmoving. Both indigenous companies have been in that area for a long time and have tried a lot of areas to get into the mining sector. One of the things that we did was form joint ventures. This is another area we need to seriously promote and consider for the regions.
Joint ventures give indigenous businesses in the private sector the opportunity to share resources to share together and to tender for works such as contracts in the mining sector.
Another great model in my electorate is the work done by Centrefarm, which is a company set up originally through the Central Land Council. We have seen great projects happening at Ali Curung and through the Ti Tree region where there are about to be blocks released for further horticulture projects. I am looking forward to that and the opportunities it will create.
Recently, we heard minister McAdam’s statement through the Indigenous Housing Program about regional shires. This will complement regional development initiatives of the Minister for Regional Development, and will open up our remote regions and provide opportunities to many local indigenous people in those areas.
I could talk about many more initiatives but, at this stage, I want to say that all of us have a chance as local members to be actively involved in our communities and to promote the initiatives we are talking about today. I support the statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, my question is: do we need regional economic development committees? I ask that question because, in my area for instance, a lot of development does not have government involvement; people have just gone out and done it. I will give you some examples as we go along. Perhaps we do not give enough credit to people’s own enterprise. I am not sure that government should always be leading the way. In some cases they should, but in some cases they should not. If you look at horticulture in the Northern Territory, especially in my part of the world, a lot of people developed horticulture industries without any government assistance.
Most of the major nurseries in the Top End are in Litchfield Shire, and the nursery industry is a substantial one for the Northern Territory. A lot of plants are exported south from nurseries, and a lot of local hardware stores and supermarkets are supplied with plants from those industries. Basically, they do that on their own; they have developed their own markets and they continue to prosper. Growers of cut flowers have developed their markets through the Northern Territory Horticulture Association. The government’s involvement is in developing new varieties of cut flowers. That is an important role for government but, again, a lot of people have gone out and found the markets themselves.
The mango industry is enormous for the Northern Territory and it is changing. I noted this year that a large number of growers with small farms are letting all their fruit drop to the ground. There were masses of it, but there is one advantage; there are some very fat mango-eating geese flying around the Northern Territory at the moment. They come in like vacuum cleaners and clean up the orchards. They are quite happy that people let their mangoes fall on the ground. However, it emphasises that, if you are a mango grower with a small orchard on five acres or a bit larger, unless you are free of debt, it is very difficult to survive today. The mango growers with large orchards are taking over because they have economies of scale which allow them to do things cheaper than some of the smaller ones. That is not to say there are not successful smaller orchards, but the days of the grower with really small mango orchards are fast disappearing.
I should mention agriculture. The minister said that it is not the government’s role to run abattoirs. I dispute that. I know many places in Australia where the abattoir was a local government service to the community. I am not sure whether it was a state service, but in some farming communities it was a service. It might have been open one or two days a week. You paid a fee. One day might have been for the killing of cattle, the other for the killing of something else like pigs.
Government could play a role. The minister did say, from the paper that was presented about the commerciality of abattoirs, that it was possibly a going concern. Until we get someone to take it over, the government would have a role to maintain and manage that abattoir. After all, it would get money for it. You would be charging people a fee and, in economic development, that is a good thing. There are a lot of people out there who do have animals for slaughter. The gentleman at Dundee Downs is a classic. If there is not an abattoir and he cannot build one himself, basically, that industry dies. He would be the last of the pig growers in the Northern Territory, at least in the Top End. I am interested to know what happens with buffalo meat required by some of our butchers. Where will that come from? Will it have to come from south, which will be more expensive? What is the future of our buffalo industry?
Another industry which is not always recognised is sand and gravel. I always used to say Litchfield Shire is the place that builds Darwin. Every house, every building in the Darwin region is built from sand mined in the Litchfield Shire. Most gravel is taken from the Litchfield Shire. In the rural area, further out, a lot of material that is being used in the waterfront comes from near Mt Bundy. Extractive mining and the mining industry itself, if you class quarrying as mining, is a big industry and is really the backbone of the development of Darwin. Without it, you certainly would not have any construction as we know it today.
With that kind of development, we need to keep an eye on the environment. I am opposed to government allowing extractive mining to take place in the middle of the harbour on what is still a mining reserve. For those who do not know what a mining reserve is, it is land that is not to be mined and can only be mined with approval from the minister. If you fly over the centre of the harbour, you will see extractive mining everywhere. What was a really beautiful part of Darwin, and is the centre part of Darwin that did not need to be developed, has been destroyed by successive ministers. It began with the CLP, but that was relatively minor compared to what has happened to date. Extractive mining has been allowed, by permission of the minister, to occur and it is continually occurring.
People might have noticed a truck accident where the truck drove across the railway line. That truck was coming out of that very area I am talking about. It is worth people looking out the left-hand side of the plane when they are flying in to Darwin. If you can tell me that is a beautiful part of Darwin, I will eat my hat. We could have taken all this gravel from the north of Howard Springs, the Howard Peninsula where the government is hoping to put a regional waste development plan. We could have taken it from there, yet we listened to the planners saying this land was going to be opened up for industrial use. This was a bad decision, because there is plenty of land to the north of Palmerston in the Howard Peninsula area which could have been used after the gravel was scraped for industrial purposes. It is a very sad day. If anyone who walked through that bush five or six years ago and had known that the government was going to allow that to be destroyed when it could have been a national park, part of our economic development from an environmental point of view, they would have felt ashamed.
Other big industries in my area are the Defence industries, Shoal Bay Transmitter Station and, of course, the Robertson Barracks, which continues to grow and brings a lot of benefits to the community. There are still some issues with traffic from Robertson Barracks, especially in the northern part around Knuckeys Lagoon. We are having a meeting there next week to try to solve some of these issues. Again, with development comes some other problems. The Army has a role to play, not just the local council because, as you know, Defence or Commonwealth land does not attract rates, so it is very hard on a relatively small council like Litchfield Shire to be paying some of the infrastructure that is required because of a Defence development. Kowandi North and Kowandi South, I think, are now called the Howard Springs Defence Areas. Of course, the government wishes to develop a Defence hub on Thorngate Road. That is yet to be decided, and there are some issues related to the environment. That is all part of the mix of regional development in my area.
Tourism is still a big area and, if you combine tourism and the environment - and when I am talking about the environment, I am talking about the parks in my area - there are Windows on the Wetlands and Howard Springs Nature Reserve. The minister has heard me talk about this before. As you know, more than a year ago, a lot of people complained bitterly about not being able to swim at Howard Springs Reserve. This year, we have been able to swim because there was work done on cleaning it out, but the work has not continued this year. If the government is serious about economic development, it needs to make there is a day-to-day management plan for Howard Springs Reserve. Lots of people have used it this year. I am told anecdotally that there have been hundreds and hundreds of people using it because they can swim, whereas they could not before.
There is the Berry Springs Nature Park and Tree Point Reserve. There are a lot of people visiting that area, and it needs to be managed. As part of our economic development, it can be developed more but, at the present time, there is very little control over its use.
There is the Territory Wildlife Park and the Howard Springs Shooting Reserve, which is used by many shooters in the region. There is another shooting reserve near Blackmore River and there is a smaller shooting reserve near the Howard River mouth. There is the new Shoal Bay Conservation Reserve, which is an area that needs more work. It seems to be a portion of land we have marked on a map, but it is close to Darwin. There is another potential area for tourists to see a lot of our wonderful environment close to Darwin, yet there has not been a lot done.
Fishing is a big industry in the rural area, notwithstanding the harbour is the major attraction. Dixie runs a boat hire area at Leeders Creek and Shoal Bay. Government has a role to play. With both these areas, you might say people picked the site and live there and, if they want to live there, that is too bad. I know the government helps different groups. It helps put infrastructure into horticultural areas. Take the Lambells Lagoon horticultural development; the government put all the electricity in there.
I have asked a number of times why Leeders Creek could not get a power line run from the old Gunn Point Prison Farm. At the moment, they have to run diesel engines. They have some cabins, and you can get soft drink and some food. They look after people’s boats and trailers so no one interferes with them. One of the big problems is the cost of running a diesel generator when, about 4 km or 5 km away is mains power which goes to Gunn Point where no one lives - not any more. There is an opportunity for the government to say: ‘Okay, if we want to help fledgling industry, let us see if we can help these people with a 10-year loan to get the power in there’. They cannot pay for that sort of power infrastructure in one go; that is where the government should help.
It is the same at Shoal Bay. People have asked the government to grade the road and the response is: if they grade the road, they are liable for the road. They say this particular lease was given to Billy Boustead who knew there would be no road connection. The only connection was meant to be by boat. The reality, whether you like it or not, is it is now a very popular boat ramp for people in the rural, Palmerston and Darwin areas. Shoal Bay fishing is renowned for barramundi, yet it is a very difficult road to get through. You can say: ‘That is too bad for them’, but if we live like that all the time, we are not encouraging economic development. There might be a way around it. The government is talking about a regional waste facility at Howard Peninsula. They started building the road in conjunction with the council. Perhaps the tourism industry and some of the local people such as the people who run the Shoal Bay Boat Hire could contribute some money, and then something could be done. At the moment, it is not satisfactory and it does not encourage economic development.
There is a large service industry in the rural area. You only have to look at the 11 Mile and see how many industrial complexes have developed in that area over the last few years. Humpty Doo industrial area, plus the commercial area close to the highway, is starting to grow.
Coolalinga is booming. There is a lot of talk about whether there will be development on the other side of the highway. I have spoken to the minister about it but, regardless of what happens, there is certainly room for more development. Other people are showing confidence in the rural area. For instance, Bendigo Bank recently opened, and that is a great statement about the future of the rural area. TIO is there as well. The rural area is developing, and it is a popular area. The next area will be either Noonamah or Weddell as more growth occurs in that area.
Humpty Doo, for instance, has some interesting little industries. It has recycling. Old Merv is there. I gather he is moving back to Shoal Bay soon. I received an invitation to the opening of the Shoal Bay Recycling Centre, which is in my electorate, by the way. There is also tyre recycling at Humpty Doo, which is great. There is a company that makes water tanks, and they are doing quite well. There are a lot of people involved in establishing and maintaining bores. All sorts of industry is developing because the rural area is growing. As it grows, people want things such as bores on their blocks.
If we talk about economic development, we should also talk about the physical development of the land. Much of the rural area is being subdivided. We have had a large number of subdivisions over the last few years. There is a one-hectare subdivision about to be finished in my area which belongs to the Churcher Estate. It will soon be connected to Whitewood Road, and I imagine the Howard Springs Shopping Centre will see an increase in traffic and business through that area.
I have raised many times that, if you want economic development and land is too high in price, people cannot buy or build the house that they would like; they build a small house. If you go around some of the subdivisions in the rural area, some of the houses are tiny. The reason that they are tiny is because land costs so much money, they do not have enough money to build a house. They will eventually build a house as time goes on but, if land is too expensive, you are not really helping the economy. Just buying land does not help the economy; what you put on the land does.
I see more and more subdivisions occurring. The Sayer Road subdivision has just finished. There is the Daniel Circuit subdivision that has just been completed. There is the Bennington Road subdivision which is on sale now. Laurence Ah Toy has a proposed subdivision of about 150 blocks south of Humpty Doo. Fraser Henry has a subdivision on the highway called The Grange but, if you look at the prices of some of those blocks, they are not cheap - one hectare for about $230 000. You do not have much money left out of HomeNorth money if you have to pay $230 000 to $260 000 for your block.
Does the government want more of this development to occur? The Laurence Ah Toy subdivision has been held up because of water issues. In regional economic development, should you be looking at installing infrastructure by way of a local water supply or helping the developer put in connections to larger pipelines on our highways? That is where government should be directing its energy. How can it help? In areas where the water may not be too good, is it possible to have a localised water supply for that area, like a small town supply, or can the water be brought in from elsewhere?
Darwin itself is growing. Much of that affects the rural area. There have always been concerns about the amount of water being pumped out of production bores. Those production bores supply about 10% of the water to Darwin, and we have issues about whether we need to build a new dam. As I said before, we may have to build a new dam. I am not against that, but we should be looking at recycling our water if that is possible. If we build a new town at Weddell, we should be looking at having dual pipes in the suburbs where recycled water is used for your gardens and fresh water is used for showers, toilets and washing.
Recreation is also an industry we forget about. In the rural area, horses are a big recreation industry. If you go to Freds Pass, you see pony clubs, polocrosse clubs and dressage people. That industry feeds off itself. You need feed, saddles, clothing, people to organise events. That requires food and transport. People have horse trailers and big cars to pull them. It is an industry in itself, and it is very popular. Those industries do not necessarily require government help, but I wanted to let you know that they are important.
Local government is sometimes referred to as an industry. I do not always like the reference, but local government is part of the development of a region. It is responsible for constructing and maintaining roads. It comes in for criticism every now and then, but it is an important part of the rural area.
I am interested to see the government’s plans for shires throughout the Territory. I am not opposed to the Territory being divided into local government. Although there might be some issues, in the long term, it will be of benefit. There will be some teething problems, I am sure. The member for Katherine mentioned the pastoral industry not being happy with it. These issues can be worked through.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. I thought I would share some of the good and the bad sides of economic development in my area. I look forward to the minister’s response.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I respond to the new Minister for Regional Development’s first ministerial statement. I expected it to be a pretty glowing statement and I have not been let down on that score.
It is a pleasure to respond to it, and to give you a couple of challenges, minister. The best and only way to describe living in regional and remote areas is to go and live there for a reasonable length of time so there is a full appreciation of the ongoing challenges that are faced; many of these over and over again. Too often, decisions are made by governments and government members who live in cities and look at statistics and reports, without having a good feeling for what is out there and what the conditions are really like.
Mining has played a very important role in the development of regional areas over many years. That includes Tennant Creek, Borroloola, Pine Creek, Jabiru, Batchelor and Katherine. I appreciate the benefit to communities of the mining industry which does that with very little help from government.
It has been noticeable how a community suffers when mining operations have closed down in any of these areas. I could not help but see the significant impact that Mt Todd’s closure had on Katherine. It was similar when Pine Creek suffered the loss of their mining industry. Not only were local families without employment, but those employees who had relocated to Katherine and Pine Creek and other areas move away to where they can get employment. That means that numbers of schoolchildren are down, the numbers of people who are looking for employment are down, and business turnover is down. Everyone loses. Sporting clubs lose members, and in small regional towns these mining closures have a pretty dramatic flow-on effect.
Pine Creek, as the member for Daly alluded to earlier, has really turned around with GBS Gold’s commitment to mining for years into the future. It is great to see this vibrant little town doing so well again. I have had a fair bit of involvement with them, not so much in recent times, but when I was Chairman of the Regional Tourist Association. I have always had a great deal of admiration for the strength and tenacity of the people of Pine Creek. They seem to have every association they can possibly have, and they all seem to be on each association, and then they get things resolved quickly. I have always had the greatest respect for them. It was not that long ago when you could buy a house for a song in Pine Creek. Since GBS Gold has come back, it has completely turned it around to the point where you cannot buy a house now. I am absolutely delighted for them. Regional development, through the mines in Pine Creek, has been an absolute godsend to them. It also highlights that regional areas are unwise to put all their eggs into one basket, and need to be constantly looking at ways to develop additional industries and attractions.
I have had a quick overview of Tourism NT’s Annual Report for 2005-06. It states quite clearly in the Corporate Overview that:
That is really significant, especially in regional Northern Territory. There is no doubt that without our magnificent natural outdoor attractions throughout the Northern Territory, the development of new products and attractions is always at the forefront of the movers and shakers in these locations.
There are two significant developments which have been gathering pace of late, one of which is the $17m to $18m Dugong Beach Resort on Groote Eylandt. That is going to be an amazing development which will offer a lot of employment opportunities for people on Groote Eylandt. There is the Nitmiluk National Park Commercial Development Plan, which is offering opportunities for the Jawoyn and local people in Katherine, and I look forward to seeing that realised. The numbers at Nitmiluk National Park this year were down, and that is a worry. However, there are other ways we can look at increasing the numbers, and I will talk about that further on.
In the Top End, for tourism, one of the impediments to developing some of our most appealing attractions is the lack of access during the Wet Season. The roles of regional development and tourism overlap. The Minister for Tourism mentioned in his statement during the October sittings that his priority was to increase visitor numbers in the shoulder or the green season. That, Minister for Tourism, has been one of the aims of the industry over many years. While some attractions are able to be marketed for the shoulder seasons, invariably, some of the iconic attractions are inaccessible during the Wet and are closed, so regional areas miss out on valuable tourism dollars. A couple of examples of that are the falls in Litchfield Park, and Jim Jim and Twin Falls in Kakadu which are closed during the Wet Season and Nitmiluk Gorge when the Katherine River is flooded, along with Maud Creek and Bullock Creek. In Katherine, this not only prevents tourism activities at Nitmiluk Gorge, but it also cuts access into Katherine for the many residents who live along Gorge Road.
While I am talking about tourism and development within the regions, the Leader of Government Business never misses an opportunity, as do most ministers, to talk about broken promises and the CLP did not do this or that. I want to remind the Assembly - this may not fit totally under Regional Development, but I believe it does - for the last two elections in Katherine, the by-election and the general election last year, Labor promised Katherine that they would upgrade the Railway Heritage Bridge which spans the Katherine River. It is the first thing you see when you are coming across the river as you automatically look to the left or right and see the railway bridge. That promise has been broken twice. For regional development and for the encouragement of tourism within the area, that is considered to be an entrance to Katherine that definitely needs to be upgraded. We do not really want any more promises; we would like to see it done.
The Leader of Government Business also stated when he was speaking earlier that the federal government were measly - they were measly - in not providing a measly $200 000 for a particular project. Well, I am saying to you people: you are measly for not providing at least $200 000 towards a promise that you have made twice. It will probably come up a third time at the next election, too. I have it noted. Minister, that is not exactly your portfolio, but I want it on record that it has been promised twice now. It does affect the look of Katherine.
In your portfolio of Regional Development, you also have a responsibility to look to the future. I want to put on the Parliamentary Record today something visionary for the minister and his department to look at very seriously - and I mean this with all sincerity. There are serious concerns nationally about global warming, and rightly so. The weather patterns that some of our southern states are experiencing is resulting in long-term droughts and, in other areas, pretty traumatic and unusual weather activity. There is no denying the concern; the evidence is there.
As a result of such serious drought conditions, it is no wonder that there are regular reports in southern newspapers that promote and encourage farmers and horticulturalists to move north where there is plenty of water. When you look at the high rainfall that we have in the Top End, it is no wonder that southern states look upon us with awe and are getting the idea to move north, which is appealing to them. There is no denying that we have billions of litres of water falling on the Top End annually but, unfortunately, we also allow billions of litres to naturally run out to the ocean to waste. We have the opportunity to utilise the water to develop regional areas, but we do not.
It is in this area, minister, that I feel that you could offer changes through government. In Katherine alone, there are over 60 applications for bore licences at present on hold, which is a pretty significant detractor to regional development. The Daly region has a moratorium on land clearance and water licences, which is also a very significant deterrent to regional development. I am going to ask the minister to be visionary and really put a process into place that will make a huge difference to Katherine.
The Katherine River flows all year round from Nitmiluk Gorge and, of course, during the Wet Season, has volumes of water at varying heights flowing through and eventually running out to the ocean. On several occasions, in 1998 and again in April of this year are recent examples, the Katherine River was unable to handle the huge volumes of rain off the escarpments and, as we are all only too well aware, flooded the town of Katherine and surrounding areas. In 1998, the flooding totally devastated all of Katherine with the exception of Katherine East, and cost government millions of dollars in assistance, let alone the personal devastation to hundreds of people and the unfortunate loss of several lives. In April of this year, while the flood waters did not affect the business district significantly, it certainly did not miss dozens of houses and assorted buildings. Those people who had damage to their houses are still going through the process of repairs and replacements. It is very disheartening for them, not to mention the darned inconvenience to all those families as they relocate to another house or unit somewhere for weeks while the repairs are going on.
I am aware that Katherine Town Council has written to government asking for assistance with flood mitigation to do everything possible to alleviate future water inundation to Katherine and surrounds. I am also aware that government has said that, in considering any sort of mitigation, a dam in the upper water catchment of Katherine River is out of the question, but it would consider building a levee bank. I am led to believe that the levee bank would be on the Katherine township side of the riverbank. My question to government is: have there been any scientific and hydrological reports to base their answer of no to the suggestion of a dam? Has there been any scientific or hydrological evidence collected to support the theory that a levy would work? What would happen to the water that was flooding on the northern side of the river? There are plenty of people who live over there. Have there been any hydrological surveys or reports at all by this government?
I am aware that in 1980 there was a study on the feasibility of a dam in the upper catchment of the river. Can the minister tell me where this report is now, and if it can be made public? I am sure that it would make interesting reading for Katherine people and, in particular, the Jawoyn who have every right to be informed about the details in it. I suggest to government that while there may still be some important points of relevance in that 1980 report, there are obviously going to be some areas that will need reviewing. Will government, in consultation with the Jawoyn on whose land the Katherine River begins, provide another report to inform debate as to the viability of such a huge development?
Should a full investigation into the viability of a dam prove positive, I am going to paint a picture of how significant that would be for developing the region. I first see the possibility of generating power for Katherine. Let us face it: power supply is topical for the NT. With a controlled water supply from the dam, there is the possibility of irrigation along the Katherine River which would open up thousands of hectares to agriculture and horticulture. That alone would attract hundreds of people to live in the region. They would want to come because of the availability of water and the abundance of land. It is not fanciful stuff; you have to think with some vision.
One of the most common reasons for people not wanting to stay in Katherine is that there is not enough to do. There would be plenty of recreational activities that could be introduced using a dam that was located only about 40 km from Katherine - another wonderful attraction so people would want to live there. Placing a catchment such as a dam on the Katherine River, which would allow control of the water flow, would also minimise the risk of flooding in Katherine. I can already see some twitching and smirking over on that side of the House, and government will say that this is all a pipe dream and it is going to cost too much or whatever. They will, unfortunately, have a good laugh at this vision - the same way you could not stop laughing at a proposal to have an exotic animal zoo in Katherine in 2003 and 2004.
I am challenging you to have a look at the economics of the cost to government to date of flood repairs to the region, with the possibility of likely future repairs to flooded infrastructure and the uncertainty of future water supply. You will see that the figures do not add up. It is such a pity because the minister talked so proudly of regional development and what his government has done. Minister, my challenge to you is to do something visionary and to develop a region. Be brave and commission all the reports that you need to do for reassurance, but do not ignore the possibilities.
I will be happy if you tell me it cannot work, but I want you to do the research. Having control of the water from Katherine River should also alleviate problems from flooding further up the river system, so there are many benefits to be considered. While talking about visionary things for the region, minister, there are thousands of hectares of undeveloped land north of the Ferguson River in the Douglas Daly catchment area. The land I am referring to comes right down to the Ferguson River. At present, there is a good gravel road through Edith Farms that ends at the river with another road on the other side that goes to the Douglas Daly. If there was wet weather access across the Ferguson, it would open up development of very good land. Katherine would become the major service centre for the Douglas Daly area instead of the present situation where this area is reasonably isolated. It would open the area up for agriculture, horticulture and tourism. It is appropriate to discuss now.
I do not know whether the minister attended the recent open day when they were talking of experimenting with soy bean oil, and are going to put in 600 ha of soy beans to see if it is feasible. We are looking for areas to grow this 600 ha of soy beans. Sure, we have some in Katherine and the Douglas Daly area, but you could be really visionary and do this, minister.
I want to conclude this response with this challenge to you: show Territorians that you can really step up to the plate for the regions and be a visionary. We have plenty of enthusiastic people who work in regional and remote areas who need the support of government to go ahead. Government can do it in cooperation with private enterprise, but it needs government to drive it.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business, Economic and Regional Development): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, first, I agree with the member for Katherine in respect of knowing what it is like living in regional areas. I did. I lived for three years in Port Hedland, and I know very well what living in a regional area means, far away from a capital city.
I also well know what happens if there is a downturn in economic activity, like a mine closing or changing hands. I know how much more expensive everything is then in a capital city. I know how closely we relied on each other in these regional areas. We are like islands: isolated, surrounded not by water but by vast tracts of land, and the next town is 300 km or 400 km away, so we rely on each other for support, entertainment, friendship - for everything.
As for your comments on water, I would love to be able to answer your questions. However, it is not my portfolio, believe it or not. It is actually NRETA because they control water and the water controller is under NRETA. However, one thing I can tell you is that in my previous portfolio as Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I called a meeting in Katherine and the controller of waters was in Katherine explaining to people why there was a delay in approving new bores. I will direct your questions and your inquiries to my colleague, the member for Arafura, the NRETA minister.
All along, I said that for the regions, economic generators will be mining, the pastoral industry, agricultural and horticultural industry, tourism and the government. We cannot discount the government because government, by employing people in different regions, is generating significant growth and economic activity.
When everyone else was bagging mines, I was the one promoting them in the Territory. I was the one who went east, west, north and south meeting people, calling them to come up to the Territory for exploration because I knew that the more mining companies established a base in the Territory, the more significant benefits would flow into the regions. An example is Pine Creek and GBS Gold. I travelled to Toronto, met them, provided assistance and information, and when they came here, we helped them. You were present. They said the assistance they had from government was significant and very important, and that is why they are now in Pine Creek. We have done the same with other mining companies, and we will continue to do that.
My colleague, the Minister for Mines, travelled all the way to China to promote the Territory. I believe the results were very good. I will work very closely with my colleagues to promote the Territory as a mining destination and invite people here because, if they make the investment, it will benefit not only Darwin and Alice Springs, but the regional centres of Tennant Creek, Timber Creek, Borroloola and other centres.
While we are visionary and promote the Territory, I am very disappointed to hear members of the opposition, in particular the Leader of the Opposition, talk down our regions and the people who make up the fabric of such beautiful places. The Leader of the Opposition also said that ministers do not spend enough time outside Darwin. Well, that is wrong. In the past four weeks, I have travelled to Alice Springs three times - flew in, stayed there, met people, flew out. The week after, I was back in Alice Springs because the Territory does not consist only of Darwin. Alice Springs is an important town, one of the most beautiful towns in Australia, a very significant town. It is a town where you enjoy yourself, not only as a tourist but also doing business. The people are wonderful and hospitable. I must admit that it is one of the few towns with such a variety of excellent restaurants and entertainment. You can go anywhere else and you cannot find, for that sized town, that number of excellent restaurants and the variety of the food.
The Opposition Leader needs to understand that regional development has various interpretations within society and governments. Let us not kid ourselves. Our regions were totally neglected for a long time by the Country Liberal Party whilst in government. I would like to give the Opposition Leader some insight in how the Martin government is going about regional development …
Dr Lim: Stranglehold. Strangling Alice Springs.
Mr VATSKALIS: We are about retaining – I challenged the member for Greatorex two days ago to tell us when the CLP government last put $12.75m into Alice Springs, its birth place! It has not. Never. I challenge him again.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: It was the CLP government that did not have the foresight to realise that, by rezoning a place as residential next to a power station, it inevitably is going to cause problems. It was either incompetence or stupidity or both.
We are about retaining and expanding local and regional business. We want to foster new enterprises. We want to value add to existing products in the regions. We want to meet changing consumer demands. We want new employment. We need to attract industry, business and resources from outside the communities. We cannot meet the needs and generate economies in the communities from within only. We have to go out. We have to go interstate and internationally in order to invite these people who are going to make these investments in the region, to generate the income to employ the local people and start recreating the economic activity that we saw years ago, and bring them up to what they used to be.
Tennant Creek is a very good example. There were heaps of mines. Tennant Creek had a population of 10 000 people. Mines, one by one, closed down because of the downturn in the resources sector and Tennant Creek now has 3500 people. We want to bring the mining companies, tourism companies and work with the local people on how to make these things become a reality, how are we going to employ local people. Let us not forget, the region is not only people of Anglo-Saxon, Greek or Chinese origin; there are a lot of indigenous people living out there. One-third of the population is indigenous people, and we have to give economic opportunities and jobs to these indigenous people.
I was very pleased today to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Power and Water and the local land council in order for indigenous youth to access the training programs at entry level and apprenticeships with Power and Water. The Northern Land Council knows the people out there. Power and Water have the jobs and the apprentices. We can work together to train these people, meet our skills shortage that we have, but also train these people to work in remote communities. Every remote community has water, power and sewerage services. We do not have to have fly-in fly-out contractors from Darwin or Katherine or Alice Springs to these communities. There can be local people we can train in our own government departments.
There are also ways to plugs the leaks in the local economy. We have to understand that every dollar spent in the community stays in the community. We have to work together with communities. We have to employ local people. We should not always look at the cheapest option. Yes, I live in Tennant Creek; it might be cheaper to go to Katherine to get someone to do work in Tennant Creek, but the reality is by getting someone in Katherine to do the job, your dollar is going to go Katherine, not Tennant Creek. People in Tennant Creek are not going to have the opportunity to be employed.
We have to market our regions, our Territory and sell our communities. That is what I did when I was the minister for Mines and Primary Industry. We travelled interstate and internationally to promote the Territory. I am very pleased to see that my colleague, the minister for Mines, is doing exactly the same. We have seen results and will continue to see results. That is the reason why we established the Regional Economic Development Committees. They have a focus on their own area. They are not diverse like the big boards; they do not have diverse interests. They are focused on their own areas.
We have established five committees - Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, East Arnhem and Tiwi Islands - and we are planning another seven within the year. I will have the pleasure to announce the formation of these committees in the near future. Each year, economic development committees will meet at the Regional Economic Forum. There are going to be three forums: southern, central and northern forums. They will discuss their problems, the issues and they will find the solutions. I met with people in Alice Springs, and I said: ‘I am not going to bring Darwin solutions to Alice Springs issues’. The people in Alice Springs are clever and diligent enough to identify the issues and provide the solutions for Alice Springs. I am very pleased to say that people are focused. They have already spoken about what the issues are and what they propose to sort out the problems. Yes, with government assistance. We cannot just cross our arms and wait for everything to be resolved from within the community. There are issues on which the government has to step in and do something.
I have promised that I will attend as many of these forums and meetings as possible. As the Minister for Regional Development, I will be advised by the regional committees about the economic plans they develop, and bring those plans to the government for discussion in Budget Cabinet. There will be discussion at the highest level within the government. It is important that these committees and people have direct access to the minister.
The committees are made up of every day Territorians, not friends of the government or high-ranking officials, public servants or business. There are professionals, skilled workers, teachers, people who have an active interest in the economic development of their area. They are not going to be exclusive clubs to rubber stamp government policy. They are going to create policy and advise the government; it is not going to be the other way around.
There are many things happening in the regions. Do not think that nothing is happening. I was surprised because I went to Alice Springs and I knew I was going to be told nothing is happening in Alice Springs. That is not true; a lot is happening in Alice Springs. Already the government sector has invested directly or indirectly about $32m in a year. I know that there are people saying: ‘Nothing is happening in Alice Springs’. The member for Greatorex said the other day on radio that the government spent $1.1bn for the waterfront in Darwin, and nothing benefits Alice Springs’. Wrong, in two areas.
First, the government is not spending $1.1bn on the waterfront. The government is investing $200m over 10 years for areas which will be accessed by the public, every Territorian, and $900m is being invested by private companies. Nothing happens in Alice Springs! Let me tell you Michael Sitzler is the owner of the Sitzler company, which is based in Alice Springs. The Sitzler building company, in conjunction with others, is building the convention centre so the money, skills and jobs are flowing directly and indirectly to Alice Springs.
On many occasions, the member for Greatorex is out there talking his town down. Wrong! Alice Springs is a buzzing community. Yes, there are challenges and problems in Alice Springs. There are problems everywhere, but the solution is how you manage those problems and meet your challenges.
I heard someone say: ‘Build a big fence around Alice Springs and do not let the black people come in’. The problem with the black people is that what you will miss will be the black dollars. If you look at the economy, the town and who spends the money where, you will find that those black people, whom some people do not like, come and spend money for accommodation, food, clothes, fuel or other goods in Alice Springs.
I am very enthusiastic about regional development because the reality is that Darwin is a small town. I say town because compared with big cities in Australia and the world, we are small. We are very small geographically and in population, surrounded by a vast area called the Northern Territory, 1.5 million square kilometres with millions of possibilities. Most of the area is regional: Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Timber Creek and Borroloola. About half the population lives outside Darwin. We have a responsibility and a moral obligation to provide economic activities in the regions to generate the jobs for these people to be employed. We have tried and we have had successes. We brought back to production Aboriginal pastoral land and made agreements with pastoralists. After many years, we have seen pastoralists accepting the economic and legal realities and are working closely with indigenous people in order to access their land to graze their cattle and, at the same time, hiring Aboriginal people for mustering, building fences and training indigenous people in the operation of their own station. Elsey Station is a very good example.
We have also discovered that there are many opportunities for the horticultural industry in Central Australia and in Alice Springs. Undoolya Station is one of the best producers of table grapes. Soon they will start producing stone fruit, and I have been advised that he is looking to grow pomegranates and start an olive grove. It is the same in Ti Tree, and these people are training indigenous people to establish their own horticultural business. Centrefarm in Alice Springs is another example. The government worked very closely with them to release the Pine Hill Station so that indigenous people would have the base for an economic activity.
It is very exciting. Let’s face it, the reality is we cannot do everything ourselves as the Northern Territory government. We have to work together with the federal government. I am very pleased to say that the federal departments are very responsive to what we have said. They are coming to the party. We are talking jointly funded programs because the government has to take a leading role in regional economic activity. We have to be there to put projects into place, to work with economic activity committees, identify some of the issues, and support the committees in order to develop economic plans. We are prepared to do it.
Our aim is not to create a state economy. The old, centrally directed economy, Soviet-style is dead; they died long ago. We have to have a transition from a government-sponsored economy to a substantial private sector economy with substantial private sector employment. This is what we are going on about. We have significant labour shortages in every sector of our economy. Try to get a plumber. Try to get an electrician. Try to get a builder. You have to join the queue, a waiting list, and, if you are lucky, or if he is your friend, he might return your call, otherwise he will not.
Mining: look at the example of GEMCO on Groote Eylandt. They realised they have a significant problem with labour shortages. They are on an island where a significant number of young men are doing nothing. When they put the call out – who wants to work for the mine? – there were a significant number of people, men and women, who queued up to put their names down to register their interest to work in the mine. These were real jobs, not mowing the lawn, not tending the garden, but driving plant. GEMCO provided the opportunity to train them, provided the opportunity to take them to real jobs and these people now have real jobs, real income, real money. They are talking about the possibility of buying their own houses. So we see a sea change, and we are going to foster it.
The Opposition Leader expressed surprise that there was not one performance indicator and asked for my comment on this. I will make my comment: we will be introducing a set of indicators of economic and social development in the regions. It is planned to capture benchmark data and then look at progress using ongoing time series data for measuring relevant indicators of sustainable regions.
Let’s get the information. Let’s analyse it, see what we have done well and continue to do it. Are there mistakes? Let’s go back and fix them. We are not perfect; of course we are going to make mistakes. Every government makes mistakes, but we are prepared to measure these mistakes against our benchmark and fix them. I will roll out the indicators next year.
It is a brave move by government. Sometimes governments do not like releasing indicators in case they do not reach the benchmark. Well, so be it. If we do not reach it, let us find out why we did not and how we are going to do it next time. We are going to have a set of indicators for regional development which will be running parallel to our overall development strategy. That is an indication that we are confident we are going to get the job done. It is not going to happen tomorrow or after one year. It will probably not happen after next two years. It will happen in the next five to 10 years and we are committed to developing the regions.
It is going to be a hard job, but I tell you what: I am prepared to do it because I believe this is a unique opportunity for us, especially in these times with the resource boom. We can deliver jobs to Territorians, we can deliver money to Territorians and we can deliver a future to Territorians, all Territorians, black and white, wherever they live, in Darwin or in the regions.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr WARREN (Goyder)(by leave): Mr Deputy Speaker, I make a progress statement to the Assembly relating to the invasive species and management programs inquiry reference currently before the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee. I deliver this statement with great enthusiasm because over the past 15 months, the committee has been working as true bipartisan and cooperative group. The committee has put in the hard yards required to appropriately and effectively conduct this inquiry.
I am very pleased to report that the committee has completed the consultation phase of its inquiry. The committee was established and given an inquiry reference for this session by motion of the Assembly on 24 August 2005.
The committee commenced its inquiry into invasive species and management programs in the Northern Territory at its first meeting on that day. To address the terms of reference, a program of work was agreed upon at the very beginning. In advising its program of work, the committee took the decision that it would be in a better position to fulfil the terms of reference if members fully understood the situation and the issues here in the NT and the rest of Australia, including at the federal level.
To achieve its aim, the committee took a self-educative approach to collecting evidence. Members began by looking at the major categories of invasive species that the committee is considering. This was greatly assisted by the Secretariat, which has produced a total of nine research papers to date. The information contained within these papers will be incorporated into the final report. At the same time, members received official briefings from relevant officers of the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts, and the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines.
As a means of ensuring I was fully across the complex issues and subsequent presentations that would be relevant to our inquiry, I took the opportunity as Chair to receive a number of private briefings: one from officers of the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts; one from the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Northern Landscape Branch; and another from an aquatic and mangrove scientist from James Cook University’s Australian Centre for Tropical Fresh Water Research. The latter briefing provided a very grave warning about what can happen if pet aquarium fish enter natural waterways where there is not a rapid and coordinated response plan in place. If the Northern Territory does not heed this warning, we may be faced with the prospect of witnessing scenes reminiscent of the quarantining of Cullen Bay in 1999 to eradicate black striped mussel, but on a much broader scale.
In May of this year, the member for Nelson and I attended a workshop as part of development of the NT’s Weed Risk Assessment model. During the workshop, we were made aware of some of the intricacies and problems faced in development of the model. We also workshopped ideas for the creation of a Weed Risk Assessment Implementation Steering Committee.
Although the NT Weed Risk Assessment Model is being tested, I am able to report that the NT is well on its way to establishing a rigorous and robust weed risk assessment process which will go a long way towards identifying plants with weedy characteristics before they are mistakenly introduced. Furthermore, the weed risk assessment process helps to identify an appropriate allocation of resources to address the control and possible eradication of existing weeds.
Since my election as chair to this committee, I have attended the 10th and 11th Annual Parliamentary Public Works and Environment Committees conferences held in the ACT and Queensland respectively. As well as an opportunity to promote the work of our committees, the NT parliament and the Northern Territory as a whole, these conferences were a great opportunity to speak in general terms to members of parliaments from other Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions about our inquiry. I was able to gain good advice from their experience and knowledge in conducting environmental inquiries.
A major result for my attendance at these conferences is that the Territory will host the 12th Annual Parliamentary Public Works and Environment Committees conference in Darwin in late September 2007. This will be a golden opportunity to showcase the Territory to interstate parliamentarians who make up the various state and territory committees.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I digress. Returning to the statement at hand, the committee called for written submissions in March 2006, with advertisements in all major newspapers in the Northern Territory as well as through other media. The committee received over 40 written submissions, which will be incorporated into the final report. From September this year through to earlier this month, the committee undertook its public hearing schedule. Public hearings were held in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Jabiru, Katherine, Litchfield and, most recently, in Darwin. The committee was able to engage with Territorians at the local level and gain firsthand accounts of how people involved in the fight against invasive species handle their respective situations and what they believe could be done to make improvements. The evidence considered and collected at these hearings will also be incorporated into the final report.
To ensure all aspects of the committee’s terms of reference were adequately addressed, the committee recently hosted a round table forum. The aim of this forum was for the committee to gain a different level of information from that which is collected from the general public. This neatly complements the grassroots information from public forums and written submissions. A number of scientific and policy experts from the Northern Territory and interstate who are involved in the management of invasive species participated in the discussions, and their expertise, insight and advice was extremely valuable to the committee’s inquiry.
Now that the bulk of the process of data collection has been completed, members must now work through the next stage of incorporating this information into the final report for tabling in the Chamber. Over the coming months, members will be holding a number of deliberative meetings to achieve a series of meaningful and practical recommendations which can be put to parliament. Despite the exhaustive process on which the committee has embarked, I anticipate that the final report will be available for tabling early to mid-2007. I look forward to reporting the findings and recommendations from this very important inquiry in much more detail to the House at that time.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate adjourned.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Blain.
There is a social cost driving the need for educational reform; difficult to calculate, but the links are not hard to find. The link between academic failure and youth crime is strong. Admittedly anecdotal, I know of many young people who mask their inability to read or write adequately behind an angry antisocial and harmful lifestyle. Most young people exit our schools and walk into their future with an official certificate of qualification in their hands, but a certificate and a diet of positive reinforcement is for many, sadly, the cruellest preparation for the competitive world beyond school. Deep down, many of our kids know this. No wonder some lash out. Though teachers work very hard and many more millions of dollars are spent, the declining benchmark results in this year’s annual report underscore my point. The case for genuine educational reform grows stronger.
Whilst the skills shortage has exceeded crisis point, it has served to shift community attitudes and federal and Territory government policy regarding vocational education. This is welcome, but much more can and must be done. The federal government has shown they are aware of this pressing issue and are actively leading a recovery in this area. The Australian government has increased funding for vocational and technical education by 88% in real terms since 1996. With its total funding for the vocational and technical education sector over the next four years set at an astonishing $11.3bn, which is a massive commitment, but an investment only fully capitalised upon if the supporting system is reformed and reset on new foundations. It is undeniable that radical reform is needed.
Whilst the Territory government got it right when they decided to embark on a reform agenda, any real sustained reform misses the mark if it fails to address the underlying approach to the curriculum. You can get a new computer but if you retain the same operating system, the change will only be cosmetic, just as reorganising deck chairs will make little difference if the ship remains on the same course. In the same way, restructuring secondary education will not improve academic performance if the curriculum is not changed. Radical change by definition is change that gets back to basics, right to the core. The essence of education is not contained in building plans and organisational structures, nor is it contained in novel approaches. It is found in the material taught and the method used to teach it; it is the very nature of the curriculum. Reform leading to improved outcomes cannot occur without the debate about the nature of the curriculum.
Since the early 1990s, all Australian states and Territory education systems have adopted various versions of a curriculum model described as an outcomes-based approach. Before members opposite get a bit excited, I accept the responsibility of former ministers of Education in the CLP who accepted such a model. It is not a point of CLP versus ALP; it is about significant reform starting from now.
The approach in the Territory, as in other Australian states, is one of three broad curriculum approaches adopted by education systems comparable to Australia. There are three broad models: the syllabus approach; the outcomes-based approach and the standards approach. The syllabus approach and the standards approach share much in common, and those who have been educated in any Australian school before the 1960s would recall the syllabus-based approach. Since the 1980s, some international systems comparable to Australia have experimented, as did Australia, with the outcomes-based approach but have since abandoned it in favour of either a standards or a syllabus approach. They abandoned the outcomes-based approach because it failed students. While we are repeatedly told that our academic standards are world-class, they are not if international comparisons are made. Interestingly, it is the providers of education, bureaucracies and education unions that most zealously defend what can arguably be called a failed social experiment while the consumers of education, the parents, the students and the broader society, want change and a return to basics and a focus on meaningful standards.
Northern Territory schools have adopted an outcomes-based curriculum, described by many in other states as well, as a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep, a curriculum that lays a false foundation for students by assuring them that all succeed irrespective of effort or aptitude. We need to provide intellectual depth to the curriculum and focus more on basics. Some of our teachers are beginning to do so.
The success of the accelerated literacy program in our schools, which returns to more traditional methods of language teaching, is but one demonstration that it is time for change and getting back to basics. Teachers have an impossible task and daily we increase our expectations of them. They are, sadly, in a no win situation. Teachers constantly contend with compounding behavioural problems while at the same time their energy is divided between the critical teacher-student relationship and lesson creation within a vague and non-specific framework such as the nature of working within the curriculum framework: typically broad, abstract, subjective and shallow.
Teachers’ efforts are drawn more to entertaining than educating in an attempt to engage kids. Real learning is far more than this. Make no mistake: teachers work hard and all kids want to learn. The system has failed them by teaching an abstract and subjective curriculum where all succeed despite application or aptitude. If teachers were supported by a syllabus-based approach, for example, the time once taken to construct interesting learning experiences will now be channelled directly into teaching and forging stronger links between a student and a teacher. Outcomes-based education is a social experiment that essentially works under the premise that competition, apart from self-competition, is bad. Unfortunately, that is not how the real world works. As soon as our children leave school, they will be competing with others for university, training or apprenticeship placements or for a job. Why is it that competition in sport is viewed so positively, yet academic competition between students is actively discouraged? Whatever happened to the pursuit of excellence?
We need an education system which encourages students to strive for excellence whilst acknowledging that not all can excel in an academic sense. Those less academically minded should be assisted to work in areas that best suit their temperament. We must develop legitimate and separate pathways early on, academic or vocational streams. We need to actively pursue excellence and recognition of success in either pathway. The outcomes-based approach fails to challenge the students to pursue excellence, to go the step beyond. Instead, it encourages mediocrity. If mediocrity is what the Territory government is aiming for, it is a goal sure to be achieved.
Whilst I accept that government is sincere in its ambition to improve academic standards, if we retain the existing operating systems, standards cannot improve. It is time to develop clear learning pathways based upon formal and objective knowledge. Building our curriculum on standards and abandoning the outcomes-based approach is the place to start. While the minister will refer to curriculum reform, he has also said he is in favour of accepting the decisions made by his South Australian counterpart in adopting changes in the South Australian Certificate of Education. These changes are still based on the outcomes-based approach and have been strongly criticised by academics and teachers. Changes to secondary curriculum similar to those proposed now in the Territory in both South Australia and Western Australia have been attacked for lowering academic standards.
The overhaul of the South Australian Certificate of Education, if adopted, will mean that students will not be able to fail exams. The worst a student could achieve would be an assessment result as ‘not yet achieved’. The new approach may give students a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is not a preparation for the real world.
While driven by a desire to get more students to complete the SACE, it does so at the expense of academic standards. The curriculum is dumbed down to ensure that everyone is guaranteed a pass eventually. By guaranteeing that no child fails, we are ensuring that they do. Our children are failed by a system that provides an unrealistic and inadequate preparation for the real world. What is the point of keeping kids at school longer if we fail to improve basic standards or prepare them for life beyond the school?
Western Australia, which is in the process of adopting a similar approach, has suffered fierce community criticism for lowering academic standards. In an embarrassing move for the Western Australian Labor government, a respected senior examiner recently resigned in protest. Dr Lucy resigned and hit out at the poor quality of exam papers which failed to penalise Year 12 students for incorrect spelling, punctuation or syntax. Niall Lucy could not support a curriculum that did not require students to read a book, spell or write continuous prose. His resignation merely adds to the ire of teachers who do not support these changes.
Beyond the move to middle schools in the Territory lies a strengthening of the outcomes-based approach, an approach that focuses on processes rather than knowledge and devalues academic rigour and external assessment. This is an approach other countries determined to improve academic standards have long since abandoned.
As Richard Berlach from the College of Education of the University of Notre Dame Australia commented in a paper entitled Outcomes-based Education and the Death of Knowledge, and I quote:
I remain unconvinced that academic standards will improve under Labor’s restructure of education whilst we retain the underlying curriculum approach. If we want to develop the Territory, then it is time to work for real reform to unleash the potential of our young.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thought the member for Blain was just getting into his stride. He had 10 minutes to go. I thank the member for Blain for bringing on this debate tonight because as the fairly new minister for Education in the Northern Territory, it gives me an opportunity to talk about what we are doing and the great work that is occurring around the Territory as I come to grips with the new portfolio after quite a few years in other portfolios.
I respect the member for Blain as a practitioner, an educator and a former principal. I have none of those advantages in this portfolio, but I do have the advantage of being a parent. Much of what he said has come from ideological rhetoric run by the Prime Minister through the federal government at the moment. I have read a number of newspaper articles that run the line that seems to be a line coming from Canberra. It could have been minister Hardgrave talking about all the great things that he has done in VET and increased and expanded funding. Those lines have come straight out of minister Hardgrave’s office. I met Mr Hardgrave at MINCO. I know the lines that he is running. You do not do yourself any service in debate in the House by running lines directly from federal ministers, given their current approach in the lead-up to the next federal election.
On VET figures and funding, I do not have the numbers in front of me this evening, but the federal government is only just starting to put back the money it ripped out of VET at the start of their term. One of the first things that Howard did when he came to office in 1997 was to take an axe to the Vocational Education and Training budget, and the feds are only now starting to put back some of the money that they ripped out of the budget all those years ago and, to our eternal shame as a nation, contributed in a large part to the huge skills crisis that we have across Australia today. I say to the member for Blain that we fund our VET budget four-to-one. The government funds, I think, around $60m a year, and the feds put in about $15m. They are not huge contributors to VET funding in the Northern Territory.
The MPI dealt with the issue of education reform in the Northern Territory. I agree, it is fundamental and we have embarked on that reform journey. He did not really expand about what misused opportunities he believes of the government. He went on to say that the government initiated an important process that could have and should have resulted in fundamental change and improvement to the quality of education delivered to Territorians but it has failed. He did not prosecute any of those points. He talked obliquely about the curriculum framework and acknowledged that the curriculum framework that is currently in place was handed on from the previous CLP government to this government. We are currently waiting on South Australia for the changes to their SACE. We have yet to make a decision.
Every student in the Northern Territory deserves to be able to leave the education system literate, numerate and with a solid pathway either into further education or VET programs and processes, apprenticeships or into a job. As minister, I want to see much stronger outcomes in those areas.
A matter of public importance alleging that we have missed an opportunity and have failed when we have only just started the reform journey is probably about three years too early.
The member spoke about stronger links between students and teachers. That is exactly why we are embarking on the middle years reform. That is the point. That is why we are doing this. We are ensuring that our young students currently in Year 7 who are in the primary school system, big fish in little ponds but in a very nurtured, caring environment, leave that environment and go straight into a high school - they will not next year, but this is what has been happening - where they then become very little fish in a very big pond and run around from classroom to classroom as the bell rings, with possibly six different teachers in a day, barely getting their bums on the seats in the classroom, getting focused for the lesson at hand, and then the bell rings and it is off to another classroom and another teacher. Those teachers have very little opportunity to form relationships and stronger links with those students, to understand their styles of learning, understand some of the emotional issues that might be going through their lives and giving them support.
In the previous system, these kids were just coming into the classroom, there for an hour and then disappearing on to the next lesson. With the middle years approach, we are going to be combining Years 7, 8 and 9 in a discrete school campus where students will essentially be in the same classroom and possibly have a maximum of three teachers a day as opposed to the current six and the teachers come to them. The teachers being able to spend much more time with those kids is certainly going to form stronger links. That is one of the very reasons we went down that path.
To say that we have failed and we have not acknowledged that belies why we are going down this path. As I went on my journey, as a parent, not as an educator, in terms of the middle years policy initiative, and with my son being in the first intake into this new approach with the middle years from the beginning of next year, I am very comfortable with it. It makes absolute sense to me. I know the system will much better serve my kids than they would otherwise have done by going straight into a big high school.
The member talked about the right wing current ideological agenda, that somehow outcomes-based education is bad; it actively discourages competition and it dumbs everything down, and everyone is a winner and no one is a loser. I do not see that. I certainly do not see that in our schools, and I do not pretend to be an expert on curriculum or syllabus. I have many very good people to advise me. As I said, we are going through a reform agenda at the moment and have not made a final decision about where things go.
I can say to the member for Blain that I support competition. Life is competitive. I, as the minister, do not want to see any dumbing down of our curriculum. I, too, am aware that there is concern that the curriculum is too crowded. That is something I would like to see addressed. However, to run a political line that outcomes-based learning is somehow bad and it discourages competition; it is a terrible thing and we do not support competition - I am a minister who does support competition. Competition is good; life is a competitive environment, but you have to support kids. You have to give kids self-esteem. You have to encourage kids. Every child should be encouraged to achieve to their potential, but should not be punished if they do not meet that potential with a system not celebrating that the child has achieved to the best of their ability. If going back to a syllabus means you only really focus on and celebrate the high achievers to the exclusion of acknowledging the efforts that every kid has put in, is not the sort of world that I want my kids to grow up in.
Mr Mills: I don’t think you understood it. You did not understand it, Paul.
Mr HENDERSON: I am open to that debate. I support competition. Kids should compete in the classroom. If kids are doing a test, they should feel good if they get 19 out of 20 as opposed to seven out of 20. They should feel good and should be praised for their endeavours.
I would like to go back to the substance of the MPI saying that we have missed an opportunity. As I embark on my time as the minister in this portfolio, I know there is debate about middle years, but we are doing it; we are implementing it and moving forward.
I am disappointed by comments from the member for Blain who criticised the building of the new senior school in Palmerston. I do not have his media release in front of me, but it was very critical. He was saying that the Palmerston community does not support a mega-school. I can honestly say to the member for Blain that I have not met one person in Palmerston and have not had one approach from any member of the Palmerston community about this. I have met principals, teachers, and people on the school council. I am advised that the Chair of the Palmerston High School Council, Russell Ball, was today publicly stating that he was very pleased with what was happening at Palmerston High. He has acknowledged that the government has increased funding from the original $9m to $12.3m to allow the new school to be built, as determined by the school community in Palmerston. I can honestly say I have had not one person from the Palmerston community …
Mr Mills: He did say there were a few problems, however.
Mr Natt: He is still happy with it.
Mr Mills: Yes, but it is not all rosy.
Mr HENDERSON: I have not been approached about it, no one has brought to my attention that people are opposed to a mega-school.
To call it a mega-school is missing the point. There will be a middle school sub-campus. There will be a senior high school in Palmerston. The pathways from the middle school to the senior school will be much better defined. There will be much more choice in subjects for students in the Palmerston area. We will continue to invest in both infrastructure and teaching and learning. Member for Blain, if you do not want to celebrate the new school, that is your call. I am advised that the configuration of the new school is what was desired by the people of Palmerston who participated in the public consultation system.
As well as the capital that we are spending, $46m over the next few years, the Building Better Schools plan that went to teaching and learning is seeing an investment of $42m to improve secondary education over four years. That is the most significant investment in teaching and learning that the Territory has seen in education. All up, the middle years reform, Building Better Schools, teaching and learning, infrastructure investment is around $90m. I do not want to be the minister at the helm if we do not see improved academic results from that investment.
Mr Mills: Are you going to conduct any more tests? Are you going to test kids?
Mr HENDERSON: I am absolutely convinced that we will because we have the teachers and principals with that capacity. We can always do better and that is the challenge. I have said to the CE and principals I meet that every day, I want people in our education system striving to do better, getting better outcomes. We cannot rest on our laurels. The world is not perfect.
In terms of testing kids, the interjection, the first cohort of Year 9s will be tested next year and we are committed to extending testing within the national framework of testing for all Year 9 students.
Let us talk about students and learning. The middle years’ implementation is under way. Local schools are working collectively to manage student/staff transition. I acknowledge it has been a difficult time for staff. It really has been, but I congratulate the vast majority of staff who have acknowledged the need to change and who have been very professional in taking up and chasing positions in new schools.
An extensive professional learning program has commenced for teachers and school leaders. Eighteen qualified school counsellors and professional supervisors are now working across urban, rural and remote schools, and they are in place. That was a very big call from school communities in relation to the social issues that affect students and how they play out in classrooms. There were few mechanisms to cope with that in our school and education system. We now have 18 qualified counsellors working across those schools.
Grants have been provided to schools to participate in the development of the teaching and learning framework which will define essential features of good teaching and learning and align curriculum and assessment practices. Again, that is in place.
If we go back to Vocational Education and Training, there have been establishment grants awarded to 24 applicants in remote, regional and urban schools. The projects align with middle and senior years. There has been a 75% increase in student participation in Youth Business Awards in 2006 and in 2006, 33 VET programs were funded by Building Better Schools for students across the Territory. We are celebrating one of those students today from Sanderson High who achieved the Best VET Student in Australia, young Kane Mola and well done to him.
Certificate II in Indigenous Education work has been developed. The School-to-Work transition strategy is being developed and is going to Cabinet very shortly. Forty-eight Action Learning grants have been allocated to enhance teaching and learning for students with special needs.
One of the initiatives I am very pleased about, and I will certainly be pushing through the reform program, is the Curriculum E-Tool to gather data and monitor student achievement. This is going to allow parents to be able to log in to a central system and check at any time how their kids are doing in terms of achievement, and not having to wait for two reports a year.
Another big move from the government is a new staffing allocation model for schools in 2007. When this came to Cabinet, I was astounded that the allocation of staff, the pupil/teacher ratio, was determined by a 30-year-old concept of teachers being allocated, under this formula, by the type of school, whether it was a primary school, preschool or high school. The formula did not take into any account the demographic of the school population or the percentage of kids in the school with special needs. It was based on location as opposed to student need. That is changing with the start of the change in 2007 with full implementation by 2010.
You can see that even in a place like Darwin, in the social demographic of a school like Larrakeyah compared with a school and, with all due respect, with a different demographic profile, in Karama or Moulden. They might be primary schools, but there are different student demographics and that is not picked up in the current staffing allocation formula. It will be a consideration in the new model.
Indigenous education continues to be a concern, but we are moving forward. We certainly need to do better and, as I have said to professional educators, until our indigenous students are attending school in the same numbers as our kids in the urban areas and achieving the same in their MAP testing results, we have not done our job and there is work still to do. We are working hard. Eight Year 11 and 12 students are accessing full senior secondary program and 14 Year 11 students are accessing distance education with local teacher support in three collaborative trial sites at Ramingining, Yuendumu and Borroloola. The trial site at Ngukurr is still in its initial stages of establishment. In secondary education, there has been much debate about the government’s initiative to roll out secondary education to 12 colleges across the Northern Territory. There is much more to do in indigenous education, but we have started and it is not going to change overnight.
I welcome debate from the member for Blain at any time on education issues. It has been an opportunity for me as the new minister to say that I am totally committed to the implementation of the middle school reforms. They will succeed in lifting student outcomes in senior high school with better retention of kids through to Years 11 and 12 and better outcomes at Year 11 and 12, as well as defining pathways for kids from Year 10 into further training or employment.
The opposition trying to prosecute our failure of reforms when the journey has just started is a bit rich. I am happy to debate these issues at any time with the shadow minister. I urge him to support the work that is going on at the moment. In the few seconds I have left, I thank all our people in the department, and our teachers and educators across the Territory. They are doing a great job.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am no academic. I am not an educator. I am, like the member for Wanguri, a lowly parent with children going to school. When I read the letter from the member for Blain about this matter of public importance, the issue was education reform in the Northern Territory and misused opportunities. His presentation was about failure to recognise that there are issues with the curriculum.
The minister, in his response, spoke about bricks and mortar. He spoke about the number of councillors, the number of schools he is going to build after five years of being criticised because they did not produce one new school during the first term of government. He talked about bricks and mortar and the fiscal needs of the Territory, but not one word about curriculum. I ask the minister and former minister to respond, by way of interjection if they like, to this question: do you support the current curriculum? Do you? I hear silence.
Mr Stirling: You have the floor! If you want me to speak next, I will. Get on with what you want to say!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: I hope the minister will respond to the question I just posed. Do you support the current curriculum? I ask the former minister to respond when he gets to his feet. Does he support the current curriculum?
Mr KIELY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment, member for Greatorex. Member for Greatorex, resume your seat! Member for Sanderson, you have a point of order.
Mr KIELY: Mr Deputy Speaker, I do. I do not believe it is correct for the member for Greatorex to invite interjection. That goes against standing orders.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Sanderson. Member for Greatorex, you are inciting the minister to interject and I do not believe it is going to be healthy for the Assembly for the rest of this afternoon. You will direct your remarks to me, please.
Dr LIM: Mr Deputy Speaker, I shall address my remarks to you. I did address my remarks to you when I said that, through you, Mr Deputy Speaker, that if the minister and former minister wish to interject, I welcome it. If they did not want to, they do not have to. If they keep silent, that is fine. I would appreciate having my 15 minutes in silence. You have empty vessels continuing to rattle to my left, unfortunately.
What the member for Blain was addressing was the missed and misused opportunities by this government. The minister came to the issue of bricks and mortar, the physical nature of education, but forgot that the curriculum is more important than anything else. When he raised concerns about automatic promotion from year to year without ensuring that students are adequately taught in the basic skills, whether they be literacy, numeracy and all the other subjects, the minister responded: ‘Oh, you cannot do that’, but said he supported competition.
There is nothing worse than promoting a child who has not achieved a certain standard in education to the next year because that child has to face a more complex set of requirements and you will find that student will not be able to deal with the more complex set of situations because the basis was not laid in the previous year. As a parent, that is what I am interested in. If my child went to school, I would want a curriculum that teachers can form their lessons around and students will then receive teaching based on that core curriculum. The curriculum should ensure that my child is taught in the basic skills that are necessary for when they reach adulthood.
When the former minister announced his intention to create middle schools earlier this year, there was a hue and cry. The teachers’ body in the Northern Territory represent the professionals. They are the ones who have been trained to teach. If these people are objecting to what the government wants to do, then the government should have taken heed. Right across the Northern Territory, from Darwin to Alice Springs, teachers, through their union, were saying: ‘Do not do this, this is wrong’. I will read a paragraph from one of the AEU memos from 16 March 2006:
It is well and good for the minister to get up and say: ‘We are building a new school. We are providing some counsellors’, but if the teachers do not have a base curriculum to construct their lessons around, to impart the necessary teaching to students around what should be seen as core skills for every child school, then what do we base our teaching of kids on?
Countries all over the world, back in the 1980s, got on the bandwagon with outcomes-based education. Everyone thought it was fantastic. Australia did the same thing. Those countries have abandoned OBE, yet we continue to pursue outcomes-based education as if it is a panacea. I agree with the minister when he said if you hold back students in class or you fail them, it is not a good thing, but, we live through that every day. There are successes and failures every day in our lives. In some things you do, you succeed; in other things, you do not succeed.
The member for Blain was trying to put on the record that it is very important to ensure Northern Territory education reforms focus not only on the physical, but also the school curriculum. You can have three teachers in a class with only 15 or 20 students in the classroom, but if those teachers do not have a base curriculum from which to work, they could be teaching irrelevant material to students.
The minister spoke about waiting for the South Australian Certificate of Education review to be completed so that we can follow suit. I remember when I was on the School Board of Studies we followed SSABSA very closely because at that time, we all went through the 1980s model looking at OBE, and we all felt that was the way to go.
I have an article written by Kevin Donnelly from the South Australian Sunday Mail of 26 November 2006. Speaking of Kevin Donnelly, I recall a comment made by the former minister for Education that he did not think much of Kevin Donnelly and was going to invite him here to witness for himself how well the Northern Territory Department of Education is doing. It will be interesting to see what Kevin Donnelly has to say after he has looked at the Northern Territory education system. Coming back to the article that Kevin Donnelly wrote in the Sunday Mail of 26 November:
That is the problem. This is the typical Labor way of doing things, the lowest common denominator, instead of ensuring the best of our students are provided with the best curriculum so they can achieve the best results to equip them for the best careers once they leave school. I will go on a little more:
It is a real problem. You need to have a significant amount of external exams to allow schools and students to compare themselves not only with their peers in the state or territory, but nationally if not internationally. That is what is important about having some 70% of an examination assessed within the school only; the school, in its isolation, will not know. If it does not know, it will not be able to pass on to the student whether the student is doing well.
How often do we hear our Northern Territory parent’s lament: ‘When I took my child to Adelaide or Sydney they found that my child is one year behind in school?’ While the child might be in the same Year 10 or 11 as South Australia in terms of years in school, academic standards are lower. Unless we can compare ourselves and seek external examinations and comparisons, we will put our school children into a very isolated environment.
As I said, I am no academic. I am not talking about educational academia. I understand, however, what the member for Blain is driving at, which is that good curriculum in the Northern Territory is essential. This government, in its haste to push through its political agenda for middle schooling, has forgotten about what children need for a good education.
What we need is a good curriculum and that is what this government should focus its resources on. If you do that, you have a much better system. You are putting a lot of money into reforms. I congratulate you on that. Let us use some of the money to direct education into good curriculum reform so that our students will have better outcomes. The teachers will know what they have to do and students will learn based on that core.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for this motion. I am always pleased to talk about education and misused opportunities. If ever there was a misused opportunity, the member for Blain demonstrated it with this Matter of Public Importance. He failed to prosecute anywhere that we have failed when we are on the verge of momentous reform of education in the Northern Territory.
The member for Blain acknowledged the sincerity of this government in trying to improve standards and outcomes in our schools. He claimed the current system produces mediocrity and works against high achievers. This is an argument based on the fact that he sees the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework is an outcomes-based education system. That is an allegation that might be more appropriately leveled at the Western Australian curriculum and system of education. It has been the focus of much public criticism from Prime Minister Howard, Kevin Donnelly and others, but that is not where the Northern Territory framework sits. I am not arguing that it should. Nor should the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework be framed in such a way as the Kevin Donnellys and Prime Minister Howards of the world would have us.
There is a middle way. The two extremes of the debate do not serve students particularly well. On the one hand, where you have the soft or the dumbing-down curriculum that the member for Blain talks about, it does not serve students well. It does promote mediocrity, as you were saying. The Donnelly/Prime Minister Howard view of how curriculum works would be that at Year 2, for example, a seven-year-old, early in their educational career, who does not measure up to a class average in that school, is dubbed a failure: cannot achieve, hopeless, whatever description might be on the report. That does not particularly serve students well, either because that child and the parents then have to overcome the very early labelling of a ‘dumbo’, a failure, less than academic and carries that burden for the rest of their academic career. So Mr Donnelly is not all right; Mr Howard is not all right. That approach to curriculum is not all right taken to that extreme.
If you do take it to its extreme, as Donnelly would have it, it is an agenda that would have every student in every classroom in every school in every state in Australia turning over the same text book in the same subject at the same time every day.
Mr Mills: That is not true.
Mr STIRLING: It is absolute control of everything those students are exposed to in school. That is the extreme.
Mr Mills: You are pushing it to the extreme deliberately.
Mr STIRLING: I am saying that is the extreme, but you want to promote the case that this is all okay. So whether you are Werribee in Victoria or Nguiu in the Tiwi Islands or Yuendumu in the Centre, at 10.10 on Tuesday morning, you will turn to text book Fox and Richardson, page 24, paragraph 2A; commence work. That is where Donnelly and Prime Minister Howard want to go because they are control freaks. That is the way you measure performance because, yes, student A got through Fox and Richardson by such and such a date but student B did not. There is your immediate measure of achievement and success versus failure. It ignores totally the environment, the social context, the geography and location of where the learning is taking place, something of which the authors of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework were mindful and took into account. It is a good body of work. It was written and produced by Northern Territory educators, a process that started under the Country Liberal Party government and was only formally launched after the 2001 election quite early in my time as minister for Education.
It was a body of work that was ongoing while the member for Blain was a member of the Country Liberal Party government. I did not hear the member for Blain criticise the ongoing work around the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework or where it might take the Northern Territory. I did not hear the member for Blain criticise the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework at the time I formally launched it.
I am bemused that some four or five years on, problems in education in the Northern Territory are all to do with the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. I think not. There are enormous challenges across education, not least in indigenous education, but they have little to do with the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework.
It is a body of work that is due for review and is under review. I am not aware whether the review has commenced; it was due in my time as minister for Education. It is a timely thing to do.
I expect that the member for Blain, with more than an avid interest, a professional and abiding interest, in education for which I respect him, would have the opportunity to put his views and the views of his party in relation to the review of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. I am absolutely convinced that the department would be seeking the broadest possible input to where the curriculum will go. It is facile to say that Donnelly and Howard are all right and this is the way it should go and outcomes-based education is all wrong and that should all go. You have to recognise between the extremes, there is a middle way that suits and promotes …
Mr Mills: You did not listen.
Mr STIRLING: I did listen. … that suits and promotes the interests of our student body. The member for Blain made an important point about the need to develop closer working relationships between students and teachers. The minister picked up on this. That, in essence, was a fairly major aim of the middle school strategy in the sense that the original Gregor Ramsey review showed that disengagement for some students does occur through these middle years of schooling.
It was important to find a way of re-engaging, and that is what middle schools are about: you promote greater pastoral care, you have far fewer teachers working with that group of students, you have a far greater understanding by the teachers of the students’ background, achievements, abilities and where they might be headed in their educational career, and the opportunity for much stronger, closer and deeper understanding and working relationships to occur.
I am not taken with the emphasis on the Prime Minister and Kevin Donnelly. It is simply an easy way of: one, controlling the input of everything that goes into learning in our schools; and, two, controlling a way of marking the achievement of those students. We have seen it with the Prime Minister and his call for a revision of history. The question educators would have, and parents, no doubt, would be, whose view of history ought that be in terms of Australian history, and how much of John Howard’s views, quite dangerous views in some people’s minds, ought be part of that process of history? There is nothing wrong with having a look at the history curriculum across Australia, and indeed the Northern Territory, nothing wrong at all. What, if any, changes are to be made, would they be and are they fair and valid, and do they contain the social context which education ought always to contain?
There is still work to be done on the SSABSA review. The member for Greatorex touched on it in his brief contribution to this Matter of Public Importance. So important was this Matter of Public Importance that the member for Blain failed to fill his time allotted, 20 minutes, and the member for Greatorex was far briefer in going second on the Matter of Public Importance. One wonders if it is, indeed, a Matter of Public Importance as promoted by the member for Blain to the Speaker’s office this morning.
In relation to the SSABSA review, there is still work to be done on it. The South Australian minister has released the recommendations. The Northern Territory, I understand, will take those recommendations out for views in the first part of next year. I have not spoken to my colleague about this recently, but when I was minister, I was aware of perceptions that some recommendations, as they stood, and if they were to be implemented, might lead to that very dumbing down of the curriculum to which the member for Blain referred.
Whether that is, in fact, what would occur, or whether it was a much fairer and open and transparent way of measuring a student’s achievement at the particular stage in their educational career is open for debate. You do not want perceptions that these recommendations would be giving students soft options or an easy way out to get a particular certificate on their way through education. I was aware of that. I had a discussion with Jane Lomax-Smith, the minister for Education in South Australia. I am sure my colleague has had similar discussions and I know he will be watching closely those recommendations to ensure that we do not see that occur.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe I have picked up the points put by the member for Blain. He will have an opportunity to have input and to see where that revision around the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework takes us over the next 12 months or so. That review in itself ought not be seen to demean the very valuable contribution put in by some of the most experienced educators in the Northern Territory.
The Country Liberal Party ought be congratulated and commended for taking the initiative they did and empowering a group of our own experienced Northern Territory teachers to say: ‘We have a body of work to do; you are going to develop the Northern Territory curriculum framework which is going to carry the system of education, transition to Year 10, over the next few years’.
That showed a lot of conviction and a lot confidence in local teaching staff. That conviction and confidence was rewarded in the product that we now know as the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. Is it a perfect body of work? No; no body of work ever is. Things change over time. Perceptions change over time as well. Methodology changes over time and curriculum has to move with it. It is absolutely reasonable that the NTCF ought be reviewed over the next 12 months or so. I look forward to the member for Blain’s input to that review when it is undertaken.
SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly at its rising adjourn until Tuesday, 13 February 2007, at 10 am or such other time and/or date as may be set by Madam Speaker pursuant to sessional order.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I talk about a retiring public servant who has dedicated an exceptional amount of meritorious service to the Northern Territory public. Chris Bigg will leave the Northern Territory government as Executive Director of the Transport Group of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure on 15 December this year.
Chris started his working life for Qantas in Papua New Guinea, where he grew up, before moving to Darwin. He has worked for the Northern Territory government since June 1982 when he started as a senior policy officer in the Department of Mines. There, he provided advice and helped develop policy and planning on energy issues. During this time, Chris was very involved with the first declaration of emergency under the Essential Goods and Services Act as it related to a shortage of fuel due to an industrial problem on the wharf. The emergency was duly declared and the oil companies were able to discharge the tanker and fuel began to flow again.
Chris’ reputation and ability were recognised early. He was promoted to Executive Officer Aviation and, in 1986, was appointed Director Aviation in the then Department of Works. There, Chris was responsible for the management of all government-owned aerodromes and for the economic regulations of all the internal Northern Territory aviation industry. In 1989, Chris obtained a Masters Degree in Transport Economics from the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom.
On his return to Darwin, he was appointed Assistant Secretary Aviation, Marine and Transport Planning in the then Department of Transport and Works. In this position, which he held for four years, Chris was responsible for all aerodrome operations in the Northern Territory and the planning and programming for remote community aerodromes. He was also responsible for marine safety, which included vessel safety, crew qualifications and combating marine pollution. He also had specific responsibility for multimodal transport issues and transport environmental matters.
By 1995, Chris’ talent and expertise were well documented and he was promoted to Deputy Secretary of Transport. Chris was tasked with the policy and planning function in all modes to ensure all transport activities met the Northern Territory government’s economic and social objectives. This included public transport, road, rail and marine safety regulations and licensing. He was also responsible for policy and legislation development in all transport modes, including freight logistics and trade route development in the Darwin Hub and the AustralAsia route.
After serving five years in this position, he moved to the Department of Chief Minister as Deputy Secretary. There, Chris provided advice and support to the Chief Minister in driving government economic and social priorities across the sector. During this period, Chris ably supported the chief executive of the department in helping to devise and finalise a unique third party access regime for the Adelaide to Darwin railway, which contributed to achieving financial close for the landmark project. He also played a major role in indigenous and social policy and in economic development projects, and was a member of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee both before and post-11 September.
In 2003, Chris was appointed Executive Director of Lands and, subsequently, Executive Director of Lands and Planning. At that time, this department was one of the largest agencies including Infrastructure, Lands, Planning and Environment. In this position, Chris was responsible for the management of all land-related functions of the agency, including Crown land acquisition, management and disposal, indigenous land issues, future land use planning, and development assessment and land information systems. He was also involved with the early stages of the waterfront development and resolving land use at Myilly Point.
Twenty-two months ago, he became Executive Director Transport in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. His vast experience in the transport industry made him the ideal choice for this position at a time of major national transport reform. Chris has been a strong, active and well-respected participant on national policy committees, and has always protected the best interests of our small Territory jurisdiction at national levels.
Chris was most recently the Chairman of the Road Safety Taskforce and headed up the team to develop the recommendations that the government is currently implementing. He worked tirelessly on this task and can be justifiably proud of the outcomes. He was also involved in the current revamp of our public bus system, which included new bus schedules, fare structure and the appointment of Transport Safety Officers.
In his private life, Chris is an outstanding family man and a pillar of the community. As part of his community and charitable work, he has been a Director of Youth for Christ in the NT since 1986. Chris, as I am sure all my fellow members will agree, has had an outstanding public service career and has contributed significantly to the development and growth of the Northern Territory. He will be a significant loss to the agency and the government. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank Chris for his 24 years service to the Northern Territory and wish him and his family continued good health and success for the future.
In closing, it has been my absolute pleasure as a minister to work with such a professional, capable and forthright public servant as Chris Bigg. I first encountered him as a backbencher when we worked on a detention centre IDC many years ago, and have had the pleasure to work with him since I became the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. I have found him always to be very capable and extremely knowledgeable. I hold him in the highest esteem as a public servant. He is a true public servant. He gave advice without fear or favour. I personally thank him for the fine dedication he has shown and the value he has provided to me in my role as minister. I will miss him and his advice incredibly. I acknowledge that he has an enormous commitment to helping our society’s disadvantaged. Retiring, as he is, does not mean he is leaving the Territory. He is retiring to do greater works in our community, and that, I acknowledge, is a very worthy decision.
As it is the last adjournment debate for the year, I would like to make some special thanks. I want to start by acknowledging the success of a 14-year-old lass in Karama. I heard the good news today. Jordan Ahsam has been selected in the Touch Football Australia A Team Girls Youth Squad for 2006-07. So a 14-year-old from Karama has been selected in an Australian Under 18 team, which is an enormous credit to Jordan. She is an extremely talented athlete. I am sure she will go far in her touch football career. In fact, she has been identified as a player with the potential to represent Australia at the next Youth World Cup. My congratulations go to Jordan and her mother, Sheree Ahsam. Sheree has raised her kids pretty well single-handedly. They are all fine sports people and are a credit to her. We are all very proud of you, Jordan. Sheree’s dedication has meant that she has scrimped, saved, fundraised and, at every opportunity, she has given her children the chance to take huge leaps forward in their sporting careers. There is also enormous basketball talent in the Ahsam family. So, hearty congratulations.
I thank all school principals in the Karama electorate. At Malak Primary School, Principal Russell Legg has been a fantastic leader. Sadly, we will be losing him. He is going to go on to be the Principal of Sanderson High School, a feather in his cap in terms of promotion. I am sorry to see him go from Malak School. He has been a strong leader of that school community. I know with the talent among the staff and with Deputy Principal Paul Quinn, who has been at the school for many years, the school will continue to go from strength to strength. Thank you, Russell, for your time at Malak Primary School. You have been terrific to work with. I look forward to working with you in your role as Principal at Sanderson High.
Congratulations to Bill Armstrong for a very strong year as Principal at Manunda Terrace Primary School. Manunda Terrace has a very diverse student cohort, including students from nearby Knuckeys Lagoon who come across every day to participate in education, which is very important for those kids. Bill is a gentle man. He works well with the staff, the teachers, and the students at that school who come from some significant areas of disadvantage. It is a very multicultural school. Bill is a very fine principal and I have enjoyed working with him this year.
My heartfelt thanks to Margaret Fenbury at Karama Primary School. She is a terrific woman. She is strong and dynamic, and has fantastic leadership. She has allowed the TATA Families Project to grow within the environs of that school community. Alex Jordan has been passionate in ensuring development of the 0-5s and the young parents in the community which occurs through that families project. Margaret Fenbury as principal has encouraged and supported the project. She has a very talented pool of teachers in the school with her leadership. She has supported the staff at the school and is a perfect principal for those students in encouraging and developing them, particularly in their esteem and their educational outcomes. Thank you, Margaret. It is a pleasure and honour to work with you.
I also acknowledge that it has been great working with Lester Lemke,the new Principal at O’Loughlin College. Lester is a very considered, thoughtful, capable principal. He came from Darwin High School where he had a Deputy Principal role. He has enhanced the Catholic college at O’Loughlin. He has a very strong and capable team of staff and teachers around him, and I find it a real privilege and pleasure to work alongside Lester Lemke in the endeavours of that Catholic college. O’Loughlin is going from strength to strength. Enrolment numbers are up and it is a fantastic school in our community.
I extend a very special thank you and recognition of many, many years of dedication and hard work to Margaret Hughes, the retiring Principal of Holy Family School. Margaret has had a couple of stints at Holy Family School over a couple of decades and she has been a very strong, very compassionate, wonderful leader of that school community. She has earned the respect of her staff, of her teachers and she has earned the adoration of the school students. The school community is, in one way, very sad that Margaret is leaving as principal but in another way we appreciate that her talents are at a higher level within the Catholic Education Office. I am sure the work that Margaret Hughes will be able to deliver in the Catholic Education Office will enhance Catholic education right across the Territory. Margaret, my deepest thanks go to you. As a mother of students at the school, I certainly understand the beautiful compassion you bring daily to the students of that school and it is really quite striking to see how caring and tuned into the needs of the students that Margaret Hughes has been over the years, so a very big thank you to Margaret.
To Kerrie Behm, the outgoing area coordinator of Karama Neighbourhood Watch, thank you for your year of hard work and commitment. Kerry has a lucrative job in the mines, so congratulations, but it means she has to step down as area coordinator, but she has done a fantastic job. It has been a new role for her; she has never been involved at such a level before and she has embraced it with aplomb. To all the other members of Karama Neighbourhood Watch and to the Malak Neighbourhood Watch members including Leigh and Barbara Kariko, thank you for your hard work and dedication over the year. I look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you for our local celebration that we hold every year.
Congratulations also to Peter La Pira who has continued to improve the Karama Shopping Centre. The La Pira family built the centre and have continued to improve it. We are now enjoying a huge new shade structure across the car park, with a second shade structure nearing completion on the bottle shop side of the shopping centre car park. It is great to see the centre improving and going from strength to strength.
I have already acknowledged that Keith Fairlie and the team at Eagle Boys Pizza have been experiencing a roaring trade. The locals certainly speak highly of the pizzas; I have tried them once or twice myself and they are very good.
Karama is a community that is nicely representative of Darwin society. We have many young families buying in as first home owners and making their way in life, living very peacefully. We have our fair share of public housing so society’s disadvantaged are housed at Karama and Malak and we have some very successful business people. There are many subcontractors and self-employed business people living in Karama and Malak and it has been truly rewarding in the last year to see all of the house renovations that are going on at this time of boom. The subbies have been working very hard with the construction boom, with the money coming into their pockets. We have been watching it turn into renovations on their own homes and their family lives are improving. Congratulations to those local subbies in Karama and Malak who are making the most of the boom time. I take my hat off to them.
It has been a challenging year. Of course, there are some people who would like to beat up on Karama. It is a quick media bite and it is a quick media grab, but I say to those who choose to do that: ‘You do not live there and you do not understand that it is a very lovely community with great people just trying to make their way in life’. Some people, of course, have social issues. I want to thank Youth Beat and the police for working with the kids to target the kids who are exhibiting criminal behaviour, but for Youth Beat to work with the kids who are disadvantaged, not criminals, but kids with a disadvantage, so my heartfelt thanks to Casuarina Police. The officers there are fantastic. I also extend my thanks to Youth Beat with Mission Australia, which does a fantastic job. I look forward to seeing in the festive season while I holiday with my family here in Darwin and enjoy a tropical Christmas.
Finally, I extend my thanks to all of the Legislative Assembly staff; the Clerk, Hansard and the Table Office staff.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, happy Christmas. I would like to talk about the new bus timetable. It is very interesting trying to read this bus timetable; it is not the easiest thing in the world. If you want a good bus service, you must have a coordinated service whereby one bus route matches another bus route, especially in the rural area where buses are few and far between. Looking at the new bus timetable for the rural area, if you catch a bus from Humpty Doo, either route 447 or 450, which leaves Humpty Doo at 7.15 am, and you want to catch route 9 to Palmerston, you will have to wait for half-an-hour instead of meeting a bus at Palmerston when you arrive. The 7.15 am bus arrives at Palmerston at 8 am, but its connecting bus now leaves at 7.53 am, which means people wait now until 8.31 am. Under the old timetable, the bus left at 8.05 am. There is a real problem. I do not know who put this bus timetable together, but I see some major problems.
If you wanted to catch a bus from Casuarina to Palmerston, to catch the 6 pm to Humpty Doo or to Noonamah, the previous bus leaves Casuarina at 5.20 pm. This allows rural residents to knock off work at 5.00 pm and walk to the bus exchange, but now the bus will leave at 5.05 pm. If you miss that bus because you could not get away from work on time, the next bus leaves at 5.36 pm. This bus will be too late for the 6 pm bus to Humpty Doo and Noonamah, which means that people will either have to walk or catch a ride because that is the last bus from town.
Again, route 414, which is the big route that goes around from Palmerston down to Noonamah, out to Humpty Doo and back again, leaves Palmerston at 10 am and gets back to Palmerston at 11 am. The city bus, route 8, leaves at 11 am, which means you either have to make sure the bus is not more than a few seconds late or you do not get to the city and you have to catch the next bus, which is 40 minutes later. If you want to go to Casuarina, the bus leaves at 11.03 am, and that does not give people much time at all.
When the people put this bus timetable together, did they understand that connections are very important, especially for rural people? If you only have a few buses to catch in the rural area and you miss one, you are in a lot of trouble. I would like to ask the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to investigate matters in relation to the new bus timetable because they have certainly been put together with little knowledge of the practicalities of people in the rural area. People are not going to be pleased that they have to sit at Palmerston Interchange for half-an-hour or they have to walk home from Palmerston simply because the connections are not there. If you are going to run an efficient bus service, surely connections are a high priority.
I know we have talked about schools today, but there is an issue about the Casuarina Secondary College that concerns me. I have been approached by a staff member who wants to know why the purpose-built library, which had a quiet area, has been taken over by IT. What was the reason? No one has explained it to them. They have lost the quiet area they had in their library and someone has made a decision to put IT in there. They have also extended the book room and took out eight toilets. They do not know why; they just took out eight toilets. Someone made a decision. The male toilet was taken out for a disabled toilet and, I gather, male staff now have to walk 80 m to the nearest toilet. People might say: ‘Big deal. So what?’ However, I gather from the person who spoke to me that they do not seem to be involved in this. What is happening seems to be imposed on them and they do not seem to have been part of the decision-making process. Someone has decided that the quiet area will be taken over in the library, something they probably worked for over the years.
I ask the minister for Education if he would go out to Casuarina, and he probably has been there, and explain to them what is going on. This person said: ‘I do not normally complain. I am a happy person, I enjoy my work. I now feel as though people do not care about me; that we are not important’. I would like the minister for Education to take the time, if he could, to talk to some of the staff about what is going on.
Middle schools have been a controversial issue in relation to Casuarina Secondary College. As you know, many teachers did not particularly want the change. I do not believe this is coming from that perspective; this teacher just feels as though no one has taken much notice of staff who have been there for a long time who have probably been involved in the development of some of these areas like the quiet area and, all of a sudden, someone from outside has made a decision that it is not going to happen. It would be good if the minister could give some reassurance to the staff that they will be involved or consulted on what is going on.
To finish, I thank everyone for an interesting year in parliament. I was thinking today that it started off with a big bang with TIO and is finishing with a big bang with the speed limits. We had many issues in the middle like my trip to America and middle schools and all sorts of things. I feel that this year has been the hardest year. You might say I am only an Independent, but this year has been the busiest and hardest year compared to the previous four years. I thought as I stayed in here a bit longer, it might be a bit easier, but it definitely has not been. There are many issues. The Sundowner Caravan Park is a big issue for me; it remains to be.
Ms Martin: 1.30 pm Saturday; I looked at my diary.
Mr WOOD: I welcome the Chief Minister coming on Saturday.
Ms Martin: Formal dress?
Mr WOOD: Pardon?
Ms Martin: Formal dress?
Mr WOOD: No, no, definitely not a tie, I will tell you that. No, just as long as you have a smile and are willing to listen to a few questions and see whether we can get some constructive solutions to some of the issues that the people have. The issues that Sundowner has raised will go beyond the time that Sundowner exists. I am looking at proposing legislation which will involve regulation over caravan parks and will, possibly, involve protection for people when caravan parks are sold. However, I will speak about that at another time.
I wish everyone a happy Christmas, especially in the Assembly. The staff always look after me. I do not know how they stand it sometimes. I was just reading Hansard from today, and probably their heads are still ringing. They do a terrific job. They are always helpful when you want advice. Hansard still try to work out what I am saying, from time to time. Even I have trouble understanding what I have said when I read Hansard, it is sometimes so disjointed. They are kind people up there …
Ms Martin: They do a good job on editing.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and they do have sympathy with my disjointed speech.
I thank all my constituents. Regardless of whether people support you, I have a mainly rural electorate and some really wonderful people. I enjoy the rural area. I reckon we have the best of both worlds. We have space, which I cannot say for some parts of the Darwin region, and I have the ability to enjoy the urban lifestyle with shopping centres at Palmerston, Coolalinga, my local shopping centre at Howard Springs, and at Humpty Doo. Many people have to go home to a little 300 m, 400 m or 500 m square block; I can go and enjoy the Hub or the Humpty Doo Tavern or the Howard Springs Tavern and then go home to a nice five acre block where one can breathe.
I very much like to thank what we call the FOG group - that stands for Friends of Gerry, would you believe. It actually has a few people in it! I know you probably think they fit in a phone box, but I do have a few friends. I would like to thank Tom. He comes and does the shredding. Tom, unfortunately, had a stroke a couple of years ago. It is amazing how some people get struck down with two disasters. His wife just had a stroke as well and was rushed off to Adelaide. I do not think she is back yet, but we have a lot of work to make sure they are both looked after. Jo, who comes in and eats all the lollies out of my cookie jar, and there are the Mounts who are always helping me deliver newsletters, Fred who comes in for a natter, and Greg and Yvonne who are always helping fold up newsletters.
I especially thank my staff. I have a few. It is funny because I have Linda who is my Friday lady. She is moving to Queensland but she came back to fix the house. She was a great lady. She certainly organised everything in the kitchen, I will tell you. Her replacement at the moment is my sister, Trish Butler. She is going from one job to another so she took over Linda’s job for the time being. I have two ladies who we are training in case someone is away sick, Ricky and Shirley, and they both occasionally work in the office when Jennifer, my Electorate Secretary, is not able to.
The member for Braitling mentioned Caroline, my research officer. She is a fantastic research officer. Believe it or not, sometimes with our staff we do not always agree with one another, and that is sometimes a great thing. She can either play the devil’s advocate or she actually means what she says when she doesn’t agree with me, but that is good. I do not always want people agreeing with me, especially if I am putting an argument to test what I am doing before I come into parliament. It makes me think more about what I am saying. I thank Caroline for all the hard work she does, going through the legislation. We get this book put together by Caroline. It breaks down all the legislation before we come in here, tells us what it is all about, tells us the points to look at, tells us what parts of the act look suspect, and what questions we should ask. That allows us to get an idea of what we are going to read.
Dr Lim: Can we have her?
Mr WOOD: No, you definitely cannot have her! She is a great help for the Independents. We find it very hard to go through legislation and analyse it, and I appreciate that the Department of Chief Minister allows us to have that help.
I also thank Jennifer, my Electorate Secretary. Jennifer has a smile that wide. The problem with it is that it is such a wonderful smile it attracts people in for miles. She is a fantastic lady. She does so much work. She is generous and hospitable to people who come into my electorate office. I know my electorate office looks like some sort of chook house and people think it is a bit strange, but hopefully, it is a very welcoming office that people can walk into and feel at home no matter what their problems, or if they just want to say hello.
I also thank my wife, Imelda. As I have said many times before, I used to have a cardboard cutout on the verandah. Now I actually have to wipe a security card before I come in because she does not see me very often. Sometimes she does not see me at all. She has patience, she does look after me, and she understands the job I have is very busy from time to time. I thank her for that patience and support.
With that, I would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas. I hope I have not forgotten anyone. If I have, I wish all the forgotten people a happy Christmas.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, just a short speech as we come to the end of the parliamentary year for 2006. I thank everyone, first of all, who works in the Assembly for supporting us and getting us through another year. I hope you do not all feel particularly old after the member for Nelson’s assessment of 2006 as a very difficult and full year. I think it was, too. I agree with you absolutely. Thank you to the Assembly for helping us through another year.
In particular, I thank our Clerk, Ian McNeill, Deputy Clerk, David Horton and all Assembly staff, particularly, as the member for Nelson said, the Hansard staff who have to, first, make sense of what we said and then put it in some kind of readable form. They do an extraordinary job. Mind you, they are inspired by our fine words.
I thank our dedicated public servants who do such a great job across the Territory from Darwin down to the borders. Each year they work very hard to help make the Territory what I think is the best place in Australia to live and our public servants, in many cases, have a very tough job. They work very hard and they serve the Territory very well. So from me, thank you.
I thank Parliament House Security staff for their efforts over the past year. They have an extremely important job to do and their courtesy and good humour are appreciated by everyone who works here.
On the 5th floor, a big thanks to my staff in the Office of Chief Minister. There have been quite a few changes in personnel this year, but through all those changes and the challenges, their commitment and professionalism has shone through. A particular thanks to my new-ish chief of staff, Ross Neilson, for hitting the ground running and doing such a great job, but not forgetting the other people with whom I work. I was trying to make sure I did not forget anyone: Jamie, Aaron, Richard, Kirk, Stephen, Christine Priore, Christine Gray, Sarah, Jenny, Ron, Anna, to our media monitors and anyone I have forgotten, thank you. The Office of the Chief Minister would not work without you and I am very grateful for all the hard work you do.
Thank you also to the ministerial staff across the 5th floor for all their hard, my ministerial colleagues and to my caucus colleagues. There is a lot of corporate knowledge on the 5th floor and the contributions of all who work there are greatly appreciated by all of us.
I thank the Department of Chief Minister. I started the year with two departments and ended the year with one department, but that is life. I would thank Tourism anyway because they were great to work with. Tourism NT started out as the Northern Territory Tourist Commission in the three years that I was minister. They are a great bunch to work with. They are very committed to building tourism and they love their jobs. It was a delight to work with them. Thank you for the inspiring picture of the West Macs with which you bid me farewell.
In the Department of Chief Minister, I thank my CEO, Paul Tyrrell, Graham Symonds and Dennis Bree, who are deputies, and all who work in DCM. They do a lot of hard work. They certainly underpin the workings of government. They coordinate across government in very difficult areas and, from me, my sincere thanks. I could not wish for a better team.
My thanks to CEOs across all my government departments, and it has been a pleasure working with you. Your leadership, vision and commitment have really set a high standard across the services.
I also thank the people who drive us around, our drivers. You do a marvellous job and you do it with a lot of courtesy and grace. In particular, many thanks to the man who keeps it all together, the boss of the drivers, Gary Wilkshire. We would all be lost without him.
Finally, many thanks to my Electorate Officer, Anna Vandenberg. Anna has done a great job this past year. I also thank Louise Jones, Annette Milikins, and Kathleen Fracaro who stood in for Anna at various times this year. Of course, to the backroom boy, Ken Hill, and to my Saturday boy – I shouldn’t really call him a boy; Brian is in his 80s - Brian Joyce for their hard work and support around the office.
Finally, I wish all members of this House a very merry Christmas and if 2006 has been a tough year, maybe 2007 will ease up a bit and we will be able to see the fruits of some of the hard work that has been done in 2006. Maybe, when we think about this House and how we relate to each other, we can aspire in 2007 to be more policy driven and less personally driven. One of the things that does sadden me is the personal vitriol. Be tough about policy, be tough about track records, but if we could just put aside the personal toxicity we sometimes see, it would be great. We do have different views on many issues and at times things do become strained, but we are all in here for a reason: we want to see the Territory move ahead. We should be looking more often to where we agree rather than saying: ‘You are on one side, we are on the other; we are going to disagree’, because in many circumstances, we do not.
We have all survived 2006. For those of us who had a more traumatic year than others, I hope next year is better, as I look at the member for Katherine. I wish everyone great happiness in the coming year.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is the last sittings of the year. This is the first full year we have had in this parliament since the last election. Last year, it was only a six-month Assembly for the new term of this government.
Yes, it has been a big year, as the member for Nelson said. We started the year with TIO and ended with road safety and had many issues in between. At one stage, our colleague, the member for Katherine, was away because of a motor vehicle accident. I am glad she has recovered as well as she has and glad to have her sitting here with us. It caused us to be a little thin for a while. When I was a backbencher in government, I thought: ‘Gee, it is a lot of hard work,’ but, really, as a backbencher in government, your core responsibility is to look after your own electorate. When you become a minister, you are really a talking head. You get information pumped into you from all sides, advice from departments and I suppose the more intelligent you are, the better talking head you become. Sometimes ministers can initiate policies as well, which mostly react to departmental directions.
Then you get into opposition and suddenly there are no resources. You are really left on your own. Not only do you have backbench status, you have to monitor many policy areas in the capacity of shadow minister and that can take a heck of a lot of work. With only four of us, it is, indeed, a lot of work.
In respect of the vitriol the Chief Minister mentioned, it takes two to fight. You do not have a fight if there is only one side, so we throw back as much as is thrown at us. We are only a little team of four. We have to throw pretty hard, otherwise you get so much thrown at you that you start to think: ‘Why should I like this bunch of people who keep attacking all the time?’
It is hard to come to the Christmas season and feel good about the people across the Chamber but there are some members we have worked with on committees, with whom we have gone away on parliamentary visits, and you get to know those individuals without the political clothing that we all tend to wear when we are in this Chamber. We are all pretty much alike in many ways. That takes away, I hope, the edge of antipathy that we might feel against each other.
This is a time to wish everyone well and I would like to do that, to wish all members of this Chamber well. I wish the staff and the Legislative Assembly staff, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk and everyone else who works to support us, with particular reference to Graham Gadd with whom I have developed a good friendship over the years that we have been working in this building; to Terry Hanley, who has worked industriously for the many committees on which I happen to serve; and poor Maria and the workload that she has to cope with our environment committee. It is a huge amount of work and she diligently works through it all. I wish you all a good Christmas, and hope that we come back next year fit and well and rearing to go again.
The strongest support that I have from staff is Caroll Lyons - sorry no, Caroll Cailler now. She was married last year, and this year, she leaves me on 12 December for an extended holiday. During that time, she will be deciding whether she will come back. She will be taking a long break. She has been with me for five years now; I must have burned her out. She has worked so hard for me in the last five years. She is very self-motivated, knows what she has to do and goes about doing it without much hassle. I try to do the right thing by her but sometimes I am very grumpy. Well, I cop back as much as I dish out sometimes with Caroll. She has done a great job. The office is always very well managed and I hope that when she departs and I want to find a file, I can find it. She has a great filing system with a register and all of that, so I am sure we can find the files. Caroll, and your daughter, Casey, and Patrick, your husband, thank you very much for the last five years. If you decide to come back, let me know early. If you do not, then I bid you a very fond farewell.
I have known Caroll since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She was a little girl at Braitling Primary School when I first met her family. I almost got to deliver her youngest brother, which is how long I have known Caroll. I have seen her grow up, come to live in Alice Springs, travel around the Territory, get married and then come back to Alice Springs. I will surely miss you, Caroll, and I wish you the best of everything.
Sometimes, Caroll needed to take time off and we have temporary Electorate Officers as well: Christine Potts and Christian Cope were two who helped me a lot. Both have also left the Territory. Then we have Bev who is manning the store at the moment in Alice Springs while Caroll is in Darwin this week. Bev has been really very supportive. Whenever we need her, she spends the day or two or three days in the office to help out, and she has got to know the system in the office fairly well.
I look forward to welcoming Donna when she starts with me in a couple of weeks’ time. I hope Donna will stay for five years. Donna will be my fourth electorate officer; four terms and four electorate officers.
The electorate has continued to be very supportive of my activities. One of the biggest problems in my electorate is the number of welfare housing and neighbours from hell. There are people who ring me on a regular basis, and I do house calls, even after hours, to ensure that there is some neighbourhood peace. I try to make sure that we do not get too many dissatisfied constituents. Obviously, Territory Housing is not enforcing the rules of harmonious neighbourhoods. Few Territory Housing staff, if any, work after hours and that is when the complaints occur. People cannot complain because there is no one there to listen. Territory Housing might say that the police do not report problems. Territory Housing will tell you that they have engaged a security patrol. They drive past but, in a five to 10 second drive-past, they are expected to see what is going on in the back yard of welfare housing, which is not possible. They need to do a bit more to ensure that the neighbourhood remains fairly quiet through the night. When you get 20 people drunk in the back yard, you are not going to get that at all.
There are many supportive personalities in my electorate who help me with my newsletters, doorknocking and generally help me with activities in the electorate. The three particular people I would like to mention are Col – unfortunately Col, who lives down the Ross Highway, is about to leave Alice Springs soon too; that is another family leaving town –Erica, who lives nearby, and Brian who lives on the Golf Course Estate. They know who they are. I am not using their surnames, but I am sure they know who they are and I thank them for their support throughout the year.
The Alice Springs Branch of the Country Liberal Party with all its members is a very supportive and active branch. It is often looked at jealously by the other branches across the Territory as one of the strongest branches of the CLP. They continue to be very supportive of what I do and have always been there when I need help.
To the opposition of four, I wish my colleagues the best of what remains in 2006 and returning in 2007 for a better year. I must mention staff in the Leader’s office, in particular James. James has been a real diamond. I worked with him last year in our election campaign in Alice Springs and he has come back and been a wonderful addition to the staff in the Leader’s office and has made it work tremendously well. Kylie, I cannot say thank you to you too much. You have been very supportive as well. Young Rebecca always has the brightest smile and is the chirpiest person in the office. I call her ‘Cuz’. She answers the telephone and says: Hello, Rebecca speaking’. I say: ‘Hello Rebecca speaking, this is Richard Lim speaking’. ‘Oh gee, you are a cousin’. So we have this standing joke that we are both cousins to each other now. John, Brad, Greg, thank you. You are always willing to help us as much as you can. I hope you will continue to do that for 2007. We depend on your research, your good advice, and will continue to lean on you guys as much as we possibly can.
Not forgetting family: Sharon, daughters, Kinta, Leticia, and my son, Michael. Without them, we could not do this job. We just could not do this job without them being there, manning the hearth, as they say. Sharon has put up with me for a long time being away from home so much, especially now that there are only four of us. The amount of travel we have to do is just – I would not say it is intolerable because we have done it – but it is a huge load.
For members of this Chamber who live outside of Darwin in the regions, it is difficult. Members from Darwin can go to their own homes each night if they are not travelling interstate or to Alice Springs. They are mostly in Darwin and they would be home each night. For us who have to leave our homes in Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, after the day’s work, we cannot go home. You leave your family behind. They have to cope for themselves and you have to cope for yourself. While we have other distractions to worry us or to take our minds off it, our spouses are stuck on their own. After a day’s work, they are there and you are not there. The best you can do is pick up the telephone and have a chat. How long can you have a talk for? So, members in Darwin do not really know how lucky they are. I envy you guys.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation for Sharon and her patience and what she has done in this last 12 months for me and with me and without me. I give her my best love and say we will be home in couple of days and we will see you soon.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is the last sitting before Christmas and I take the opportunity to say thanks and extend Christmas wishes for 2006.
I wish you first of all and your family a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I wish Madam Speaker a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. Best wishes to the Chief Minister and to my parliamentary colleagues from this side of the House and on the other side of the House. As the Chief Minister said, it would be helpful and more constructive if we argue about policy rather than take personal swipes at each other. Hopefully, in 2007 things will change and we will have a new direction.
My best wishes and a special thank you to all the dedicated staff of the Legislative Assembly. They have worked tirelessly in looking after us this year, especially to Vicki Long and the crew of Corporate Services who look after our electorate offices, the Hansard staff led by Helen Allmich who do a terrific job at editing our speeches, especially mine. I also extend Christmas wishes to our hard-working drivers whose patience and experience we appreciate. To all the staff in the House, I wish you a happy and prosperous Christmas and new year. Special thanks to Ian McNeill, the Clerk, and David Horton and their assistants and all the staff of the Assembly.
My departments, the previous Department of Mines, Primary Industry and my current department DBERD, my ex-CEO John Carroll and the new one Richard Galton, my best wishes to John and the people in the Department of Mines, thank you very much for your help, assistance and your hard work. I am looking forward to working with Richard Galton in the near future.
Of course, as many people have said, we would not be able to work the way we do if we did not have wonderful Electorate Officers and mine is particularly wonderful, Debbie Rowlands. She is dedicated and hard-working. We are really a team and we work closely together serving the electorate of Casuarina. Special thanks also should go to the family of our electorate officers, and Debbie’s family never complain about the long hours she works and they are there to help when it is necessary.
To my constituents in Casuarina, merry Christmas and a happy new year. If you drive down south, please drive safely. Have an enjoyable Christmas and I look forward to seeing you when you come back.
Special wishes and my warmest Christmas wishes and thanks go to Superintendent Matt Hollamby and the new officer-in-charge Mark Bennett and police officers from the Casuarina Police Station for doing a terrific job in the Casuarina area. Your commitment and dedication to fighting crime and antisocial behaviour in the Casuarina area and in Darwin in general has been commendable. I hope to enjoy some Christmas cheer and catch up with you at my electorate office party on 13 December.
To the businesses in my area, merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Special wishes to CraigOsborne, staff and tenants at the Casuarina Shopping Square, Tony Miaoudis and tenants at Casuarina Village Shopping Centre, Chris Vidourisand tenants from near Casuarina Convenience Centre and all the small business owners and staff within the Casuarina shopping precinct.
Although 2006 has been an extremely busy and demanding year at times, it has also been a very prosperous and enjoyable year. It has certainly been a very memorable year. This is largely due to the tireless commitment and hard work of a wonderful support team and the dedication and assistance of so many special friends and supporters who have assisted me this year.
To the Casuarina ALP branch members who are a dedicated, loyal group of workers, I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support and for all your fundraising efforts for me and for the member for Wanguri, Paul Henderson, and Chris Burns, the member for Johnston. I wish you all and your familles a joyful Christmas and look forward to your support in 2007.
I thank staff in my ex-ministerial office and previous portfolio. First, I thank Eunice De Ramos who has been a loyal personal assistant for several years. I thank her for her tireless service. Chantelle Barrett had just joined my office when she found she was going to work for a new minister, but she had already started making changes and improvements in my office. Jacinta Chartres had a quick lesson in politics. She came to work for me as my Multicultural Affairs Advisor and discovered she was going to work for Delia Lawrie within a few days. Gemma Buxton, Miss Media: if you want to know anything about media, she will tell you. I appreciate her skills and her quiet ability to keep me on track.
Ray Clarke is the Primary Industry Advisor, and knows everything about fish, fisheries and aquaculture but every time he tried to go fishing, the boat broke down. Ray knows everyone in the industry and was a great help to me every time I wanted something, especially in our fight with the curse of illegal fishing. Colin Hallenstein, my Departmental Liaison Officer, came to my office three years ago to provide advice on mines and energy issues. He has enormous knowledge of the history of the mining industry in the Territory, together with his subtle wit and measured manner, was a great foil for me and would help temper my enthusiasm for the steady stream of stock exchange announcements.
Finally, my Senior Adviser, Mark Hough. Houghie is totally opposite to me. I am enthusiastic, he is conservative, but we made a great team and worked well for three years. He was taking care of the staff as he was bossing me around. Most importantly, he encouraged me to take an interest in golf, and now that I have taken lessons and have actually learnt how to hit the ball, I am sure I will soon be playing as badly as he does.
Then, of course, there was a change, a new portfolio. I arrived in the new portfolio with a new chief of staff, Michael Gunner, and I thank him very much for his support, and all the people in my new office, because it took a while to put together. It took a while to organise meetings, yet everything was up and running in record time.
Carole Frost is very well known to all in the Chamber. She has for many years worked in the Northern Territory. She is a tremendous asset on my team and knows everything about the business community. Recently, I enjoyed going to Alice with Carole and meeting her daughter, Kirrily. I wish Carole, Harry and Kirrily all the best for Christmas.
Charlie Phillips, a good friend for a long time, has been in my office not for long enough - he was away for six weeks in Europe and he came back to be my advisor on Power and Water.
Kim Hill, a very talented young man. I had the pleasure of working with his father in my previous job in Danila Dilba. Now I am working with Kim Hill Junior. He has an amazing network across the Territory. He gives fantastic advice and is very practical. He is aware of all the challenges in the regional areas. He is a gentleman; a genuine leader who makes a real positive difference.
Kieran Phillips, who was fantastic at cricket, learned to be a fantastic media advisor. Kate Worden, I did not know much about sports, but after a couple of weeks with Kate, I am really up to speed. Kieran and Kate have not only a hard job, they also have young families and I really appreciate their efforts in my office.
Vishal Mohan-Ram and Carol Smith are the people who actually run the office and the administration. Vishal does all the correspondence, and Carol runs my life because I do not have a life any more; I have a diary and Carol Smith is in charge of that diary. They are work amazing hours and they work very, very hard. I would like to thank them very much.
I would also like to thank people who are not based on the fifth floor; they are based in Central Australia. The talented members of the Office of Central Australia, the fantastic John Gaynor, the blushing Kelsey Rodda, the boss, Nyree Slatter, and the wordsmith, Mandy Taylor.
Of course, I would like to thank people in my electorate, especially the people who run the schools and do a tremendous job: Lyn Elphinstone from Dripstone High School; Barry Griffin, Nakara and Sharon Reeves at Alawa. I would also like to thank the school council chairpersons, Lyn Cook of Dripstone High, PetulaNayda of Nakara Primary, and DeanneVahlbergand Jacqui Dobson of Alawa Primary.
Good luck to Year 12s. I have a Year 12 who has just sat the exams and is anxiously awaiting the results. This is the time when people make decisions for their future. I know there is stress for the students and their families, so I wish them all the best.
I say special thanks and send best wishes to my family, especially to my wife, Margaret, who, in the past five years has had to put up with a lot, not only the trips and functions, but also sometimes I would go home tired and cranky. I thank her very much for her tolerance, compassion, her advice, the fact that she was there as a mother and father when I was away, and that she ran the house. Sometimes she runs my political decisions when we can sit down and exchange opinions and I very much value her opinion. Considering that she has her own job, she makes a tremendous effort, a significant effort. I pass on to her all my love and my best wishes for Christmas. My best wishes and love to Alexander, who is the eldest in the family. He is bossing his little brother, because he replaces his father when I am away. I thank him for being a wonderful person, a wonderful son. Then there is my little Michael, who is always witty, charming and funny. Lately, when I say to him that I think I will go to the doctor soon to get rid of the red mark on my face, he says to me: ‘No, no, do not do that Dad, because we can spot you from that on television when you are away’. So my best wishes to my family. I love you dearly and I thank you for your continued support.
It is a hard job to be a politician. Many people think it is fun, but the reality is the time we are working, the time we dedicate to other people’s problems is time taken from our own families, and it is very, very hard.
We must be the only group of workers who do not have a union. We do not have annual leave. We do not have long service leave. We do not have cover, and every four years we go through a rigorous assessment and we get the boot without any compensation or retrenchment. It is a hard job, but we do it because we love it and because we believe in it.
To everyone on the other side of the House, my best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, especially for the member for Katherine: a happy and healthy New Year.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this is my last adjournment for 2006, and I have mixed emotions as this year has been quite an eventful one for my family and me, to say the least.
We have run the gamut of emotions, that is for sure, and the beginning of that was when I had my vehicle accident in March. Who would have ever believed that I could have been so fortunate to survive such an accident? For that, I am very grateful. The aches and pains are a reminder of the injuries that I sustained, but the alternative sure was not an option I would have chosen. I am very grateful for the support of my husband. As the member for Casuarina has just said, families do have to put up with a lot when their partners are away. It is especially challenging when you live quite some way from parliament. Of course, I have a three-hour trip. This year, I was not only away in Adelaide recovering from the accident but I have been away again since I have been home. Mike lives in Katherine on his own but has the company of two very faithful friends, a golden Labrador called Jed and a black Labrador called Kizzy. They are wonderful companions for him - not as good as I am, I do not think, but they certainly are a good substitute when I am not there.
I would also very much like to thank my daughter Trisha Wachtel, for her support during the year, her husband, Ian, and my dear little grandchildren, Jack and Jorja, who make life so much more pleasant and put things into perspective in my life.
A big thank you to my colleagues, the Leader of the Opposition, Jodeen Carney, member for Blain, Terry Mills, and member for Greatorex, Richard Lim, for soldiering on with all the portfolios between them when I was in Adelaide recovering. As if the role of opposition with four members was not hard enough, they managed extremely capably with just the three of them. Again, in October when I was called to my brother, Glen, in Ceduna, sharing his final days, and was away for two weeks, my opposition team was again, with only three members, taking on all the responsibilities. I thank my team so much for their encouragement and ongoing support for what has possibly been one of the most trying years of my life.
I also want to acknowledge Madam Speaker. She has had her challenges during 2006 with breast cancer, and I thank her for the kindness that has been shown to me and everyone else during the year. She spoilt us rotten with her wonderful meals at night and tried to ensure that we have some sort of healthy lifestyle and eating habits when we are here for such long periods of time. We do appreciate it, Madam Speaker. She has really set a benchmark now for next year, hasn’t she? I look forward to sitting around the table with you again next year. It is great to have you back in the House, Madam Speaker, and to see you looking so well. I hope that the coming year is extra special for you. Just for the record, Madam Speaker, I have to tell you that your hair looks fantastic at the length it is. Maggie Tabberer should eat her heart out. You should leave your hair that length; you look years younger and you look fantastic.
A big thank you to Vicki Long and all staff in the Legislative Assembly who have provided so much help and support to all of us, but especially to me this year. To the Clerk, Ian McNeill, Deputy Clerk, David Horton, Terry Hanley, Pat Hancock, and all the wonderful hard-working staff who assisted on all the committees and kept us supplied with mountains of information and organised our community consultations throughout the Northern Territory, a really big thank you.
A very special thank you to Helen Allmich and all the staff in Hansard who are unseen, but have such an important role in accurately recording all the words that are spoken in the Assembly; a very patient and great job by you all for 2006.
To all the hard-working staff in the Table Office; thank you for all the running around you do for us during the year as well.
To the security staff and to the cleaners in Parliament House who are also mostly unseen, your work is very, very much appreciated.
I thank the people in my electorate and the Katherine branch for their support and patience during the year when I have not been as active as I would normally have been. Their understanding is very much appreciated and I will always be grateful for that.
I also say thanks to my former Electorate Officer, Lorna Hart. Lorna, who has recently resigned, has been the Electorate Officer in Katherine for some 18 years, approximately 15 years with the former member, Mike Reed, and for the past three years since I have been the member. Lorna has been invaluable in assisting the constituents in the Katherine electorate. Her work over the years has been very much appreciated and I wish her well for the future.
To all the elected members of this Assembly on both sides of the House, I wish you and all your families a very safe and happy Christmas and new year. A big, big thank you and a merry Christmas and happy New Year to the Leader of the Opposition’s staff: Kylie, who is a very busy mum of two little ones these days and still does a fantastic job; to Becky, a little bright ray of sunshine …
Dr Lim: She is, isn’t she?
Mrs MILLER: She is just beautiful. James, for all his guidance and his help. What would we do without you? Brad, for all of your help; John, for all of your guidance; and Greg, who is relatively new to the team, thank you so much. I wish you and your families a very happy and safe Christmas.
In closing, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, to the members for Arafura and Macdonnell, my thoughts are with you today as you both share valuable time with your respective brothers, both of whom are very ill. I understand perfectly what you are going through. Here is hoping that we will get peace and happiness in all members’ lives during 2007 and that all members in this Assembly show some respect to each other. I live in hope.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to start by thanking Ian McNeill, David Horton and their staff for the great assistance and smooth running of the Assembly this year. I wish them all a merry Christmas. I cannot pass up the opportunity to thank Terry Hanley from the Environment and Sustainable Development committee, along with Maria Viegas and Kim Cowcher, who really have made sure that this committee has kept on track. They have done a fabulous job in helping us this year and Terry, on the trips away, we have had two, it has been great.
I thank Vicki Long and staff for helping us with the electorate offices and matters that relate to those; they seem to be never ending, but to all those people, I wish them a merry Christmas.
On Wednesday 22 November, I had the opportunity of representing the Education minister at the Taminmin High School Hospitality Skills Centre official opening. This is an Australian government funded project of some $300 000 plus, and the idea was to transform the old metal work room at Taminmin into an industry standard commercial kitchen with an adjoining dining and service area. The centre was completed in Term 1 enabling Taminmin to deliver Certificate II in Hospitality as a VET in Schools cluster program on Wednesdays. The school plans to expand the training provided to include other certificate levels as well. The Stage II Food and Hospitality course has also operated in the centre for most of this year. It is noteworthy that commercial cookery is marked as one of the top five skill shortage areas nationally, and this great facility at Taminmin positions students to take advantage of training and employment opportunities in this emerging industry.
It was a great day because following the proceedings we had a buffet lunch prepared by the students, which, in keeping with the whole tradition of Taminmin, featured produce from the school farm. I must admit when we got to the goat, I was a bit conscious of some months ago having patted a few of the goats out there and they actually had names, so I was not going to follow that track too far. It was a great feast, a culinary delight and we were all impressed by the delicious fare, particularly the professional presentations by the students. Congratulations to the VET hospitality students, their trainer, Mrs Carmel Glasgow and Mrs Jenny Unwin who assisted. One of the students, Joel Bruce, provided the music on the day and that was a really nice touch to the whole thing.
Another event I was very proud and honoured to attend was the Year 12 graduating art exhibition at Taminmin High School on 14 November. Four of the students had their work selected for the Exit Art Show to be held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory next year. That is a pretty good honour. The students are Eileen Lim, who has two works that will be on exhibit, Melissa Fenwick, Matilda Wilson and Alicia Chambers. The show is held from February to May each year. It showcases the best of Year 12 students from the Northern Territory, and we are very proud of these kids.
In addition, it was announced on the night that Eileen won the summer scholarship to the National Gallery of Australia. That is quite a prestigious honour because she is one of only 16 students from across all of Australia selected for this scholarship and one of only two in the Northern Territory. She will spend one week at the National Gallery in Canberra discovering the collections and finding out why works of art are acquired, how exhibitions take place and what happens in a gallery behind the scenes. It should be noted, too, that she has a chance to see Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre; Journey to the Afterlife, which is an exhibit on loan to the National Gallery from Musee du Louvre in Paris until February. Along with the other scholarship winners, she will see that exhibition. These students are great ambassadors for Taminmin and Eileen will be a great ambassador for the NT.
On Friday, 24 November, I had the opportunity of attending the Taminmin High 2006 Year 12 Graduation Ceremony together with the member for Nelson. I will read into Hansard some of the names of the students who received awards on that night.
Agriculture and Horticulture, went to Kamarul Bin Kamarudin; Art Practical went to Cara Willian; Biology went to Amanda De Waal who also won the Chemistry award; the Child Studies award went to Danielle Collins; the English Communications award went to Matilda Wilson; and English Studies to Melissa Fenwick. The Food and Hospitality award went to Reanna Hunt. The Information Processing and Publishing award went to Linda Kitchen. Maths Studies was awarded to Melissa Fenwick, and Maths Applications to Matilda Wilson. The Psychology award when to Chanel Baily; Physics to Melissa Fenwick; and Tourism to Linda Kitchen.
As far as Endeavour Awards were concerned, Agriculture and Horticulture went to Tiffany Holden; Art Practical to Angela Brayton; Biology to Chanel Baily; Chemistry to Chin Liew; Child Studies to Rebecca Molloy; Communications Products to Mitchell Booth, Diem Nguyen and Megan Eley. The English Communications Endeavour Award went to Kamarul Bin Kamarudin; English Studies to Amanda De Waal; Food and Hospitality to Tiffany Holden; History to Angela Brayton; Information Processing and Publishing to Mitchell Booth; Maths Studies to Chin Liew; and Maths Applications to Diem Nguyen and Linda Kitchen. The Psychology Endeavour Award went to Megan Wall; Physics to Chin Liew; and Tourism to Angela Brayton. Congratulations to all those students.
There were some special awards, the Northern Territory Board of Studies Awards. The Academic Excellence Award went to Melissa Fenwick. The Indigenous Excellence Award went to Mitchell Booth. The Australian Defence Leadership Award went to Tom Wickham. The Ted Warren Citizenship Award went to Linda Kitchen. The Charles Darwin University Leadership Award went to Tiffany Holden. The Rotary Community Service Award went to Tom Wickham. The Caltex Best All Rounder Award went to Melissa Fenwick. The Taminmin High School Indigenous Excellence Awards went to Mitchell Booth and Angela Brayton. The Taminmin High School Old Scholars Award went to Danielle Collins, and the Litchfield Shire Council Scholarship Award went to Chanel Baily.
I cannot pass up this opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2006 on graduating. I will name them, this is the Year 12s: Chanel Baily, Steven Bartholdt-Green, Kamarul Bin Kamarudin, Clancy Bird, Lindsay Bird, Rachel Boon, Mitchell Booth, Angela Brayton, Justin Burgess, Alysha Chambers, Kit Cheong, Danielle Collins, Ruth Collins, Allira Coster, Camille Cullen, Paul Darcy, Amanda De Waal, Eliza Dobie, Meagan Eley, Melissa Fenwick, Simone Fox, Abbi Griffin, Tiffany Holden, Katie Howell, Reanna Hunt, Linda Kitchen, Natasha Lewis, Chin Liew, Kristy Longstaff, Michael Menadue, Rebecca Malloy, Diem Ngyuen, Nam Ngyuen, Samuel Patrick, Jaime Polain, Mark Polain, Sana Stanton, David Tang, Sabrina Veal, Megan Wall, Tom Wickham, Stephanie Willams, Cara Willian, Matilda Wilson and Bonnie Wyatt. I congratulate them all and wish them all well in their future studies or endeavours. I am sure they will be great ambassadors as past scholars for Taminmin High School.
A couple of nice things have happened, and one was related to Humpty Doo Primary School from where some of the Year 7 students attended the Statehood Steering Committee. They received a letter from Sue Bradley, the Co-Chair of the Statehood Steering Committee. I would like to read that document into Hansard and table it. It is addressed to Mrs Felicity Hancock, the Principal:
I seek leave to table that, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker.
Leave granted.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, in concluding, I thank the school principals in my electorate. I will name them quickly and wish them all a merry Christmas: John Tate from Bees Creek; Tim Webb from Belyuen; Shelia Delahay from Berry Springs; Marie Bredhauer from Girraween; Felicity Hancock from Humpty Doo; Cathy McGuiness from Middle Point; Tony Constantine at Taminmin High School; Tim White from Palmerston Christian School; Neil Maxwell at St Francis of Assisi; Jenny McArthur at Litchfield Christian School; and Chris Dias from Palmerston High School. Thank you for helping me during the year and a merry Christmas to you all.
There are some community people I would like to thank: Maureen Newman for her work on the Coolalinga Community Bank and Rural Area Business Group; Nicole Anderson, who is a great community person in respect of Anglicare and is a lay preacher with that organisation; Sharon Crook from The Gathering and Bush Church who do a great job at Humpty Doo; Michelle Leach who has promoted the Humpty Doo Girl Guides including events like the Community Cabinet barbecue which was held at Coolalinga recently; and which they helped organise; George Kasparek from the Humpty Doo Scouts who also helped with the community barbecue; Olive Frakking, a Freds Pass stalwart for her seniors singalong and organising all that this year; Mel Uddon, our office cleaner; Dean Innis and Russell Finck for the fabulous Noonamah frog races during Melbourne Cup Day; Graeme Sawyer and Paul Cowdy from FrogWatch and toad bust, which started with the launch of the detention centres in February 2006 and who are still attacking the problem right now; Jason Shuker from Shuker Buses, who has assisted us, and I have had some fabulous discussions with him regarding bus routes; Iris Beale of Taminmin Library for help with newsletter information - so thank you very much, Iris; Ron Thomas and his wife, Phyl, for the work with the Volunteer Fire Brigade at Berry Springs; Ray McCasker from the Southern Districts Football Club who is always keeping me informed of things; Sandra Parker who is a constant encouragement of young writers and poets in the Palmerston and rural area; Jeremy Hemphill and Heather Boulden who have started up the Friends of Fogg Dam; Sally Jacka from the Native Plant Society who is always keeping us informed on their events; Peter Clarke, who recently left the Cox Peninsula Council to move to Queensland; Brian Piddick, who is always raising awareness of local community issues in the Southport area; Conrad Drogemuller, who really was a stalwart as far as the Girraween Road petition went and the potential for the sealing of that; and Boyd Scully from the NT Boxing Association, especially for helping the boys at the Taminmin Gym. He has done a great job. I wish them all a merry Christmas.
I conclude by thanking my Electorate Officer, Clare Hasewski. We are a fabulous team. She has been the stalwart of the electorate office, like all our electorate officers. I wish Clare and her family all the best for Christmas and the New Year, and have a well-earned break.
In conclusion, I thank all my parliamentary colleagues. It has been a very inspirational year and, at times, testing. However, we have got through it and I know that we all have good feelings for each other. I wish all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, your time has expired.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, a jam-packed report, member for Goyder; well done.
In considering what I would speak about tonight, I recalled this time last year. At that time, the nation’s focus was on the impending execution of a young Australian man for drug trafficking. Also at that time, I had only recently learned that a former student of mine had passed away from a drug overdose. I found the exercise of preparing for tonight sobering in that how easily we forget such significant moments. I do not forget Katie, who is no longer with us. I had the opportunity during the year, in fact, to meet Katie’s mum in Geelong.
I was at Palmerston High School today to see the graduation of Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, and talk about education, curriculum and philosophies that underpin the way we consider the very essence of what kids learn at school. Hopefully, by remembering some of the significant things that have occurred in this year, and since last Christmas, we might also remember the need to ensure that we recognise the true values and principles that provide proper guidance and strength to our young people who face a future over which we have some influence.
I say that as a point of reflection for honourable members to recognise the importance of our work in this Chamber. Whether we are satisfied with the work that we do is a question for each of us to settle. I note from the comments made by honourable members in this adjournment debate there seems to be a common theme: a reflection on the difficulties or challenges of the year. I feel the same. It has been a particularly difficult year and increasingly so, causing questions to be raised as to what this really is about. They are important questions because unless we ask such questions, we will just accept things the way they are.
It has been a difficult year and I look forward to 2007 to extract as much as possible from the personal lessons learned in 2006.
At this point I would like to focus on my dear wife, Roslyn. Ros, who has been with me for 24 years, is a wonderful woman and is a dedicated and inspirational teacher. I have not in all my years in education, 17 years, met a more dedicated teacher. She is an inspiration to me and a credit to the profession. I am grateful for the contribution that my wife makes in such a magnificent way to the lives of young people and continues to do so. Ros, I love you and thank you for the support you provide me. I am with you. You know the job we do in this Chamber is difficult; thank you for the understanding that you have.
When I entered the Chamber, I had two children at home. I no longer have two children at home. My dear daughter, Kristin, our number one, was married during this year. I remember the time that we shared together, Kristin, working on campaigns and the fun of all that, and to see things develop and mature in ways that perhaps were not expected, but to rejoice at the same time and memories that we have had and the times that you now spend in growing a new life. Congratulations upon your graduation from Curtin University as a physiotherapist. To Matthew, the times that we spent together that we no longer spend together in the same way, I am proud of you, young man. I look forward to catching up with you during the holidays.
I acknowledge the wonderful support that I have had from Tasma, my Electorate Officer, for the last seven years. It is also a burden on Tas and her family. It is an unusual job that we have, particularly today when Tas had to inform me that her eldest son, Chris, had broken his leg in a motorcycle accident. That serves to remind us that the dramas of life continue whilst we conduct our business in this Chamber.
To my opposition colleagues, yes, it has been a difficult year. What is to come are lessons learned from this year and years preceding to be applied in 2007, bearing in mind that which we state at the commencement of our proceedings, to advance and prosper the best interests of Territorians. I hope that we can, in the games that are played, which I am finding less fun than ever before, we can bring our minds back to that which actually advances the best interests of Territorians.
To the Leader of the Opposition, it is a difficult job, I know. To member for Greatorex, I admire you for your experience, both as a friend and colleague, your time in government and opposition. For the member for Katherine, it has been an immensely difficult year. You have been an inspiration with your grit. It helps me remember the character of Australians, particularly those who come from the country who are able to rise up with a good attitude and just press on. You have survived Katherine floods and a terrible accident and you are still with us. I admire you and Mike.
To members of this Chamber, and those who have now served their first full year, it is an interesting job. The member for Wanguri and I share a common entry date into the parliament and have seen some interesting things. We have seen the reversal of positions in the Chamber. Sadly, I can acknowledge that I have not seen the same reversal in positions. The position seems to exist on that side of the House and this side of the House remains unchanged whether CLP or Labor. I remember those times and it causes me some consternation.
To those who have been here for some time, I have already acknowledged the members for Greatorex and Nhulunbuy. To the member for Nhulunbuy, specifically, I wish you a merry Christmas, as I wish to all honourable members and their families. We share a common challenge and it imposes a weight upon those who are around us. I wish you all and your families a special time together as you find time over the Christmas break.
For those who support us in this Chamber, your work is not unnoticed. I have worked on theatre productions where the characters on the stage seem to get all the limelight. I have worked behind the scenes, too, and I acknowledge the generous and constant professional support that we receive. For those who are listening to us in Hansard, thank you for your work and for the miracles that you perform with the language that is spoken in here and transferred to the written page.
To the families of Palmerston, the dramas and challenges that you face on a daily basis is why we are here, as for families across the Northern Territory. That is the purpose of our activities and exercises in here. I hope that in some small way you detect that we have made some kind of improvement to your lot. I thank you for your support and hope that I can continue to support you in 2007 and make some progress that would be meaningful to you.
I also acknowledge the inspiration, as the member for Katherine has been with her challenges this year, of the Speaker of this House. She is, indeed, an inspiration. I admire you deeply and I acknowledge the challenges that you have overcome. You have injected something to this Chamber by your witness. I acknowledge that it is a burden that has also been borne by your family. My thoughts are especially with you as you spend some time together over the Christmas period.
I will take a leaf out of the good member for Nelson’s book and my parliamentary colleagues, the Independents: for those who have been forgotten in my comments, you especially have a wonderful Christmas period.
I would like to turn to one matter that I am quite proud to be able to report, and I must say I am looking forward to it. What commenced as an interest in regional links and engagement with other economies around the world, I want to identify Taiwan as a place with which the Northern Territory could develop special links.
I have always had an interest in Taiwan. I respect Taiwanese history and I have learned more about Taiwan in recent times. I have had the opportunity of progressing some higher level links through my visit to Canberra and from a couple of visits of Taiwanese representatives in the Northern Territory. From those, I expressed interests in exploring possible links between the Northern Territory and Taiwan and, from the friendships that have been forged with the Taiwan office in Canberra has arisen an invitation, for which I am immensely grateful, to visit Taiwan before Christmas. The purpose of that trip is to explore possible links between the Northern Territory and Taiwan.
I am looking forward to that because I feel that the size of the Chinese economy is so massive and so attracting of attention when on the side is Taiwan, which has significant investment connections into China, but it is a very different marketplace and provides unique opportunities for the Northern Territory by way of niche markets, principally horticulture. That is one area I will be exploring in Taiwan, but also education exchanges.
There was a visit from a Taiwanese university to this very Chamber in October, and surprisingly, there is a link between Australia and Taiwan through our indigenous commonality. In the small country of Taiwan, which is half the size of Tasmania with a population slightly greater than Australia, they have a strong recognition of indigenous Taiwanese who have traditional language and cultural links to the Philippines and Malay language groups, interestingly, extending all the way down to the Maori, but that is another story and a fascinating story, too. There is a very strong interest in indigenous matters, and I will further explore this in Taiwan. They have already developed links with the university here and universities in Taipei. I look forward to reporting to the Chamber when I return.
There are probably many more things I would like to say, but I wish all members of this Chamber a good holiday. I hope we are able to draw strength from our time together. Who knows what 2007 will bring? I hope it brings advancement in the best interests of all Territorians.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is that time of year again, and I am sure it comes around quicker each year.
Personally, I love Christmas; however, I also recognise that Christmas is a very hard time of year for many people. Paradoxically, Christmas causes many in our community to feel alone and depressed. I take this opportunity to thank the many organisations and volunteers that try to assist and make Christmas a little more joyful for those who feel there is not much to be joyful about.
Many families will face financial pressures this year, pressures not made any easier by our country’s new IR regime. I, and many of my Labor colleagues, attended the National Day of Action today. Not a single member of the opposition or even an Independent was present. They obviously do not want to know about the pain that these laws are causing everyday working people. All they needed to do was show some support. The CLP at every level of government does little to assist Territory families. I hope they have lined up a job for Dave as he is going to need it. Try to make it a decent AWA, though.
I would like to thank my family for their continued support. Without it, I am nothing. I say to all of them: you help keep me going and it is comforting to know you are there. Thank you.
I extend a huge vote of thanks to my electorate officer, Joanne Flesfader and her husband Dan. Jo and Dan are part of our family. The people of Palmerston and I are very lucky to have Joanne in the Brennan Electorate Office because she creates order and efficiency out of complete chaos. Jo receives many compliments from members of the public about her abilities and I can only concur.
I thank all the staff of the Legislative Assembly for their dedication and assistance throughout the year, although, I confess it is nigh on impossible to rate anyone better than anyone else within the Legislative Assembly because everyone does such a fantastic job. I would like to make special mention this year of two staff members: Ms Renee Manley and Ms Anna-Maria Socci are a credit to this Assembly. I dropped in on the Parliament of Wizards when Sacred Heart School attended parliament. I thought I had walked into a chapter of Harry Potter, except I was faced with two Professor McGonagalls. Ms Manley’s and Ms Socci’s enthusiasm is always plainly apparent, and it is obvious that visitors of all ages to this Assembly warm to them. Well done to you both.
I also thank by name the security staff who work at the Assembly. Thank you to Samantha Day-Johnston, Tara Hiskens, Chantel Johnson, Mark Sheil, Karin McGrath, Lorraine Mason, Luke Hayward-Ryan, John Phillips, Wendy Wallis, Stathi Kosmidis, Miltiades Zervos and Mohibur Rahaman.
Schools are the training grounds of our future; teachers are the guides we entrust with our future. I thank all the wonderful teachers at our Palmerston schools and, indeed, around the Territory. School councils are the parents and teachers who give up their valuable personal time to do whatever they can to support the running of the school. I acknowledge and thank the Gray Primary School Council: Cindy McGarry, Principal; Eric Smith; Trisha Graham; Angie Kirwin; Nikky Natar; Kathy Paterson; Jenny Kirby; Kylie Drysdale; Natasha Ryan; Sue Wood and Lisa McGaffin. Gray Primary School does fantastic work. They lead the way with using electronic whiteboards. They have had great results with the advanced literacy program, so congratulations to everyone there.
I thank the school council at Bakewell Primary School: June Wessels, Principal; Peter Chandler, Chairperson; Gail Laine; Adam Voigt; Helen Armstrong; Jenny McCrory; Ian and Teresa Mathers; Jodie Stafford; Trinity Baird; Leanne Garraway; Keryl Cottier; Shontelle Heard; Kay Devine; Lee-Ann Hardy; Jodie Winston; Justin Ward; Donna English; Nicole Jacobsen; Fiona Dunbar-Smith; Leonie Commons; Karyn Ozolins; and Heni Bramley. Bakewell is the biggest school in the Territory. Its teachers and council do a great job every year organising the sports evening. It is a wonderful community event. I also thank Terri Hunt at Bakewell for her assistance.
I thank the school council at Moulden Park Primary School: Greg Jarvis, Principal; Maryanne Muller, Chairperson; Wendy Jordan; Cheryl Baldwin; Julie Stewart; Kathleen Irwin; Leanne Kelson; Anna McRae; Margaret Howe; Jenny Walker; Angela Callaghan; Carol Knauth; Jackie Izod; and Liza Wynen. Moulden Park Primary School also does excellent work. They have some great artists at the school. I saw some of their work earlier this year.
Palmerston High School has been in the spotlight quite a bit this year. It has been a very interesting time. I place on my record my thanks to: Chris Dias, Principal; Russell Ball, Chairperson; John Baldock; David MacLean; Karen Gilfuis; Michael Wadrop; Liz Christie-Johnston; Debbie Ramsay; Raelene Babore; Robert Lee; Jacqui Wadrop; Debbie May; Craig Overall and, once again, Helen Armstrong, who is on two of the school councils. For anyone I have missed from the councils, and I suspect there probably are a couple of names, my apologies in advance. All these people do excellent work.
I was at the awards ceremony at Palmerston High School today and the young people there are a credit to Palmerston. Some students are doing some really great work and it is a very good school body.
I take this opportunity to place on the record a special thanks to Chris Dias and Greg Jarvis who are both retiring at the end of this school year. Both gentlemen have served our community extremely well and left their positive mark on many young Territorians. Some are not so young any more. I am sure all present and past students of theirs wish them both all the best. I certainly benefited from their knowledge and experience.
To Julian Denholm and Lester Reinbott and the rest of the staff at Good Shepherd Primary School and Chapel, thank you for having me at the school throughout the year.
I also thank Sacred Heart Primary School for their warmth and welcomes: Cathy Neely, Principal, and Bill Bemelmans and the staff there do a wonderful job.
Tricia Murray and Karen Matthewson at Cover to Cover Books in Palmerston have ensured I have had the right book for the job throughout the year. Run Hare Run was a fantastic hit at both Gray and Good Shepherd schools when I read it, so I thank them for all of their assistance through the year.
If a person does not know how to barbeque when they are elected, then it does not take too long to learn. Barbeques are part of modern Australian politics. I thank the team at Quality Meats Palmerston for keeping me well supplied throughout the year. On a personal note, they stock great lamb shanks, too. Thank you to Rob Sheedy, Manager, Tony Ede and Herman Veldt, the Assistant Managers, Terry Fauser, who has just finished his apprenticeship – congratulations; and Julie Cook.
None of us would be able to do very much at all without a legion of volunteers and I certainly have mine. There are many people I have to thank for their input and support through the year: John and Daphne Reid, thank you; Dottie Daby, thank you for everything you do; Valda Ioane, the newsletter would definitely not be the same without you; Keith and Maureen Thomas; Cath Cockcroft; Marlene Smith; Brian and Elva Whitbread, thank you all; Beau Robertson, I hope the carpet bowls are going well; Shad McDonald, need I say more? He is a legend and always comes out to help whenever he can; Curly Nixon, thank you for your coffee appraisal. You are always welcome as long as you are telling us the coffee is good; Simon Hall, Merv Hunt, Michelle Parker, Michelle Picken, Carmen Weir, thank you very much for all the help you have given me. Simon and Merv, I do not know where you find the hours in the day, but I am very grateful to you for it; my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Pete, thank you for your help and for the support you provide; Moyston Wright; Russell Wilson, who is now working with the member for Drysdale, welcome on board. It is a great Palmerston team we have. Just while I mention that, Sarah Schubert, thank you for all your efforts whilst you were based out at the Drysdale office as well.
To Trevor White, thank you for your support and input; Art and Milly Libien, Dennis McAndrew, Brendan Cabry, of course, Bev Hale, Kathleen McQuinn, thank you for doing the relief work when Joanne has been away. It has been extremely important to have you there; Ramola, family, friend, thank you for being there and for assisting us for everything that has happened this year. It has been invaluable and all the family would like to say thank you for all that you have done and being a pillar of support. I would also like to thank Ann McNeill for her input.
I put on the record my thanks to the Palmerston Regional Business Association, Wayne Zerbe and Geoff Goodrich do a fantastic job there, as do members of the PRBA executive. I am looking forward to the Christmas function at the end of the year and working with you again next year. Kevan Turnbull and Simon Baker-Jones of the Palmerston Scouts Group, well done for the work you do. Tom and Anna Finlay at Finlays are important business people in the community; I have really appreciated the help and support you have given me since I was elected.
Thanks to Andrew Cripps at C-Max Cinemas, which does a fantastic job supporting the community of Palmerston. They are always willing to be involved in community causes with donations of cinema tickets and the like. Thank you to the team there. It is very much appreciated by all.
I would like to make mention of the management and staff, especially Lyrella Trainer and Greg Frewin, at Cazalys Palmerston Club. Cazalys is an institution at Palmerston, everyone knows that. Thanks for their support of community events, especially the seniors’ bingo and morning teas that they host. Thank you very much for that.
To Terry and staff at The Hub, another institution in Palmerston, well done; I hope you had a successful year and the staff and management at Palmerston Tavern who are key supporters of the Palmerston Raiders.
To Janice Warner and Diane Evans at Floral Way, thank you for your assistance through the year providing wreaths and flowers for various occasions. You have really outdone yourselves on several occasions.
Michael MacLean at the YMCA, which, along with the YWCA in Palmerston, does great work and I put on record my thanks for what they do with both young and old people. As well as the drop in centre and the activities they have for young people, they host carpet bowls, which the older citizens of Palmerston really enjoy.
Nicola Allsop, I wish you all the best in 2007 with the Handy Rural Business Guide. It is a great little publication and I thank you for your assistance throughout the year.
Rhonda Hulley runs the Palmerston Salvation Army Companion Club, which is an excellent community group which helps aged and infirm citizens and gives them the opportunity to get out and do a few things.
Kentish Family Day Care at Palmerston does a lot of work with families and I thank them for their assistance. Aaron and Renee Doidge at the Palmerston Gymnastics Club, well done for another successful event this year, another successful time for Palmerston gymnastics.
To all the other clubs at Palmerston - I wish I had time to name you all individually, but I do not - merry Christmas to you all. Happy new year. Drive safely. Do not drink and drive. I look forward to seeing you in 2007.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I received a phone call with news that Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell from The Australian won Walkley Awards. This is no mean feat and it is appropriate that they both receive the hearty and warm congratulations of this parliament. They are both based in Darwin. We all know them of course, as politicians and Territorians who read The Australian know them and respect their work. That is, most Territorians respect their work, and I will come to that shortly.
Before I do, it has been the case this week in particular in this parliament that we have seen government members rise to talk in enthusiastic terms about the outstanding achievements of young people from the Top End in particular. Of course, we as parliamentarians and as Territorians encourage and support these young people.
What will be interesting to see is if, in due course, the Chief Minister and her colleagues rise in this parliament to acknowledge the equally significant and outstanding achievements of Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. I know both of these gentlemen. I do not profess to know either of them very well. We all know of the relationships we as politicians have with journalists; it is a working relationship. They, like politicians, call it as they see it. They, like politicians, rely on information that comes to them and they, like politicians, do their best to fulfil their obligations to, in the case of journalists, their readership and in the case of politicians, their constituents.
I do not really expect that government members in the next sitting of parliament will rise to enthusiastically or otherwise congratulate either of these journalists, yet they should. They should because to win a Walkley is no mean feat. The reason for my pessimism when it comes to anticipating the lack of support these guys will receive from this government is because of an article written by Ashleigh Wilson very recently. In fact, it was only 10 or so days ago, Ashleigh Wilson, in the course of his job, was leaked information. He was told that the Chief Minister was under the pump in terms of her leadership, and he received detailed information not only about why that was, but who was doing what, who wanted the job and, of course, it was the member for Wanguri.
Ashleigh Wilson, like any other journalist with a scoop like this, published the story and it found its way onto the front page of The Australian. It must have been a very sad day for Labor politicians. We all know the Weekend Australian is folded in half. The top half was Rudd and Beazley and that leadership speculation, and the bottom half was a story about the Chief Minister and her aspirational colleague, the member for Wanguri, who is also the Leader of Government Business.
Now, them’s the breaks. Scoops get out and that is the nature of politics and journalism, but what happened thereafter is to the eternal shame of Labor politicians on the other side of this House. Ashleigh Wilson, on 20 November, reported the Chief Minister as saying the comments published in The Australian were not even speculation; they were imagination. At about the same time, it was clear, as Ashleigh Wilson published in his article on 25 November 2006, and I quote:
He went on:
This went out in the national newspaper in this country. For ministers having a bad day, to get stuck into a journalist is beyond the pale. I hope that, at least behind the scenes, someone has said to the Chief Minister and her opponent that they really should not do it again because this bloke was doing his job. He had a scoop, it was a good political story and he ran it.
As a result of this, and as he described in his article on 25 November, the government went into damage control. Almost everyone was interviewed, and there were predictable responses. The predictable response came from everyone except, to his credit, the member for Barkly who, unlike his colleagues, did not personally attack or attack the professionalism of this journalist. He said, in his interview with ABC Alice Springs on 20 November:
At least the member for Barkly did not get stuck into this individual; he was more interested in who and how.
The aspirational Chief Minister was interviewed on ABC Darwin on 20 November. When asked about the article that Ashleigh Wilson wrote in The Australian, he said:
He went on to say:
Of course, all of the leadership speculation and the subsequent article come from various mistakes the Chief Minister has made in addition to her natural arrogance and her autocratic leadership. For members of the Australian Labor Party in the Northern Territory Branch to embark on such an appalling and astonishing attack of a journalist is unprecedented. Labor Party members should be embarrassed and ashamed in the normal course of events, but what makes it worse is that they know what this guy does for a living. They know he is a political journalist and that it was a scoop. They knew that he was nominated for a Walkley. They also know, as we do in politics, you have good media and bad media. Unless Australian journalists call it as they see it, then the Australian public does not get that balanced account of politicians and political issues that they should in this country, and traditionally always have.
On a previous occasion, I have spoken in parliament about an Alice Springs broadcaster by the name of Matt Conlan, who runs a talkback show on an Alice Springs radio station, 8HA called Territory Today. There was a subsequent article written in The National Indigenous Times, and if I have time I will come back to that, that was an attack on Matt Conlan, me and pretty much everything. It referred to some sort of gushing praise of Matt Conlan. Gushing praise has been heaped upon a number of Territorians in this parliament this week and, indeed, on earlier occasions, because politicians in this place acknowledge that when our fellow Territorians do well and win a national award or national recognition, just like Matt Conlan at 8HA did, then we, as politicians, should come into this House and record our thanks and our admiration of them on the Parliamentary Record.
It is, therefore, a shame that this government obviously has worded up the National Indigenous Times, tried to say that a politician by commending a fellow Alice Springs resident for getting a national award was somehow gushing praise. No, it was not. It was worthwhile recognition of his achievement in the same way I am talking in this place tonight, acknowledging the achievement of Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. It is appropriate. It is what is done. In particular, in the case of political journalists, all of us, regardless of whether you get a good or bad story, one of our fellow Territorians has been nominated for a Walkley Award. That is about as good as it gets in these two guys’ chosen field. Is it not worthy of recognition? Absolutely! I would be saying the same regardless of who it was or the story they wrote.
Yet I do not expect the sort of – if I may use the expression - gushing praise that we have seen heaped upon other Territorians by the Chief Minister and her colleagues to be heaped upon Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. Why? The answer is simple: because this government did not like the article. It is clear that they did not like the article. They were so angry about it that they, as usual, shot the messenger, tried to demean and diminish him, but it did not work. The story is still current and Ashleigh Wilson, to the extent that he had his credibility questioned, can sit back comfortably and say to the Chief Minister, who is a former journalist: ‘I have a Walkley Award; you do not’.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on 20 October this year, I had the privilege of participating in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s 5th Canadian Parliamentary Seminar entitled ‘Strengthening Democracy and the Role of Parliamentarians: Challenges and Solutions’. There were delegates from around the Commonwealth: Malta; Sri Lanka; Malawi; India; Pakistan; Western Cape, South Africa; Malaysia; and representatives from Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Manitoba.
On day one, the Chair of the Canadian Branch of the CPA, Mr Russ Hiebert MP was the host for this seminar, supported by seminar Coordinator, Carol Chafe, also Executive Secretary of the CPA, Canada. Administrative support was provided by Kathleen Gallahue. Taking care of all logistics was Lynne Frappie. Protocol and hospitality was the domain of Danielle Gourgeon and Kelly-Ann Benoit.
On day one of the seminar, we were pleased to be briefed by Mr Paul Belisle, Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of Parliaments, and Ms Audrey O’Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons. Ms O’Brien reminded me of our own experienced Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Ian McNeill. She is a wealth of knowledge and the glue that holds the place together. We also heard from Mr Scott Reid MP in relation to the Canadian political scene. Then there was a discussion on the role of female parliamentarians with the Honourable Maria Minna, PC, MP.
On day two, the first session of the day was ‘The Parliamentary Presence of Political Parties: The Role of Party Caucuses’ presented by: Senator the Hon Terry Stratton, Chief Government Whip in the Senate; Ms Karen Redmann MP, Whip Official Opposition, House of Commons; and Mr Rahim Jaffer MP, Chair National Caucus CPC. Next was the ‘Parliament and Civil Society’ by the Senator the Hon Ann Cools and Ms Mary Pat MacKinnon, Research Director of Canadian Policy Research Network.
Day three was a very interesting day with a lead off to the Museum of Civilisation, a museum dedicated to the social history of Canada. This museum has a fantastic world standard display referring to the indigenous cultures of Canada, including the Inuit people, or Eskimos, and the Canadian Indian cultures. These displays were awesome, with interactive displays, larger-than-life genuine totems, traditionally built canoes, and live footage of interviews with traditional owners of many of the original traditional homelands. The museum was huge; it is approximately 25 000m. In Darwin terms, our Bunnings store on Bagot Road, the second largest Bunnings store in Australia, is 15 000m, so the museum is basically 75% bigger than that. It is spread nicely over four floors and includes an I-Max cinema.
This museum is like many buildings in Canada. It has a purpose, a reason that it was constructed, a reason it looks as it does and a positioning reason. Galleries on level one exhibit principally of Canada’s first people, their histories, cultural identities, artistic expressions and traditional and contemporary ways of life. Level two has three galleries and is devoted to changing exhibitions. Level three recreates sights and sounds from Canada’s past starting with the Norse explorers. Reconstructed historical settings and buildings - basically reconstructed villages - give you a feeling that you are there in the time it is set. It is so much more than a display; it has the sounds, lighting and even appears to have the smells that work to create the atmosphere. Level four is a special exhibitions mezzanine which houses the museum’s historical collections shown through changing collections.
The Grand Hall is the centrepiece of the museum. It is built in the shape of an enormous canoe. This area alone occupies 1782m with floor to ceiling windows which allow views of the beautiful parliament house buildings. The Hall was designed by Architect Douglas Cardinal and was inspired by the myth of the raven’s magic canoe, which could shrink to the size of a pine needle or expand to hold the entire universe. The raven is a very important character of native mythology. He is the cultural hero; the trickster, the transformer. Native beliefs state that the raven placed the sun and the moon in the sky, created all rivers and lakes, brought plants and animals to the land and released humans into the world by opening a giant clam shell. The Grand Hall houses collections of six Pacific Coast Indian houses. They are connected by a shoreline and a boardwalk. Although an exhibition, you could very well be transported back in time. There is also a huge forest backdrop, which stretches the entire length of the hall and is the largest colour photo in the world.
We were fortunate to have a guided tour around the museum, but we all knew that we were just scratching the surface of this wonderful tribute to all civilisations and eras in Canada. From the traditions and lives of early Aboriginal cultures through to the whale hunting days, the first white settlers, the French influence, it was a fantastic day.
Then we were off to the Senate question period at the House of Commons, which was a very robust exchange between two sides on inappropriate use of language towards an opposition woman. I know that this would not be allowed to happen in our own parliament with Madam Speaker in the Chair.
A session on operation of an MP’s office did not directly appeal to me, although there were certainly some tips given by Madame Nicole Demers MP, and Miss Nancy Karetak-Lindall MP.
On day four was ‘Dealing with the Competition: Have the Media Taken Over the Representational Job of Parliamentarians?’ presented by Senator the Hon Jim Munson who was once a high powered political journalist. Senators’ positions are appointed, not elected and, until recent times, have been appointments for life. In a recent amendment, senators can now only serve until they are 75 years old. The Senate’s oldest senator was 103.
There followed a session on ‘Parliamentary Committees: What Works and What Doesn’t?’ by Mr John Williams, MP and Mr John Maloney, MP. There are many different ways of conducting committees. It was interesting to find out about committees in Canada:
Another session was: ‘Engaging Citizens: Resources and Tools’ presented by Mr Joseph Peters, a Partner in Ascentum. Another ‘Connecting with Constituents: Representing Pluralistic Constituencies’ or ridings as they are called in Canada, presented by Mr Derek Lee MP.
On day five was ‘Influencing Governments and Regulating the Influence of Parliament and Lobbyists’. All I can say on this topic is thank goodness we are not to this point yet.
The open topics were interesting. They included: how do we engage more women into the political arena; and how do we engage young people into the political arena? Some of the responses were very interesting and quite surprising, which is why this conference was so valuable: to get out in the big, wide world and hear about some of the problems faced by parliamentarians around the world and some of the fantastic things that are being achieved by parliamentarians made this conference well worth attending.
Needless to say, we in the Territory are leading the pack insofar as women in politics are concerned. After this conversation was on the table for about an hour, the member for Brennan let me take the lead and boast about our own parliament. As I told our international colleagues, about 40% of our parliament is female. They looked on with interest when I told them proudly that our Leader, Speaker, Opposition Leader and two senior ministers are women. They nearly hit the deck. I also explained that three of those women were indigenous, and overall we have six indigenous members of parliament. Well, the questions started to flow; they were amazed.
Canada is striving to reach 21% of women in parliament, and hope to achieve this in the next few months when around six by-elections are being held. Of all of the speakers, my personal favourites were Senator Jim Munson and Ms Nancy Karetak-Lindall MP. I would like to quote from the biography of Ms Karetak-Lindall:
The member for Brennan and I were fortunate enough to be invited to afternoon tea at the High Commissioner of Australia’s residence, His Excellency Mr William Fisher and Mrs Kerry Fisher. It was a delightful afternoon and many topics of conversation of Australia and the Northern Territory took place, particularly the correlation of issues between Australian Aboriginal people and the Inuit people of Canada. We discussed the many tragic similarities of substance abuse, health issues and housing. His Excellency then suggested that we return to Canada and visit the Inuit territories as part of a study tour.
On our return, there was a stopover in Vancouver. This allowed us the opportunity to visit the parliament of British Colombia in Victoria. In the city of Victoria, we had the pleasure of being received by the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr E George McMinn QC, and we were fortunate to lunch with the Deputy Clerk in the Members’ dining room. The Parliament House is a beautiful building, and all staff and officers of the parliament were most hospitable.
The opportunity to travel to Ottawa with the CPA has allowed me the experience of opening my mind in relation to politics in an international sense. Some things I think we do well; other things we could do more work on. It is the opening of my mind to the international political scene and being immersed in such political talent that has most benefited me as a new member of parliament.
I truly feel that my experiences in Canada, and discussions and exchange of ideas with parliamentarians around the world have given me an understanding that can be translated into my own electorate and into my dedicated service to the constituents of Port Darwin.
I thank all delegates who attended the conference and in particular the Senators, members of parliament, Legislative Assembly staff, and parliamentary office holders who gave of their valuable time and knowledge in a completely bipartisan way through the common string of the CPA. In particular, Mr Russ Hiebert MP, Chair of the Canadian CPA, and Carol Chafe, Executive Secretary of the CPA Canada should be commended for their commitment to the CPA. As a famous Canadian mounted police officer, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon says: ‘Mush, you huskies!’
In closing, I wish all honourable members of this House, all Legislative Assembly staff, all electorate office staff and all constituents of Port Darwin a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. To the business community in my electorate, I wish you fantastic, productive and profitable Christmas trading and a turbocharged 2007.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight is the last night of parliament for 2006 and I take this opportunity to recognise, thank and place on the public record community groups, committees and individuals who have helped and supported the people of Sanderson and made my role as their representative in parliament such an enriching and humbling experience.
To say that I have had my highs and lows in public life over the course of 2006 would be an understatement. Throughout the year, I have been very lucky to have standing side-by-side with me my wife, Marie, and our children, Ned and Clair. I do not believe anything can really prepare you for the public life of an MLA and the attendant loss of privacy, not only to yourself as the elected member but also to your family. My family showed me what courage, compassion, love and understanding really means. I am humbled by their love and I believe in them I see the real meaning of Christmas. To Marie, Clair and Ned, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and look forward to a lifetime of more of the same.
I also take this opportunity to advise my electorate that this year I had the pleasure of becoming a grandfather for the first time. My eldest daughter Verity and her partner Lance are the proud parents of a lovely little girl named River McKenzie.
This year also saw the 80th birthday of my father-in-law Vic Rogers, and what a fine specimen of growing old ungracefully is he! Vic has a great sense of humour. He is an ex-Queensland copper, a man of compassion and strong faith. He is truly full of the Christmas spirit. He is, this Christmas, busy in his shed making wooden toys for disadvantaged kids. I wish Vic and his wife, Val, a very merry Christmas.
If I may draw an analogy, I believe an MLA functions like an iceberg. The community see only you working hard representing constituents in getting the job done. What constituents do not see is the great support an MLA has from all manner of people. I wish all those who have helped me over the year to do my job of representing the people of Sanderson a great Christmas break.
First and foremost, I must wish Therla Fowlestone, my Electorate Officer, and her family a very merry Christmas. We have had a very busy 2006 and she has been simply fabulous. I have little doubt, and I know she would agree, that her job has been made easier by the support and love of her husband, Tony, her daughter Lany, and son-in-law, Nathan, as well as their new baby boy, Josiah, and Therla’s son, Anthony, a young Territorian doing what he loves most interstate.
I also wish my parliamentary Labor colleagues a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2007. Over 2006, this government has achieved many things to improve our lifestyle in the Territory, and I am proud to be part of that team. I look forward to 2007 and the challenges and opportunities that will confront the Martin Labor government team. I am confident that we will continue to deliver the lifestyle options that make the Territory our preferred place to live.
As a member of government, I well appreciate the hard work of all of our public servants in the implementation and operation of our policies. To the public sector as whole, I wish each and every employee a very merry Christmas.
I send special Christmas wishes to the staff of the Legislative Assembly and the Parliamentary Library Service. Your help and cheerful manner over the year has been greatly appreciated. I look forward to working together again in 2007.
There is also another group in Parliament House whom I truly wish a very merry Christmas and happy new year. They are the staff of the ministers’ offices. No request seems too difficult or too minor for them to jump in and help complete. It is thanks to them that I am able to consistently and effectively help out the individuals, families and organisations that make up the fabric of the Sanderson electorate.
There is one last group of people who support me to do my job in Sanderson, and this is the electorate officers of my Labor colleagues. These people have a strong network based on trust and understanding and the sharing of the complexities of working within an electorate office that helps me to more readily develop solutions to constituent issues. To them, I wish a very merry Christmas, and I hope you do not get too burned out organising all of the Christmas party lists and attending all of those functions. You do a great unsung job throughout the year, but let me assure your efforts are well known and appreciated by all elected members; happy new year for 2007.
While I am the elected member for Sanderson, this does not translate into me being the only one who works hard to make our electorate a great place to live. I extend my sincerest thanks and best merry Christmas and happy New Year wishes to the volunteers who unselfishly help me to help our community. In particular, Teng Murray and her husband, Michael, and all of my Chinese Timorese friends for their ongoing assistance. Nothing is too much trouble for them whenever we need their help, such as folding newsletters, stuffing envelopes and assisting us with community functions and events.
Thank you also to Barbara Baggley who generously shares some of her spare time to assist us in the office.
There are also the Sanderson Karama ALP branch members who provide a good sounding board on local issues and the effectiveness of government policies and initiatives. I am honoured and proud to be part of this debating team. We work hard to ensure the policies of our government are relevant and what is needed by the community. Our branch members are not faceless entities, but hard-working local people who have at the core of their beliefs the desire to improve the overall social, physical, emotional and economic health of our community. Merry Christmas to you all.
I thank and extend my best Christmas wishes to the following organisations and associations for their continuing support to the electorate of Sanderson: the Darwin City Brass Band, led by Robbo, for their ongoing support with this year’s community events that took place in Sanderson; Betchay Mondragon from Multicultural Solutions for involving me with youth programs, and Robert Williams, Director of the Multicultural Council of the NT and his team; John Rivas and the officers and committee members of the Filipino-Australian Association of the NT Incorporated; Bruce Samson and his committee and Craig Burnie, Function Manager, and his team at the Darwin Golf Club, which has always been supportive in accommodating our annual functions like The Big Cuppa and the senior’s brunch during Seniors Month celebrations. To all of you, I wish a very merry Christmas and a happy 2007.
I also acknowledge the support of the business people in and outside the community who help us year after year whenever we have community events. Their contributions are very much appreciated especially donations for awards, raffles, prizes and performances. The first one I would like to mention is Stephanie and Kim Lin from the Northlakes Chinese Restaurant; Kalotina Kotis and her team of professional hairdressers at Kut & Kurl Salon in Northlakes Shopping Centre; John Lay of Darwin Enterprises Pty Ltd; George and Tania Enterprises; Sharm Bali of Territory Care Support and Services; Ian Kew at Darwin International Airport; Darwin Airport Resort; Myf from Jamealah Belly Dance Troupe and Dance School; Hingston Chinese Restaurant; La Paez Anula Fish and Chip Shop; Malak Supermarket; Brumbies; Red Rooster; Subway Northlakes; and Judy Williamson at the Northlakes Newsagent.
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year to the community groups who regularly use our Sanderson community room, which is used by an interesting cross-section of public groups for their meetings: Womens’ Golf Northern Territory; Rachel Kroes Sing Song Signers; COGSO; Darwin Athletics; Darwin Football Club; Australia-Africa Friendship Association; Carmen McVicar and her committee members of Marrara Dragons Soccer Club; John Allan and Dawn Lawrence from the Christmas in Darwin Association; Dawn Miller from Football Federation of the Northern Territory; Anula Neighbourhood Watch; Scouts Northern Territory; Racehorse Owners of the Northern Territory; Alzheimer’s Australia; United Nations Youth Association; Darwin Gymnastics; Mindil Beach Market Committee Group; The Down Syndrome Association; and the Malak Family Centre. It is indeed a very popular office. To each and every volunteer and paid officer of these organisations, the Sanderson community is all the richer for your generous gifts of time and the effort you make to continue the lifestyle we all love in the Top End. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to each and every one of you.
There are three schools in the Sanderson electorate. Each is very similar in that they have highly competent, professional and caring teachers and staff supported by active, diligent and thoughtful school committees. The year 2006 will end with the retirement of our much appreciated Wulagi Primary School Principal, Mrs Jan Perrin, and a new career path taken up by Sanderson High Principal, Mrs Denise Wilkowski. To both of these principals, I extend the thanks of the families of Sanderson for your years of dedication and helping our kids prepare to make their way through life. I thank Marie Garrigan for her tireless work over the years and I look forward to working with her in 2007.
My gratitude goes to the parents who serve on the various school committees. Their dedication always amazes me. Nothing seems to be too much trouble from fundraising activities, care of the school facilities and extracurricular activities. Such great people are so generous with their time.
Over at Sanderson High School this year’s school committee members were Greg Gibbs, Doreen Walsh, Lisa Lock, Michelle Sa Pereira, Liz Tak, Fatima Tam, Elizabeth Rumler, Stewart McGill, Denise Thomas, Cassandra Hodges and Lyn Wanganeen.
In Wulagi School, they were: Heimo Schober; John Chugg; Nicky Coalter; Margaret Arbon; and parent members Chris Harris, Penny Kirby, Paul Allen, Cathy Allen, Susie Thomas and Kirsten Cridland. Teacher representatives are Christy Refchange, Tania Kolomitsev, Fiona Oliver and Jim Kensey.
The Anula School committee is comprised of: Jo Glennon, and Elizabeth Lohmeyer, Haidee Brown, Leanne Noble and Sharna Raye. The parents’ representatives are Felicity Creed, Andrew Tupper, Michael Rollo, Verena Graham, Kathie Stoll, Dorothy Iji, Robin Lawrence, Denys Spencer, Cassandra Yaxley, Tania Lockwood and the preschool rep is Kylie Sullivan.
To all of the teachers, staff, parents and students of Sanderson, I wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Finally, I wish all members of the opposition and the Independents a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is that time again. It will be December tomorrow and before you know it, Christmas will be here and 2007 on our doorstep.
It has been a very busy year, full of events and action. I am looking forward to the holidays and spending time with my family. Until then, the schools and groups of the Wanguri electorate promise to keep the diary packed full of excitement and Christmas cheer. Being the minister for Education, there have been many occasions where I have been able to combine my local school visits with the role of government initiatives and programs.
I recently issued a media release on the 5000 new state-of-the-art computers which were given to government schools across the Northern Territory. I was pleased to visit Leanyer Primary School to see the new computers in action. I had a chat with Leanyer students Alexander Cox, Caitlin Paynter, Jonty Hodge and Courtney Chin to find out what they think of the new computers, and their response was they think they are great. Teachers will also benefit when they are all supplied with a new laptop early in the 2007 school year, which will be great for them.
It is not often that you get the Chief Minister reading stories to preschool students, but this did happen recently at Wanguri Preschool, as the Chief Minister and I launched the Focus on Literacy program. The program aims to get schools, parents and students working together to improve literacy outcomes, and this is a great initiative. I thank the Wanguri Preschool students, preschool teachers, Shirley Neve and Principal, Jenny Robinson for the opportunity to launch the program at the school.
I was given the chance to read Big Rain Coming to the preschoolers and it was a real buzz. The students then treated us to a song and dance of the Big Rain Coming, which was very entertaining. It is great to see Leanyer Preschool taking part in Phase 3 of the Early Age of Entry Program. The trial ensures that for the first time students have full-year access to transition after moving up from preschool. The trial has been running at Wanguri Preschool for the last couple of years with great success, and I am pleased that 22 new schools are taking on the trial across the Northern Territory.
World Teachers Day 2006 is an important date in the diary. Each week every year, I make sure I get around to all six schools in my electorate to thank the teachers for their work and supply some morning tea. This year, it happened that I was at Dripstone High for a routine visit with Principal Lyn Elphinstone, DEET CE Margaret Banks and the member for Casuarina. The visit was a chance to see how preparations for middle schools next year are going, and to have a walk around the school to chat with teachers and students. I, together with the member for Casuarina, believe Dripstone High School will be offering a quality middle schools program next year, and that is why both our sons Alasdair and Michael are enrolled to be the students in the first intake in the school for next year.
On 7 October, I was thrilled to attend the NT Timorese Chinese Association Moon Festival inauguration of the 13th Committee Dinner and Dance. The party was attended by over 250 people. It was a great night of food, fun and festivities. A number of our members were there, and it was great to see them, including the member for Sanderson. I would like to thank the newly elected president, Rui Mu, and organiser, George Mu, for their invitation and for organising such a wonderful event. I congratulate and welcome the newly elected committee of Danny Lay, Berry Lay, Sheau Quim Chang, Victor Lim, Albert Ku, David Lay and Aurora Li. I was humbled when the association asked me to be patron, and wasted no time to accept the wonderful opportunity. I look forward to being part of many more functions in the future.
I also take this chance to wish all members of the Timorese Chinese Association and the Hakka Association a safe and merry Christmas and a great 2007; I am sure it will be a very exciting year for the association.
I would like to make note of a very hard-working and compassionate constituent of mine, Leanyer resident, Naomi Oliver. Naomi has turned her passion and love for animals into a new lost and found pets website, a practical solution for lost pets. The address is http://telaf.wordpress.com. If you have found or lost animal or a loved pet, this new website is the perfect way to reunite them with their owners.
I recently caught up with Holy Spirit Principal Gill Webb when I heard that she was moving from the school next year after nine years of great work and commitment to Holy Spirit. I was sad to hear that Gill will be the new Principal at St Mary’s Catholic School next year as she has been an important icon and community leader in the electorate and education circles. I thank Gill for all her hard work over her nine years at Holy Spirit. She has invested in the success of the school. She is very popular and, along with past and present students, teachers and parents, will be very much missed at the school. All the best, Gill. I am sure we will catch up in the near future. I wish the school staff and students a very happy Christmas and look forward to the Christmas concert on 8 December.
I thank all six schools in my electorate: Dripstone High and Principal, Lyn Elphinstone and staff, I am sorry that I will not be able to attend the Year 12 graduation and presentation tomorrow night as I will be in Alice Springs for the Brolga Awards. I wish all the school leavers the best, and it will be a very special evening as the last Year 12s graduate from the school before it becomes a middle school next year.
To Wanguri Primary School Principal Jenny Robinson, staff, and Chairperson Michael Duffy and the council committee, it has been an action packed year and the 30th birthday of the school included last year. It has been great to be a parent as well and to see the school numbers increasing. All the best to Assistant Principal, Liz Veel. After three-and-a-half years at the school she is moving on to the principal position at Nightcliff. Congratulations and all the best.
To Henry Gray and staff at Leanyer Primary School, it is always a pleasure to be involved with such a great school, which really is a pillar and the centrepiece of the Leanyer community. Thank you, Henry, for all your support, especially with the ministerial reshuffle recently. My Christmas wishes and thanks to Chairperson of the school council, Denise Phelps and to all her council committee.
To Tom Leach and staff at St Andrews Lutheran Primary School, you do a fantastic job and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and all the best for the new year.
To the Lyons developers: Director Geoff Smith and the Sales Manager, Sharon Fiest, thanks for being so easy to liaise with throughout the year as the development has really started to move and make such progress. You always impress me with your willingness to listen to the community and residents; Consultants Phil Charlton and Brian Elton, I wish you all a merry Christmas, and the best for 2007, which is going to be a huge year for the development of Lyons. I am certainly looking forward to the development progressing.
Tracy Village club is coming along in leaps and bounds at the moment, with the new oval, grandstand, change rooms, and the soon to be installed lighting, which was an election commitment from me and the member for Casuarina. All this work, along with the thriving club and bistro business can be attributed to a great team: President Gary Ross and his committee, as well as club manger John Quinlan and staff who have done a fantastic job this year. I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas.
As Vice-Patron of St Mary’s Football Club, even though we have not had the best of starts to the season, I would like to thank president Adrian Moscheni and his committee for all their hard work which I am sure will continue after the Christmas break. I am looking forward to improved results starting this weekend.
As Patron of Casuarina Junior Soccer Club, I thank president, Andrew Cripps and Diana Miranda for all their time and effort during the year. The club is growing from strength to strength, numbers are growing, and to everyone at Casuarina Junior Soccer Club, you do a great job for which I thank you very much.
To the Tracy Village Basketball Club, of which I was recently invited to be Patron, I thank president Dahlia Docherty and the committee for the opportunity. It is great to be able to be part of such a successful club. At the moment, the Tracy Village Jets have five senior teams and 12 junior teams in the finals this week, and I wish all teams the best.
To my branch of the Labor Party, the Casuarina Branch, to president, Russell Wilson, and the executive members, thank you for a great job this year. I cannot wait to get stuck into 2007.
I also thank what has now become known as ‘Team Wanguri’: George Mu, Costa Kaaolias, Roberto DeAraujo, Kent Rowe and Erin Grace, you guys are always there when Jarna or I need you. I thank you for your efforts during the last year and I look forward to catching up before Christmas.
Miss Anne Wagner, the long-time Home Liaison Officer working from Dripstone High School, is retiring this week. Anne began her career with the Education Department in July 1987. Her many years of service started at the Star Centre in Alice Springs. She then went to ANZAC Hill High School and was there for many years. Anne came to Darwin in 1998 and joined the Star Centre team. She then went to Dripstone High, where she has been a long time Home Liaison Officer. Along the way, she was located at Darwin High for a short time. Anne has filled an invaluable role for the whole of her time with Territory Education, working with students and families in a positive and focusing sense. She has been responsible for helping many people refocus and gain fresh motivation about themselves and their aspirations in life.
In the context of the northern suburbs, she is highly valued and deeply appreciated by those within the Dripstone and feeder primary schools community. Her reputation has travelled far and wide, always in a positive and appreciative sense. Anne is greatly appreciated and highly valued by all whom she has worked with as a Home Liaison Officer. Over many years, she has sorted issues and overcome difficulties schools have confronted issues of non-attendance. There have been countless other matters needing follow up. These issues have always been attended to promptly, diligently, in a way that draws things to a conclusion. Anne is a highly respected finisher because things have never been left up in the air. The Home Liaison position is one of the hardest there is when it comes to school community roles.
Anne has professionally and empathetically managed challenging situations and positive closure has always occurred because of her engagement. She cares about all people with whom she deals. Anne is valued and appreciated within the whole of the northern suburbs community. She has offered guidance and counselling for children, students, staff and parents. She always does an inordinately good, healing and restorative job. Her associates, be they teachers, support staff, parents or children, gain a lot from Anne Wagner’s optimism. She sees good in every situation, she is deeply appreciated, and will be forever remembered for all she has done for education over many years. She has been an outstanding and selfless contributor. To Anne I extend my very best wishes and thank you for many years of service to the Northern Territory.
In my Christmas best wishes, I thank my office staff Mark Nelson, Laurene, Pomp, Kellie, Jodi, Peter, Rob, Kylie and Ryan. It is a magnificent team. I am very honoured to work with you. We work well together. We work hard; we have fun and you are a fabulous team. To all of my staff, thank you so very much for everything that you do.
To my CEOs, in Education, Margaret Banks, it has been a pleasure to work with you this year. You are an inspirational leader for our educators across the Northern Territory and our departmental staff. Everyone thinks very highly of you, and I look forward to working with you next year and wish you a merry Christmas. My thanks to Maree Tetlow, CE of Tourism NT, which does a fantastic job. Tourism is going from strength to strength and it is in large part due to Maree’s commitment to tourism in the Territory. I look forward to working with you again next year. My thanks also to Ken Simpson, the CE of the Commission for Public Employment. Ken has big challenges with 14 000 or 15 000 staff. It has been a pleasure working with you this year and I look forward to next year.
I have to thank my family: my wife, Stacy, and children, Alasdair, Liam and Isobel. I am looking forward to the holidays and spending some quality time together. I love you all. I could not do this job without your support and I am looking forward to a break.
Last, but not least, my Electorate Officer Jarna, who has been with me for over three years and is moving on to complete her studies at Melbourne University and work, not full-time, but a lot more with the Bulldogs footy team, the Darwin Doggies. Jarna, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for a wonderful three years working together. I remember when you first started. It really was a huge step forward for you, but you have accomplished everything that I have asked you to do, and it has been a lot of fun working with you. I am sure whatever you do in life you will go from success to success. You are an amazing young woman. Never forget Darwin because once you have completed your studies, we want you back to contribute to our wonderful Territory. Jarna, thank you for a fabulous three years working together.
To my incoming electorate officer, Morgan from the SDA, I am really looking forward to working with you next year. You are going to become part of ‘Team Wanguri’. Morgan, best wishes and I look forward to working with you next year.
To everyone at the Department of Legislative Assembly, you do a magnificent job ensuring the smooth running of this place. It really does run like a Rolls Royce or a Rolex watch. Everyone here contributes to the parliamentary process in wonderful ways. No request is ever turned down, and all of the staff of the Legislative Assembly do a magnificent job. As Leader of Government Business, I thank you for all your efforts this year.
Last, but not least, my best wishes to our ministerial drivers who do a fabulous job making sure we get to appointments on time. I appreciate your professionalism, your dedication to the job, and wish you all a very merry Christmas.
Finally, to my parliamentary colleagues, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you again in 2006. It has been a ripper of a year in many ways but, at the end of the day, we all know that we are here because the people of the Northern Territory have entrusted us to be their government for four years. We are all working as hard as we can at an electorate level, as well as at an executive level. For those of us who are in Cabinet, it is a pleasure to work with such a wonderful group of committed people, and I look forward to working with you all next year.
To other members of the Assembly, we have some robust debates in here, but for virtually all of the part, what goes on in here stays in here. We bump into each other around the place and there are no hard feelings. To all members of the Legislative Assembly, merry Christmas and we will see you all in February.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
PETITION
Proposed Development of Lot 7717,
Dalgety Road, Alice Springs
Proposed Development of Lot 7717,
Dalgety Road, Alice Springs
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 507 petitioners praying that the proposed development of Lot 7717 Dalgety Road, Alice Springs, does not go ahead. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory we the undersigned respectfully request that the Northern Territory government does not go ahead with the proposed development of Lot 7717, Dalgety Road, Alice Springs.
Objections to the development proposal of the site of Lot 7717, Dalgety Road, Alice Springs are based on the following grounds: the facility is inappropriately located and too close to business, sporting facilities and homes; the development is likely to add to the antisocial tension in the town if not well managed and will encourage more people to come to town; there is no guarantee that it will not become a permanent camp; damage will be done to an environmentally clean area; and the funding be reallocated to upgrading services and homes on communities.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that government does not go ahead with this development and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan
Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, last month we introduced restrictions on takeaway alcohol as part of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan. The abuse of alcohol has been an issue in Alice Springs for decades. It contributes to family violence, assault and poor health, and places an inordinate strain on our health, police and emergency services.
Decisive measures were required to stem the tide. Earlier this year, I formed an alcohol task force to develop and ratify the alcohol management plan. Its purpose is to minimise the impact of alcohol abuse in Alice Springs, and it has three clear objectives: to reduce supply; reduce harm; and reduce demand. If we achieve these objectives, we will see a reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour and improved health and social outcomes for people living in Alice Springs.
So far, we have introduced liquor restrictions on the sale of fortified and cask wines, and licensees will be subject to new regulations to ensure the responsible sale of alcohol. The alcohol management plan will be closely monitored by the recently established alcohol reference panel. I will meet with them regularly to discuss key issues arising from the implementation of the plan.
It is still early days and, when I last met with the reference panel, there were some promising signs. For example, one licensee who normally sells approximately 6000 litres of cask wine per week has seen sales reduced by about 90% to 600 litres. He has also seen a marked reduction in antisocial behaviour around his premises. That was backed up by another licensee at the same meeting. That is encouraging feedback.
While we are seeing an increase in the sale of beer and canned spirits, the alcohol content of these products is lower than the cask and fortified wines. This product substitution was anticipated and will be closely monitored. We are confident the sale of pure alcohol will reduce over time.
As I reported to the House last month, there is anecdotal evidence that alcohol-related presentations to the Alice Springs Hospital continue to decrease, especially among Aboriginal males. The police also report a reduction in serious assaults: down around 40% since the restrictions were introduced. While this is encouraging, preliminary data on domestic violence indicates no shift in the pattern of presentations to the hospital.
Alcohol restrictions are just one part of our strategy. Other initiatives include investigating the potential of a permit system for the purchase of alcohol such as the IDI system, enhancing alcohol treatment and withdrawal services, and developing support programs for families.
In 2005, we introduced new antisocial behaviour legislation which gives private property owners the capacity to have their homes declared restricted premises. We also introduced the Alcohol Court Act, which allows courts to impose alcohol intervention and prohibition orders on people who are dependent on alcohol and commit criminal offences.
Earlier this year, we also introduced public dry areas legislation, which enables local councils to apply to the Liquor Commission to have public areas declared dry. Alice Springs Town Council is the first in the Territory to lodge an application. The commission must consider the views of the public and we anticipate a decision as early as possible in 2007.
We have also increased and focused police resources in areas where they are most needed. The ongoing problem of domestic violence in the region has seen the creation of a new Domestic Violence Unit to follow up on DV reports and breaches of DV orders. We must establish agreed protocols between police, medical staff and Family and Community Services. This will ensure victims of domestic violence are safe and connected to services that will help them break the cycle of violence.
Domestic violence has to stop, and there is no doubt that alcohol abuse is a key factor underpinning the unacceptable levels of antisocial behaviour and domestic violence. We have introduced the broadest range of initiatives ever seen in the Territory to reduce the impact of alcohol in our community. Madam Speaker, the problem is real and we are taking action.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for talking about Alice Springs and I note her miraculous recovery after yesterday. So much to say; so little time.
There are, of course, problems with alcohol in Darwin. I note that this government, obviously not interested in the people of Darwin either, has not set its mind to addressing those matters.
It was nice to hear the Chief Minister use the words ‘domestic violence’. Those words have not been in the forefront of her mind. She will be aware - and if she is not, she should be - of a report at the Alice Springs Hospital showing that there was one woman in particular who presented 189 times during a six-year period. This year alone, more than 666 indigenous women have sought treatment as a consequence of being victims of domestic violence.
I note with great interest the Chief Minister’s reference to establishing protocols. We thought protocols would have been in place before now. We understood that was the case. They are conceding failure on yet another front in the area of indigenous policy. We have a situation where some protocols are going to be implemented to see if that can address the situation. I am heartened that some people have taken this matter much more seriously than the Chief Minister.
Regarding safety on the street and the effects of alcohol, we hope that the Northern Territory government will review its contemptuous approach and direction when it comes to Alice Springs. We hope, therefore, that they will provide funds for the establishment and operation of CCTV cameras in Alice Springs. Police on the beat - well, do you not have some problems there? Picking up drunks, the figures are staggering; they have gone up under your watch, Chief Minister. The figures are as bad as they can ever be and it is about time you moved over, let your little friend on the left there take your job so that some outcomes can be achieved.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, obviously when we introduce alcohol restrictions, some people are going to be disadvantaged. That has been the reaction of people in Alice Springs. We are always wary of restrictions on our right to drink what we like. Unfortunately, it is not the people who drink sensibly who cause the problems; it is people who drink in an unacceptable manner. They do so because they cannot do what you and I do; have a drink quietly in their own homes. They have to come into town, buy lots of grog, sit in the creek or in a public house and drink it all at once. It is from there that unacceptable behaviour stems.
I urge the government to look seriously at wet canteens on communities in a way that they become a social place where there are activities for families and there is controlled drinking. Groote Eylandt seems successful, but Central Australia has missed out. They are the ones who are suffering. That is where your alcohol abuse is occurring.
With the substitution also came the problem of glass, which is disadvantaging elderly people because they have Gophers and do not like getting punctures, but they know now where to avoid glass. I notice that, along the Stuart Highway opposite Hearne Place, paths are being swept every day by contractors early in the morning, but the highway to Hoppy’s Camp along the river bed is still littered and really unattractive for tourists.
On the issue of tourists, there was a tourist in K-Mart who was on his phone saying: ‘Hey, mate. You’re not going to believe this: you can’t get a drink in this town until 2 pm’, which was a reference to the fact that he could not buy any takeaway alcohol until 2 pm, and that is something that is quite unacceptable in any other part of Australia. We need to be careful that what we are doing is for the good of the town and that we do not receive bad publicity because of it.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this year, a lot of effort has been put in by the alcohol task force, a community group, to look at the measures that need to be taken in Alice Springs. It is interesting to hear complaints both from the member for Braitling and the Opposition Leader about what is being done, but never throughout this whole year did either approach me and say: ‘Can I be part of the alcohol task force?’
It was a task force that had two members of council - Mayor, Fran Kilgariff and then Deputy Mayor, David Koch, two members from the combined Aboriginal organisations in Pat Miller and Neville Perkins, and Terry Lillis from the business community. It was quite public that we were having these meetings and tackling a very difficult problem for Alice Springs. A lot of work was done. There was never a word from the Opposition Leader or the member for Braitling about being part of the solution …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Or the member for Greatorex. Their complaints should be dismissed.
Road Trauma and Health
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, road accidents take a terrible human toll every year in the Northern Territory. A few statistics tell the story. For many years now, we have been averaging about 50 deaths per year, or one a week, due to road trauma,. This is about 40% of all deaths due to injury, and about 5% of all deaths each year in the Northern Territory. It is also about three times the national average on a per capita basis. Aside from the tragic deaths, many people are injured and admitted to hospital for varying lengths of stay and procedures, as well as requiring follow-up treatment. This is a problem that affects all Territorians.
Road fatalities affect Aboriginal people disproportionately, with approximately 45% of people killed on our roads being Aboriginal. However, when we look at people admitted to hospital for road crashes, then Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are affected equally; that is, the proportion of admissions reflects closely the proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the population. In recent times, there have been about 700 hospital admissions per year related to road trauma. Within the hospital system, our emergency departments are at the front line and deal every day with road trauma. For example, the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department in the last week of June this year managed 20 people injured in crashes on our public roads, 10 of whom had multiple injuries. Many of these people end up in intensive care.
The Intensive Care Unit in Royal Darwin Hospital manages about 100 cases of major trauma per year, half of which are the result of road trauma. That is about one every week. In Alice Springs, the Intensive Care Unit had 26 such patients in 2005. Lest we forget that these are real people, we have recently heard Dr Di Stephens, the Director of ICU at Royal Darwin Hospital, speak with great passion and concern about the tragedy that she sees unfolding for those unfortunate people and their families. Aside from the human tragedy, these figures represent substantial financial costs to our community.
For example, the direct costs of the hospital emergency and inpatient care plus interstate transfers due to road crashes amount to some $4m each year. Of course, there are many other direct and indirect costs, both inside and outside the health sector: police; ambulance services; long-term rehabilitation such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and limb prostheses; not to mention time off work, long-term disabilities and lost productivity due to bereavement.
A recent study from the University of Queensland estimated that the total cost to the Northern Territory economy due to road crashes in 2003 was $330m, or the equivalent of 3.6% of the Territory’s gross domestic product. This compares nationally to only 2.3% of the Australian GDP and is the highest percentage of any state or territory. Clearly, the human and financial cost of road crashes in the Northern Territory is too high and fully justifies and, indeed, requires the comprehensive and bold approach this government has taken in addressing the problem.
There has been much public discussion about some of the recommendations this government is now implementing. One person is killed and nine are seriously injured every week on Territory roads. That is why this government has acted decisively. This is about saving lives. To those who argue that speed limits are not important, will not work, or are not necessary, I remind them that when limits were introduced on the Lasseter Highway, the incidence of deaths, serious injuries and crashes dropped by one-third. In fact, it is actually more than one-third. If the measures we have introduced only reduce road crashes by 10%, then that will mean every year there are five fewer people killed on our roads. That will mean five families and their friends who do not have to go through the grief and pain of losing a loved one.
Madam Speaker, I challenge any member of this Assembly to tell Territorians that these lives and these families are not worth it.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, this really puzzles me. The Health Minister raved on about trauma on the roads and trying to save lives in hospitals.
No one disputes the fact that we all want to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents across the Territory. Of course, the cost in human lives and to the Northern Territory economy is something of which we all have to be very aware. However, the minister raved on for five minutes trying to tell us that it is the accidents on the open Stuart Highway that is the cause of this extra load on the health system. The reality is that accidents are within the built-up areas. That is what it is. The minister shakes his head, but that is what it is. Here is a cynical, political exercise over five minutes to try to tell us that by reducing the open highway speed limit, we will prevent all these admissions to the ICU at the Royal Darwin Hospital because we can avoid road crashes. That is stupid logic.
I used to live on the Princess Highway out in the country. I used to be the doctor who went and retrieved patients from motor vehicle accidents. I am fully aware of what motor vehicle accidents can do. This report said nothing about crashes in built-up areas. The speed limit cap is about limiting speed on the open Stuart Highway. Minister, do not come in here politicising this issue. If you want to do it as the Health Minister, talk about what you can do to ensure that the health system is well looked after.
Your police have failed to take care of our Territory roads, especially in built-up areas. That is your problem. Admit to it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, it is a pity that when one criticises a report which was not made available to the public for scrutiny, one is then accused of supporting increasing death and injuries on our roads. It is sad that we are given a document by the government and it is presumed that we accept it without any analysis or criticism. That is poor.
The government is totally inconsistent. You were saying that 110 km/h on the Lasseter Highway has been demonstrated to have reduced the number of fatalities. Minister, you gave us a piece of paper to support that. Fair enough.
There is only reason why you made 130 km/h on the Stuart, Barkly, Arnhem and Victoria Highways: you knew people would not like 110 km/h. Your principles were: ‘We did it on Lasseter’s, which was an open highway, we reduced it to 110 km/h; we reduced the fatalities and injuries’. The evidence base of your report said: ‘Make it 110 km/h’. You went out and did your own little community consultation and you realised that people do not travel at that speed; so you said: ‘Well, let us forget the evidence base; forget the Lasseter Highway. We will make it 130 km/h’. Arbitrary, not evidence-based. That has made this whole issue of speed limits hypocritical. You might as well have left it open. People will see through it. If you really believed you were doing the right thing, you would have made all roads 110 km/h, and then taken the hard decision. You have not and people will see through it as totally hypocritical.
You also said evidence-based. If you look under Table 9 of the document, it says: ‘19 people killed on unlimited speed roads in the Northern Territory over the last six years’. Nowhere does it say in the document where those people were killed and, to this day, I have not seen anything. I have looked for the evidence. It is up to the government to tell me where those fatalities occurred on open roads. There is nothing in this document to say where; just a bland statement to say that they have occurred.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, my message to the member for Nelson who wants to send it off to a committee is that delay equals death. If you want to delay it …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: I have already pointed to the people who potentially might die. The Lasseter Highway is a different standard from the other highways.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Just listen for a change! You might learn something. The Lasseter Highway is a different standard from the other highways. We arrived at 130 km/h for a number of reasons, including the need to pass road trains. Categorisation of speed on our highways has been addressed within the report.
In answer to the member for Greatorex, 60% of fatalities occur within the urban areas and 40% in the non-urban areas. They do not all occur within the urban area.
Finally, member for Greatorex, you are out of step with your professional body. The AMA has come out strongly on this issue. Where are you? You are out of step ethically and with the position of the AMA and the Royal College of Surgeons on this issue. As someone in a senior position said, you are politically grandstanding.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired; resume your seat.
NT Advisory Council on Ageing
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, listening to the views of seniors is high on this government’s agenda, and today I am pleased to announce that I have appointed a new Advisory Council on Ageing.
Over the next 20 years, the Northern Territory will experience an increase in the number of its citizens over 65 years old, and an increase in their numbers as a percentage of our population. Our baby boomers have high expectations of lifestyle and the services they will need, which places increasing demands on government.
The Northern Territory government needs good information regarding the current and future needs of older Territorians so we can anticipate, respond to, and plan for the changing demographic.
The Northern Territory Advisory Council on Ageing has developed from the Seniors Advisory Council established by this government shortly after we took office in 2001. The role of the council is to identify issues of concern to older Territorians and to advise government on changes needed to existing policies or legislation to accommodate the changing demographic in the Territory. Council members will also consult on ageing issues in the community, and identify priority areas for action and future research.
I am pleased to announce that Mr Cecil Black will chair the council for the next two years. He is a well-known lawyer who is active in the Family Court, and is a former Lord Mayor of Darwin. Appointed are six other Territorians as members of the advisory council:
Sister Anne Gardiner is a member of the Order of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and a tireless worker with the people of the Tiwi Islands. She is a member of the Order of Australia granted in 1996 for service to Aboriginal education and cultural development;
The council meets for the first time on 15 December and I look forward to meeting with this important group at that time. I take this opportunity to thank the members of the previous advisory council, whose terms expired in August, for their hard work: John Pollock, Barry Densley, Les Garraway, Penny McConville, Bill Roy, Richard Slack-Smith and Ian Wagner.
Meeting our seniors around the Territory always give me a lot of pleasure. Just last week, I was in Katherine and had a really good meeting with the senior citizens group. They had a lot of good ideas and suggestions, which I am sure the advisory council will appreciate from this and other similar groups across the Territory.
The government continues to make the Territory a great place to live, no matter what age you are, and a place where seniors are valued for their contribution. We are committed to encouraging seniors to remain in the Territory when they retire because there are huge benefits to staying in a community where you have your roots, support networks and where it is easy to get involved.
The Office of Senior Territorians now holds pre-retirement workshops with the assistance of local businesses and organisations to help people plan for retirement in the Territory. Over 100 people have so far attended these workshops in Darwin and Alice, and feedback has been excellent.
Another initiative is our Seniors Card scheme. Over 600 businesses now support the Seniors Card, which is more than any other state in Australia, and brings considerable benefits to over 10 000 card holders. Of course, we have Seniors Month in August every year, which is eagerly anticipated and actively supported by seniors across the breadth of the Territory.
The new advisory council has a lot of work to do and it will play a key role in keeping government informed of and attuned to the needs of senior Territorians.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report this morning. Minister, I agree that our seniors are very valuable people. I happen to be one of them. If you are 50 years of age, you are a senior, and there might be a few in this building today ...
Mr Wood: Speak for yourself.
Mrs MILLER: I have no problem and am proud to say I am a senior. In the main, seniors do not usually complain; they are usually pretty accepting of what happens in their lives.
I know that, particularly last week when you were in the Katherine electorate, they did speak to you about a lack of facilities etcetera. One of issues I have is that if government is so serious about supporting seniors, why is it that in the 2006-07 Budget, there was a reduction to Territory seniors?
I do not believe that there has been any meeting of the advisory council over the last 12 months. As you just said, there is a new one, but I do not believe that there has been a meeting of any Senior Territorians’ Advisory Committee over 12 months. I would also like to know, minister, what initiatives the Labor government has introduced for seniors over the past five years that were not initiated by the former CLP government.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, as the most senior member of this parliament - and proud of it - thank goodness, at last we have the Seniors Advisory Council up and running, even though they have not met. The last one was a dismal failure. As you know, minister, they never met and a lot of them walked away through sheer frustration because they were not treated as an advisory council; they were often stifled. I am not sure why they were there. I hope this committee is strong enough to say: ‘We are here to look at policy’.
Alice Springs has an amazing number of seniors and they do not want to leave town. Many of them are happy to be there. Our U3A group is one of the most active groups I have seen. They work out of my office. The seniors group in Alice Springs now have people on the national policy body.
I hope your new committee will meet with these two representative groups in Alice Springs who are keeping the seniors within the town. It is really important that you come up with some policies that help the seniors of the town feel secure within their retirement. That is all they really ask: to feel secure where they live. We have constantly looked for a retirement village complex in the town, but I believe the proposal that was put up by Ron Sterry still has not been given the green light.
I am pleased to see Philomena Hali on the advisory council. She is a lady who will be strong and speak up for the town, and that is important. You need to get these members out into the community, making sure they are accessible to seniors who constantly need someone to talk to. It is not just with the NT government that seniors have problems; it is also with Centrelink, probably one of the most frustrating areas for seniors.
Minister, thank goodness at last it is up and going. I hope you listen to them and give them a voice, and it is not just tokenism.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Senior Territorians): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their responses because it is an important area. I know that the member for Braitling has been on the case. The council should have met before this. There was to have been a meeting, but it cancelled and will now be on 15 December.
There are a number of initiatives on which our government has built, and we have never said that we introduced them. We have expanded the Pensioner Concession Scheme introduced by the CLP government. The expansion, which the CLP did not undertake and ignored the many benefits that now flow to senior Territorians, has been applauded.
I met recently with seniors in Alice Springs and Katherine, and will continue to do so. We have said we will promote the names of members of the new advisory council so that seniors in the community know who their members are. They also know that they can have direct contact with my office.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 83)
AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 83)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Professional Standards Act 2004.
The Professional Standards Act 2004 was enacted as part of the national tort law reforms with the specific objective of improving professional service standards and limiting the occupational liability of professionals and members of occupations in certain circumstances. The groups affected include lawyers, medical professionals, real estate agents, conveyancers, engineers, accountants, surveyors and auditors.
With schemes that are approved under the act, members of professional associations have the benefit of having their liability capped in the event of a claim brought against them in connection with the performance of their professional occupation. The Northern Territory act is based on the Victorian Professional Standards Act 2003. In turn, that act was based on the 1994 New South Wales act. Legislation dealing with professional standards schemes is now in place in each Australian state, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
The effect of professional standards schemes is also recognised by Commonwealth law so that liability is limited under Commonwealth legislation such as the Trade Practices Act. Typically, persons seeking professional indemnity coverage seek to protect themselves from the costs and expenses in fighting claims against them. They do this either by obtaining insurance that covers them for their liability up to a certain dollar figure plus defence costs; or by obtaining coverage for a total amount that includes all defence costs. The second approach has the effect of limiting the amount that is covered for defence costs. This costs-inclusive insurance is generally cheaper than costs-exclusive insurance.
Most professional indemnity insurance is costs-inclusive because, apart from cost, it is also much easier to obtain. However, in late 2005, professional associations seeking to register schemes in Victoria and New South Wales raised concerns that the wording in the legislation does not permit schemes to be approved on a costs-inclusive basis. This matter was referred to the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General. In April 2006, that committee approved the development of model legislation to remove the anomaly.
The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General recognised that the Professional Standards Council should have the option to approve schemes that were either costs-inclusive or costs-plus insurance.
The national Committee of Parliamentary Counsel produced a model national bill, versions of which have been introduced in New South Wales and Victoria. The amendments contained in this bill seek to correct a drafting anomaly by enabling professionals who are members of capped liability schemes to hold either costs-inclusive or costs-in-addition insurance cover.
The legal profession will be one immediate beneficiary from this legislation. Northern Territory legal practitioners are currently required to hold costs-inclusive cover. However, other professional service providers also generally hold costs-inclusive cover due to the wider availability of this type of policy in the current insurance market.
The amending bill will also ensure that consumers of professional services will not be disadvantaged. The professional’s maximum liability to the consumer will remain up to the amount of the cap as determined under the act, regardless of whether the relevant professional holds a costs-inclusive or costs-in-addition insurance policy.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
STATUTE LAW REVISION BILL
(Serial 86)
(Serial 86)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of the bill is to make consequential amendments to various Northern Territory laws following the enactment of the Criminal Code Amendment (Criminal Responsibility Reform) Bill (No. 2) 2005. The bill also updates superseded references, corrects typographical and grammatical errors and omissions, and clarifies ambiguous terminology in the affected acts and subordinate legislation. None of the amendments constitute substantive changes in policy or programs of government.
Consequential amendments following the enactment of the Criminal Code Amendment (Criminal Responsibility Reform) Bill (No 2) 2005 include correcting references to offences which will be renumbered or reclassified when the changes come into effect following the passage of that act.
This bill also removes references to section 154 of the Criminal Code to take into account the repeal of the dangerous acts or omissions offence. The bill also amends various acts and other subordinate legislation by replacing all references to the ‘consolidated revenue account’ with ‘the Central Holding Authority’.
Following earlier amendments to the Financial Management Act, the definition of ‘consolidated revenue account’ was defined in the Interpretation Act to mean ‘the Central Holding Authority’. However, this was intended to be a temporary measure, and it is now considered appropriate to update all of the items of relevant legislation to reflect this change.
Section 36 of the Cemeteries Act currently provides that the minister may order that burials or cremations in a cemetery cease. This section is being amended to make it clear that, despite this section, the minister may still give approval for a multiple burial in either an open or closed cemetery under the regulations.
The bill also amends section 28(2) of the Swimming Pool Safety Act. This amendment will permit a transferee who is an immediate family member of the previous registered owner to apply for a temporary acknowledgement notice to facilitate the transfer of the fee simple interest in the prescribed premises at which there is an existing swimming pool that is not certified or notified. This amendment is made to address current problems occurring where persons wishing to transfer property following a death or divorce are obliged to ensure that the pool complies with the current standards. This was not intended to be the case. A definition of ‘immediate family member’ is inserted in section 28(6).
Additionally, the bill amends section 21(3) of the Northern Territory Licensing Commission Act to increase the time required for tabling annual reports in parliament from three sitting days to six sitting days. This amendment was made to align the time requirements for the tabling of reports with other statutory bodies which have a six-day tabling rule.
Section 82 of the Taxation Administration Act is repealed. Sections 81(1) and 96(7) are amended in order to remove reference to ‘adhesive stamps’. Adhesive stamps are no longer used as a result of amendments to the Taxation Administration Act earlier this year abolishing their use.
The definition of ‘amateur drag net’ in regulation 4(b) of the Fisheries Regulations is to be amended to reduce the maximum mesh size of the net from 65 mm to 28 mm. This amendment occurs as a result of an agreement made at the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreational Fishing in 2000 to reduce amateur drag net dimensions. A phase-out period of two years was announced by the previous government in 2001 and was promoted in the 2002 Northern Territory Recreational Fishing Controls publication and other public notices. It is considered appropriate to bring these changes into effect. There are other amendments made by the bill which are of a very minor nature, and are self-explanatory.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
WORK HEALTH AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 85)
(Serial 85)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The bill will amend the Work Health Act to enable the Northern Territory to comply with nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions. The current workers’ compensation arrangements have placed a burden on employers in cases where workers are required to work interstate for periods of time. In such a case, a Territory employer is required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage for an individual worker in more than one state or territory.
Often, there is legal argument required to determine which compensation scheme is liable for workers injured, and this is costly for employers and workers alike. Over the past year or so, Australian jurisdictions have been working to introduce cross-border workers’ compensation provisions, and it is important that the Territory does the same.
The benefits of participating in nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions are clear. Not only will this arrangement reduce premium and administrative costs for employers, it will reduce the confusion faced by workers injured interstate by ensuring their workers’ compensation coverage is in one jurisdiction only. It will also avoid the possibility of some insured workers falling through the gap when a dispute arises as to which jurisdiction should be liable for their injury.
These new provisions mean that employers will only need to obtain workers’ compensation insurance to cover a particular worker in one state or territory. Under the new provisions, the state or territory in which workers’ compensation premiums relating to a particular worker are payable is referred to as ‘the worker’s state of connection’. Similarly, the benefits to which an injured worker is entitled are also determined by the state of connection. It is in that jurisdiction the employer needs to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for that worker.
The state of connection of a worker is determined by a series of tests. These tests apply to a particular contract or term of employment for a worker. The tests provided by these amendments to the Work Health Act are designed to establish the worker’s state of connection. The tests are progressive in that, if a state of connection is not ascertained from the first limb of the test, the second limb of the test is examined. If the second limb of the test does not identify a single state of connection, then the third limb is examined.
The amendments establish that a worker’s state of connection is the jurisdiction in which the worker usually works in that employment. If no one jurisdiction is identified by that first test, then the jurisdiction in which the worker is usually based for the purposes of that employment is examined. If no one jurisdiction is identified by either the first or second test, then the employer’s principal place of business in Australia is located. A worker usually works in the jurisdiction where he or she spends the greatest proportion of his or her working time.
The new cross-border provisions allow a worker to work temporarily for the same employer outside their state of connection for up to six months without the employer needing to consider whether or not a new workers’ compensation insurance policy is required. There may be cases where a worker works comparable periods of time across a number of jurisdictions, and people driving transport rigs come to mind. In these cases, the worker’s employment is connected to the jurisdiction where they are usually based.
When deciding where a worker is usually based, a number of factors will be considered. These include: the work location specified in the worker’s contract of employment; the location the worker will attend routinely to receive directions or collect materials, equipment, or instructions; and the locations from which the worker’s wages are paid.
There may be cases where a worker works equally across a number of jurisdictions and is not usually based in any particular state or territory. In these cases, the worker’s employment is connected to the jurisdiction in which the employer’s principal place of business in Australia is located. The employer’s principal place of business is the address registered in connection with the employer’s Australian Business Number. If the employer is not registered for an ABN, the state registered on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s National Names Index is the jurisdiction in which the employer’s business or trade is carried out. If the employer is not registered for an ABN or on the National Names Index, the employer’s business mailing address will establish the employer’s principal place of business.
If no jurisdiction has been identified by these tests, the worker’s employment is connected to the Northern Territory if they were in the Territory when injured, and they can establish that no compensation may be payable to them under the law of another country. At any time, a worker will be linked to one single state or territory only, and any compensation payable will be linked to that one state of connection, regardless of where the injury occurred.
In the very rare situation where it cannot be decided to which jurisdiction a worker is connected, it is recommended the employer purchase a workers’ compensation policy in each of the jurisdictions to which the worker could reasonably be connected. While generally we expect that establishing a worker’s state of connection will be a simple process directed by the legislation, the states and territories, through the Heads of Workers Compensation, have developed and are continuing to enhance a set of scenarios to assist employers and insurers manage this process.
The amendments provide a defence to a prosecution for an employer accused of not having a valid workers’ compensation policy for a particular worker. The defence will be available if the employer establishes that they did not deliberately intend to avoid their workers’ compensation insurance responsibilities. This can be shown by evidence that:
- (a) they believed on reasonable grounds that they did not need a Northern Territory policy for that worker; and
(b) they had a valid policy for the worker in the state to which they believe the worker was connected.
Finally, I anticipate the financial impact of this change on the Northern Territory Workers Compensation Scheme will be small, but positive. It will lessen the premium and administrative burden on those Territory businesses that have interstate operations by ensuring that they only need to insure any one worker in one jurisdiction, despite the fact that he or she may travel to other jurisdictions to work. The proposal will result in a very small overall premium income reduction for Northern Territory workers’ compensation insurers, but will in no way affect our scheme’s viability.
The bill repeals previous Work Health amendment bills passed but not commenced. In 1995, the Northern Territory embraced the need for cross-border consistency in workers’ compensation arrangements, and this House passed the appropriate amendment to the Work Health Act with the intent of commencing it when the other jurisdictions had complementary cross-border legislation in place. However, as a national agreement was unable to be reached at the time, the legislation was not commenced.
All Australian jurisdictions are now participating in cross-border provisions for workers’ compensation. This government believes it is vital that the Northern Territory joins this national strategy to improve the provision of workers’ compensation insurance in Australia. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee - Terms of Reference
Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee - Terms of Reference
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move:
- That the terms of reference of the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee adopted on 17 August 2004 and amended on 24 March 2005 be further amended by inserting after clause 13 the following new clause 13A -
In speaking to this motion, I would first like to recognise the member for Barkly for his tireless work as committee chair, and thank him for leaving both committees in such good shape, and welcome the member for Arnhem as the new committee chair.
On 8 September 2006, the government created a new portfolio and appointed the Treasurer as Minister for Statehood. The opposition has subsequently appointed the member for Blain as shadow minister, and I wish both members well in their new portfolio roles.
The motion to which I speak today comes before the Assembly in order to provide a clear process for advice to be provided, where required, to both the minister and shadow minister in a bipartisan arrangement. The minister has a distinct function separate from the Statehood Steering Committee. The Statehood Steering Committee’s purpose under its Terms of Reference at clause 3 includes:
- … to provide advice and assistance to the Standing Committee on matters concerning the Northern Territory’s ongoing constitutional development that may also be tied to a future grant of statehood …
The Statehood Steering Committee does not report to the minister and does not wish to report to the minister. The Statehood Steering Committee is a function of this Assembly’s committee system, whereas the minister is a function of executive government.
However, it is clear that in a small jurisdiction with finite human resources, the office of the Chairman of the Statehood Steering Committee is a source of knowledge and understanding of statehood from which the executive government and the opposition may wish to seek advice.
In order to effect this, the Standing Committee has met to discuss the protocol reflected in proposed clause 13A. It allows the minister and shadow minister to be able to seek advice from the office of the chairman through the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, with the process overseen by the Statehood Steering Committee Executive Group. The office of the Chairman of the Statehood Steering Committee is established under the Terms of Reference approved by the Ninth Assembly on 17 August 2004, and amended on 24 March 2005. It is staffed by the Executive Officer, a Community Liaison Officer and an Administration Officer. It is a small, cohesive unit providing secretariat services to the Statehood Steering Committee.
The office holds a range of information and knowledge on statehood that is a resource for all Territorians. The executive officer to the committee is appointed by the Standing Committee and shall serve under the direction and supervision of the executive group:
- … as the principal executive officer of the Statehood Steering Committee.
That appears in clause 13 of the Terms of Reference. The executive group will be made aware of all requests for advice from the office of the chairman and this information is, therefore, available to the standing committee and to the steering committee.
The executive group is like a management board. It supervises the work of the executive officer, controls the resources allocated and prioritises the steering committee’s work for any given year. Even though the Statehood Steering Committee has no direct relationship with the minister, sharing resources is an intelligent approach to facilitating high levels of advice to the government and opposition as well as to the committee from the same source.
The Clerk of the Assembly and the Executive Officer to the Statehood Steering Committee met with the Minister for Statehood on 28 September to discuss the proposed change to the Terms of Reference. The chosen option has also been discussed by standing committee members at a meeting with the Clerk. The proposed model also reflects the structure whereby the executive officer reports administratively to the Clerk.
The standing committee, in conjunction with the steering committee, has developed a graphical diagram to illustrate the proposed arrangement and to make clear the roles of government and parliament in terms of statehood.
It became very clear to me at the recent seminars conducted by the Commonwealth that a number of Territorians still see the statehood education and consultation process as a product of government rather than as a product of an independent committee. I table the diagram, which depicts the provision of information to the minister and shadow minister through the office of the Clerk. It also provides a brief outline of process and responsibilities for the education, consultation, future convention and referendum.
I trust it goes some way towards clarifying the roles of each of us in the statehood quest, and I will be asking the steering committee to publish a copy on their website. I trust that all members of parliament support this motion.
Motion agreed to.
POISONS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 74)
(Serial 74)
Continued from 18 October 2006.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports this bill; however, I want to make some comments.
It is logical that we provide optometrists with the ability to supply and sell eye medication. If you consider the matter from the perspective of manpower, we have only three specialist ophthalmologists in the Northern Territory: one in Alice Springs at the Alice Springs Hospital; one employed at Royal Darwin Hospital; and a private specialist in Darwin. It is obvious, having only three eye specialists in the Northern Territory, that it is going to be well nigh impossible for them to cover the whole of the Territory in an effective way. They do their best, but you can do only so much. To include optometrists in the team is a logical thing to do.
At the moment, medical practitioners, dental practitioners, veterinary practitioners, nurses and some Aboriginal health workers are legally permitted to prescribe, sell or dispense medication. This bill will include optometrists in the list of authorised people.
Many optometrists in the Northern Territory are keen to see this legislation passed. It will enhance their professionalism and they will be able to extend their services. Some optometrists have outreach practices; they travel out bush and to regional centres to provide their professional services. To be able to prescribe and dispense will be a good thing.
I approached several ophthalmologists across the country and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists to seek their views on this matter. Across the country, five jurisdictions have this legislation already in place. Those still going through this exercise are the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. The jurisdictions that already have this legislation allow optometrists to use the medication from a formulary or a list of permitted medication. I will come back to that issue.
Ophthalmologists and the Australian college of ophthalmology – I will call them RANZCO - expressed mixed feelings. They recognise that, particularly in the Northern Territory context if not the rest of Australia, that optometrists should be included in the system where they can prescribe and dispense. Their concern, however, is about the level of training that will be provided for optometrists to ensure that they have the clinical skills to diagnose and the clinical knowledge to prescribe. I understand that optometry is a three-year university course with, then, one year of extra training for any optometrist who wishes to have the ability to prescribe and dispense.
I raised this issue at a briefing with the Chief Medical Officer, and he assured me that he was satisfied with the level of training that optometrists will receive prior to achieving this added ability to prescribe and to dispense. I have not seen the course, so I can only rely on the Chief Medical Officer’s support for the course, and I take his word for it.
RANZCO and the ophthalmologists to whom I spoke said that there has to be significant distinction between the ability of an ophthalmologist to prescribe versus an optometrist to be able to prescribe. That is logical: ophthalmologists spend five or six years at medical school to become a doctor in the first instance and, then, between four and six years postgraduate to be trained as an ophthalmologist. That means an eye specialist has six more years of training, exposure to clinical conditions, learning diagnoses and being able to differentiate one form of eye disease from another. Six years training is significantly different to the one extra year of training that optometrists will have.
In respect of prescribing, you need to understand therapeutics very well. An ophthalmologist will have a full range of medication to use, not only topical, which means application, but oral medication if not intra- or injection-type medication. I understand, looking at the list that they have provided for me, that optometrists will be restricted to only topical eye medication. That is a major distinction, which is a good approach.
To summarise or paraphrase the opinions of ophthalmologists in RANZCO, yes, this needs to happen. We will support this, but we need to ensure that training is adequate, that understanding of medical conditions of the eye is adequate and that knowledge of drugs is adequate.
I want to now go through a paper provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. I seek leave to table a copy it because I am not sure whether the minister or his advisors have referred to this in the development of the bill.
Leave granted.
Dr LIM: The background to the paper, and it is entitled Optometrists Therapeutic Prescribing, by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia. Under the heading Background, it says:
- In each state of Australia optometry has sought prescribing rights for therapeutic drugs. This began in 1996 in Victoria and continues in other states to this day. The rights granted vary between states and no nationally consistent standards apply to protect the public. This paper is offered to establish a set of nationally consistent standards and principles. By adopting and applying these standards and principles, governments will play a leadership role in improving patient care and safety.
It then deals with General Therapeutic Principles of Prescribing which, essentially, applies to all health professionals. I quote:
A. The authority to prescribe therapeutic agents granted to any health professional must be based on a single level of competence acquired, proven and maintained, and must be shown to protect public safety and be in the public interest.
C. Medical practitioners, understanding that book knowledge, of itself, does not constitute competency, are also involved in a lengthy period of treating patients with diseases under medical supervision. This is done in order to obtain competency in the understanding of patients’ responses to treatment and the complications of such treatments. Competency requires both aspects of training to be valid.
D. Once competencies have been met, the treating practitioners should have processes established and see sufficient patients requiring therapeutic care in order to maintain their skills.
E. The obtaining of informed patient consent to a treatment, covering the consequences of treating or not treating, the complications of treatment and alternative treatments available is an established principle.
G. Proper governance of the body granting authority requires that the body be qualified to expertly judge competence and have the expertise to assess therapeutic agents and, specifically:
(i) the endorsing body should receive expert advice from clinicians able to make decisions on the range of drugs appropriate for use by practitioners, commensurate with their competency.
I was assured at the briefing that the Optometry Board and the Therapeutic Advisory Committee will have the appropriate personnel, including medical practitioners, both general practitioners and eye specialists, optometrists and others on the board or committee to ensure the appropriate type of medication will be allowed in the Northern Territory formulary.
I continue quoting from the paper:
H. Practitioners involved in the educational process should be directly involved in the trainee’s assessment procedures.
This, I assume, refers to the fact that only in exceptional circumstances would medical practitioners be allowed to dispense and supply medication. Normally, you would receive a prescription from your medical practitioner and go to a pharmacy from where it is dispensed. Under ethical considerations, if a medical practitioner was allowed to dispense and supply at the same time, they may supply or dispense on financial interests rather than purely clinical interests. For instance, if I have shares in a penicillin company and dispense it all the time from my practice, that could be seen to be a conflict of interest even though the use of penicillin might be the most appropriate medication for the condition that has to be treated.
RANZCO went on to Specific Therapeutic Principles for Prescribing, which it recommends for all governments. It said:
(i) sight-threatening, or
In this instance, we are talking about things such as glaucoma. Glaucoma is a difficult condition to diagnose. It is a disease with great potential to cause blindness. There is concern that optometrists should not be allowed to treat glaucoma in the first instance. If an optometrist suspects the patient has glaucoma, it would be better if the patient was seen urgently by an eye specialist, an ophthalmologist, under whom the treatment will be commenced. At a later stage, if need be, an optometrist can go into joint management of the patient. The college is very concerned that anti-glaucoma drugs are not part of the formulary. I understand, from the list I have seen, that will be the case in the Northern Territory.
The college went on further:
B. The topical drugs to be used should be commensurate with the training and competencies gained. Factors to be considered are:
Sometimes you can have an eye problem that is associated with a medical problem. Diabetes will cause eye problems, and so on:
(ii) to identify differential diagnoses is basic to treatment decision making. If knowledge of disease systems is lacking and differential diagnoses are not considered by the treating non-medical practitioner, treatment may be both inadequate and inappropriate.
This is about training, in the first instance, to ensure that the practitioner is fully aware of the diseases that are likely to be occurring, but also about the constancy of the practice. For instance, if I became one of the world’s best open-heart surgeons and came to work in Darwin and did two open-heart surgeries a year, after a year or two you are going to start asking questions about how much de-skilling has occurred. You need to do enough to maintain your skill so it is important that, whatever health professional you are - whether you are an optometrist, ophthalmologist or a general practitioner - you need to ensure that you have the training required to achieve your skill level, but you have sufficient exposure to retain your skills:
(iii) a capacity to initiate investigations based on the differential diagnoses being considered is a basic competency. An understanding of, and availability of investigations involving pathology, neuroradiology, etc, is limited to medically trained practitioners. This limits a non-medical practitioner’s ability to distinguish and establish the disease entity requiring treatment.
This is a bit of a restriction. When a patient comes to see a doctor and the doctor, upon assessment, makes a differential diagnosis of two or three illnesses that may be causing a particular set of symptoms and signs, the doctor can request investigation. He can do a blood test, X-rays, and a variety of investigations to confirm which one of those three potential diagnoses is the appropriate one.
In this bill, there is no provision for optometrists to order investigations. If they could, patients can go to any of the pathology services and have the tests at full cost. As a medical practitioner, if I order those investigations, Medicare will cover it. That may be an issue. For instance, a person presents with a very pussy eye. If you go to a GP, he or she will probably take a swab from the eye and send it to the pathology services to check out what was the germ that is causing the pussy eye, and you could then treat the pussy eye with the most appropriate anti-infective agent. Will an optometrist be able to do that or will an optometrist have to make an educated guess that this is the most likely cause of the pussy eye, and give the patient a broad spectrum topical antibiotic which, in 99% of cases, will fix the infection? He can do that, and if it does not heal or settle in a few days, then he has to reconsider the treatment regime. That is what B(iii) refers to, which is something that really needs to be considered.
RANZCO goes on:
(iv) an understanding of drug interaction (including those between topical eye medications and systemic medications taken by patients for any number of unrelated conditions), local and systemic side effects of drugs and complications of treatments and a practitioner’s ability to recognise these, is a basic competency.
C. In relation to informed patient consent, it would be appropriate for patients to also be informed of the option to be treated by a medical practitioner if the condition requires therapeutic drugs.
- The patient should be told whether they are being treated by a medical practitioner and informed that they have a right to see a doctor if they wish.
Then it goes on with the list of drugs. In respect of the drugs proposed, I sought, during the briefing, a full list of the formularies available in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales. Victoria has a very comprehensive list. The agents they are providing to have the following functions: they are anti-infective, anti-inflammatories, decongestives or antiallergics and anti-glaucoma preparations. Then there are drops for dilating or constricting the pupil called mydriatics dilating cycloplegics - mydriatics is the one to constrict - and local anaesthetics.
As I said, Victoria has a full list, including all the medications that could be used for glaucoma. It is the only jurisdiction to allow that. Queensland and New South Wales are toying with the idea but have not proceeded with it. RANZCO and ophthalmologists to whom I have spoken are concerned about it. Tasmania and Queensland have the same list as Victoria, apart from the anti-glaucoma medication, and New South Wales is a bit more restrictive in what topical medication can be used.
I have a list of drugs proposed for the Northern Territory Formulary. When I put it to the ophthalmologists, they were concerned about a couple. I want to put on record what they are concerned about so that the minister can take it on board to discuss with his department and the Optometry Board. Ciprofloxacin is one they suggest should not be in the formulary, and another is Ofloxacin. Vidarabine is no longer used and is on the Northern Territory’s proposed list, so you might consider taking that off all together.
The ones that were of no concern include: Amethocaine, Atropine, Bacitracin, Chloramphenicol Cyclopentolate, Diclofenac, Dipivefrin, Flurbiprofen, Gentamicin, Gramicidin, Homatropine, Hydrocortisone, Indomethacin, Ketoraolac, Ketotifen, Levocabastine, Lignocaine, Lodoxamide, Neomycin, Olopatadine, Oxybuprocaine, Phenylephrine, Pilocarpine, Polymyxin, Prednisolone, Proxymetacaine, Sodium cromoglycate, Tetracycline, Tobramycin, Topicamide.
Mrs Miller: How are you going in Hansard, girls?
Dr LIM: I will send you a list, girls; do not worry about that.
The drugs that I said ought to be excluded were Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin, but also Aciclovir should be excluded.
That is the information I need to pass on to the minister to ensure things are done satisfactorily to allow optometrists to prescribe and dispense, and to enable them to perform their work.
At the briefing, I asked several questions which I should put on record, and raise a couple of issues about them. I sought information about whether optometrists were allowed to supply, sell or prescribe drugs in the formulary. The legislation allows an optometrist to sell and supply, and in the definition, ‘sell’:
- … includes issue a prescription for …
whereas ‘supply’:
- … includes administer and having in possession for the purpose of supply or administration.
Normally, the drug refrigerator you keep your drugs in - which is not a refrigerator that you would put your lunch in because you need to maintain the cold cycle – is a special refrigerator in which an appropriate temperature and sterility is maintained. You keep a supply of eye antibiotics. If a patient comes in with conjunctivitis, the optometrist sees the patient, checks it out and, yes, that is what they have. The optometrist may take a swab from the discharging eyes and then provide the patient with some eye antibiotic ointment. Do you charge the patient for the eye antibiotic? I assume you would. Or should you just write a prescription for the patient to go to the pharmacy next door to get the same antibiotic? This is something that I am sure the Optometry Board will consider and I leave the board to deal with the issue. The board will be very cognisant of the fact that you would want to ensure that the optometrist does not have a shareholding in the company that manufactures that drug or it may be seen as a conflict of interest. It may not be.
Then I asked a question about the differentiation between an optometrist who has prescribing rights and an optometrist who does not. In Smith Street mall there are two or three optometrists. How are you going to tell which one has prescribing rights, who can treat you with antibiotics, and which one does not? That is a problem. If you go to a general practitioner, essentially you know what the general practitioner can do. If a general practitioner says: ‘I am going to do brain surgery on you’, you say: ‘Oh, yes?’, and you will knock the general practitioner back because you know that the general practitioner would normally not be qualified or trained enough. Legally, the general practitioner can do the surgery, but the general practitioner would not be trained to do it, so you would knock that back. That needs to be sorted out. I hope the Optometrist Board will sort it out quickly and advise how it intends to differentiate between those optometrists who have prescribing rights and those who do not so that when a patient walks off the street, they will be able to tell. That is important.
I do not need to go any further than that, Madam Speaker. The opposition supports the bill. It is logical that we encourage optometrists to achieve higher qualifications so that they can better service Territorians. It is needed because of the lack of ophthalmologists. Giving optometrists this legal ability to prescribe and supply will allow patients in the Territory to get better treatment and encourage optometrists to continue to improve their qualifications, which can only be good for their patients. For that reason, we support the bill.
Again, I ask the minister to ensure that the Northern Territory formulary is well developed and say that any consideration to allow for glaucoma treatment should not be considered at this point.
I look forward to seeing the complete formulary for the Northern Territory. It is not available except for the proposed list, which might not be the definitive list. I would like to have a look at the list when it is available.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I definitely will not be speaking in the same technical terms as the member for Greatorex. That was a very educated response and gives one an understanding of the background to this bill.
I support the bill, especially the part in the second reading when the minister said:
- Permitting optometrists to supply a range of medications to treat eye disorders will ensure that patients receive prompt and appropriate treatment, particularly in remote and rural areas.
That is a positive objective. Of course, you have to balance that with ensuring optometrists are suitably trained and qualified to administer drugs that people, especially in remote and rural areas, require.
I have a couple of questions. The minister said that Queensland will be introducing a similar system. Minister, there is a long history in that state of ophthalmologists lobbying against the proposal because they argue that optometrists are not medically trained. I am interested to know whether that argument continues, or has it abated? In light of that, has the government asked the AMA for a response? I did ring them and the relevant person is away on leave at the moment so I did not get a response. I am interested to know whether the government did get a response from the AMA about this bill.
The member for Greatorex has given this a pretty thorough going over; I know Hansard will be struggling with some of the names listed on the formulary, but I am sure he will pass some of the relevant information in print to them. I thank the minister for presenting this bill to the parliament and I am interested in his response.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their contributions, particularly the member for Greatorex. He has taken a keen interest in this bill. He sought briefings and asked some very detailed, sensible and logical questions in relation to it. He made a contribution to the further development of the formulary and procedures for implementation of the bill.
I will turn to some of the issues the member for Greatorex has raised in a minute. First, I will deal with what the member for Nelson said. He, too, supported the bill on the basis that it will provide prompt treatment, particularly to people in rural and remote areas. He raised the issue of debate nationally and in other states about the desirability of optometrists being able to prescribe, supply and treat patients in the way proposed here.
Any profession would be looking askance at another profession which is seeking rights of prescription, supply and treatment of drugs that have always been the province of that profession. As the member for Greatorex pointed out, ophthalmologists undergo six years of medical training, and then they might have a further six years being trained as ophthalmologists. As the member for Greatorex is well aware, many ophthalmologists from interstate have trained and had rotations through the Northern Territory. Through the work of Fred Hollows, that has been a profession with a very strong connection with the Northern Territory. It is only natural that people would be raising questions about steps like these.
The member for Nelson asked whether there had been any consultation between the government and the ophthalmologists. A letter was written to Jill Huck, who is Director of the Northern Territory Health Professions Licensing Authority, by Dr Alan Rosenberg, who is from RANZCO, the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, as the member for Greatorex mentioned. Dr Rosenberg raised a number of issues which we have addressed and accommodated to a large degree. The three areas that Dr Rosenberg raised in his note to Jill Huck were first, that a mechanism for the collection of data on adverse outcomes should be included in the bill. It is proposed not to have that within the bill, but to have that within the processes that follow on from the bill, so that is an important suggestion made by RANZCO. The second issue raised by Dr Rosenberg was that medical indemnity arrangements should be in place so it will only be those optometrists who do have medical indemnity who will be afforded these rights of prescribing and treating. Third, Dr Rosenberg suggested an optometrists drug advisory committee should be set up along the lines of other jurisdictions to advise the minister on which therapeutic medications are appropriate for optometric use.
That was an issue that the member for Greatorex raised. There will, indeed, be such an organisation. I will turn to that now and let the House know the membership of the Therapeutic Advisory Committee. Membership of the committee will include an ophthalmologist, a general practitioner, a pharmacist and an optometrist with authorisation to use ocular therapeutics. There will be a group that will examine some of the procedures and protocols around this step, as well as the very drugs that can be prescribed by optometrists.
The member for Greatorex has raised a number of very important issues, and for the sake of continuity, I will talk to those issues now. He was speaking about the draft proposed formulary, which contains a range of agents. As the member for Greatorex pointed out, all the agents are for topical use; there are none for parenteral or other sorts of use. There is a range of agents. Optometrists are already using some of them in diagnostic practice.
The member for Greatorex mentioned mydriatic drugs, which are used for the dilation of pupils. There are a lot of others, some strong cortisone-type drugs. Some of the ones that the member for Greatorex mentioned are drugs used in the treatment of cancer. Some caution has to be exercised. There are some quite strong agents in that list that need to be used with care and experience, as the member for Greatorex pointed out. I certainly concur with the member for Greatorex that the Therapeutic Advisory Committee needs to have a good look at this proposed formulary and make some decisions.
The member for Greatorex wanted a table of comparison between jurisdictions of the agents that can be used by optometrists. He was quite correct to say they are not consistent. The challenge for our Therapeutic Advisory Committee is to look at the safety needs of patients, the skills of optometrists who will be prescribing, with the needs to which the member for Nelson was alluding in our rural and remote areas. If there is one thing we cannot do, it is compromise patient safety. Those are some crucial issues in the consideration of this bill. A number of pertinent issues have been raised by the member for Greatorex.
He said the opposition supports this bill. He has called it logical. He has obviously consulted with ophthalmologists in the Territory. I have not spoken to the ophthalmologists directly, but it is my understanding that, whilst there might be reservations about this step, already relationships exist between the ophthalmologists and the optometrists. That lies at the heart of moving forward in a cooperative way. As I said in my second reading speech, optometrists have also established co-management relationships with ophthalmologists, so there are already relationships with treatment cooperation, and that is a positive thing. The Territory is certainly a place where that can occur between professions.
I understand why the ophthalmologists nationally have reservations. In relation to the issue of overseas trained doctors coming to the Northern Territory, the local branch of the AMA seems to be a little more flexible in its position than the AMA is nationally. So it is with ophthalmologists. Both bodies stand firm on the issue of patient safety.
The member for Greatorex has approached RANZCO. He quoted from the same letter that I quoted from. He also had a paper that raises very important issues in relation to the steps being proposed.
The member for Greatorex mentioned the training aspect, which I have just mentioned, about how an ophthalmologist has basic medical training and then goes on and gets their speciality - some 10 to 12 years of study. That is very important and should be recognised. I would be expecting - and I believe it already exists - that optometrists would be referring to the ophthalmologists. That is a key to the whole situation; that optometrists recognise their limitations and when they need to be referring to an ophthalmologist.
The member for Greatorex also quoted from the RANZCO letter, which really addresses the issue of referral and competence. Dr Rosenberg said:
- In principle, the college believes if a sight-threatening disease requires treatment, it should be undertaken by a medical practitioner. There is no argument about optometrists treating non-sight-threatening disease or using therapies which have side effects that are not sight-threatening or life-threatening.
The member for Greatorex quoted a similar extract from the RANZCO document at 3A, and I have quoted again because it is central to the issue. Basically, the two professions can operate together in a very constructive way which can only benefit the patient. If there is a clear delineation based on the depth of training in the professional areas, this can work well for patients and for the Territory.
The member for Greatorex raised, a number of times, the issue of the supply of drugs and ethical issues related to the supply of drugs. It is my understanding that, as we have both been briefed, optometrists can supply, prescribe and sell these drugs. The amendments specifically provide for the sale and supply, including prescription of Schedule 2, 3 and 4 drugs for the treatment of the eye subject to conditions and restrictions imposed by the Optometrists Board of the Northern Territory. The terms ‘sell’ and ‘supply’ are defined in section 29(5) of the act as follows:
- ‘sell’ includes issue a prescription for;
‘supply’ includes administer and having in possession for the purpose of supply or administration.
Member for Greatorex, they can indeed supply, sell and prescribe drugs; however, I expect that to be in an ethical fashion.
The issue of currency of someone’s practice and whether they have the background and experience to practice with these drugs will, once again, sit with the Optometrists Board and the Therapeutic Advisory Committee, which is where it should be. The member for Greatorex went into some detail with the list for the proposed formulary. I do not propose to get into the sort of detail he did; suffice to say that your reservations to a number of agents will be passed on, through your contribution in this debate, to the Therapeutic Advisory Committee. They will consider your reservations about some of those agents.
The member for Greatorex raised the issue of treatment for glaucoma and those agents, I believe, have been excluded from the formulary.
Dr Lim: What about advertising?
Dr BURNS: Advertising, yes, I am coming to that. That is the last one I had on the list. It is an important issue you have raised, and it has been taken on board. Essentially you were asking how members of the general public will know who is authorised to use ocular therapeutics and who is not. The advice I have is that this matter has been referred to the Optometrists Board for their further consideration and determination. I understand that information will be available on the board’s website, or by contacting the Health Professionals Licensing Authority.
That does not really help someone coming in off the street. However, if it is possible, having something incorporated into their qualifications on the person’s shingle is something I would be willing to consider. It is the same for someone who goes to a dentist or a doctor who has specialised qualifications in a particular area. It is easy to see by the qualifications on the person’s shingle what their interests and specialities are. That could be a way to address the issues you have raised.
All in all, I compliment the member for Greatorex for his contribution to this debate. He had a lot contact with my office and I hope we have been able to supply all the pertinent information and the relevant briefings. I know that all the issues the member for Greatorex has raised have been constructive and have helped this bill along, particularly in relation to the implementation issues which are crucially important.
To reiterate what I said in my second reading speech:
- Permitting optometrists to supply a range of medications to treat eye disorders will ensure that patients receive prompt and appropriate treatment, particularly in remote and rural areas. A number of systems will be put in place to ensure safety and quality.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr BURNS (Health)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MOTION
Note Statement – Chronic Diseases
Note Statement – Chronic Diseases
Continued from 18 October 2006.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support the Health Minister’s chronic diseases statement. Earlier this week, I had the honour of representing the minister at the launch of World AIDS Day in the Northern Territory. The launch of AIDS Awareness Week takes us to the 18th anniversary of World AIDS Day.
Just over 25 years ago, scientists in the US reported the first clinical evidence of the disease that was to become known as acquired immuno deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Since that time, almost 22 million people globally have died from AIDS, and over 28 million people continue to live with HIV. HIV AIDS does not discriminate. Over those years, it has affected people from all backgrounds, all ethnicities, all ages and in all parts of the world. However, its impact has been most devastating for those in some of the world’s least developed countries where the virus has decimated a generation of young adults, leaving thousands of children orphaned.
In the Northern Territory, many of our population were not even born when AIDS was discovered and may not have been exposed to the earlier campaigns. They may, in fact, think that HIV and AIDS belong to another generation. While epidemiology for southern states indicates that new infections remain predominantly in the gay community, in the Northern Territory we are somewhat different. While our number of new infections annually generally follows the national pattern, 50% of people diagnosed with HIV in the Northern Territory are heterosexual. We also have a very high proportion of Aboriginal Territorians who have significantly poorer overall health status than the average Australian, and we can be grateful that HIV and AIDS have not, until now, taken hold in our indigenous communities. Still, no government, community or individual should become complacent.
The chronic disease statement in the last sittings demonstrated a consistent pattern in our government of securing the health and future of all Territorians and, in particular, Aboriginal Territorians. The Northern Territory budget for health has risen by 64% since we came into government in 2001. It is quite clear from my trips throughout Arnhem Land in the 16 communities in my electorate that we are making inroads. I am happy to report to the parliament and, indeed, to the minister, that on my recent visit to Ramingining, the health clinic is about to undergo a facelift, which is not before time. The clinic nurse, Rhonda Goldsby-Smith, is quite excited about the fact that they are going to now have an expanded clinic, which is a very busy place.
The outreach programs at Ramingining incorporate a really strong partnership with the Education department. The teaching principal at Ramingining School, Coralyn Armstrong, has successfully seen through a large new shed facility which is being turned into an early childhood area where young mums with their babies can come to the Ramingining School and take part in any early childhood programs. The health and education people in Ramingining have come together. The nurses go to the school and work with the babies. They see the young mums and talk about post-natal programs for mothers and look at the health of the babies. They work directly with the babies in terms of immunisation and checking their hearing, and then they move along from visiting the babies in that new area of the school up to the preschool. And so it goes.
In fact, I put on the record that the program at Ramingining between the Health and Education departments is quite exciting. It is an initiative that has been praised by the departments and by people across the Northern Territory who have been able to witness what is going on at Ramingining.
At this point, I congratulate Rhonda and Coralyn in Ramingining for the fantastic work that they are doing to try to combat some of the early incidence of chronic disease that we see affecting Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory.
Aboriginal people are not the only ones who suffer from chronic disease. We see that 22% of non-Aboriginal people also suffer from diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, renal disease, chronic lung disease and heart disease, and 31% of the diseases are the burden for Aboriginal people.
When you take into consideration that our population of Aboriginal Territorians is around 30%, the enormity of chronic disease is made quite clear. In fact, we have heard from other speakers, in particular bush members who have been able to share experiences of a personal nature in regard to the many effects of chronic disease in their families. We heard the member for Stuart speak about his young son, and these are the stories that this House needs to hear more about.
I speak on a personal level, too. It is access to renal dialysis which our communities and families are finding becomes more urgent. It is only in the last five or six years that close members in my family have had to access renal dialysis. I impress on parliament the fear that comes into families when they think about having to go on those machines in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine or Tennant Creek. These are families who have to move hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from their homelands to receive treatment. If they do not get on these machines, their chances of survival are fairly slim and somewhat uncomfortable, no doubt, with the struggles that they have to ensure with other factors such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, which is a common occurrence along with renal dialysis and lung disease.
When these families feel that someone close to them has to go on a dialysis machine, the fear is: will they come back? The fear is: how long are they going to be away? I know of many examples - and I am sure other members have shared these examples - of patients who have wanted to leave and go off the dialysis machine to go back to country, knowing full well that their decision to remove themselves from the machines is a decision that says: ‘Yes, I accept death’ simply because they do not want to die in a city or a town that is far away from where they come from. These are enormous and very real fears for many people across the Northern Territory. I am, indeed, heartened by the fact that our government is equally aware of these fears and supportive of the many programs dealing with preventative health, and looking at increased support for those patients suffering from renal disease.
Poor nutrition and limited physical activity, poor environmental conditions which lead to infection, alcohol misuse, tobacco smoking, childhood malnutrition and low birth weight are among the risk factors in individuals experiencing chronic disease. It is only with the combination of government and non-government organisations, such as the Asthma Foundation, the National Heart Foundation, and, in my particular case, with SIDS and Kids Northern Territory, working in partnership that we will be able to reduce chronic disease that is being experienced by a large proportion of Northern Territory residents.
SIDS and Kids Northern Territory is very focused, especially on reducing infant mortality. We have heard the minister say in the House that it is particularly encouraging that the Northern Territory indigenous infant mortality rate has fallen by a dramatic 36% in the last few years. At the end of the 1990s, the indigenous infant mortality rate was 25 per 1000 births. In the period 2001 to 2003, it was down to 16 per 1000 births. It is still too high, and over double the non-indigenous rate of 6.5 per 1000 births. However, the gap is narrowing and it is promising that the figures are moving in the right direction.
Those who work with SIDS and Kids Northern Territory are very aware of those statistics and are very passionate about reaching out to health clinics and health professionals in our regions to try to educate and show that there are alternatives; that there are better ways of raising all our children so that they have a better life expectancy.
I would like to give an example of one young girl at Milingimbi. Leonie Maranginy has a three-month-old son, Jamal. Leonie is an amazing young woman. She is going to be one of the first of two Year 12 graduates at Milingimbi. It is a momentous occasion for the community of Milingimbi because they have never had any students graduate from the community itself. There have certainly been residents of Milingimbi who have graduated here in Darwin, but this, I believe, is an historic time for them.
The reason why I raised Leonie as a strong example is that I was quite impressed with her last year when I met her on the election campaign. I have been watching a lot of our young people in Years 10, 11 and 12 and have encouraged them to keep going in their communities, or at least come and see me in Darwin for support as they go through Kormilda, St John’s, or Marrara Christian School. Leonie fell pregnant last year in Year 11 and, obviously, went through enormous turmoil as to where she was going and what she was going to do. We have spoken often about pregnancy in teenagers and the concerns of many of our youth in the remote regions, especially the young women. Leonie still went to school, and I have to say it was with the encouragement of her teacher Amy Birchett who encouraged Leonie and the other Year 12 student, Shawn Gunamalmal, both of whom have now finished their exams. Leonie took little Jamaal into class with her at school at Milingimbi, and was very conscious that Jamaal also has to have his early childhood and medicinal needs met with immunisation and all those sorts of things.
When you see people like Leonie and Shawn as role models within their own community, you know that it is getting the message through to these young people who are going to carry it on in the way they live their lives, and be able to share that and encourage others who come through. That is a big plus for Milingimbi. It is certainly something that our government should be very proud of supporting, especially the Health Minister and Education minister, with Milingimbi and Ramingining in these instances.
Earlier in the year, we spoke about health for control of disease in the Northern Territory, and also health for mothers and children in August last year, when the previous member for Stuart and Health Minister spoke, and about how the Centre for Disease Control should be congratulated for the vision in establishing the immunisation database here in the Northern Territory. All of that is the whole-of-government approach and recognition that health and education is absolutely vital for all Territorians. When I see the consistency in our government’s record of supporting all these programs and the needs to be met out there – yes, sure, we have a long way to go. We need to keep going; it is when we stop and sit back and say: ‘It is too hard, let us not go there any more’ is when we need to have the courage to say: ‘Yes, it is a hard problem. Yes, it is quite overwhelming, but one day at a time’.
It is the people like the Leonies and Shawn out there, like Rhonda at Ramingining, and Coralyn,like the Sunrise Health Service in the Katherine East region which are tremendous in the way they get out with preventative programs to encourage all people in the communities to be more aware about all these chronic diseases such as diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, renal disease and heart disease. This week, in particular, we must remember many people who have suffered and died from AIDS or HIV related illnesses.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I commend the minister’s statement.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Parliament House Public Tour program visitors. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Christmas Greetings
Christmas Greetings
Madam SPEAKER: I wish all honourable members a very happy and safe Christmas, and thank you all for your support over the past year.
I also take the opportunity to thank staff of the Legislative Assembly who do a terrific job on behalf of all honourable members, in particular the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, the staff of the Table Office, the very patient people in Hansard, staff of the Parliamentary Information and Liaison Unit, committee staff and all parliamentary officers, and wish you a very happy and safe festive season.
I also wish members of the media who follow our proceedings throughout the year a very merry Christmas, as well.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, thank you for wearing the red ribbon today, the international symbol of World AIDS Day, which falls tomorrow. This is an important symbol which helps raise awareness of this terrible disease.
MOTION
Note Statement – Chronic Diseases
Note Statement – Chronic Diseases
Continued from earlier this day.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I must confess that I will be closing this debate without my notes, but we have probably had enough paper here today and I know enough about chronic disease to close the debate. I certainly perused the comments made by the member for Greatorex in the last session in relation to his response, and I compliment the member for Greatorex on his response, which was very thoughtful. He alluded to an article written by Professor John Mathews in 1985 in which he drew some parallels between what was happening in Britain during the industrial revolution and the health problems of people associated with that and some of what is happening within the Northern Territory.
The member for Greatorex mentioned all the social factors that impact on health. It was a very thoughtful contribution to this very important debate. As the member for Greatorex rightly said, the Chronic Diseases Network was something that was begun during the CLP’s time, but we have certainly heavily invested in preventable chronic disease in a whole range of areas. Unfortunately, as the member for Greatorex alluded to, we are seeing a veritable torrent of renal disease in Alice Springs and the Top End and it is putting a great strain on resources.
Government is investing approximately $1m into the Flynn Drive Renal Centre. I visited that centre not long ago. There are extra beds there and extra beds at Alice Springs Hospital. I compliment those people who work in the renal area. It is an intense area in which people are often very ill and the whole operation does require some management.
The member for Greatorex mentioned camp dogs as a major problem, and said that they carry many infections and have the potential for spreading infection to children who play in the vicinity. The advice I have from the department is that transmission of infections from dogs to humans is not as great as is often assumed. For example, people often believe scabies is transmitted to children from dogs. In fact, research at the Menzies School of Health Research in the 1990s demonstrated that dog scabies and human scabies are different and, although transmission can occur, it is generally not serious. Indeed, transmission of scabies is mainly human to human, not dog to human.
The department has also advised that they have dog control staff advising councils which are, of course, responsible for dog control programs. The member for Greatorex said that scabies is a major issue, and I agree with him about that. I am sure that he is aware, as I and others in the House are, of the research evidence showing the link between scabies and skin infections are strongly linked to chronic disease.
The Northern Territory is leading the country in this area. For example, Dr Christine Connors of the department, and Professor Jonathan Carapetis of Menzies School of Health Research, have been working for a long time on models of reducing scabies rates in children. A number of communities are successfully taking up the findings from such research; for example, Anyinginyi Congress in Tennant Creek and the health services at Wadeye. These programs typically involve community workers who work with health centres to identify treatment and follow up babies with scabies, as well as education in schools and community education.
Housing was mentioned by the member for Greatorex. It is important in the current debate because we know that a lot of these skin infections and social problems, I suggest, that confront Aboriginal people do revolve around overcrowded housing.
This government is working to safeguard the health of Territorians most in need through a range of healthy housing imperatives. All new community housing dwellings are constructed to meet environmental health standards and comply with the nine healthy living practices. It is important to say that this government has invested $100m in housing, and that was announced during the October sittings. That was welcomed throughout the regions, and local members who represent bush electorates certainly welcomed it. That initiative will bear fruit and have positive effects on people’s health.
I have said before that I compliment the Commonwealth government. John Herron, when he was Aboriginal Affairs minister, ensured that NAHS monies went in to housing. That was a serious investment by the Commonwealth government. However, as the Chief Minister has requested, the Commonwealth government needs to be doing more in the area of housing. Aboriginal housing was a responsibility handed over with self-government and the Commonwealth should be stepping up to the plate. We are certainly a government that has done so.
There is one thing on which I did disagree with the member for Greatorex. He asserted that three or four years ago, this Labor government cut back on primary health care funding in preference for funding for acute care in hospitals. As members would be aware, this government increased overall health funding by 64% since 2001, and budgets are always adjusted to meet needs. After this government came to power, the crisis in the acute care system needed special attention. There has been a demonstrated overall significant increase in primary health care funding, particularly in Central Australia. I have a table headed: ‘Remote Health, Top End’. In 2002-03 it $19.2m, and in 2005-06, it was $21m, which means a 9% increase. Similarly, for remote health in Central Australia, the allocation was $11.9m in 2002-03, and in 2005-06 it was $17.6m, a 48% increase. We have demonstrated that an increased effort around early detection and management can stabilise and even gain ground against chronic disease, but we have to increase our prevention work.
The member for Greatorex made comment about Aboriginal women having five times as much chance of dying in childbirth than non-Aboriginal women. It is true that maternal mortality is higher in the NT. However, with our small population, we are talking about one case in the last three years. Whilst it is an issue and we need to be vigilant, we can also point to positives in the reduction in infant mortality, which has been quite significant.
In antenatal care and education, I cannot stress enough the importance of this government’s $2.2m per year child health initiatives: 25 Aboriginal health workers, nurses, and community workers around the Northern Territory, some in government and some in non-government organisations. There is great news from Central Australia. From Congress data, of babies born with low birth weight, which is below 2500 gm, there are 13 per 100 live births for Aboriginal women nationally, six per 100 live births for non-Aboriginal women nationally, and six per 100 live births for Alice Springs Aboriginal women. That is positive. When the Chief Minister and I were in Central Australia two weeks ago, we received a briefing from Congress. The Chief Minister was as impressed as I to receive that briefing. This was one of the real positives that came out of that, which we were privileged to receive.
Better antenatal care is largely through Congress. Congress Alukura has improved the rate of normal birth weight to the same as the national level for non-Aboriginal people. I say again that this is a great achievement.
The member for Greatorex said we know that renal disease continues to be a problem for us in the Territory. He said that he was pleased that his concern about spreading dialysis all across the Territory into bush communities has proven to be unfounded. I welcome the acknowledgement by the member for Greatorex. He had concerns and there would have been a basis for his concern some years ago, but he has been able to see and hear that some of those concerns were unfounded. It is something that is growing; demand is outstripping our resources. I am particularly concerned about Central Australia and Alice Springs where we have more renal patients than dialysis places. It takes some management to deal with, but it is an issue to which we have to attend.
Some areas of action by this government include: opening a 32-place Tennant Creek renal unit; establishing remote home dialysis; increased recurrent expenditure from $14m in 2002-03 to $20.5m in 2006-07, which is an increase of 46%; and we are currently engaged in a $1m refurbishment of the Flynn Drive Renal Unit in Alice Springs.
The member for Greatorex talked about tobacco control. He said that the Northern Territory continues to receive the Dirty Ashtray Award and exhorted us to work harder to try to stop that. ‘You should take the next step’, he said, ‘and ensure that your legislation is enforced properly’. This matter falls within my colleague’s portfolio; however, I am advised that enforcement officers from a number of agencies have completed inspection of all licensed premises resulting in improved compliance. I agree: we do need to take more steps in terms of tobacco control. It is a major health issue in the Northern Territory.
The member for Stuart made a very thoughtful contribution. He talked about the psychological impact on the individual and the family of a chronic disease sufferer, which needs to be recognised and supported. He was talking from his own family perspective in a very personal way, and I certainly appreciated your contribution, member for Stuart. This is a very important aspect of managing chronic disease. We do need primary health care staff and those with chronic disease in their families to work closely together.
Teaching clients about self-management of their condition has a significant focus on helping them adjust psychologically to living permanently with a disease. Mental wellness is included in the development of client care plans.
The member for Stuart said he would like to see education for bush people about the impact of sleeping and cooking around an open fire. It would be interesting to find out what impact there is for respiratory conditions of these people over a long period of time. I have camped around a camp fire, member for Stuart, and I have coughed a few times. If the wrong sort of timber gets on the fire, it gets a bit smoky. The only time you need smoke is when you have mosquitoes. I am informed the impact of smoke is mainly in enclosed places. The major respiratory risk by far for Territorians is tobacco smoke, both directly inhaled and passive smoking. That is something we need to watch.
The member for Sanderson, as always, made a lively contribution to this debate. In researching the subject of chronic disease, he saw the glaringly obvious link between chronic disease and obesity. GO NT is a primary prevention activity aimed at all Territorians based on the strong link between physical activity reducing the risk of chronic disease. On 8 November, I was very pleased to announce the launch of GO NT when I took my dog, the inimitable Bruiser, to Wagaman Park. He loved the walk and I think the media was very impressed. Bruiser and I should get out for a walk more often. Walking your dog is a good thing to do. I undertook to walk up the stairs every day. I think I have done it about a half dozen times since that day, but I do go up the five storeys and it is a bit of exercise, which is more exercise than I was having before. The Heart Foundation has a program where you can climb Everest. You really need to do it in a team, so I am encouraging people in my office to try to join me in walking up the stairs every day and, maybe in a year or so, we would have scaled Everest. It is a bit of fun.
GO NT has been given the highest level of support through the establishment of the Chief Minister’s Active Living Council. The Active Living Council will implement and monitor the GO NT physical activity strategy and a first year action plan, which was developed through a collaborative process by the council earlier this year.
I am sorry I missed some of your presentation, member for Arnhem but, as always, you spoke passionately about the link between education and health, particularly for young people in your electorate. The link between education and health is critically important; populations that are better educated have better health. As I noted in my statement, international research pioneered by Jack and Pat Calwell demonstrates that education levels, particularly of young women, are strongly associated with improved health. In particular, international research shows that the education of young mothers is powerfully linked to reductions in infant mortality. The research suggests that educated, literate mothers have greater control over their own lives and the health choices for their children. Educating young mothers is a key strategy in achieving significant individual and community gain.
I wish to acknowledge a number of people who contribute to tackling chronic disease in the Territory, many of whom are recognised nationally and internationally for their work: Dr Tarun Weeramanthri; Dr Christine Connors; Dr David Ashbridge; Jenny Cleary and Vivian Hobson; Peter Pangquee who is our principal Aboriginal health worker, whom I have known for many years; Professor Kerin O’Dea formerly of Menzies; the current director of Menzies, Dr Jonathon Carapetis, a world-class researcher and paediatrician; Professor John Mathews to whom both the member for Greatorex and I have paid tribute here today, and his contribution to the Northern Territory will endure; Professor Ross Bailey; Stephanie Bell; and John Boffa; I have already mentioned Congress and their important role; Andrew Bell from the Katherine West Health Board; Anne Kemp who has been around for a long time and made such a significant contribution from Healthy Living NT; Greg Hallam, the new Director of the National Heart Foundation; former director, Graham Opie; and Jan Saunders from the Asthma Foundation.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I appreciated the thoughtful contributions by members from both sides. We have an enormous challenge with preventable chronic disease. We have a very young population, but the way things have been in the past, that young population would be destined for death and disability within their middle life - unnecessarily, I believe - and it is a real tragedy.
I have told this story before and I will tell it again. I can mention the name of a good friend of mine from Maningrida, Mr Milak Winunquj, with his family’s permission. There is a lovely picture of Milak which was taken by a photographer in the 1950s called Axel Poignant at a place called Ngalarramba, which is over the river from Maningrida. Axel Poignant was an ethnographer. He took fantastic photographs and they appear in a book called Encounter at Ngalarramba. There is a picture of Milak as a very young boy, probably three, on his father’s shoulders. I am probably going to need an extension here.
Mr BURKE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the minister be granted an extension of time to conclude his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: I thank members for allowing me to finish my comments. There is a lovely picture of Milak on his father’s shoulders. His father, at that time, I would say, would have been in his 50s or older, but he was sinew and muscle, a very healthy elderly man out hunting with his spear with young Milak on his shoulders. You can see from the rest of the pictures in the book that these were people who were full-on hunters and gatherers. This is in the 1950s. The pictures show their ceremonial and everyday life, and how they gathered their food.
Within a generation, at the age of 42, Milak was dead from a massive stroke. To this day, I think what a tragedy in one generation. The message for me is that this can happen in one generation. Milak talked to me about this and I know he would not mind my talking about it; he had diabetes, he was overweight, he had hypertension, and a whole lot of stress in his life. Basically, this happened in one generation. I take heart from that and I hope we can turn it around in a generation or less. It took a generation to set in; let us work together to turn this around and make the next generation healthy, and give them a quality of life that has been lost.
Once again, I thank all members. I commend the statement to the House.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement - Regional Economic Development, Sharing in Territory Prosperity
Note Statement - Regional Economic Development, Sharing in Territory Prosperity
Continued from 10 October 2006.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on regional economic development.
When it came to office, this government recognised the need for regional economic development and the Chief Minister made a statement to that effect at the opening of parliament in June 2005. I will support the minister’s statement by highlighting some areas in my electorate which show the result of what this government is doing, and how lives are improving in the bush.
Without upsetting too many of my urban colleagues, the regions of the Northern Territory support the lifestyle of urban centres in some ways. As the minister said, production in the non-metropolitan areas of the Northern Territory is some $3.5bn, and that was in 2004-05. I estimate that would now be a considerable amount more because of a number of major projects occurring in regional Northern Territory as we speak.
The Northern Territory derives a lot of its economic input from the mining industry, the resource sector, agricultural areas and, obviously, tourism. Whilst people come to Darwin for their holidays, just as many go to regional areas of the Northern Territory for their holidays. Certainly, there are no major mines in the northern suburbs of Darwin, no great mango plantations or agricultural crops in Rapid Creek, so it comes back to the bush of the Northern Territory which is driving the economy and supporting the lifestyle we have.
Within the mining industry, there are a number of mines that are opening and have opened in my electorate. Recently, we had the official opening of the GBS Gold plant at Union Reef near Pine Creek. GBS Gold has accumulated a large number of tenements from Terra Gold and Anglo Gold over the last two years, and they have swung all those into an operation which feeds the Union Reef mill. They are making discoveries. Even in this last week, they have announced a great number of discoveries on top of the existing resource they had identified.
They are directly employing 200 people within the Pine Creek and Adelaide River region. There is an accommodation facility at Pine Creek which has about 60 employees, and there is one at Cosmo which has probably as much again. There are other employees who come from Pine Creek and Adelaide River, and they commute each day. You have 200 people on good money which goes back into the families of the Northern Territory.
A number of contractors are benefiting from this mining activity. I thank Tony Simpson and Tom Heaton who have taken control of the operations at Pine Creek and have really tried to get local contractors involved and local people employed. There is a major mining segment of the contracts which has been issued to Tony Harbrow, a local bloke, and G and K Akers from Adelaide River. They have employed a lot of people, brought a lot of equipment into the town, and they have the responsibility of mining and loading ore into the mill.
One of the other mines which will open up fairly soon will be Territory Iron. Again, this is a company which has committed very early on to employing local people. They are in negotiations with the Northern Land Council in respect of a percentage of their employees being indigenous. That will, I hope, come from the majority of the tribal people. Territory Iron will employ up to 70 or 80 people by the time they get into full operation. Not only will they benefit the local people through direct employment, there is the servicing of the mine and additional usage of the railway. They plan to have seven carriages a week go to Darwin and return. They have made a fairly significant investment in the port as well for their stockpile. There are two operations which, on rough figures, are looking at employing 350 people.
One of the other key areas is Compass Resources in Batchelor. Just on the figures that I have been given, they are, in the construction phase, looking at employing up to 200 people. These are skilled, non-skilled and professional people. When they get into operation, there will be something like 80 to 100 people, which is fairly conservative. They have been exploring and doing a great deal of drilling and there will be a lot more heard about the resources available in the Batchelor region.
All that has had had a ripple effect on the Batchelor community: the community is growing, there is a lot more interest, you now have developers coming into the region, assisted by the Lands and Planning department on opening up rural subdivisions to cater for those people who want to work at the mine. This mine has a projected life of 10, 20, 30 years, so people can see an opportunity to earn a good living and live in a beautiful town like Batchelor. There is a great deal of input coming from those three mines alone.
The Maud Creek Mine, which is part of GBS Gold operations, will start later next year and will employ up to 80 people when it is fully operating. They will be carting ore from Maud Creek, which is the east of Katherine, to the mill at Pine Creek. The operation will be based at Katherine, so Katherine will see the additional boost of wages, subcontractors for servicing of equipment, and all the ancillary operations that go with it.
In the agricultural sector, the Douglas Daly region is really ready to boom. The work has been done by NRETA to get the science right in the Douglas Daly region. It will be done and owners and people who buy in the future into that region will certainly be up there with their operations and their allocation of water. Unlike what has happened in the southern states, they will be able to have a lot more certainty about their operations in the future. If I was a bank manager, I would gladly give money to a farmer if I knew they were going to get that allocation of water, that precious resource, and the land is fertile. Production within the Douglas Daly region will continue to the future.
Several other major projects occurring around the Territory include the Bradshaw field training area run by the ADF. The ADF bought Bradshaw Station several years ago - it would be about six or seven years ago now - and they are turning it into a training field for troops, tanks and armies from overseas. Over the last few years, they have built a bridge across the Victoria River and set up two 500-man camps and 160 km of road network throughout the station. That has employed a great number of people. The Bradshaw Station area is recognised as the land of the Jamunjung, Njaliwurru and Wardeman people. These traditional owners - and there are about 400 involved - have been brought into that operation and given opportunities by the ADF. I congratulate them.
John Holland is contracted by Defence to construct the various facilities which include a task force management area, a range control facility, and the 160 km road network. Through their Indigenous Economic Development Project, John Holland has employed numerous indigenous people from the Timber Creek area since they have been in operation, and I am very familiar with how it has improved their lives. Having those jobs out there has certainly improved those families whom I know personally. I thank John Holland for showing the commitment to those people. John Holland was nominated for the NT Indigenous Employer Excellence Awards in the category of Top Indigenous Employer. This category is awarded to the company or business which has made a difference by showing outstanding initiative and commitment to engage with local people, which they certainly have.
Defence intends to continue to invest in the Bradshaw training area and have the facility as one of its largest in Australia, which is a huge claim. The benefits from Defence to indigenous people, the local community and the surrounding area will continue to grow. Defence does not seem to be short of money and we appreciate their patronage.
A major project is Blacktip, a $750m construction of an onshore gas condensing plant, and piping the gas from Port Keats on the shores of Yeltcher Beach adjacent to the Wadeye community some 280 km to the north-south gas pipeline to Darwin. This is a huge project. Work has started in earnest and sacred site and land clearances have been occurring over the Dry Season. I thank NLC staff and traditional owners who have worked very hard. I know that some staff have given up their weekends to get all those clearances done so construction on this $750m project can occur next year.
It will mean some 200 construction jobs for the gas plant and some 150 jobs on the construction of the pipeline over that time. I hope that the majority of employees will come from the local area. There are 5000 people in the area and I hope a significant proportion of that workforce will come from the local Aboriginal people.
Associated with that region, the NT government has committed $10m for the Port Keats road. There is a 190 km dirt road which has several major rivers and large creek systems running through it. It is a $55m project to get that to all-weather condition. The commitment of $10m by the Northern Territory government in 2005 was a significant investment in the bush. It showed that this government can see the benefits of improving the road networks to improve economic development opportunities and the lifestyles of people living out bush. Half of that money, or $4m, has been committed in this financial year. Department of Transport staff have been working very closely with local road crews and have managed to get the Nauiyu Nambiyu construction team and the Palumpa Station road construction team. There are about 30-odd guys who are working flat out on a 50 km stretch of road between Palumpa and Port Keats to get that up to all-weather status so that people can commute over the Wet Season.
My hope is that those people will move through skills development on that project to the gas pipeline and gas plant projects. The Works Supervisor of both teams is excellent. Andy McTaggert engenders a great deal of camaraderie among the boys. They learn a lot and do great work on those roads.
It was my goal to have a lot of my electorate moving ahead through economic development because people need jobs; they need to have income to improve their lives. A lot of these communities are doing it for themselves with the assistance of government. One of those areas is Adelaide River. They have had an Economic Development Committee operating for several years now, and they meet on a regular basis with the assistance of departmental staff. Tourism staff meet with them regularly about promoting the town, and I keep a keen watch on the things that they come up with.
Similarly, Pine Creek has an Economic Development Committee, and they have put a number of proposals to the Northern Territory government over the years about sustaining and building their town. The Northern Territory government is assisting local communities to improve their economic development opportunities to move themselves ahead.
I want to comment on changes with the CDEP and also the welfare reform, with the lifting of the remote area exemption. Yes, this will present a big challenge to communities to adapt, and it puts a great obligation on the federal government to support that change. They have to support that change. If, through the lifting of the remote area exemption, they short change on training opportunities, STEP programs or any of the programs for transition to work, they will have failed those communities. If it is done properly, and we realise the potential of the land out there, lives will certainly improve.
One of my key goals is unleashing of the value of these land trusts. There is certainly valuable, beautiful and rich land out there and, with the agreement of traditional owners and the support of this government, we can build the potential of those areas and improve the lives of the traditional owners and their families.
I support the statement. It demonstrates that this minister is very keen to make a difference and that this government will continue on the path of economic development, as it stated following the last election.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on regional economic development.
I have always thought about how we can further develop our regions in the Northern Territory, particularly in the bush. When I think about regional economic development, I immediately think about the remote regions of the Northern Territory and what activities or projects are happening. Where are the jobs? Where are the industries to create the employment opportunities? How can we as a government help many indigenous communities and regional centres become stronger regions and economically independent? Our responsibilities as the government are to address and deliver core services and to support the economic aspirations of all Territorians, no matter where they live.
I am pleased to say that, since Labor won government in August 2001, regional and economic development has been a priority. Because of this priority, things are moving in the right direction, but as we all know, there is a lot more to be done. Effective regional and economic development can only happen where it is supported by a strong economy. This government, early into its first term, addressed the serious economic issues that confronted the Northern Territory and did something about it. When the Labor Party came to office in 2001, the Territory economy was on its knees. There was a massive movement of people out of the Territory, the construction industry was almost idle, debt was spiralling out of control, and the budget deficit was set to be $130m. Our regions were totally ignored.
Immediately following our election, the World Trade Centre attacks, SARS and the collapse of Ansett combined to bring about a massive reduction in tourists. This government fought for the Northern Territory, and has successfully clawed its way out of the abysmal heritage that was the CLP’s legacy to the Territory. That turnaround is now leading to a successful and very modern Territory economy. It was achieved by providing a higher level of cash for capital works and infrastructure, focusing funds on the economic drivers to produce future growth, making sensible and strategic reductions to taxation on business and the community, and maintaining strong fiscal discipline.
These principles now guide our economic strategies and underpin our economic plans. For example: capital works cash $2.7bn in five years; funds focused on rescuing tourism, $30m additional in publicity over three years; $74m in reduced tax with $134m to come; and three surplus budgets. This would be the framework of our policies going forward. The successes are that the economic growth rate is 5.8%, the second highest in Australia compared to 0% in 2000; employment now bordering on 110 000 employed persons, with a participation rate of 71% and a growth rate of more than 2%; tourism has rebounded to pre-2001 levels; construction is booming with the Territory and Western Australia acknowledged as Australia’s construction powerhouses; and the Territory economy diversifying with the railway bringing the freight forwarding industry, gas bringing downstream condensate processing, and the minerals boom bringing on a range of new mining opportunities.
This has not happened by accident. As a result of Labor government actions on the economy, we have seen a number of economic summits. At the same time, this government has engaged the indigenous communities by holding an indigenous economic summit. These summits took a lot of planning and have produced very important outcomes that fill in the pieces of the government’s regional economic development strategy. Planning, recommendations and work since these economic summits have resulted in the following: launch of the Northern Territory Indigenous Economic Strategy, which has identified three industry sectors last year; the creation of a schedule under the bilateral agreement the Chief Minister signed with the Prime Minister entitled Boosting Indigenous Employment and Economic Development; and the Territory’s economic development framework launched by the Chief Minister last month.
Fostering and delivering sustainable regional economic development, particularly in our rural and remote regions, will be very challenging. This government is working hard to meet this challenge because it is a challenge we have to win for the future of the Territory and our children. This direction on regional economic development by the Labor government has seen a fresh and re-energised approach to how our regions will move into the future.
There is no doubt our regions in the Northern Territory provide a very big challenge for this government, and not only in regional economic development. Whilst there are certain challenges for regional communities throughout Australia with the movement of people, I see some positives in this challenge. What we are seeing in the Territory is our indigenous populations in regional centres and remote communities growing, and they will continue to grow. To a minority of Territorians this is a problem but, to people on this side of the House, it is an opportunity. This is why it is imperative that any regional or economic plan engages all sectors of the community, and is dynamic and adjustable to meet these changes. Why dynamic? Because these plans must be able to attract industry sectors, the business sector, and resources from outside the regions and be mobile to take on the challenges that come before them from a social economic perspective. It also means that plans should not simply sit on the shelf and collect dust, but truly represent the region for which they are developed.
In my own electorate of Stuart, the mining, pastoral, horticultural and arts industries are all significant contributors to the Territory economy. Speaking of dust, you only have to drive down a pretty good road known as the Tanami Highway, about six hours drive from Alice Springs, and you find the very prospective mining province of the Granites and Tanami mines.
Having worked at the Granites for a year, I have seen firsthand the amount of machinery required to do the work, the numbers and variety of jobs on-site and, I must say, many locals from Alice Springs work there as well. The services and supplies needed to keep the mine open demonstrate the importance this industry has in the Central Australian region.
I commend the minister’s actions and approach on the formation of new economic development committees. These committees will engage all stakeholders in the regions they represent. The growth in our indigenous population and the inclusion of indigenous members to these economic development committees will provide many solutions to the challenges they will face. With indigenous land ownership around Central Australia, intellectual property resulting from strong traditional law and cultural practices also brings advantages and unique opportunities.
I recognise other regional economic models that I have researched around Australia and overseas: the Cape York Partnerships model in Queensland; the Auckland Regional Development Strategy in New Zealand; and the Kimberley Economic Development Strategy in Western Australia. One unique thing about all of these partnerships, strategies, or whatever you want to call them, is their involvement of and engagement with their indigenous peoples.
Another great initiative by this government which deserves recognition in this statement is Community Cabinet. Community Cabinet give our Cabinet ministers the opportunity to travel around the regions and see them firsthand and to meet the people. In my electorate, we have had Community Cabinet in the Anmatjere region and the Utopia and Ampilatwatja region. Both regions have seen movements in the regional development area. In the Anmatjere region, we have the Anmatjere master plan. The Anmatjere region is also appropriately named ‘the growing centre of Australia’ for good reason. In their plan, the Anmatjere are working and achieving their goals of the plan with things such as increasing tourism, expanding pastoral and horticulture industries, improving infrastructure, fostering social harmony, expanding regional employment and training, developing the township of Ti Tree as a regional centre, and fostering Aboriginal development.
There are many other economic development opportunities or initiatives that I would quickly like to mention. We see in the construction industry in Central Australia the great work that Tangentyere Constructions is undertaking through the IHANT builder trainer program. I have talked about this program previously and acknowledged the programs in my communities of Ampilatwatja and Laramba where these programs have given opportunities for young indigenous men to participate in apprenticeships and traineeships in the building area.
I note, last sittings, the Chief Minister’s announcement of the 20-year plan and the indigenous housing program, which will add many more opportunities in the bush.
During my time at the Granites gold mine, I had the opportunity to do some great work with the Yuendumu Mining Company and S&J Earthmoving. Both indigenous companies have been in that area for a long time and have tried a lot of areas to get into the mining sector. One of the things that we did was form joint ventures. This is another area we need to seriously promote and consider for the regions.
Joint ventures give indigenous businesses in the private sector the opportunity to share resources to share together and to tender for works such as contracts in the mining sector.
Another great model in my electorate is the work done by Centrefarm, which is a company set up originally through the Central Land Council. We have seen great projects happening at Ali Curung and through the Ti Tree region where there are about to be blocks released for further horticulture projects. I am looking forward to that and the opportunities it will create.
Recently, we heard minister McAdam’s statement through the Indigenous Housing Program about regional shires. This will complement regional development initiatives of the Minister for Regional Development, and will open up our remote regions and provide opportunities to many local indigenous people in those areas.
I could talk about many more initiatives but, at this stage, I want to say that all of us have a chance as local members to be actively involved in our communities and to promote the initiatives we are talking about today. I support the statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, my question is: do we need regional economic development committees? I ask that question because, in my area for instance, a lot of development does not have government involvement; people have just gone out and done it. I will give you some examples as we go along. Perhaps we do not give enough credit to people’s own enterprise. I am not sure that government should always be leading the way. In some cases they should, but in some cases they should not. If you look at horticulture in the Northern Territory, especially in my part of the world, a lot of people developed horticulture industries without any government assistance.
Most of the major nurseries in the Top End are in Litchfield Shire, and the nursery industry is a substantial one for the Northern Territory. A lot of plants are exported south from nurseries, and a lot of local hardware stores and supermarkets are supplied with plants from those industries. Basically, they do that on their own; they have developed their own markets and they continue to prosper. Growers of cut flowers have developed their markets through the Northern Territory Horticulture Association. The government’s involvement is in developing new varieties of cut flowers. That is an important role for government but, again, a lot of people have gone out and found the markets themselves.
The mango industry is enormous for the Northern Territory and it is changing. I noted this year that a large number of growers with small farms are letting all their fruit drop to the ground. There were masses of it, but there is one advantage; there are some very fat mango-eating geese flying around the Northern Territory at the moment. They come in like vacuum cleaners and clean up the orchards. They are quite happy that people let their mangoes fall on the ground. However, it emphasises that, if you are a mango grower with a small orchard on five acres or a bit larger, unless you are free of debt, it is very difficult to survive today. The mango growers with large orchards are taking over because they have economies of scale which allow them to do things cheaper than some of the smaller ones. That is not to say there are not successful smaller orchards, but the days of the grower with really small mango orchards are fast disappearing.
I should mention agriculture. The minister said that it is not the government’s role to run abattoirs. I dispute that. I know many places in Australia where the abattoir was a local government service to the community. I am not sure whether it was a state service, but in some farming communities it was a service. It might have been open one or two days a week. You paid a fee. One day might have been for the killing of cattle, the other for the killing of something else like pigs.
Government could play a role. The minister did say, from the paper that was presented about the commerciality of abattoirs, that it was possibly a going concern. Until we get someone to take it over, the government would have a role to maintain and manage that abattoir. After all, it would get money for it. You would be charging people a fee and, in economic development, that is a good thing. There are a lot of people out there who do have animals for slaughter. The gentleman at Dundee Downs is a classic. If there is not an abattoir and he cannot build one himself, basically, that industry dies. He would be the last of the pig growers in the Northern Territory, at least in the Top End. I am interested to know what happens with buffalo meat required by some of our butchers. Where will that come from? Will it have to come from south, which will be more expensive? What is the future of our buffalo industry?
Another industry which is not always recognised is sand and gravel. I always used to say Litchfield Shire is the place that builds Darwin. Every house, every building in the Darwin region is built from sand mined in the Litchfield Shire. Most gravel is taken from the Litchfield Shire. In the rural area, further out, a lot of material that is being used in the waterfront comes from near Mt Bundy. Extractive mining and the mining industry itself, if you class quarrying as mining, is a big industry and is really the backbone of the development of Darwin. Without it, you certainly would not have any construction as we know it today.
With that kind of development, we need to keep an eye on the environment. I am opposed to government allowing extractive mining to take place in the middle of the harbour on what is still a mining reserve. For those who do not know what a mining reserve is, it is land that is not to be mined and can only be mined with approval from the minister. If you fly over the centre of the harbour, you will see extractive mining everywhere. What was a really beautiful part of Darwin, and is the centre part of Darwin that did not need to be developed, has been destroyed by successive ministers. It began with the CLP, but that was relatively minor compared to what has happened to date. Extractive mining has been allowed, by permission of the minister, to occur and it is continually occurring.
People might have noticed a truck accident where the truck drove across the railway line. That truck was coming out of that very area I am talking about. It is worth people looking out the left-hand side of the plane when they are flying in to Darwin. If you can tell me that is a beautiful part of Darwin, I will eat my hat. We could have taken all this gravel from the north of Howard Springs, the Howard Peninsula where the government is hoping to put a regional waste development plan. We could have taken it from there, yet we listened to the planners saying this land was going to be opened up for industrial use. This was a bad decision, because there is plenty of land to the north of Palmerston in the Howard Peninsula area which could have been used after the gravel was scraped for industrial purposes. It is a very sad day. If anyone who walked through that bush five or six years ago and had known that the government was going to allow that to be destroyed when it could have been a national park, part of our economic development from an environmental point of view, they would have felt ashamed.
Other big industries in my area are the Defence industries, Shoal Bay Transmitter Station and, of course, the Robertson Barracks, which continues to grow and brings a lot of benefits to the community. There are still some issues with traffic from Robertson Barracks, especially in the northern part around Knuckeys Lagoon. We are having a meeting there next week to try to solve some of these issues. Again, with development comes some other problems. The Army has a role to play, not just the local council because, as you know, Defence or Commonwealth land does not attract rates, so it is very hard on a relatively small council like Litchfield Shire to be paying some of the infrastructure that is required because of a Defence development. Kowandi North and Kowandi South, I think, are now called the Howard Springs Defence Areas. Of course, the government wishes to develop a Defence hub on Thorngate Road. That is yet to be decided, and there are some issues related to the environment. That is all part of the mix of regional development in my area.
Tourism is still a big area and, if you combine tourism and the environment - and when I am talking about the environment, I am talking about the parks in my area - there are Windows on the Wetlands and Howard Springs Nature Reserve. The minister has heard me talk about this before. As you know, more than a year ago, a lot of people complained bitterly about not being able to swim at Howard Springs Reserve. This year, we have been able to swim because there was work done on cleaning it out, but the work has not continued this year. If the government is serious about economic development, it needs to make there is a day-to-day management plan for Howard Springs Reserve. Lots of people have used it this year. I am told anecdotally that there have been hundreds and hundreds of people using it because they can swim, whereas they could not before.
There is the Berry Springs Nature Park and Tree Point Reserve. There are a lot of people visiting that area, and it needs to be managed. As part of our economic development, it can be developed more but, at the present time, there is very little control over its use.
There is the Territory Wildlife Park and the Howard Springs Shooting Reserve, which is used by many shooters in the region. There is another shooting reserve near Blackmore River and there is a smaller shooting reserve near the Howard River mouth. There is the new Shoal Bay Conservation Reserve, which is an area that needs more work. It seems to be a portion of land we have marked on a map, but it is close to Darwin. There is another potential area for tourists to see a lot of our wonderful environment close to Darwin, yet there has not been a lot done.
Fishing is a big industry in the rural area, notwithstanding the harbour is the major attraction. Dixie runs a boat hire area at Leeders Creek and Shoal Bay. Government has a role to play. With both these areas, you might say people picked the site and live there and, if they want to live there, that is too bad. I know the government helps different groups. It helps put infrastructure into horticultural areas. Take the Lambells Lagoon horticultural development; the government put all the electricity in there.
I have asked a number of times why Leeders Creek could not get a power line run from the old Gunn Point Prison Farm. At the moment, they have to run diesel engines. They have some cabins, and you can get soft drink and some food. They look after people’s boats and trailers so no one interferes with them. One of the big problems is the cost of running a diesel generator when, about 4 km or 5 km away is mains power which goes to Gunn Point where no one lives - not any more. There is an opportunity for the government to say: ‘Okay, if we want to help fledgling industry, let us see if we can help these people with a 10-year loan to get the power in there’. They cannot pay for that sort of power infrastructure in one go; that is where the government should help.
It is the same at Shoal Bay. People have asked the government to grade the road and the response is: if they grade the road, they are liable for the road. They say this particular lease was given to Billy Boustead who knew there would be no road connection. The only connection was meant to be by boat. The reality, whether you like it or not, is it is now a very popular boat ramp for people in the rural, Palmerston and Darwin areas. Shoal Bay fishing is renowned for barramundi, yet it is a very difficult road to get through. You can say: ‘That is too bad for them’, but if we live like that all the time, we are not encouraging economic development. There might be a way around it. The government is talking about a regional waste facility at Howard Peninsula. They started building the road in conjunction with the council. Perhaps the tourism industry and some of the local people such as the people who run the Shoal Bay Boat Hire could contribute some money, and then something could be done. At the moment, it is not satisfactory and it does not encourage economic development.
There is a large service industry in the rural area. You only have to look at the 11 Mile and see how many industrial complexes have developed in that area over the last few years. Humpty Doo industrial area, plus the commercial area close to the highway, is starting to grow.
Coolalinga is booming. There is a lot of talk about whether there will be development on the other side of the highway. I have spoken to the minister about it but, regardless of what happens, there is certainly room for more development. Other people are showing confidence in the rural area. For instance, Bendigo Bank recently opened, and that is a great statement about the future of the rural area. TIO is there as well. The rural area is developing, and it is a popular area. The next area will be either Noonamah or Weddell as more growth occurs in that area.
Humpty Doo, for instance, has some interesting little industries. It has recycling. Old Merv is there. I gather he is moving back to Shoal Bay soon. I received an invitation to the opening of the Shoal Bay Recycling Centre, which is in my electorate, by the way. There is also tyre recycling at Humpty Doo, which is great. There is a company that makes water tanks, and they are doing quite well. There are a lot of people involved in establishing and maintaining bores. All sorts of industry is developing because the rural area is growing. As it grows, people want things such as bores on their blocks.
If we talk about economic development, we should also talk about the physical development of the land. Much of the rural area is being subdivided. We have had a large number of subdivisions over the last few years. There is a one-hectare subdivision about to be finished in my area which belongs to the Churcher Estate. It will soon be connected to Whitewood Road, and I imagine the Howard Springs Shopping Centre will see an increase in traffic and business through that area.
I have raised many times that, if you want economic development and land is too high in price, people cannot buy or build the house that they would like; they build a small house. If you go around some of the subdivisions in the rural area, some of the houses are tiny. The reason that they are tiny is because land costs so much money, they do not have enough money to build a house. They will eventually build a house as time goes on but, if land is too expensive, you are not really helping the economy. Just buying land does not help the economy; what you put on the land does.
I see more and more subdivisions occurring. The Sayer Road subdivision has just finished. There is the Daniel Circuit subdivision that has just been completed. There is the Bennington Road subdivision which is on sale now. Laurence Ah Toy has a proposed subdivision of about 150 blocks south of Humpty Doo. Fraser Henry has a subdivision on the highway called The Grange but, if you look at the prices of some of those blocks, they are not cheap - one hectare for about $230 000. You do not have much money left out of HomeNorth money if you have to pay $230 000 to $260 000 for your block.
Does the government want more of this development to occur? The Laurence Ah Toy subdivision has been held up because of water issues. In regional economic development, should you be looking at installing infrastructure by way of a local water supply or helping the developer put in connections to larger pipelines on our highways? That is where government should be directing its energy. How can it help? In areas where the water may not be too good, is it possible to have a localised water supply for that area, like a small town supply, or can the water be brought in from elsewhere?
Darwin itself is growing. Much of that affects the rural area. There have always been concerns about the amount of water being pumped out of production bores. Those production bores supply about 10% of the water to Darwin, and we have issues about whether we need to build a new dam. As I said before, we may have to build a new dam. I am not against that, but we should be looking at recycling our water if that is possible. If we build a new town at Weddell, we should be looking at having dual pipes in the suburbs where recycled water is used for your gardens and fresh water is used for showers, toilets and washing.
Recreation is also an industry we forget about. In the rural area, horses are a big recreation industry. If you go to Freds Pass, you see pony clubs, polocrosse clubs and dressage people. That industry feeds off itself. You need feed, saddles, clothing, people to organise events. That requires food and transport. People have horse trailers and big cars to pull them. It is an industry in itself, and it is very popular. Those industries do not necessarily require government help, but I wanted to let you know that they are important.
Local government is sometimes referred to as an industry. I do not always like the reference, but local government is part of the development of a region. It is responsible for constructing and maintaining roads. It comes in for criticism every now and then, but it is an important part of the rural area.
I am interested to see the government’s plans for shires throughout the Territory. I am not opposed to the Territory being divided into local government. Although there might be some issues, in the long term, it will be of benefit. There will be some teething problems, I am sure. The member for Katherine mentioned the pastoral industry not being happy with it. These issues can be worked through.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. I thought I would share some of the good and the bad sides of economic development in my area. I look forward to the minister’s response.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I respond to the new Minister for Regional Development’s first ministerial statement. I expected it to be a pretty glowing statement and I have not been let down on that score.
It is a pleasure to respond to it, and to give you a couple of challenges, minister. The best and only way to describe living in regional and remote areas is to go and live there for a reasonable length of time so there is a full appreciation of the ongoing challenges that are faced; many of these over and over again. Too often, decisions are made by governments and government members who live in cities and look at statistics and reports, without having a good feeling for what is out there and what the conditions are really like.
Mining has played a very important role in the development of regional areas over many years. That includes Tennant Creek, Borroloola, Pine Creek, Jabiru, Batchelor and Katherine. I appreciate the benefit to communities of the mining industry which does that with very little help from government.
It has been noticeable how a community suffers when mining operations have closed down in any of these areas. I could not help but see the significant impact that Mt Todd’s closure had on Katherine. It was similar when Pine Creek suffered the loss of their mining industry. Not only were local families without employment, but those employees who had relocated to Katherine and Pine Creek and other areas move away to where they can get employment. That means that numbers of schoolchildren are down, the numbers of people who are looking for employment are down, and business turnover is down. Everyone loses. Sporting clubs lose members, and in small regional towns these mining closures have a pretty dramatic flow-on effect.
Pine Creek, as the member for Daly alluded to earlier, has really turned around with GBS Gold’s commitment to mining for years into the future. It is great to see this vibrant little town doing so well again. I have had a fair bit of involvement with them, not so much in recent times, but when I was Chairman of the Regional Tourist Association. I have always had a great deal of admiration for the strength and tenacity of the people of Pine Creek. They seem to have every association they can possibly have, and they all seem to be on each association, and then they get things resolved quickly. I have always had the greatest respect for them. It was not that long ago when you could buy a house for a song in Pine Creek. Since GBS Gold has come back, it has completely turned it around to the point where you cannot buy a house now. I am absolutely delighted for them. Regional development, through the mines in Pine Creek, has been an absolute godsend to them. It also highlights that regional areas are unwise to put all their eggs into one basket, and need to be constantly looking at ways to develop additional industries and attractions.
I have had a quick overview of Tourism NT’s Annual Report for 2005-06. It states quite clearly in the Corporate Overview that:
- Tourism is more important to the Northern Territory than for any other state or territory in Australia, other than the Australian Capital Territory. The industry accounted for 4.2% of Gross State Product (GSP) in 2004-2005, compared to 3.7% for Australia overall.
That is really significant, especially in regional Northern Territory. There is no doubt that without our magnificent natural outdoor attractions throughout the Northern Territory, the development of new products and attractions is always at the forefront of the movers and shakers in these locations.
There are two significant developments which have been gathering pace of late, one of which is the $17m to $18m Dugong Beach Resort on Groote Eylandt. That is going to be an amazing development which will offer a lot of employment opportunities for people on Groote Eylandt. There is the Nitmiluk National Park Commercial Development Plan, which is offering opportunities for the Jawoyn and local people in Katherine, and I look forward to seeing that realised. The numbers at Nitmiluk National Park this year were down, and that is a worry. However, there are other ways we can look at increasing the numbers, and I will talk about that further on.
In the Top End, for tourism, one of the impediments to developing some of our most appealing attractions is the lack of access during the Wet Season. The roles of regional development and tourism overlap. The Minister for Tourism mentioned in his statement during the October sittings that his priority was to increase visitor numbers in the shoulder or the green season. That, Minister for Tourism, has been one of the aims of the industry over many years. While some attractions are able to be marketed for the shoulder seasons, invariably, some of the iconic attractions are inaccessible during the Wet and are closed, so regional areas miss out on valuable tourism dollars. A couple of examples of that are the falls in Litchfield Park, and Jim Jim and Twin Falls in Kakadu which are closed during the Wet Season and Nitmiluk Gorge when the Katherine River is flooded, along with Maud Creek and Bullock Creek. In Katherine, this not only prevents tourism activities at Nitmiluk Gorge, but it also cuts access into Katherine for the many residents who live along Gorge Road.
While I am talking about tourism and development within the regions, the Leader of Government Business never misses an opportunity, as do most ministers, to talk about broken promises and the CLP did not do this or that. I want to remind the Assembly - this may not fit totally under Regional Development, but I believe it does - for the last two elections in Katherine, the by-election and the general election last year, Labor promised Katherine that they would upgrade the Railway Heritage Bridge which spans the Katherine River. It is the first thing you see when you are coming across the river as you automatically look to the left or right and see the railway bridge. That promise has been broken twice. For regional development and for the encouragement of tourism within the area, that is considered to be an entrance to Katherine that definitely needs to be upgraded. We do not really want any more promises; we would like to see it done.
The Leader of Government Business also stated when he was speaking earlier that the federal government were measly - they were measly - in not providing a measly $200 000 for a particular project. Well, I am saying to you people: you are measly for not providing at least $200 000 towards a promise that you have made twice. It will probably come up a third time at the next election, too. I have it noted. Minister, that is not exactly your portfolio, but I want it on record that it has been promised twice now. It does affect the look of Katherine.
In your portfolio of Regional Development, you also have a responsibility to look to the future. I want to put on the Parliamentary Record today something visionary for the minister and his department to look at very seriously - and I mean this with all sincerity. There are serious concerns nationally about global warming, and rightly so. The weather patterns that some of our southern states are experiencing is resulting in long-term droughts and, in other areas, pretty traumatic and unusual weather activity. There is no denying the concern; the evidence is there.
As a result of such serious drought conditions, it is no wonder that there are regular reports in southern newspapers that promote and encourage farmers and horticulturalists to move north where there is plenty of water. When you look at the high rainfall that we have in the Top End, it is no wonder that southern states look upon us with awe and are getting the idea to move north, which is appealing to them. There is no denying that we have billions of litres of water falling on the Top End annually but, unfortunately, we also allow billions of litres to naturally run out to the ocean to waste. We have the opportunity to utilise the water to develop regional areas, but we do not.
It is in this area, minister, that I feel that you could offer changes through government. In Katherine alone, there are over 60 applications for bore licences at present on hold, which is a pretty significant detractor to regional development. The Daly region has a moratorium on land clearance and water licences, which is also a very significant deterrent to regional development. I am going to ask the minister to be visionary and really put a process into place that will make a huge difference to Katherine.
The Katherine River flows all year round from Nitmiluk Gorge and, of course, during the Wet Season, has volumes of water at varying heights flowing through and eventually running out to the ocean. On several occasions, in 1998 and again in April of this year are recent examples, the Katherine River was unable to handle the huge volumes of rain off the escarpments and, as we are all only too well aware, flooded the town of Katherine and surrounding areas. In 1998, the flooding totally devastated all of Katherine with the exception of Katherine East, and cost government millions of dollars in assistance, let alone the personal devastation to hundreds of people and the unfortunate loss of several lives. In April of this year, while the flood waters did not affect the business district significantly, it certainly did not miss dozens of houses and assorted buildings. Those people who had damage to their houses are still going through the process of repairs and replacements. It is very disheartening for them, not to mention the darned inconvenience to all those families as they relocate to another house or unit somewhere for weeks while the repairs are going on.
I am aware that Katherine Town Council has written to government asking for assistance with flood mitigation to do everything possible to alleviate future water inundation to Katherine and surrounds. I am also aware that government has said that, in considering any sort of mitigation, a dam in the upper water catchment of Katherine River is out of the question, but it would consider building a levee bank. I am led to believe that the levee bank would be on the Katherine township side of the riverbank. My question to government is: have there been any scientific and hydrological reports to base their answer of no to the suggestion of a dam? Has there been any scientific or hydrological evidence collected to support the theory that a levy would work? What would happen to the water that was flooding on the northern side of the river? There are plenty of people who live over there. Have there been any hydrological surveys or reports at all by this government?
I am aware that in 1980 there was a study on the feasibility of a dam in the upper catchment of the river. Can the minister tell me where this report is now, and if it can be made public? I am sure that it would make interesting reading for Katherine people and, in particular, the Jawoyn who have every right to be informed about the details in it. I suggest to government that while there may still be some important points of relevance in that 1980 report, there are obviously going to be some areas that will need reviewing. Will government, in consultation with the Jawoyn on whose land the Katherine River begins, provide another report to inform debate as to the viability of such a huge development?
Should a full investigation into the viability of a dam prove positive, I am going to paint a picture of how significant that would be for developing the region. I first see the possibility of generating power for Katherine. Let us face it: power supply is topical for the NT. With a controlled water supply from the dam, there is the possibility of irrigation along the Katherine River which would open up thousands of hectares to agriculture and horticulture. That alone would attract hundreds of people to live in the region. They would want to come because of the availability of water and the abundance of land. It is not fanciful stuff; you have to think with some vision.
One of the most common reasons for people not wanting to stay in Katherine is that there is not enough to do. There would be plenty of recreational activities that could be introduced using a dam that was located only about 40 km from Katherine - another wonderful attraction so people would want to live there. Placing a catchment such as a dam on the Katherine River, which would allow control of the water flow, would also minimise the risk of flooding in Katherine. I can already see some twitching and smirking over on that side of the House, and government will say that this is all a pipe dream and it is going to cost too much or whatever. They will, unfortunately, have a good laugh at this vision - the same way you could not stop laughing at a proposal to have an exotic animal zoo in Katherine in 2003 and 2004.
I am challenging you to have a look at the economics of the cost to government to date of flood repairs to the region, with the possibility of likely future repairs to flooded infrastructure and the uncertainty of future water supply. You will see that the figures do not add up. It is such a pity because the minister talked so proudly of regional development and what his government has done. Minister, my challenge to you is to do something visionary and to develop a region. Be brave and commission all the reports that you need to do for reassurance, but do not ignore the possibilities.
I will be happy if you tell me it cannot work, but I want you to do the research. Having control of the water from Katherine River should also alleviate problems from flooding further up the river system, so there are many benefits to be considered. While talking about visionary things for the region, minister, there are thousands of hectares of undeveloped land north of the Ferguson River in the Douglas Daly catchment area. The land I am referring to comes right down to the Ferguson River. At present, there is a good gravel road through Edith Farms that ends at the river with another road on the other side that goes to the Douglas Daly. If there was wet weather access across the Ferguson, it would open up development of very good land. Katherine would become the major service centre for the Douglas Daly area instead of the present situation where this area is reasonably isolated. It would open the area up for agriculture, horticulture and tourism. It is appropriate to discuss now.
I do not know whether the minister attended the recent open day when they were talking of experimenting with soy bean oil, and are going to put in 600 ha of soy beans to see if it is feasible. We are looking for areas to grow this 600 ha of soy beans. Sure, we have some in Katherine and the Douglas Daly area, but you could be really visionary and do this, minister.
I want to conclude this response with this challenge to you: show Territorians that you can really step up to the plate for the regions and be a visionary. We have plenty of enthusiastic people who work in regional and remote areas who need the support of government to go ahead. Government can do it in cooperation with private enterprise, but it needs government to drive it.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business, Economic and Regional Development): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, first, I agree with the member for Katherine in respect of knowing what it is like living in regional areas. I did. I lived for three years in Port Hedland, and I know very well what living in a regional area means, far away from a capital city.
I also well know what happens if there is a downturn in economic activity, like a mine closing or changing hands. I know how much more expensive everything is then in a capital city. I know how closely we relied on each other in these regional areas. We are like islands: isolated, surrounded not by water but by vast tracts of land, and the next town is 300 km or 400 km away, so we rely on each other for support, entertainment, friendship - for everything.
As for your comments on water, I would love to be able to answer your questions. However, it is not my portfolio, believe it or not. It is actually NRETA because they control water and the water controller is under NRETA. However, one thing I can tell you is that in my previous portfolio as Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I called a meeting in Katherine and the controller of waters was in Katherine explaining to people why there was a delay in approving new bores. I will direct your questions and your inquiries to my colleague, the member for Arafura, the NRETA minister.
All along, I said that for the regions, economic generators will be mining, the pastoral industry, agricultural and horticultural industry, tourism and the government. We cannot discount the government because government, by employing people in different regions, is generating significant growth and economic activity.
When everyone else was bagging mines, I was the one promoting them in the Territory. I was the one who went east, west, north and south meeting people, calling them to come up to the Territory for exploration because I knew that the more mining companies established a base in the Territory, the more significant benefits would flow into the regions. An example is Pine Creek and GBS Gold. I travelled to Toronto, met them, provided assistance and information, and when they came here, we helped them. You were present. They said the assistance they had from government was significant and very important, and that is why they are now in Pine Creek. We have done the same with other mining companies, and we will continue to do that.
My colleague, the Minister for Mines, travelled all the way to China to promote the Territory. I believe the results were very good. I will work very closely with my colleagues to promote the Territory as a mining destination and invite people here because, if they make the investment, it will benefit not only Darwin and Alice Springs, but the regional centres of Tennant Creek, Timber Creek, Borroloola and other centres.
While we are visionary and promote the Territory, I am very disappointed to hear members of the opposition, in particular the Leader of the Opposition, talk down our regions and the people who make up the fabric of such beautiful places. The Leader of the Opposition also said that ministers do not spend enough time outside Darwin. Well, that is wrong. In the past four weeks, I have travelled to Alice Springs three times - flew in, stayed there, met people, flew out. The week after, I was back in Alice Springs because the Territory does not consist only of Darwin. Alice Springs is an important town, one of the most beautiful towns in Australia, a very significant town. It is a town where you enjoy yourself, not only as a tourist but also doing business. The people are wonderful and hospitable. I must admit that it is one of the few towns with such a variety of excellent restaurants and entertainment. You can go anywhere else and you cannot find, for that sized town, that number of excellent restaurants and the variety of the food.
The Opposition Leader needs to understand that regional development has various interpretations within society and governments. Let us not kid ourselves. Our regions were totally neglected for a long time by the Country Liberal Party whilst in government. I would like to give the Opposition Leader some insight in how the Martin government is going about regional development …
Dr Lim: Stranglehold. Strangling Alice Springs.
Mr VATSKALIS: We are about retaining – I challenged the member for Greatorex two days ago to tell us when the CLP government last put $12.75m into Alice Springs, its birth place! It has not. Never. I challenge him again.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: It was the CLP government that did not have the foresight to realise that, by rezoning a place as residential next to a power station, it inevitably is going to cause problems. It was either incompetence or stupidity or both.
We are about retaining and expanding local and regional business. We want to foster new enterprises. We want to value add to existing products in the regions. We want to meet changing consumer demands. We want new employment. We need to attract industry, business and resources from outside the communities. We cannot meet the needs and generate economies in the communities from within only. We have to go out. We have to go interstate and internationally in order to invite these people who are going to make these investments in the region, to generate the income to employ the local people and start recreating the economic activity that we saw years ago, and bring them up to what they used to be.
Tennant Creek is a very good example. There were heaps of mines. Tennant Creek had a population of 10 000 people. Mines, one by one, closed down because of the downturn in the resources sector and Tennant Creek now has 3500 people. We want to bring the mining companies, tourism companies and work with the local people on how to make these things become a reality, how are we going to employ local people. Let us not forget, the region is not only people of Anglo-Saxon, Greek or Chinese origin; there are a lot of indigenous people living out there. One-third of the population is indigenous people, and we have to give economic opportunities and jobs to these indigenous people.
I was very pleased today to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Power and Water and the local land council in order for indigenous youth to access the training programs at entry level and apprenticeships with Power and Water. The Northern Land Council knows the people out there. Power and Water have the jobs and the apprentices. We can work together to train these people, meet our skills shortage that we have, but also train these people to work in remote communities. Every remote community has water, power and sewerage services. We do not have to have fly-in fly-out contractors from Darwin or Katherine or Alice Springs to these communities. There can be local people we can train in our own government departments.
There are also ways to plugs the leaks in the local economy. We have to understand that every dollar spent in the community stays in the community. We have to work together with communities. We have to employ local people. We should not always look at the cheapest option. Yes, I live in Tennant Creek; it might be cheaper to go to Katherine to get someone to do work in Tennant Creek, but the reality is by getting someone in Katherine to do the job, your dollar is going to go Katherine, not Tennant Creek. People in Tennant Creek are not going to have the opportunity to be employed.
We have to market our regions, our Territory and sell our communities. That is what I did when I was the minister for Mines and Primary Industry. We travelled interstate and internationally to promote the Territory. I am very pleased to see that my colleague, the minister for Mines, is doing exactly the same. We have seen results and will continue to see results. That is the reason why we established the Regional Economic Development Committees. They have a focus on their own area. They are not diverse like the big boards; they do not have diverse interests. They are focused on their own areas.
We have established five committees - Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, East Arnhem and Tiwi Islands - and we are planning another seven within the year. I will have the pleasure to announce the formation of these committees in the near future. Each year, economic development committees will meet at the Regional Economic Forum. There are going to be three forums: southern, central and northern forums. They will discuss their problems, the issues and they will find the solutions. I met with people in Alice Springs, and I said: ‘I am not going to bring Darwin solutions to Alice Springs issues’. The people in Alice Springs are clever and diligent enough to identify the issues and provide the solutions for Alice Springs. I am very pleased to say that people are focused. They have already spoken about what the issues are and what they propose to sort out the problems. Yes, with government assistance. We cannot just cross our arms and wait for everything to be resolved from within the community. There are issues on which the government has to step in and do something.
I have promised that I will attend as many of these forums and meetings as possible. As the Minister for Regional Development, I will be advised by the regional committees about the economic plans they develop, and bring those plans to the government for discussion in Budget Cabinet. There will be discussion at the highest level within the government. It is important that these committees and people have direct access to the minister.
The committees are made up of every day Territorians, not friends of the government or high-ranking officials, public servants or business. There are professionals, skilled workers, teachers, people who have an active interest in the economic development of their area. They are not going to be exclusive clubs to rubber stamp government policy. They are going to create policy and advise the government; it is not going to be the other way around.
There are many things happening in the regions. Do not think that nothing is happening. I was surprised because I went to Alice Springs and I knew I was going to be told nothing is happening in Alice Springs. That is not true; a lot is happening in Alice Springs. Already the government sector has invested directly or indirectly about $32m in a year. I know that there are people saying: ‘Nothing is happening in Alice Springs’. The member for Greatorex said the other day on radio that the government spent $1.1bn for the waterfront in Darwin, and nothing benefits Alice Springs’. Wrong, in two areas.
First, the government is not spending $1.1bn on the waterfront. The government is investing $200m over 10 years for areas which will be accessed by the public, every Territorian, and $900m is being invested by private companies. Nothing happens in Alice Springs! Let me tell you Michael Sitzler is the owner of the Sitzler company, which is based in Alice Springs. The Sitzler building company, in conjunction with others, is building the convention centre so the money, skills and jobs are flowing directly and indirectly to Alice Springs.
On many occasions, the member for Greatorex is out there talking his town down. Wrong! Alice Springs is a buzzing community. Yes, there are challenges and problems in Alice Springs. There are problems everywhere, but the solution is how you manage those problems and meet your challenges.
I heard someone say: ‘Build a big fence around Alice Springs and do not let the black people come in’. The problem with the black people is that what you will miss will be the black dollars. If you look at the economy, the town and who spends the money where, you will find that those black people, whom some people do not like, come and spend money for accommodation, food, clothes, fuel or other goods in Alice Springs.
I am very enthusiastic about regional development because the reality is that Darwin is a small town. I say town because compared with big cities in Australia and the world, we are small. We are very small geographically and in population, surrounded by a vast area called the Northern Territory, 1.5 million square kilometres with millions of possibilities. Most of the area is regional: Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Timber Creek and Borroloola. About half the population lives outside Darwin. We have a responsibility and a moral obligation to provide economic activities in the regions to generate the jobs for these people to be employed. We have tried and we have had successes. We brought back to production Aboriginal pastoral land and made agreements with pastoralists. After many years, we have seen pastoralists accepting the economic and legal realities and are working closely with indigenous people in order to access their land to graze their cattle and, at the same time, hiring Aboriginal people for mustering, building fences and training indigenous people in the operation of their own station. Elsey Station is a very good example.
We have also discovered that there are many opportunities for the horticultural industry in Central Australia and in Alice Springs. Undoolya Station is one of the best producers of table grapes. Soon they will start producing stone fruit, and I have been advised that he is looking to grow pomegranates and start an olive grove. It is the same in Ti Tree, and these people are training indigenous people to establish their own horticultural business. Centrefarm in Alice Springs is another example. The government worked very closely with them to release the Pine Hill Station so that indigenous people would have the base for an economic activity.
It is very exciting. Let’s face it, the reality is we cannot do everything ourselves as the Northern Territory government. We have to work together with the federal government. I am very pleased to say that the federal departments are very responsive to what we have said. They are coming to the party. We are talking jointly funded programs because the government has to take a leading role in regional economic activity. We have to be there to put projects into place, to work with economic activity committees, identify some of the issues, and support the committees in order to develop economic plans. We are prepared to do it.
Our aim is not to create a state economy. The old, centrally directed economy, Soviet-style is dead; they died long ago. We have to have a transition from a government-sponsored economy to a substantial private sector economy with substantial private sector employment. This is what we are going on about. We have significant labour shortages in every sector of our economy. Try to get a plumber. Try to get an electrician. Try to get a builder. You have to join the queue, a waiting list, and, if you are lucky, or if he is your friend, he might return your call, otherwise he will not.
Mining: look at the example of GEMCO on Groote Eylandt. They realised they have a significant problem with labour shortages. They are on an island where a significant number of young men are doing nothing. When they put the call out – who wants to work for the mine? – there were a significant number of people, men and women, who queued up to put their names down to register their interest to work in the mine. These were real jobs, not mowing the lawn, not tending the garden, but driving plant. GEMCO provided the opportunity to train them, provided the opportunity to take them to real jobs and these people now have real jobs, real income, real money. They are talking about the possibility of buying their own houses. So we see a sea change, and we are going to foster it.
The Opposition Leader expressed surprise that there was not one performance indicator and asked for my comment on this. I will make my comment: we will be introducing a set of indicators of economic and social development in the regions. It is planned to capture benchmark data and then look at progress using ongoing time series data for measuring relevant indicators of sustainable regions.
Let’s get the information. Let’s analyse it, see what we have done well and continue to do it. Are there mistakes? Let’s go back and fix them. We are not perfect; of course we are going to make mistakes. Every government makes mistakes, but we are prepared to measure these mistakes against our benchmark and fix them. I will roll out the indicators next year.
It is a brave move by government. Sometimes governments do not like releasing indicators in case they do not reach the benchmark. Well, so be it. If we do not reach it, let us find out why we did not and how we are going to do it next time. We are going to have a set of indicators for regional development which will be running parallel to our overall development strategy. That is an indication that we are confident we are going to get the job done. It is not going to happen tomorrow or after one year. It will probably not happen after next two years. It will happen in the next five to 10 years and we are committed to developing the regions.
It is going to be a hard job, but I tell you what: I am prepared to do it because I believe this is a unique opportunity for us, especially in these times with the resource boom. We can deliver jobs to Territorians, we can deliver money to Territorians and we can deliver a future to Territorians, all Territorians, black and white, wherever they live, in Darwin or in the regions.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
STATEMENT
Sessional Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development – Progress Report -
Inquiry into Invasive Species and Management Programs in the Northern Territory
Sessional Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development – Progress Report -
Inquiry into Invasive Species and Management Programs in the Northern Territory
Mr WARREN (Goyder)(by leave): Mr Deputy Speaker, I make a progress statement to the Assembly relating to the invasive species and management programs inquiry reference currently before the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee. I deliver this statement with great enthusiasm because over the past 15 months, the committee has been working as true bipartisan and cooperative group. The committee has put in the hard yards required to appropriately and effectively conduct this inquiry.
I am very pleased to report that the committee has completed the consultation phase of its inquiry. The committee was established and given an inquiry reference for this session by motion of the Assembly on 24 August 2005.
The committee commenced its inquiry into invasive species and management programs in the Northern Territory at its first meeting on that day. To address the terms of reference, a program of work was agreed upon at the very beginning. In advising its program of work, the committee took the decision that it would be in a better position to fulfil the terms of reference if members fully understood the situation and the issues here in the NT and the rest of Australia, including at the federal level.
To achieve its aim, the committee took a self-educative approach to collecting evidence. Members began by looking at the major categories of invasive species that the committee is considering. This was greatly assisted by the Secretariat, which has produced a total of nine research papers to date. The information contained within these papers will be incorporated into the final report. At the same time, members received official briefings from relevant officers of the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts, and the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines.
As a means of ensuring I was fully across the complex issues and subsequent presentations that would be relevant to our inquiry, I took the opportunity as Chair to receive a number of private briefings: one from officers of the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts; one from the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Northern Landscape Branch; and another from an aquatic and mangrove scientist from James Cook University’s Australian Centre for Tropical Fresh Water Research. The latter briefing provided a very grave warning about what can happen if pet aquarium fish enter natural waterways where there is not a rapid and coordinated response plan in place. If the Northern Territory does not heed this warning, we may be faced with the prospect of witnessing scenes reminiscent of the quarantining of Cullen Bay in 1999 to eradicate black striped mussel, but on a much broader scale.
In May of this year, the member for Nelson and I attended a workshop as part of development of the NT’s Weed Risk Assessment model. During the workshop, we were made aware of some of the intricacies and problems faced in development of the model. We also workshopped ideas for the creation of a Weed Risk Assessment Implementation Steering Committee.
Although the NT Weed Risk Assessment Model is being tested, I am able to report that the NT is well on its way to establishing a rigorous and robust weed risk assessment process which will go a long way towards identifying plants with weedy characteristics before they are mistakenly introduced. Furthermore, the weed risk assessment process helps to identify an appropriate allocation of resources to address the control and possible eradication of existing weeds.
Since my election as chair to this committee, I have attended the 10th and 11th Annual Parliamentary Public Works and Environment Committees conferences held in the ACT and Queensland respectively. As well as an opportunity to promote the work of our committees, the NT parliament and the Northern Territory as a whole, these conferences were a great opportunity to speak in general terms to members of parliaments from other Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions about our inquiry. I was able to gain good advice from their experience and knowledge in conducting environmental inquiries.
A major result for my attendance at these conferences is that the Territory will host the 12th Annual Parliamentary Public Works and Environment Committees conference in Darwin in late September 2007. This will be a golden opportunity to showcase the Territory to interstate parliamentarians who make up the various state and territory committees.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I digress. Returning to the statement at hand, the committee called for written submissions in March 2006, with advertisements in all major newspapers in the Northern Territory as well as through other media. The committee received over 40 written submissions, which will be incorporated into the final report. From September this year through to earlier this month, the committee undertook its public hearing schedule. Public hearings were held in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Jabiru, Katherine, Litchfield and, most recently, in Darwin. The committee was able to engage with Territorians at the local level and gain firsthand accounts of how people involved in the fight against invasive species handle their respective situations and what they believe could be done to make improvements. The evidence considered and collected at these hearings will also be incorporated into the final report.
To ensure all aspects of the committee’s terms of reference were adequately addressed, the committee recently hosted a round table forum. The aim of this forum was for the committee to gain a different level of information from that which is collected from the general public. This neatly complements the grassroots information from public forums and written submissions. A number of scientific and policy experts from the Northern Territory and interstate who are involved in the management of invasive species participated in the discussions, and their expertise, insight and advice was extremely valuable to the committee’s inquiry.
Now that the bulk of the process of data collection has been completed, members must now work through the next stage of incorporating this information into the final report for tabling in the Chamber. Over the coming months, members will be holding a number of deliberative meetings to achieve a series of meaningful and practical recommendations which can be put to parliament. Despite the exhaustive process on which the committee has embarked, I anticipate that the final report will be available for tabling early to mid-2007. I look forward to reporting the findings and recommendations from this very important inquiry in much more detail to the House at that time.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate adjourned.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Education Reform
Education Reform
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Blain.
- Dear Madam Speaker,
A matter of importance.
I am writing to you to advise that on this sitting day, Thursday 30 November I wish to raise a matter of definite public importance relating to the issue of education reform in the Northern Territory and misused opportunities.
The Territory government initiated an important process that could have and should have resulted in fundamental change and improvement in the quality of education delivered to Territory students. It has failed.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Terry Mills MLA
There is a social cost driving the need for educational reform; difficult to calculate, but the links are not hard to find. The link between academic failure and youth crime is strong. Admittedly anecdotal, I know of many young people who mask their inability to read or write adequately behind an angry antisocial and harmful lifestyle. Most young people exit our schools and walk into their future with an official certificate of qualification in their hands, but a certificate and a diet of positive reinforcement is for many, sadly, the cruellest preparation for the competitive world beyond school. Deep down, many of our kids know this. No wonder some lash out. Though teachers work very hard and many more millions of dollars are spent, the declining benchmark results in this year’s annual report underscore my point. The case for genuine educational reform grows stronger.
Whilst the skills shortage has exceeded crisis point, it has served to shift community attitudes and federal and Territory government policy regarding vocational education. This is welcome, but much more can and must be done. The federal government has shown they are aware of this pressing issue and are actively leading a recovery in this area. The Australian government has increased funding for vocational and technical education by 88% in real terms since 1996. With its total funding for the vocational and technical education sector over the next four years set at an astonishing $11.3bn, which is a massive commitment, but an investment only fully capitalised upon if the supporting system is reformed and reset on new foundations. It is undeniable that radical reform is needed.
Whilst the Territory government got it right when they decided to embark on a reform agenda, any real sustained reform misses the mark if it fails to address the underlying approach to the curriculum. You can get a new computer but if you retain the same operating system, the change will only be cosmetic, just as reorganising deck chairs will make little difference if the ship remains on the same course. In the same way, restructuring secondary education will not improve academic performance if the curriculum is not changed. Radical change by definition is change that gets back to basics, right to the core. The essence of education is not contained in building plans and organisational structures, nor is it contained in novel approaches. It is found in the material taught and the method used to teach it; it is the very nature of the curriculum. Reform leading to improved outcomes cannot occur without the debate about the nature of the curriculum.
Since the early 1990s, all Australian states and Territory education systems have adopted various versions of a curriculum model described as an outcomes-based approach. Before members opposite get a bit excited, I accept the responsibility of former ministers of Education in the CLP who accepted such a model. It is not a point of CLP versus ALP; it is about significant reform starting from now.
The approach in the Territory, as in other Australian states, is one of three broad curriculum approaches adopted by education systems comparable to Australia. There are three broad models: the syllabus approach; the outcomes-based approach and the standards approach. The syllabus approach and the standards approach share much in common, and those who have been educated in any Australian school before the 1960s would recall the syllabus-based approach. Since the 1980s, some international systems comparable to Australia have experimented, as did Australia, with the outcomes-based approach but have since abandoned it in favour of either a standards or a syllabus approach. They abandoned the outcomes-based approach because it failed students. While we are repeatedly told that our academic standards are world-class, they are not if international comparisons are made. Interestingly, it is the providers of education, bureaucracies and education unions that most zealously defend what can arguably be called a failed social experiment while the consumers of education, the parents, the students and the broader society, want change and a return to basics and a focus on meaningful standards.
Northern Territory schools have adopted an outcomes-based curriculum, described by many in other states as well, as a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep, a curriculum that lays a false foundation for students by assuring them that all succeed irrespective of effort or aptitude. We need to provide intellectual depth to the curriculum and focus more on basics. Some of our teachers are beginning to do so.
The success of the accelerated literacy program in our schools, which returns to more traditional methods of language teaching, is but one demonstration that it is time for change and getting back to basics. Teachers have an impossible task and daily we increase our expectations of them. They are, sadly, in a no win situation. Teachers constantly contend with compounding behavioural problems while at the same time their energy is divided between the critical teacher-student relationship and lesson creation within a vague and non-specific framework such as the nature of working within the curriculum framework: typically broad, abstract, subjective and shallow.
Teachers’ efforts are drawn more to entertaining than educating in an attempt to engage kids. Real learning is far more than this. Make no mistake: teachers work hard and all kids want to learn. The system has failed them by teaching an abstract and subjective curriculum where all succeed despite application or aptitude. If teachers were supported by a syllabus-based approach, for example, the time once taken to construct interesting learning experiences will now be channelled directly into teaching and forging stronger links between a student and a teacher. Outcomes-based education is a social experiment that essentially works under the premise that competition, apart from self-competition, is bad. Unfortunately, that is not how the real world works. As soon as our children leave school, they will be competing with others for university, training or apprenticeship placements or for a job. Why is it that competition in sport is viewed so positively, yet academic competition between students is actively discouraged? Whatever happened to the pursuit of excellence?
We need an education system which encourages students to strive for excellence whilst acknowledging that not all can excel in an academic sense. Those less academically minded should be assisted to work in areas that best suit their temperament. We must develop legitimate and separate pathways early on, academic or vocational streams. We need to actively pursue excellence and recognition of success in either pathway. The outcomes-based approach fails to challenge the students to pursue excellence, to go the step beyond. Instead, it encourages mediocrity. If mediocrity is what the Territory government is aiming for, it is a goal sure to be achieved.
Whilst I accept that government is sincere in its ambition to improve academic standards, if we retain the existing operating systems, standards cannot improve. It is time to develop clear learning pathways based upon formal and objective knowledge. Building our curriculum on standards and abandoning the outcomes-based approach is the place to start. While the minister will refer to curriculum reform, he has also said he is in favour of accepting the decisions made by his South Australian counterpart in adopting changes in the South Australian Certificate of Education. These changes are still based on the outcomes-based approach and have been strongly criticised by academics and teachers. Changes to secondary curriculum similar to those proposed now in the Territory in both South Australia and Western Australia have been attacked for lowering academic standards.
The overhaul of the South Australian Certificate of Education, if adopted, will mean that students will not be able to fail exams. The worst a student could achieve would be an assessment result as ‘not yet achieved’. The new approach may give students a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is not a preparation for the real world.
While driven by a desire to get more students to complete the SACE, it does so at the expense of academic standards. The curriculum is dumbed down to ensure that everyone is guaranteed a pass eventually. By guaranteeing that no child fails, we are ensuring that they do. Our children are failed by a system that provides an unrealistic and inadequate preparation for the real world. What is the point of keeping kids at school longer if we fail to improve basic standards or prepare them for life beyond the school?
Western Australia, which is in the process of adopting a similar approach, has suffered fierce community criticism for lowering academic standards. In an embarrassing move for the Western Australian Labor government, a respected senior examiner recently resigned in protest. Dr Lucy resigned and hit out at the poor quality of exam papers which failed to penalise Year 12 students for incorrect spelling, punctuation or syntax. Niall Lucy could not support a curriculum that did not require students to read a book, spell or write continuous prose. His resignation merely adds to the ire of teachers who do not support these changes.
Beyond the move to middle schools in the Territory lies a strengthening of the outcomes-based approach, an approach that focuses on processes rather than knowledge and devalues academic rigour and external assessment. This is an approach other countries determined to improve academic standards have long since abandoned.
As Richard Berlach from the College of Education of the University of Notre Dame Australia commented in a paper entitled Outcomes-based Education and the Death of Knowledge, and I quote:
- The Death Of Knowledge Occurs: When Evidence Of Learning Becomes More Important Than The Learning Itself.
I remain unconvinced that academic standards will improve under Labor’s restructure of education whilst we retain the underlying curriculum approach. If we want to develop the Territory, then it is time to work for real reform to unleash the potential of our young.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thought the member for Blain was just getting into his stride. He had 10 minutes to go. I thank the member for Blain for bringing on this debate tonight because as the fairly new minister for Education in the Northern Territory, it gives me an opportunity to talk about what we are doing and the great work that is occurring around the Territory as I come to grips with the new portfolio after quite a few years in other portfolios.
I respect the member for Blain as a practitioner, an educator and a former principal. I have none of those advantages in this portfolio, but I do have the advantage of being a parent. Much of what he said has come from ideological rhetoric run by the Prime Minister through the federal government at the moment. I have read a number of newspaper articles that run the line that seems to be a line coming from Canberra. It could have been minister Hardgrave talking about all the great things that he has done in VET and increased and expanded funding. Those lines have come straight out of minister Hardgrave’s office. I met Mr Hardgrave at MINCO. I know the lines that he is running. You do not do yourself any service in debate in the House by running lines directly from federal ministers, given their current approach in the lead-up to the next federal election.
On VET figures and funding, I do not have the numbers in front of me this evening, but the federal government is only just starting to put back the money it ripped out of VET at the start of their term. One of the first things that Howard did when he came to office in 1997 was to take an axe to the Vocational Education and Training budget, and the feds are only now starting to put back some of the money that they ripped out of the budget all those years ago and, to our eternal shame as a nation, contributed in a large part to the huge skills crisis that we have across Australia today. I say to the member for Blain that we fund our VET budget four-to-one. The government funds, I think, around $60m a year, and the feds put in about $15m. They are not huge contributors to VET funding in the Northern Territory.
The MPI dealt with the issue of education reform in the Northern Territory. I agree, it is fundamental and we have embarked on that reform journey. He did not really expand about what misused opportunities he believes of the government. He went on to say that the government initiated an important process that could have and should have resulted in fundamental change and improvement to the quality of education delivered to Territorians but it has failed. He did not prosecute any of those points. He talked obliquely about the curriculum framework and acknowledged that the curriculum framework that is currently in place was handed on from the previous CLP government to this government. We are currently waiting on South Australia for the changes to their SACE. We have yet to make a decision.
Every student in the Northern Territory deserves to be able to leave the education system literate, numerate and with a solid pathway either into further education or VET programs and processes, apprenticeships or into a job. As minister, I want to see much stronger outcomes in those areas.
A matter of public importance alleging that we have missed an opportunity and have failed when we have only just started the reform journey is probably about three years too early.
The member spoke about stronger links between students and teachers. That is exactly why we are embarking on the middle years reform. That is the point. That is why we are doing this. We are ensuring that our young students currently in Year 7 who are in the primary school system, big fish in little ponds but in a very nurtured, caring environment, leave that environment and go straight into a high school - they will not next year, but this is what has been happening - where they then become very little fish in a very big pond and run around from classroom to classroom as the bell rings, with possibly six different teachers in a day, barely getting their bums on the seats in the classroom, getting focused for the lesson at hand, and then the bell rings and it is off to another classroom and another teacher. Those teachers have very little opportunity to form relationships and stronger links with those students, to understand their styles of learning, understand some of the emotional issues that might be going through their lives and giving them support.
In the previous system, these kids were just coming into the classroom, there for an hour and then disappearing on to the next lesson. With the middle years approach, we are going to be combining Years 7, 8 and 9 in a discrete school campus where students will essentially be in the same classroom and possibly have a maximum of three teachers a day as opposed to the current six and the teachers come to them. The teachers being able to spend much more time with those kids is certainly going to form stronger links. That is one of the very reasons we went down that path.
To say that we have failed and we have not acknowledged that belies why we are going down this path. As I went on my journey, as a parent, not as an educator, in terms of the middle years policy initiative, and with my son being in the first intake into this new approach with the middle years from the beginning of next year, I am very comfortable with it. It makes absolute sense to me. I know the system will much better serve my kids than they would otherwise have done by going straight into a big high school.
The member talked about the right wing current ideological agenda, that somehow outcomes-based education is bad; it actively discourages competition and it dumbs everything down, and everyone is a winner and no one is a loser. I do not see that. I certainly do not see that in our schools, and I do not pretend to be an expert on curriculum or syllabus. I have many very good people to advise me. As I said, we are going through a reform agenda at the moment and have not made a final decision about where things go.
I can say to the member for Blain that I support competition. Life is competitive. I, as the minister, do not want to see any dumbing down of our curriculum. I, too, am aware that there is concern that the curriculum is too crowded. That is something I would like to see addressed. However, to run a political line that outcomes-based learning is somehow bad and it discourages competition; it is a terrible thing and we do not support competition - I am a minister who does support competition. Competition is good; life is a competitive environment, but you have to support kids. You have to give kids self-esteem. You have to encourage kids. Every child should be encouraged to achieve to their potential, but should not be punished if they do not meet that potential with a system not celebrating that the child has achieved to the best of their ability. If going back to a syllabus means you only really focus on and celebrate the high achievers to the exclusion of acknowledging the efforts that every kid has put in, is not the sort of world that I want my kids to grow up in.
Mr Mills: I don’t think you understood it. You did not understand it, Paul.
Mr HENDERSON: I am open to that debate. I support competition. Kids should compete in the classroom. If kids are doing a test, they should feel good if they get 19 out of 20 as opposed to seven out of 20. They should feel good and should be praised for their endeavours.
I would like to go back to the substance of the MPI saying that we have missed an opportunity. As I embark on my time as the minister in this portfolio, I know there is debate about middle years, but we are doing it; we are implementing it and moving forward.
I am disappointed by comments from the member for Blain who criticised the building of the new senior school in Palmerston. I do not have his media release in front of me, but it was very critical. He was saying that the Palmerston community does not support a mega-school. I can honestly say to the member for Blain that I have not met one person in Palmerston and have not had one approach from any member of the Palmerston community about this. I have met principals, teachers, and people on the school council. I am advised that the Chair of the Palmerston High School Council, Russell Ball, was today publicly stating that he was very pleased with what was happening at Palmerston High. He has acknowledged that the government has increased funding from the original $9m to $12.3m to allow the new school to be built, as determined by the school community in Palmerston. I can honestly say I have had not one person from the Palmerston community …
Mr Mills: He did say there were a few problems, however.
Mr Natt: He is still happy with it.
Mr Mills: Yes, but it is not all rosy.
Mr HENDERSON: I have not been approached about it, no one has brought to my attention that people are opposed to a mega-school.
To call it a mega-school is missing the point. There will be a middle school sub-campus. There will be a senior high school in Palmerston. The pathways from the middle school to the senior school will be much better defined. There will be much more choice in subjects for students in the Palmerston area. We will continue to invest in both infrastructure and teaching and learning. Member for Blain, if you do not want to celebrate the new school, that is your call. I am advised that the configuration of the new school is what was desired by the people of Palmerston who participated in the public consultation system.
As well as the capital that we are spending, $46m over the next few years, the Building Better Schools plan that went to teaching and learning is seeing an investment of $42m to improve secondary education over four years. That is the most significant investment in teaching and learning that the Territory has seen in education. All up, the middle years reform, Building Better Schools, teaching and learning, infrastructure investment is around $90m. I do not want to be the minister at the helm if we do not see improved academic results from that investment.
Mr Mills: Are you going to conduct any more tests? Are you going to test kids?
Mr HENDERSON: I am absolutely convinced that we will because we have the teachers and principals with that capacity. We can always do better and that is the challenge. I have said to the CE and principals I meet that every day, I want people in our education system striving to do better, getting better outcomes. We cannot rest on our laurels. The world is not perfect.
In terms of testing kids, the interjection, the first cohort of Year 9s will be tested next year and we are committed to extending testing within the national framework of testing for all Year 9 students.
Let us talk about students and learning. The middle years’ implementation is under way. Local schools are working collectively to manage student/staff transition. I acknowledge it has been a difficult time for staff. It really has been, but I congratulate the vast majority of staff who have acknowledged the need to change and who have been very professional in taking up and chasing positions in new schools.
An extensive professional learning program has commenced for teachers and school leaders. Eighteen qualified school counsellors and professional supervisors are now working across urban, rural and remote schools, and they are in place. That was a very big call from school communities in relation to the social issues that affect students and how they play out in classrooms. There were few mechanisms to cope with that in our school and education system. We now have 18 qualified counsellors working across those schools.
Grants have been provided to schools to participate in the development of the teaching and learning framework which will define essential features of good teaching and learning and align curriculum and assessment practices. Again, that is in place.
If we go back to Vocational Education and Training, there have been establishment grants awarded to 24 applicants in remote, regional and urban schools. The projects align with middle and senior years. There has been a 75% increase in student participation in Youth Business Awards in 2006 and in 2006, 33 VET programs were funded by Building Better Schools for students across the Territory. We are celebrating one of those students today from Sanderson High who achieved the Best VET Student in Australia, young Kane Mola and well done to him.
Certificate II in Indigenous Education work has been developed. The School-to-Work transition strategy is being developed and is going to Cabinet very shortly. Forty-eight Action Learning grants have been allocated to enhance teaching and learning for students with special needs.
One of the initiatives I am very pleased about, and I will certainly be pushing through the reform program, is the Curriculum E-Tool to gather data and monitor student achievement. This is going to allow parents to be able to log in to a central system and check at any time how their kids are doing in terms of achievement, and not having to wait for two reports a year.
Another big move from the government is a new staffing allocation model for schools in 2007. When this came to Cabinet, I was astounded that the allocation of staff, the pupil/teacher ratio, was determined by a 30-year-old concept of teachers being allocated, under this formula, by the type of school, whether it was a primary school, preschool or high school. The formula did not take into any account the demographic of the school population or the percentage of kids in the school with special needs. It was based on location as opposed to student need. That is changing with the start of the change in 2007 with full implementation by 2010.
You can see that even in a place like Darwin, in the social demographic of a school like Larrakeyah compared with a school and, with all due respect, with a different demographic profile, in Karama or Moulden. They might be primary schools, but there are different student demographics and that is not picked up in the current staffing allocation formula. It will be a consideration in the new model.
Indigenous education continues to be a concern, but we are moving forward. We certainly need to do better and, as I have said to professional educators, until our indigenous students are attending school in the same numbers as our kids in the urban areas and achieving the same in their MAP testing results, we have not done our job and there is work still to do. We are working hard. Eight Year 11 and 12 students are accessing full senior secondary program and 14 Year 11 students are accessing distance education with local teacher support in three collaborative trial sites at Ramingining, Yuendumu and Borroloola. The trial site at Ngukurr is still in its initial stages of establishment. In secondary education, there has been much debate about the government’s initiative to roll out secondary education to 12 colleges across the Northern Territory. There is much more to do in indigenous education, but we have started and it is not going to change overnight.
I welcome debate from the member for Blain at any time on education issues. It has been an opportunity for me as the new minister to say that I am totally committed to the implementation of the middle school reforms. They will succeed in lifting student outcomes in senior high school with better retention of kids through to Years 11 and 12 and better outcomes at Year 11 and 12, as well as defining pathways for kids from Year 10 into further training or employment.
The opposition trying to prosecute our failure of reforms when the journey has just started is a bit rich. I am happy to debate these issues at any time with the shadow minister. I urge him to support the work that is going on at the moment. In the few seconds I have left, I thank all our people in the department, and our teachers and educators across the Territory. They are doing a great job.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am no academic. I am not an educator. I am, like the member for Wanguri, a lowly parent with children going to school. When I read the letter from the member for Blain about this matter of public importance, the issue was education reform in the Northern Territory and misused opportunities. His presentation was about failure to recognise that there are issues with the curriculum.
The minister, in his response, spoke about bricks and mortar. He spoke about the number of councillors, the number of schools he is going to build after five years of being criticised because they did not produce one new school during the first term of government. He talked about bricks and mortar and the fiscal needs of the Territory, but not one word about curriculum. I ask the minister and former minister to respond, by way of interjection if they like, to this question: do you support the current curriculum? Do you? I hear silence.
Mr Stirling: You have the floor! If you want me to speak next, I will. Get on with what you want to say!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: I hope the minister will respond to the question I just posed. Do you support the current curriculum? I ask the former minister to respond when he gets to his feet. Does he support the current curriculum?
Mr KIELY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment, member for Greatorex. Member for Greatorex, resume your seat! Member for Sanderson, you have a point of order.
Mr KIELY: Mr Deputy Speaker, I do. I do not believe it is correct for the member for Greatorex to invite interjection. That goes against standing orders.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Sanderson. Member for Greatorex, you are inciting the minister to interject and I do not believe it is going to be healthy for the Assembly for the rest of this afternoon. You will direct your remarks to me, please.
Dr LIM: Mr Deputy Speaker, I shall address my remarks to you. I did address my remarks to you when I said that, through you, Mr Deputy Speaker, that if the minister and former minister wish to interject, I welcome it. If they did not want to, they do not have to. If they keep silent, that is fine. I would appreciate having my 15 minutes in silence. You have empty vessels continuing to rattle to my left, unfortunately.
What the member for Blain was addressing was the missed and misused opportunities by this government. The minister came to the issue of bricks and mortar, the physical nature of education, but forgot that the curriculum is more important than anything else. When he raised concerns about automatic promotion from year to year without ensuring that students are adequately taught in the basic skills, whether they be literacy, numeracy and all the other subjects, the minister responded: ‘Oh, you cannot do that’, but said he supported competition.
There is nothing worse than promoting a child who has not achieved a certain standard in education to the next year because that child has to face a more complex set of requirements and you will find that student will not be able to deal with the more complex set of situations because the basis was not laid in the previous year. As a parent, that is what I am interested in. If my child went to school, I would want a curriculum that teachers can form their lessons around and students will then receive teaching based on that core curriculum. The curriculum should ensure that my child is taught in the basic skills that are necessary for when they reach adulthood.
When the former minister announced his intention to create middle schools earlier this year, there was a hue and cry. The teachers’ body in the Northern Territory represent the professionals. They are the ones who have been trained to teach. If these people are objecting to what the government wants to do, then the government should have taken heed. Right across the Northern Territory, from Darwin to Alice Springs, teachers, through their union, were saying: ‘Do not do this, this is wrong’. I will read a paragraph from one of the AEU memos from 16 March 2006:
- The AEUNT Middle Years Survey has resulted in a clear indication that the membership across the board is concerned about the time frame and lack of evidence for a move to the structural changes, especially for Year 10 students.
It is well and good for the minister to get up and say: ‘We are building a new school. We are providing some counsellors’, but if the teachers do not have a base curriculum to construct their lessons around, to impart the necessary teaching to students around what should be seen as core skills for every child school, then what do we base our teaching of kids on?
Countries all over the world, back in the 1980s, got on the bandwagon with outcomes-based education. Everyone thought it was fantastic. Australia did the same thing. Those countries have abandoned OBE, yet we continue to pursue outcomes-based education as if it is a panacea. I agree with the minister when he said if you hold back students in class or you fail them, it is not a good thing, but, we live through that every day. There are successes and failures every day in our lives. In some things you do, you succeed; in other things, you do not succeed.
The member for Blain was trying to put on the record that it is very important to ensure Northern Territory education reforms focus not only on the physical, but also the school curriculum. You can have three teachers in a class with only 15 or 20 students in the classroom, but if those teachers do not have a base curriculum from which to work, they could be teaching irrelevant material to students.
The minister spoke about waiting for the South Australian Certificate of Education review to be completed so that we can follow suit. I remember when I was on the School Board of Studies we followed SSABSA very closely because at that time, we all went through the 1980s model looking at OBE, and we all felt that was the way to go.
I have an article written by Kevin Donnelly from the South Australian Sunday Mail of 26 November 2006. Speaking of Kevin Donnelly, I recall a comment made by the former minister for Education that he did not think much of Kevin Donnelly and was going to invite him here to witness for himself how well the Northern Territory Department of Education is doing. It will be interesting to see what Kevin Donnelly has to say after he has looked at the Northern Territory education system. Coming back to the article that Kevin Donnelly wrote in the Sunday Mail of 26 November:
- At first reading, the state government’s announcement about the proposed South Australian Certificate of Education, to be implemented in 2009, should be applauded.
After all, making sure that more students complete Year 12, providing greater curriculum flexibility and choice, raising standards and giving South Australians, in the words of Education Minister Lomax-Smith, a ‘rigorous and relevant certificate for the 21st century’ are all worthy of support.
Given concerns raised earlier this year by the Vice-Chancellor’s committee that the proposed SACE is in danger of dumbing down the curriculum and tarnishing Adelaide’s standing as the ‘university city’, it is also good the government has decided not to accept all the recommendations from Success for All - the final report of the SACE Review.
- Such enthusiasm though, evaporates on a closer analysis. One of the major flaws in Success for All is that there is no attempt to look interstate or internationally to identify ‘best practice’ when it comes to designing senior school certificates.
Those countries that keep more students at school longer and that outperform Australia in international tests, instead of having a one-size-fits-all approach to the curriculum, have a range of certificates, ranging from the academic, the vocational to the trade.
The new SACE, in providing one certificate that attempts to be all things to all students, regardless of whether they wanted to be brain surgeons, plumbers or hairdressers, will end up with the lowest common denominator approach.
That is the problem. This is the typical Labor way of doing things, the lowest common denominator, instead of ensuring the best of our students are provided with the best curriculum so they can achieve the best results to equip them for the best careers once they leave school. I will go on a little more:
- Under the new SACE, external exams will only amount to 30% of each subject’s assessment, with the rest based on school-based assessment.
It is a real problem. You need to have a significant amount of external exams to allow schools and students to compare themselves not only with their peers in the state or territory, but nationally if not internationally. That is what is important about having some 70% of an examination assessed within the school only; the school, in its isolation, will not know. If it does not know, it will not be able to pass on to the student whether the student is doing well.
How often do we hear our Northern Territory parent’s lament: ‘When I took my child to Adelaide or Sydney they found that my child is one year behind in school?’ While the child might be in the same Year 10 or 11 as South Australia in terms of years in school, academic standards are lower. Unless we can compare ourselves and seek external examinations and comparisons, we will put our school children into a very isolated environment.
As I said, I am no academic. I am not talking about educational academia. I understand, however, what the member for Blain is driving at, which is that good curriculum in the Northern Territory is essential. This government, in its haste to push through its political agenda for middle schooling, has forgotten about what children need for a good education.
What we need is a good curriculum and that is what this government should focus its resources on. If you do that, you have a much better system. You are putting a lot of money into reforms. I congratulate you on that. Let us use some of the money to direct education into good curriculum reform so that our students will have better outcomes. The teachers will know what they have to do and students will learn based on that core.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for this motion. I am always pleased to talk about education and misused opportunities. If ever there was a misused opportunity, the member for Blain demonstrated it with this Matter of Public Importance. He failed to prosecute anywhere that we have failed when we are on the verge of momentous reform of education in the Northern Territory.
The member for Blain acknowledged the sincerity of this government in trying to improve standards and outcomes in our schools. He claimed the current system produces mediocrity and works against high achievers. This is an argument based on the fact that he sees the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework is an outcomes-based education system. That is an allegation that might be more appropriately leveled at the Western Australian curriculum and system of education. It has been the focus of much public criticism from Prime Minister Howard, Kevin Donnelly and others, but that is not where the Northern Territory framework sits. I am not arguing that it should. Nor should the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework be framed in such a way as the Kevin Donnellys and Prime Minister Howards of the world would have us.
There is a middle way. The two extremes of the debate do not serve students particularly well. On the one hand, where you have the soft or the dumbing-down curriculum that the member for Blain talks about, it does not serve students well. It does promote mediocrity, as you were saying. The Donnelly/Prime Minister Howard view of how curriculum works would be that at Year 2, for example, a seven-year-old, early in their educational career, who does not measure up to a class average in that school, is dubbed a failure: cannot achieve, hopeless, whatever description might be on the report. That does not particularly serve students well, either because that child and the parents then have to overcome the very early labelling of a ‘dumbo’, a failure, less than academic and carries that burden for the rest of their academic career. So Mr Donnelly is not all right; Mr Howard is not all right. That approach to curriculum is not all right taken to that extreme.
If you do take it to its extreme, as Donnelly would have it, it is an agenda that would have every student in every classroom in every school in every state in Australia turning over the same text book in the same subject at the same time every day.
Mr Mills: That is not true.
Mr STIRLING: It is absolute control of everything those students are exposed to in school. That is the extreme.
Mr Mills: You are pushing it to the extreme deliberately.
Mr STIRLING: I am saying that is the extreme, but you want to promote the case that this is all okay. So whether you are Werribee in Victoria or Nguiu in the Tiwi Islands or Yuendumu in the Centre, at 10.10 on Tuesday morning, you will turn to text book Fox and Richardson, page 24, paragraph 2A; commence work. That is where Donnelly and Prime Minister Howard want to go because they are control freaks. That is the way you measure performance because, yes, student A got through Fox and Richardson by such and such a date but student B did not. There is your immediate measure of achievement and success versus failure. It ignores totally the environment, the social context, the geography and location of where the learning is taking place, something of which the authors of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework were mindful and took into account. It is a good body of work. It was written and produced by Northern Territory educators, a process that started under the Country Liberal Party government and was only formally launched after the 2001 election quite early in my time as minister for Education.
It was a body of work that was ongoing while the member for Blain was a member of the Country Liberal Party government. I did not hear the member for Blain criticise the ongoing work around the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework or where it might take the Northern Territory. I did not hear the member for Blain criticise the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework at the time I formally launched it.
I am bemused that some four or five years on, problems in education in the Northern Territory are all to do with the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. I think not. There are enormous challenges across education, not least in indigenous education, but they have little to do with the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework.
It is a body of work that is due for review and is under review. I am not aware whether the review has commenced; it was due in my time as minister for Education. It is a timely thing to do.
I expect that the member for Blain, with more than an avid interest, a professional and abiding interest, in education for which I respect him, would have the opportunity to put his views and the views of his party in relation to the review of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. I am absolutely convinced that the department would be seeking the broadest possible input to where the curriculum will go. It is facile to say that Donnelly and Howard are all right and this is the way it should go and outcomes-based education is all wrong and that should all go. You have to recognise between the extremes, there is a middle way that suits and promotes …
Mr Mills: You did not listen.
Mr STIRLING: I did listen. … that suits and promotes the interests of our student body. The member for Blain made an important point about the need to develop closer working relationships between students and teachers. The minister picked up on this. That, in essence, was a fairly major aim of the middle school strategy in the sense that the original Gregor Ramsey review showed that disengagement for some students does occur through these middle years of schooling.
It was important to find a way of re-engaging, and that is what middle schools are about: you promote greater pastoral care, you have far fewer teachers working with that group of students, you have a far greater understanding by the teachers of the students’ background, achievements, abilities and where they might be headed in their educational career, and the opportunity for much stronger, closer and deeper understanding and working relationships to occur.
I am not taken with the emphasis on the Prime Minister and Kevin Donnelly. It is simply an easy way of: one, controlling the input of everything that goes into learning in our schools; and, two, controlling a way of marking the achievement of those students. We have seen it with the Prime Minister and his call for a revision of history. The question educators would have, and parents, no doubt, would be, whose view of history ought that be in terms of Australian history, and how much of John Howard’s views, quite dangerous views in some people’s minds, ought be part of that process of history? There is nothing wrong with having a look at the history curriculum across Australia, and indeed the Northern Territory, nothing wrong at all. What, if any, changes are to be made, would they be and are they fair and valid, and do they contain the social context which education ought always to contain?
There is still work to be done on the SSABSA review. The member for Greatorex touched on it in his brief contribution to this Matter of Public Importance. So important was this Matter of Public Importance that the member for Blain failed to fill his time allotted, 20 minutes, and the member for Greatorex was far briefer in going second on the Matter of Public Importance. One wonders if it is, indeed, a Matter of Public Importance as promoted by the member for Blain to the Speaker’s office this morning.
In relation to the SSABSA review, there is still work to be done on it. The South Australian minister has released the recommendations. The Northern Territory, I understand, will take those recommendations out for views in the first part of next year. I have not spoken to my colleague about this recently, but when I was minister, I was aware of perceptions that some recommendations, as they stood, and if they were to be implemented, might lead to that very dumbing down of the curriculum to which the member for Blain referred.
Whether that is, in fact, what would occur, or whether it was a much fairer and open and transparent way of measuring a student’s achievement at the particular stage in their educational career is open for debate. You do not want perceptions that these recommendations would be giving students soft options or an easy way out to get a particular certificate on their way through education. I was aware of that. I had a discussion with Jane Lomax-Smith, the minister for Education in South Australia. I am sure my colleague has had similar discussions and I know he will be watching closely those recommendations to ensure that we do not see that occur.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe I have picked up the points put by the member for Blain. He will have an opportunity to have input and to see where that revision around the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework takes us over the next 12 months or so. That review in itself ought not be seen to demean the very valuable contribution put in by some of the most experienced educators in the Northern Territory.
The Country Liberal Party ought be congratulated and commended for taking the initiative they did and empowering a group of our own experienced Northern Territory teachers to say: ‘We have a body of work to do; you are going to develop the Northern Territory curriculum framework which is going to carry the system of education, transition to Year 10, over the next few years’.
That showed a lot of conviction and a lot confidence in local teaching staff. That conviction and confidence was rewarded in the product that we now know as the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. Is it a perfect body of work? No; no body of work ever is. Things change over time. Perceptions change over time as well. Methodology changes over time and curriculum has to move with it. It is absolutely reasonable that the NTCF ought be reviewed over the next 12 months or so. I look forward to the member for Blain’s input to that review when it is undertaken.
SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly at its rising adjourn until Tuesday, 13 February 2007, at 10 am or such other time and/or date as may be set by Madam Speaker pursuant to sessional order.
Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I talk about a retiring public servant who has dedicated an exceptional amount of meritorious service to the Northern Territory public. Chris Bigg will leave the Northern Territory government as Executive Director of the Transport Group of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure on 15 December this year.
Chris started his working life for Qantas in Papua New Guinea, where he grew up, before moving to Darwin. He has worked for the Northern Territory government since June 1982 when he started as a senior policy officer in the Department of Mines. There, he provided advice and helped develop policy and planning on energy issues. During this time, Chris was very involved with the first declaration of emergency under the Essential Goods and Services Act as it related to a shortage of fuel due to an industrial problem on the wharf. The emergency was duly declared and the oil companies were able to discharge the tanker and fuel began to flow again.
Chris’ reputation and ability were recognised early. He was promoted to Executive Officer Aviation and, in 1986, was appointed Director Aviation in the then Department of Works. There, Chris was responsible for the management of all government-owned aerodromes and for the economic regulations of all the internal Northern Territory aviation industry. In 1989, Chris obtained a Masters Degree in Transport Economics from the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom.
On his return to Darwin, he was appointed Assistant Secretary Aviation, Marine and Transport Planning in the then Department of Transport and Works. In this position, which he held for four years, Chris was responsible for all aerodrome operations in the Northern Territory and the planning and programming for remote community aerodromes. He was also responsible for marine safety, which included vessel safety, crew qualifications and combating marine pollution. He also had specific responsibility for multimodal transport issues and transport environmental matters.
By 1995, Chris’ talent and expertise were well documented and he was promoted to Deputy Secretary of Transport. Chris was tasked with the policy and planning function in all modes to ensure all transport activities met the Northern Territory government’s economic and social objectives. This included public transport, road, rail and marine safety regulations and licensing. He was also responsible for policy and legislation development in all transport modes, including freight logistics and trade route development in the Darwin Hub and the AustralAsia route.
After serving five years in this position, he moved to the Department of Chief Minister as Deputy Secretary. There, Chris provided advice and support to the Chief Minister in driving government economic and social priorities across the sector. During this period, Chris ably supported the chief executive of the department in helping to devise and finalise a unique third party access regime for the Adelaide to Darwin railway, which contributed to achieving financial close for the landmark project. He also played a major role in indigenous and social policy and in economic development projects, and was a member of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee both before and post-11 September.
In 2003, Chris was appointed Executive Director of Lands and, subsequently, Executive Director of Lands and Planning. At that time, this department was one of the largest agencies including Infrastructure, Lands, Planning and Environment. In this position, Chris was responsible for the management of all land-related functions of the agency, including Crown land acquisition, management and disposal, indigenous land issues, future land use planning, and development assessment and land information systems. He was also involved with the early stages of the waterfront development and resolving land use at Myilly Point.
Twenty-two months ago, he became Executive Director Transport in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. His vast experience in the transport industry made him the ideal choice for this position at a time of major national transport reform. Chris has been a strong, active and well-respected participant on national policy committees, and has always protected the best interests of our small Territory jurisdiction at national levels.
Chris was most recently the Chairman of the Road Safety Taskforce and headed up the team to develop the recommendations that the government is currently implementing. He worked tirelessly on this task and can be justifiably proud of the outcomes. He was also involved in the current revamp of our public bus system, which included new bus schedules, fare structure and the appointment of Transport Safety Officers.
In his private life, Chris is an outstanding family man and a pillar of the community. As part of his community and charitable work, he has been a Director of Youth for Christ in the NT since 1986. Chris, as I am sure all my fellow members will agree, has had an outstanding public service career and has contributed significantly to the development and growth of the Northern Territory. He will be a significant loss to the agency and the government. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank Chris for his 24 years service to the Northern Territory and wish him and his family continued good health and success for the future.
In closing, it has been my absolute pleasure as a minister to work with such a professional, capable and forthright public servant as Chris Bigg. I first encountered him as a backbencher when we worked on a detention centre IDC many years ago, and have had the pleasure to work with him since I became the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. I have found him always to be very capable and extremely knowledgeable. I hold him in the highest esteem as a public servant. He is a true public servant. He gave advice without fear or favour. I personally thank him for the fine dedication he has shown and the value he has provided to me in my role as minister. I will miss him and his advice incredibly. I acknowledge that he has an enormous commitment to helping our society’s disadvantaged. Retiring, as he is, does not mean he is leaving the Territory. He is retiring to do greater works in our community, and that, I acknowledge, is a very worthy decision.
As it is the last adjournment debate for the year, I would like to make some special thanks. I want to start by acknowledging the success of a 14-year-old lass in Karama. I heard the good news today. Jordan Ahsam has been selected in the Touch Football Australia A Team Girls Youth Squad for 2006-07. So a 14-year-old from Karama has been selected in an Australian Under 18 team, which is an enormous credit to Jordan. She is an extremely talented athlete. I am sure she will go far in her touch football career. In fact, she has been identified as a player with the potential to represent Australia at the next Youth World Cup. My congratulations go to Jordan and her mother, Sheree Ahsam. Sheree has raised her kids pretty well single-handedly. They are all fine sports people and are a credit to her. We are all very proud of you, Jordan. Sheree’s dedication has meant that she has scrimped, saved, fundraised and, at every opportunity, she has given her children the chance to take huge leaps forward in their sporting careers. There is also enormous basketball talent in the Ahsam family. So, hearty congratulations.
I thank all school principals in the Karama electorate. At Malak Primary School, Principal Russell Legg has been a fantastic leader. Sadly, we will be losing him. He is going to go on to be the Principal of Sanderson High School, a feather in his cap in terms of promotion. I am sorry to see him go from Malak School. He has been a strong leader of that school community. I know with the talent among the staff and with Deputy Principal Paul Quinn, who has been at the school for many years, the school will continue to go from strength to strength. Thank you, Russell, for your time at Malak Primary School. You have been terrific to work with. I look forward to working with you in your role as Principal at Sanderson High.
Congratulations to Bill Armstrong for a very strong year as Principal at Manunda Terrace Primary School. Manunda Terrace has a very diverse student cohort, including students from nearby Knuckeys Lagoon who come across every day to participate in education, which is very important for those kids. Bill is a gentle man. He works well with the staff, the teachers, and the students at that school who come from some significant areas of disadvantage. It is a very multicultural school. Bill is a very fine principal and I have enjoyed working with him this year.
My heartfelt thanks to Margaret Fenbury at Karama Primary School. She is a terrific woman. She is strong and dynamic, and has fantastic leadership. She has allowed the TATA Families Project to grow within the environs of that school community. Alex Jordan has been passionate in ensuring development of the 0-5s and the young parents in the community which occurs through that families project. Margaret Fenbury as principal has encouraged and supported the project. She has a very talented pool of teachers in the school with her leadership. She has supported the staff at the school and is a perfect principal for those students in encouraging and developing them, particularly in their esteem and their educational outcomes. Thank you, Margaret. It is a pleasure and honour to work with you.
I also acknowledge that it has been great working with Lester Lemke,the new Principal at O’Loughlin College. Lester is a very considered, thoughtful, capable principal. He came from Darwin High School where he had a Deputy Principal role. He has enhanced the Catholic college at O’Loughlin. He has a very strong and capable team of staff and teachers around him, and I find it a real privilege and pleasure to work alongside Lester Lemke in the endeavours of that Catholic college. O’Loughlin is going from strength to strength. Enrolment numbers are up and it is a fantastic school in our community.
I extend a very special thank you and recognition of many, many years of dedication and hard work to Margaret Hughes, the retiring Principal of Holy Family School. Margaret has had a couple of stints at Holy Family School over a couple of decades and she has been a very strong, very compassionate, wonderful leader of that school community. She has earned the respect of her staff, of her teachers and she has earned the adoration of the school students. The school community is, in one way, very sad that Margaret is leaving as principal but in another way we appreciate that her talents are at a higher level within the Catholic Education Office. I am sure the work that Margaret Hughes will be able to deliver in the Catholic Education Office will enhance Catholic education right across the Territory. Margaret, my deepest thanks go to you. As a mother of students at the school, I certainly understand the beautiful compassion you bring daily to the students of that school and it is really quite striking to see how caring and tuned into the needs of the students that Margaret Hughes has been over the years, so a very big thank you to Margaret.
To Kerrie Behm, the outgoing area coordinator of Karama Neighbourhood Watch, thank you for your year of hard work and commitment. Kerry has a lucrative job in the mines, so congratulations, but it means she has to step down as area coordinator, but she has done a fantastic job. It has been a new role for her; she has never been involved at such a level before and she has embraced it with aplomb. To all the other members of Karama Neighbourhood Watch and to the Malak Neighbourhood Watch members including Leigh and Barbara Kariko, thank you for your hard work and dedication over the year. I look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you for our local celebration that we hold every year.
Congratulations also to Peter La Pira who has continued to improve the Karama Shopping Centre. The La Pira family built the centre and have continued to improve it. We are now enjoying a huge new shade structure across the car park, with a second shade structure nearing completion on the bottle shop side of the shopping centre car park. It is great to see the centre improving and going from strength to strength.
I have already acknowledged that Keith Fairlie and the team at Eagle Boys Pizza have been experiencing a roaring trade. The locals certainly speak highly of the pizzas; I have tried them once or twice myself and they are very good.
Karama is a community that is nicely representative of Darwin society. We have many young families buying in as first home owners and making their way in life, living very peacefully. We have our fair share of public housing so society’s disadvantaged are housed at Karama and Malak and we have some very successful business people. There are many subcontractors and self-employed business people living in Karama and Malak and it has been truly rewarding in the last year to see all of the house renovations that are going on at this time of boom. The subbies have been working very hard with the construction boom, with the money coming into their pockets. We have been watching it turn into renovations on their own homes and their family lives are improving. Congratulations to those local subbies in Karama and Malak who are making the most of the boom time. I take my hat off to them.
It has been a challenging year. Of course, there are some people who would like to beat up on Karama. It is a quick media bite and it is a quick media grab, but I say to those who choose to do that: ‘You do not live there and you do not understand that it is a very lovely community with great people just trying to make their way in life’. Some people, of course, have social issues. I want to thank Youth Beat and the police for working with the kids to target the kids who are exhibiting criminal behaviour, but for Youth Beat to work with the kids who are disadvantaged, not criminals, but kids with a disadvantage, so my heartfelt thanks to Casuarina Police. The officers there are fantastic. I also extend my thanks to Youth Beat with Mission Australia, which does a fantastic job. I look forward to seeing in the festive season while I holiday with my family here in Darwin and enjoy a tropical Christmas.
Finally, I extend my thanks to all of the Legislative Assembly staff; the Clerk, Hansard and the Table Office staff.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, happy Christmas. I would like to talk about the new bus timetable. It is very interesting trying to read this bus timetable; it is not the easiest thing in the world. If you want a good bus service, you must have a coordinated service whereby one bus route matches another bus route, especially in the rural area where buses are few and far between. Looking at the new bus timetable for the rural area, if you catch a bus from Humpty Doo, either route 447 or 450, which leaves Humpty Doo at 7.15 am, and you want to catch route 9 to Palmerston, you will have to wait for half-an-hour instead of meeting a bus at Palmerston when you arrive. The 7.15 am bus arrives at Palmerston at 8 am, but its connecting bus now leaves at 7.53 am, which means people wait now until 8.31 am. Under the old timetable, the bus left at 8.05 am. There is a real problem. I do not know who put this bus timetable together, but I see some major problems.
If you wanted to catch a bus from Casuarina to Palmerston, to catch the 6 pm to Humpty Doo or to Noonamah, the previous bus leaves Casuarina at 5.20 pm. This allows rural residents to knock off work at 5.00 pm and walk to the bus exchange, but now the bus will leave at 5.05 pm. If you miss that bus because you could not get away from work on time, the next bus leaves at 5.36 pm. This bus will be too late for the 6 pm bus to Humpty Doo and Noonamah, which means that people will either have to walk or catch a ride because that is the last bus from town.
Again, route 414, which is the big route that goes around from Palmerston down to Noonamah, out to Humpty Doo and back again, leaves Palmerston at 10 am and gets back to Palmerston at 11 am. The city bus, route 8, leaves at 11 am, which means you either have to make sure the bus is not more than a few seconds late or you do not get to the city and you have to catch the next bus, which is 40 minutes later. If you want to go to Casuarina, the bus leaves at 11.03 am, and that does not give people much time at all.
When the people put this bus timetable together, did they understand that connections are very important, especially for rural people? If you only have a few buses to catch in the rural area and you miss one, you are in a lot of trouble. I would like to ask the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to investigate matters in relation to the new bus timetable because they have certainly been put together with little knowledge of the practicalities of people in the rural area. People are not going to be pleased that they have to sit at Palmerston Interchange for half-an-hour or they have to walk home from Palmerston simply because the connections are not there. If you are going to run an efficient bus service, surely connections are a high priority.
I know we have talked about schools today, but there is an issue about the Casuarina Secondary College that concerns me. I have been approached by a staff member who wants to know why the purpose-built library, which had a quiet area, has been taken over by IT. What was the reason? No one has explained it to them. They have lost the quiet area they had in their library and someone has made a decision to put IT in there. They have also extended the book room and took out eight toilets. They do not know why; they just took out eight toilets. Someone made a decision. The male toilet was taken out for a disabled toilet and, I gather, male staff now have to walk 80 m to the nearest toilet. People might say: ‘Big deal. So what?’ However, I gather from the person who spoke to me that they do not seem to be involved in this. What is happening seems to be imposed on them and they do not seem to have been part of the decision-making process. Someone has decided that the quiet area will be taken over in the library, something they probably worked for over the years.
I ask the minister for Education if he would go out to Casuarina, and he probably has been there, and explain to them what is going on. This person said: ‘I do not normally complain. I am a happy person, I enjoy my work. I now feel as though people do not care about me; that we are not important’. I would like the minister for Education to take the time, if he could, to talk to some of the staff about what is going on.
Middle schools have been a controversial issue in relation to Casuarina Secondary College. As you know, many teachers did not particularly want the change. I do not believe this is coming from that perspective; this teacher just feels as though no one has taken much notice of staff who have been there for a long time who have probably been involved in the development of some of these areas like the quiet area and, all of a sudden, someone from outside has made a decision that it is not going to happen. It would be good if the minister could give some reassurance to the staff that they will be involved or consulted on what is going on.
To finish, I thank everyone for an interesting year in parliament. I was thinking today that it started off with a big bang with TIO and is finishing with a big bang with the speed limits. We had many issues in the middle like my trip to America and middle schools and all sorts of things. I feel that this year has been the hardest year. You might say I am only an Independent, but this year has been the busiest and hardest year compared to the previous four years. I thought as I stayed in here a bit longer, it might be a bit easier, but it definitely has not been. There are many issues. The Sundowner Caravan Park is a big issue for me; it remains to be.
Ms Martin: 1.30 pm Saturday; I looked at my diary.
Mr WOOD: I welcome the Chief Minister coming on Saturday.
Ms Martin: Formal dress?
Mr WOOD: Pardon?
Ms Martin: Formal dress?
Mr WOOD: No, no, definitely not a tie, I will tell you that. No, just as long as you have a smile and are willing to listen to a few questions and see whether we can get some constructive solutions to some of the issues that the people have. The issues that Sundowner has raised will go beyond the time that Sundowner exists. I am looking at proposing legislation which will involve regulation over caravan parks and will, possibly, involve protection for people when caravan parks are sold. However, I will speak about that at another time.
I wish everyone a happy Christmas, especially in the Assembly. The staff always look after me. I do not know how they stand it sometimes. I was just reading Hansard from today, and probably their heads are still ringing. They do a terrific job. They are always helpful when you want advice. Hansard still try to work out what I am saying, from time to time. Even I have trouble understanding what I have said when I read Hansard, it is sometimes so disjointed. They are kind people up there …
Ms Martin: They do a good job on editing.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and they do have sympathy with my disjointed speech.
I thank all my constituents. Regardless of whether people support you, I have a mainly rural electorate and some really wonderful people. I enjoy the rural area. I reckon we have the best of both worlds. We have space, which I cannot say for some parts of the Darwin region, and I have the ability to enjoy the urban lifestyle with shopping centres at Palmerston, Coolalinga, my local shopping centre at Howard Springs, and at Humpty Doo. Many people have to go home to a little 300 m, 400 m or 500 m square block; I can go and enjoy the Hub or the Humpty Doo Tavern or the Howard Springs Tavern and then go home to a nice five acre block where one can breathe.
I very much like to thank what we call the FOG group - that stands for Friends of Gerry, would you believe. It actually has a few people in it! I know you probably think they fit in a phone box, but I do have a few friends. I would like to thank Tom. He comes and does the shredding. Tom, unfortunately, had a stroke a couple of years ago. It is amazing how some people get struck down with two disasters. His wife just had a stroke as well and was rushed off to Adelaide. I do not think she is back yet, but we have a lot of work to make sure they are both looked after. Jo, who comes in and eats all the lollies out of my cookie jar, and there are the Mounts who are always helping me deliver newsletters, Fred who comes in for a natter, and Greg and Yvonne who are always helping fold up newsletters.
I especially thank my staff. I have a few. It is funny because I have Linda who is my Friday lady. She is moving to Queensland but she came back to fix the house. She was a great lady. She certainly organised everything in the kitchen, I will tell you. Her replacement at the moment is my sister, Trish Butler. She is going from one job to another so she took over Linda’s job for the time being. I have two ladies who we are training in case someone is away sick, Ricky and Shirley, and they both occasionally work in the office when Jennifer, my Electorate Secretary, is not able to.
The member for Braitling mentioned Caroline, my research officer. She is a fantastic research officer. Believe it or not, sometimes with our staff we do not always agree with one another, and that is sometimes a great thing. She can either play the devil’s advocate or she actually means what she says when she doesn’t agree with me, but that is good. I do not always want people agreeing with me, especially if I am putting an argument to test what I am doing before I come into parliament. It makes me think more about what I am saying. I thank Caroline for all the hard work she does, going through the legislation. We get this book put together by Caroline. It breaks down all the legislation before we come in here, tells us what it is all about, tells us the points to look at, tells us what parts of the act look suspect, and what questions we should ask. That allows us to get an idea of what we are going to read.
Dr Lim: Can we have her?
Mr WOOD: No, you definitely cannot have her! She is a great help for the Independents. We find it very hard to go through legislation and analyse it, and I appreciate that the Department of Chief Minister allows us to have that help.
I also thank Jennifer, my Electorate Secretary. Jennifer has a smile that wide. The problem with it is that it is such a wonderful smile it attracts people in for miles. She is a fantastic lady. She does so much work. She is generous and hospitable to people who come into my electorate office. I know my electorate office looks like some sort of chook house and people think it is a bit strange, but hopefully, it is a very welcoming office that people can walk into and feel at home no matter what their problems, or if they just want to say hello.
I also thank my wife, Imelda. As I have said many times before, I used to have a cardboard cutout on the verandah. Now I actually have to wipe a security card before I come in because she does not see me very often. Sometimes she does not see me at all. She has patience, she does look after me, and she understands the job I have is very busy from time to time. I thank her for that patience and support.
With that, I would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas. I hope I have not forgotten anyone. If I have, I wish all the forgotten people a happy Christmas.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, just a short speech as we come to the end of the parliamentary year for 2006. I thank everyone, first of all, who works in the Assembly for supporting us and getting us through another year. I hope you do not all feel particularly old after the member for Nelson’s assessment of 2006 as a very difficult and full year. I think it was, too. I agree with you absolutely. Thank you to the Assembly for helping us through another year.
In particular, I thank our Clerk, Ian McNeill, Deputy Clerk, David Horton and all Assembly staff, particularly, as the member for Nelson said, the Hansard staff who have to, first, make sense of what we said and then put it in some kind of readable form. They do an extraordinary job. Mind you, they are inspired by our fine words.
I thank our dedicated public servants who do such a great job across the Territory from Darwin down to the borders. Each year they work very hard to help make the Territory what I think is the best place in Australia to live and our public servants, in many cases, have a very tough job. They work very hard and they serve the Territory very well. So from me, thank you.
I thank Parliament House Security staff for their efforts over the past year. They have an extremely important job to do and their courtesy and good humour are appreciated by everyone who works here.
On the 5th floor, a big thanks to my staff in the Office of Chief Minister. There have been quite a few changes in personnel this year, but through all those changes and the challenges, their commitment and professionalism has shone through. A particular thanks to my new-ish chief of staff, Ross Neilson, for hitting the ground running and doing such a great job, but not forgetting the other people with whom I work. I was trying to make sure I did not forget anyone: Jamie, Aaron, Richard, Kirk, Stephen, Christine Priore, Christine Gray, Sarah, Jenny, Ron, Anna, to our media monitors and anyone I have forgotten, thank you. The Office of the Chief Minister would not work without you and I am very grateful for all the hard work you do.
Thank you also to the ministerial staff across the 5th floor for all their hard, my ministerial colleagues and to my caucus colleagues. There is a lot of corporate knowledge on the 5th floor and the contributions of all who work there are greatly appreciated by all of us.
I thank the Department of Chief Minister. I started the year with two departments and ended the year with one department, but that is life. I would thank Tourism anyway because they were great to work with. Tourism NT started out as the Northern Territory Tourist Commission in the three years that I was minister. They are a great bunch to work with. They are very committed to building tourism and they love their jobs. It was a delight to work with them. Thank you for the inspiring picture of the West Macs with which you bid me farewell.
In the Department of Chief Minister, I thank my CEO, Paul Tyrrell, Graham Symonds and Dennis Bree, who are deputies, and all who work in DCM. They do a lot of hard work. They certainly underpin the workings of government. They coordinate across government in very difficult areas and, from me, my sincere thanks. I could not wish for a better team.
My thanks to CEOs across all my government departments, and it has been a pleasure working with you. Your leadership, vision and commitment have really set a high standard across the services.
I also thank the people who drive us around, our drivers. You do a marvellous job and you do it with a lot of courtesy and grace. In particular, many thanks to the man who keeps it all together, the boss of the drivers, Gary Wilkshire. We would all be lost without him.
Finally, many thanks to my Electorate Officer, Anna Vandenberg. Anna has done a great job this past year. I also thank Louise Jones, Annette Milikins, and Kathleen Fracaro who stood in for Anna at various times this year. Of course, to the backroom boy, Ken Hill, and to my Saturday boy – I shouldn’t really call him a boy; Brian is in his 80s - Brian Joyce for their hard work and support around the office.
Finally, I wish all members of this House a very merry Christmas and if 2006 has been a tough year, maybe 2007 will ease up a bit and we will be able to see the fruits of some of the hard work that has been done in 2006. Maybe, when we think about this House and how we relate to each other, we can aspire in 2007 to be more policy driven and less personally driven. One of the things that does sadden me is the personal vitriol. Be tough about policy, be tough about track records, but if we could just put aside the personal toxicity we sometimes see, it would be great. We do have different views on many issues and at times things do become strained, but we are all in here for a reason: we want to see the Territory move ahead. We should be looking more often to where we agree rather than saying: ‘You are on one side, we are on the other; we are going to disagree’, because in many circumstances, we do not.
We have all survived 2006. For those of us who had a more traumatic year than others, I hope next year is better, as I look at the member for Katherine. I wish everyone great happiness in the coming year.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is the last sittings of the year. This is the first full year we have had in this parliament since the last election. Last year, it was only a six-month Assembly for the new term of this government.
Yes, it has been a big year, as the member for Nelson said. We started the year with TIO and ended with road safety and had many issues in between. At one stage, our colleague, the member for Katherine, was away because of a motor vehicle accident. I am glad she has recovered as well as she has and glad to have her sitting here with us. It caused us to be a little thin for a while. When I was a backbencher in government, I thought: ‘Gee, it is a lot of hard work,’ but, really, as a backbencher in government, your core responsibility is to look after your own electorate. When you become a minister, you are really a talking head. You get information pumped into you from all sides, advice from departments and I suppose the more intelligent you are, the better talking head you become. Sometimes ministers can initiate policies as well, which mostly react to departmental directions.
Then you get into opposition and suddenly there are no resources. You are really left on your own. Not only do you have backbench status, you have to monitor many policy areas in the capacity of shadow minister and that can take a heck of a lot of work. With only four of us, it is, indeed, a lot of work.
In respect of the vitriol the Chief Minister mentioned, it takes two to fight. You do not have a fight if there is only one side, so we throw back as much as is thrown at us. We are only a little team of four. We have to throw pretty hard, otherwise you get so much thrown at you that you start to think: ‘Why should I like this bunch of people who keep attacking all the time?’
It is hard to come to the Christmas season and feel good about the people across the Chamber but there are some members we have worked with on committees, with whom we have gone away on parliamentary visits, and you get to know those individuals without the political clothing that we all tend to wear when we are in this Chamber. We are all pretty much alike in many ways. That takes away, I hope, the edge of antipathy that we might feel against each other.
This is a time to wish everyone well and I would like to do that, to wish all members of this Chamber well. I wish the staff and the Legislative Assembly staff, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk and everyone else who works to support us, with particular reference to Graham Gadd with whom I have developed a good friendship over the years that we have been working in this building; to Terry Hanley, who has worked industriously for the many committees on which I happen to serve; and poor Maria and the workload that she has to cope with our environment committee. It is a huge amount of work and she diligently works through it all. I wish you all a good Christmas, and hope that we come back next year fit and well and rearing to go again.
The strongest support that I have from staff is Caroll Lyons - sorry no, Caroll Cailler now. She was married last year, and this year, she leaves me on 12 December for an extended holiday. During that time, she will be deciding whether she will come back. She will be taking a long break. She has been with me for five years now; I must have burned her out. She has worked so hard for me in the last five years. She is very self-motivated, knows what she has to do and goes about doing it without much hassle. I try to do the right thing by her but sometimes I am very grumpy. Well, I cop back as much as I dish out sometimes with Caroll. She has done a great job. The office is always very well managed and I hope that when she departs and I want to find a file, I can find it. She has a great filing system with a register and all of that, so I am sure we can find the files. Caroll, and your daughter, Casey, and Patrick, your husband, thank you very much for the last five years. If you decide to come back, let me know early. If you do not, then I bid you a very fond farewell.
I have known Caroll since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She was a little girl at Braitling Primary School when I first met her family. I almost got to deliver her youngest brother, which is how long I have known Caroll. I have seen her grow up, come to live in Alice Springs, travel around the Territory, get married and then come back to Alice Springs. I will surely miss you, Caroll, and I wish you the best of everything.
Sometimes, Caroll needed to take time off and we have temporary Electorate Officers as well: Christine Potts and Christian Cope were two who helped me a lot. Both have also left the Territory. Then we have Bev who is manning the store at the moment in Alice Springs while Caroll is in Darwin this week. Bev has been really very supportive. Whenever we need her, she spends the day or two or three days in the office to help out, and she has got to know the system in the office fairly well.
I look forward to welcoming Donna when she starts with me in a couple of weeks’ time. I hope Donna will stay for five years. Donna will be my fourth electorate officer; four terms and four electorate officers.
The electorate has continued to be very supportive of my activities. One of the biggest problems in my electorate is the number of welfare housing and neighbours from hell. There are people who ring me on a regular basis, and I do house calls, even after hours, to ensure that there is some neighbourhood peace. I try to make sure that we do not get too many dissatisfied constituents. Obviously, Territory Housing is not enforcing the rules of harmonious neighbourhoods. Few Territory Housing staff, if any, work after hours and that is when the complaints occur. People cannot complain because there is no one there to listen. Territory Housing might say that the police do not report problems. Territory Housing will tell you that they have engaged a security patrol. They drive past but, in a five to 10 second drive-past, they are expected to see what is going on in the back yard of welfare housing, which is not possible. They need to do a bit more to ensure that the neighbourhood remains fairly quiet through the night. When you get 20 people drunk in the back yard, you are not going to get that at all.
There are many supportive personalities in my electorate who help me with my newsletters, doorknocking and generally help me with activities in the electorate. The three particular people I would like to mention are Col – unfortunately Col, who lives down the Ross Highway, is about to leave Alice Springs soon too; that is another family leaving town –Erica, who lives nearby, and Brian who lives on the Golf Course Estate. They know who they are. I am not using their surnames, but I am sure they know who they are and I thank them for their support throughout the year.
The Alice Springs Branch of the Country Liberal Party with all its members is a very supportive and active branch. It is often looked at jealously by the other branches across the Territory as one of the strongest branches of the CLP. They continue to be very supportive of what I do and have always been there when I need help.
To the opposition of four, I wish my colleagues the best of what remains in 2006 and returning in 2007 for a better year. I must mention staff in the Leader’s office, in particular James. James has been a real diamond. I worked with him last year in our election campaign in Alice Springs and he has come back and been a wonderful addition to the staff in the Leader’s office and has made it work tremendously well. Kylie, I cannot say thank you to you too much. You have been very supportive as well. Young Rebecca always has the brightest smile and is the chirpiest person in the office. I call her ‘Cuz’. She answers the telephone and says: Hello, Rebecca speaking’. I say: ‘Hello Rebecca speaking, this is Richard Lim speaking’. ‘Oh gee, you are a cousin’. So we have this standing joke that we are both cousins to each other now. John, Brad, Greg, thank you. You are always willing to help us as much as you can. I hope you will continue to do that for 2007. We depend on your research, your good advice, and will continue to lean on you guys as much as we possibly can.
Not forgetting family: Sharon, daughters, Kinta, Leticia, and my son, Michael. Without them, we could not do this job. We just could not do this job without them being there, manning the hearth, as they say. Sharon has put up with me for a long time being away from home so much, especially now that there are only four of us. The amount of travel we have to do is just – I would not say it is intolerable because we have done it – but it is a huge load.
For members of this Chamber who live outside of Darwin in the regions, it is difficult. Members from Darwin can go to their own homes each night if they are not travelling interstate or to Alice Springs. They are mostly in Darwin and they would be home each night. For us who have to leave our homes in Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, after the day’s work, we cannot go home. You leave your family behind. They have to cope for themselves and you have to cope for yourself. While we have other distractions to worry us or to take our minds off it, our spouses are stuck on their own. After a day’s work, they are there and you are not there. The best you can do is pick up the telephone and have a chat. How long can you have a talk for? So, members in Darwin do not really know how lucky they are. I envy you guys.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation for Sharon and her patience and what she has done in this last 12 months for me and with me and without me. I give her my best love and say we will be home in couple of days and we will see you soon.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is the last sitting before Christmas and I take the opportunity to say thanks and extend Christmas wishes for 2006.
I wish you first of all and your family a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I wish Madam Speaker a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. Best wishes to the Chief Minister and to my parliamentary colleagues from this side of the House and on the other side of the House. As the Chief Minister said, it would be helpful and more constructive if we argue about policy rather than take personal swipes at each other. Hopefully, in 2007 things will change and we will have a new direction.
My best wishes and a special thank you to all the dedicated staff of the Legislative Assembly. They have worked tirelessly in looking after us this year, especially to Vicki Long and the crew of Corporate Services who look after our electorate offices, the Hansard staff led by Helen Allmich who do a terrific job at editing our speeches, especially mine. I also extend Christmas wishes to our hard-working drivers whose patience and experience we appreciate. To all the staff in the House, I wish you a happy and prosperous Christmas and new year. Special thanks to Ian McNeill, the Clerk, and David Horton and their assistants and all the staff of the Assembly.
My departments, the previous Department of Mines, Primary Industry and my current department DBERD, my ex-CEO John Carroll and the new one Richard Galton, my best wishes to John and the people in the Department of Mines, thank you very much for your help, assistance and your hard work. I am looking forward to working with Richard Galton in the near future.
Of course, as many people have said, we would not be able to work the way we do if we did not have wonderful Electorate Officers and mine is particularly wonderful, Debbie Rowlands. She is dedicated and hard-working. We are really a team and we work closely together serving the electorate of Casuarina. Special thanks also should go to the family of our electorate officers, and Debbie’s family never complain about the long hours she works and they are there to help when it is necessary.
To my constituents in Casuarina, merry Christmas and a happy new year. If you drive down south, please drive safely. Have an enjoyable Christmas and I look forward to seeing you when you come back.
Special wishes and my warmest Christmas wishes and thanks go to Superintendent Matt Hollamby and the new officer-in-charge Mark Bennett and police officers from the Casuarina Police Station for doing a terrific job in the Casuarina area. Your commitment and dedication to fighting crime and antisocial behaviour in the Casuarina area and in Darwin in general has been commendable. I hope to enjoy some Christmas cheer and catch up with you at my electorate office party on 13 December.
To the businesses in my area, merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Special wishes to CraigOsborne, staff and tenants at the Casuarina Shopping Square, Tony Miaoudis and tenants at Casuarina Village Shopping Centre, Chris Vidourisand tenants from near Casuarina Convenience Centre and all the small business owners and staff within the Casuarina shopping precinct.
Although 2006 has been an extremely busy and demanding year at times, it has also been a very prosperous and enjoyable year. It has certainly been a very memorable year. This is largely due to the tireless commitment and hard work of a wonderful support team and the dedication and assistance of so many special friends and supporters who have assisted me this year.
To the Casuarina ALP branch members who are a dedicated, loyal group of workers, I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support and for all your fundraising efforts for me and for the member for Wanguri, Paul Henderson, and Chris Burns, the member for Johnston. I wish you all and your familles a joyful Christmas and look forward to your support in 2007.
I thank staff in my ex-ministerial office and previous portfolio. First, I thank Eunice De Ramos who has been a loyal personal assistant for several years. I thank her for her tireless service. Chantelle Barrett had just joined my office when she found she was going to work for a new minister, but she had already started making changes and improvements in my office. Jacinta Chartres had a quick lesson in politics. She came to work for me as my Multicultural Affairs Advisor and discovered she was going to work for Delia Lawrie within a few days. Gemma Buxton, Miss Media: if you want to know anything about media, she will tell you. I appreciate her skills and her quiet ability to keep me on track.
Ray Clarke is the Primary Industry Advisor, and knows everything about fish, fisheries and aquaculture but every time he tried to go fishing, the boat broke down. Ray knows everyone in the industry and was a great help to me every time I wanted something, especially in our fight with the curse of illegal fishing. Colin Hallenstein, my Departmental Liaison Officer, came to my office three years ago to provide advice on mines and energy issues. He has enormous knowledge of the history of the mining industry in the Territory, together with his subtle wit and measured manner, was a great foil for me and would help temper my enthusiasm for the steady stream of stock exchange announcements.
Finally, my Senior Adviser, Mark Hough. Houghie is totally opposite to me. I am enthusiastic, he is conservative, but we made a great team and worked well for three years. He was taking care of the staff as he was bossing me around. Most importantly, he encouraged me to take an interest in golf, and now that I have taken lessons and have actually learnt how to hit the ball, I am sure I will soon be playing as badly as he does.
Then, of course, there was a change, a new portfolio. I arrived in the new portfolio with a new chief of staff, Michael Gunner, and I thank him very much for his support, and all the people in my new office, because it took a while to put together. It took a while to organise meetings, yet everything was up and running in record time.
Carole Frost is very well known to all in the Chamber. She has for many years worked in the Northern Territory. She is a tremendous asset on my team and knows everything about the business community. Recently, I enjoyed going to Alice with Carole and meeting her daughter, Kirrily. I wish Carole, Harry and Kirrily all the best for Christmas.
Charlie Phillips, a good friend for a long time, has been in my office not for long enough - he was away for six weeks in Europe and he came back to be my advisor on Power and Water.
Kim Hill, a very talented young man. I had the pleasure of working with his father in my previous job in Danila Dilba. Now I am working with Kim Hill Junior. He has an amazing network across the Territory. He gives fantastic advice and is very practical. He is aware of all the challenges in the regional areas. He is a gentleman; a genuine leader who makes a real positive difference.
Kieran Phillips, who was fantastic at cricket, learned to be a fantastic media advisor. Kate Worden, I did not know much about sports, but after a couple of weeks with Kate, I am really up to speed. Kieran and Kate have not only a hard job, they also have young families and I really appreciate their efforts in my office.
Vishal Mohan-Ram and Carol Smith are the people who actually run the office and the administration. Vishal does all the correspondence, and Carol runs my life because I do not have a life any more; I have a diary and Carol Smith is in charge of that diary. They are work amazing hours and they work very, very hard. I would like to thank them very much.
I would also like to thank people who are not based on the fifth floor; they are based in Central Australia. The talented members of the Office of Central Australia, the fantastic John Gaynor, the blushing Kelsey Rodda, the boss, Nyree Slatter, and the wordsmith, Mandy Taylor.
Of course, I would like to thank people in my electorate, especially the people who run the schools and do a tremendous job: Lyn Elphinstone from Dripstone High School; Barry Griffin, Nakara and Sharon Reeves at Alawa. I would also like to thank the school council chairpersons, Lyn Cook of Dripstone High, PetulaNayda of Nakara Primary, and DeanneVahlbergand Jacqui Dobson of Alawa Primary.
Good luck to Year 12s. I have a Year 12 who has just sat the exams and is anxiously awaiting the results. This is the time when people make decisions for their future. I know there is stress for the students and their families, so I wish them all the best.
I say special thanks and send best wishes to my family, especially to my wife, Margaret, who, in the past five years has had to put up with a lot, not only the trips and functions, but also sometimes I would go home tired and cranky. I thank her very much for her tolerance, compassion, her advice, the fact that she was there as a mother and father when I was away, and that she ran the house. Sometimes she runs my political decisions when we can sit down and exchange opinions and I very much value her opinion. Considering that she has her own job, she makes a tremendous effort, a significant effort. I pass on to her all my love and my best wishes for Christmas. My best wishes and love to Alexander, who is the eldest in the family. He is bossing his little brother, because he replaces his father when I am away. I thank him for being a wonderful person, a wonderful son. Then there is my little Michael, who is always witty, charming and funny. Lately, when I say to him that I think I will go to the doctor soon to get rid of the red mark on my face, he says to me: ‘No, no, do not do that Dad, because we can spot you from that on television when you are away’. So my best wishes to my family. I love you dearly and I thank you for your continued support.
It is a hard job to be a politician. Many people think it is fun, but the reality is the time we are working, the time we dedicate to other people’s problems is time taken from our own families, and it is very, very hard.
We must be the only group of workers who do not have a union. We do not have annual leave. We do not have long service leave. We do not have cover, and every four years we go through a rigorous assessment and we get the boot without any compensation or retrenchment. It is a hard job, but we do it because we love it and because we believe in it.
To everyone on the other side of the House, my best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, especially for the member for Katherine: a happy and healthy New Year.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this is my last adjournment for 2006, and I have mixed emotions as this year has been quite an eventful one for my family and me, to say the least.
We have run the gamut of emotions, that is for sure, and the beginning of that was when I had my vehicle accident in March. Who would have ever believed that I could have been so fortunate to survive such an accident? For that, I am very grateful. The aches and pains are a reminder of the injuries that I sustained, but the alternative sure was not an option I would have chosen. I am very grateful for the support of my husband. As the member for Casuarina has just said, families do have to put up with a lot when their partners are away. It is especially challenging when you live quite some way from parliament. Of course, I have a three-hour trip. This year, I was not only away in Adelaide recovering from the accident but I have been away again since I have been home. Mike lives in Katherine on his own but has the company of two very faithful friends, a golden Labrador called Jed and a black Labrador called Kizzy. They are wonderful companions for him - not as good as I am, I do not think, but they certainly are a good substitute when I am not there.
I would also very much like to thank my daughter Trisha Wachtel, for her support during the year, her husband, Ian, and my dear little grandchildren, Jack and Jorja, who make life so much more pleasant and put things into perspective in my life.
A big thank you to my colleagues, the Leader of the Opposition, Jodeen Carney, member for Blain, Terry Mills, and member for Greatorex, Richard Lim, for soldiering on with all the portfolios between them when I was in Adelaide recovering. As if the role of opposition with four members was not hard enough, they managed extremely capably with just the three of them. Again, in October when I was called to my brother, Glen, in Ceduna, sharing his final days, and was away for two weeks, my opposition team was again, with only three members, taking on all the responsibilities. I thank my team so much for their encouragement and ongoing support for what has possibly been one of the most trying years of my life.
I also want to acknowledge Madam Speaker. She has had her challenges during 2006 with breast cancer, and I thank her for the kindness that has been shown to me and everyone else during the year. She spoilt us rotten with her wonderful meals at night and tried to ensure that we have some sort of healthy lifestyle and eating habits when we are here for such long periods of time. We do appreciate it, Madam Speaker. She has really set a benchmark now for next year, hasn’t she? I look forward to sitting around the table with you again next year. It is great to have you back in the House, Madam Speaker, and to see you looking so well. I hope that the coming year is extra special for you. Just for the record, Madam Speaker, I have to tell you that your hair looks fantastic at the length it is. Maggie Tabberer should eat her heart out. You should leave your hair that length; you look years younger and you look fantastic.
A big thank you to Vicki Long and all staff in the Legislative Assembly who have provided so much help and support to all of us, but especially to me this year. To the Clerk, Ian McNeill, Deputy Clerk, David Horton, Terry Hanley, Pat Hancock, and all the wonderful hard-working staff who assisted on all the committees and kept us supplied with mountains of information and organised our community consultations throughout the Northern Territory, a really big thank you.
A very special thank you to Helen Allmich and all the staff in Hansard who are unseen, but have such an important role in accurately recording all the words that are spoken in the Assembly; a very patient and great job by you all for 2006.
To all the hard-working staff in the Table Office; thank you for all the running around you do for us during the year as well.
To the security staff and to the cleaners in Parliament House who are also mostly unseen, your work is very, very much appreciated.
I thank the people in my electorate and the Katherine branch for their support and patience during the year when I have not been as active as I would normally have been. Their understanding is very much appreciated and I will always be grateful for that.
I also say thanks to my former Electorate Officer, Lorna Hart. Lorna, who has recently resigned, has been the Electorate Officer in Katherine for some 18 years, approximately 15 years with the former member, Mike Reed, and for the past three years since I have been the member. Lorna has been invaluable in assisting the constituents in the Katherine electorate. Her work over the years has been very much appreciated and I wish her well for the future.
To all the elected members of this Assembly on both sides of the House, I wish you and all your families a very safe and happy Christmas and new year. A big, big thank you and a merry Christmas and happy New Year to the Leader of the Opposition’s staff: Kylie, who is a very busy mum of two little ones these days and still does a fantastic job; to Becky, a little bright ray of sunshine …
Dr Lim: She is, isn’t she?
Mrs MILLER: She is just beautiful. James, for all his guidance and his help. What would we do without you? Brad, for all of your help; John, for all of your guidance; and Greg, who is relatively new to the team, thank you so much. I wish you and your families a very happy and safe Christmas.
In closing, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, to the members for Arafura and Macdonnell, my thoughts are with you today as you both share valuable time with your respective brothers, both of whom are very ill. I understand perfectly what you are going through. Here is hoping that we will get peace and happiness in all members’ lives during 2007 and that all members in this Assembly show some respect to each other. I live in hope.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to start by thanking Ian McNeill, David Horton and their staff for the great assistance and smooth running of the Assembly this year. I wish them all a merry Christmas. I cannot pass up the opportunity to thank Terry Hanley from the Environment and Sustainable Development committee, along with Maria Viegas and Kim Cowcher, who really have made sure that this committee has kept on track. They have done a fabulous job in helping us this year and Terry, on the trips away, we have had two, it has been great.
I thank Vicki Long and staff for helping us with the electorate offices and matters that relate to those; they seem to be never ending, but to all those people, I wish them a merry Christmas.
On Wednesday 22 November, I had the opportunity of representing the Education minister at the Taminmin High School Hospitality Skills Centre official opening. This is an Australian government funded project of some $300 000 plus, and the idea was to transform the old metal work room at Taminmin into an industry standard commercial kitchen with an adjoining dining and service area. The centre was completed in Term 1 enabling Taminmin to deliver Certificate II in Hospitality as a VET in Schools cluster program on Wednesdays. The school plans to expand the training provided to include other certificate levels as well. The Stage II Food and Hospitality course has also operated in the centre for most of this year. It is noteworthy that commercial cookery is marked as one of the top five skill shortage areas nationally, and this great facility at Taminmin positions students to take advantage of training and employment opportunities in this emerging industry.
It was a great day because following the proceedings we had a buffet lunch prepared by the students, which, in keeping with the whole tradition of Taminmin, featured produce from the school farm. I must admit when we got to the goat, I was a bit conscious of some months ago having patted a few of the goats out there and they actually had names, so I was not going to follow that track too far. It was a great feast, a culinary delight and we were all impressed by the delicious fare, particularly the professional presentations by the students. Congratulations to the VET hospitality students, their trainer, Mrs Carmel Glasgow and Mrs Jenny Unwin who assisted. One of the students, Joel Bruce, provided the music on the day and that was a really nice touch to the whole thing.
Another event I was very proud and honoured to attend was the Year 12 graduating art exhibition at Taminmin High School on 14 November. Four of the students had their work selected for the Exit Art Show to be held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory next year. That is a pretty good honour. The students are Eileen Lim, who has two works that will be on exhibit, Melissa Fenwick, Matilda Wilson and Alicia Chambers. The show is held from February to May each year. It showcases the best of Year 12 students from the Northern Territory, and we are very proud of these kids.
In addition, it was announced on the night that Eileen won the summer scholarship to the National Gallery of Australia. That is quite a prestigious honour because she is one of only 16 students from across all of Australia selected for this scholarship and one of only two in the Northern Territory. She will spend one week at the National Gallery in Canberra discovering the collections and finding out why works of art are acquired, how exhibitions take place and what happens in a gallery behind the scenes. It should be noted, too, that she has a chance to see Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre; Journey to the Afterlife, which is an exhibit on loan to the National Gallery from Musee du Louvre in Paris until February. Along with the other scholarship winners, she will see that exhibition. These students are great ambassadors for Taminmin and Eileen will be a great ambassador for the NT.
On Friday, 24 November, I had the opportunity of attending the Taminmin High 2006 Year 12 Graduation Ceremony together with the member for Nelson. I will read into Hansard some of the names of the students who received awards on that night.
Agriculture and Horticulture, went to Kamarul Bin Kamarudin; Art Practical went to Cara Willian; Biology went to Amanda De Waal who also won the Chemistry award; the Child Studies award went to Danielle Collins; the English Communications award went to Matilda Wilson; and English Studies to Melissa Fenwick. The Food and Hospitality award went to Reanna Hunt. The Information Processing and Publishing award went to Linda Kitchen. Maths Studies was awarded to Melissa Fenwick, and Maths Applications to Matilda Wilson. The Psychology award when to Chanel Baily; Physics to Melissa Fenwick; and Tourism to Linda Kitchen.
As far as Endeavour Awards were concerned, Agriculture and Horticulture went to Tiffany Holden; Art Practical to Angela Brayton; Biology to Chanel Baily; Chemistry to Chin Liew; Child Studies to Rebecca Molloy; Communications Products to Mitchell Booth, Diem Nguyen and Megan Eley. The English Communications Endeavour Award went to Kamarul Bin Kamarudin; English Studies to Amanda De Waal; Food and Hospitality to Tiffany Holden; History to Angela Brayton; Information Processing and Publishing to Mitchell Booth; Maths Studies to Chin Liew; and Maths Applications to Diem Nguyen and Linda Kitchen. The Psychology Endeavour Award went to Megan Wall; Physics to Chin Liew; and Tourism to Angela Brayton. Congratulations to all those students.
There were some special awards, the Northern Territory Board of Studies Awards. The Academic Excellence Award went to Melissa Fenwick. The Indigenous Excellence Award went to Mitchell Booth. The Australian Defence Leadership Award went to Tom Wickham. The Ted Warren Citizenship Award went to Linda Kitchen. The Charles Darwin University Leadership Award went to Tiffany Holden. The Rotary Community Service Award went to Tom Wickham. The Caltex Best All Rounder Award went to Melissa Fenwick. The Taminmin High School Indigenous Excellence Awards went to Mitchell Booth and Angela Brayton. The Taminmin High School Old Scholars Award went to Danielle Collins, and the Litchfield Shire Council Scholarship Award went to Chanel Baily.
I cannot pass up this opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2006 on graduating. I will name them, this is the Year 12s: Chanel Baily, Steven Bartholdt-Green, Kamarul Bin Kamarudin, Clancy Bird, Lindsay Bird, Rachel Boon, Mitchell Booth, Angela Brayton, Justin Burgess, Alysha Chambers, Kit Cheong, Danielle Collins, Ruth Collins, Allira Coster, Camille Cullen, Paul Darcy, Amanda De Waal, Eliza Dobie, Meagan Eley, Melissa Fenwick, Simone Fox, Abbi Griffin, Tiffany Holden, Katie Howell, Reanna Hunt, Linda Kitchen, Natasha Lewis, Chin Liew, Kristy Longstaff, Michael Menadue, Rebecca Malloy, Diem Ngyuen, Nam Ngyuen, Samuel Patrick, Jaime Polain, Mark Polain, Sana Stanton, David Tang, Sabrina Veal, Megan Wall, Tom Wickham, Stephanie Willams, Cara Willian, Matilda Wilson and Bonnie Wyatt. I congratulate them all and wish them all well in their future studies or endeavours. I am sure they will be great ambassadors as past scholars for Taminmin High School.
A couple of nice things have happened, and one was related to Humpty Doo Primary School from where some of the Year 7 students attended the Statehood Steering Committee. They received a letter from Sue Bradley, the Co-Chair of the Statehood Steering Committee. I would like to read that document into Hansard and table it. It is addressed to Mrs Felicity Hancock, the Principal:
- Dear Ms Hancock,
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of addressing a group of Year 7 students from Humpty Doo Primary School attending a Statehood Education Program at Parliament House. The students conducted themselves in an exemplary fashion and were a credit to their school.
The high level of understanding that the students displayed about the complex issues surrounding Northern Territory Statehood was impressive. They discussed indigenous issues, financial arrangements, representation, fairness and equality in a factual and mature manner.
Teachers Rachel Turton and Jodie Springhall are to be commended for the work in preparing these students.
The issue of Statehood will continue to grow in importance over the coming years. It is gratifying to know that today’s young Territorians are thinking carefully about their future and the future of the Northern Territory.
I seek leave to table that, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker.
Leave granted.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, in concluding, I thank the school principals in my electorate. I will name them quickly and wish them all a merry Christmas: John Tate from Bees Creek; Tim Webb from Belyuen; Shelia Delahay from Berry Springs; Marie Bredhauer from Girraween; Felicity Hancock from Humpty Doo; Cathy McGuiness from Middle Point; Tony Constantine at Taminmin High School; Tim White from Palmerston Christian School; Neil Maxwell at St Francis of Assisi; Jenny McArthur at Litchfield Christian School; and Chris Dias from Palmerston High School. Thank you for helping me during the year and a merry Christmas to you all.
There are some community people I would like to thank: Maureen Newman for her work on the Coolalinga Community Bank and Rural Area Business Group; Nicole Anderson, who is a great community person in respect of Anglicare and is a lay preacher with that organisation; Sharon Crook from The Gathering and Bush Church who do a great job at Humpty Doo; Michelle Leach who has promoted the Humpty Doo Girl Guides including events like the Community Cabinet barbecue which was held at Coolalinga recently; and which they helped organise; George Kasparek from the Humpty Doo Scouts who also helped with the community barbecue; Olive Frakking, a Freds Pass stalwart for her seniors singalong and organising all that this year; Mel Uddon, our office cleaner; Dean Innis and Russell Finck for the fabulous Noonamah frog races during Melbourne Cup Day; Graeme Sawyer and Paul Cowdy from FrogWatch and toad bust, which started with the launch of the detention centres in February 2006 and who are still attacking the problem right now; Jason Shuker from Shuker Buses, who has assisted us, and I have had some fabulous discussions with him regarding bus routes; Iris Beale of Taminmin Library for help with newsletter information - so thank you very much, Iris; Ron Thomas and his wife, Phyl, for the work with the Volunteer Fire Brigade at Berry Springs; Ray McCasker from the Southern Districts Football Club who is always keeping me informed of things; Sandra Parker who is a constant encouragement of young writers and poets in the Palmerston and rural area; Jeremy Hemphill and Heather Boulden who have started up the Friends of Fogg Dam; Sally Jacka from the Native Plant Society who is always keeping us informed on their events; Peter Clarke, who recently left the Cox Peninsula Council to move to Queensland; Brian Piddick, who is always raising awareness of local community issues in the Southport area; Conrad Drogemuller, who really was a stalwart as far as the Girraween Road petition went and the potential for the sealing of that; and Boyd Scully from the NT Boxing Association, especially for helping the boys at the Taminmin Gym. He has done a great job. I wish them all a merry Christmas.
I conclude by thanking my Electorate Officer, Clare Hasewski. We are a fabulous team. She has been the stalwart of the electorate office, like all our electorate officers. I wish Clare and her family all the best for Christmas and the New Year, and have a well-earned break.
In conclusion, I thank all my parliamentary colleagues. It has been a very inspirational year and, at times, testing. However, we have got through it and I know that we all have good feelings for each other. I wish all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, your time has expired.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, a jam-packed report, member for Goyder; well done.
In considering what I would speak about tonight, I recalled this time last year. At that time, the nation’s focus was on the impending execution of a young Australian man for drug trafficking. Also at that time, I had only recently learned that a former student of mine had passed away from a drug overdose. I found the exercise of preparing for tonight sobering in that how easily we forget such significant moments. I do not forget Katie, who is no longer with us. I had the opportunity during the year, in fact, to meet Katie’s mum in Geelong.
I was at Palmerston High School today to see the graduation of Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, and talk about education, curriculum and philosophies that underpin the way we consider the very essence of what kids learn at school. Hopefully, by remembering some of the significant things that have occurred in this year, and since last Christmas, we might also remember the need to ensure that we recognise the true values and principles that provide proper guidance and strength to our young people who face a future over which we have some influence.
I say that as a point of reflection for honourable members to recognise the importance of our work in this Chamber. Whether we are satisfied with the work that we do is a question for each of us to settle. I note from the comments made by honourable members in this adjournment debate there seems to be a common theme: a reflection on the difficulties or challenges of the year. I feel the same. It has been a particularly difficult year and increasingly so, causing questions to be raised as to what this really is about. They are important questions because unless we ask such questions, we will just accept things the way they are.
It has been a difficult year and I look forward to 2007 to extract as much as possible from the personal lessons learned in 2006.
At this point I would like to focus on my dear wife, Roslyn. Ros, who has been with me for 24 years, is a wonderful woman and is a dedicated and inspirational teacher. I have not in all my years in education, 17 years, met a more dedicated teacher. She is an inspiration to me and a credit to the profession. I am grateful for the contribution that my wife makes in such a magnificent way to the lives of young people and continues to do so. Ros, I love you and thank you for the support you provide me. I am with you. You know the job we do in this Chamber is difficult; thank you for the understanding that you have.
When I entered the Chamber, I had two children at home. I no longer have two children at home. My dear daughter, Kristin, our number one, was married during this year. I remember the time that we shared together, Kristin, working on campaigns and the fun of all that, and to see things develop and mature in ways that perhaps were not expected, but to rejoice at the same time and memories that we have had and the times that you now spend in growing a new life. Congratulations upon your graduation from Curtin University as a physiotherapist. To Matthew, the times that we spent together that we no longer spend together in the same way, I am proud of you, young man. I look forward to catching up with you during the holidays.
I acknowledge the wonderful support that I have had from Tasma, my Electorate Officer, for the last seven years. It is also a burden on Tas and her family. It is an unusual job that we have, particularly today when Tas had to inform me that her eldest son, Chris, had broken his leg in a motorcycle accident. That serves to remind us that the dramas of life continue whilst we conduct our business in this Chamber.
To my opposition colleagues, yes, it has been a difficult year. What is to come are lessons learned from this year and years preceding to be applied in 2007, bearing in mind that which we state at the commencement of our proceedings, to advance and prosper the best interests of Territorians. I hope that we can, in the games that are played, which I am finding less fun than ever before, we can bring our minds back to that which actually advances the best interests of Territorians.
To the Leader of the Opposition, it is a difficult job, I know. To member for Greatorex, I admire you for your experience, both as a friend and colleague, your time in government and opposition. For the member for Katherine, it has been an immensely difficult year. You have been an inspiration with your grit. It helps me remember the character of Australians, particularly those who come from the country who are able to rise up with a good attitude and just press on. You have survived Katherine floods and a terrible accident and you are still with us. I admire you and Mike.
To members of this Chamber, and those who have now served their first full year, it is an interesting job. The member for Wanguri and I share a common entry date into the parliament and have seen some interesting things. We have seen the reversal of positions in the Chamber. Sadly, I can acknowledge that I have not seen the same reversal in positions. The position seems to exist on that side of the House and this side of the House remains unchanged whether CLP or Labor. I remember those times and it causes me some consternation.
To those who have been here for some time, I have already acknowledged the members for Greatorex and Nhulunbuy. To the member for Nhulunbuy, specifically, I wish you a merry Christmas, as I wish to all honourable members and their families. We share a common challenge and it imposes a weight upon those who are around us. I wish you all and your families a special time together as you find time over the Christmas break.
For those who support us in this Chamber, your work is not unnoticed. I have worked on theatre productions where the characters on the stage seem to get all the limelight. I have worked behind the scenes, too, and I acknowledge the generous and constant professional support that we receive. For those who are listening to us in Hansard, thank you for your work and for the miracles that you perform with the language that is spoken in here and transferred to the written page.
To the families of Palmerston, the dramas and challenges that you face on a daily basis is why we are here, as for families across the Northern Territory. That is the purpose of our activities and exercises in here. I hope that in some small way you detect that we have made some kind of improvement to your lot. I thank you for your support and hope that I can continue to support you in 2007 and make some progress that would be meaningful to you.
I also acknowledge the inspiration, as the member for Katherine has been with her challenges this year, of the Speaker of this House. She is, indeed, an inspiration. I admire you deeply and I acknowledge the challenges that you have overcome. You have injected something to this Chamber by your witness. I acknowledge that it is a burden that has also been borne by your family. My thoughts are especially with you as you spend some time together over the Christmas period.
I will take a leaf out of the good member for Nelson’s book and my parliamentary colleagues, the Independents: for those who have been forgotten in my comments, you especially have a wonderful Christmas period.
I would like to turn to one matter that I am quite proud to be able to report, and I must say I am looking forward to it. What commenced as an interest in regional links and engagement with other economies around the world, I want to identify Taiwan as a place with which the Northern Territory could develop special links.
I have always had an interest in Taiwan. I respect Taiwanese history and I have learned more about Taiwan in recent times. I have had the opportunity of progressing some higher level links through my visit to Canberra and from a couple of visits of Taiwanese representatives in the Northern Territory. From those, I expressed interests in exploring possible links between the Northern Territory and Taiwan and, from the friendships that have been forged with the Taiwan office in Canberra has arisen an invitation, for which I am immensely grateful, to visit Taiwan before Christmas. The purpose of that trip is to explore possible links between the Northern Territory and Taiwan.
I am looking forward to that because I feel that the size of the Chinese economy is so massive and so attracting of attention when on the side is Taiwan, which has significant investment connections into China, but it is a very different marketplace and provides unique opportunities for the Northern Territory by way of niche markets, principally horticulture. That is one area I will be exploring in Taiwan, but also education exchanges.
There was a visit from a Taiwanese university to this very Chamber in October, and surprisingly, there is a link between Australia and Taiwan through our indigenous commonality. In the small country of Taiwan, which is half the size of Tasmania with a population slightly greater than Australia, they have a strong recognition of indigenous Taiwanese who have traditional language and cultural links to the Philippines and Malay language groups, interestingly, extending all the way down to the Maori, but that is another story and a fascinating story, too. There is a very strong interest in indigenous matters, and I will further explore this in Taiwan. They have already developed links with the university here and universities in Taipei. I look forward to reporting to the Chamber when I return.
There are probably many more things I would like to say, but I wish all members of this Chamber a good holiday. I hope we are able to draw strength from our time together. Who knows what 2007 will bring? I hope it brings advancement in the best interests of all Territorians.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is that time of year again, and I am sure it comes around quicker each year.
Personally, I love Christmas; however, I also recognise that Christmas is a very hard time of year for many people. Paradoxically, Christmas causes many in our community to feel alone and depressed. I take this opportunity to thank the many organisations and volunteers that try to assist and make Christmas a little more joyful for those who feel there is not much to be joyful about.
Many families will face financial pressures this year, pressures not made any easier by our country’s new IR regime. I, and many of my Labor colleagues, attended the National Day of Action today. Not a single member of the opposition or even an Independent was present. They obviously do not want to know about the pain that these laws are causing everyday working people. All they needed to do was show some support. The CLP at every level of government does little to assist Territory families. I hope they have lined up a job for Dave as he is going to need it. Try to make it a decent AWA, though.
I would like to thank my family for their continued support. Without it, I am nothing. I say to all of them: you help keep me going and it is comforting to know you are there. Thank you.
I extend a huge vote of thanks to my electorate officer, Joanne Flesfader and her husband Dan. Jo and Dan are part of our family. The people of Palmerston and I are very lucky to have Joanne in the Brennan Electorate Office because she creates order and efficiency out of complete chaos. Jo receives many compliments from members of the public about her abilities and I can only concur.
I thank all the staff of the Legislative Assembly for their dedication and assistance throughout the year, although, I confess it is nigh on impossible to rate anyone better than anyone else within the Legislative Assembly because everyone does such a fantastic job. I would like to make special mention this year of two staff members: Ms Renee Manley and Ms Anna-Maria Socci are a credit to this Assembly. I dropped in on the Parliament of Wizards when Sacred Heart School attended parliament. I thought I had walked into a chapter of Harry Potter, except I was faced with two Professor McGonagalls. Ms Manley’s and Ms Socci’s enthusiasm is always plainly apparent, and it is obvious that visitors of all ages to this Assembly warm to them. Well done to you both.
I also thank by name the security staff who work at the Assembly. Thank you to Samantha Day-Johnston, Tara Hiskens, Chantel Johnson, Mark Sheil, Karin McGrath, Lorraine Mason, Luke Hayward-Ryan, John Phillips, Wendy Wallis, Stathi Kosmidis, Miltiades Zervos and Mohibur Rahaman.
Schools are the training grounds of our future; teachers are the guides we entrust with our future. I thank all the wonderful teachers at our Palmerston schools and, indeed, around the Territory. School councils are the parents and teachers who give up their valuable personal time to do whatever they can to support the running of the school. I acknowledge and thank the Gray Primary School Council: Cindy McGarry, Principal; Eric Smith; Trisha Graham; Angie Kirwin; Nikky Natar; Kathy Paterson; Jenny Kirby; Kylie Drysdale; Natasha Ryan; Sue Wood and Lisa McGaffin. Gray Primary School does fantastic work. They lead the way with using electronic whiteboards. They have had great results with the advanced literacy program, so congratulations to everyone there.
I thank the school council at Bakewell Primary School: June Wessels, Principal; Peter Chandler, Chairperson; Gail Laine; Adam Voigt; Helen Armstrong; Jenny McCrory; Ian and Teresa Mathers; Jodie Stafford; Trinity Baird; Leanne Garraway; Keryl Cottier; Shontelle Heard; Kay Devine; Lee-Ann Hardy; Jodie Winston; Justin Ward; Donna English; Nicole Jacobsen; Fiona Dunbar-Smith; Leonie Commons; Karyn Ozolins; and Heni Bramley. Bakewell is the biggest school in the Territory. Its teachers and council do a great job every year organising the sports evening. It is a wonderful community event. I also thank Terri Hunt at Bakewell for her assistance.
I thank the school council at Moulden Park Primary School: Greg Jarvis, Principal; Maryanne Muller, Chairperson; Wendy Jordan; Cheryl Baldwin; Julie Stewart; Kathleen Irwin; Leanne Kelson; Anna McRae; Margaret Howe; Jenny Walker; Angela Callaghan; Carol Knauth; Jackie Izod; and Liza Wynen. Moulden Park Primary School also does excellent work. They have some great artists at the school. I saw some of their work earlier this year.
Palmerston High School has been in the spotlight quite a bit this year. It has been a very interesting time. I place on my record my thanks to: Chris Dias, Principal; Russell Ball, Chairperson; John Baldock; David MacLean; Karen Gilfuis; Michael Wadrop; Liz Christie-Johnston; Debbie Ramsay; Raelene Babore; Robert Lee; Jacqui Wadrop; Debbie May; Craig Overall and, once again, Helen Armstrong, who is on two of the school councils. For anyone I have missed from the councils, and I suspect there probably are a couple of names, my apologies in advance. All these people do excellent work.
I was at the awards ceremony at Palmerston High School today and the young people there are a credit to Palmerston. Some students are doing some really great work and it is a very good school body.
I take this opportunity to place on the record a special thanks to Chris Dias and Greg Jarvis who are both retiring at the end of this school year. Both gentlemen have served our community extremely well and left their positive mark on many young Territorians. Some are not so young any more. I am sure all present and past students of theirs wish them both all the best. I certainly benefited from their knowledge and experience.
To Julian Denholm and Lester Reinbott and the rest of the staff at Good Shepherd Primary School and Chapel, thank you for having me at the school throughout the year.
I also thank Sacred Heart Primary School for their warmth and welcomes: Cathy Neely, Principal, and Bill Bemelmans and the staff there do a wonderful job.
Tricia Murray and Karen Matthewson at Cover to Cover Books in Palmerston have ensured I have had the right book for the job throughout the year. Run Hare Run was a fantastic hit at both Gray and Good Shepherd schools when I read it, so I thank them for all of their assistance through the year.
If a person does not know how to barbeque when they are elected, then it does not take too long to learn. Barbeques are part of modern Australian politics. I thank the team at Quality Meats Palmerston for keeping me well supplied throughout the year. On a personal note, they stock great lamb shanks, too. Thank you to Rob Sheedy, Manager, Tony Ede and Herman Veldt, the Assistant Managers, Terry Fauser, who has just finished his apprenticeship – congratulations; and Julie Cook.
None of us would be able to do very much at all without a legion of volunteers and I certainly have mine. There are many people I have to thank for their input and support through the year: John and Daphne Reid, thank you; Dottie Daby, thank you for everything you do; Valda Ioane, the newsletter would definitely not be the same without you; Keith and Maureen Thomas; Cath Cockcroft; Marlene Smith; Brian and Elva Whitbread, thank you all; Beau Robertson, I hope the carpet bowls are going well; Shad McDonald, need I say more? He is a legend and always comes out to help whenever he can; Curly Nixon, thank you for your coffee appraisal. You are always welcome as long as you are telling us the coffee is good; Simon Hall, Merv Hunt, Michelle Parker, Michelle Picken, Carmen Weir, thank you very much for all the help you have given me. Simon and Merv, I do not know where you find the hours in the day, but I am very grateful to you for it; my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Pete, thank you for your help and for the support you provide; Moyston Wright; Russell Wilson, who is now working with the member for Drysdale, welcome on board. It is a great Palmerston team we have. Just while I mention that, Sarah Schubert, thank you for all your efforts whilst you were based out at the Drysdale office as well.
To Trevor White, thank you for your support and input; Art and Milly Libien, Dennis McAndrew, Brendan Cabry, of course, Bev Hale, Kathleen McQuinn, thank you for doing the relief work when Joanne has been away. It has been extremely important to have you there; Ramola, family, friend, thank you for being there and for assisting us for everything that has happened this year. It has been invaluable and all the family would like to say thank you for all that you have done and being a pillar of support. I would also like to thank Ann McNeill for her input.
I put on the record my thanks to the Palmerston Regional Business Association, Wayne Zerbe and Geoff Goodrich do a fantastic job there, as do members of the PRBA executive. I am looking forward to the Christmas function at the end of the year and working with you again next year. Kevan Turnbull and Simon Baker-Jones of the Palmerston Scouts Group, well done for the work you do. Tom and Anna Finlay at Finlays are important business people in the community; I have really appreciated the help and support you have given me since I was elected.
Thanks to Andrew Cripps at C-Max Cinemas, which does a fantastic job supporting the community of Palmerston. They are always willing to be involved in community causes with donations of cinema tickets and the like. Thank you to the team there. It is very much appreciated by all.
I would like to make mention of the management and staff, especially Lyrella Trainer and Greg Frewin, at Cazalys Palmerston Club. Cazalys is an institution at Palmerston, everyone knows that. Thanks for their support of community events, especially the seniors’ bingo and morning teas that they host. Thank you very much for that.
To Terry and staff at The Hub, another institution in Palmerston, well done; I hope you had a successful year and the staff and management at Palmerston Tavern who are key supporters of the Palmerston Raiders.
To Janice Warner and Diane Evans at Floral Way, thank you for your assistance through the year providing wreaths and flowers for various occasions. You have really outdone yourselves on several occasions.
Michael MacLean at the YMCA, which, along with the YWCA in Palmerston, does great work and I put on record my thanks for what they do with both young and old people. As well as the drop in centre and the activities they have for young people, they host carpet bowls, which the older citizens of Palmerston really enjoy.
Nicola Allsop, I wish you all the best in 2007 with the Handy Rural Business Guide. It is a great little publication and I thank you for your assistance throughout the year.
Rhonda Hulley runs the Palmerston Salvation Army Companion Club, which is an excellent community group which helps aged and infirm citizens and gives them the opportunity to get out and do a few things.
Kentish Family Day Care at Palmerston does a lot of work with families and I thank them for their assistance. Aaron and Renee Doidge at the Palmerston Gymnastics Club, well done for another successful event this year, another successful time for Palmerston gymnastics.
To all the other clubs at Palmerston - I wish I had time to name you all individually, but I do not - merry Christmas to you all. Happy new year. Drive safely. Do not drink and drive. I look forward to seeing you in 2007.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I received a phone call with news that Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell from The Australian won Walkley Awards. This is no mean feat and it is appropriate that they both receive the hearty and warm congratulations of this parliament. They are both based in Darwin. We all know them of course, as politicians and Territorians who read The Australian know them and respect their work. That is, most Territorians respect their work, and I will come to that shortly.
Before I do, it has been the case this week in particular in this parliament that we have seen government members rise to talk in enthusiastic terms about the outstanding achievements of young people from the Top End in particular. Of course, we as parliamentarians and as Territorians encourage and support these young people.
What will be interesting to see is if, in due course, the Chief Minister and her colleagues rise in this parliament to acknowledge the equally significant and outstanding achievements of Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. I know both of these gentlemen. I do not profess to know either of them very well. We all know of the relationships we as politicians have with journalists; it is a working relationship. They, like politicians, call it as they see it. They, like politicians, rely on information that comes to them and they, like politicians, do their best to fulfil their obligations to, in the case of journalists, their readership and in the case of politicians, their constituents.
I do not really expect that government members in the next sitting of parliament will rise to enthusiastically or otherwise congratulate either of these journalists, yet they should. They should because to win a Walkley is no mean feat. The reason for my pessimism when it comes to anticipating the lack of support these guys will receive from this government is because of an article written by Ashleigh Wilson very recently. In fact, it was only 10 or so days ago, Ashleigh Wilson, in the course of his job, was leaked information. He was told that the Chief Minister was under the pump in terms of her leadership, and he received detailed information not only about why that was, but who was doing what, who wanted the job and, of course, it was the member for Wanguri.
Ashleigh Wilson, like any other journalist with a scoop like this, published the story and it found its way onto the front page of The Australian. It must have been a very sad day for Labor politicians. We all know the Weekend Australian is folded in half. The top half was Rudd and Beazley and that leadership speculation, and the bottom half was a story about the Chief Minister and her aspirational colleague, the member for Wanguri, who is also the Leader of Government Business.
Now, them’s the breaks. Scoops get out and that is the nature of politics and journalism, but what happened thereafter is to the eternal shame of Labor politicians on the other side of this House. Ashleigh Wilson, on 20 November, reported the Chief Minister as saying the comments published in The Australian were not even speculation; they were imagination. At about the same time, it was clear, as Ashleigh Wilson published in his article on 25 November 2006, and I quote:
- Almost immediately after the newspaper hit the streets of Darwin, the government went into damage control.
He went on:
- Several government figures, including Martin and Henderson, also got very personal.
They went after me for writing the story in the first place, unleashing a range of venomous personal attacks both publicly and privately, questioning my professionalism.
One MP even implied I invented a source. To deny a story is one thing, but to suggest fabrication is clearly another. It was quite an unedifying spectacle.
This went out in the national newspaper in this country. For ministers having a bad day, to get stuck into a journalist is beyond the pale. I hope that, at least behind the scenes, someone has said to the Chief Minister and her opponent that they really should not do it again because this bloke was doing his job. He had a scoop, it was a good political story and he ran it.
As a result of this, and as he described in his article on 25 November, the government went into damage control. Almost everyone was interviewed, and there were predictable responses. The predictable response came from everyone except, to his credit, the member for Barkly who, unlike his colleagues, did not personally attack or attack the professionalism of this journalist. He said, in his interview with ABC Alice Springs on 20 November:
- I have spoken to some of the indigenous members and, equally, they were aghast in the context of the story, how it got out, who spoke to The Australian…
At least the member for Barkly did not get stuck into this individual; he was more interested in who and how.
The aspirational Chief Minister was interviewed on ABC Darwin on 20 November. When asked about the article that Ashleigh Wilson wrote in The Australian, he said:
- Like I say, it is the most ill-informed piece of journalism I have seen in my time in politics.
He went on to say:
- Somebody out in the backroom somewhere is causing a few problems, but if the journalist who wrote that piece could have been bothered to pick up the phone and spoken to me, I was at the centre of the story …
- Northern Territory based News Limited scribe Ashleigh Wilson was a man under attack on the weekend after a front page piece in The Weekend Australian revealed NT Chief Minister Clare Martin could soon face a challenge to her leadership from Education minister, Paul Henderson.
By Monday, NT Labor was in major damage control. Wilson’s story was described by Martin as ‘a work of imagination’.
- Wilson’s story was spot on. Speculation about Henderson doing the numbers has been rife in the Territory for months. It is just no one was game yet to take the risk of being wrong and writing the yarn. Wilson’s piece was a major scoop.
Of course, all of the leadership speculation and the subsequent article come from various mistakes the Chief Minister has made in addition to her natural arrogance and her autocratic leadership. For members of the Australian Labor Party in the Northern Territory Branch to embark on such an appalling and astonishing attack of a journalist is unprecedented. Labor Party members should be embarrassed and ashamed in the normal course of events, but what makes it worse is that they know what this guy does for a living. They know he is a political journalist and that it was a scoop. They knew that he was nominated for a Walkley. They also know, as we do in politics, you have good media and bad media. Unless Australian journalists call it as they see it, then the Australian public does not get that balanced account of politicians and political issues that they should in this country, and traditionally always have.
On a previous occasion, I have spoken in parliament about an Alice Springs broadcaster by the name of Matt Conlan, who runs a talkback show on an Alice Springs radio station, 8HA called Territory Today. There was a subsequent article written in The National Indigenous Times, and if I have time I will come back to that, that was an attack on Matt Conlan, me and pretty much everything. It referred to some sort of gushing praise of Matt Conlan. Gushing praise has been heaped upon a number of Territorians in this parliament this week and, indeed, on earlier occasions, because politicians in this place acknowledge that when our fellow Territorians do well and win a national award or national recognition, just like Matt Conlan at 8HA did, then we, as politicians, should come into this House and record our thanks and our admiration of them on the Parliamentary Record.
It is, therefore, a shame that this government obviously has worded up the National Indigenous Times, tried to say that a politician by commending a fellow Alice Springs resident for getting a national award was somehow gushing praise. No, it was not. It was worthwhile recognition of his achievement in the same way I am talking in this place tonight, acknowledging the achievement of Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. It is appropriate. It is what is done. In particular, in the case of political journalists, all of us, regardless of whether you get a good or bad story, one of our fellow Territorians has been nominated for a Walkley Award. That is about as good as it gets in these two guys’ chosen field. Is it not worthy of recognition? Absolutely! I would be saying the same regardless of who it was or the story they wrote.
Yet I do not expect the sort of – if I may use the expression - gushing praise that we have seen heaped upon other Territorians by the Chief Minister and her colleagues to be heaped upon Ashleigh Wilson and Nicholas Rothwell. Why? The answer is simple: because this government did not like the article. It is clear that they did not like the article. They were so angry about it that they, as usual, shot the messenger, tried to demean and diminish him, but it did not work. The story is still current and Ashleigh Wilson, to the extent that he had his credibility questioned, can sit back comfortably and say to the Chief Minister, who is a former journalist: ‘I have a Walkley Award; you do not’.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on 20 October this year, I had the privilege of participating in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s 5th Canadian Parliamentary Seminar entitled ‘Strengthening Democracy and the Role of Parliamentarians: Challenges and Solutions’. There were delegates from around the Commonwealth: Malta; Sri Lanka; Malawi; India; Pakistan; Western Cape, South Africa; Malaysia; and representatives from Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Manitoba.
On day one, the Chair of the Canadian Branch of the CPA, Mr Russ Hiebert MP was the host for this seminar, supported by seminar Coordinator, Carol Chafe, also Executive Secretary of the CPA, Canada. Administrative support was provided by Kathleen Gallahue. Taking care of all logistics was Lynne Frappie. Protocol and hospitality was the domain of Danielle Gourgeon and Kelly-Ann Benoit.
On day one of the seminar, we were pleased to be briefed by Mr Paul Belisle, Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of Parliaments, and Ms Audrey O’Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons. Ms O’Brien reminded me of our own experienced Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Ian McNeill. She is a wealth of knowledge and the glue that holds the place together. We also heard from Mr Scott Reid MP in relation to the Canadian political scene. Then there was a discussion on the role of female parliamentarians with the Honourable Maria Minna, PC, MP.
On day two, the first session of the day was ‘The Parliamentary Presence of Political Parties: The Role of Party Caucuses’ presented by: Senator the Hon Terry Stratton, Chief Government Whip in the Senate; Ms Karen Redmann MP, Whip Official Opposition, House of Commons; and Mr Rahim Jaffer MP, Chair National Caucus CPC. Next was the ‘Parliament and Civil Society’ by the Senator the Hon Ann Cools and Ms Mary Pat MacKinnon, Research Director of Canadian Policy Research Network.
Day three was a very interesting day with a lead off to the Museum of Civilisation, a museum dedicated to the social history of Canada. This museum has a fantastic world standard display referring to the indigenous cultures of Canada, including the Inuit people, or Eskimos, and the Canadian Indian cultures. These displays were awesome, with interactive displays, larger-than-life genuine totems, traditionally built canoes, and live footage of interviews with traditional owners of many of the original traditional homelands. The museum was huge; it is approximately 25 000m. In Darwin terms, our Bunnings store on Bagot Road, the second largest Bunnings store in Australia, is 15 000m, so the museum is basically 75% bigger than that. It is spread nicely over four floors and includes an I-Max cinema.
This museum is like many buildings in Canada. It has a purpose, a reason that it was constructed, a reason it looks as it does and a positioning reason. Galleries on level one exhibit principally of Canada’s first people, their histories, cultural identities, artistic expressions and traditional and contemporary ways of life. Level two has three galleries and is devoted to changing exhibitions. Level three recreates sights and sounds from Canada’s past starting with the Norse explorers. Reconstructed historical settings and buildings - basically reconstructed villages - give you a feeling that you are there in the time it is set. It is so much more than a display; it has the sounds, lighting and even appears to have the smells that work to create the atmosphere. Level four is a special exhibitions mezzanine which houses the museum’s historical collections shown through changing collections.
The Grand Hall is the centrepiece of the museum. It is built in the shape of an enormous canoe. This area alone occupies 1782m with floor to ceiling windows which allow views of the beautiful parliament house buildings. The Hall was designed by Architect Douglas Cardinal and was inspired by the myth of the raven’s magic canoe, which could shrink to the size of a pine needle or expand to hold the entire universe. The raven is a very important character of native mythology. He is the cultural hero; the trickster, the transformer. Native beliefs state that the raven placed the sun and the moon in the sky, created all rivers and lakes, brought plants and animals to the land and released humans into the world by opening a giant clam shell. The Grand Hall houses collections of six Pacific Coast Indian houses. They are connected by a shoreline and a boardwalk. Although an exhibition, you could very well be transported back in time. There is also a huge forest backdrop, which stretches the entire length of the hall and is the largest colour photo in the world.
We were fortunate to have a guided tour around the museum, but we all knew that we were just scratching the surface of this wonderful tribute to all civilisations and eras in Canada. From the traditions and lives of early Aboriginal cultures through to the whale hunting days, the first white settlers, the French influence, it was a fantastic day.
Then we were off to the Senate question period at the House of Commons, which was a very robust exchange between two sides on inappropriate use of language towards an opposition woman. I know that this would not be allowed to happen in our own parliament with Madam Speaker in the Chair.
A session on operation of an MP’s office did not directly appeal to me, although there were certainly some tips given by Madame Nicole Demers MP, and Miss Nancy Karetak-Lindall MP.
On day four was ‘Dealing with the Competition: Have the Media Taken Over the Representational Job of Parliamentarians?’ presented by Senator the Hon Jim Munson who was once a high powered political journalist. Senators’ positions are appointed, not elected and, until recent times, have been appointments for life. In a recent amendment, senators can now only serve until they are 75 years old. The Senate’s oldest senator was 103.
There followed a session on ‘Parliamentary Committees: What Works and What Doesn’t?’ by Mr John Williams, MP and Mr John Maloney, MP. There are many different ways of conducting committees. It was interesting to find out about committees in Canada:
Another session was: ‘Engaging Citizens: Resources and Tools’ presented by Mr Joseph Peters, a Partner in Ascentum. Another ‘Connecting with Constituents: Representing Pluralistic Constituencies’ or ridings as they are called in Canada, presented by Mr Derek Lee MP.
On day five was ‘Influencing Governments and Regulating the Influence of Parliament and Lobbyists’. All I can say on this topic is thank goodness we are not to this point yet.
The open topics were interesting. They included: how do we engage more women into the political arena; and how do we engage young people into the political arena? Some of the responses were very interesting and quite surprising, which is why this conference was so valuable: to get out in the big, wide world and hear about some of the problems faced by parliamentarians around the world and some of the fantastic things that are being achieved by parliamentarians made this conference well worth attending.
Needless to say, we in the Territory are leading the pack insofar as women in politics are concerned. After this conversation was on the table for about an hour, the member for Brennan let me take the lead and boast about our own parliament. As I told our international colleagues, about 40% of our parliament is female. They looked on with interest when I told them proudly that our Leader, Speaker, Opposition Leader and two senior ministers are women. They nearly hit the deck. I also explained that three of those women were indigenous, and overall we have six indigenous members of parliament. Well, the questions started to flow; they were amazed.
Canada is striving to reach 21% of women in parliament, and hope to achieve this in the next few months when around six by-elections are being held. Of all of the speakers, my personal favourites were Senator Jim Munson and Ms Nancy Karetak-Lindall MP. I would like to quote from the biography of Ms Karetak-Lindall:
- Nancy Karetak-Lindall was born and raised in Arviat (formerly Eskimo Point) on the west coast of Hudson Bay, known as the Keewatin region of Nunavut.
Nancy is the first member in the House of Commons for the new riding of Nunavut besides being the first female member of parliament for the Eastern Arctic. The riding of Nunavut corresponds with the boundaries of the new Territory, which was created on 1 April 1999 and is the largest geographical riding in Canada, covering one-fifth of Canada’s land mass.
After completion of high school in Yellowknife and Ottawa, Nancy moved back home to begin a long involvement with local community groups and organisations as a volunteer with a special focus on social development, education, youth and sports.
Previous employment includes 15 years in managerial positions for the Arivat Housing Association and a private business, Eskimo Point Lumbar Supply. During this time, Nancy sat on the local education council, Arviat Hamlet Council, Regional Education Board, Kivalliq Inuit Association, NWT Power Corporation, Nunavut Arctic College and the Canada Day Committee.
Currently, Nancy is the Vice Chair of the Standing Committees of Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development and Natural Resources, as well as a member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
Nancy was a key player in the process of establishing Nunavut as a political jurisdiction in Canada and participated in the negotiations. Nancy proudly and effectively represents her constituents at home and abroad, but most importantly to the parliament of Canada, and is a gracious and effective ambassador for her riding.
Nancy has four sons and credits the strong family support she receives for her achievements so far.
The member for Brennan and I were fortunate enough to be invited to afternoon tea at the High Commissioner of Australia’s residence, His Excellency Mr William Fisher and Mrs Kerry Fisher. It was a delightful afternoon and many topics of conversation of Australia and the Northern Territory took place, particularly the correlation of issues between Australian Aboriginal people and the Inuit people of Canada. We discussed the many tragic similarities of substance abuse, health issues and housing. His Excellency then suggested that we return to Canada and visit the Inuit territories as part of a study tour.
On our return, there was a stopover in Vancouver. This allowed us the opportunity to visit the parliament of British Colombia in Victoria. In the city of Victoria, we had the pleasure of being received by the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr E George McMinn QC, and we were fortunate to lunch with the Deputy Clerk in the Members’ dining room. The Parliament House is a beautiful building, and all staff and officers of the parliament were most hospitable.
The opportunity to travel to Ottawa with the CPA has allowed me the experience of opening my mind in relation to politics in an international sense. Some things I think we do well; other things we could do more work on. It is the opening of my mind to the international political scene and being immersed in such political talent that has most benefited me as a new member of parliament.
I truly feel that my experiences in Canada, and discussions and exchange of ideas with parliamentarians around the world have given me an understanding that can be translated into my own electorate and into my dedicated service to the constituents of Port Darwin.
I thank all delegates who attended the conference and in particular the Senators, members of parliament, Legislative Assembly staff, and parliamentary office holders who gave of their valuable time and knowledge in a completely bipartisan way through the common string of the CPA. In particular, Mr Russ Hiebert MP, Chair of the Canadian CPA, and Carol Chafe, Executive Secretary of the CPA Canada should be commended for their commitment to the CPA. As a famous Canadian mounted police officer, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon says: ‘Mush, you huskies!’
In closing, I wish all honourable members of this House, all Legislative Assembly staff, all electorate office staff and all constituents of Port Darwin a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. To the business community in my electorate, I wish you fantastic, productive and profitable Christmas trading and a turbocharged 2007.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight is the last night of parliament for 2006 and I take this opportunity to recognise, thank and place on the public record community groups, committees and individuals who have helped and supported the people of Sanderson and made my role as their representative in parliament such an enriching and humbling experience.
To say that I have had my highs and lows in public life over the course of 2006 would be an understatement. Throughout the year, I have been very lucky to have standing side-by-side with me my wife, Marie, and our children, Ned and Clair. I do not believe anything can really prepare you for the public life of an MLA and the attendant loss of privacy, not only to yourself as the elected member but also to your family. My family showed me what courage, compassion, love and understanding really means. I am humbled by their love and I believe in them I see the real meaning of Christmas. To Marie, Clair and Ned, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and look forward to a lifetime of more of the same.
I also take this opportunity to advise my electorate that this year I had the pleasure of becoming a grandfather for the first time. My eldest daughter Verity and her partner Lance are the proud parents of a lovely little girl named River McKenzie.
This year also saw the 80th birthday of my father-in-law Vic Rogers, and what a fine specimen of growing old ungracefully is he! Vic has a great sense of humour. He is an ex-Queensland copper, a man of compassion and strong faith. He is truly full of the Christmas spirit. He is, this Christmas, busy in his shed making wooden toys for disadvantaged kids. I wish Vic and his wife, Val, a very merry Christmas.
If I may draw an analogy, I believe an MLA functions like an iceberg. The community see only you working hard representing constituents in getting the job done. What constituents do not see is the great support an MLA has from all manner of people. I wish all those who have helped me over the year to do my job of representing the people of Sanderson a great Christmas break.
First and foremost, I must wish Therla Fowlestone, my Electorate Officer, and her family a very merry Christmas. We have had a very busy 2006 and she has been simply fabulous. I have little doubt, and I know she would agree, that her job has been made easier by the support and love of her husband, Tony, her daughter Lany, and son-in-law, Nathan, as well as their new baby boy, Josiah, and Therla’s son, Anthony, a young Territorian doing what he loves most interstate.
I also wish my parliamentary Labor colleagues a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2007. Over 2006, this government has achieved many things to improve our lifestyle in the Territory, and I am proud to be part of that team. I look forward to 2007 and the challenges and opportunities that will confront the Martin Labor government team. I am confident that we will continue to deliver the lifestyle options that make the Territory our preferred place to live.
As a member of government, I well appreciate the hard work of all of our public servants in the implementation and operation of our policies. To the public sector as whole, I wish each and every employee a very merry Christmas.
I send special Christmas wishes to the staff of the Legislative Assembly and the Parliamentary Library Service. Your help and cheerful manner over the year has been greatly appreciated. I look forward to working together again in 2007.
There is also another group in Parliament House whom I truly wish a very merry Christmas and happy new year. They are the staff of the ministers’ offices. No request seems too difficult or too minor for them to jump in and help complete. It is thanks to them that I am able to consistently and effectively help out the individuals, families and organisations that make up the fabric of the Sanderson electorate.
There is one last group of people who support me to do my job in Sanderson, and this is the electorate officers of my Labor colleagues. These people have a strong network based on trust and understanding and the sharing of the complexities of working within an electorate office that helps me to more readily develop solutions to constituent issues. To them, I wish a very merry Christmas, and I hope you do not get too burned out organising all of the Christmas party lists and attending all of those functions. You do a great unsung job throughout the year, but let me assure your efforts are well known and appreciated by all elected members; happy new year for 2007.
While I am the elected member for Sanderson, this does not translate into me being the only one who works hard to make our electorate a great place to live. I extend my sincerest thanks and best merry Christmas and happy New Year wishes to the volunteers who unselfishly help me to help our community. In particular, Teng Murray and her husband, Michael, and all of my Chinese Timorese friends for their ongoing assistance. Nothing is too much trouble for them whenever we need their help, such as folding newsletters, stuffing envelopes and assisting us with community functions and events.
Thank you also to Barbara Baggley who generously shares some of her spare time to assist us in the office.
There are also the Sanderson Karama ALP branch members who provide a good sounding board on local issues and the effectiveness of government policies and initiatives. I am honoured and proud to be part of this debating team. We work hard to ensure the policies of our government are relevant and what is needed by the community. Our branch members are not faceless entities, but hard-working local people who have at the core of their beliefs the desire to improve the overall social, physical, emotional and economic health of our community. Merry Christmas to you all.
I thank and extend my best Christmas wishes to the following organisations and associations for their continuing support to the electorate of Sanderson: the Darwin City Brass Band, led by Robbo, for their ongoing support with this year’s community events that took place in Sanderson; Betchay Mondragon from Multicultural Solutions for involving me with youth programs, and Robert Williams, Director of the Multicultural Council of the NT and his team; John Rivas and the officers and committee members of the Filipino-Australian Association of the NT Incorporated; Bruce Samson and his committee and Craig Burnie, Function Manager, and his team at the Darwin Golf Club, which has always been supportive in accommodating our annual functions like The Big Cuppa and the senior’s brunch during Seniors Month celebrations. To all of you, I wish a very merry Christmas and a happy 2007.
I also acknowledge the support of the business people in and outside the community who help us year after year whenever we have community events. Their contributions are very much appreciated especially donations for awards, raffles, prizes and performances. The first one I would like to mention is Stephanie and Kim Lin from the Northlakes Chinese Restaurant; Kalotina Kotis and her team of professional hairdressers at Kut & Kurl Salon in Northlakes Shopping Centre; John Lay of Darwin Enterprises Pty Ltd; George and Tania Enterprises; Sharm Bali of Territory Care Support and Services; Ian Kew at Darwin International Airport; Darwin Airport Resort; Myf from Jamealah Belly Dance Troupe and Dance School; Hingston Chinese Restaurant; La Paez Anula Fish and Chip Shop; Malak Supermarket; Brumbies; Red Rooster; Subway Northlakes; and Judy Williamson at the Northlakes Newsagent.
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year to the community groups who regularly use our Sanderson community room, which is used by an interesting cross-section of public groups for their meetings: Womens’ Golf Northern Territory; Rachel Kroes Sing Song Signers; COGSO; Darwin Athletics; Darwin Football Club; Australia-Africa Friendship Association; Carmen McVicar and her committee members of Marrara Dragons Soccer Club; John Allan and Dawn Lawrence from the Christmas in Darwin Association; Dawn Miller from Football Federation of the Northern Territory; Anula Neighbourhood Watch; Scouts Northern Territory; Racehorse Owners of the Northern Territory; Alzheimer’s Australia; United Nations Youth Association; Darwin Gymnastics; Mindil Beach Market Committee Group; The Down Syndrome Association; and the Malak Family Centre. It is indeed a very popular office. To each and every volunteer and paid officer of these organisations, the Sanderson community is all the richer for your generous gifts of time and the effort you make to continue the lifestyle we all love in the Top End. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to each and every one of you.
There are three schools in the Sanderson electorate. Each is very similar in that they have highly competent, professional and caring teachers and staff supported by active, diligent and thoughtful school committees. The year 2006 will end with the retirement of our much appreciated Wulagi Primary School Principal, Mrs Jan Perrin, and a new career path taken up by Sanderson High Principal, Mrs Denise Wilkowski. To both of these principals, I extend the thanks of the families of Sanderson for your years of dedication and helping our kids prepare to make their way through life. I thank Marie Garrigan for her tireless work over the years and I look forward to working with her in 2007.
My gratitude goes to the parents who serve on the various school committees. Their dedication always amazes me. Nothing seems to be too much trouble from fundraising activities, care of the school facilities and extracurricular activities. Such great people are so generous with their time.
Over at Sanderson High School this year’s school committee members were Greg Gibbs, Doreen Walsh, Lisa Lock, Michelle Sa Pereira, Liz Tak, Fatima Tam, Elizabeth Rumler, Stewart McGill, Denise Thomas, Cassandra Hodges and Lyn Wanganeen.
In Wulagi School, they were: Heimo Schober; John Chugg; Nicky Coalter; Margaret Arbon; and parent members Chris Harris, Penny Kirby, Paul Allen, Cathy Allen, Susie Thomas and Kirsten Cridland. Teacher representatives are Christy Refchange, Tania Kolomitsev, Fiona Oliver and Jim Kensey.
The Anula School committee is comprised of: Jo Glennon, and Elizabeth Lohmeyer, Haidee Brown, Leanne Noble and Sharna Raye. The parents’ representatives are Felicity Creed, Andrew Tupper, Michael Rollo, Verena Graham, Kathie Stoll, Dorothy Iji, Robin Lawrence, Denys Spencer, Cassandra Yaxley, Tania Lockwood and the preschool rep is Kylie Sullivan.
To all of the teachers, staff, parents and students of Sanderson, I wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Finally, I wish all members of the opposition and the Independents a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is that time again. It will be December tomorrow and before you know it, Christmas will be here and 2007 on our doorstep.
It has been a very busy year, full of events and action. I am looking forward to the holidays and spending time with my family. Until then, the schools and groups of the Wanguri electorate promise to keep the diary packed full of excitement and Christmas cheer. Being the minister for Education, there have been many occasions where I have been able to combine my local school visits with the role of government initiatives and programs.
I recently issued a media release on the 5000 new state-of-the-art computers which were given to government schools across the Northern Territory. I was pleased to visit Leanyer Primary School to see the new computers in action. I had a chat with Leanyer students Alexander Cox, Caitlin Paynter, Jonty Hodge and Courtney Chin to find out what they think of the new computers, and their response was they think they are great. Teachers will also benefit when they are all supplied with a new laptop early in the 2007 school year, which will be great for them.
It is not often that you get the Chief Minister reading stories to preschool students, but this did happen recently at Wanguri Preschool, as the Chief Minister and I launched the Focus on Literacy program. The program aims to get schools, parents and students working together to improve literacy outcomes, and this is a great initiative. I thank the Wanguri Preschool students, preschool teachers, Shirley Neve and Principal, Jenny Robinson for the opportunity to launch the program at the school.
I was given the chance to read Big Rain Coming to the preschoolers and it was a real buzz. The students then treated us to a song and dance of the Big Rain Coming, which was very entertaining. It is great to see Leanyer Preschool taking part in Phase 3 of the Early Age of Entry Program. The trial ensures that for the first time students have full-year access to transition after moving up from preschool. The trial has been running at Wanguri Preschool for the last couple of years with great success, and I am pleased that 22 new schools are taking on the trial across the Northern Territory.
World Teachers Day 2006 is an important date in the diary. Each week every year, I make sure I get around to all six schools in my electorate to thank the teachers for their work and supply some morning tea. This year, it happened that I was at Dripstone High for a routine visit with Principal Lyn Elphinstone, DEET CE Margaret Banks and the member for Casuarina. The visit was a chance to see how preparations for middle schools next year are going, and to have a walk around the school to chat with teachers and students. I, together with the member for Casuarina, believe Dripstone High School will be offering a quality middle schools program next year, and that is why both our sons Alasdair and Michael are enrolled to be the students in the first intake in the school for next year.
On 7 October, I was thrilled to attend the NT Timorese Chinese Association Moon Festival inauguration of the 13th Committee Dinner and Dance. The party was attended by over 250 people. It was a great night of food, fun and festivities. A number of our members were there, and it was great to see them, including the member for Sanderson. I would like to thank the newly elected president, Rui Mu, and organiser, George Mu, for their invitation and for organising such a wonderful event. I congratulate and welcome the newly elected committee of Danny Lay, Berry Lay, Sheau Quim Chang, Victor Lim, Albert Ku, David Lay and Aurora Li. I was humbled when the association asked me to be patron, and wasted no time to accept the wonderful opportunity. I look forward to being part of many more functions in the future.
I also take this chance to wish all members of the Timorese Chinese Association and the Hakka Association a safe and merry Christmas and a great 2007; I am sure it will be a very exciting year for the association.
I would like to make note of a very hard-working and compassionate constituent of mine, Leanyer resident, Naomi Oliver. Naomi has turned her passion and love for animals into a new lost and found pets website, a practical solution for lost pets. The address is http://telaf.wordpress.com. If you have found or lost animal or a loved pet, this new website is the perfect way to reunite them with their owners.
I recently caught up with Holy Spirit Principal Gill Webb when I heard that she was moving from the school next year after nine years of great work and commitment to Holy Spirit. I was sad to hear that Gill will be the new Principal at St Mary’s Catholic School next year as she has been an important icon and community leader in the electorate and education circles. I thank Gill for all her hard work over her nine years at Holy Spirit. She has invested in the success of the school. She is very popular and, along with past and present students, teachers and parents, will be very much missed at the school. All the best, Gill. I am sure we will catch up in the near future. I wish the school staff and students a very happy Christmas and look forward to the Christmas concert on 8 December.
I thank all six schools in my electorate: Dripstone High and Principal, Lyn Elphinstone and staff, I am sorry that I will not be able to attend the Year 12 graduation and presentation tomorrow night as I will be in Alice Springs for the Brolga Awards. I wish all the school leavers the best, and it will be a very special evening as the last Year 12s graduate from the school before it becomes a middle school next year.
To Wanguri Primary School Principal Jenny Robinson, staff, and Chairperson Michael Duffy and the council committee, it has been an action packed year and the 30th birthday of the school included last year. It has been great to be a parent as well and to see the school numbers increasing. All the best to Assistant Principal, Liz Veel. After three-and-a-half years at the school she is moving on to the principal position at Nightcliff. Congratulations and all the best.
To Henry Gray and staff at Leanyer Primary School, it is always a pleasure to be involved with such a great school, which really is a pillar and the centrepiece of the Leanyer community. Thank you, Henry, for all your support, especially with the ministerial reshuffle recently. My Christmas wishes and thanks to Chairperson of the school council, Denise Phelps and to all her council committee.
To Tom Leach and staff at St Andrews Lutheran Primary School, you do a fantastic job and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and all the best for the new year.
To the Lyons developers: Director Geoff Smith and the Sales Manager, Sharon Fiest, thanks for being so easy to liaise with throughout the year as the development has really started to move and make such progress. You always impress me with your willingness to listen to the community and residents; Consultants Phil Charlton and Brian Elton, I wish you all a merry Christmas, and the best for 2007, which is going to be a huge year for the development of Lyons. I am certainly looking forward to the development progressing.
Tracy Village club is coming along in leaps and bounds at the moment, with the new oval, grandstand, change rooms, and the soon to be installed lighting, which was an election commitment from me and the member for Casuarina. All this work, along with the thriving club and bistro business can be attributed to a great team: President Gary Ross and his committee, as well as club manger John Quinlan and staff who have done a fantastic job this year. I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas.
As Vice-Patron of St Mary’s Football Club, even though we have not had the best of starts to the season, I would like to thank president Adrian Moscheni and his committee for all their hard work which I am sure will continue after the Christmas break. I am looking forward to improved results starting this weekend.
As Patron of Casuarina Junior Soccer Club, I thank president, Andrew Cripps and Diana Miranda for all their time and effort during the year. The club is growing from strength to strength, numbers are growing, and to everyone at Casuarina Junior Soccer Club, you do a great job for which I thank you very much.
To the Tracy Village Basketball Club, of which I was recently invited to be Patron, I thank president Dahlia Docherty and the committee for the opportunity. It is great to be able to be part of such a successful club. At the moment, the Tracy Village Jets have five senior teams and 12 junior teams in the finals this week, and I wish all teams the best.
To my branch of the Labor Party, the Casuarina Branch, to president, Russell Wilson, and the executive members, thank you for a great job this year. I cannot wait to get stuck into 2007.
I also thank what has now become known as ‘Team Wanguri’: George Mu, Costa Kaaolias, Roberto DeAraujo, Kent Rowe and Erin Grace, you guys are always there when Jarna or I need you. I thank you for your efforts during the last year and I look forward to catching up before Christmas.
Miss Anne Wagner, the long-time Home Liaison Officer working from Dripstone High School, is retiring this week. Anne began her career with the Education Department in July 1987. Her many years of service started at the Star Centre in Alice Springs. She then went to ANZAC Hill High School and was there for many years. Anne came to Darwin in 1998 and joined the Star Centre team. She then went to Dripstone High, where she has been a long time Home Liaison Officer. Along the way, she was located at Darwin High for a short time. Anne has filled an invaluable role for the whole of her time with Territory Education, working with students and families in a positive and focusing sense. She has been responsible for helping many people refocus and gain fresh motivation about themselves and their aspirations in life.
In the context of the northern suburbs, she is highly valued and deeply appreciated by those within the Dripstone and feeder primary schools community. Her reputation has travelled far and wide, always in a positive and appreciative sense. Anne is greatly appreciated and highly valued by all whom she has worked with as a Home Liaison Officer. Over many years, she has sorted issues and overcome difficulties schools have confronted issues of non-attendance. There have been countless other matters needing follow up. These issues have always been attended to promptly, diligently, in a way that draws things to a conclusion. Anne is a highly respected finisher because things have never been left up in the air. The Home Liaison position is one of the hardest there is when it comes to school community roles.
Anne has professionally and empathetically managed challenging situations and positive closure has always occurred because of her engagement. She cares about all people with whom she deals. Anne is valued and appreciated within the whole of the northern suburbs community. She has offered guidance and counselling for children, students, staff and parents. She always does an inordinately good, healing and restorative job. Her associates, be they teachers, support staff, parents or children, gain a lot from Anne Wagner’s optimism. She sees good in every situation, she is deeply appreciated, and will be forever remembered for all she has done for education over many years. She has been an outstanding and selfless contributor. To Anne I extend my very best wishes and thank you for many years of service to the Northern Territory.
In my Christmas best wishes, I thank my office staff Mark Nelson, Laurene, Pomp, Kellie, Jodi, Peter, Rob, Kylie and Ryan. It is a magnificent team. I am very honoured to work with you. We work well together. We work hard; we have fun and you are a fabulous team. To all of my staff, thank you so very much for everything that you do.
To my CEOs, in Education, Margaret Banks, it has been a pleasure to work with you this year. You are an inspirational leader for our educators across the Northern Territory and our departmental staff. Everyone thinks very highly of you, and I look forward to working with you next year and wish you a merry Christmas. My thanks to Maree Tetlow, CE of Tourism NT, which does a fantastic job. Tourism is going from strength to strength and it is in large part due to Maree’s commitment to tourism in the Territory. I look forward to working with you again next year. My thanks also to Ken Simpson, the CE of the Commission for Public Employment. Ken has big challenges with 14 000 or 15 000 staff. It has been a pleasure working with you this year and I look forward to next year.
I have to thank my family: my wife, Stacy, and children, Alasdair, Liam and Isobel. I am looking forward to the holidays and spending some quality time together. I love you all. I could not do this job without your support and I am looking forward to a break.
Last, but not least, my Electorate Officer Jarna, who has been with me for over three years and is moving on to complete her studies at Melbourne University and work, not full-time, but a lot more with the Bulldogs footy team, the Darwin Doggies. Jarna, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for a wonderful three years working together. I remember when you first started. It really was a huge step forward for you, but you have accomplished everything that I have asked you to do, and it has been a lot of fun working with you. I am sure whatever you do in life you will go from success to success. You are an amazing young woman. Never forget Darwin because once you have completed your studies, we want you back to contribute to our wonderful Territory. Jarna, thank you for a fabulous three years working together.
To my incoming electorate officer, Morgan from the SDA, I am really looking forward to working with you next year. You are going to become part of ‘Team Wanguri’. Morgan, best wishes and I look forward to working with you next year.
To everyone at the Department of Legislative Assembly, you do a magnificent job ensuring the smooth running of this place. It really does run like a Rolls Royce or a Rolex watch. Everyone here contributes to the parliamentary process in wonderful ways. No request is ever turned down, and all of the staff of the Legislative Assembly do a magnificent job. As Leader of Government Business, I thank you for all your efforts this year.
Last, but not least, my best wishes to our ministerial drivers who do a fabulous job making sure we get to appointments on time. I appreciate your professionalism, your dedication to the job, and wish you all a very merry Christmas.
Finally, to my parliamentary colleagues, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you again in 2006. It has been a ripper of a year in many ways but, at the end of the day, we all know that we are here because the people of the Northern Territory have entrusted us to be their government for four years. We are all working as hard as we can at an electorate level, as well as at an executive level. For those of us who are in Cabinet, it is a pleasure to work with such a wonderful group of committed people, and I look forward to working with you all next year.
To other members of the Assembly, we have some robust debates in here, but for virtually all of the part, what goes on in here stays in here. We bump into each other around the place and there are no hard feelings. To all members of the Legislative Assembly, merry Christmas and we will see you all in February.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016