2007-02-15
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, today I inform members of the parliament of the first report of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate. On 2 May 2006, the government created the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate as a response to the federal government's WorkChoices legislation.
The role of the advocate is to inform, educate and consult with Territory workers, employers and their representatives about rights and responsibilities in relation to work-related matters; facilitate and encourage the fair industrial treatment of workers; promote informed decision-making by Territory workers and employers; act as an advisory service for workers, ensuring they are fully informed of the implications of their agreements and how these may affect their terms and conditions of employment; monitor and report to the minister on industrial relations practices in the Territory; and advise the minister generally about work-related matters.
The advocate provides free confidential advice to workers and employers on their rights and responsibilities under the new WorkChoices laws. The advocate also provides education and information to Territorians including WorkChoices fact sheets for young workers, employees and employers; web-based information; an agreement checklist; and a 1300 advice line.
Recognising that young Territorians are most vulnerable, the advocate has worked with DEET and the Office of Youth Affairs in the Department of the Chief Minister to prepare information resources that are relevant to students, teachers and careers advisers. The advocate is working with Charles Darwin University to help the business community to better understand the vital role that sound, modern human resource practices play in a successful business.
Since its inception, the advocate has received 225 inquiries to 31 January 2007. About two-thirds of these calls were from workers and one-third from employers. This is twice as many calls per head of population as the Victorian Workplace Rights Advocate. From these inquiries and community consultation, the advocate has compiled a database of the types of concerns Territorians have about the WorkChoices legislation. The advocate advises that large amongst these concerns are lack of job security, which includes dismissal or the threat of dismissal; bullying; victimisation; and arbitrary changes to employment conditions. Many callers have a poor understanding of the basis of their employment and what industrial instrument, if any, binds their employment.
WorkChoices seems to have made it harder to understand your rights. Employers consistently say to the advocate that the changes to the Workplace Relations Act are complicated and confusing, and that authoritative relevant advice is difficult to obtain.
Since the WorkChoices changes, approximately 3000 AWAs have been signed by Territory workers. Given the mobility of the Northern Territory workforce, this does not necessarily equate to 3000 individual workers. However, it is an indication of the level of change to employment conditions in the Territory workforce.
In May 2006, the federal government’s Employment Advocate revealed that a sample of AWAs showed that every AWA registered under the new laws had taken away at least one protected award condition. In addition, annual leave loading has been erased in almost two-thirds of AWAs lodged under the new laws; penalty rates have disappeared in almost two out of three agreements; and shift allowances have been removed in more than half of all new agreements.
ABS data shows that the hourly rate of pay for a non-managerial worker on an AWA is lower than that for workers on collective agreements. There is no reason to believe that Territory workers are faring any better than other workers on AWAs. We do not know as the federal government has stopped producing information about the content of AWAs.
Certainly, the inquiries received by The advocate and revealed in this report support this trend. The advocate report includes a range of case studies which demonstrates the types of practices which are occurring in the Territory. Names of individuals and businesses have not been included for confidentiality reasons.
Madam Speaker, I commend the work of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate and I am confident that Territorians, workers and employers alike are receiving help and guidance from The advocate. This report confirms for me that this government is right to oppose the Howard government’s unfair WorkChoices regime. This is not good law; Territorians are disadvantaged. I am happy to make available to members copies of the report and also a Youth Pack and Fact Sheets which will be distributed.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. I have to say, minister, that was very good grandstanding you did this morning.
A member: It is going to get better.
Mrs MILLER: No, it is a lot of grandstanding and you have given me two minutes to respond to something that is of such importance.
The Office of the Employment Advocate was established and expanded to support both employers and employees on matters that were relating to their workplace and workplace agreements. It is obvious that people have been able to access that and they are using it quite well. It is very disappointing that you should make a political stunt of this, this morning. We are going to have extended debate on this as the morning goes on, so to introduce this as a report this morning is nothing but a political stunt.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, all we have from the member from Katherine were two phrases: grandstanding and political stunt.
Mrs Miller: It is grandstanding.
Mr HENDERSON: This is not grandstanding; it is not a political stunt. It is about the rights of Territory workers. It is about the rights of our kids. The class of 2006 which graduated last year entered the Territory workforce and for the first time, in many generations, our children are going to have fewer rights in the workplace in their terms and conditions for employment than did their parents. This is an absolute shame and tragedy for this country.
The government with the Workplace Advocate has provided free advice to employers and employees. Many employers will do the right thing and will not undermine the terms and conditions of employment, but many have, and many will. I urge all members to read this report and I urge the shadow minister to have a briefing from the advocate to hear directly the impacts of these laws in the Northern Territory.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, we are strongly committed to regional development. We recognise that the capacity of remote regions and communities to develop new enterprise is paramount if we are to support a growing population. To that end, I am excited by the prospects the horticultural industry offers Central Australian communities. The climate, the accessibility to fertile land, and the availability of adequate, good quality water lends itself to a productive, high-yielding horticultural industry. We are working closely with the Central Land Council and Centrefarm to secure access to Aboriginal land to enable future horticulture development.
Centrefarm is involved in 23 projects across Central Australia in places such as Ti Tree, Ali Curung, Utopia, Pine Hill, and other sites south of Alice Springs. Negotiations with a range of stakeholders in relation to land, water access and operational arrangements are progressing well. In addition, the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is well advanced in planning for the establishment of a horticulture development at the Arid Zone Research Institute on the edge of Alice Springs. These new horticultural ventures also offer spin-offs for other industry sectors, with opportunities to diversify their operations. Undoolya Station operator, Richie Hayes, and Territory Lettuce proprietor, Mo McCosker, have together successfully developed an operation at Rocky Hill growing watermelons.
As I said previously, a key to the successful development of horticultural operations is the availability of suitable water supply. The arid regions of Australia have variable water resources. While some have little ground water, other areas have very large deposits, but it is often brackish and saline. However, Central Australia has significant quantities of better quality ground water. I am advised that at various locations throughout the region there is enough water of suitable quality to support several thousand hectares of horticulture projects.
Our arid Central Australian climate will never support horticulture on the same scale as some other parts of Australia. In these times of severe drought, the use of our precious water resources in the Centre must be well considered and well managed. The emphasis for these horticultural developments is on high value crops, particularly those that can be grown earlier or later than the southern growing season. By doing this, opportunities for the creation of niche markets for our produce are opened up.
A tangible example of the commitment we have to developing a horticultural industry that uses water responsibly is the water reuse project in Alice Springs. This world’s best practice project is nearing completion and the collaboration we have seen between NRETA, DPIFM, the Power and Water Corporation and CSIRO is to be commended. Their vision and professionalism will bring real horticultural opportunities to the Alice Springs region.
Madam Speaker, we will continue to research the locations of adequate ground water supplies and the needs of our environment. We will also continue investigating the most efficient water applications for a range of different crops. Importantly, we will continue to support the good work being undertaken by businesses like Centrefarm and other private developers. The aim of our work is to develop economic opportunity and prosperity for all Central Australians.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for her report on the horticultural industry, especially in Central Australia. We are very fortunate that so much work is being done in Central Australia to develop the industry. Obviously, there is still potential for it to develop even further.
Horticulture across the whole of the Northern Territory still has the opportunity to advance much more than it is, and I am sure we are going to have plenty of discussions in the future about the development and advancement of horticulture. We are very lucky in the Territory to have good water resources to be able to deal with this industry. I am sure that we are going to have much discussion about the advancement of horticulture. This is just two minutes in which I can say thank you, minister, for your report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister hit on the two characters in Central Australia, Mo McCosker and Richie Hayes, who would have to be some of the best ambassadors for Central Australia in getting their produce up and off to market. It is great to see.
We would like our communities also to be self-sufficient and I believe we should put a bit more emphasis on that. There used to be a program, for instance, at the gaol where they had a horticulture course. Some of the prisoners had their own patch which was producing food, with the idea that when they went back to communities, they would do it. It was a great idea. I pay tribute to Geoff Myers who has gone into many communities and helped establish citrus plantations or grape vines. It is something that we know is productive and is healthy. Laramba has done a lot with production.
Chief Minister, perhaps you can lobby the supermarkets to take the local produce. The big supermarkets only want to take large quantities with consistency, whereas our seasons can be short. Also, helping with the harvesting and marketing of the produce from the smaller communities would be a great way to help those communities become self-sufficient.
The price of some of the fresh foods in community stores is atrocious. It is terrible. I met someone from Utopia in Woolies the other day who said it was costing them 400% to 500% more to buy this particular item in their store. If we can encourage communities to be self-sufficient with that, along with developing the horticultural industry in Central Australia, it would be a real plus.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I announce the first steps in the development of an exciting alternative source for the Northern Territory, one that is clean, green, sustainable and renewable, and has enormous potential. I refer to geothermal energy, a valuable, emission-free energy source already harnessed in many parts of the world such as the United States, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The name derives from the Greek words ‘geo’ meaning earth, and ‘thermos’ meaning heat.
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable and sustainable energy source that is low in greenhouse gas emissions and is created naturally from heat within the earth’s crust. While most geothermal energy is obtained from ‘wet rocks’ in the vicinity of geysers, hot water pools and volcanoes, it has been identified that ‘hot dry’ rocks have substantial potential as a source of cheap, renewable energy. We potentially have plenty of ‘hot dry’ rocks in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory government recognises that the production and consumption of fossil fuel energy contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and is committed to securing sustainable, long-term and renewable energy sources.
To give effect to, and to encourage the exploration and development of, geothermal energy resources, the government is drafting the Northern Territory Geothermal Energy Bill. While the nature and extent of the Territory’s geothermal resources are largely unknown, proceedings from the World Geothermal Congress in 2005 identified promising areas including Dunmarra, McArthur and the Amadeus basins as seen on this map. Experience from interstate and overseas suggests that this resource can be an important alternative energy source for the future.
The Territory currently relies on Central Australian gas for its major centres power generation. This gas supply is now limited. In June 2006, the Power and Water Corporation signed a heads of agreement with ENI Australia Ltd for the supply of Blacktip gas to run power stations. Clearly, in the short- to medium-term, natural gas is the fuel of choice, however, the Power and Water Corporation has been looking at a number of alternative gas supply sources to meet its future demands.
In October 2004, officers from my Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines attended the inaugural geothermal ‘hot rocks’ conference, which drew expertise from around the world. In 2005, the department established a geothermal task force to develop a strategy for the development and management of geothermal energy in the Northern Territory. The task force comprises personnel from the Power and Water Corporation, Department of Justice, and my department. South Australia, Victoria and Queensland have passed specific legislation to manage the exploration and extraction of geothermal energy. The Northern Territory is a highly prospective region and we have received inquiries from some gas, oil and energy industry players to explore for geothermal energy resources in the Northern Territory.
A public discussion paper was released in 2006 to assist individuals and organisations to consider issues related to the introduction of the Northern Territory Geothermal Energy Bill, and to assist the government to develop an appropriate regulation regime for this new and exciting energy source. Copies of this paper can still be obtained by e-mail or downloaded from my department’s website. Eleven submissions regarding the proposed bill were received. All were supportive of geothermal energy, with comments centred upon administrative issues such as the size of tenure, amounts of royalties, use of water, and the interactions of native title and Aboriginal lands. These submissions are all being addressed and will be used to help shape the final draft of the bill, which is expected later this year.
Madam Speaker, new exploration for potential developments will help stimulate further investment in the Northern Territory and employment opportunities for Territorians. Geothermal energy is considered by many to be the clean, green, sustainable and renewable energy source of the future. This government wishes to maximise our opportunity for the assessment of the geothermal energy potential of the Territory and hopefully the future development of geothermal energy sources in the Territory. Reliable energy supply, particularly clean, green, low cost, sustainable and renewable energy such as geothermal is essential for the long-term future of the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, it is a very interesting report and worthy of support and investigation. I acknowledge the excellent work of the member for Nelson on this matter. He has raised it a number of times in my time in parliament, before I had even heard of the idea of geothermal energy. It is good that we have had the report from government today. These issues warrant very careful and thoughtful investigation.
It is a shame that we have these little tableaux of information, where ministers read a prepared statement and the opposition, with no warning whatsoever, must speak off the cuff.
In the interests of developing genuine debate and in the best interests of Territorians, it would assist if the opposition was forewarned of the matters to be raised during Ministerial Reports, which really is not a true parliamentary process, so that we could contribute more than off-the-cuff comments which do not really enhance the seriousness of some of the matters raised. This further illustrates that the purpose for matters that are raised - not specifically in this case, but generally – is to give government the opportunity to read a media release.
I challenge members opposite: if you want to continue this and show some credibility in respect of the process of parliament, give those reports without notes and we will see how you go.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report on geothermal energy. As the member for Blain said, I have had an interest in this for a long time as well as an interest in many other forms of energy.
One thing missing from this House for some time is a rational debate about energy. We are not only potentially one of the biggest sources of geothermal energy, but we are also one of the biggest miners of uranium. It could even be bigger if you look at some of the issues in Alice Springs. These are important issues. You have the potential for geothermal as a clean source of energy. I cannot say it is infinite because I am not sure it is renewable, which is an interesting issue with because it takes its energy from rocks. What happens when that energy dissipates? Does it continue? It has great potential and there is much more work to do.
I noticed on ABC news on 30 January, they are doing some work with BHP Billiton on the south-western corner of Western Australia. They were saying how important it would be to some of the Aboriginal communities in that area because geothermal energy would provide them with cheap electricity. At the moment they rely on diesel. It has great potential for many of our outback communities.
Minister, I thank you for your report. It needs a lot more discussion than the time we have now. I was a bit surprised when I saw a comment from the Chief Minister’s department asking for comments on the proposed legislation for geothermal energy. Someone from the Chief Minister’s department said they were concerned about because it will use a lot of water. If you look at the system that has been used in Innamincka, the water goes round and round. It is not wasting water, it is just recycling it. The person who made those comments is perhaps thinking of another method. We should be looking at all sources of energy, and not discarding nuclear, geothermal or other forms of energy just because we have an ideological bent against them. We should have more discussion about these things.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their comments. I know that the member for Nelson has been very active in encouraging the Northern Territory government to look at alternative energy sources. We are hopeful that the new bill will push things along. It will put the Northern Territory ahead of many other places in Australia in respect of ‘green’ fuel.
Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, I draw the attention of honourable members to a spray of cut flowers in the main hall which was kindly arranged by the Northern Territory Cut Flowers Association and my department. I hope everyone will take the opportunity to look at the fantastic range of flowers that are produced in the Territory. The Leader of the Opposition might even find some exotic gingers there which could put a bit of bite to her performance today.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly:
Madam Speaker, this is a very serious motion before this House. I point out to all members that when considering their position on whether to support this motion that we are talking about the right of Territorians to long service leave. This is what this debate is about and whether we believe, as a parliament …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, members opposite will have their opportunity to contribute to this debate and I will listen attentively to their contributions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members, order!
Mr HENDERSON: This is about the right of Territorians to long serve leave. The definitive legal advice from two eminent sources, which I have received as Minister for Employment, Education and Training, very clearly states that WorkChoices overrides the Long Service Leave Act of this parliament.
The history of this legislation that is being overridden by WorkChoices, and I am speaking from advice that I have had from the Commissioner for Public Employment this morning, is that the original Northern Territory Long Service Leave Ordinance was assented to in December 1965. Prior to self-government, all laws were in the form of ordinances rather than acts of parliament. The 1965 ordinance provided for 13 weeks long service leave after 15 years’ service, and an additional eight weeks long service leave after the completion of a further 10 years’ service with the same employer. The ordinance was later amended in 1974 to provide for three-tenths of a month’s long service leave for each completed year of service where the employee has completed at least 10 years’ service.
The Long Service Leave Act was assented to in 1981. It provides for long service leave at the rate prescribed for the 1974 ordinance but also introduced pro rata entitlements in restricted circumstances after seven years’ service. The act was later amended in 1997 to provide for 1.3 weeks long service leave per year of service after 10 years’ service.
This legislation, these entitlements, have a history that does not quite predate me - I was born in 1962, but some of my younger parliamentary colleagues are certainly predated by them. This is how long Territorians have had the right to long service leave, which is now being overridden by WorkChoices. I have not done all of the research but I am absolutely certain that the ordinances and the acts of parliament in 1981 and 1997 would have had bipartisan support, as would further amendments.
I will read from the second reading debate in 1981 by the founding father of the Country Liberal Party, Paul Everingham, who was the Chief Minister at the time, and a life member of the Country Liberal Party, as I understand it. I will read from Mr Everingham’s second reading speech:
So for people who were not covered by awards, this provided a minimal set of conditions that applied to all Territorians. I quote again:
So the founding father of the Country Liberal Party, one Paul Everingham, on Tuesday, 9 June 1981, wants to protect the interests of Territorians not covered by awards, confirms in his second reading speech that the government of the day believed: ‘… that the interests of employees and employers are best protected if conditions of employment are prescribed by awards and determinations of arbitral tribunals’. The founding father of the CLP had the interests of Territorians at heart, and believed in the rights of collective bargaining under registered award conditions with the relevant tribunal to assent to them.
Back in 1981, we had a Country Liberal Party that actually had the interests of all Territorians at heart and the interests of a system that was fair, transparent and accountable to employers and employees. We are calling on this parliament today to confirm that this parliament still believes, as Paul Everingham, the first Chief Minister of the newly self-governing Northern Territory, believed back in 1981, that there should be a minimal set of conditions for long service leave applying to all Territory workers. History is very interesting in that regard.
Previously, the Northern Territory Long Service Leave Act entitled all workers to a statutory minimum entitlement of 13 weeks paid leave after 10 years continuous employment. Generally, if an employee ceased to be employed after seven years’ continuous service, that worker had a right to be paid for accrued long service leave at the rate of 1.3 weeks for every year of service. In the past, that entitlement could not be taken away by an employment contract. There was no capacity for an employment contract to wriggle out of that minimal set of entitlements. We now know that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation means that an AWA that provides for no long service leave at all will override the Northern Territory’s Long Service Leave Act. The WorkChoices regime is unfair and this government opposes it.
That is fundamentally why we oppose it. It is unfair.
Mr Stirling: It is un-Australian.
Mr HENDERSON: It is all about fairness. It is all about employers and employees sitting at the table and having equal bargaining positions in the employment contract. It is unfair and, as my colleague the member for Nhulunbuy says, un-Australian.
Long service leave is the latest in a long list of rights to be taken away. As I indicated yesterday, I have written to the federal Workplace Relations minister, Joe Hockey, and asked him to reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. I have done this because, on legal advice from the Solicitor-General, this parliament has no legislative power to change this situation. Our laws as a Territory under the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act are subservient to the Commonwealth.
The WorkChoices legislation subverts the intention of the Northern Territory parliament to provide a minimum enforceable long service leave entitlement for employees. This is yet another on a list of legislation passed by this parliament to express the will of the people of the Northern Territory. We go back to the euthanasia legislation which was over turned by the federal parliament, legislation that prohibits the storing and transport of nuclear waste through the Northern Territory has been overridden by the Commonwealth parliament, and now our Long Service Leave Act has been overridden by the federal parliament.
This motion reinforces my call to minister Hockey.
Madam Speaker, I remind members about WorkChoices. The WorkChoices legislation promotes individual agreements to the point of destroying the practical effect of collective bargaining. I go back to Paul Everingham’s comments. Back in 1981, the CLP used to stand up for the interests of Territorians, not stand up for Howard’s influence in Canberra. Paul Everingham would have agreed with this because he stated:
WorkChoices also replaces comprehensive protection of wages and conditions through awards with a skeletal framework and minimal standards. This leaves those without power extremely vulnerable, particularly young people, young Territorians, who finish school, take their first steps into the workplace and are presented with an AWA, an instrument. Those young people who have had no history in the workplace, no exposure to the workplace, are supposed to be under these agreements on a level playing field with the employer to negotiate their rights. I do not think so, Madam Speaker.
It is a take-it-or-leave-it contract. If you do not take it, some other mug will. Do we really believe that a 16, 17, 18, 21, 22-year-old out of university looking for their first job is going to sit at the table, look at their AWA and say: ‘I am really sorry, Mr Employer, I do not think I should have to work on Saturdays and Sundays without additional penalty rates. I would really like to see at least a 50% loading for working on Saturdays in my award.’? Do you think that young people are going to have the capacity to do that? I do not think so. The employer is going to say: ‘Sorry, son, if you do not like it, I will offer the job to somebody else’. And away you go. That is what is happening, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Braham: Is that actually happening? Do you have examples of that happening?
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I suggest you read the report.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, honourable members!
Mrs Braham: Why didn’t you give us the report earlier?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: You can read it now. I will take you to page 36, read 11, 16, 18, 19 and 20, because I will.
Madam Speaker, this is about the new industrial climate that is operating here and now in the Northern Territory. There are specific examples of the impacts of that in this report which I tabled earlier today.
You do not need three weeks preparation for this debate. If you do not understand what is happening here for young people who are presented with an individual contract, compare it to the previous system where there was a set of prescribed conditions in awards on which everybody had to base their employment contracts. There was a set of basic minimal standards that at least gave young people a chance. They do not have a chance any more.
The new WorkChoices legislation guts the ability of the IRC to carry out the functions of the independent umpire ensuring the fair treatment of all parties, criminalises the normal functioning of unions by unreasonably limiting representation rights - and this is what this is all about. It is not about the economy. The economy in Australia is booming. It is not about making Australia a more competitive economy. It is about John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, who has had an ideological hatred of unions from the day he entered federal parliament. He was gifted by the Australian people an unexpected Senate majority to impose his ideological hatred of unions, as reflected in this legislation, and this will be the Prime Minister’s legacy. That is what this is all about.
WorkChoices allows employers to dismiss workers, practically at will. We are all members of parliament. We represent constituents. I had a constituent see me two weeks before Christmas. He was a young boy who was a second year apprentice electrician. He and his mother came to see me at my electorate office in Leanyer. They were very distressed. He was working for a contractor in the construction business, and was sacked without notice. We are working this through the Apprenticeship Board and what have you at the moment. He had spent two years as an apprentice electrician, essentially working on residential construction sites, wiring power points and fans. He was talking to a mate of his who worked for one of our major mining companies in the Northern Territory. Through a series of discussions, the mining company offered him work out at the mine for four to six months to get some industrial experience as an apprentice electrician. He went to his employer and said. ‘Mr Employer, I would like to …’ – and this is supposed to be what WorkChoices is about, some flexibility – ‘I would like the opportunity to spend four or six months working on a mine site to broaden my experience as I do my apprenticeship to get exposure to doing something different’. His employer accused him of being disloyal, and sacked him on the spot.
Do we want our kids growing up in that type of industrial climate? I do not think so. His mother was in tears. She could not believe that this could happen in Australia to an 18-year-old kid. We are trying to work through that because, maybe, we have some capacity through the Apprenticeship Board to do something about it. This is the impact of these laws in Australia; an ideological attack by John Howard. I am still really angry. If I can do anything for this young kid, I sure will. As I said, these laws are unfair and they are un-Australian.
This morning, I tabled a report from the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate who tells us that Territorians are telling him that they fear for their job security, including dismissal or the threat of dismissal, bullying, victimisation, and they are experiencing arbitrary changes to their employment conditions. In May 2006, the federal government’s Employment Advocate, Peter McIlwain, told a Senate Estimates Committee that a sample of AWAs showed that every AWA registered under the new laws had taken away at least one protected award condition.
Annual leave loading had been erased in almost two-thirds, 64%, of AWAs. Leave loading - gone; 64% of them. Penalty rates have disappeared in almost two out of three agreements, 63% - working Saturdays, Sundays, 10 o’clock at night, flat rate, that is all you get. Shift allowances have been removed in more than half, 52%, of new agreements. One in six agreements, 16%, have dropped all award conditions all together replacing them with just the government’s five minimum conditions. Four out of 10 agreements, 40%, have dropped gazetted public holidays. So, no more public holidays for 40%; you have to work. More than one in five new, individual contracts, 22%, contained no pay increases over the life of the agreement - none. Not a pay increase! It is a three year agreement, no pay increases.
We have a protracted negotiation with the Australian Nursing Federation at the moment about what is going to be the pay increase over the life of the agreement. Under this new legislation, 22% of all Australians who have signed an AWA will have no pay increase over the life of the agreement.
The Howard government has since stopped reporting on the content of AWAs. I wonder why. I wonder why the Prime Minister stopped reporting on the content of AWAs. Previously, through registered industrial agreements and awards, anybody could go to the Industrial Relations Commission, hop on to the website, log in, get a copy of the relevant award, and see the terms and conditions of employment. Now, under John Howard, it is all secret. A race to the bottom. Given those numbers after the first few months of the operation of WorkChoices, I wonder why the Prime Minister stopped reporting on the content of AWAs.
How are AWAs and WorkChoices operating in the Territory? The Advocate advises us that the total working population of the Territory as of June 2006 was 101 500, or 49% of the population. As at July 2006, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that nearly 14% of the Australian workforce started their current job within the last 12 months. So, 14% of the current workforce of the Northern Territory started their job with this new regime in place. The high mobility of the workforce suggests this figure is higher in the Northern Territory. A new job often means a new workplace agreement. As I outlined this morning, since the WorkChoices changes, approximately 3000 AWAs have been signed by Territory employees.
I will give a few examples. The report does not detail names of either the people who contacted the Advocate or the business concerned, for confidentiality reasons.
A hospitality business changed hands. The new employer offered AWAs to employees as a condition of them continuing employment with the new owner. The employee felt coerced into signing the agreement and, ultimately, resigned their employment. Not only was the employee coerced into signing an agreement, the agreement being offered contained significantly new entitlements. So, the business changes hands. The employee, who has been working there for many years, has racked up a whole heap of leave loadings and provisions and what have you; a new owner comes in: ‘Sign this. If you do not sign this, get nicked, we will get somebody else to do it’. Unfair!
After two months of work, an employee was sacked without notice. At the time of termination the employer alleged that the worker had given goods away for free and had stolen from them. No complaint was made to the police and the employee was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegation. This is not innocent until proven guilty, the basic principle of Westminster law and natural justice where everybody is entitled to the principle of innocence until proven guilty. An employer can now say: ‘I think that you have stolen from me, you are sacked’, and you have no rights at all, no rights whatsoever to respond to the allegation - not even a complaint to the police. Is this fair? I do not think so, Madam Speaker.
After a period of six months of casual employment a worker was made permanent. Two months after being made permanent, the employee’s position was unilaterally changed; however, no change was made to his remuneration. The worker approached the manager to complain about bullying and intimidation from other employees towards him and another group of employees of a particular ethnic background. Following this, a direction came from management that only English was to be spoken in the workplace. One day later the employee was sacked.
Again, the power equation - and it is not about power. It is about fairness in the workplace to be able to legitimately raise concerns with your employer without fear. This is what is happening in the Northern Territory. These are specific examples of what is happening in the Northern Territory and these things are happening every day to Territory workers.
Madam Speaker, as minister for employment and training, and as a father, I am concerned about the detrimental impact that WorkChoices is having on young workers across Australia. I am worried about the lack of employment protection for the 2006 graduates from Territory high schools, many of whom are entering the workforce for the first time and are at risk of being exploited under these laws.
Recent data from the Commonwealth shows that in the period of October to December 2006, the highest number of AWAs was made in the retail industry and in hospitality. This is an area in which many people get their first job. Young people are the most vulnerable under the WorkChoices legislation. In many cases, they lack the experience and knowledge to be able bargain effectively with their employers over wages and conditions. They just do not know what rights they have and are more likely to accept what is offered without querying it.
Here are a couple of examples from the Advocate’s six monthly report:
A 19-year-old man was initially engaged on a casual rate of $15 per hour. After two weeks his wage was reduced to $10 per hour without agreement, without notice. So, you start off at $15 an hour, two weeks later you are on $10. If you do not like it, get nicked, I will find somebody else. The Northern Territory Workplace Advocate assisted this man to formulate a claim and referred the matter to the Office of Workplace Services for investigation. Six weeks after the matter was referred to OWS, the man had still not been given a claim number nor even been contacted by OWS. The Workplace Advocate is not aware of any action being taken to finalise the claim.
The Howard government has this Mickey Mouse office called the Office of Workplace Services. Time and time again through this report, these types of cases are referred to the Office of Workplace Services. It takes months for them to get back - they do or do not do anything. Nobody ever gets back to the employee. You know, a 19-year-old cannot wait six weeks to get a complaint finalised. He has to get another job. It is absolutely outrageous!
In addition to the underpayment of wages, it would appear that the employer engaged him with the representation that he would receive training in a Certificate III level course which the employer is registered to provide. This training never occurred. Finally, there appears to be instances of bullying and intimidation by this employer. The employer was alleged to have approached the now former employee outside work and was alleged to have made threats in an effort to have the claim withdrawn.
Another one: an apprentice contacted the NTWA following significant abuse, bullying and harassment from the employer. Now, I was an apprentice and I know my colleague, the member for Drysdale, was an apprentice. We know there was a bit of fun and games for the young fellows as they start their apprenticeship, but not to the extent of bullying and harassment. The apprentice was encouraged to make a complaint to NT WorkSafe and the Australian Apprenticeship Centre - no action taken.
WorkChoices is not family friendly. Working longer hours for less pay is not a balanced and fair outcome. We talk about lifestyle. There was much debate about lifestyle in the Northern Territory. Working longer hours for less money? Is that a contribution and improvement to the great Territory lifestyle? I do not think so. In this time of economic boom, why is it harder for people to balance work and family, harder to get permanent jobs, and harder to ensure that they can pay for the mortgage and look after the kids?
In summary, the Northern Territory government believes that the long service leave entitlement is an important tool for Territory business. It attracts and retains employees in a very tight labour market. A very important tool.
My office contacted the Chamber of Commerce of the Northern Territory yesterday to hear what their position was regarding this advice from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory that WorkChoices overrode the Long Service Leave Act of the Northern Territory. The Chamber of Commerce’s advice came back very quickly. Their policy position is that all their members should pay long service leave entitlements as prescribed under the Territory legislation. They support it. They went even further, and they are going to write to me, they think there should be improved pro rata amendments made to the Northern Territory’s Long Service Leave Act.
The major employer group in the Northern Territory supports the Northern Territory government’s position. I commend the Chamber of Commerce on their position on this matter. I do believe that the vast majority of employers recognise that their business is only as good as the people who work for them and they will treat them fairly. It is about the rogue employers, particularly in those service- and manufacturing-based industries where price is the most important quotient of the question of whether a financial transaction will take place. If your competition is stripping out conditions of employment and salary from an employee, you are going to have to match it to stay competitive. That is the very real concern about this legislation. There is example after example after example in the document I distributed today.
I am calling on all members of this House to support this motion. Let us have a bipartisan motion that goes to the federal parliament saying that we as the Northern Territory think that we have the absolute democratic right to put a minimum standard in place that all employers should meet to pay for long service leave for Territory workers. This right has existed in the Northern Territory since 1965. That was before a number of members of this parliament were born.
I know it is going to be difficult for the Leader of the Opposition to support this motion. It is going to be difficult because it will be ...
Dr Burns: She stood up for David Hicks. That was courageous.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, that is right. It will be difficult for her to stand up to John Howard and say: ‘I want you to amend this legislation to protect Territorians’ rights to long service leave’. She stood up to Howard on David Hicks, who is not even a Territorian, and good on her for doing so, but David Hicks, to my knowledge, has never been to the Northern Territory. We are talking about 100 000 Territory workers who, potentially, are going to lose their right to long service leave. I know it is going to be difficult. I know that she was pulled apart by Dave Tollner and Nigel Scullion for going public on Hicks.
Dr Burns: And Murphy.
Mr HENDERSON: And Murphy. I also have it on very reliable advice that the Prime Minister stood up in the party room in Canberra and tore strips of her. He said: ‘In an election year, we do not break ranks; we stick together’. That was directly from the Prime Minister. We know that happened in the federal party room.
This is about the CLP, which used to stand up for the interests of Territorians. When Paul Everingham, the founding father, introduced this legislation in June 1981, he stated very clearly that this should be a minimum for all Territorians.
This is about the opposition today, standing up for the Territory. I will be the first to go out and do a media conference with the Leader of the Opposition and congratulate her for standing up for the Territorians in a bipartisan manner. I hope that occurs. This is too important for our young people in the Northern Territory who maybe have eight years’ worth of service and are planning for their 13 weeks leave. The employer comes in, potentially as they can do now, and says: ‘Here is your new agreement. Sign this. No long service leave’. That is what can happen, and you lose eight years of that entitlement. That is what this is about.
Madam Speaker, I urge all members of this House to support this motion today and stand up for the Northern Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, the Territory opposition does not support this motion. You have used this as merely a vehicle to promote and engender fear. That is the reason this motion will not be supported. I find it offensive that the use of this parliament to promote issues that are very prone to the exacerbation of fear would be used, particularly in the lead-up to a federal election. You are using this as an opportunity to advance the best interests of Mr Rudd and the political agenda of your federal masters ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: This is largely a matter for honourable members to consider as an issue governed by ideology. As the honourable member was heard without provocation from the opposition, I hope the same courtesy is afforded by those who sit opposite to allow this matter to be discussed in a sensible way, rather than using the knee-jerk reaction which is fed political opportunism to advance an issue because there is change; the capacity to use it to promote fear, uncertainty and to advance a political end. Those are the sorts of issues from which we need to take the emotion aside and think about this issue in a more sober manner.
If we reflect on another significant agenda of change that was presented to the Australian community, which was the introduction of the GST, members opposite were in opposition at that time, and they were vehemently opposed to the Coalition’s decision to bring about significant economic reform. It was opposed because it was the political opponent who was promoting such a position. Now, those who opposed and railed against such reforms are the beneficiaries of them. That issue was used in this Chamber to promote and engender fear. It is already on the record that there was great use of that issue to advance a political end.
With any kind of cultural change, there is a tendency for human beings to stay where they are; better the devil that you know than the one you do not. Therefore, members opposite, it is quite understandable that you would use this issue to stimulate fear and uncertainty. Undoubtedly, there will be examples that could be trotted out by the minister to advance the argument.
The argument, however, has largely focused on the issue of long service leave provisions. I will focus on that, unlike the minister, who spent much of his time wandering widely to demonstrate that this is an opportunity to advance a political argument for political ends and to promote uncertainty.
The minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. He is incorrect. Long service leave entitlements under state or territory legislation are not excluded by the Workplace Relations Act. They are not. However, it is possible for employers and employees to agree on alternative arrangements through a workplace agreement.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr MILLS: It is possible to agree on an alternative arrangement.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: If you have no confidence in the capacity of two to agree then …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, honourable members!
Mr MILLS: … there is nothing new, and this was possible prior to WorkChoices. In fact, this has been possible for 10 years. An AWA can only override statutory long service leave entitlements if the AWA terms are directly inconsistent with that entitlement. Silence is not enough to override the entitlement. AWAs provide employees and employers with flexibility to negotiate terms and conditions that are most suitable for their circumstances.
Members opposite who run the fear argument are also lauding the employment figures in the Northern Territory that have moved in a very favourable direction in the same period of time that we have had this workplace relations change. There has been a cultural change to reflect the changing workplace and the change of our society. It is allowing the opportunity for choice and for cooperation in the workplace. They are principles in which I believe. I do not believe in class warfare. I do not believe that those who have the capacity to employ would shaft their workers. If they do, there is the capacity to deal with the small number that would. That concerns me deeply. They are issues dear to me, and they can be dealt with.
Mr Stirling: They have taken those rights away!
Mr MILLS: As though that never occurred before! If those opportunities have been provided by employers before, has it occurred before? Of course, it has. You will always have that. Where you have greater flexibility, you have the opportunity for greater cooperation. As the minister rightly said, employers of the Northern Territory understand the need to look after their workers, and have moved, as they have with the Chamber of Commerce, to look at ways to make sure that they can value their workers. It makes good sense. That flexibility, however, is there; the parties may enter into a negotiation of mutual benefit.
Parties can agree to trade off long service leave in return for other entitlements; for example, higher pay or lower hours. AWAs are useful to attract and retain quality staff in a competitive labour market. Most importantly of all is the fact that the government, through being a consortium partner at the waterfront, has agreed to use AWAs. The minister, the aspiring Chief Minister, is part of a Labor government that has supported the use of AWAs in its business operations. The minister is a hypocrite, in fact, as are all those opposite …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is not that I personally take great offence at name calling. I am 6’5” and can take it, but I do believe being called a hypocrite is unparliamentary. I am prepared to take it, but I do not think it is parliamentary.
Madam SPEAKER: I ask you withdraw, member for Blain.
Mr MILLS: Well, you can exchange it for your own synonym for ‘hypocrite’.
Mr Henderson: Just withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, are you withdrawing?
Mr MILLS: I withdraw the word ‘hypocrite’. The thrust of the point is understood, though. I will continue.
When you thought there could not be any more, there is even more duplicity of position by the Leader of Government Business himself, as the Minister for Public Employment presiding over this NT Labor government making use of the provisions within the WorkChoices package in its treatment of the nurses through the balloting process.
The Leader of Government Business wants to come in here and present himself as a shining light of all things union, and to advance the cause of Kevin Rudd. The fact is that it is a bit closer to Jekyll and Hyde; a public face talking about opposing AWAs to the true believers and how bad they are and how fearful the prospects of this kind of change are in the face of improved employment figures in the Northern Territory and the like; and the private face of making use of them for business arrangements that suit the interests of government. They are two contrasting positions. Consistency fed by some integrity in this argument would reinforce the minister’s position. Sadly, it has not been the case.
I am happy to engage in a debate on the merits and the value of that kind of debate in good faith. However, when a debate is delivered by someone who says he opposes something, points his fingers at his opponents, calls them names and urges them to do the right thing with mock earnestness - which is something we have come to expect, sadly, from the Leader of Government Business - and, at the same time makes use of what has been in place for 10 years, and the new WorkChoices provisions through negotiating with the NT Public Service, then there can be no respect for either the argument or the way in which it was delivered.
Minister, you have spent a good deal of time dwelling on something that can generate a good amount of fear, and that is a concern shared by any concerned person; the fear that someone could be taken advantage. However, there are measures to assist in those few cases, and I would appreciate the opportunity to have a further assessment of the claims that you have made so that they can be properly weighed, considered and responded to. If the genuine concern is about the one who has been disadvantaged in the workplace, as reported by the minister - a decision that has been, as the minister would call it, unjust - it may well be the case. However, it is worth having a closer look at these cases because we have seen the case of the Labor movement using these cases, with an extraordinary amount of money, to promote them right around the nation to advance the cause, and to be found to be, in fact, actors ...
Ms Carney: Organising rallies.
Mr MILLS: Yes, yes, quite unsuccessful rallies. In fact, there was this great sense that there was going to be an overwhelming groundswell of support for the proposition that there was some terrible thing occurring in Australian society. There are, of course, still some true believers. There are some in here. I deliberately used the words ‘true believers’. I know there are some who dearly hold this view and sincerely believe that we are in that period just after the Industrial Revolution where you had robber barons and a class system using up those who had no power or education. There are some who hold that view quite sincerely, and play an active role in this broad discussion of these sorts of matters.
There are others who are not really true believers. They are true believers in the opportunity to use these sorts of matters to advance political ends, and to seize on an opportunity like this because it is going to bring about change. No one likes change, so you can use the psychological levers, bring out cases, hold them up, and everyone gets the sense that every child is going to be ripped off by every employer. That is a very dangerous and serious matter. We need to instil the confidence in our young people that it is not going to happen and, if it does, you are going to receive the appropriate response from any civilised person who wants to see a young person nurtured and developed.
The proposition, which is rooted in fear, is that that is going to happen; everyone is going to be ripped off. Some poor kid – ‘Watch out, watch out because something terrible is going to happen to you when you go to the workplace. They are going to shaft you. They are going to rip you off’. Well, that is not necessarily the case in the majority of cases. Any sensible employer, as we have sensible and good people here, wants to invest in our young people.
This argument the minister has run as a motion is about long service leave. I have already covered that. We need to wander further from the point, as the minister often does when advising and giving us counsel as to how we should respond to these matters in a more appropriate way in such a condescending way with mock sincerity. We are dealing with what really is the heart of this. Once again, we talk about the concerns that may be raised in the workplace of those who are vulnerable.
There is a role for unions in this process. Members on this side of the House believe in the exercise of choice. That is something central to this; the central notion of an individual’s capacity to choose one path over another. That notion needs to be strengthened. The running of arguments that promote fear only diminish the essential ingredient of a human being to choose. Of course, our focus will be on the vulnerable to ensure that the moment of choice is one that they can legitimately make. They will make a choice, move on and go from strength to strength. If there is a problem, there is the capacity to deal with that.
I believe in cooperation. Members on this side believe, based on that central notion of choice, there is the capacity for people to cooperate in the best interests and in mutual benefit because, if you choose to provide flexible opportunities for those who are going to enter into a contract with you, it is in the interests of both parties. People who employ young people want, more than anything, to create better flexibility.
I will speak of some people I know in Palmerston who have such a high turnover of kids who give it a shot and leave. The employer is having difficulty retaining quality staff and now has the opportunity to create agreements and contracts with those young people that strengthen their loyalty and cooperation with that which is essential to any enterprise: the labour, the worker, the skilled labour.
There is a role for unions in this process so that, if a person feels unsure about their negotiating, they can choose a representative, which includes a union rep or a lawyer or whoever they choose. They are not in there alone. I am sure those of you with concerns would assist in that process. Another thing that is apparent in this picture being painted is that great pressure will be brought to bear by overbearing employers to force employees to sign these documents under threat of their jobs, which was the central thrust of the minister’s argument. It is worth discussing this approach. Any contract that is signed by a person who is under duress or the subject of undue influence or unconscionable behaviour is in breach of both the common law and, in many cases, statute law. The remedy for such a breach of contract is damages, and there is provision for punitive and exemplary damages.
What the union movement and this government are suggesting at this point is that employers will en masse conduct their business on the wrong side of the law. Allegations have been thick, but evidence has been thin on the ground. I have already referred to those points that have been raised by the minister, and I will take a personal interest in those examples. I would like to get the other side of the story to ensure that we have an accurate representation of this matter.
The unemployment rate in this jurisdiction is 2%. Talk to any employer and they will tell you that they are having trouble finding good staff. Those who are struggling, such as Bechtel, are poaching staff with the lure of higher wages to get them to come over. Workers are in a very strong employment position. They know their labour and skill is an essential and valuable resource in this economy, and it is. They are cashing in big time. Those with a desire and the skills to work are in the bargaining seat. This government has resisted AWAs from the outset, but they have benefited from them enormously.
Why should employees not have a flexibility of choice? Why should a student who is working in a semester break on a mining site not be able to negotiate a better hourly rate instead of long service leave? Why should a mum who wants to work part-time to help pay the mortgage not get more flexible hours, leave arrangements and higher hourly rates in exchange for not having long service leave? Why should she not have this flexibility? Why should someone who is retired not have the option to put more money into their superannuation instead of some other entitlements? Flexibility is what the modern workforce is demanding. There will not always be boom times. We need to develop and strengthen the capacity to respond to times of change. Change is difficult, and it is not assisted by the raising of select cases to create the impression that this applies right across the board. Did the cases to which the minister referred occur before? Of course. There have always been the unscrupulous. We are talking in the broader context of building greater capacity and flexibility, engendering greater cooperation within the workplace between the employer and the employee so that we can capitalise on the strength of a growing and changing national economy.
I believe in the central notion of choice. That notion, fed by a sound education system, a good family and those who can enter the workplace with a sense of trust, can only be strengthened and our society would be strengthened as a result of reinforcing these underlying concepts and principles. If, however, that trust is damaged by cases such as those referred to by the minister, which do warrant further investigation, there is the capacity to deal with that, and it should be dealt with most severely. There is the capacity to deal with that. For the sake of our young and the vulnerable, of course those provisions must be there and they must be acted upon. They should not be used as cases to gird up an ideological argument. If there was a genuine concern, and there is a genuine opportunity to bring about greater flexibility and enhance the strengths of an individual to enter into a contract for mutual benefit, we should encourage that.
Madam Speaker, we cannot support this motion because of the basis on which it is established, and that is the use of a vehicle within this parliamentary Chamber to advance an agenda which is related directly to the forthcoming federal election. As a result, you will not have the support of the opposition for this motion.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, you have to reflect on what a difference 26 years has made to the Country Liberal Party. As the member for Wanguri held up here - and I refer to it again – Tuesday, 9 June 1981, in the name of Mr Everingham, Chief Minister - CLP, I believe - the bills were Annual Leave Bill, Long Service Leave Bill, Public Holidays Bill. Without reading all of the detail of those bills, and the passage of those bills, I bet London, to a brick, that those bills passed with the support of the members opposite of the Labor Party. What do we get today, with the Prime Minister of Australia wanting to rip up and take away these rights that Everingham was enshrining in Territory’s statute and legislation 26 years ago, and we are trying to defend the rights of Territorians? The once great, mighty CLP that introduced this legislation is now content to see it torn up and thrown aside. That is the difference 26 years and a couple of elections have made to this once great party, the CLP. It is now a rotting carcass and an embarrassment to the Territory, and the day that the Liberal Party takes it over must get ever closer.
What do we have now? We have the rights of Territorians ripped up and torn asunder, in relation to the waste dump. We have the rights of Territorians being sold out by the CLP here on WorkChoices. We have to look at the member for Solomon and his role in both of these issues. We have to look at the Northern Territory’s CLP Senator, Nigel Scullion, and his role in both of these issues. We have to look at the four members opposite because what we see now is Howard’s voice in the Northern Territory. Howard’s voice in the Northern Territory is being expressed through the member for Solomon, the CLP Senator for the Northern Territory and the four members opposite, whose role it is to defend and further the interests of Territorians and represent the interest of Territorians in Canberra. What a role reversal we are seeing from the days of February 1981 when they were led by one Paul Everingham who was never shy about taking it up to Canberra if he thought the federal government was trespassing on the rights of Territorians.
We need to be very clear on this issue: there is no economic reason whatsoever for the introduction of these iniquitous industrial relations laws. Each of us have the seen the Australian economy grow and prosper over our own lifetimes, and the generations before that, with a system of industrial relations that had equality, equity, fairness, and a balance of rights and power at the core of that system. We can go all the way back to 1901 and the passage of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. It was an act and a process of industrial relations that has served this country and Australians very well.
WorkChoices laws have been introduced and designed as an ideological onslaught by a conservative Prime Minister who has made it his life mission. It is his great zeal, his great desire. His one reason for hanging around in politics as long as he has was to finally get enough grunt on his side and the power of the Senate to savage the fundamental rights of working Australians and the unions.
John Howard grew up in a service station. His father owned a service station. It was a bit more prosperous than the one my father owned and ran, I think. However, in a time of fear of the unions during the 1940s and 1950s, the great communist scare, I imagine that the conversations in the Howard household were not much different from the conversations that went on in my household; a fear and a misunderstanding of unions for the struggling small business, as my father operated. I was not party to a lot of those conversations because my father passed away when I was just 12 years old. However, I imagine my family background, growing up in a service station, was not all that different from John Howard’s and, yet, he somehow has this passion, this hatred of unions, this hatred of working Australians, and has carried it, and will carry it to his grave. He is hell-bent on doing whatever he can to wreck, savage and erode the rights of ordinary working Australians.
What that background did to me - and, sure, it was a conservative family background I grew up in – was probably gave me a bit of a edge about big business and how it treated small business in the petroleum retail industry. I always had that bit of a fear and loathing about big business, but I got over it. I got over it, and I learned that in a country like Australia you have to have big business and they do a good job. I got to understand the workings of big business, and my fear and loathing and hatred of big business I had in those early days of my youth have gone; they have moderated with time. We have not seen that moderation with this Prime Minister in his fear and loathing of unions. To this day, he has made it his sole mission in political life to do what damage he can. Tragically, he is supported in these plans by the leadership, the membership of the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory, including their federal members.
It is all about removing conditions; let us make no mistake. These conditions have been hard fought for over generations and are hard-won conditions to improve the lives of working Australians. It is all about changing the balance of power so that one of the players at the card table of industrial relations holds all of the power - unlike the enterprise bargaining agreement system where there is an equal power play between the parties. This is a shift of power, and a system that deliberately shifts the balance of power from the employee across to the employer’s side of the table. It is about reducing the wages and entitlements of Australian workers.
We used to look, in years past, at the United States and bemoan the fact that so many of them were in unions, and the workers’ conditions. In fact, in the hospitality industry they lived on tips. If you did not get the tips while you were working in the restaurant or the hotel or whatever you were working in, you did not survive because your working wage did not get you there. I suppose we always looked askance at America and their pathetic system of industrial relations; the weakness of their union system that they were not able to stand up and defend the rights of workers. Well, today, we are moving to a situation where American workers will be better off than Australians.
We have already seen unscrupulous examples by employers. They are using the laws to remove the rights of employees: shift loading penalty rates and, of course, this example of long service leave. Someone asked: ‘Where are these examples?’ Here they are; I had a quick read. It was dropped on my desk this morning. I had a quick read of it and they are all there. They are all two-thirds of the way through. For the member for Braitling, if she wants to get informed on the action of some employers, there is a great range of examples in there of what has occurred, not just to young employees but a range.
Some of these companies - I am aware of one - call their staff ‘team leaders’ and they make them sign an AWA for a small wage increase. What do they get in return? Total removal of holidays and penalty rates so that the effect, in the end, is that the worker has fewer rights than a subcontractor. If we think that in a time of full employment, with just 2% unemployment in the Northern Territory, in an economy as strong as this, that these rorts are occurring now, let us wait until things slow down a little into the future and there is no labour shortage any more. Workers and unions then will not be able to resist the attacks on their conditions when employers have the liberty of simply signing another person up on the dotted line. Any of us who have lived through a slow time or recession know that life can be tense, indeed, if you are in the firing line. With these laws in place, of course, no one will have that protection.
What the minister has unearthed today is a further attack by stealth on the rights of Territorians in this question of long service leave now being so easily dispensed with. Of course, we have now seen that they are totally supported by the CLP. Are they supported by their federal colleagues, the member for Solomon and the CLP Senator for the Northern Territory? Absolutely, you can bet they are. We will not want to rely on those two to defend the rights of Territorians, because we have seen them disappoint all Territorians in the past.
You have to ask yourself to imagine a scenario in the Northern Territory with the Country Liberal Party and the current Leader of the Opposition as the Chief Minister. Every public servant would be signing on day one an Australian Workplace Agreement. ‘Sign on the dotted line now or go and apply for another job because you can forget about enterprise bargaining, you can forget about your union, you can forget about collective agreements; they are a thing of the past. Here is your AWA. It tells you all of your rights and everything you need to know’.
The CLP is keen on playing games around the process of enterprise bargaining agreements, particularly the member for Greatorex. He goes to great trouble, picking up misleading information in pamphlets, distributing them widely throughout his electorate, paying others to do it, urging teachers and nurses to go on strike and take industrial action, go for higher wages, but they know that the day they were elected to government they will be dispensing the whole process of enterprise bargaining agreements, the whole process of collective bargaining, and getting all of the public servants to sign on to AWAs as, indeed, every would-be conservative state and territory opposition in this country would do. It is a bit rich, indeed, for the member for Greatorex and the CLP to play up to nurses and teachers as they did before, to pretend that they are supporting workers throughout the process of the EBA, knowing within their back pocket is the sample AWA that they would drop on their desk the day they were elected. The day they were elected they would introduce AWAs right across the public sector. I will not use the word that the member for Blain used but, my goodness, it is a very appropriate term, indeed, to use in relation to the member for Greatorex and his deceitful game playing around EBAs and the policy position of the CLP.
Every public servant would have their rights eroded away and no Territory worker would have any support or protection from the federal regime. The Workplace Advocate would be the first casualty, I think - empty office, same rank, same salary, long service leave - gone. They would begin to hack in to the very heart of our lifestyle. Of course, that is a lifestyle that we treasure and, if there are some elements of it being a bit laid back, well, that is the Territory lifestyle. That is what all of us who live here have come to know and love over our time here in the Territory. This, of course, has the support of the Country Liberal Party.
We believe an important outcome of a strong economy must be that more people can enjoy the benefits of that strong economy. It is not created for a privileged few at the top. You have a strong economy to support and strengthen the lifestyle of all in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, I support this motion today because members on this side of the House do believe in a balance of rights and responsibilities. We do believe in the traditional right of workers to collectively bargain through the enterprise bargaining agreement process. Most of all, we, to a one, believe in that great Australian ethos and tradition; that is, a fair go for all. That is why we oppose WorkChoices. That is why we support this motion. We believe WorkChoices is not about a fair go for all and, in that sense, it is inherently un-Australian.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, you will have noticed that I listened quietly to the contribution of the somewhat hysterical Leader of Government Business and the member for Nhulunbuy. I hope public servants are listening to this because I am about to give them the facts.
Before I do that, however, I was genuinely amused by yet another mistake by the Leader of Government Business. In his contribution, he was not speaking always from notes so he wanders off and he needs to be very careful about this because he does get himself into trouble. I did rather enjoy his expression ‘Westminster law’. I thought: ‘I have not heard Westminster law before’. I have heard of Westminster lawyers; they specialise in family law in Melbourne. I have heard of the University of Westminster Law School. That is in England, obviously enough. There is the Westminster Law Library in the United States, but I am not sure about this ‘Westminster law’.
Of course, it comes as no surprise that the member for Wanguri, the Leader of Government Business, would get it wrong because, after all, he was the one who famously said on 1 December 2005 in this place, when describing the separation of powers: it was between the parliament – tick - the police – big cross - and the judiciary – tick. One wonders why it is that the Leader of Government …
Mr Henderson: What has this got to do with motion? Get on to long service leave.
Ms CARNEY: Oh, it is relevant all right, sport. One wonders why it is that the Leader of Government Business in any way positions himself as being qualified in any sense to talk about the effects of federal legislation on Territorians. How can people take this man seriously when he does not understand simple concepts? Some people would say he is misleading. I do not believe I am allowed to say that these days in the parliament, but this is a man who would, without hesitation, twist the truth and give people only selective bits of it - and they are the small bits - and then go off on some long excursion and, of course, he gets himself into trouble.
The Leader of Government Business does not have any credibility on this or, indeed, any other issues. His colleagues, of course, will be talking about that over the course of the next six to eight months – they might have to toss a coin eventually - as they decide whether it is the member for Fannie Bay or the member for Wanguri in terms of leadership.
In any event, to all those listening - and we know that members of government do not like to listen - I am exercising my right to put the counter argument; the correct argument. Unlike the twist and spin and dishonesty of the contents outlined by members opposite, I will put the facts.
The Labor Party is incorrect when they say that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. Wrong! Long service leave entitlements under state or Territory legislation are not excluded by the Workplace Relations Act. However, it is possible for employees and employers to agree on alternative arrangements through a workplace agreement. That is nothing new, and was possible prior to WorkChoices. An AWA …
Mr Henderson: To exclude long service leave.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I did listen to the member in silence. I ask him, although he is generally discourteous, to afford me the same level of courtesy.
An AWA can only override statutory long service leave entitlements if the AWA terms are directly inconsistent with that entitlement - and silence is not enough to override that entitlement. AWAs provide employees and employers with flexibility to negotiate terms and conditions that are most suitable for their circumstances. As members should know, parties can agree to trade off long service leave in return for other entitlements, such as higher pay or lower hours. AWAs are useful to attract and retain quality staff in a competitive labour market.
The member for Nhulunbuy, the Deputy Chief Minister, expressed what amounted to a severe degree of overacting - it is Oscars time; maybe he is inspired by that, I do not know. However, in his awful overacting, he said that he used to hate big business, but now he does not. Well, you would not know it, Madam Speaker, based on the rhetoric we have heard from members opposite this morning. In this parliament, over the last couple of days, and since Labor came to office, we have heard declarations of the undying love the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party has for big business. Certainly, some relationships are healthy, and that is a good thing. Yet, members opposite come in here and slag off and slag off and slag off at business - big or small. They look at places where people have been disadvantaged. It has been happening for years; it is not the case that, all of a sudden, some businesses give people a hard time. There have been cases of businesses giving employees a hard time. Similarly, there are employees who give business a hard time. It has always been so. There is always conflict, or there have always been examples of conflicts in the workplace all around the world. What this government is doing is re-pitching it and representing that it has only just happened as a result of this Commonwealth legislation. People just will not buy that sort of nonsense.
When the Leader of Government Business started his tirade, he said this is a serious motion. I tell you what this is: this is scaremongering; this is dishonest; this is a stunt …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition, I believe, is transgressing into actually making offensive remarks regarding legal advice that has been made by the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory. The legal advice is unequivocal in regard to WorkChoices overriding the Long Service Leave Act. If the Leader of the Opposition is saying it is dishonest, then she should withdraw that, because she is challenging the legal advice that we have received from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory, and is complicity saying that he has provided dishonest advice to me, as minister, and to this parliament.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek advice from the Clerk.
Ms CARNEY: May I speak to the point of order, Madam Speaker? I remind you and, indeed, the member opposite, of the motion before this Chamber. It is the motion that we are debating, divided into four parts. I refer you respectfully to that motion in support of my opposition to this silly point of order, Madam Speaker, and ask that you rule accordingly.
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 62 does not refer to the Solicitor-General. Standing Order 62 does not actually refer to people other than members. However, it would be helpful if you tempered your language in relation to the Solicitor-General.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I have not referred to the Solicitor-General, I am referring …
Mr Henderson: You said that we were being dishonest.
Ms CARNEY: Be quiet! Be quiet! I am referring to …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, it is the role of the Speaker to call order, not your role. I would appreciate that you did not interject in that manner. I have received advice and I have given you advice in relation to that; in that I ask if you could temper your language if, in fact, you are referring to the Solicitor-General.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for saying: ‘… if, in fact, I was referring to the Solicitor-General’ because, I was not. I was referring to the very motion that we are arguing; the very motion brought by the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party which, like me, also makes no reference to advice from the Solicitor-General - a very long bow, indeed, and yet another distraction. This motion is a dishonest motion. Read it!
Mr VATSKALIS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This motion originates because we have received advice from the Solicitor-General - honest advice. By calling this motion dishonest, she refers to the Solicitor-General’s advice as dishonest. The Leader of the Opposition should know better. Since she is very well aware of the Westminster system, she should know very well she cannot call advice from the Solicitor-General dishonest.
Ms CARNEY: Speaking to the point of order, if I may, Madam Speaker? Members would well understand that this motion - because they wrote it - is a politically driven motion. I make no comment in relation to the legal advice. Indeed, in my contribution I had no intention of so doing. I do not know why you are introducing the legal advice. We understand the legal advice. I forgot to thank you for the additional legal advice you provided to me yesterday.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, we are talking about a point of order. Please resume your seat. Mr Clerk, would you please confer?
There is no point of order. It would be a point of order if you were reflecting on members. However, once again, I caution you that if you do make comments about the Solicitor-General that you do so in a manner which is appropriate for the House.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr HENDERSON: Another point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer to Standing Order 62, Offensive or Unbecoming Words. The Leader of the Opposition has called this motion that I have presented to the parliament ‘dishonest’. Under Standing Order 62, my point of order is that I have found being called ‘dishonest’ by the Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: I have not even called you ‘dishonest’.
Mr HENDERSON: … offensive and unbecoming. Standing Order 62 states very clearly that this is highly disorderly. I have not introduced a ‘dishonest’ motion into this House. The motion states very specifically: ‘Note with concern that the Commonwealth’s WorkChoices legislation has taken away from Territorians a statutory right to long service leave.’
The Leader of the Opposition is saying that that is dishonest. This motion is based on advice from the Solicitor-General that states there is no doubt - definitive advice, there is no doubt- that the Commonwealth intended that where long service leave was the subject of an AWA, for example, having traded it off for a standard hourly rate, then the statutory rights provided in the state or territory legislation would be overwritten. Therefore, for the Leader of Opposition to call me dishonest, I call Standing Order 62. I find that offensive and I ask the member to withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, may I please be allowed to speak in relation to what is now a separate point of order? I did not call either the Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory …
Mr Henderson: No, you called me dishonest.
Mr Mills: Oh, come on!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms CARNEY: … nor would I, dishonest. I did not call the member for Wanguri dishonest. I said the motion was dishonest. I refer you, Madam Speaker, to Part 4 thereof - and there are other parts - which is expressing concern. I will argue that there is no concern given the benefits that the Northern Territory government has already availed themselves of. Secondly, the reference to the new laws being unfair and detrimental for Territory working families and young workers is a dishonest assertion. We are talking politics, Madam Speaker, not the law. To suggest that I would be disrespectful in any way to the Solicitor-General is, in and of itself, quite offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Are there any other comments on this?
Dr LIM: Madam Speaker, I would also like to make a couple of comments on this. I hope that the clock stops so that the member for Araluen’s time is not taken up with all these pointless points of order.
The Leader of the Opposition used ‘hypocritical’ or ‘dishonest’ as a descriptor. You can talk about anything using adjectives. Our standing orders refer to members calling each other by intemperate terms, casting aspersions, or using detrimental terms against another member. Using descriptors about actions or policies - the government does it all the time. It infers the CLP was racist all the time, but that gets allowed in this House.
However, when it comes to the Leader of the Opposition saying this policy is dishonest, or this motion is dishonest, it does not reflect on a particular member.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We are not in a court of law; we are in the Legislative Assembly. If the Leader of the Opposition declares the motion to be dishonest, she is declaring the mover of that motion to be dishonest. That is as simple as that. She should withdraw, or mount a substantive motion to prosecute her claim.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I ask you if, in your comments, you were making a reflection on the Minister for Employment, Education and Training in relation to his honesty or otherwise?
Ms CARNEY: No, Madam Speaker. My point was the motion and the politics behind it is dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Therefore, I rule that there is no point of order.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Getting back to the issue at hand. I see the member for Nhulunbuy making a very funny gesture. Madam Speaker, forgive me. Not a rude one, just a funny one.
This is mischievous motion. It really is ‘follow the bouncing ball’ - the ball being kicked from Canberra and the Australian Labor Party’s head office which, I assume, is in Canberra. I make this point: it is very interesting – and I know the Leader of Government Business is not a lawyer, and I do not suggest for a moment that he has to be - but it seems the greatest revelation today is that he has just discovered that Territory laws can be overridden by the Commonwealth. It has always been the case. Maybe he could get some advice from somewhere.
In any event, I make this second point: just because the Leader of Government Business and the Labor Party in the Northern Territory say something, it does not make it true. They say a lot; they say all sorts of things. It does not mean it is true. I hope that the public servants who are listening think about that. They are smart, hard-working public servants as, indeed, are our workers in the Territory. I know that this campaign has been driven from Canberra. Blind Freddy knows that. Every Australian knows that. I know that you have to pull your weight, as it were, and go into bat for Kevin. However, this is scaremongering.
Therefore, it is actually quite irresponsible. Politics is politics, but this is pushing the envelope to a very dangerous point because you are making people believe that they no longer have long service leave entitlements. It will be very interesting to read the Parliamentary Record because the Leader of Government Business, if he had a script, clearly digressed from it. Given that he gets himself into trouble with his separation of powers comment and the ‘Westminster laws’ comment, he is at great risk of getting himself into trouble.
He should appreciate, as a minister of the Crown, how utterly irresponsible it is to be part of a scaremongering campaign. One wonders whether workers will go home as a result of all of the media releases issued by his office and wonder seriously about their long service leave entitlements. That is very dangerous and is very disrespectful.
Let us look at some of the protections for the workers that the Australian Labor Party says they try to look after. Let us look at some of the protections contained in the WorkChoices system. Here are the facts: workers are free to belong to a union – fact. A worker is entitled to have a representative negotiate an AWA – fact. Collective agreements can be negotiated by a union group or group of workers – fact. Young people: a person under 18 cannot enter into an individual AWA without parental or guardian consent – fact. Unions retain a right of entry under the legislation – fact. Workers can take lawful industrial action during a bargaining period when negotiating an agreement – fact. Minimum wages for all of the various award classifications are preserved by WorkChoices - fact.
The minister should be aware of a media release issued by the Chamber of Commerce in March 2006. I will read extracts of it, referring to WorkChoices:
It goes on to say that:
The final paragraph of that media release says:
This is from the Chamber of Commerce. It has words like ‘employment’ in it. Ministers on the other side quote the Chamber of Commerce whenever it suits them. The ministers talk about how impressed they are with low unemployment levels. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, the Chief Minister was talking about that yesterday. The Chamber of Commerce has made a thoughtful analysis of the legislation, and they think it is a good outcome.
Given the protections that exist for some workers, it is not as members opposite would have Territorians believe in relation to the doom and gloom. Given all of the rhetoric and the irresponsible nature with which the rhetoric is being perpetuated, it is a real pity that the minister lacked any form or any substance. It is a political distraction and, of course, he is very good at that.
The minister knows full well that long service leave provisions remain part of an agreement unless specifically referred to. Let me say that again: the minister knows full well that long service leave provisions remain part of an agreement unless specifically referred to.
The government, as the largest employer in the Northern Territory, has a choice as to whether long service leave remains part of public servants’ employment. It is the government and the minister that has condoned and agreed to the use of the provisions of WorkChoices through its own negotiations with nurses. This government has used the provisions of the WorkChoices legislation by consenting, as a consortium partner at the waterfront, for workers to use AWAs - and aren’t you leaking all over the place on that one? We know how unhappy you and your supporters are on that. That slipped through. You have not long been in government, so I can understand it, but you have to stand by that. Of the project that you consider yours, you are certainly a consortium partner. The whole project is, in fact, one that belongs to everyone in the Northern Territory. The people there are on AWAs - dreadful things, are they not, minister? How can you - we cannot say the ‘h’ word because that has been ruled out of bounds, and I accept that Madam Speaker. However, if ever there was a level of ‘h’, it was in respect of the government’s position with the WorkChoices legislation. The depth of insincerity of the minister is staggering. The levels that he will go to, to advance a political agenda and a political message, know no bounds.
I was surprised that the minister is not as well informed on this legislation as he should be, but I understand the politics of it and I am sure it will not be the last motion we will see before - what, August, September, October, November. It will come up again. We will see all sorts of issues that are debated in the federal parliament make their way all the way up to the Northern Territory. We will see the stunts, the grandstanding and the scaremongering that members opposite thoroughly enjoy perpetrating.
It is an attempt to divert attention from a number of other issues that, very clearly, the government does not want to deal with. When one considers what, in fact, the level of insincerity is, it is insincere, overacted, disingenuous, and just a political stunt. Protections are provided and the minister did not refer to that. The minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. Let me say that again: the minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the rights of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements.
Madam Speaker, we do not support the motion, for obvious reasons but, no doubt, the government will continue to debate it.
Debate suspended.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I call on the member for Greatorex whom I have given leave to make a personal explanation.
Dr LIM (Greatorex)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I sought to make a personal explanation because of an article that was published in the Northern Territory News today which quoted that I said that the government had spent an additional $200m on Health department staff wages over the past six years.
What I did was actually on the run. I mentally calculated 200 extra bureaucrats recruited into the Health department since government took office in 2001, and estimated that the average wages would be in the order of $100 000 per person when oncosts are added. The result should have been $20m and not $200m.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I was not originally going to speak on this issue, but I have had a long think about it. I am not going to vote on it because, to some extent, what should be a reasonable debate about AWAs has been turned into the first cab off the rank in this year’s election campaign. The issue has been hijacked. We could be discussing something important without the extras that have been added to it.
Yesterday, when the minister read the advice from the Solicitor-General that the Commonwealth was overriding the Long Service Leave Act and, therefore, workers would lose their long service leave entitlements, I thought that is what the debate would be about. However, when the motion was put, there were four parts to it. The first leg deals with long service leave; the second calls for reinstatement of those entitlements; the third says we have ongoing concern about the Howard government’s legislation; and the last one says we should tell the President of the Senate and other people in the federal parliament about the motion.
Regardless of what side of politics you are on, you should always address the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister, not as ‘the Howard government’s WorkChoices legislation’. That sounds a bit cheap. You are basically asking …
Mr Henderson: Well, seek to amend it.
Mr WOOD: Yes, but you are basically telling the government that their legislation is unfair. I do not have an argument with whether you want to debate the WorkChoices legislation; I have some issues about it, and one of those has always being the unfair dismissal section of it. I have also been concerned about the protection of young people when they are employed. I do not mind debating those sorts of things, but I have problems with the process before us.
The letter that you gave us yesterday, minister, relates to advice given by Mr Nicholson on 21 November. I am not sure what date Mr Pauling sent this. It is 1 February, I presume, and the minister received it on 2 February, so the advice has been around for a while. I am not sure what the urgency of this motion is. Considering it is a legal document that requires a fair bit of thought and, in my case, I had to try to find advice on what this all means. I would have thought that notice could have been given yesterday and, maybe, we debate it next week to give us adequate time to deal with what is, when you start dragging in AWAs, pretty complex legislation. I gather the book on the legislation is about this thick. The process was a bit quick for adequate debate.
The minister said he had written to minister Joe Hockey asking for a reply. I would have thought the decent thing, then, would have been to wait for the minister’s reply. If the government did not accept the minister’s reply, let us have a debate. Then you could have said: ‘This is the federal government’s point of view; we do not accept that and we will have a debate accordingly’. That is what I would like to have seen.
The process has not been proper because the original concept was to deal with long service leave, then it developed into a big argument about AWAs and the WorkChoices legislation and, third, we did not wait for the minister’s reply, which would have been appropriate.
In saying all that, I have looked at this document several times and, although I am not a lawyer, I have read the first line on page 2. The Solicitor-General says:
May be I do not have the experience of some more learned people in here, but all that is saying is that if you trade off your long service leave for a financial benefit, you cannot argue the case for that long service leave under the Territory legislation. You have not lost your long service leave because you have traded it off for a standard hourly rate increase. So the way I read it is that this is purely a technicality because the Solicitor-General is saying it has been traded off for an hourly rate increase.
I would have thought you could trade off your long service leave under enterprise bargaining. That is not an uncommon thing. There has been a lot read into this that is not accurate or is an interpretation. If I am wrong, fair enough, but the way I read it is not the way that I understand the government is putting its case. Either way, I would prefer to hear what the Commonwealth has to say about your arguments that this will ‘take away from Territorians the statutory right to long service leave’. While that may be technically right, that is only being claimed if long service leave was the subject of an AWA where it was being traded off for a standard hourly rate. The way I read that, you actually have not lost anything.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, as it is the first time I have risen to speak on a substantive matter for these sittings, I acknowledge the Larrakia as the traditional owners of the land on which we meet.
WorkChoices legislation is the most fundamental attack on the family there has ever been in this country through legislation. Under WorkChoices, any time not spent at work is regarded as unproductive time. WorkChoices devalues people, devalues the personal, devalues the family.
WorkChoices has not been in very long and already it is destroying equality in the workforce. Professor David Peetz of Griffith University said on the ABC yesterday that his research shows that the gap between male and female pay is greatest for employees who are on Australian Workplace Agreements. Female hourly earnings are about 80% of male hourly earnings. For those of you who may not know, David Peetz is Professor of Industrial Relations at Griffith University and a Visiting Professor of the University of Bergen, Norway. I will take statistics and what he says as fact over and above the rantings and interruptions of those members of the opposition who do not wish to believe them because they are an inconvenient truth.
It is a good thing that we in this Assembly cannot be covered by AWAs, otherwise the members for Katherine and Araluen might have to identify with their female constituents in a very personal way. I say to them particularly: stand up and fight for Territory women. Go and chat to the ladies, Rachael and Ally, who run the NT Working Women’s Centre. I do. Let them tell you the experiences of the Territory’s working women that they hear on a daily basis. Sure, their clients are not, in the main, as educated as perhaps are the members for Araluen and Katherine. Sure, their conditions are certainly not as guaranteed, but they are real people with real families and they are really suffering under WorkChoices.
The member for Greatorex gives the appearance of being a great defender of the Territory. Who does he think is in the other category of greatest disadvantage under WorkChoices? Migrants, particularly migrants for whom English is a second language; migrants with low education; migrants who have come to Australia searching for a better way of life. Here is a hint for the member for Greatorex: stop spouting off about how clever you are at your doctors’ cocktail parties and soires, and go and learn about real battles faced by real migrant workers.
I can even give the member for Greatorex the number of Miguel Ociones, the LHMU’s Alice Springs organiser. He will put him in touch with some of the hard-working Alice Springs migrant community. Then the member for Greatorex will be able to hear about the issues they have with the unfairness of WorkChoices and AWAs.
The member for Blain likes to attack the argument in simplistic terms of left wing ideology. Somehow, it is Stalinist to believe that ordinary, average working families deserve fair pay and fair conditions of service. The only one in this Assembly arguing simplistic ideology is him. Why? Because he does not understand the legislation and its effects; I’ll bet he has not even read it. He does not want to understand it; it creates too many problems for him. It is he in this Assembly who is most like the sheep in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, faithfully bleating: ‘Four legs good; two legs bad’ without noticing the values underpinning the mantra have been swept aside.
Religious organisations across the country have come out against WorkChoices for the attack it is on families. Surely the member for Blain is not suggesting that the Australian Council of Churches is Leninist. Surely he, a prisoner trapped in some bygone era of a political cold war, can appreciate the fundamental absurdity of that notion.
The Leader of the Opposition pointed out that nowhere in the Workplace Relations Act does it specifically override long service leave provisions. She further said mere silence on the point is not enough, and, in my humble opinion, as far as she goes, that is right. I want to make a disclaimer at this point. I do not pretend to be any great legal mind, certainly not the great legal mind that the Leader of the Opposition is. I confess I struggle with the Workplace Relations Act. It is huge. For something meant to simplify life, the complete legislation is massive so I struggle through the provisions as best I can, and, like Isaac Newton, do my best to stand on the shoulders of other intellectual giants if only to see what they already do.
The Solicitor-General refers to section 17, so let us have a look and see what it says. I am looking at the version of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 reprinted on 31 March 2006 with amendments up to Act No 153 2005 and SLI 2006 No 52, Reprint 7, Volume 1 for sake of clarity.
Section 17(1):
If I refer to the Solicitor-General’s opinion, he states on page 2:
Workers of the Territory used to have a right to long service leave. That right has been taken away through the operation of this act. If an AWA removes it, it is removed. If something is optional, it is not a right that can be protected. This legislation, although it does not specifically say it, through its operation removes Territory workers’ right to long service leave. So without actually saying it, the act effectively allows an employer to disregard the Long Service Leave Act if it wishes to do so.
Madam Speaker, I know this government is not in favour of such an attack on families as this, but I wonder where the CLP stands on it. I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to publicly state that a CLP government would not attack long service leave and condemns any employer that does. I warn her, though, to do so will bring her into direct conflict with their Commonwealth representative, Dave Tollner, who has publicly on many occasions claimed to be one of the architects of this legislation. Explain that to young Territorians, to Territory women, to the Territory’s indigenous population, to the migrants who come to the Territory seeking a better, more open life than the one from which they have come. Explain this to all these groups who are undoubtedly left worse off by this legislation.
At Question Time today, the opposition tried to suggest that workers are better off on AWAs because wages are higher. The question has to be asked: are they just visiting the planet? What do they not get? Conditions of employment can only be given away once. The value of the financial gain is worn away over time. Ask the workers of the United States and New Zealand whether they would like to get back the entitlements they traded away. Ask workers in those countries working two jobs and still struggling to get above the poverty line whether they envy the working conditions of Australian workers. Have a look at the minimum hourly wage in the United States - I believe it is around $6 an hour, slightly more, slightly less - and compare that with Australia. Ask New Zealanders, who went through a similar process as this some time ago, how far their wages have increased in that time compared with Australian minimum wages and conditions.
I do not accept, as the CLP appears to, that two jobs each paying $5 an hour is better for employment than one job paying $10 an hour. It is creating working poverty in this country, not better productivity. It is an abysmal attack on all Australia’s hard-working families and Australian family life.
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr BURKE: I thank honourable members for their indulgence, and I will not be too much longer. I just want to return to a couple of points. Even though the CLP lambasted a professor of industrial relations and ridiculed him in some of their interjections, I want to return to some of the things he said because he makes reference to matters which sound very close to some of the suggestions the member for Blain was making.
He refers to minister Andrews last year and refutes some of the contentions made about AWAs and the real wages. Professor Peetz said:
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. I am not going to revisit the whole debate in my summing up, but I am very disappointed that the opposition is not going to support this motion. It certainly is, as I said in Question Time, a very sad day for this parliament when we cannot send a message to the federal government - all 25 of us - that we believe, as a Territory parliament, that the express will of the Territory people, through the Territory parliament, should stand supreme. That is a very sad day for this Assembly.
I suppose the die has been cast in terms of the Country Liberal Party’s attitude and, obviously, application if they were ever to win government in the Northern Territory, assuming the Commonwealth government’s WorkChoices legislation stays in place. Australians will have their say later this year. The Australian people always know best. If it was to come to pass that the Coalition was returned and the CLP was returned to office here in the Northern Territory and, subsequently, WorkChoices were still there, then, obviously flowing from debate today in this parliament, the CLP would be applying AWAs throughout the Northern Territory public sector. I suppose we are going to debate this issue many times.
The Leader of the Opposition kept talking about flexibility. Well, flexibility is code for cutting conditions and entitlements. We have spoken about long service leave explicitly here today. Annual leave, study leave, electricity subsidies, rental subsidies - there are all sorts of allowances embedded in existing enterprise agreements with Territory public sector workers, whether they be police, nurses, teachers, Power and Water, the general public sector, or the various professional classifications. There is any number of entitlements and conditions embedded throughout all of those. They are all up for grabs under a potential CLP government and their application of AWAs here in the Northern Territory.
There is one thing that the member for Blain said that I agree with. He said: ‘I do not believe in class warfare’. I totally agree with him. I do not believe that there is any such thing as a class structure in Australia anyway. However, it is not about class warfare; it is about ideology.
As the member for Nhulunbuy so eloquently said, when the Prime Minister of this country first entered the federal parliament he brought with him an inherent political ambition to crush the unions and organised workers in Australia, and he will take that when he leaves. The tragedy is that he used the accident of the federal election results in 2004 that delivered a Senate majority to the Coalition to implement his ideology on the Australian people.
I am absolutely convinced, Madam Speaker, that if he had taken WorkChoices as part of a package to the people in the lead-up to the 2004 election, he certainly would not have won a Senate majority. I am absolutely convinced of that. Whether they would have won government, given the climate of the day on terrorism and all of the other issues that were running, maybe they would have got back to government federally but I do not believe Australians would have given them a Senate majority. Australians will have their say at the next federal election.
We talk a lot about lifestyle in this parliament and, as the member for Brennan was saying, this is an attack on Territory families. Thirteen weeks leave after 10 years employment with a single employer buys you a heck of a lot of lifestyle. Every time the CLP talks about lifestyle in the Northern Territory, I, for one, will be reminding Territorians that they believe that Territorians do not deserve the inherent right to long service leave and 13 weeks’ worth of paid leave after 10 years of service and pro rata leave. As I said, that buys a lot of lifestyle.
There was talk under the old system that you could increase or trade out the long service leave provisions. We said that we agree with that, but only under a no disadvantage test administered through the Australian Industrial Relations Commission that very conclusively showed that, if such award amendment or agreement was put up for ratification, the employee would be better off, not worse off. That is the key to this. Under WorkChoices, employers can offer AWAs that seek to extinguish the right to long service leave altogether, and the Commonwealth act presides over the Territory law. As the member for Brennan said, the right of all Territorians to long service leave has been taken away.
The member for Nelson talked about this issue being rushed and that there is not enough time to consider it. Again, with due respect to the member for Nelson, I would have thought that this is a pretty easy question about whether he believes that this parliament has the inherent right - and should have the inherent right - on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory whose law should stand supreme over the Commonwealth. He has quite clearly stated today that he needs more time to consider that. I find that very strange. What is the point of being here? What is the point of being here if you do not believe that this parliament should expressly, through the people of the Northern Territory, determine the laws of the Northern Territory? I find that the member for Nelson needing more time to come to grips with that fundamental principle, and that he cannot vote on this because he has not had enough time, quite extraordinary.
Regarding the strength of the legal advice - and, like the member for Nelson, I am quite happy to say I am not a lawyer and I do not have the greatest educational qualifications, but I have been around long enough to read a piece of advice and it is very clear to me what it actually says.
His other comments were about the third point of the motion that we have before us where we talk about the ongoing concern about WorkChoices legislation, and that it is unfair. If he wants to put a motion to amend or delete it, for the sake of the first three points of the motion, I would probably have been prepared to support it. However, I believe he is just using the fourth point to duck and squib a fundamental issue about the right of Territorians to long service leave.
With those comments, Madam Speaker, I am disappointed that this parliament, in a unanimous fashion, cannot send this motion to Canberra with all 25 of us stating very clearly that we believe the expressed will of the people of the Northern Territory should stand supreme over Commonwealth law. It is a sad day. I thank members for their contributions.
Motion agreed to.
Continued from 18 August 2006.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I will say this for the record: I had a discussion with the Attorney-General earlier this week. He asked me whether we were going to oppose any legislation. I said to him ‘No’, but when I gave him that answer, I was not aware that the Business Names Act would be debated at these sittings.
The Attorney-General will remember that it was held over from the last sittings, and not having received any indication to the contrary, I assumed that it would not be dealt with at all during these sittings. I apologise for saying that there would be no difficulties with the legislation that we would be dealing with. I was aware of difficulties with the Business Names Act and I understood that discussions were proceeding between government and the Chamber of Commerce.
Having said that, the relevant parts of the bill are opposed for reasons which I am sure the Attorney-General will understand and appreciate if he has been privy to any of the discussions with the business community and, as I understand it, the Chamber of Commerce.
The bill has two main consequences which have been the subject of great discussion around the Territory for business. One of them is the cost of registering business names. The second consequence is business people will need to bear the burden of proof when it comes to, on the face of it, contravening sections of the bill to become an act in due course. I will deal with both of those sections separately.
The former CLP government, I believe it was under Shane Stone, went out of its way to make the registration of business names a free service provided by the Northern Territory government, a free service. This legislation seeks to change that. It is also imposing …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Just to clarify for the Leader of the Opposition, this reintroduction of the fee system has absolutely nothing to do with this bill. That is something that was already passed. The current act allows fees, as does this bill. It does not go to this legislation at all. That is all right, talk about that, but do not confuse this legislation with fees.
Ms CARNEY: Yes, you are right. I did not put it correctly. There is also a consequence of this bill in relation to the maintenance of business names. The Attorney-General will, I am sure, agree that the effect of this bill is that, as I understand it, if a business name is not, for the want of a better word, used within a particular period of time then the business name is withdrawn or lapses. It seems from information that I have received from representatives of the business community, certainly as they perceive it, that there is an overly bureaucratic process in place. It dovetails into the introduction of fees. In other words, instead of making things easy and expeditious for business, this government is making it harder with this legislation and, indeed, some other legislation in the past, and as I understand it, further bills that will come before the parliament in the next 12 months.
The worst thing about this bill, and certainly the most significant, is the change of the burden of proof in a sense. This bill provides that if a corporation commits an offence against the act, each of the executive officers of the corporation commits an offence and is liable to the same penalty for the offence as an individual. Subsection 2 details the defence available to an executive officer. In the current act, any prosecution in relation to a breach of the act must prove that the executive member knowingly was involved in the commission of an offence. In the new model, if the business commits an offence, then the whole of the executive is deemed to have committed the offence unless they prove otherwise. That is a significant difference. In a practical sense, it means that it is up to a person to demonstrate to a court why he or she should not be found guilty of an offence which, in turn, means that they have to bear the expense and trouble of proving their innocence. That has been a worry for the business community, and seen in conjunction with the imposition of fees and the fact that business names will lapse if they are not used within a couple of months has caused a great deal of concern.
On the basis of my information, at least, the reason that this bill did not proceed last time round was that there were discussions under way - the Attorney-General can correct me when he is on his feet if the information I have is incorrect - between the Chamber of Commerce and government because there was a high level of dissatisfaction with the contents of the bill. Not all of the bill, obviously; I have just picked up a couple of the issues that the business community has raised with us. We, therefore, had something of an expectation that there might be some amendments before us but, clearly, that is not the case.
What is the nett effect of this bill? It is to make it more difficult for business. That is an interesting outcome given the way in which this government declares its undying love for the business community. Those parts of the bill that are not objectionable, obviously speak for themselves. I wonder whether the Attorney-General can say in his reply if he has met with representatives from the business community and if he is prepared to indicate whether the difficulties that they had with it some time ago have been alleviated. They may have been talked down, I will accept that, but the absence of amendments suggests that there is evidence there is no change.
Madam Speaker, in any event, I look forward to the Attorney-General’s response which, of course, we will send to relevant representatives of the business community.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I get the impression that the member for Araluen lives in a very harsh and cruel world. She thinks that the absence of amendment means that some party that may have had some differences with this legislation has been talked down. There are other ways to come to agreement without talking the other party down; that is, clarity, understanding, explanation, and people finishing up with a more thorough understanding of the legislation than they may have had in the first place.
That is not talking people or parties down; it is simply going through a process of communication and an exchange of views and facts. I wonder sometimes about the world in which the member for Araluen lives. There are winners and losers in her world and one party wins because it is able to talk the other party down. The real world, thankfully, does not work like that; there is a facilitation and exchange of ideas and views. However, I do thank the member for Araluen for her contribution.
The bill does rework all aspects of business name regulation and, contrary to her view that it makes it more difficult, it is, in fact, easier for everyone to access and for business to comply with. Government recognises the need for accessible legislation that is relevant, up-to-date and understandable. This Business Names Bill repeals the current Business Names Act and replaces it with far more modern legislation. The essence of the act remains unchanged. Registration, renewal, use, and display of business names all remain the same but are reworded for ease of use.
The bill also removes a costly requirement for some businesses and that is the ‘resident agent’ rule whereby interstate companies had to engage someone to effectively act as their mail box in the Northern Territory. With modern communication, and a secure mail system in Australia, the requirement was archaic and has been removed.
The bill also removes the statutory position of Registrar of Business Names and replaces it with the Commissioner of Consumer Affairs. It is a good fit with the commissioner’s role. In substance, the bill does not change the day-to-day operation of the Business Names Act, but it does set out requirements in a step-by-step, easy-to-use format. It abolishes the requirement for the resident agent providing the business can lodge and amend its own registrations directly. It updates penalties and revises them into units. It provides that the commissioner can approve forms rather than require approval through regulation. It provides the statute law revision changes such as removal of gender-specific wording, and removal of spent transitional provisions. It shifts the onus of providing justification for a breach of the act on to corporations, and consequential amendments are also made to several acts.
In relation to the difference between the current act and this bill in shifting the onus of proof in legal proceedings under the act, if a corporation commits an offence against the act, its executive officers are also liable unless they can show they could not have reasonably known of the breach or they exercised due diligence to prevent the breach. The current act requires the officers to have knowledge of the breach.
The bill also provides for prosecution of executive officers separate from the company. Many of the provisions in the current act are unchanged since the 1960s and they reflect the corporate thinking of the 1960s. The concepts of corporate governance and responsibility have shifted enormously in 40-plus years. These changes reflect corporate law norms across Australia. They are accepted as normal business practice. I note that the provision, to my knowledge and after investigation by the department, has not been used to date.
I will just give an example of that. If the director of a company instructed an employee to renew the business registration and signed the paperwork for that to be achieved and received advice from the employee that the registration had been lodged, the director would have a defence under this legislation if the employee had failed to lodge the document.
If we take a second case, a hypothetical gymnasium operating in the Northern Territory under a registered business name: a new company comes along and uses the same name but does not register. Business Affairs can now prosecute that company by simply proving that the name is unregistered. The onus of proof is placed on the unregistered trader to show they have a defence. At the moment, Business Affairs would have to prove that the company knew that they were trading with an unregistered business name.
So it provides added protection for those legitimately registered businesses in the Northern Territory by ensuring that Business Affairs has realistic powers to prosecute companies for such breaches of the act.
Business asked for an opportunity to comment on this bill, which was provided, and this might have been some of the information the member for Araluen was talking about. Letters were sent to the main resident agents in the Northern Territory about the abolition of that role, and no concerns were raised. The proposed bill was provided across a range of law and legal firms across the Territory. Officers from the Department of Justice and members of my office also met with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss various issues and some concerns that were brought forward by the Chamber of Commerce. A copy of the bill was placed on the Consumer and Business Support website for general public comment. No concerns were raised.
I did pick up the member for Araluen on the matter of the reintroduction of the fee system having nothing to do with this bill. That was announced last May and introduced last July, well before work on this bill commenced. This current legislation allows for fees, as does this bill. Very low fees have been introduced after Consumer and Business Affairs found the Northern Territory became a haven for unethical and anti-competitive practices. Because they did not have to pay for a name, some operators were registering names to stop competitors from being able to accurately and positively describe their business with the use of a particular name. There is some evidence also that people were hoarding names and attempting to sell them to genuine operators who wanted to use the name at wildly inflated prices. Those practices are simply not good for business in the Territory and acted as a hurdle for genuine business people to commence and continue business here.
I might mention that the fees that have been imposed are very much lower than elsewhere in Australia. It costs $60 up-front to register a business name, and $50 over three years for the renewal. The registration period is three years for $50, but $60 up-front and then $50 for three years. Now, if the business name is not renewed at the end of the three years that registered name lapses and that is the same as the current legislation. It is not a question of whether the business name has been used; it is simply a process of renewing the registration at the end of the three year period.
You would hardly call it a revenue raising exercise when it costs not very much. It is less than $20 a year anyway. If it is three, it is below $18, isn’t it? It is $18.50 or something. So you could not call it a revenue raising exercise, a little over $18 a year, but it will dissuade unethical operators that it is not worth registering dozens and dozens of names to block the market in the hope that you might get a windfall profit because you have a popular name that some business may otherwise want to use.
There is some evidence already that fewer names are being registered, which suggests that people are deciding that if they are not going to use that name, they will not reregister it. We think that is healthy and it will free up possibly trade or business names that companies may want to use to describe exactly what they do in the marketplace.
I thank the member for Araluen for her comments. It really is an update with that one change of reversal of onus of proof. Those examples show that it adds protection all round. It is quite straightforward. It is not a complicated process to understand, and it gives the agency greater powers to protect those businesses operating legitimately and, more importantly, greater powers to pick up those which are not.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General)(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 11 October 2006.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s important statement in which she updated the House last October about the Northern Territory’s public transport system.
As the minister stated:
I, and I know this applies to my Labor colleagues, am very proud to be part of the Martin Labor government, which has committed a massive $24.3m this financial year alone to foster and develop our vitally important public transport network.
Public transport, particularly buses, takes the pressure off commuters to use private vehicles. The value of using a bus is a very wise choice in this day of increased fuel and motor vehicle running costs. It can lead to very significant and realistic savings in a family’s cost of living expenses as well. The more people who use public transport, the better the traffic flow, the less wear and tear on our roads infrastructure, and it also helps to defer expenditure on road work maintenance and capacity upgrading. I know some of these individually only have slight impacts, but they are nonetheless important as part of the overall impact on our lifestyle.
Using buses instead of the family car also helps people feel that they are doing something meaningful and worthwhile to help reduce the Territory’s greenhouse gas emission levels. Every time the car is left at home and the public bus is used instead, there is one less car spewing out greenhouse gas emissions at any point in time. A mass of individuals doing this is clearly better for the environment.
Of course, the Martin Labor government is taking an integrated approach to tackling global warming through our comprehensive Greenhouse Strategy. I was very excited to hear the minister declare that she hopes to see the use of renewable, environmentally friendly, green fuels used on our bus network in the near future. I look forward to updates.
The government-provided school bus service means that parents know their children are getting to school safely. It also helps our senior Territorians become more mobile and better able to live active and engaging lifestyles.
Palmerston and the rural area surrounding Darwin are acknowledged as the fastest growing areas in the Territory. New estate developments are rapidly being developed and released, particularly in the Humpty Doo and Herbert areas in my electorate of Goyder. The demand for these rural blocks is strong as more and more families come to realise the intrinsic value of raising their children in the rural area. To meet this growth, the government is looking at how to facilitate public transport in the rural areas as well as the urban areas. That is why the minister spoke at length about bus schedule reviews, targeting the services where they are most needed, new and better value for money fare structures, and improved bus contracts.
As part of the Labor government’s continuing strategy to ensure strong and sustainable economic growth for all Territorians, and to facilitate the full enjoyment of our lifestyle that is the best in Australia, this government is committed to delivering affordable public transport. As the minister said, our fares are probably the lowest in the country.
Rural residents are already benefiting from the Martin Labor government’s new family orientated fare structure. In addition to unlimited three hours of bus travel for just $2 full fare and 50 concession fare, our rural constituents are also benefiting from the reduced cost of weekly fares, now down to $15. Furthermore, this $15 covers the full seven day week rather than previous five day fare structure. As the minister stated: ‘This is a great outcome for bus commuters particularly our pensioners and those Territorians on concessions’. As a local Labor MLA who cares about the welfare of his constituents, this is another example that shows we are a responsible government, as we continue to assist families and senior Territorians across the board.
In the rural area, we know more than most how the added cost of fuel is having a significant impact on our work choices as well as our social choices. The new cheaper and simplified bus fare structure is just another way that this Labor government is helping to make Territorians’ lifestyle even better. As I said before, increasing bus use by all Territorians also helps free up peak period traffic congestion.
I was particularly pleased to hear the minister announce the construction of the new bicycle enclosures at Palmerston and Casuarina bus interchanges. I am also aware there is a proposal to construct another bicycle enclosure on the Mandorah side of the harbour. This will provide a safe facility for the Cox Peninsula cyclists who commute to Darwin using the Mandorah ferry within my electorate. I have also written to the minister asking for consideration to be given to erecting small bike racks at future rural bus shelters. I understand the department is looking into this matter.
Another important transport initiative is the Martin Labor government’s funding of free bus services for a good number of public events. In the rural area, free buses encourage our urban cousins to come out and enjoy our great Freds Pass Rural Show. Conversely, services from the rural area are provided free of charge to attend events like the Starlight Special New Year’s Eve Spectacular and the V8 Supercars. As the minister told us in her speech, these popular bus services also have the added benefit of reducing traffic and parking congestion, as well as providing a safe way home. This is a good, people-orientated government acting in a socially responsible manner.
As my rural constituents are aware, for most of 2005 I personally fought hard to get more and expanded bus services to the rural area. I was thrilled when the Martin Labor government delivered on this important election commitment to rural Territorians. In fact, it was with great pride that in November 2005 I rode the first mid-morning bus of the then new rural bus run 440. We travelled from Palmerston interchange along the Stuart Highway to Virginia, Bees Creek, then again along the Stuart Highway to past Noonamah, where we turned left into Elizabeth Valley Road then left into Redcliffe Road and on to the Humpty Doo shops. That was not the end of the journey through our rural hinterland, as the bus returned to Palmerston via the Arnhem and Stuart Highways respectively.
I hopped off the bus before it immediately returned to Humpty Doo, again by the more direct Stuart and Arnhem Highways. A second mid-afternoon 440 run operates as well. Noonamah and Humpty Doo are now serviced by four mid-day bus runs to Palmerston and two mid-day runs from Humpty Doo to Palmerston, all now on weekdays and Saturdays including school holiday periods. Thanks to the Martin Labor government, this has opened up a whole new world for our rural Territorians. At the same time, the existing runs of 445, 446, 447 and 450 are now also running on Saturdays and through the school holidays.
In this time of rising fuel prices, a surge in rural estate developments, extended rural bus services are clearly very welcome additions to our rural lifestyle. They are great for the safety of our kids who need to travel to and from Palmerston and beyond during the school holidays and on Saturdays. They now enable our rural seniors out at Humpty Doo to go to Palmerston, and even the city, on weekends and Saturdays, as well as enabling them to catch a return bus in the middle of the day. No longer is a trip to Palmerston a full day affair.
I must point out that all the rural routes are very scenic indeed and tourists and family visitors to Darwin can now travel by bus to Palmerston and then catch any of the 400 series rural bus runs through the rural hinterland to get a scenic taste of our rural Top End countryside. This would have to be the best and cheapest way to see the heartland of our fabulous rural area while enjoying a relaxing bus journey on a very limited budget. I encourage all Darwin residents to take their visiting families on this trip and start spreading the word. I hope my Darwin-based parliamentary colleagues can also take advantage of this fabulous service to show off one of the best and most pleasant parts of the Territory. Of course, I am a little biased in that respect.
The most pleasing aspect of the rural bus runs is that these services continue to be well patronised, and many of our rural Territorians have come to rely on these services. This was a good, socially responsible initiative by the Martin Labor government. I have a stall every second week at Humpty Doo and one of my constituents came along and proudly announced that they had just sold their car. He was an elderly chap and was a little dangerous in the way he drove at times. Just to hear him say that he was selling his car after I had been humbugging him about this for a little while was great news. He said it with pride and he was really pleased about it. There are some really nice little anecdotes arising from our programs.
Not content with what has been delivered in the rural area, I am keeping myself very much involved and informed on what work is being done by the department to look at options for increasing the rural bus services well into the future. This government continues to recognise that school buses are an integral part of our transport system. Thanks to the Martin Labor government, we continue to have an extensive system of dedicated school transport services operating across the greater Darwin area. The member for Daly and I have been working hard with the minister and her department to ensure that school communities and the department actively engage each other to deliver school bus services that best match the community needs and the bus service capabilities.
An important part of our rural school bus services is the new school bus interchange at Humpty Doo, which was completed in 2006, and the newly completed school bus interchange at the Cox Peninsula Road turn-off which I understand has just started operating this week. Both of these great Martin Labor government projects go a long way to ensuring the safety of our rural schoolchildren as they transfer from one bus to another on their often lengthy journeys to and from school.
There has been much discussion during these parliamentary sittings about the rural bus shelters. I would like to report one success story using one of the bus shelters which was stored at Freds Pass Reserve. The reason I can claim this as a success is because it involved getting it installed on the Cox Peninsula Road which happens to be a Northern Territory government road and not a council road. Incidentally, this says a lot about where the problem of getting bus shelters in the rural area lies. The Berry Springs School lobbied me to get a bus shelter on the southern side of Cox Peninsula Road at the Berry Springs shop. It was really a dangerous spot, particularly during the rainy periods …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ring the bells.
There being a quorum present, we will continue.
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will repeat this paragraph because it was interrupted.
There has been much discussion during these parliamentary sittings about the rural bus shelters. I would like to report one success story using one of the bus shelters that was stored at Freds Pass Reserve. The reason I can claim this was a success is because it involved getting it installed on the Cox Peninsula Road, which happens to be a Northern Territory government road and not a council road.
The Berry Springs School Council lobbied me for a bus shelter on the southern side of Cox Peninsula Road at the Berry Springs shops. It was a really dangerous spot particularly during rainy periods. The school kids were sheltering across the road at the garage and this meant that they were running across the busy road to catch their school bus when it arrived. After I approached the minister, the department came to the rescue, and quickly installed a concrete shelter, complete with seats and a full concrete slab floor. I now take great pride as I drive to work in the mornings and see these kids sheltering from the elements and knowing that I have been able to ensure their safety. Let us hope the council will soon ensure that the remainder of these shelters currently stored at Freds Pass Reserve are put on the council roads in the near future.
While I am on the subject of school buses, I am very pleased to hear the minister outline how this government has spent $1.7m on procuring an additional 10 buses needed to cater for the changed transport needs as a result of middle schooling requirements.
In answer to my question today, I applaud the minister for upping this to 12 buses and by all reports the current rural bus service has made a very smooth transition to the changed conditions. It is due to good departmental planning and school community engagement that this has occurred. I am especially proud that this government is on top of school bus needs and pleased to report that an extra bus has been put on to service Taminmin High School as a result of higher than expected enrolments as the minister outlined in Question Time.
As I near the completion of my supporting statement, I must make mention that the Martin Labor government supports the Mandorah ferry service. This service ensures my Cox Peninsula commuters get safely to and from Darwin. As the minister correctly pointed out, the Mandorah ferry service is a commercial operation but the government does provide a very significant subsidy to ensure that ferry operators provide core services including free school travel for Cox Peninsula school children.
Mr Deputy Speaker, it is great to be a Labor MLA in the Territory and to be able to get up in parliament and talk in an upbeat manner about how this government is at the helm in charge of a strong, growing and sustainable Territory economy across all departments. The minister’s statement is clear evidence of this. I commend the minister for this important update.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this statement. With all due respect to the minister, it is probably not one of the most exciting topics we debate in this House. For many thousands of Territorians it is a very important service and, as minister for education, getting kids to school is a responsibility that we as a government work hard to achieve.
I commend DPI and DEET for the work they did in planning the school bus services for the beginning of the 2007 school year. It was the biggest movement of students from an existing school system to a new school system that the Territory has ever seen. The time frames were really tight and the DPI and the DEET staff who worked very hard in planning the new network and services for the beginning of the 2007 year deserve this House’s commendation as it has gone very smoothly.
The minister stated that there were 12 new buses into the service in Darwin across 11 new routes; two additional buses in Alice Springs; and new route maps and timetables were made available to schools for parents and students. All of that information is on the DPI website. We have also introduced Transport Safety Officers monitoring Casuarina and Palmerston bus exchanges. All of us as members in the northern suburbs know that there have been issues and incidents of assaults at Casuarina Bus Exchange and I believe at Palmerston as well. Our local members from Palmerston have been articulating the need for improved safety at those bus exchanges. It is not new: kids have been fighting each other in various sorts of groupings that get together at school for many years. It is good that those Transport Safety Officers are there now, and things have certainly quietened down. I have seen them do the work that they do. It is a good initiative and I commend the minister for doing that. The advice I have had is that there were only a few minor issues identified in the first three days, and all school children affected are now able to catch a bus to and from school. To my colleague, the minister, it is a great result, well done.
I would like to quickly mention an election commitment that we made that relates to my electorate, which was to put new bus routes on for our seniors at our retirement villages across Darwin. That commitment has been honoured. For the Leanyer Seniors Village, there is a bus that goes there a couple of times a week and enables the people who live in the village to get to hospital, government offices, and major shopping centres. It has really become part of their little community in Leanyer. They now have the safety and ease of getting on a bus and doing their business without having to walk a long distance to a public bus stop and then have to change buses at Casuarina and use an extensive network. That route was negotiated with the residents and it is great to see that that election commitment has been honoured by this government.
With those few words, I wanted to take the opportunity as the minister for Education to congratulate all officers involved with the timetabling and planning for the new school year. There were massive changes in Darwin and in Alice Springs. It has all gone very well, and those public servants deserve this House’s commendation.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I did not doubt the minister’s sincerity when she said she is focused on providing a high level service across the public transport network. Despite the fact that it might not be a very glamorous topic, it is a very important one for thousands of people who utilise public transport.
An effective and efficient public transport system is crucial to workers leaving their vehicles at home to travel to their places of employment, and it is very important in providing mobility to people who are unable to afford a vehicle, or choose not to have one, and for our ageing population who have no access to a vehicle.
The minister announced in March 2006 that the public bus system had been revamped. I am sure that commuters were very pleased and relieved to hear that. However, what has become evident is that there are some very serious flaws in the delivery of service timetables, particularly to residents of Palmerston. To support the frustration being experienced by Palmerston commuters, I wish to read into Hansard a communication I received which very adequately describes the problem. I do this not just on behalf of Palmerston residents. This person has been trying to contact the department, and found that she has not got anywhere. She has gone through the correct channels and she contacted me because she was entirely frustrated. Hopefully, the minister will take some action to ensure that public transport timetables are running efficiently and effectively. I quote:
There has also been much toing and froing in the media between your department, minister, and the councils which have responsibility for the maintenance of bus shelters. You are the one person who sits in this Assembly who does not mind repeating over and over, ‘take the politics out of it’. This is an instance of where the comfort and protection of the public transport system users should be taken into account and not political argy bargy, especially for our school children. So get the bus shelters to where they should be, at bus stops and not stacked up disused in a storage area somewhere.
I turn now to another sector of public transport, that is, taxis and particularly the regulations n drivers holding access cards. I have had many representations over the last three years from drivers who are fully aware of other drivers holding access cards. There is legislation in place that says that this is definitely against the law, but it is still happening. I want to know if the minister can tell me how it is being regulated and how it can be regulated further. Any inquiries that people who have contacted me have made have fallen on deaf ears. It is a little more rampant than you think and it needs to be curbed. I would like to know how that regulation is policed.
While I am on the subject of taxis, minister, concessions are given to owners when they purchase a vehicle which will carry a wheelchair or have disabled access. How are those vehicles policed to ensure that a percentage of the passengers they carry are disabled? Those people receive that concession purely so that they can provide a transport for disabled people. In some instances, that is being abused where they do not take into consideration a disabled person and look at where they can make a better fare, a longer fare, and make more money out of it. How is that policed?
While we are talking about buses and public transport, it was interesting to listen to your answer in Question Time about school buses and that everything is really hunky-dory. That is true, that is good; the bus drivers have done a reasonably good job. However, you failed to mention that there was one school on the first day, or it may have even been the second day, in Darwin whose children were left stranded because there was no bus. They tried for 20 minutes non-stop to get your department to find out where the bus was because the school was left waiting. I have followed that up and they said that it was taken care of the next day. It was interesting to hear that everything is all nice and rosy, but you do not tell us everything and be 100% truthful.
As you are the minister for Transport, I also want to talk to you about Tiger Brennan Drive. Last year on 31 August, the federal minister Lloyd wrote to the previous Minister for Infrastructure and Transport regarding funding for Tiger Brennan Drive, which has been the subject of debate in this Assembly. Then, it was reported inaccurately in the NT News. It was reported inaccurately! I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record the letter that was received from minister Lloyd dated 31 August 2006. It was addressed to Hon Dr Chris Burns MP, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure:
My question to you, minister for Transport, is: have you provided the federal government with an updated project, an updated design and budget for that project, and can you tell the parliament exactly what the cost of that updated project is going to be, and if the Northern Territory government is going to go ahead and meet its requirements of 50% funding for that Tiger Brennan Drive? It has been a bone of contention for commuters around Darwin for some time. l seek leave to table this letter.
Leave granted.
Mrs MILLER: Thank you. I also want to continue with roads because the minister spends a fair bit of time criticising the federal government for not giving money for roads and saying that they need to give more money for roads. The opportunity was there, the offer was there, and the arrangement with the federal government with this is that it is 50-50. It is a dollar-for-dollar. Just recently, the Outback Highway received funding from the federal government which the Territory government did not meet that commitment by the federal government by, I think, $740 000 which means in effect there is $1.5m that the Northern Territory cannot be spending on its roads. That was given to the Western Australian government so they can spend on their section of the Outback Highway. So, it is rich of you, minister, to say that the federal government should be doing their part when …
Ms Lawrie: Come in, spinner.
Mrs MILLER: Oh no, you are coming in spinner well and truly now. You in effect handed that money to the Western Australian government when you should have had that committed to our outback roads for our cattle producers and pastoralists who have so much damage done to their vehicles and to the stock vehicles which travel those roads. From now on, I do not want to hear you whinging about the federal government not putting any money towards your roads.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement, in particular to talk about lifestyle and families. The public transport system provides the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory a certain lifestyle which we do not see in other parts of the country. In my electorate, you can catch a bus and be at Casuarina in less than 10 minutes. You can catch a bus and be in Darwin in less than 15 to 20 minutes. It is a fantastic service and it has been a long-standing service. I heard the member for Goyder talk about particular bus routes and in my area the famous No 4 and No 10 bus routes service the people of Millner, Coconut Grove and Nightcliff and all the way into town from Casuarina without naming every suburb.
I know that the current minister and former ministers of this government have made a fantastic attempt to ensure that our public transport is as good as anywhere in the world. The reason is that the Labor government is committed to providing a service for all Territorians, from the battlers to those who are environmentally conscious.
The minister mentioned the roll out of the Transport Safety Officers on our bus network. Over the last 12 months there has been an issue of antisocial behaviour at our bus terminals and on our buses. This government has reacted and provided Transport Safety Officers as of last November, I believe. They are full-time employees with the public transport system. They have statutory powers to remove troublesome passengers from buses or prohibit them from boarding. They also work with the police where required, and a protocol has been put in place to ensure Transport Safety Officers receive priority assistance from the police. Again, this is an example of government responding to the public’s concern about antisocial behaviour. It is about getting different departments to work together.
Unlike the CLP, we do work with our trade union movement. Some of the great work that this minister has done was with the Transport Workers Union. They worked closely with the minister and this government to develop this initiative. We have seen a fantastic response from the reports that I have received and the reports that the minister has given on a number of occasions, and this has ensured that the incidence of antisocial behaviour has decreased at the interchanges and on buses.
One of the other issues in my area about which I have made contact with the minister’s office is service to the military bases. The minister made specific mention of Robertson Barracks, but we also provide a service to the people at the RAAF Base. I am looking at the $100 000 that we have budgeted to begin a service, as a trial, which includes the military families not only in Robertson Barracks, but throughout the Palmerston and Darwin areas, which includes my electorate.
The minister and former minister participated in the process of the timetable changes, and they have reported on a number of occasions the hard work that went into ensuring that these changes were as efficient and least disruptive as possible to the people who use this service. Any major change like this to any service provided to the public always has the danger of causing disruption. Through my office, and it is the case for other members of this government, disruption has been minimal, which is fantastic.
One of the big issues in my electorate has been transport to town camps. I have made representations to the minister about town camps in my area, but also across Darwin. The minister, in conjunction with the local schools, was able to form a partnership with the indigenous communities based in Minmarama and Kulaluk. I suppose Minmarama would have a population of about 60 to 70 people, and Kulaluk, anywhere between 100 and 130 people. One of the major issues was that these communities are of the lower income earning group and transport to Millner School is over a number of major arterial roads, including Dick Ward Drive and Bagot Road, and is difficult for parents who do not have access to transport. This made it difficult for kids to get to school.
In Question Time, the minister mentioned the increase in numbers of kids attending, and the fact that the attendance level from these communities which was around 12 enrolments as of December last year has increased to 28 on the first day of school in 2007. So what we are talking about is another 16 children of indigenous background living in these town camps who have an opportunity to get at least minimum primary school level education. Once they are at school, we are looking forward to getting them into secondary education. These 16 people will turn into 16 families, hopefully, and these 16 families will continue to contribute to the Territory lifestyle that we know.
These are the little things that we as members of parliament fight for, and these are the little things that were not happening before we came to government. We all do a hard job here as politicians and we often get criticised for the things that we do not do. Often we do not get congratulated enough for the things that we do do. As the local member, I can advocate this to the minister. It is up to the minister to act upon this advocacy. I would like to thank her and previous ministers, the Education minister and the local school principal, Terry Quong, and Mrs Margaret Moon, who has been fantastic in ensuring that these kids feel welcome. I understand, from talking to the principal last week, that they are unbelievably grateful for this initiative and look forward to it working for years to come.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I turn to the issue of middle schools. The Education minister touched on it briefly, but the reality is that when any government takes on such a radical and overwhelming change for the better in terms of the policy of delivering education to our kids, there is a matter of logistics in pulling it off. The fact that we have not had any major transport issues in terms of middle schools since the start of the year is a fantastic commendation for the work of both the Transport and Education ministers. Members of the Labor Caucus raised this as one of the major hurdles to the smooth implementation of this policy change.
To be honest, we have not seen any highlighted disgruntlement from the general community. We have not seen any media negativity on this issue from the Northern Territory News, Channel 9 or other services. As a member of parliament, when you make these decisions, unfortunately you always have to think about what the consequences could be, both positive and negative. We chose to do it because it will benefit all children in the Northern Territory.
The Transport and Education ministers are to be congratulated for a smooth transition to the new timetable for moving kids around the northern suburbs and through the rest of the Northern Territory. The Transport minister will no doubt talk about numbers in her summary of the actual funding. From information provided by her office, my understanding is that in the CLP’s last transport budget in 2001-02, $19m was spent. In our transport budget for 2006-07, we spent $37.4m. That is a fantastic achievement for the former minister, the current minister, the Cabinet. As a team, we have identified that the battlers and the families of the Northern Territory need our support.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the statement to the House, and I thank the minister for her work.
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution to the Urban Public Transport statement. I particularly thank my colleagues who have embraced the challenges of public transport with enthusiasm and provided very important feedback to me on specific needs in their electorates. I have been pleased to be able to respond positively to those needs.
Since last speaking on this statement, there have been a number of developments in our bus services. One of those I would like to highlight, and I know the member for Wanguri has, is the roll-out of Transport Safety Officers on our bus network. This is a new initiative. The government acknowledged the need for our bus drivers and the general public to be safe on our public transport system. We committed to introducing Transport Safety Officers, and I was pleased to see them start the job in November of last year.
The key role of the Transport Safety Officers is to provide assistance and appropriate action where necessary in response to any incidents or reports of unruly behaviour on buses or at the interchanges. This is a major step of providing appropriately trained officers to assist drivers and passengers in addressing antisocial behaviour. They are full-time employees of the public transport system and have statutory powers to remove troublesome passengers from buses or prohibit them from boarding. They also work with the police where required and a protocol has been put in place to ensure Transport Safety Officers receive priority assistance from police.
The government worked with bus drivers and the Transport Workers Union to develop this initiative. Reports from bus drivers, bus contractors and the TWU all indicate that since the TSOs commenced, the level of antisocial incidents on our bus network, including at our interchanges, has reduced. The proactive approach of the Transport Safety Officers appears to be heading off the trouble before it starts. Examples of this are moving non-bus passengers away from loitering at the bus stops and interchanges; randomly travelling on buses and talking with passengers; timely response to calls for assistance from drivers; and addressing school children on buses to settle their behaviour.
The relationship between police and Transport Safety Officers is developing well with information flowing both ways regarding potential hot spots. The Transport Safety Officer initiative has been welcomed and has been successful. I thank those officers for the work they are doing to improve bus travel for drivers and passengers.
The first phase of middle schools has commenced this year and, as you have heard through debate, my agency has worked closely with the Department of Employment, Education and Training to plan the school bus needs for middle years. From data collected in parent surveys and projected enrolments, plans were put in place to rework the bus routes required, and procure the additional buses we would need. Initially, we expected to require an extra eight buses in the Darwin area but to ensure we had the requisite number of buses, an extra 12 buses have been put into service across 11 new bus routes. In Alice Springs, an extra two buses were introduced.
My agency has been monitoring implementation, including visiting schools and bus interchanges and talking to students about their bus options. Only minor issues were identified. In relation to the shadow minister’s concern about a minor issue, may I say that there was a mistake made when the bus driver did not actually stop to collect the kids. That was addressed within 24 hours. I want to point out that there was a bus route in place to take those children. As with every system, there is, at times, human error. I make no apology for the integrity of our planning and the delivery of the new middle years’ bus service. I also take this opportunity thank the bus drivers who do a pretty testy job at times carrying students around in their buses. If the shadow minister wants to have a go at a particular driver, I suggest you get out on those school bus routes when the buses are packed with students and see how tough some of our drivers are doing it out there. Of course, teenagers are not always the most polite of passengers, which is another reason why we have our Transport Safety Officers.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the middle years’ bus transport system, we had a dedicated phone line established and staffed for the first two weeks of school to provide assistance to parents, students and schools with the new school bus routes.
One of the success stories from this exercise, as we have heard, has been inclusion of the new bus route to collect school children from Minmarama and Kulaluk communities, and transport them to Millner Primary School. I acknowledge again the great work of the member for Millner in lobbying for this important service. I also join him in my thanks to the school principal, Dr Terry Quong, and the staff of Millner school to ensure a quality education for our Territory students. Prior to the bus route being established, as you have heard, enrolment of indigenous children from these communities was 12, and it rose to 28 on the first day of school, a small success story in a much larger picture, but a critically important success story. I really hope that those kids go from strength to strength with their education. It is very much the role of the Labor Martin government to support our children to attend school.
The urban bus timetable, as you have heard, has undergone a significant review to improve reliability. This is the first time we have had a full rework of the timetable in more than 15 years. What we found is that, obviously, Darwin has grown, Palmerston has grown, and the rural area has grown. In the context of what I call the Top End urban bus network, we added services over 15 years without a significant change to the scheduling. We just added on bits and pieces to our network. What resulted from that was a failure within the system. Connections were not occurring, it was an unreliable system and reports from the bus drivers, from the supervisors at the depots and interchanges was that we needed to completely overhaul our entire bus schedule.
We went to expert schedulers interstate to make sure that the scheduling was as good as possible. We knew, though, that with any significant reschedule such as we were undertaking, the first in 15 years, inevitably, as highly skilled as the schedulers are, there could be glitches. I was working very closely with my agency at the time when we introduced it in late November to ensure that that new schedule was closely monitored and that we were in a position to respond to any feedback from the public as to how the new connections were working.
I am very pleased to say as a result of listening to the concerns of the public, modification was made to the schedule in December to ensure that there were more connections during peak periods. In particular, the feedback we received from passengers in Palmerston and the rural area was quite specific about connections during peak periods. Some buses in Palmerston and the rural area required minor amendments to timing to improve connections to Casuarina and Darwin. The changes resulted in a number of additional buses now guaranteed to connect by ensuring drivers wait for connecting buses to arrive.
My agency is now undertaking a run-by-run, area-by-area evaluation of the new schedule to assess waiting times between connections. So, shadow minister, we are not sitting on our hands. We took on the most significant reform of our bus schedule and timetable in 15 years. We monitored implementation of the reforms, and we responded to public feedback on the schedule by making additional changes in December. We are now going into a detailed run-by-run, area-by-area evaluation of the new schedule to assess waiting time.
Overall, the new timetable has been successful with the bus service now boasting a higher level of reliability. We have gone from an unreliable service to a reliable one. I thank the bus drivers and staff of the Transport Division in my agency for the significant work they have done and for the extent to which they have gone to provide a robust public transport system.
Bus drivers are reporting that the timetable is very workable and alleviates many of their previous concerns. Because of the significance of this overhaul, passengers were permitted to ride for free during the first two weeks of implementing the timetable, which allowed bus operators to change the ticketing system. Our new ticketing and our cheaper fare structure commenced in mid-December.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I again want to stress that this has been a significant body of work, the first of its type in 15 years. No significant change like this has ever happened without its glitches, but I have been proud to say, as Transport minister, that we have not ignored the glitches. We have not stuck our head in the sand. We have responded to them, we have changed the schedules we required in December and are continuing to evaluate them. I believe my department is currently working to address the connections that the shadow minister raised on her specific concerns. I am happy to give the shadow minister a briefing in response to her concerns because there are detailed responses from the agency. As I said, evaluation of the bus-to-bus and the area connections has been very important.
The shadow minister strayed from bus transport into the area of taxis. There has been a code of practice for taxi drivers not to book-up and not to hold cards. Transport Inspectors do have a role to play, but it is very difficult when passengers willingly hand over their card. This issue was raised at Community Cabinet in Arnhem Land, particularly in relation to Katherine. I have raised the issue with my agency and asked them to ensure that the inspectors are alert to the problem of book-up in Katherine particularly. It is not an issue that has been significant in Darwin or Alice Springs. The government has not sat on its hands in relation to book-up. There has been extensive work on addressing the matter across the board, led by the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Finally, the shadow minister raised the issue of roads funding. I would like to have an extensive debate with the shadow minister on roads. This is not a roads statement, so I will only touch on it briefly, but it does go to the heart of how the Canberra hierarchy is ignoring the Territory’s roads needs. The shadow minister has a very superficial view on this. I am happy, and it is a genuine offer, to give the shadow minister a briefing on roads, and how funding is provided in the Territory.
I am on the record as saying, and I will say it again: the day the federal government wants to match us 50-50 on our roads funding, I will happily agree to it. We have spent in excess of $300m in the past five years on our roads, and the federal government, over the same period, spent about $180m.
Mrs Miller: On the national highways.
Ms LAWRIE: We are spending more than twice what the federal government is currently spending on our roads. I hear the shadow minister and I pick up on the interjection ‘on our national highways’. I say to the shadow minister: we are all here to get the best we can for Territorians and we cannot ignore the catch-up we need to make on the Territory road network. It is an issue of national significance. We are significant primary producers. We are a major transport hub. Just 23% of our road network is sealed. If you think for one minute the Territory government, on its own, can fund sealing of the network to the extent that is required, you are kidding yourself, shadow minister. You are kidding yourself.
Have a meeting with the Cattlemen’s Association. Have a meeting with the Australian Trucking Association. They, too, will tell you that they are knocking on the door of the Transport minister in Canberra saying: ‘Fund our Territory roads’. I will absolutely, shoulder to shoulder, join them in that call. We need more money for our beef roads; we need more money for our roads of significance, such as the Tanami Highway. In the shadow minister’s view, the federal government has no responsibility for the Tanami. I disagree. It is a road of national significance for Australia, and they should fund improvements to the Tanami. I have been corresponding with Jim Lloyd on our roads. In relation to the Outback Way, the latest correspondence was my letter to him saying:
I have also written to the Minister for Transport about Tiger Brennan Drive saying that we will match the federal government 50-50 on the current costs to build the Tiger Brennan extension. I will be having this conversation just after sittings with the federal Transport minister and I believe it is inherently important in that project to include grade separation. The volume of traffic anticipated for the Tiger Brennan extension requires grade separation, a flyover. The federal government is currently saying ‘re-scope it, put in some traffic lights, job is done’. Well, wrong. It would be unsafe and it would be foolish for a government to do that.
Trucks using the Tiger Brennan extension to access the port require appropriate grade separation for safety reasons let alone the traffic congestion that will arise from the proposal that Jim Lloyd recently put to me when he said: ‘No, we are just going to fund that portion of the Tiger Brennan extension that we are on the record as saying we would fund, and no more’.
The argument continues, shadow minister so watch this space. Whilst I am Transport minister I will continue to fight for the construction of Tiger Brennan, and the Territory government is saying: ‘We will fund our half. We are going to fund our half. It is time that Canberra stick its hand in its $15bn surplus pocket and gives some of that funding to the Territory’. Instead of getting that, we get the Canberra’s apologists’ view trotted out by the shadow minister for Transport. I will not be taking her with me to Canberra because I do not want someone sitting there at the table saying: ‘Do not give the Territory any more money, we are happy with what we got’. That is a crazy argument.
I am very happy to continue to work with the Cattlemen’s Association and the Australian Trucking Association because we have a partnership view on this. We have a shared view. The Territory government, the Cattlemen’s Association and the Australian Trucking Association agree on where we need additional roads funding from the Commonwealth government. I will keep knocking on the door of the federal government in Canberra with their $15bn surplus to fight for funds for the Territory, funds to which we are entitled.
I have strayed from bus transport for a moment to respond to the bizarre views of the shadow minister in terms fighting for more money for Territory roads.
In closing, I thank all members in the Chamber for their contributions to this debate. I particularly thank our bus drivers who are out there every day providing a fantastic service to our commuters, both our urban and school bus services in the Top End and Alice Springs. There is a body of work still to be done on bus transport. If we get our public transport systems right, we will increase patronage of those systems, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and provide better opportunities for commuters. There is a real need with the growth of Darwin, Palmerston, the Darwin rural area and Alice Springs, particularly its rural area subdivision, to continue to improve our public transport system.
I am privileged to be the minister for Transport in what I see as a blue sky moment for the Territory, in looking at our public transport needs through the next five, 10 and 15 years. I have terrific people in the agency, in the Transport Division of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure who have a great body of expertise and knowledge. We also rely on other expertise, such as Booz Allen Hamilton, to look at how we meet our public transport needs for the future. I thank all members of the Chamber for their contributions to this debate.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Continued from 14 February 2007.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Mr Deputy Speaker, as we know, alcohol abuse can cripple entire communities. The Martin Labor government has made a significant investment in combating the impact of drugs and alcohol on our community. We have been tackling alcohol abuse in a very coordinated way in a whole-of-government campaign. The Department of Justice has its Alcohol Courts and the antisocial behaviour legislation. The police target hot spots with community patrols, 10 additional Aboriginal Community Police Officers and two additional patrol vehicles. Racing, Gaming and Licensing oversees the implementation of the Alcohol Framework and, importantly, those Alcohol Management Plans. Local Government has worked in Community Harmony and, importantly, has the Town Camp Task Force.
As Minister for Family and Community Services, I oversee treatment and rehabilitation programs. Our commitment to tackling the problem is very clear. A clear commitment to reducing the incidence of public drunkenness and related antisocial behaviour and its impact on our community is something that the Martin Labor government has pursued. The Alcohol and Other Drugs Division within my department was allocated $20.8m in the 2006-07 budget, some 79% more than the $11.5m under the previous CLP governments.
Dr Burns: Can you repeat that please, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: Some 79% more than the $11.5m under the CLP …
Ms Carney: Gee, that GST is beautiful. It is just mmmm, which you opposed.
Ms LAWRIE: I note the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition. She says the GST is beautiful. May I say the government is always confronted with choices on how to direct its funding. What this 79% increase in the funding into Alcohol and Other Drugs Division clearly shows that we have very clearly made the attack on alcohol and drug consumption in our community a key priority of our government.
This year, we are providing some $10.6m in grants to non-government organisations to provide alcohol and other drug treatment services. The problems are enormous and far-reaching, but I am pleased to hear from the minister for Licensing that successes are emerging to show that our strategies are working, particularly in Central Australia, where we have seen the consumption of pure alcohol down by 11%, fewer hospital presentations for alcohol-related injuries, less disruption in town camps, and apprehensions for protective custody down by 50%. These wins translate to real improvements in people’s lives. It is really heartening to know that our focus is starting - and I emphasise starting - to make a difference. We all know that there is still much more to be done.
I take this opportunity in debate to recognise the non-government organisations which are at the coalface of delivering important assessment, counselling, rehabilitation, and diversion programs. Amity House is funded $408 000 from my department for its assessment, counselling and referral service and its drink driver coordination service. I have had the privilege of working with Amity on many occasions, and hearing from them the change in practice and delivery in the sector. I thank the staff of Amity House for their tireless work and the significant advice they provide me.
Centrecare, under the umbrella of the Catholic Church, does a fantastic job, with some $698 000-plus in funding for an urban family assessment service, counselling, referrals, and community education. They also have important remote prevention and intervention services. CAAPS is funded for some $337 000-plus and provides social support and a withdrawal and case management service. Importantly, they also provide a residential rehabilitation service for volatile substance abusers.
FORWAARD receives in excess of $580 000 in funding for a non-residential assessment, counselling and referral service, as well as a residential service. The Foster Foundation at Banyan House is getting some $378 000-plus for a drug rehabilitation and short treatment and drug withdrawal service. Gunbalanya Community Government Council is getting $36 000-odd for their volatile substance program. Mission Australia receives $540 000-plus for the Darwin sobering-up shelter and, importantly, the Palmerston Youth Beat. The Salvation Army, which does a fantastic job, receives $234 000-plus for what they call their Bridge Program. That also includes two withdrawal beds. Turning Points Alcohol and Drug Centre gets $50 000-plus for a telephone information service. In addition, Alcohol and Other Drugs Services are funded $1.3m for a specialist medical withdrawal opiate pharmacotherapy and counselling service based at the hospital.
In Alice Springs, Tangentyere Council received $470 000-plus in a remote area night patrol coordinated and a community day patrol. CAAAPU received $413 000 for an outreach referral of a residential treatment program, and the Central Australian Congress received $250 000 in youth programs.
DASA, which does a fine job in Central Australia, received $1.4m for residential rehabilitation in both the VSA, the sobering-up shelter, withdrawal and counselling services, and they auspice an excellent program called Bush Mob which is an outreach case management and treatment service. Holyoak received $219 000 for non-residential assessment counselling and community education.
Ilpurla Aboriginal Corporation received $27 000 for their volatile substance abuse program; Mt Theo for their fantastic programs received $20 000-plus; Mutitjulu received $46 000 for their volatile substance abuse program; and Alcohol and Other Drug Services in Central Australia received $1.1m for their specialist medical withdrawal opiate pharmacotherapy and counselling.
In Katherine, the main services there are Kalano which received $364 000 for a residential rehabilitation program and community patrol as well. Mission Australia are doing a fantastic job, they are in Katherine, and received $400 000-plus in their sobering-up shelter. In Tennant Creek, Anyinginyi received $86 000-odd for an after care case management coordination program; BRADAAG, the fantastic sobering-up shelter and residential rehabilitation in Tennant Creek received $500 000-plus in funding, and Julalikari Youth Development is doing a fantastic job with funding of more than $200 000 in their youth diversionary and their night patrol.
At East Arnhem, Mission Australia is now established and received new funding of $730 000 to provide counselling, rehabilitation, sobering-up shelter and a community patrol.
The work of these and other organisations throughout the Territory to combat alcohol abuse absolutely needs to be afforded. As I said, they are at the coalface of service delivery. It is the dedication and the hard work of the staff at these non-government organisations, in terms of their counselling and their ability to work through the referral services, their rehabilitation, their sobering-up shelters and the linkages between these that keep the hope alive that we can reform the lives of chronic alcoholics across the Territory. They are a key element to every bit of work we do as a government to try to combat the scourge of alcohol in our communities, right across our communities, be they urban, regional or remote. I wholeheartedly thank the non-government organisations for their work.
I will continue to try to work with the Commonwealth government in terms of the map of alcohol rehabilitation. I have flagged in the past my concerns that minister Brough says he has funding available for rehabilitation centres. I have said to him …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, I draw attention to the state of the House.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ring the bells. A quorum is present. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and the lone member of the opposition. Maybe we will call her the lone ranger.
As I was saying, I will continue to advocate for the Territory’s needs in terms of alcohol rehabilitation services and continue to try to get the responsible minister, minister Brough, to listen to some significant work done by officers in my agency to identify service delivery, growth and requirements. Certainly, it is not in the area of bricks and mortar. Beds are available. CAAAPU is a classic example in Alice Springs. We have sufficient beds there for rehabilitation. It is about the nature of programs and the nature of services being provided. We have some capacity building to do in our service delivery area there. I am happy to engage minister Brough about the funding he has available, but I really do believe that we need a range of services available across the Territory, not just bricks and mortar in Alice Springs. We have bricks and mortar in Alice Springs. This government is spending significant funding in capital works this year to improve the bricks and mortar in Alice Springs.
True rehabilitation services are about the nature and options of treatment, the follow-up to treatment, and the services that you can provide in that important follow-up phase. That is where I would like to engage minister Brough to look at spending some of the new dollars that he says he has to spend in alcohol rehabilitation.
I will continue to have officers of my agency who are experts in this area engage with officers of FaCSIA, the Australian government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Officers of FaCSIA understand the evidence we have put forward about how the new money could be spent wisely. The blockage is at the political level. Curiously, every attempt to engage minister Brough goes unanswered. The man does not see the need to meet with the minister responsible for alcohol rehabilitation in the Territory. I will never stop asking for that meeting because it is such a critical area. I will be ensuring that we are doing everything we can do.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister for his statement.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a topic that is close to everyone’s heart because we are all affected in one way or other within our communities by the abuse of alcohol. It is interesting that most government speakers so far have talked about the problem and how they are addressing it. We are talking about millions and millions of dollars being spent on trying to fix the problems of alcohol abuse within our communities. I wonder whether we are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted instead of trying to look at it before the horse has bolted. Perhaps we should be concentrating more on intervention and prevention rather than trying to fix it later.
The alcohol restrictions introduced in Alice Springs three months ago have had good and bad effects. Feedback so far has been that there has been a lessening of heavy alcohol consumption, but there is growth in the consumption of beer which means the people drinking it are not getting as drunk so quickly. We are hearing lots of talk about people being humbugged for more money to purchase more alcohol and it seems to be affecting many of the Aboriginal families in public housing. It is a shame that alcohol has that effect on families because that is not what alcohol is meant to be. Alcohol is mean to be a social drink. Most people in this parliament would probably drink alcohol and not abuse it any way.
There was a meeting the other night in Alice Springs about the application to make Alice a dry town. I am one of the people who speak against that the same way as I am against putting a curfew on young people. All we seem to be doing is creating this terrible image about the town when in fact the majority of residents are good citizens and do not abuse the law or abuse alcohol in that way.
The mayor keeps referring to her trip to Port Augusta and saying what a great transformation it has been in Port Augusta. In fact, recent news reports indicate that the so-called transformation is not as great as everyone is led to believe and perhaps Port Augusta is not the ideal model for us. They still have their issues with litter, humbug and antisocial behaviour, which is not something that we want to see repeated continually in Alice Springs.
Some of the comments made at the meeting the other night were interesting, and there were arguments for and against the notion of a dry town. If it is a dry town, people were concerned about the drinking being pushed into town camps and public housing, where most Aboriginal people live.
At the moment, the town camps are under special purpose leases so they would have to apply for separate legislation to be declared dry. In the meantime, there could be a great deal of damage done to those families living in the camps if Alice Springs was declared dry. I believe we really have to sensible about this and ask: is this solving the problem? Is saying we are a dry town going to help the drinkers? Is that going to help the damage that is being done by alcohol? It may give people a warm, fuzzy feeling and they may think that, by labelling it in this way, we are making it a safer place but, in fact, we are probably not. We are just moving the alcohol consumption somewhere else.
Some of the people involved in Aboriginal housing made some very emotive comments at that meeting. They felt sorry for the kids who are stuck with drinking families. The Alice Springs Town Council, perhaps, is not thinking of the impact upon these children. Although people are not drinking the wines, they have moved into heavy beer and, interestingly, heavy beer is costing them more than when they were drinking the casks. Because it is costing them more, and they need to drink more beer to get the same effect when drinking wine, they are now using up the money that is meant to be for their families for food, shelter and for clothing for liquor.
We have noticed a shift in people waiting for outlets to open. Before these restrictions, if you went to end of the mall before 2 pm, you would see large numbers of people hanging around waiting for the outlets to open. They have now moved to the Northside shops. It is interesting, because the Northside shops previously did not sell 4 litre casks but now they sell beer, and there seems to be a bit of a trend to put beer on special, and there seems to be more of it. What is happening is that we are getting the antisocial behaviour moving to the Northside shops and the shopkeepers are getting very angry about it. The problem of litter, glass and cans is very real. We have had some of our seniors in gophers who have punctured their wheels and, unfortunately, cannot fix them. Thankfully, one of the tyre companies in Alice Springs has helped out on occasions.
We have many children who ride their bikes to school along that path, and they have to go past all the glass, litter and cans. There was even a bottle up in a tree the other day. They have obviously been thrown everywhere. It is becoming quite a dangerous situation. As the minister pointed out in answer to the question I asked her, it is costing the government quite a bit more to clean up that area. They get out there about 5.30 pm and sweep that path, but they cannot pick up the glass. The prisoners in the working parties picking up litter cannot pick up the glass because it is a work health and safety issue. So we have a problem that we did not have before.
One of our solutions, and this was raised at the meeting the other night, is: why not introduce CDL? Kids love to get money for that. It is also a way of them getting money to buy food, and that was coming from an Aboriginal man. There seemed to be a bit of a trend from the mayor saying the NT government must give us money to cope with our problems, but nowhere through all these notes that were taken at that meeting do I hear what Alice Springs Town Council is going to do to assist.
Although the volume of hard alcohol is down, although protective custody numbers are down, shelter figures are down, there are parts of it which are not good. What we are not seeing, and we are not being able to gauge, is the number of families who have been disrupted by the shift in alcohol. We really do not know how much more it has pushed the drinking back into the public houses or into the town camps. We really cannot gauge the effect on the children. Are they being more disadvantaged or not?
As I said, I am not in favour of a dry town. We have to start looking beyond that. The millions and millions of dollars that the government is talking about, and we just heard the minister for Community Services talk about the amount of money she is putting into the problem, why don’t we redirect some of that back into the communities? If the communities were good places to live, people would not want to come into town. Where is the entertainment? There are some good communities which really do not even have the support they need to keep going with their basketball at night, or a decent oval, or a social centre, or a women’s centre or something like that. If we put some of those millions back into the community, people would not see the need to come to town.
At the meeting about the Dalgety Road dongas the other day, the Chairman of the CLC, who was from Bonya, said: ‘The more you put these in town, the more you are going to attract my people to come into town. I do not want them to come into town because, basically, then they get into trouble’. When town is the attraction and the community is not, you have that conflict between family responsibilities and culture. There is a whole generation, maybe even two, of Aboriginal people who are losing their family values and much of their culture. I am not sure how the leadership in Aboriginal communities will continue once the older generation pass on. It seems to me that many of the middle-aged bulk are destroying themselves and their families by drinking grog too much. Aboriginal people will have to start saying to themselves: ‘What are we doing to our people? We must stop them from harming themselves’. That is quite often the message you get: ‘Do not encourage them to come into town. Do not encourage them to come to the bright lights’. Let us make it better within their communities.
There are many ways it could be done. There are many small organisations which do individual good things around communities but, quite often, they do not get the support they need. There does not seem to be that cooperative effort from everyone to do that.
When you think about it, we made the law in 1964 or 1967 when Aboriginal people got the right to drink. Then, in 1980 or 1981, this parliament introduced dry areas legislation. On one hand, we say to Aboriginal people: ‘You can drink’, and on the other, we say: ‘But you cannot drink in your own home’. What alternatives do Aboriginal people have? How many of us would travel hundreds of kilometres just to have a beer? I doubt it, because we can do it in our own house. How many of us would want to buy a carton of beer and sit under a tree and drink it until it is all gone, even though it gets hot in the meantime? That is the situation we have forced Aboriginal people into; they do not have an alternative. Okay, they could go to the pub, but not many of them feel comfortable going into the pub in Alice Springs. So, where can they drink? If we do not want Aboriginal people to drink, we should say so. If we do want them to drink, we should at least give them an alternative way of drinking in a socially responsible way.
At the moment, I feel as though they are in this cycle and it is so hard to break the cycle that is spiralling downwards. We can keep putting on restrictions but, no matter how many restrictions, how many services, how many rules we put in, there will always be those people who will continue to break and flaunt those rules.
I would like to see the government put some of the millions they are putting into these services and these different groups back into the communities. It would make a huge difference to many of these communities if they had good sporting and recreation activities, social centres, women’s centres, employment and training opportunities, and good infrastructure. Too often it is too hard, there are too many, and other things take over. Instead, we continue, as a government, to treat this problem after the damage has been done, trying to patch it up rather than being proactive at the coalface. I say to government: even though what you are doing is good, we need to change our thinking. We are locked into this idea that we have to provide sobering-up shelters, rehabilitation courses, alcohol courts - you name it, we have the lot – legislation. In fact, what we are doing is treating the alcohol problem after it has occurred. We should be talking about how we can teach people to drink sensibly, the right way to drink, the same way you and I are able to drink our alcohol.
Aboriginal people are going to end up wondering in 50 years time where all their people are. We are killing so many Aboriginal people. So many women are being bashed and children being harmed, but we still do not seem to be addressing it.
If I suggest that we should have social clubs, and that is why I call them social centres, on remote communities there will be an outcry. I understand why the good women out there and some of the good men, and good families do not want it there but you do not always have to have alcohol in a social club. You can have all sorts of other activities to gather people together. If we know that the Aboriginal communities have that good feeling of belonging, then that is what we should be providing. I can recall a long time ago, visiting - I think it was Brunette Downs Station - and there were many examples of social areas, but all the ringers used to come in at the end of the day to the social club. Some drank and some did not. There was always a limit of two cans, or something like that. It was a place where you sat down and there was a lot of talk and laughter, and exchanging of ideas, and they had their meal there.
We do not seem to provide that opportunity for Aboriginal families in communities. We leave them out there to their own devices, and then when they say: ‘I am going to town’, their families do not want them to come to town. They get into town and that is when they go down. We say we are going to fix it up now. I say, let us fix it up earlier. Let us start putting some of those millions back in. Talk to some of those Aboriginal communities. Ask them what they would need, what they would like, to keep their people there.
It is all very fine for the mayor to have this meeting with the town people talking about a dry town. Has she talked to any of the communities around Alice Springs where these people come from? Has she asked them what they need; how we can help; why are you coming into town; how come when you get into the cycle you cannot break it and get back? Are these services like Back to Country, the day and night patrols, really working, or are they just pretend tokenism?
I would like government to have a good look at the services it is providing. Have a good talk to the people out on communities and ask them what they need to make their life better, and let us stop putting more and more restrictions, which to me is not the right way to go.
I understand, minister, what you are trying to do, but I suggest that we think broader. We do not just think down departmental lines; that we think from a people’s point of view and try to come up with the answers that will give answers for our people who need them most. Alice Springs, Katherine and many other towns are suffering from the antisocial behaviour by people who abuse alcohol. We have to start saying let’s try to fix this problem before it has started.
Minister, in your summing up, I would like you to tell us what you can do. Will you go out and listen to Aboriginal people in the communities? Even go one by one through the communities? Do not try to do too much at once. See how you can make it a better place, and what we can do to fix this cycle that many of these people have got into.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to support the great work our government is doing to address and reduce the high level of alcohol harm and disruption that has been a feature of our social landscape since seemingly time immemorial.
Debates on alcohol-related harm and disruption within our community have, in one form or another ...
Ms Carney: It is good you are talking on this. It is really good to hear you talking on this.
Mr KIELY: … have been going on …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney: What, with your alcohol difficulties and all. You know, that one in the past.
Mr KIELY: … in this place well before any of us, and I include members of government …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition, your interjections in reference to the member for Sanderson are in breach of Standing Order 62(1). That is my ruling. If you wilfully …
Ms Carney: I just have to refresh my memory, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, it is about offensive and unbecoming words. If you wilfully persist with it, we will move to Standing Order 239 and 240A.
Ms Carney: Hang on, sorry. 239?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: 239 and 240A.
Ms CARNEY: Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have an opportunity? 239.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, this is just a comment to you, okay. I warn …
Ms CARNEY: Is that your ruling, Mr Deputy Speaker?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a …
Ms CARNEY: I move dissent from the ruling of the Chair, thanks, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Will you put it in writing? You need to put it in writing.
Ms CARNEY: I will indeed. I will indeed.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson …
Ms Carney: Because to distort the facts is extraordinary.
Mr KIELY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will pick up on the interjections because I have been getting them for the last week. The Leader of the Opposition has been trying to bait me, and I expect that she will keep doing this. When you look at the rank hypocrisy of her comments when she was at the Masters Games…
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition?
Ms CARNEY: We are not talking about a point of order. He seems to having something to say about your ruling, Mr Deputy Speaker. I ask that what you have done to the opposition you do to your own members.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Sanderson, please resume your speech and please try to stick to the subject at hand.
Mr KIELY: I will, thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. She is very sensitive about things.
As I was saying, debates on alcohol-related harm and disruption within our community have, in one form or another, been going on in this place well before any of us, and I include the Leader of the Opposition, opposition members, government members and the Independents.
The community is very cynical when it hears the claptrap coming from CLP members that seemingly beginning from the period that the people of the Northern Territory turfed out the CLP government in 2001 has the misuse and abuse of alcohol somehow become a problem for Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. The sheer audacity of the members opposite to attempt to rewrite history and claim that for the 27 years before 2001, we all lived in an alcoholic utopia where people drank as much as they wanted and went peacefully home to sleep, shows the continued contempt the CLP has to this day in the ability of the community to know and understand what the true situation is.
We all know that the view of the CLP’s Territory utopia never existed. In my brief time in the Territory, and it is only from 1985, I can readily recollect newspaper headlines during the 1980s of riots in Port Keats, drunken fights in Cavenagh Street when the clubs closed at 3, 4 or 5am, fights at the footie, domestic violence in our suburbs, murders and rapes, house break-ins, and the road carnage, which, in the main, an element of alcohol abuse or misuse was a contributing feature.
It is important that we reflect on what the CLP did to address increasing community dysfunction from the high level of alcohol consumption and related harm and disruption. They reduced the operational efficiency of the police service and nearly crippled its ability to do any effective proactive programs in regard to alcohol-related dysfunction by freezing recruitment in the 1990s. The knock-on effect of the CLP strategy, which I might say they have never had the guts to reveal to the community, is something we still feel today.
In education, not one student being educated in their homelands was ever supported to graduate at the Year 12 level. How could families ever hope to break the cycle of disadvantage that is so readily associated with alcohol abuse when the CLP government knowingly and willingly turned their back on this need?
The Martin Labor government is working on correcting this great disadvantage to a significant sector of our community, but so much was the neglect by the CLP that it will take a significant period of time and resources. We have the will to turn the situation around.
I could go on about the health system under the CLP and how much more could have been done, how much more should have been done, and how much they refused to do to help address the effects of alcohol misuse and abuse in our society. I believe their shameful record is well known.
I acknowledge the good work and innovation that surrounded the Living with Alcohol program, but all of this became overshadowed by the lazy and cynical way they dropped the ball following the High Court ruling against the cask and heavy beer levy leading to this funding stream drying up.
I also vividly remember the former member for Drysdale, who was the last CLP Health Minister, appearing on Lateline and his embarrassing performance defending the CLP’s reluctance to place a renal dialysis unit in Tennant Creek.
The CLP has made much noise about neighbours from hell over the last number of years and now, according to them, this type of thing never, ever happened in their Territory. What utter rubbish that is. I can tell members that well before the minister for Health and Police, the member for Johnston, and I even thought of standing for the Legislative Assembly, back in the mid-1990s, we used to do a bread run on a Monday night for St Vincent’s to the homes of people who were on welfare and did not have any money to buy fresh bread. A casual observation was all that I needed to understand that some of these homes suffered under the impact of relatives and friends coming in from bush and staying there while some of the visitors got into the grog, to a level we would recognise as excessive or abusive. I could readily accept that at times these places would have erupted and probably cause great distress to their immediate neighbours, and most certainly not add to the overall amenity of the neighbourhood.
Did the CLP do anything to address this growing problem in our urban communities? In short, no. They claim they had laws, but nothing was done. There was not enough trained staff and it was all too hard given the cutbacks to the public service from infamous CLP de-funding policies given euphemistic names like the Estimates Review Committee, otherwise known as the Razor Gang, in 1991, and the Planning for Growth, better known as Pruning for Growth, at the end of the decade.
Contrast that CLP approach to dealing with so-called neighbours from hell and what we in the Martin Labor government are doing now to help our community address dysfunctionality in our suburbs caused through misuse and abuse of alcohol by people living or visiting houses owned by Territory Housing.
Early last year, we introduced the Antisocial Behaviour Bill. This bill allowed amendments to the Liquor Act to allow a private premise to be declared a ‘restricted premises’ under the act. The provision works by allowing an owner or occupier to apply to the Liquor Commission for a declaration that the premises are restricted premises. This means that Territory Housing is now in a position to help tenants stop problem drinkers coming into their homes and disturbing, not only the peace of the householder, but also neighbours.
The CLP has canned this initiative and done nothing at all to support the community in really tackling problem drinkers in the suburbs. I bet London to a brick that they do not even tell constituents who come through their electorate doors of this effective tool to deal with troublesome drinking houses. Shame on CLP members.
In the time I have left, I would like to walk members through a case study in my electorate of what we did as a community to address a matter of public disruption caused by groups of individuals drinking – speak up, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: You have been in power for six years. I would like to hear some positive stuff from you. I have heard all that before. Whether I agree or not is another issue. Give me something positive on alcohol.
Mr KIELY: Well, stick around! It gets better, stick around. I am glad you are in to hear it.
Mr Wood: I am but, you know, you can take so much of it.
Mr KIELY: Well, listen! If you would stop interjecting you would hear it.
Mr Wood: Go on, move on; tell us what you are going to do.
Mr KIELY: It is what I have done. It is what I have done, Gerry, and it is something that you might want to do instead of being …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please direct your remarks through the Chair.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, please stop interrupting the member.
Mr KIELY: He is just a little feisty, he is okay. I understand Gerry; he does not do much but he means well.
In Sanderson, at the Northlakes Shopping Centre, we had a situation where we had a crowd of people who were gathering on the verge between the service road and the main road. They would meet and after a while they got into the grog and they were drinking. They were purchasing liquor from the local outlets. For a while it was a peaceful gathering but, after some time, the alcohol took over. You would get antisocial behaviour which would lead to yelling and sometimes fights. You would also have people from the drinking crowd going into the local walkway and using that area to urinate in. People would also be sleeping and rolling out their, not so much swags, but perhaps an old mattress underneath the trees. This action by this crowd of people was upsetting the amenity of the neighbourhood. People would be walking from the Northlakes shops, cutting across over to the service road to this laneway, and they would be getting humbugged by people for money or for cigarettes. They would also find themselves in the middle of the crowd, sometimes when it was erupting into fights or arguments.
I had people come to my office to complain about this activity. They complained that they were reporting it to the police but nothing seemed to be happening and asking what was going on. I doorknocked the street and met with all the people who live along that service road, and also around the streets at the back of it, and I spoke to the shop owners about the situation. There was a range of views, but it became pretty clear that there were drinking camps being set up on the verge. I also had the pleasure of talking to the groups of people who were there. When I told them what the situation was, how people were complaining, they said: ‘It is not necessarily us. We are sitting here. We are just sitting down. We are visiting some people down the road here. But, there are others who come in and join the group, intermittently, who are drinkers and they are the ones causing the trouble’. One old man said: ‘We know about the litter, but we have nowhere to put it. If you could give us a hand, we will clean it up’. I got some heavy duty litter bags and they did just as they said they would do. They picked up all the litter and put it in the bins. That is because I talked to these people and treated them like humans and told them the issue. That is how they did it.
However, we still have some drinking problems there. I put out a letter to the residents around the area, and I will table it. In essence, it was an outline of the strategy that I intended to employ, which was to meet with police and Territory Housing because we had become aware that there is a house down the street which was getting a lot of visitors, which is a drinking house. We talked to Territory Housing, the police, local aldermen and members of Neighbourhood Watch, as well as the people in street, about what the situation was and what we could do. We had that community meeting and it was good.
Territory Housing undertook to work more closely with tenants of Territory Housing properties where antisocial behaviour has been identified by neighbours as a cause of concern in order modify the tenants’ behaviour as well as that of the visitors.
The NT Police will continually monitor the situation in the course of routine patrolling; inform and educate local residents of what restricted premises means in relation to alcohol management; and antisocial and criminal behaviour reduction strategies. The police also encourage residents to report alleged antisocial or criminal behaviours.
Darwin City Council agreed that they would clean the laneway between McMillans Road and Britannia Crescent and would seek funding to install lights in the laneway.
I undertook to speak to the liquor outlets around the place about complying with the Liquor Licensing Act and to be more vigilant, if they have drunks in, to stay within the letter of the law.
The meeting concluded and they were pretty happy with that. I am pleased to say that everyone did as they said they would. Territory Housing and the police, I believe, went to the particular house in the area where drinking was going on. The tenants wanted to make it a restricted premise, and they helped them go through the paperwork to make the premises restricted. The people who were drinking at the main road understood what was going on in the neighbourhood and they ceased their behaviour. In the end, we did not have to heavy, we did not have to monster, we did not have to stomp. We used the legislative framework and the policies that this government has been working on. We achieved a good outcome where everyone felt like something was achieved, and that goes for the people who were drinking on the verge, to the houses, and to the restricted premises. We have not had that situation return for some two full months and I am pretty happy with it.
The member for Nelson was saying: ‘Come on, we have heard you rubbish the CLP and what they did not do. Let us hear about what you and this government are doing’. Well, you have heard from the ministers of the various portfolios of how they work with the Alcohol Framework. You have heard how the government has introduced that. Member for Nelson, here is what a local member can do to address the situation. You say: ‘Let us hear some positives’. That is a positive. That is how it can be managed in the suburbs. That is how it is managed out my way.
Contrast that with what is going on in an opposition seat, and I will bet you it is all mayhem because they will not get out or use the strategy that this government has made for all Territorians; they will not inform their constituents about the ability to address it. They will not do anything positive to tackle it. They would rather bag the government, bag the people whose behaviour it is; do everything to blame the poor old victim. They will not do anything constructive.
Madam Speaker, I commend the government. I commend the government members for doing the things that I do. I condemn the laziness and the opportunism of the CLP members. I know they are not doing anything to assist their people address this situation which is, unfortunately, all too common throughout our suburbs.
Ms Carney: What nonsense! You just cannot help yourself. That is why you get yourself into trouble.
Mr KIELY: Not like you, eh? You are in trouble.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment, member for Sanderson.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from the Leader of the Opposition a motion of dissent from a ruling of the chair. I have considered the matters leading up to the issue and advise that as the Deputy Speaker was dealing with a matter of order, it does not constitute a ruling from which there could be dissent.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on tackling the misuse and abuse of alcohol in the Northern Territory. The economic and social costs are staggering. Just earlier this week in media reports we hear that on average every 38 hours an indigenous Australian dies as a result of alcohol. If we look at that every 38 hours, we are talking about every second day that an indigenous Australian dies. Every second day. Millions of dollars are spent here on dealing with alcohol-related harm and nearly $7m is committed to treatment services. This year, $2.36m has been committed to sobering-up shelters and still we need more support for those in our community who know no other way but drinking. The impact on families is deeply disturbing and unfortunately an endless cycle, as we have heard previously.
Our harmful drinking patterns in the Northern Territory mean we are almost 80% more likely than other Australians to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health. I have to repeat the statistics the minister spoke of in the statement because they are absolutely staggering. The statistics of how many Territorians are hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions in 2005 to 2006 – 6800 Territorians. If we look at our gaols, 24 927 people were placed into protective custody; some 65% of prisoners are gaoled for alcohol-related offences.
As the member for Arnhem I am acutely aware that it is the indigenous people in my constituency who are deeply affected, almost 24/7. As one of six Aboriginal members of this parliament I know only too well that I do not need to see or hear statistics to know how alcohol, when not managed effectively, takes negative control over the lives of Aboriginal people and our families, the negative control that has a compounding impact on the general community, and the wider community. We are talking about places right along the Stuart Highway, from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek to Katherine, right here in Darwin across to Nhulunbuy. Every town in the Northern Territory is talking about alcohol. Every individual has some story that they can relate to their local MLAs, to the committees, and the management plan discussions that are taking place right across the Northern Territory. Everyone has a story to share.
Let me share with this House how visits to the Royal Darwin Hospital have become a way of life for me and indeed, I am sure, for my colleagues especially those in the bush seats. It is not unusual to get a phone call alerting me that another family member, or someone I know in Arnhem Land, is arriving on the air medical plane to be taken to the Intensive Care Unit at RDH. The phone calls are usually late at night from a clinic where families have gathered to share their despair at yet another family member suffering from severe bruisings or bashings from alcohol-related domestic disputes. As recently as only a week ago, I received one of those phone calls. The young woman is fighting for her life but already liver damage from excessive alcohol has set in, not to forget that she has two broken bones in her arms believed to have been caused in a domestic dispute. You only need to talk to the medical staff right across the Northern Territory and they will tell you it is not unusual to see similar patients in similar circumstances.
This year already, families in the Gulf have had four funerals and we are only six weeks into the year. Let me remind the House that very rarely do victims in our remote communities not know the offender as many of the cases our hospitals deal with are domestic violence-related cases, which makes the healing process that much more difficult because it is someone close to you.
Ask any person in a community their story, and they will tell you - and I do not mean just remote communities. Madam Speaker, you will have a story to tell in Nightcliff. Everyone has a story to tell regarding alcohol; the negative impact and the way it has crippled our social way of life for all people in the Northern Territory. The social damage is so severe that all people, organisations and political leaders know that immediate and effective action is required. Not just action, but determined leadership by those across all sectors of the Northern Territory community.
It is here that I focus specifically on the leaders in our communities across the Territory, and in particular families who struggle to cope with the issues and the problems surrounding alcohol. It is action and leadership that our government is extremely committed to. I know this for a fact because I have a community in Arnhem Land that is making great progress in dealing with the issue of alcohol.
As part of our government’s initiative in assisting communities in tackling the alcohol issues, we support the establishment of alcohol management plans. In 2005-06, $94 000 was committed to the development of such plans. A further $110 000 has been allocated for this purpose in the current financial year, along with $137 500 to assist in implementation.
It is here that I would like to highlight the efforts of residents on Groote Eylandt. It took up to two years for Groote traditional owners, residents, police, health and the mining company, GEMCO, to draw up an alcohol management plan with which they all agreed. The permit system on Groote allows takeaway sales to be monitored and managed. Now, nearly two years later, the plan has been so successful that it is being cited as a model to be considered by other communities.
There have been some dramatic reductions in alcohol-related incidents attended by police and the health clinic, especially after hours, and there have been decreased levels of family violence and a reduction in absenteeism in the Aboriginal workforce at GEMCO. GEMCO’s figures show that Aboriginal employees previously were running on an average of 7.1% sick leave, but from July 2005 to now, the same employees are averaging 2.4% sick leave. Families on Groote have told me how their own lives have changed for the better. They do not get any humbug and they can sleep better at night. Drink driving offences have dropped from 20 in the year prior to the implementation of the plan to four in the first year of operation. I would like to reiterate the statement of this percentage, which I know the minister clearly identified twice in his statement: aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. I will repeat it, minister: aggravated assaults on Groote Eylandt have fallen by 80% since 2003.
When we consider that recent statistics show that the Northern Territory has the highest homicide rate in comparison with other states in Australia, this is a fantastic outcome for Groote Eylandt. I would like to digress a little on our homicide rate and the incidence of alcohol in the homicide rate. I quote:
These are statistics that come from the Australian Institute of Criminology and they deal in detail with victims in the Northern Territory and right across Australia. On that basis alone, we can look at what is happening at Groote Eylandt and say: ‘This is something extremely positive’ and it gives an insight, however small, into the future that we can have in all of our communities from Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, right up here to Darwin, and in all the communities surrounding those places. Groote Eylandt gives the insight. It still has its problems in other areas in trying to work through the issues of its permit system, but those statistics alone certainly give governments, departments and individuals a great deal of optimism in trying to find a way forward.
I commend the Anindilyakwa Land Council for showing effective and courageous leadership in tackling the problem on Groote, and the Angurugu, Umbakumba and Bickerton communities for the support they give to the Alcohol Management Plan. It is that kind of support that ensures such a high success rate on Groote Eylandt. They know only too well the damage grog does to Aboriginal people, not only on Groote, but on the surrounding communities across the Northern Territory.
Having laid the foundations for improving the lifestyle of all people on Groote Eylandt, the Anindilyakwa Land Council can now focus firmly on raising employment for Groote Eylandters through the building and running of its $18m tourist resort, as well as employment at GEMCO. I would like to mention a good word for the Groote Eylandt Police, under the leadership of both Dean McMaster and Steve Pfitzner.
Yes, the legal issues, which I know the minister has outlined in his statement in regards to Nhulunbuy, of the Alcohol Management Plan are complex, but with sincere goodwill, ways can be found forward. There will always be those who will test the boundaries of the permit system. Stronger vigilance by police is required to enforce the plan, and yes, this does mean thorough searches at the airport on Groote Eylandt. That opens up other issues in the legal terminology, and certainly for police and prosecutors and the like, but they are issues which people are moving forward on, and are aware that they need to work with.
Nhulunbuy is preparing its own plan along similar lines. Mind you, Tony Fuller of the Northern Territory Police was greatly involved with the Groote Eylandt model before moving to Nhulunbuy, and he knows only too well the constant dialogue that has to take place in getting the method right. As the minister has rightly pointed out in his statement, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Our government recognises the individual needs of each town and community, and those needs have to be reflected in the Alcohol Management Plans that are drawn up. We not only recognise it, we wholeheartedly support the effort that goes into these plans by the individuals and communities in trying to manage the alcohol problems.
We support these plans by providing funding, expert advice and linkages at the departmental level. Initial discussions have occurred in the Mataranka region, which includes my communities of Minyerri and Jilkminggan. Funding has been provided to Katherine to work on its Alcohol Management Plan. Our government is fully aware that Katherine cannot work alone on its plan. It needs the support of the surrounding communities. I know that residents of Manyallaluk, Barunga and Wugularr are appreciative of being involved through their regional representative, Nyirranggulung Regional Authority.
I will continue to work closely with these communities, and when I look at the good work that is being achieved, it gives great hope. I speak strong words of encouragement to those members of the Northern Territory community across our towns who are trying to deal with the alcohol issue to keep going, and to know there are positive outcomes appearing in some of our communities already. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I support the statement by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. I will focus my statement on what this government is doing in Central Australia and how that relates to my electorate.
Excessive alcohol consumption across the Northern Territory has plagued us for decades. It pains me that those people most affected are people I feel closest too. Indeed, some of my friends and relatives have fallen victim to excessive alcohol consumption. Yes, it has plagued my friends and my family, and I want to give an insight to this House, not just about my family, but other families in neighbouring communities as well.
I know it has plagued my family. As you know, in the last parliament, I received news that my youngest brother, only 36, was in intensive care on a life support machine with liver failure, self-inflicted by abuse of alcohol. As I said to him, even though he says it is his body and he will do what he likes because he enjoyed drinking alcohol, he did not understand how it affected other people, his immediate family, his wife, his children, his mother who is my mother as well and who is blind.
Alcohol has had a very bad impact on remote Aboriginal communities and on Aboriginal people. What we have to start doing is taking a holistic approach to service delivery which this government is doing with health, education, roads, and support in rehabilitation for these people. These people do not choose to go to Alice Springs just to consume alcohol; that becomes part of their life because they go to Alice Springs to access services such as renal dialysis. Children are attending secondary school at Yirara College, therefore, they feel that they need their parents around to give them that moral support to continue to go to school in Alice Springs. It is very important that as leaders and people who run the Territory on behalf of Territorians we do not blame the victims; that we stand up for the rights of these people who have fallen into this trap because it is a trap.
I will continue on this road to tell you about my two other brothers who were excessive drinkers but have given up. They have now been dry for 14 to 15 years and, with their and my encouragement, we can get the younger brother to realise that this is a terrible life to lead. I will continue to say that it is a learned behaviour, because I see my nieces and nephews, my immediate family that is, going down the same path as their parents. What they see is an adult whose actions should show them the ways to get better education, good health, stand up and be good people in society, going in a different direction. It is the direction plagued by alcoholism.
The same things happen in other communities. It happens at Hermannsburg. I have brothers, cousins and sisters there. I see the same things there. It happens with the people at Kintore. It happens with people at Utopia. It happens with my cousins, uncles and aunties at Yuendumu. It is a real problem that we have to sort out, as government. What the younger generation is seeing is their parents leading them down the wrong path. If there is to be hope for the future indigenous population of the Northern Territory, then we really need to stand up and talk about this disease - because it is a disease; I feel it is a disease, like cancer eating somebody from within - and highlight to them that this is a bad way to live.
I digress from that so that I can highlight that I do not think that there is any fun and games in us, as leaders - whether we are from the opposition or government - saying something to a crowd of people that might seem funny at the time. I had the pleasure of competing in the Masters Games recently in Alice Springs. The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the softball …
Ms Carney: Patron.
Ms ANDERSON: … patron of the softball team. I was really offended on that occasion when the Leader of the Opposition, as patron, encouraged people to wipe themselves out …
Ms Carney: Oh, rubbish. Come on, it is the Masters. Oh, don’t tell whoppers!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms ANDERSON: Our eyes weren’t red enough ...
Ms Carney: Oh, you are just like the rest of them, Alison.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms ANDERSON: Our eyes were not red enough, and that we should go and wipe ourselves out. You can laugh about it now, Leader of the Opposition.
Ms Carney: I am laughing because you just make it up.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Macdonnell, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms ANDERSON: Yes, Madam Speaker. I believe that we cannot do that kind of thing not even in fun. The Master Games is an important event where we encourage people to be healthy and enjoy sports. Any patron of any sport should not encourage people to wipe themselves out.
Excessive alcohol consumption across the Northern Territory has plagued us for decades. Of course we see this everyday in Alice Springs. We see it when we walk down the street in Darwin. It is important to understand that when I spoke about the holistic approach, the holistic approach has been delivered by this government. When you have a look at the health initiatives, education initiatives, it encompasses the protection that we have to have for people, and that is everybody in the Northern Territory.
I have heard the alarming statistics detailed by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing in this statement. While there are tragedies some of them bear repeating. Our consumption of pure alcohol in 2005-06 was 70% higher than the rest of Australia as a whole. Figures show that in comparison to the rest of the nation the manner in which Territorians drink places them at great risk of harm - almost 50% more at risk of short-term harm and almost 80% more at risk of chronic harm. There are almost 25 000 incidents of people being taken into protective custody. Approximately 54% of road fatalities were alcohol-related, and over 70% of all police incidents were associated with alcohol. There is plenty for which we as Territorians can feel proud, this group of statistics is not one of them. We should not be proud of this kind of statistic.
In recent times I have visited the Alice Springs gaol and you only have to look at the over-representation of Aboriginal people in that institution to realise how parlous the position of excessive alcohol consumption is in our community. The member for Arnhem and I took the liberty of visiting the Alice Springs prison and when we walked out of there the discussion that we had was one of real sorrow, that too many of our people are in there. What really hit us both was the number of women that we saw inside the prison. These women are mums and their children are out there in the communities not knowing why their mums are there.
People I speak to in my electorate are really concerned about grog. They see the damage that it has done all around them. They feel the grief of victims of domestic violence, of losing loved ones to grog-related accidents and illness, or to all too regular incarceration. They see and feel the despair associated with the cycle of dependence. As the member for Arnhem said, we do attend too many funerals. If there is a funeral at Papunya, it is related to alcohol. If there is a funeral at Hermannsburg, or Docker River, or Kintore, it is related to alcohol.
Community function is disrupted. The capacity of communities and individuals to manage, to develop, to thrive, is all too often compromised. Community resources are stretched. Policing and health services are placed under immense pressure. Grog runners have had a field day profiteering from remote community residents keen to get their hands on alcohol at any price. This is the tragic thing: there is always the black market in everything. You can put things in place, and that is why I support what the member for Arnhem has said: we have to be vigilant. We have to be watching out for these people who are going around behind our backs, all the little back roads, they know those roads. It is about selling that alcohol to indigenous people in remote communities.
In the face of all this, police and health workers have done a fantastic job in trying to limit the impact that grog is having on our communities. I sincerely thank them for their previous and ongoing commitment and dedication.
Our great Central Australian lifestyle can be enhanced by responsible drinking, or can be undermined by excessive and abusive consumption. It is a shame that, too often, it is the latter that prevails. There is hope, however. There are good signs that things are changing and will continue to change. The introduction of the Alcohol Management Plan in Alice Springs is having a marked impact on residents in Macdonnell. As I have heard, the consumption of pure alcohol in Alice Springs over the first few months of the Liquor Supply Restriction is down by 11%. This has translated into not only fewer people presenting at hospital, but fewer assaults. I am sure over time it will mean less chronic illness.
It also has a flow-on effect to communities in Macdonnell, particularly those in closer proximity to Alice Springs. I am told that the demand on police services in Hermannsburg, a community police station that has been historically been renowned as a busy post, has decreased considerably over the last few months. While there are still those who attempt to run grog into the community, the nature of seizures by police, I am told, points to a reduction in total volume and reduction in alcohol content. In Titjikala, south of Alice Springs, I am advised that Alice Springs alcohol restrictions, it would seem at least anecdotally, are having a positive effect on community function, job participation, and absenteeism. It appears that less alcohol is making it into the community and people are more motivated to work and contribute positively to community life.
While the direct impact of alcohol abuse on residents of the rural area that form part of my electorate is probably less profound, these people make up an important part of the Alice Springs community. Many have livelihoods that depend on Alice Springs and Central Australia continuing to be seen as a vibrant, safe and enjoyable place to visit. They witness and experience unacceptable behaviour associated with excessive alcohol as it occurs in the township, then they navigate the roads in and around Alice Springs like the rest of us. They are equally inconvenienced by the huge demands placed on our emergency health services. I am heartened by the thought that the fantastic lifestyle and safety of the rural residents will be further protected by the measures taken by this government.
Madam Speaker, it concerns me that many people in Alice Springs see the alcohol problem as an Aboriginal problem. This could not be further from the truth. It is true that Aboriginal people in Central Australia are clearly over-represented in all statistical measures of alcohol-related issues, but alcohol does not discriminate and the cycle of dependence has left a devastating wake behind indigenous and non-indigenous families alike. That devastation is felt by the community as a whole. The concerns of the majority of people living in urban Alice Springs, the rural blocks, or in Docker River, are shared. We all pay the cost for alcohol abuse and dependence one way or another. That is why it is really important that the Central Australian community as a whole share the responsibility of overcoming the impact of alcohol abuse. We can all play a part. We can all strive to be better understand why it is that people drink, why it so hard for people to give up, and why is it that we share some inconvenience for the greater good.
There are those who suggest that remote communities that currently ban alcohol through the restricted area legislation should open canteens on their communities to limit the number of people who visit Alice Springs. To associate visitation of Aboriginal people to Alice Springs with a desire for those people to access grog is simplistic. It fails to recognise the broad range of services available to people in Alice Springs not otherwise accessible in their home communities.
The vast majority of Aboriginal visitors to Alice Springs are not there for the grog. To suggest otherwise is a gross generalisation. There is no doubt that there is a small number of people who visit Alice Springs specifically to drink. There are those who take the opportunity to drink when in town for other reasons. We cannot prevent people from doing this, but we can encourage responsible drinking, which is what the Alcohol Management Plan is all about.
In recent times there have been some community leaders who have actively considered the establishment of canteens in their community. There are already communities in the Territory that operate successful clubs and canteens. Unfortunately, there are others that do not enjoy the same level of success. For communities in my electorate that are thinking of going down that road, I urge caution. I urge them to consult widely and to consider all the implications of such a move. I will support communities who decide to establish canteens if they can demonstrate that the justification has community benefit, that all community members have been thoroughly consulted, their opinions taken into account and informed support has been provided by a vast majority. I remind communities that the establishment of restricted area legislation was done for a very good reason and any rationale for change should be compelling.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to say that I am part of a government that has not shirked its responsibility, and that has not shied away from making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions to maintain our great lifestyle. I am thoroughly convinced that the measures taken by the Martin Labor government to reduce the harm caused by alcohol will have sustained benefit to all people living in Central Australia. I congratulate former and current ministers for Racing, Gaming and Licensing for their understanding of the issue, their commitment to find solutions, and their vision for our great Territory.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support the statement by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. On occasions like this, it is important that everyone engage in a very constructive way and in a way which effectively takes into account each one’s considerations of what is going to be the biggest issue that affects communities across the Northern Territory. It is healthy to hear debate where you have different points of view. It is for that reason that I have great faith in the context of our ability as a government and as a community to deal with some of these issues.
I have heard some really good examples of what is happening in places like Nhulunbuy, Alyangula on Groote Eylandt, and other communities in the Northern Territory. I was speaking to the Mayor of Katherine the other day, and I pay tribute to her, because she, I believe, is a very sincere person. She is working with the local community, both the indigenous and non-indigenous community. She realises what might happen if they do not start dealing with these sorts of problems in places like Katherine.
The member for Arnhem talked about an indigenous person dying every 38 hours. We had a very compelling expos by the member for Macdonnell of how it impacts on her family, her mother, brothers and sisters. I was only thinking about this the other day. It was not an alcohol-related matter, but I received a phone call at 2 am and when you get phone calls at that hour of the morning, you always think to yourself that it must be bad news. It was but it was not alcohol-related as such. I am not going to go into details in regards to the result of that, but it was another death. It was not specifically alcohol-related. I started thinking we are almost in a state of crisis not only in the indigenous community but also in the non-indigenous community. I say that not in an alarming way but in factual way as evidenced in my community of Tennant Creek and, to a lesser extent, Borroloola. However, I want to concentrate on the Tennant Creek situation.
Almost weekly, in fact, sometimes twice a week, you are subject to the news that someone has passed on, or that someone is very ill or in a critical condition. In almost all cases, it is alcohol-related - not all but in the majority of cases. It is something that, not only as a local member in the context of parliament, but as a member of the local community, that you are almost under constant stress in the sense that you are dealing with high levels of sadness, sorrow, and people around you who are really impacted on when someone dies. It has reached a stage – and I was only thinking about this the other day - where a community almost turns in on itself. You are surrounded by sadness and insurmountable problems and issues which you feel you cannot deal with.
Under normal circumstances, you might have the capacity to do that but, in Tennant Creek, I know over the last few months that is how I have felt because it is just one of those situations where you are dealing with these issues which are all grog-related. When you try to take a step back and ask yourself how you take a step forward, you cannot because you are dealing with all these issues around you. I do not mean to say that in a negative way, but it is something that many communities actually confront, more so the indigenous communities out there because of the culture and of the family connections. It is something you cannot avoid. I thought I would respond to the members for Arnhem and Macdonnell because it is very true; it has reached almost crisis proportions in the sense of people having the capacity to get on with their lives.
It is for that reason that I am very proud of what the Martin Labor government has done over the last few years in combating alcohol abuse. I also pay tribute to the previous CLP government for the Living with Alcohol program, because I thought it was a great program. I have become very heartened in how the communities have been able to respond in a meaningful way, or at least to be able to put up a fight regarding some of things that are happening in our communities.
I refer to issues in Central Australia, Tennant Creek and Borroloola. Apart from being the Minister for Central Australia, many of those communities are in my electorate. I am very proud of how the communities have gone about trying to tackle alcohol. It was back in the 1990s where, effectively, the total community across the board, both black and white, essentially said: ‘Enough is enough’. A summit was convened by the indigenous community and supported by the non-indigenous community which gave rise to what we know as the Thirsty Thursday restrictions. That was, I think, in 1993-94. That went right through to 1995 where there was a perception in the community that the restrictions were no longer working.
A review was undertaken by the Liquor Commission which gave rise to a different set of conditions which have been in place for six to eight months now. They are quite different, quite separate, from what occurred in the past. The point I am trying to make is that it is an attempt by the community, both indigenous and non-indigenous, to try to deal with a very serious issue, realising that there is not necessarily one solution to it. We thought the Thirsty Thursday was going to be the solution. Then we moved to a new set of conditions. The Liquor Commission, at the moment, is collecting data and will be reviewing it again. That is how you do it; there is no other way forward. You have to be flexible and innovative enough and be prepared to work with the community in dealing with the impact that alcohol has upon, not only yourself, but the community.
As a result of the information collected by the Liquor Commission, I hope that we are going to have a different process this time; that we go back to community consultation. That was the secret of the first set. On this occasion, I hope that we engage all members and sectors of the community - the businesses, the agencies, indigenous organisations, the whole lot. That is, by far and away, a better way. I will be encouraging that when we review the conditions.
Alcohol management plans have assisted immensely and we intend to go down that path in Tennant Creek. I hope that in the next period we will be able to appoint someone to assist the community and work with the community to develop an alcohol management plan.
One of the real highlights in the sense of the community working together and dealing with a very serious issue is Alice Springs. You have heard from the member for Macdonnell, you have also heard from other members here about what has occurred. The Chief Minister must be given great credit because she established the task force with local people in Alice Springs in response to the excessive alcohol consumption, high levels of unacceptable behaviour, and the recognition that excessive alcohol abuse and antisocial behaviour was impacting upon Alice Springs as a community. I am proud of Alice Springs as a community. They have had the guts and the courage to get up and do something about it. I readily admit that there is going to be no quick fix but at the very least they are on the right track in dealing with some of the issues that I refer to.
The Alice Springs Town Council has played a very important role; Mayor Kilgariff and David Koch have been very constructive in driving the reform and some of these changes forward.
I pay tribute to some of the others because as it is a community effort to get these sort of outcomes. I refer to the licensees: Paul Venturin, Tony Phillips, Peter Hahn, the combined Aboriginal organisations’ representatives; Pat Miller, the Deputy of the Administrator; Mr Neville Perkins; and people like, John Baskerville, Commander Mark Coffey; Penny Fielding; Chris McIntyre; and also the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination representative, Nick Raymond. All these people are working together to try get some real outcomes. I understand that only the other day there was a public meeting regarding the dry areas legislation. That is just another step in how the community might want to go forward.
The other point I want to make about what is happening there is that it really is a community effort. It takes high levels of dedication and commitment from people, but it does not help when you have small numbers of people who are narrow-minded, who are sniping from the side, acting in their own self-interest and not necessarily considering the long-term interests of the town, the quality of life issues that Alice Springs as a community deserves. I ask some of those people to be more constructive, to engage in a more professional way. Whether they like it or not, they all live in the same town, they all experience the same sorts of problems, and effectively, they are all in it together and the only way they can get out of it is by working together. For those people who are the sceptics in the context of what they are trying to achieve in Alice Springs, can I just say, get back on board because there are some really great people there who are really trying to work hard.
At the same time you have a task force regarding the town camps. The town camps have been the subject of much derision and criticism over a long period of time in terms of what goes on in there. It is fair to say that a lot of that is alcohol-related. You get all the resultant issues arising from the alcohol, but the point of the matter is that it is all alcohol-related. I pay tribute to Tangentyere Council for making a change for the better not only for themselves but for the people who live in town camps and for the broader community.
There are other organisations which are working in the background trying to deal with this issue. They are not the high profile people; they are just people trying to make life better. I am referring to some of the people associated with housing associations and Territory Housing because we bear the brunt of some of the impact of excessive alcohol on premises. Our people are working very closely with some of the housing organisations in and around Alice Springs and with tenants about restricted premises whereby a person can apply for a nil consumption of alcohol in their home.
All those initiatives to which I have referred and the commitment and dedication of people throughout Central Australia have served as an inspirational example of working together to try to get an outcome. No one government, no one person, no one politician is ever going to be able to resolve this unless it is driven by the community.
Borroloola is a town that, over a very long period of time, has been subject to chronic, excessive alcohol abuse. I do not like to say that, but it is the truth. In the main, it has been brought about by a culture that effectively feels a sense of denial, non-engagement, sadness and a sense that nothing is happening, nothing is being achieved for them. Only that community can get itself off the ground, and I know that it will.
The hotel was closed down, the Borroloola Inn, and I congratulate the minister for his very decisive action there and the Liquor Commission people because what they did was a good thing. The previous licensees had no consideration for the people’s wellbeing or welfare. They did not care. All they wanted to do was to make a buck. They did not worry about what damage was being done to the mums, dads, grandmothers, and to the kids. They did not care about the neglect that was going on. That within itself has served as a bit of a lesson for the community because the advice that I have received is that it is a lot quieter and people appreciate the fact that they are not totally engulfed by excessive grog and the irresponsible behaviour of licensees.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I pay tribute to the previous minister, minister Stirling, who was very dedicated and has provided a really good springboard for the equally dedicated new minister, minister Burns. I have spoken to him on several occasions about the impact of alcohol. I am aware of his medical background. I know that he will work in a very constructive way with the communities, the industry, and the people to try to achieve some real outcomes. I wish you all the best, minister. This is a very good statement. Even though there might be some differences across the House, I know that you have full support. We have great confidence in your ability to continue to drive forward reform that combats the present unsatisfactory impact of alcohol on indigenous people and non-indigenous people. I wish you well.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I welcome the contributions made by all members from all sides of the Assembly on this very important statement. I have made copious notes because I thought each member provided a lot of detail, had some very good thoughts and posed some important questions. If I were to answer everything that every member raised, we would still be here at about five o’clock in the morning. What I intend to do is try to go through the major issues raised by each member, and I apologise if I do not really address all the issues raised by members in this debate.
I would have to say that I agree with most of what members have raised in this place. Most of what members have raised in this statement deserve further thought and, in most cases, deserve further action. As a relatively new minister, I have much to think about. I appreciate the perspectives, and there have been different perspectives offered here, and it has really helped me to see where people are coming from, the different parts of the discussion on alcohol-related issues in the Territory, and the importance of their resolution for moving this great Territory ahead.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke about alcohol being the root cause of crime, antisocial behaviour and violence. A theme echoed by a number of members, including the last speaker, was the importance of consultation and engagement. That has been echoed and emphasised throughout this discussion. Many speakers, as did the Deputy Chief Minister, talked about what has happened at Nhulunbuy and the positives there, and also Groote Eylandt. I believe we are all agreed these are first steps, and we need to keep moving on those issues. I know there is further movement in both Nhulunbuy and Groote, and in other areas throughout the Territory, that are implementing or discussing alcohol management plans.
The member for Blain basically supported the statement and gave some very good ideas and posed some very good questions. He raised a very important issue that there is a perception that all indigenous people are very heavy drinkers, and he asked the question: what is the actual percentage of drinkers? Some 78% of indigenous people have drunk alcohol at some time in their lives compared with 85% of non-indigenous people. I do not have the exact figures, but I remember from my time as a researcher in drug and alcohol issues, that the percentage of non-drinkers was quite a lot higher, as this reflects here, but also the percentage of people who drank very little was also higher, although those Aboriginal people who were engaged in binge drinking certainly gave it quite a nudge.
When you look at the per capita alcohol consumption throughout the Territory being 17 litres per person of pure alcohol, if there are a lot of people not drinking, there must be a lot of people drinking more than their quota. I thought it was quite interesting what the member for Blain said about the display he saw at the Alice Springs Show emphasising the per capita consumption. When you think about it, if you are talking about beer, you are talking about 3% to 5% alcohol, or if you are talking about wine, from memory, it is about 8% to 10%. If 17 litres represents 3% to 5% or 8% to 10%, just the volume of alcohol product that is consumed to get to that 17 litres of pure ethanol is absolutely enormous.
The member for Blain posed a very good question relating to the Living with Alcohol program implemented by the CLP government under the leadership of Marshall Perron, I believe, and I did pay compliment to that program, which was a national award-winning program. I believe Marshall Perron had concern for Territorians and the Territory at heart when he implemented that particular program. The member for Blain asked what happened to the money that used to flow to the Territory through the tax on wine casks, where is it now? I have been looking, member for Blain, and asking questions. From what I can make of it, it is sort of lost in the mist of time, probably before this government came to power. To be honest, I am not really sure what happened to that money. My recollection is that, when that decision was made, there were a few stepping stones down to, basically, nothing, and there was nothing from the Commonwealth government. It is my recollection at least – and I have tried to ask some questions of Treasury – that was the factor that petered off and we are getting nothing from the Commonwealth at this stage in relation to it. . We have to make our own way.
The member for Katherine spoke very well. She said that we should be trying to get further support from the Commonwealth, given the size and importance of the problem in the Territory. We should be knocking on the Commonwealth’s door in relation to this. They are the ones who are getting considerable revenue from the sales of alcohol within the Territory. I believe it is more than reasonable for us to make an approach to the Commonwealth. Hopefully, if it is done the right way, we will get some results.
The member for Arafura talked about violence between people, female on female, female on male, and her own experience of her own family. She said quite passionately: ‘The children need a voice. The children are crying out to us in this debate. There is too much family and interpersonal violence and too many family breakdowns. We do owe it to the children to reduce harmful alcohol consumption’. She said we need to research properly in this area to understand it better. The member for Macdonnell also said that we need to understand what is driving people to drink, what is at the bottom of it. That is very important.
Going back to the member for Blain, I did miss something important that he said. He talked about role models, as did the member for Macdonnell. There are some fantastic role models out there; people who have given away the grog. Maggie Brady published a very important book telling individual stories about how they gave away the grog. There is no doubt that interventions by health professionals are very important in that, to put the idea in people’s minds: ‘If you keep on going down this path, you are going to die. You are harming yourself’. The report that came out this week underscored that.
It is up to leaders in the community such as the local members of parliament and sporting people, to really try to get that message over to people; that firstly, it is not acceptable for this to occur within communities, and our concern for people. Often people come up to me and ask: ‘Have you got a couple of dollars’, and I may even give them a talk. I might say something like: ‘I am worried about you. You need to watch what is happening, because there are devils in that bottle’. That is what I say to people. It is true - people do get killed in Darwin. We have had some horrible examples of that, associated with grog. We need to get that message across and really reinforce to people that it is very dangerous and we are concerned for them.
The member for Arafura, along with the member for Macdonnell, talked about social clubs on remote communities and how they have potentially disruptive effects. Both of them urged caution in moving down that path. There is a push for those communities that are dry to take on wet canteens. We need to be very careful with that. To those who advocate that, I am putting a personal view. I would say you can put a wet canteen in a community, but I reckon that might drive a lot of the problem drinkers out, because there is trouble, fights, arguments, and then people leave the township or community and come into town. I believe wet canteens have a great propensity to set people on the wrong path.
I appreciated the Leader of the Opposition’s offering in this debate. Basically, she applauded government’s efforts and the statement. She wished us well. She recognised we all have immense challenges in addressing this issue within the Territory. She asked questions about expenditure on treatment. The member for Karama, the Minister for Family and Community Services, addressed that in some detail in her offering. From memory, she said about $21m in toto and gave some examples of individual funding to non-government organisations for treatment and support. I hope the member for Karama answered some of the queries of the Opposition Leader. She talked about the commitment of previous governments and I have acknowledged that. She said that we have to have a go and the people must take responsibility. That is right, and that is also what the member for Macdonnell was saying, that some people are saying: ‘Well, it is my body, I am autonomous, I can do what I like, I like to drink’. I think people not only need to take responsibility for themselves, as the Leader of the Opposition said, they need to take responsibility for their family and the effects on the family as the member for Macdonnell said.
A number of speakers, including the Opposition Leader, talked about the need for increased sanctions or increased penalties for grog runners. That was certainly a recommendation of the Alcohol Framework. I am advised that with the revision of the Liquor Act that will be written in there. I believe there is an agreement across both sides of politics that there needs to be increased sanctions for those who run grog.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about better data collection in terms of violence and having a better dataset so that we can better understand and act. She also talked about the need to break this acceptance that seems to be there in terms of violence and alcohol-related violence. The Opposition Leader, as she should, put forward the CLP policy, the three strikes and you are in policy that she announced last year, but government, I suppose, is looking to alcohol courts and some of those prohibition orders that are being set up and enforced in some of the communities in terms of our alcohol management plan. She talked about proper evaluation being needed and I certainly agree with that.
Madam Speaker, you talked about your own electorate and the importance of the lifestyle, the importance of people being able to have a drink watching the sun go down in your beautiful electorate. You also talked about the problems that exist in your electorate around the shopping centre and also around Woolworths at Nightcliff, and the way you have galvanised action, cooperation with council, meeting with agencies such as Racing, Gaming and Licensing, police and Justice, convening meetings with residents and businesses, and now moving down the track of implementing a restricted area around the Nightcliff shops and Woolworths. The support you have had is magnificent. I am sure you will be successful in addressing this issue.
The member for Nelson, as always, has very strong feelings about alcohol. He has spoken very passionately a number of times in this parliament about alcohol. He drew attention to that when he said they are not new problems: we need to change that big culture of drinking. I certainly agree with him and I think we have already started on that. As a community, we need to place boundaries around people’s drinking, and I have mentioned that before.
In my own opinion, through controlling alcohol, and a number of speakers touched on this, if we can control alcohol and the harmful consumption of alcohol we can give communities breathing space to actually exert those social controls that are pushed to one side because the drinkers have centre stage. The drinkers have all the attention. They are a dominant force, they are very loud, there is a lot going on, and people are trying to control them. Basically, they are out of control but if we can reduce harmful drinking we can get some breathing space in there. That comes down to leadership and I talked about that previously.
The member for Nelson talked about the Alcohol Framework and progress in relation to the Alcohol Framework. As he would be aware, most of the 62 recommendations were adopted by government. You were concerned about the drinking culture in Territory sporting clubs. That has been included within the framework recommendations, and we are looking at introducing the Good Sports programs into some areas of the Territory, particularly in Alice Springs as part of their alcohol management program.
You talked about funding alcohol-free events, and the member for Katherine also spoke about that. The Community Benefit Fund gives grant up to $5000 to assist with such events. You were also concerned about income protection for families of drinkers, and this forms part of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan, and progress has been made in discussions with Centrelink and Tangentyere Council as well as with various retailers.
We have talked about the new Liquor Act, and I have talked about penalties for grog smugglers. The review of the act is addressing the existing code of conduct for licensed premises.
I agree it has been a few years since the Alcohol Framework was introduced, member for Nelson. I am a relatively new minister and I need to re-visit those recommendations to see where we are, particularly with the review of the Liquor Act. Your suggestion of an audit asking where we are, what has been implemented, and what is outstanding is a good one. I have taken it on board.
The member for Katherine provided a very heartfelt and down-to-earth look at alcohol issues within her electorate and, as she said, it is a very serious issue. She talked about the deaths and violence, and about her personal experience with Aboriginal people she knows who have wasted their lives on alcohol. She emphasised very strongly that it is time now for stronger action and pointed to the experience in Port Augusta, which has been in the news of late. She said it is time for the whole town of Katherine to be taking action, and I certainly support that. I am happy to come to Katherine and work with the mayor, the local member and, importantly, the member for Arnhem who, in her offering, talked about the need for the neighbouring communities to be involved in this Alcohol Management Plan. I certainly agree with that.
I have mentioned the member for Karama’s offering to this debate. She gave a detailed description of what the government is doing through her portfolio supporting detox facilities.
The member Braitling is diffident, or not wholly supportive, of the dry areas and the Alcohol Management Plan. We will have to wait and see how that pans out in terms of the evaluation and perhaps we can continue the discussion.
The member for Sanderson talked about his role as a local member in trying to address some of the issues associated with alcohol abuse and antisocial behaviour in his electorate.
The member for Arnhem, as always, made a very thoughtful contribution to this debate and, in a personal way, talked about the serious health effects of alcohol in her electorate, the visits to RDH, the funerals, and the families struggling to cope. She also talked about the positives in her electorate.
The member for Macdonnell made a similarly thoughtful contribution. She advocated an holistic approach and, similarly, the member for Barkly talked about some of the issues in Central Australia. As the member for Macdonnell said, it is not just an Aboriginal problem; it does not discriminate. We have to pull together as a community and try to address this issue. The common theme through everyone’s contribution was consultation and working together across the community to address this very serious issue that faces the Northern Territory. Madam Speaker, I thank every member for their contribution.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, over the past few months, as I have been out and about visiting different locations of my Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines portfolios, and meeting with many of the stakeholders in the various sectors, I have been dazzled by the breadth of groundbreaking and innovative research being undertaken across the Northern Territory, particularly by my agency. Today, I take this opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives under way, innovative research and development being undertaken here in the Territory to further enhance our primary industry, fisheries and mining sectors. Frankly, it is research and development that is of such significance, it gives the Territory a place on the national and international stage.
International experts and the World Health Organisation predict that aquaculture, or fish farming, will provide for increased food production into the future. In the Northern Territory, we are well placed to showcase how this can be achieved on a sustainable basis, while having appropriate safeguards to protect our tropical environment. In that respect, I am pleased to advise that we are at the forefront of aquaculture development and innovation through the leading-edge work being undertaken by the Darwin Aquaculture Centre at Channel Island. The research and development of the Darwin Aquaculture Centre is world-class, and I say this not as an idle boast, but based on the international reputation the centre now enjoys.
The centre has a worldwide reputation for developing efficient and effective production systems for tropical marine fish and shellfish. Over the past four years, the staff at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre have developed leading edge technology for the production of juvenile barramundi to assist in the development of our barra farming industry. This unique system, developed in the Territory, is semi-automated and has seen production capacity for barramundi rise from just over one million fish per year to more than three million fish annually, and that is very impressive. What is equally impressive is that some of the leading fish producing companies from Australia and Europe are seeking information on the system’s design and operation.
The crustacean research team at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre have also been busy developing innovative and leading technology. The success of the mud crab research project has led to development of a capability to produce tens of thousands of juvenile crabs, or crablets as they are known, on an ongoing basis. The Darwin Aquaculture Centre’s success in breeding mud crabs in captivity is believed to be a world first. The reliable production of crablets has been instrumental in two grow-out trials in our indigenous communities.
The Fisheries Group are helping the Bawananga Aboriginal group at Maningrida and the Gwalwa Daraniki community at Kulaluk in Darwin to investigate techniques for culture of our iconic mud crab. The Kulaluk farm is already in production, and is a model being studied by other indigenous communities interested in establishing start up enterprise aquaculture facilities.
The Darwin Aquaculture Centre is also being used to benefit the Northern Territory’s growing aquaculture industry by using its facilities and staff expertise to leverage involvement in leading Australian research projects. An example of this is the project aimed at improved detection and control of the serious fish disease, Viral Nervous Necrosis, which is caused by a nodavirus. It causes significant economic losses to barramundi farms, and the Darwin Aquaculture Centre, together with the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories, have partnered with the University of Sydney to undertake this important project.
Other areas where the Aquaculture Centre has been used to advantage is the partnership that has been developed by a private company to undertake research and development into the breeding and farming of sea cucumbers. Another collaborative project, this time with the University of Queensland, the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories and the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association will investigate improved vaccination of barramundi against Streptococcal bacteria.
This expertise of our aquaculture researchers was recognised through an international fellowship awarded by the International Specialised Skills Institute. Similarly, one of our key researchers presented at an International Symposium on Aquaculture in Mexico, with the organisers covering their costs.
Fish health research and effective fish health management are crucial if we are to have a sustainable aquaculture industry. To help protect this industry and our environment, a translocation strategy has been developed which defines infected and non-infected zones for specific diseases for each of our major aquaculture sectors - barramundi, prawns, pearl oysters, mud crabs, redclaw, and sea cucumbers. This strategy facilitates the movement of aquatic animals for aquaculture and restocking programs. It seeks to define appropriate zones and protects other regions from the entry and establishment of diseases through a system of quarantine and health certification. This helps protect our wild fishery, aquaculture industries, and our aquatic resources from the spread of serious diseases associated with movements of live aquatic animals. The Northern Territory is recognised as a leader in aquatic animal health management, and the southern states are now starting to follow our lead and develop similar translocation strategies of their own.
You are probably also aware that another research innovation developed through DPIFM’s Fisheries Division is the gene-tag project. That has been a very high-profile project attracting both national and international attention. In fact, the gene-tag was not only featured on the ABC’s New Inventors show last year, but it picked up awards along the way. The gene-tag was developed to overcome difficulties associated with the use of the conventional plastic tag attached to pelagic fish such as Spanish mackerel. The gene-tag works on the basis of obtaining a genetic fingerprint of the fish. The gene-tag is a specially designed hook attached to a ‘lure’ that collects a tiny sample of flesh when the fish strikes, but it does not catch or impair the fish. The sample is then processed to provide a genetic fingerprint of the individual fish. This new technique overcomes the likelihood of the fish dying from shock, or predation from other fish, after being tagged.
So, a system conceived and tested here in the Territory is now being adapted to use in the shark research area, which means that sharks will not be handled by researchers. It has been adopted by fisheries scientists in Canada and North America. The genetic database it generates assists fisheries managers to better understand the movement and lifecycle of the fish and, thus, make better decisions that allow the fishery to be managed sustainably well into the future.
DPIFM’s researchers are also developing an holistic approach to the fisheries management using ‘fuzzy logic’ and geospatial statistics. The project is using the Timor Reef fishery as a case study and analyses the complex interactions and relationships that occur in the ecosystem as influenced by environmental variabilities such as climate, geomorphological features, fish behaviour and fishing practices. The ‘fuzzy logic’ component of the project allows scientists to translate uncertain human knowledge into hard data. In layman’s terms, it is estimating the amount of fish a vessel can catch given the level of the operator’s skills, taking into account changing environmental conditions.
The radical thing about this research is that it can pull together a vast amount of data at different levels of resolution in a visual format. It makes it easier to convey the results to stakeholders, and for them to become involved. At the end of this highly intricate project, a dynamic model will have been developed based on catch records, environmental data and fishing power which will allow the fisheries management to discern what effect environmental influences have on catch rates. Tools for managing multi-species fisheries within an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework have also been incorporated into the model. It is a real step forward for the management of our fisheries. You can see the DPIFM’s Fisheries Division is at the forefront of research and development that will benefit not only the fishing industry but the entire way we manage our marine environment.
Another area in which DPIFM is setting the pace is the pastoral industry which, as you would be aware, contributes more than $300m a year to the Territory’s economy. Interestingly, in a time when we hear a great deal about the skills shortage and our ageing workforce, DPIFM has 29 staff directly involved in research and development for our beef industry, and they are younger and better qualified than any other state or territory. I had the opportunity to meet many of these staff in Alice Springs at the Meat Profit Day late last year, and they see a very bright future for our pastoral industry.
Most research and development is carried out on a consultative and cooperative basis at a variety of sites across the Territory. DPIFM has nine research and demonstration farms, comprising three headquarter farms in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs, and six regional farms: the Victoria River Research Station which is at the principle pastoral research property; Douglas Daly Research Farm where mixed farming research takes place; Beatrice Hill Research Farm which is the department’s buffalo and floodplain research facility; Coastal Plains Research Farm which is the principle horticultural research property; Ti Tree Research Farm which is a small horticultural facility; and Old Man Plains Research Station which is a new pastoral research centre in Central Australia.
Yesterday, I referred to some outstanding work in the areas of pastoral production and biosecurity, and in order to emphasis this work, it is important to talk about this research again. The ‘best bet’ rangeland cattle production system developed at Victoria River Research Station has increased the production of breeder cows with a parallel and significant reduction in breeder mortality. This translates to an extra 32 calves per 100 breeder cows each year.
Another important project is the grazing land management or GLM package. The package comprises the GLM workshop and provision of post-training support. The GLM workshop has been specifically tailored to the Katherine and Central Australia regions. The key outcomes of this project are land managers combining the latest knowledge on rangeland management with their own observations and knowledge. From this, managers can design their own grazing management plans to map out actions to increase production and the health of their land. Over 20 producers have participated in the Katherine region with overwhelming positive feedback from participants. They report that because the package is personalised to each participating property, and the advice is provided one-on-one to suit the challenges of each property, the results are significant.
The first Alice Springs GLM course was run in November last year with participants reporting positive results which will proved over time as the management practices recommended are implemented on their properties. DIPFM has employed two GLM officers, one in Katherine and one in Alice Springs, to provide follow-up to ensure that the course’s practical results are maintained.
So far I have only spoken about the pastoral sectors of primary industries but there is also a lot going on in the crops, forestry and horticultural sectors.
With the nation’s attention increasingly on water use, the developing water crisis in southern states, our research is looking at irrigation management across the range of sectors including nurseries, tree fruits and broad acre crops to develop sustainable, water efficient techniques. DPIFM crops, forestry and horticulture researchers are also responding to industry requests for knowledge on biological farming, developing and testing techniques that utilise naturally occurring elements to create farming practices suited to northern Australia’s climate and biology. As public consciousness relating to clean, green produce increases so does the demand for environmentally sustainable farming practices and it is in this area that much of our effort is directed. This research and the techniques developed are becoming increasingly important in a water conscious, environmentally sensitive world. I am pleased to report that our researchers are actively working to improve our knowledge in this area. Crops, forests and horticultural research is primarily focused on the evaluation of new plant products and the development of sustainable production systems for our plant-based industry.
Another innovative program has seen DPIFM assisting in the formation of a company by a group of cut flower growers. Under this project the department supplied new commercial varieties of plants through its breeding program. The local cut flower growers have taken up the Plant Breeders Rights and commercialisation of the new cut-flower Zingiber hybrids bred by the department and has been called the Darzings. In addition, this company is looking at commercialising a number of others Zingiber hybrids generated from the department’s ginger breeding program.
Final evaluation and selection work will be undertaken this flowering season on the Ornamental Curcuma breeding project to identify the best bet cut flowers types for commercialisation. These Curcuma hybrids will expand the product range of cut flower gingers for the northern Australian tropical flower industry. The first commercial release of these hybrids is planned for this year.
Good feedback was received from all three commercial nurseries involved in the Curcuma breeding evaluation, and one of the nurseries has expressed interest in commercialising a number of selected potted colour types. These Curcuma hybrids will provide the nursery industry with a range of new potted colour varieties, and will further expand the cut flower industry in the Territory, once again a demonstration of the practical results of the department’s research and development. Indeed, members would have seen firsthand the blooming relationship between research, development and the Territory growers with the cut flower displays in Parliament House today.
The breadth and capacity of our fresh cut flower industry should not be underestimated. A cyclone in Far North Queensland devastated their tropical cut flow industry during the Commonwealth Games, and tropical flowers were in the centrepieces of the bouquets awarded to the medal winners. Local Northern Territory cut flower producers were able to step in and save the day by filling the void at very short notice.
Whilst it does not sound nearly as glamorous, the department is involved in research into a variety of weeds. Weed management experiments and demonstration plots are conducted each year on the department’s research farm and producer properties. Objectives include the evaluation of suitable herbicides, and the development of sustainable integrated weed control strategies such as grazing, crop rotation, and no-till sowing. The results from this research are highly beneficial to pastoralists and agriculturalists alike.
Research is also under way on a variety of forestry timbers suitable for growing in the climate in the Top End. As well, an approach has been made for a joint project with Vietnam to develop varieties of sesame suitable for that country’s sesame industry. You can see that the research and development work being undertaken is truly varied.
I again wish to point out the important work undertaken by the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines in the area of diagnostic services. This division conducted the field and development trials which have lead to the replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound that was previously used in the Territory horticulture industry to control termites. Its replacement is safer to use and has considerably less impact on the environment.
This division is also currently working with the CSIRO and the CRC for Plant Biosecurity to develop a project using molecular diagnostics to identify exotic termite species which threaten Australia, such as those that have been brought in on foreign fishing vessels. The research will use termite DNA material in a project that will potentially make exotic termite identification in the future much quicker and easier, as well as more effective.
In addition, the division is negotiating with research agencies to conduct work with Aboriginal communities in the Territory to extract compounds from the native Territory flora that can be used to control bacterial diseases in plants. The Territory should be justly proud of these men and women in DPIFM who work away in their laboratories to put the Territory at the forefront of this world-class research.
This is equally true for the research and innovation initiatives of my department in the minerals and energy sector. Our high quality geoscientific research is attracting investment and exploration dollars as never before. Mining is the Territory’s biggest and most economically significant industry, producing goods worth an annual $2.3bn or 20% of the GSP, but attracting new explorers and opening new mines does not happen overnight and the process, like most other industries, begins with research and development.
DPFIM’s Minerals and Energy division is at the cutting edge of new technologies through its Northern Territory Geological Survey group. I have been truly impressed by the high quality of expertise of this group, which is responsible for gathering the geoscientific data that is used by companies to evaluate the prospects available in the Territory. Simply put, the better the data available, the better the chance that a company will take the risk to explore in the Territory.
While we do have huge tracts of highly prospective under-explored land, not much is known about some areas, and that is what the geological survey work is addressing. One mining operation is already under way through a partnership with the Tiwi Island people and Matilda Minerals. This mineral sands operation is looking at zircon and rutile. These sands, however, lie on the surface and there is not enough geoscientific data available for explorers to understand possible mineralisation beneath the sand cover. That is where the airborne magnetic and radiometric survey comes in. Using a light aircraft packed with scientific instruments, scientists criss-crossed at a height of about 80 m above the ground with flight lines 400 m apart. This survey provides more information on the underlying geology of the islands and provides free data that will be available for mining companies to use to assist them in making exploration decisions. It also means that my department has now conducted airborne geophysical surveys over more than 90% of the Territory, probably the highest percentage of any Australian jurisdiction.
The Geological Survey, in conjunction with the federal agency Geoscience Australia, has also completed a ground gravity survey over a large portion of the eastern Arunta geological region to the north-east of Alice Springs. This gravity survey covers almost 21 000 km2 extending to the Queensland border, with its centre on the Jervois mineral field. The program took five weeks to complete at a cost of about $0.5m. It involved taking 5500 readings on a regular grid pattern at sites spaced 2 km apart. The entire operation was helicopter supported. The survey concentrated on mapping the extent and nature of the major geological structures extending through the region and replaces gravity data acquired over the region in the 1960s using outdated technology considerably less accurate than that now available. The information acquired will provide new insights into the mineral potential of the area, which is thought to be prospective for copper-gold, diamonds, nickel and other base metals.
The Northern Territory Geological Survey also cooperates with a variety of other agencies to facilitate cutting edge research outcomes. One such collaboration was in the production of a glossy coloured atlas and accompanying wall map that will give explorers valuable clues to the locations of mineral deposits throughout the Territory. The Atlas of Regolith Materials and Regolith Map of the Northern Territory were launched earlier this year at the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar, AGES, in the Alice Springs Convention Centre. The atlas contains more than 600 colour photographs of the major regolith materials, primarily surface soils and loose rock, as well as tables of geochemical data and diagrams of particle size distribution and regolith materials. The map was compiled from field observations from more than 1500 sites across the Territory, as well as existing geological maps and satellite imagery. Together, the atlas and map constitute the first comprehensive collection of data and descriptions of regolith-landform systems from across the Territory. The atlas is an invaluable tool for explorers, and was the result a of two-year joint venture between the NTGS and the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Explorations in Perth. Expertise for the project was provided by Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, with NTGS contributing critical geological knowledge, data and field support.
Mr Deputy Speaker, there are many other innovative, cutting edge projects being undertaken by researchers from my department, and I intend to update this House on research and development breakthroughs as they occur. However, I hope the projects highlighted will show that not only are we at the forefront of research, development and innovation in Australia but, in many cases, we are setting the pace for the rest of the world. Most importantly, I can say with certainty that I will continue to be impressed by the groundbreaking achievements of my departmental staff in Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, and these are achievements of which the Territory can be proud.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the member for Casuarina probably would agree, he has one of the best jobs in the Territory, because you can see the Territory and, maybe along with sport, that is not bad. I reckon, though, with Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, by the time you finish that job you will know a lot more about the Territory than many other people who live here.
I thank the minister for his statement. It is targeting research that the department is undertaking. It is not necessarily about the bigger picture of highlighting individual parts of his portfolio. Although I would like the minister to give us some time to discuss the mining industry and highlight what is actually happening, so we have a better understanding of what mines are operating, what their production is, what their difficulties are, what is being explored, and where is it being explored. Also, in primary industry, what are the problems faced by primary industry people such as production. We have the issues of local government - maybe not directly in your portfolio, but they certainly affect pastoralists. Horticulture is one of my favourites; that is my background. I am interested in hearing some details on the production of vegetables and fruit throughout the Northern Territory and where we are going with that. As much as I appreciate that this is one part of primary industry, there is much more that we could hear about your portfolio and it would be appreciated. I must admit whilst I enjoy debates here, I like to hear some of these things as well.
I would like to make a few comments, minister, about what you have said. I will go through the statement more or less as you have gone through it in that order.
You mentioned the Darwin Aquaculture Centre and its role in producing juvenile barramundi for the development of our barra farming industry. Since Marine Harvest has left the Territory - it had the barra farm at Port Herd on Bathurst Island, and it had three applications for development within the Darwin Harbour and Bynoe Harbour - has that had an effect on the Darwin Aquaculture Centre in the production of juvenile barramundi? You may be able to tell us what has happened at Marine Harvest; what were the reasons it packed up and left? Is there any chance of anyone taking its place?
It is interesting hearing about the culture of the mud crab. If the Bawananga Aboriginal Corporation at Maningrida and Gwalwa Daraniki community at Kulaluk can become involved and turn that into an industry - it is using native food for a commercial purpose such as we do with a lot of our plants - if that becomes successful it is great. As you know, anything that can help employment, especially for indigenous people, is worthwhile promoting.
I note the minister did not really raise the subject of prawns at all. We still have big prawn farms on Middle Point Peninsula and on the Blackmore River. I am interested to know if the department does any research work on prawns, or is it left up to the private industry to do that. We have some big prawn farms in the Darwin area. I would like to hear how it is going, because we have one of the biggest prawn farms on the Blackmore River today.
The minister mentioned gene-tag. It is great to hear that other parts of the world have taken up the technology. ‘Fuzzy logic’ has been around for a while. I might have done some of that back in my school days. It is good to hear how it is used for practical outcomes.
Mr Warren: Quantum physics, isn’t it?
Mr WOOD: Yes. We use fuzzy logic when we are betting on the horses; it does not work there.
The minister also spoke about the research and development on the experimental farms. I visited some of those farms a long time ago. I put it to the minister, if I may ask permission some time during the year to visit some of these places, because I have not been to some of them for a while. They might have changed their accent in certain research programs. It is good to keep up with what the pastoral and rural industry is doing.
The minister said that he had only spoken about the pastoral sector of primary industry but there was also a lot going on in the crops, forestry and horticulture sectors. One area of primary industry that seems to have dropped off, I think this could be related to a number of things, is basically agricultural crops. Not hay so much - there has been plenty of hay and from the statistics in the annual report hay production is pretty steady. Years ago, the Territory was a large producer of maize, soybean and things like that. In fact, if you ever want a symbolic monument to those days you go to Fleming and see the silos - they are empty. You see the silos in Katherine and they are empty. Once upon a time they were full. I do not know whether that is partly to do with the moratorium on land development in the Douglas Daly, or whether it is that the production of these crops is cheaper down south, or that Kununurra is able to produce them cheaper. It is a bit sad to see that in some of those areas they have not developed, in fact, they have nearly disappeared. It is one of those areas that we need to put more effort in to.
I have in my notes here: what are we doing with Ord River Stage 2? There is more emphasis on places like Ord River Stage 2 especially when you hear about Senator Heffernan forming this group to come and look at land and water in the north. Just before Christmas, Landline did an in-depth report on the Ord River and it is something that we need to be out there as well. People are worried about cropping on the Daly and perhaps it is the area that we should be concentrating on for the time being. It is an area that somewhere along the line has faded away. When you go out to a place like Fleming and see the empty silos you ask: ‘What happened?’
You also mentioned sesame. I remember being at the Douglas Daly Research Station a long time ago seeing paddocks that were pink - that was sesame. We have been growing sesame for an awful long time now at the Douglas Daly Research Station and I actually thought it was finished. I thought they had more or less given up and were going on to something else. It is interesting to hear that we are now looking at a joint program in Vietnam. Does this mean, hopefully, sesame has a new lease of life? If it does, that would be good? It certainly grew well and made pretty paddocks, and it has been around for along time. If at last all that research has come to fruition and we are able to create markets then that is a very good outcome for all the work that has been done down there.
It reminds me of another crop that has disappeared a little and that is peanuts. I might mention cotton here. Originally, the concept of growing cotton in the Top End was to use it as a rotational crop with peanuts. That is what they were going to try to do. That has not happened. Peanuts showed a lot of potential. There is still some grown but not to the quantities we thought were going to happen.
Minister, you also mentioned cut flowers. In my area, and the rural area where the member for Goyder is, cut flowers are a very important part of primary industry and horticulture. I am lucky that when a certain lady comes in for our shredded paper we do a swap: we get heliconias and she gets shredded paper. This area is developing all the time and we are able to produce flowers that nowhere else can produce - I suppose North Queensland - but we are producing flowers that are unique to the tropics so we do not have to have the gladioli and carnations all the time. As these things develop, the cut flower industry is a bright light when it comes to horticulture in the Northern Territory. I congratulate all those people in the industry. It is not easy; it is not just a matter of having cut flowers. You have to maintain them all the time because plants like heliconias and gingers get a bit rampant after a while and the flowers get smaller so they require constant work. I agree that it is a very interesting industry.
You talked about research into weeds. I have always felt that we have been lacking in possibly hybridising some of the grasses that we use for cattle, and a classic one is gamba. We have a plant that is loved by the pastoralists and hated by everyone else. Yet, when I used to grow some green feed for my poultry farm, one of the feeds you could buy was hybrid millet which has infertile seeds so it cannot seed. I always wondered why we could not have spent some time and money producing a hybrid form of gamba that did not produce fertile seed. That would have given us the best of both worlds. It would not have spread unless you actually bought the hybridised seed and planted it; it would not have spread by natural means; and we would not have the problem we have now with our environment. It is an area that the department could look at. I am not sure if there is enough money in the pastoral industry to spend on such a research program because it would require a fair bit of money to produce a hybrid plant.
Other areas with weed control would be whether there is any biological control of some of the weeds like the pennisetum polystachion, or Mission Grass. I do not know whether the department has been looking at some of those possibilities because pennisetum was introduced as a pasture species. I do not think it is today regarded as a particularly great pasture species since gamba was introduced, but it has certainly caused a problem as a weed in built up areas in the rural area.
Minister, you also mentioned that your division conducted field and development trials that have led to replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound which was previously used in the Territory horticultural industry to control termite. I am presuming that is Mirant; it may be something else. It would be nice to let us know a little more about that. As Mirant has now come off the usable list of termite poisons it would be interesting to know what replacement there is. That was an interesting piece in the statement, but there is not very much detail.
You also said you would be working with Aboriginal communities to conduct trials to extract compounds from native Territory flora to control bacterial diseases in plants. This is good news because we know that many of our native plants have medicinal properties and obviously they have other properties. Some of the books around today are very detailed about the chemical structure of many of the native plants. This is an area that needs a little more development. I know this is covering a large area, but they are items it would be good for this parliament to hear about, and what they are going to be used for, and how much involvement Aboriginal people will have in the development of those products.
Going back to the research stations for a minute, Beatrice Hill was mentioned. They produce buffalo. I am concerned about - and I think it concerns people at Beatrice Hill - the demise of the abattoir. Heaven help us, I know the media think that I wanted both the abattoir and the piggery taken over by the government, which is not what I said. I said that the government should take over the abattoir. Unfortunately, the piggery will depart just like the poultry industry. However, there is a concern that by having no abattoir, there is going to be difficulty developing a market for the buffalo in the Northern Territory. Even some of the experimental work done at the research station may have been done using that abattoir. Even if the abattoir was shifted or opened just once a month or something, and some of the departmental staff could perhaps operate it, it would be good. It does serve a purpose.
Some people say that is not the government’s role. In many parts of Australia the government did take on those roles and it had a community abattoir. I do not want the government to spend piles and piles of money, but there is nowhere else in the Top End that you are going to be able to kill animals. I do not know where you will be able to kill them. I am not sure there is an abattoir left in the Northern Territory, and so this is only one small abattoir. There may be the one at Meneling Station at Batchelor, but there are not many opportunities for meat to be cut up in the Top End.
Minister, this concerns me a little and I have probably spoken about it before. You talked about the Coastal Plains Research Station. The Coastal Plains Research Station was once the centre for horticultural research in the NT. It was the real centre. Anyone who visited that farm on the farm days they had would remember the many varieties of vegetables that were being trialled. Unfortunately, this has all disappeared with horticultural research going to the big name crops, like mangoes, for instance. It is unfortunate from a scientific research aspect. The Territory is in a developing stage when it comes to horticultural research. That is why the government, not industry, needs to be a driver of horticultural research, especially in relation to those crops which are not widely grown or could be potentially grown. I will give you some examples.
Back in the early or mid-1990s, Coastal Plains used to grow a number of Taiwanese varieties of vegetables like cabbages and cauliflowers, normally not things that do that well in the Top End because of the heat. They were able to get varieties that had a longer growing period. I use that example to say that I believe the government still has a role in a developing area like the Northern Territory to do much of that research which no one else could do because there is not big money in cauliflowers, not at the moment anyway. There could be big money in cauliflowers or cabbages if we grew them out of season and enough of them at the right time. I used to grow cabbages at Daly River and you can grow them quite successfully, it has a relatively short growing period.
I believe that is where the government has a role to play. Certainly, it has to do the work for the mango farmers. They invest money through their levies but I believe we have cut off this idea that government should not be in too much research, that it should be industry-led. Governments need to be in there because they have the scientists. They are the ones who can actually do a lot of this work that may be uneconomic at the present time, but it could lead to opening up markets in the Northern Territory. Take tourism: the government subsidises tourism - $27m over three years. Why? So we can open up markets. I would argue the same thing. If you want to help horticultural development in the Northern Territory, the government has to put that money in. Eventually it won’t. Eventually, if we get these markets, people will do their own work. That is a sad thing today. When you go out there, there is nowhere near the amount of work. We do grow plenty of Asian vegetables in the rural area, but I still believe there is a good market for other crops, and the Territory government has a role to play to try to assist the opening up and breaking into new markets.
It has done that to some extent with the flowers. Take the Darzings: obviously there was a lot of work done at the research station which the flower people have taken up and marketed. I know there is a different philosophy today. I have heard over the years how things have changed; now research has to be industry-driven. That is all right where you have big markets down south, where many of these crops are well developed, but in the Territory I believe we need to keep working on research of these smaller crops.
Another example is cotton. I know cotton is like ‘ugh’, but we did cotton trials in Katherine. For some reason we stopped doing them. Whether it was because of the GM, I do not know. However, 60% to 90% of cotton in Australia is GM, just go with the figures. That is what is being grown in Queensland and New South Wales. The figures are that. Because we now know how to use it properly, it has reduced pesticides remarkably. The amount of pesticides now used in cotton has just gone out the door. But we stopped growing it.
This is not an ad for GM cotton, but I know that there were people who wanted to keep growing cotton to see if they could get a better variety to be fungus resistant. There were mildews on some of the cotton because Katherine does get high dew in the morning. They wanted to see whether they could build up some resistant varieties that could be used in New South Wales and Queensland. However, the cotton trials stopped. Even though some people might have objections to GM - and to me, GM is too big a word to just say: ‘I object’, that way, because there is all sorts of GM - trials are trials. We gain knowledge from trials. We learn things from trials, and that is why we have trials.
It is a shame that because something did not fit into our ideology, we did not continue some of these trials. It gave our research station some money. Certain companies invested in the research stations to get the work done. I am not scared of that; I just think that is what we should be doing as that helps our scientific understanding of these crops. It was disappointing as I went down for the last cotton harvest in Katherine, and I felt we had taken a step backward, not a step forward, when it came to research.
Minister, you also mentioned the minerals side. I know we have spoken about geothermal and it is an exciting prospect for the Northern Territory. I have one of those gravity maps. I must admit the last time this was discussed I had no idea what a gravity map was. I now have a gravity map and I gather they are very important when it comes to identifying areas of mineral activity in the Northern Territory. I was asked by someone today if you could make sure you keep funding your exploration programs - you probably know where that came from. Do not drop off your exploration programs. It might cost you money but it does come back in with companies that are attracted to the Northern Territory because the information they need to explore is there. It is the government doing that work which makes it a good way to attract companies into the Territory to look at what opportunities we have for mining.
Minister, I thank you for the report. It is always interesting. If I have some critical points of view, they are not there because I am trying to be negative, but it is an area I have a great interest in. It is important, because there can be a tendency to forget that although a lot of people do not live in these areas where we have pastures and mining, it does produce a good part of our economy. It is the future for the Territory if it is well done. There will be a lot more work. You are going to have a fair bit of pressure - if I put it the right way - with the Commonwealth government looking at opportunities to open up land for development and whether we can use some of our water for that development. I am always interested to hear if the government has been looking at alternative ideas.
There has been a lot of emphasis on the Douglas Daly, but is there a possibility of using some Daly River water in the Sturt Plateau, for instance? It is not that far away, the King River starts in the Sturt Plateau. Could the Sturt Plateau be opened up for farming? I am not saying broad scale farming, but smaller scale farming that could be irrigated. It is a cooler climate, to some extent, and it may be that you are not going to run into issues that seem to dog the development of the Douglas Daly. It is just an idea that I have had floating around for quite some time; whether there are other areas in the Northern Territory that we could open up for agricultural activity.
All in all, minister, I thank you for your statement on the research and development in the Territory’s mining, primary industry and fishery sectors. I would be happy to hear, later in the year, some more statements about different activities of your portfolio in the Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business and Economic Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the former minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, I strongly support the statement by my colleague, the member for Drysdale and the current minister for Mines and Energy, and Primary Industry and Fisheries.
I agree with the member for Nelson, who said that if you do not spend money in research and development you are not going to reap the benefits in the future. There is a very good example in the mining industry. I know for a fact that it was the money we spent to produce the gravity maps - the maps with all the colours – that meant people such as geologists and explorers can understand what is hidden underneath the ground that will attract them to the Territory. We have done a very good job there.
It is not only the responsibility of one department to undertake research and development. More than one department can be involved, and I am very eager, with my new portfolio, to promote the use of research and innovation, provide solutions to issues in these areas, and maximise commercial and other benefits from research and knowledge. Every dollar we spend on research and development will translate to many dollars coming back to the Territory in the form of taxes or investment and, of course, jobs.
Let us not forget that we have the Northern Territory Research and Innovation Board. I am looking forward to working with them to progress our agenda for maximising social, environmental and commercial benefit from research. The board is the powerhouse of talent and has a national reputation for research, development and innovation in the private sector, university, research and teaching institutions because research and development is not the role of the government but also the role of the private sector. We know that many private companies spend a lot of money on research and development and in further developing some processes with a patent which they can then sell for millions of dollars.
The Chair of the board is Professor Grahame Webb. He is acknowledged as one of the world’s top experts in crocodilian research and management, winning the prestigious Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award in 2001. He is chair of the World Conservation Union’s Crocodile Specialty Group; Managing Director of his Darwin-based company, Wildlife Management International, and also established Crocodylus Park, our local top tourist attraction with behind the scenes, cutting edge research on crocodiles and other reptiles including turtles. He is often in the news because of his progressive ideas about ensuring preservation of wildlife through their use as a commercial resource. Many times we have agreed with Grahame Webb: when you put a price tag on something, that particular something, animal or plant, will never become extinct because it has a value. Territorians like Grahame have exceptional value because they successfully straddle academic, entrepreneurial and practical pursuits and contribute significantly to the Territory’s knowledge economy.
Other board members have similar reputations in their field, for example Alan Langworthy, Managing Director of Powercorp Pty Ltd, who established the first wind-based power stations in Antarctica after the Americans said it could not be done - and Alan did it. Bruce Walker, who like Grahame has also won a Clunies Ross Award, as founder and director of the Centre for Appropriate Technology has headed up the application of innovative technologies in the bush to improve the livelihoods of desert communities with inventions such as the hand-powered washing machine, the ventilated improved pit toilets that solve the problem of flies and smell, and solar powered outback lighting.
The board has a primary role in supporting similarly innovative and entrepreneurial talent in the Territory including through initiatives like research and innovation awards and research and innovation grants with a budget of approximately $1m over three years. The awards are a great way to recognise and further encourage research excellence and entrepreneurship, creating jobs and commercial opportunities throughout the Territory.
Some examples of these awards include Rik Buckworth of the Northern Territory Fisheries Division who developed a hollow hook for sampling mackerel without having to overly stress the fish by hauling it on board, tagging and releasing them, yet able to collect adequate biological information for the sound management of the fishery. Rik and his team were further honoured by winning their round on the televised show The New Inventors.
Mark Smith used successful business in radio technology to finance research and development of an antenna which is the envy of the communications world and meeting Australia’s Defence needs, allowing tanks to swerve and sway through the terrain without losing communication links with satellites.
Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek has built partnerships between indigenous experts, scientists and land managers to improve fire management techniques on his traditional country, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and attracting significant private investment to create job opportunities for locals.
The grants: two thirds funds for research and development grants for traditional and applied research with substantial capacity to leverage for external research funds into the Territory, and one third of funds for generally private sector-based innovation grants. To date, from the three completed rounds of grants, $500 000 in grants from the fund has leveraged more than nine times this amount in external funds for the Territory, a total of $4.8m.
Examples of the grant recipients from the latest fourth round of grants are:
Government, therefore, has begun to investigate reasons for this and to come up with solutions, including developing programs to improve access by SMEs to information on what kind of Commonwealth and industry grants are available and offering assistance in preparing competitive applications.
In closing, the Northern Territory Research and Innovation Board is making a real contribution to the Territory’s knowledge economy through recognising and supporting the Territory’s most innovative researchers and entrepreneurs. I commend them on their impressive record and wish them continued success.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am prepared to work with my colleague, the member for Drysdale and Minister for Mines and Energy and Primary Industry and Fisheries, to continue research and development in the Northern Territory that will benefit some of the most viable industries in the Territory, namely fisheries, primary industries, and certainly mining.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his first statement as the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, and for Mines and Energy. It is good to hear a report such as this. It saves asking many questions, and I was interested to read through it. I support the member for Nelson’s comment about what a great portfolio it is - Mines and Energy and Primary Industry and Fisheries takes you to every part of the Territory. There would not be too many parts you are not involved in. I hope you enjoy your position as the minister with responsibility for these portfolios, and I wish you well in them.
I want to make a few comments regarding the mining industry because that is my portfolio now. Geological Survey and its role in providing competitive data for exploration companies to come to the Northern Territory is vitally important. If I am not wrong, I think it was an innovation of the CLP. Did we do something right for you people? Tick! Tick! We have no argument as far as the value of mining to the Northern Territory. As you have acknowledged, it is 26% of the Territory’s gross state product, which is fabulous news for the Territory.
I have a couple of questions. The Angela and Pamela leases are very much in the media in recent times. They were indicative of a great financial boom for Territory investors. It has been interesting to watch this man, Norm, stake his claim on the lease in the old fashioned way. Could the minister explain in his reply how this can still happen? I do not fully understand how he could stake such a claim and beat the big mining companies which invest millions of dollars in the Territory. I would like to know how that can happen, and how you are going to address it in the future.
Mr Wood: Sell alarm clocks.
Mrs MILLER: Yes, sell a lot of alarm clocks. Good idea, member for Nelson. I believe there are over 37 companies which have expressed an interest in Angela and Pamela, and they are predominantly Australian companies, which is good because all the gross profit will stay in Australia. It is also good that we have had some overseas companies express an interest, and we definitely welcome them. However, with that many companies expressing an interest, what framework is in place to assess those companies to decide who will be the successful applicant? How will you decide that? Could you also tell me what incentives you offer exploration companies and industry to come to the Northern Territory?
I noticed here – well, I have not noticed here actually, that is what I am going to ask you. What happened on your trip to China? Could you give some detail such as how many companies you spoke to, or expressed an interest when you were in China? Since your return, minister, how many expressed an interest to explore in the Northern Territory? That is really important? I know it is important for you to go overseas to sell the Territory, and sell what we have here, and I congratulate you for doing that. I would like to know how many have shown an interest in coming to the Territory.
There are a whole lot of areas I would like to cover. One of them is GBS Gold. GBS Gold is going to be a great contributor to regional NT, mainly around Pine Creek and Katherine. We are very glad to have them there and they are already contributing to the community. Some of their executive staff are living in Katherine. That means their families are there. They are going to have a shopfront in Katherine. That is really good because they will base their Maud Creek mining base in Katherine. The big thing is that are starting a joint partnership with the Katherine youth development group, whereby they are co-funding the development and training of apprentices. That is going to be on an annual basis. That is really good as it is giving an opportunity for young people who are showing an interest in the mining industry the opportunity to develop. So we may be able to train some more people in geology in the Northern Territory, some homegrown kids from the Territory, which is really good.
As far as development goes in aquaculture - there are a lot of areas I could go to there. I will start with aquaculture. You talked about the benefits of aquaculture, and I guess that my experience with aquaculture elsewhere in Australia, and especially South Australia, has highlighted to me the benefit of aquaculture, and that is when the land became less profitable. I am talking about particular areas on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia when the land became difficult to make a living from; it seemed to me that the fortune moved from there to the ocean. There was a lot of research and development done in the tuna and tuna aquaculture and with oysters on the west coast of South Australia as well. I believe it is really important for us in the Territory to look at what we can develop in our aquaculture. In particular, you have mentioned the major aquaculture sectors of barramundi.
When I was in Port Lincoln, I took the opportunity to visit a tuna aquaculture farm. There are some 18 pens about an hour-and-a-half boat ride to the other side of Boston Island. It was quite rough; the swell is quite strong out there. I would like to let the House know that I was the only female on board who did not end up giving some berley bait to the fish. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the full process of the aquaculture. It is a really interesting process whereby they do not produce their own fingerlings, they go deep sea. Sometimes it takes them two to three weeks to actually bring them back in a special net at a very slow pace until they get back to the aquaculture farm. There, they put the baby tuna in those pens and they are there for some four years before they harvest them.
I was fortunate enough to witness a harvest. The reason I am relating this is because significant research went into the development of the tuna aquaculture, to the point that it is an extremely financial benefit to South Australia, especially Eyre Peninsula and Port Lincoln. Within four days of witnessing this harvest of tuna, which was on a Monday, by the Thursday evening the tuna were to be on the plates in Japan. It is a very slick process, but we can do it. We can do it here with barramundi. I encourage the minister to have a look at that particular area.
One of the challenges that has arisen in aquaculture here is that it has been put forward that the nutrients from the barramundi contaminate the ocean, etcetera. These tuna in South Australia are fed fish from the ocean. They are fed herrings and sardines from the ocean, so they are only putting back into the ocean what has been taken out. They regularly scientifically test the ocean below these farm cages, so it is a very slick operation. We can do it here; I am sure we can. Much more research, of course, will need to go into it. I know we have trialled many of these things, but we must not give up. We really must not do that.
Just as an add-on to the barramundi, it is interesting to note that one of the Leader of the Opposition’s staff purchased some smoked barramundi this week. Guess where it was processed? In Mile End, South Australia. It would be interesting to know if we could have an add-on industry in the Northern Territory where we could smoke our own barramundi and use that as an export trade. That is something that we need to look at. We need to add on to our own in the Northern Territory.
Another aquaculture sector that is being trialled here is the sea cucumber. In September last year I went to a conference in Brisbane and visited a sea cucumber processing plant with a group of people from that conference. This one runs very successfully. I forget the name of it right now, but I can get the details if you would like. That is a great opportunity for us to have here in the Territory. This was run by an indigenous community. They had trialled their sea cucumber processing until they had it down just pat. They have the answers. These people have the answers because they have trialled it all. They were very obliging and offered to give any assistance they could. The sea cucumber is an extremely lucrative market. There is a great opportunity to the Territory.
I heard the member for Nelson talk about sesame. Sesame seed was trialled at Katherine Research Station also. A couple of years ago, I had a look at some plantations, and there were over 20 varieties. I had absolutely no idea there was so many varieties. It is interesting to hear the member say that he believes that it is now being trialled overseas. I do not know where we are with sesame. I know that there is a possibility - and highly likely - that we have an opportunity to have an industry in sesame. I would like to know where the research has gone with sesame seed.
Peanuts are still grown near Katherine. There are still a couple of producers there. I believe they are still experimenting with them but, at this stage, I am not aware that they are unhappy with what they have been producing. Of course, melons and pumpkins grow really well in Katherine; we know that. That research does not need to be carried out.
As far as the cotton trials go in Katherine, I found interesting many of objections about the cotton trials, and it is because people have a perception that cotton is grown broad acre as it is in New South Wales, and it takes up all of your water and will ruin waterways, and that it is a water guzzler. When I visited the research farm and looked at the cotton in the last year they were growing, they were using a drip water system, and they had proved that it used less water than mangoes. I found that interesting and am disappointed that that has finished. I have no great aspirations for cotton to be grown broad acre, and there is nowhere for it to be grown broad acre in the Territory. However, I do believe that it should not be squashed entirely as much research has gone into it to prove that it is a viable rotational crop. I am not saying you need to grow it broad acre; not at all.
Mr Wood: Middle-sized farms.
Mrs MILLLER: Yes, that is right. I am also interested in the minister investigating a lot further what is happening with the Ord River Stage 2 development. It has been interesting listening over the last three years since I have been in the Assembly to the barrier there seems to be towards looking at that area for development. I find it strange that we have this mass of water in the Ord River Scheme from Lake Argyle, which is a huge body of water, and they have fantastic soil and it does not stop at the border. It is an invisible line, but I think it is going to be highly visible shortly as it is going to stop right at the border and we are missing an opportunity. I encourage the minister to further look at the Ord River Stage 2 scheme and see if there is something which can be developed there for the Northern Territory.
Another area I would like to see research done, and support given, and I believe that it has to come from government as I do not think the money is there for small operators to do this, is a multi-species abattoirs. I have been a bit hot on abattoirs as there is a vacant one in Katherine which I would love to see filled. I know it is expensive to operate. I know that the Teys brothers are not interested in opening it themselves, however, they have the facility there and I know there are other abattoirs throughout the Territory which could be utilised.
We need to have an outlet for our small operators who need to process pigs, goats, deer, and small buffalo, and we do not have anywhere for that. We are missing an opportunity and I would like to see that investigated and researched properly, and followed through to provide somewhere for these people to be able to process their animals.
The development of the Douglas Daly has always been of interest to me. I am not advocating mass clearing of land, but I believe the people who own land in the Douglas Daly are being discriminated against with the moratorium that has been placed on them. Most of those property owners, I would say, have a great respect for the land and the river and would not abuse that as it is their livelihood and future. None of us want to see happen in the Douglas Daly what has happened in the southern states with their river systems – it is tragic to look at that on the television – and I would not like to see that happen, but we need to encourage more development in the Douglas Daly region. Of course, I have a vested interest in that for the Katherine area. I would like to see an all-weather crossing at the Edith River through Edith Farms. There is a lot of land which could be accessed between the river and the Douglas Daly that needs to be opened up. The only thing that is stopping it is isolation. They are really isolated if they do not have a cross-over at the Edith River. It is a really beautiful spot, by the way.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am running out of time and I have not even got to some of the areas that I wanted to talk about, but they do come under other headings. One thing is that you are going to have a lot of problems in the rural areas with the shires. I believe that you are going to have your hands full as the minister for Primary Industry because many pastoralists are not going to be very happy with the shire boundaries. That is a debate for another day.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines in his research and development statement in which he outlined how this government is promoting R&D in the mining, primary industry and fishery sectors.
Our vibrant research and development is a major vein pumping blood to the heart of our strong and sustainable economic growth. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Territory than in our natural resource and farming sectors. The Martin Labor government is rising to the challenge, and the minister eloquently and proudly outlined the depth of R&D that is currently occurring in the Territory. Contrast this with the dearth of research and development that occurred under the previous CLP governments. The contrast is strong and blatant.
In supporting the minister’s important statement, I wish to focus on a handful of those fabulous areas of research and development that are occurring in and around my electorate of Goyder. Despite my professional background in mining, I am the member for Goyder and will therefore concentrate on discussing R&D related to farming and fishing, which directly affect my Darwin rural area constituents.
How can we forget the local newspaper’s attention grabbing headline: ‘Pox in the Crocs’? It certainly grabbed my attention, as at least one crocodile farm is located within my electorate of Goyder. The media headlines claimed that a sexually transmitted disease was detected in hatchlings of crocodiles caused by chlamydia. This is untrue, despite the fact that chlamydia is one of the sexually transmitted diseases that affects humans. Let me make it clear that it is not a sexually transmitted disease in crocodiles. This disease was apparently spread within the crocodile farm by contact and by aerosol. Independent analysis has confirmed that the department’s initial diagnosis was correct, demonstrating that DPIFM’s Berrimah vet lab is one of the very best in the country and that our government scientists really are experts in their field.
For the record, I will tell you what happened. In June 2006, an unusual number of deaths were reported in hatchlings of salt water crocodiles at two farms in the Darwin area. In late June, Chlamydia was diagnosed by both the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory and Oonoonba Veterinary Laboratory in Queensland. Chlamydia is a disease that affects farm crocodiles in South Africa and Papua New Guinea and has been present in Australia since 2004. Its clinical symptoms are severe conjunctivitis with throat infections often observed first. In our crocodile farms where it was detected, it seems to attack hatchlings but did not affect the older crocodiles as much. Departmental officers advised that the disease can be managed by good biosecurity and improved on-farm husbandry methods. Departmental vets have worked closely with the crocodile farms to identify the source of the disease and provide advice on future control measures.
It should be noted that Chlamydia is present in most vertebrates, including humans, mammals and birds but it is species specific. In layman’s terms, this means that the strain in crocodiles is different from that found in herons, for example, and it is highly unlikely that one species could be able to pass the disease onto another species.
One international expert incorrectly suggested that the outbreak may have been caused by a pox virus which has previously appeared in South Africa. However, DNA technology has shown that the disease is a previously unidentified strain of Chlamydia specific to crocodiles. This advice has been confirmed by the University of Melbourne, which undertook the DNA sequencing of tissue taken from crocodiles affected by the disease. The reason the mortality rate was so high is a combination of factors, including the fact that the hatchlings are stressed by environmental factors such as cold weather and then become susceptible to infection. Incidentally, the coldest average minimum monthly temperatures for 64 years were recorded in the Darwin area during the time of this outbreak.
What this incident clearly demonstrates is that we have international standard research, diagnostic and management expertise available locally. We are, indeed, very lucky to have such professional, dedicated people working here and supporting an emerging industry in my electorate. As a final note, workshops have been convened with industry members to develop future industry procedures to minimise the impacts of the disease.
The Darwin Aquaculture Centre, or DAC, is located within my electorate at Channel Island in Darwin Harbour. The DAC has been instrumental in the development of our barramundi aquaculture industry in the Top End. I will shortly join the minister when he visits the DAC and I look forward to updating the House on this aspect of their operation. But I can tell you that the DAC supplies fingerlings for Bob Richards’ barramundi farm on the Adelaide River in my electorate, which I visited late last year, and for other farms in my electorate on the Blackmore River and Middle Arm. Bob Richards, an old mate of mine, and his partners, have been developing the farm at Adelaide River to supply larger sized whole fish to interstate markets for the fillet trade. I understand that just at the moment they are having an enviable problem of unexpected overproduction. They are madly sorting and packaging their harvest and reaping the greater benefits from their considerable efforts.
I understand the DAC is leading the world in the production of juvenile crabs, not surprisingly known in the industry as crablets. Mud crab growout has been occurring throughout Asia for several generations of aquaculturalists, but relies entirely on the capture of juvenile mud crabs from the wild. These are then grown out in artificial mangrove enclosures or earthen ponds. Large scale commercial production of hatchery-reared crablets was first achieved in early 2003 at the DAC, with the production of tens of thousands of crablets. This has put the Northern Territory industry at the forefront of production for this species. Just for the record, trials at the DAC ponds harvested after 16 weeks, or 112 days, yielded between 542 and 1900 kilograms per hectare. This is an extraordinarily good outcome from these trials.
I am a great advocate for regional economic development that supports regional and remote communities. Mud crab aquaculture has been proposed as a potential economic development activity for regional and remote Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Aquaculture seems to be an activity which stimulates interest and enthusiasm in these communities. There are currently two mud crab aquaculture projects under development in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The most progressed project is the venture established by the Gwalwa Daraniki Association, or the GDA, at Kulaluk in Darwin. This project not only provides a commercial venture on indigenous land for indigenous people but also will research models of crab farming that will be applicable for remote communities across the Top End.
At Maningrida, there is a project that involves mangrove ranching of crabs. A section of mangrove forest is fenced off with discarded prawn trawl netting, and is then stocked with hatchlings produced by mud crabs derived from local brood stock. This is truly an innovative approach using appropriate technology. I must point out that the eastern Territory is more suitable for this style of farming than the west due to the smaller tidal range of the order of only plus or minus 3 m.
I was pleased the minister spoke at some length about the cut flower industry. This is one of the great burgeoning industries that I can proudly proclaim to be centred in the rural area outside of Darwin. I am sure the member for Nelson agrees with that. The Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is right there assisting these growers promote their product and helping them expand their market. Of particular interest is the innovative way DPIFM has assisted in the formation of a company by a group of cut flower growers to expand this relatively new industry. The department has not only assisted with the formation of the company, but has also supplied new commercial varieties through its innovative plant breeding program in conjunction with the growers. The Territory can now look forward with some degree of excitement about the further expansion of the cut flower industry in the Northern Territory, an industry that has a very bright future due to its participation with the DPIFM in a clear demonstration of the practical results of departmental research and development.
A significant proportion of the mango industry occurs in the rural areas around Darwin. In 2006, the NT mango harvest totalled more than 17 500 tonnes, of which about 11 000 tonnes was grown in the Darwin rural area. Over the last year, it was a pretty good year and the high production was due to a three-month long harvest season, and the smaller overlap between the Darwin and Katherine harvest periods was also beneficial. 2006 also saw a higher average fruit growth as a result of less rainfall during harvesting. Overall, 2006 was a season of high production and good prices.
A great asset to the mango growers is the involvement of the Territory’s DPIFM mango crop forecasting project. The DPIFM Horticultural Australia Ltd Mango Crop Forecasting Project has made a significant contribution to the success of the 2006 season. This forecast project has allowed the industry to provide a benchmark of current supply chain outcomes that will impact on supply chain management in coming years. This great project assists in labour hire, planning and transport needs for growers, packers and transport logistics companies. The 2006 extended harvest season provided an opportunity for good utilisation of packing and transport infrastructure available and available labour.
The Northern Territory Horticultural Association also got together with Charles Darwin University to jointly run a training program for pickers and packers. This joint venture apparently was of great assistance in preparing the harvest labourers for the Top End mango industry.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this government is committed to delivering for all Territorians well into the future. As I said at the outset, our viable research and development is a major vein pumping blood to the heart of our strong and sustainable economic growth. Nowhere else is it more evident in the Territory than in our natural resources and farming sectors. I thank the minister for his most enlightening statement and I eagerly look forward to further updates.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge the statement and support the comments made. I also support the member for Goyder’s comments - that might be a surprise to you, member for Goyder - that, indeed this sector is critical to the potential of the Northern Territory. I have said on other occasions - and I am not alone in this, of course - that it is the primary industry sector, if that potential is unlocked, which could launch the Territory into a whole new place of development. It has been neglected over many years. I will not be so churlish as to say in the last five years, or anything silly like that and cast it in political terms. However, anyone who has assessed the history of the Northern Territory would have to say it has been recognised as a area of huge potential. From the earliest days and the earliest writings, there were those who came to the Territory with a dream to see that potential develop. Therefore, it is good to see a statement like this which identifies some areas of activity and the progress made in those areas.
Sadly, there have been many dreams and not all of those dreams have come anywhere near to fruition. Of recent times, it was the cattle industry, and market forces have driven that. However, government plays a very important role in setting the right foundations, the right parameters, and the right framework to allow that potential to be unleashed. We would have to be pragmatic that the political agenda can easily be swayed by places where there are larger numbers of votes like the northern suburbs. Those who live in the northern suburbs enjoy the produce that originates from areas where there is a small population. If that small population were not there - the farmers who live remote, those working in the primary industry sector, or those who work on the fishing boats were not there - those in the northern suburbs and those in the highly populated areas around the country would soon wake up and wonder why someone is not doing something about that important sector that, sometimes, politically we can be tempted not to give due attention to.
I urge the minister to continue that journey of unlocking the potential that is inherent in that which we have in the Northern Territory to the tropics to the Centre and to the sea. I will not speak at length because many words have been spoken but just a couple of points.
With regards to recreational fishing and the fishing effort, the development of management plans is critical in order to have management plans established today that will allow us to access the resource tomorrow and into the future. These management plans are not just so that recreational fishermen will have opportunity to catch fish. We know that the recreational fishing effort feeds into many other sectors of the Territory economy.
The development of management plans, strategies and the like can only be developed if you have quality information. It is my view and the view of others, and I am sure the minister would be aware of this, that there is the pressing need for a thorough audit to be done in a timely manner and over measured periods of time to measure, perhaps every five years or so, the amount of fish being taken from our waterways, from the rivers and the coasts, particularly barramundi. There have been times when those surveys have been conducted. And if you conduct this sort of business in a scientific manner, you have to do it from period to period so you can compare like with like, every five years or whatever, so that you will know whether your management plan is actually working and you can adjust accordingly based on sound scientific information. That also feeds into the commercial fishing effort.
The data needs to be collated and fed into a system that informs policy and management plans. But I would specifically focus on the recreational fishing effort. That must occur. That kind of research is essential. We can say all sorts of things and bandy slogans around the place and feel good about fishing, but unless we have the hard data, we will not have quality management plans and we may not have a future of what we would hope it to be.
Another area of research I do not see referenced is to support the statements and expectations that have even been made in this House about biodiesel. There has been the opening of a plant. There have been people up here assessing the potential of developing an oil seed industry here. I would like to hear the minister report to the House on what sort of support has been provided to this enterprise at that level. Agricultural development requires a high level of support at the earliest stages. As anyone knows, to be a pioneer in the agriculture sector, you need a market. Here there is a market. There is a biodiesel plant currently supplied with oil seed from our immediate region. There is the opportunity now for a market to be supplied locally. To exploit that market there are many hurdles that need to be overcome, one of them being the sheer investment and risk that is taken by someone who wants to go down that path.
They would need the support of government. I would like to know what kind of support there has been offered in terms of the deeper level research and guidance for those who are prepared to make that immense risk. I can speak with some close quarter interest in that because as a former farmer from Western Australia, I have had farmers from Western Australia and from Victoria coming here to assess the opportunities. I know where they come from and I know the deep burdens that they carry, but I know that they also carry a desire to actually contribute to some new exciting adventure, but they need support. I would like to know what support is there.
The Ord River has already been mentioned. I know that all relevant encumbrances have been cleared from the Western Australian side, that being native title. Sites of cultural significance and environmental issues have all been cleared on the Western Australian side. Could we have a report on what has occurred on the Northern Territory side? I understand that a water allocation plan was to be finalised on the Western Australian side. Has that been finalised and what is the response of the Northern Territory government to that water allocation plan? Ultimately, what is the minister’s view on the development of the Northern Territory with regards to the Ord River? What is the minister’s view? What is his desire? What would he like to see? Are we going to make progress on that or are we going to remain in the holding pattern, which is tantamount to having no plan or desire to progress it?
All the indications seem to point to that being the conclusion. I hope that is not the case because we are not governing for the next ballot; we need to address these difficult issues that are away from the public eye which will lay foundations for many years to come and which could bolster the Territory economy. We need a response on that.
My second to last issue is the research farms. I note, when reading the comments about the innovation, research and development, much of it arises from the private sector. It appears to be the trend around the country with research farms that are government managed that they have been rationalised and the research capacity is now taken up by the private sector. That seems to be the trend. In Western Australia that is the case where once the government research farm that served to provide innovation and to absorb some of the cost of risk for the primary industry sector has now been outsourced to the private sector. That may be a cost save and it may have some merit, but it also has some significant risks in the long term because if the private sector then manages research and innovation exclusively without the interests of government being involved, you can have the critical mass of certain sectors dominating and excluding others. That sort of data needs to be fed into area of interest in an impartial way.
There is a part for government to play in research and supplying that research to the primary industry sector. I fear that there is a plan to rationalise – let’s use the polite word when in fact the impolite, or the direct, or frank word is to close or sell - some of our research farms. There are six of them and I know that they would cost a fair amount to run. I suspect that following interstate trends, there would be a plan to sell or close them, or rationalise their operation to use the softer word. Whatever phrase, I would like to know the plan regarding the six research farms.
Finally, an issue that the member for Katherine wanted me to raise does not relate directly to the statement, and that is rural women. They certainly play a very important role. They are, in many cases, the unsung heroes of the primary industry sector. You only have to meet the ladies who home school their kids, the Isolated Parents Association. They are quiet, they are strong and they do not speak repeatedly, but when they speak, you want to hear them, because you know they put in a huge effort out there. Anyone who has had experience living remote from urban centres, you know that the load that is carried, away from the public eye, away from electorate offices where you can call in and tell the troubles of the world, these folk just get down and do it, and when they come to town you listen to them. There are many others like that out in the rural areas that you do not get to see. You might get to see them at the local show and things like that and when they get together they do have a good time.
Rural women are honoured from time to time, I understand, minister, and the request from the member for Katherine, and I am happy to endorse this as well - there was an undertaking that the honouring of the rural women would be elevated to a more formal status, rather than being what it has been in the past, reported to me, less formal and perhaps less auspicious. I believe those who live remote, those who are, in this case, our unsung heroes, need to be given greater endorsement and an event of a more formal nature so that we can truly honour them. I ask if the minister could respond to that. I understand there was an undertaking from the former minister, but perhaps that is something you would like to consider if you want further information, another fine rural woman, the member for Katherine, could give you further information on that.
With those specific points that I have raised, minister, I endorse the statement and support it, and I wish you well. It is a very important area and perhaps one that a not many people would know about nor appreciate through not having had that experience. In this Chamber there are those who have had a variety of experience, and it seems to me there are a number who have had experience of remote and in things agricultural, and have a sense, perhaps of a vision, that is yet to be fully realised for the Northern Territory. It is an important statement.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their support of this statement. I am very pleased to have this portfolio. It is a fantastic portfolio and, as all members have said, there is a lot of work to be done. I am still basically at ground level, still learning a lot. It is one of those jobs where you just do not stop learning; you just keep working through it. I do love what I am doing and I have some fantastic people around me who are guiding me in the right direction, so that really does help, and that is in every department that I deal with.
I thank the member for Nelson for his support. I know he is very passionate about many of the points that he raised, and he continues to do that on a regular basis at many of our sittings and has many briefings from departments to bring himself up to speed, and we appreciate that.
He mentioned the Aquaculture Centre and the juvenile barra. The juvenile barra are produced at quite a rate at the aquaculture farm. As I said in my statement, and probably reported at the odd time, they supply a number of industries around the place. The main one was Marine Harvest and, as the member quite rightly pointed out, Marine Harvest is no longer here; it has withdrawn from the Territory. However, the Tiwi Island group have acquired the assets of that company and they are looking for commercial investment. Certainly the government is assisting the Tiwi Land Council in promotion and opportunity for investment along those lines in the hope that they can get that industry up and going again. We can supply the juvenile barra to them.
The other interesting aspect of it is the prawn farmers. Many prawn farmers are turning from prawn farming to barra farming, so there are quite a few juveniles going there, plus the fact we are also topping up Manton Dam on quite regular occasions with these juveniles as well. The Aquaculture Centre is still heavily maintaining the numbers of barra and the market is there for them at this stage.
The member for Nelson mentioned prawn farming. The department does a lot of research with prawns. It is undertaking research into a number of species. However, due to the international pricing, it has dropped quite significantly. Prawn farms are actually turning away from prawns to barra in some aspects. They are also looking at other areas such as mud crabs and trepang. As much as we are doing the research with the different species of prawns, the price has dropped.
If you want to visit research farms, I am happy to arrange that any time. I have to go out to them and have a look around, and any time you have a spare moment and would like to make a visit, by all means contact my department and we can arrange that for you.
The members for Katherine and Blain raised the issue of Ord River Stage 2. It is a water source in Western Australia with Lake Argyle. It is a staged development and, initially, that stage is developing in Western Australia itself. They have called for expressions of interests and have developed further stages within their complex. We have always envisaged it would be a staged development to deliver water to the Northern Territory, so we have our finger on the pulse there. We are remaining in conversation with them so we are aware of what is going on down the track. We are well aware of the stages that are taking place and will remain in contact with the Western Australian government on that.
At the moment, the department is doing a lot of research and evaluating the new varieties of sesame which are available. I understand local producers have produced oil from a crop at Katherine in the past. However, we are hoping the new variety research will create another industry for us. Again, the department is working with producers and interested parties along those lines.
Regarding the cut flowers, nothing more can be added to what we have said today. The cut flower industry is going ahead in leaps in bounds. There have been good reports on what they are doing, and the department is working with the cut flower growers to produce the new hybrids and keep ahead of the industry. The industry is there from around Australia and our cut flower group are pleased with the way things are progressing.
The abattoirs, unfortunately, are not government business. That has been mentioned on a number of occasions before. The problem we have is the buoyant prices we are getting for export cattle overseas, especially into Indonesia. I witnessed that firsthand on my trip to Sabah late last year. However, the government will continue to encourage commercial investors to consider setting up a business here if they want to come and have a look at it. If anyone wants to put their hand up to look at an abattoir business here, we are only too pleased to help them out where we can.
You mentioned the cabbage and cauliflower you used to grow. It is probably one of the specialised areas; however, it is a great opportunity. What the department is looking at is for vegetables to be grown and create an opportunity which is out of season. This is where we are trying to get into specialised markets and take advantage of them. This is where the Asian vegetables have come to the fore. Asian vegetable sales have grown from $10m to $30m in a few years and sales are going ahead in leaps and bounds.
You have said you would like to hear a lot more. There is no doubt that throughout the year I will be making many more statements and reports. I will try to keep you up to date. You know yourself that if there is anything you are interested in you can get a briefing. The department is only too pleased to do that at any stage, and you can do that on a regular basis.
The member for Katherine mentioned that the geosurvey is great news. I have witnessed that firsthand, as I said earlier in my report. The interest which was shown in the geosurvey report we took to China was amazing, and that is really starting to bear fruit. That is witnessed by the Chinese delegation we had here the other day. I know the member for Katherine asked for some more detail on the China visit. I made a report on it earlier in the week, and I am happy to table that for the member for Katherine. It has all the detail on the companies. In that report is a lot of information on who we visited while we were there and the information also details the companies which are going to visit Northern Territory in the not too distant future. That was borne out by the visits that we had last week which is one of the first of four visits we will have throughout the season.
The member for Katherine mentioned the Angela and Pamela leases south of Alice Springs. Unfortunately, I cannot discuss any of that at this stage because it is before the courts. However, once the case has been determined, the government will certainly consider any issues that have been raised by the member for Katherine. In relation to the companies that she asked about which applied for the lease, or for the interest in the Angela and Pamela deposits, again I cannot talk about the companies involved. The department will be working through a process to assess each application. There is a process set out in the Mining Act with that.
Just for interest of members, due to the high level of interest in the Angela and Pamela prospects applicants are requested, and also they had to address the following in their applications:
GBS Gold, which the member for Katherine mentioned, is a wonderful story. The initiatives and innovations of the GBS Gold Company have done some fantastic things for Pine Creek and Katherine, and it is pleasing to see how innovative they are with their ideas. It is really capturing the interest of the surrounding areas of their mine. They are doing everything right and I believe they are paving the way for other mining companies throughout the Territory.
The member for Katherine mentioned the aquaculture and the tuna farming. I have witnessed the tuna farming at Port Lincoln. It is a very interesting setup and raises a lot of money. It is amazing how much money one fish is worth in Japan. Unfortunately it is not a tropical farming operation as we have a different type of tuna in our waters up here. However, the department is always looking at other areas within aquaculture to see what can be exploited by interested companies. That could be seen from the sea cucumber exploits also mentioned by the member for Katherine. Research at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre has been undertaken and we found that the sea cucumbers have a growing capacity and it is well advanced and has a big future in our waters in the future.
Cotton is a very interesting area. The member for Katherine mentioned cotton and that it perhaps should be grown in the Northern Territory. We understand that the CLP has a policy that no cotton should be grown in the Daly so it is interesting to hear that the member for Katherine has her views on that. That was interesting. She also mentioned the Douglas Daly. We do not want to go through the problems that they are having down south - she mentioned that - so we are trying to balance the interests of the parties in that area. As minister, I am well aware of all the stakeholders when it comes to the Daly. We have to weigh all those things up as best we can. I thank the member for Katherine for her input.
The member for Blain mentioned a couple of areas including support for the cattle industry. The cattle industry is doing very well. The cattle industry is underpinned by research and that has been happening over a long time. The government has invested quite well in the Northern Livestock Identification System, which is an international market that has been developed here. Sabah again is a good example of that. So the research is being undertaken in the cattle industry and we are working very closely with them. We are trying to push that as much as we can because we realise that it is a very important industry for the Northern Territory.
On recreational fishing, the member for Blain mentioned the management plans that should be in place. We have many management plans already in place and surveys are undertaken. However, we have not been able to get any national support with the surveys we want to undertake, so we are trying to battle on as best we can with that. We have just undertaken a big research project into jewfish, and that looks at the health of the stock in our waters, which is really coming along well. Commercial and charter vessels also provide regular information on their catches. We are trying to get as much collation of data together as we can so that we can stay on top of the recreational fishing industry and make sure that the stocks are there for future recreational fishing.
The member for Blain mentioned the research farms. We have six of those, and we undertake strategic research in the Northern Territory on a regular basis to look at those. Cooperative research is undertaken with industry. National research funding bodies seek practical research outcomes as often as they can. We work closely with all parties to ensure that the research farms remain active and viable.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the members for Casuarina and Goyder for their support. I know the member for Casuarina has a vast interest in this portfolio, having just left it. I am very pleased fill his shoes. As I said before, I am really pleased to be involved with some terrific people. There are some fantastic things happening in the Northern Territory. It is a place really going ahead in all aspects of my department. The member for Blain said that we hold nearly 30% of the economy for the Northern Territory, so it is a big portfolio, but the work that is being undertaken by my department and the dedication of the people within the department will take the Northern Territory forward. I thank them for their support and commend the statement.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Old Timers is a well respected aged care facility in Alice Springs. We all know it. It provides a peaceful environment for its residents, and the staff are caring and compassionate and carry out their duties with a high degree of professionalism.
One of those staff members, Chris Parkinson, has just celebrated her 25th year working at Old Timers. In today’s job market, it is not too often that people stay in the same job for 25 years. I am told that Chris has enjoyed her time at Old Timers so much that she just cannot bear the thought of leaving. For 20 years, she worked as a carer, working closely with residents to improve the quality of their lives. For the past five years, Chris has been working as Old Timers’ Activities Coordinator. It is no easy job to find and organise activities to cater for people with so many different interests and varying levels of mobility, but somehow she manages. I know the Old Timers residents appreciate her care and support. It is great to be able to formally recognise Chris’ work here in the parliament.
There is no doubt that we have our fair share of musical talent here in the Territory. Following on the recent success of Australian Idol runner-up, Jessica Mauboy, and classical guitarist, Katharina Fehringer, May Loke of Alice Springs has taken out the inaugural NT Music Performance Award. The award is presented to the Year 12 student who achieves the highest standing in music performance in the Northern Territory as well as maintaining an excellent standard during the year achieving good results in the NTCE. May is a gifted musician and has completed her AMEB Level 8 in both clarinet and piano. During her time as a student at OLSH College, she was an active member of the OLSH band and often accompanied other musicians during performances. May also passed on her knowledge to others, tutoring other students at OLSH in piano. On behalf of everyone in this place, I congratulate May on her wonderful achievements.
The Police Commissioner’s Commendation is a prestigious award, and this year it was won by a brave and courageous Territorian, Carmen Butcher. Carmen is a member of the Northern Territory Police Force and is based in Alice Springs. Just over a year ago, Carmen was holidaying in Egypt when the bus she was travelling in crashed. The roof of the bus collapsed on top of the passengers. We saw the horrific images of the accident on the evening news, and we all marvelled at Carmen’s courage as she selflessly went to the aid of others who were seriously injured. She did this despite having a broken pelvis herself. Carmen’s injuries were so serious that she spent a full 10 months recuperating. She returned to duty last October and is once again making an impact with the Regional Investigation Section in Alice Springs. I wish Carmen all the best and, on behalf of all Territorians, I congratulate her on her award and wish her all the best for the future.
The achievements of young people in Central Australia are recognised through the Young Centralian of the Year Award. This year, the Young Centralian was awarded to 20-year-old Kelvin Caspani. Kelvin is a Rugby League star in the making and will shortly be leaving Alice Springs for Townsville University to start his Rugby League career. Hopefully, we will one day see Kelvin on our television screens starring in the NRL. Last year, Kelvin was awarded the prestigious Keegan Medal, the Best and Fairest Award for Rugby League in Alice Springs. He also volunteers his time at Alice Springs High School, acting as a role model and coach for students with an interest in Rugby League. Kelvin certainly has a bright future ahead of him and my congratulations go to him on winning the Young Centralian of the Year. I am sure of the House will join with me in wishing Kelvin all the best for the future and may we see him play in the NRL when it comes next to Darwin.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about a person who is not a Territorian. She was not born in the Territory, she never lived in the Territory, but she is one of the reasons that I am here today as the Labor member for Casuarina. I will speak tonight about a very special person who overcame adversity, physical disability, and had courage and strength. These qualities have always inspired me to try harder to succeed in my life.
I will speak about my late wife, Linda Vatskalis ne Cotton, and the recognition to be bestowed on her by the University of Western Australia with the establishment of the Linda Cotton Vatskalis Scholarship for Students with Disabilities to be launched on Friday 23 February 2007.
Linda was born in Perth on 5 May 1957. She was the second of three children in her family; Sandra being the elder sister, and John the younger brother. Her father, Dick, was a school teacher, and her mother, Nita, stayed home to care for the family in North Fremantle, Western Australia. Her brother, John, was not a healthy boy and was later diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a congenital disease that affects various internal organs of the body. It affects the pancreas, reducing its ability to produce enzymes used in digestion. It affects the secretion of salt in the body, and mucous in the body becomes very viscous, which can cause blockages, especially in the lungs with subsequent infection and destruction of the lung tissue. The life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers at the time of John’s diagnosis was short; in most cases, it will not exceed the mid-teens. People with cystic fibrosis had to take numerous pills containing enzymes with every meal to assist digestion, and spend hours doing physiotherapy, hitting the chest region to remove mucous from the lungs to prevent infection and to be able to breathe.
Following John’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, the family doctor tested Linda and her sister, Sandra. Sandra was found to be a carrier, but Linda was found to have full blown cystic fibrosis. John died when he was eight years old, but Linda grew up, thanks to the care of her mother. She attended high school in Fremantle, and later succeeded in gaining entrance to the Law School at the University of Western Australia in 1975.
Her daily routine was getting up in the morning and, before having breakfast, she would inhale a chemical agent through a nebuliser in order to loosen the mucous in her lungs. Then she would lie down in bed and her mother would hit her chest area with her hand for the lungs to be freed of the excess mucous. This would be repeated at night time before going to bed. This happened every day for the 28 years of her life after she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
This did not stop Linda from enjoying life to the full, and certainly did not stop her from studying in a very demanding field, and finally graduating from the Law School at the University of Western Australia. She was very proud of her graduation certificate that stated ‘Linda Cotton LLB.’
In 1980, Linda travelled to Europe. She arrived in London and she got a unit at Hampstead Heath. In London, she worked as a trainee lawyer at the Kensington Legal Service. At the same time, she took a part-time job as an editor of the English Law Journal. Her mother, Nita, also came to London to assist her and, of course, to perform the now regular physio routine.
In December 1981, Linda decided to go to Athens for holidays, and it was there that we met. We married in London in March 1982 and returned to Athens where we lived for 10 months before we migrated to Australia in January 1983. Upon our arrival, Linda got a contract to draft the legal studies curriculum for the Perth Technical College. She did such an excellent job that I believe her work is still in use in TAFE.
Linda was Articled to the Perth Aboriginal Legal Service and was admitted to the Bar in Perth in 1984. From 1985 to 1986, she worked for the North Perth Migrant Centre, and produced a report Migrants and the Law. The Migrant Centre had unsuccessfully attempted five times to gain funding from the Western Australian government, and it was only after Linda’s report that they received funding.
They offered the job to Linda, but she declined due to ill health. Linda’s physical condition, her lung capacity, was not good and she had to go to hospital regularly for treatment. She hated hospitals but she was determined she would continue to work. Sometimes, she worked too hard.
Upon arrival in Australia, I enrolled at the Western Australian Institute of Technology studying environmental health, and Linda was now my mentor, coach, and editor of my assignments. She helped me enormously at a time when I needed help most, having just arrived in Australia and having limited English language skills.
Linda, like her father, Dick, and mother, Nita, was a strong Labor Party supporter, and she encouraged me to join the Labor Party in Western Australia, something which I did very quickly, joining the Melville Branch of the Labor Party in 1984. She was also a strong supporter when, in 1986, I put my hand up for preselection for the blue ribbon Liberal seat of Clontarf in Perth, and her advice was critical. This was the beginning of my political aspirations that finally led me to stand for the Labor Party in the Territory.
In between hospital admissions, and the daily rounds of physiotherapy, Linda got a job as an advising solicitor with the Equal Opportunity Commission in Western Australia in 1987. She would get up early in the morning, do her daily physio routine, rush to work, meet her friends in the afternoon, come back for more of the same physio, and then stay up late watching tennis or her favourite programs on the ABC. She loved ballet and opera. She taught me to love opera, but I drew the line at ballet. She was also an avid reader, and she loved music - classical, modern and jazz. I still have approximately 300 LPs and hundreds of books she collected over the years as she refused to throw anything out.
Her health had now deteriorated to such a degree that she had to have oxygen at night and, when at work, she would have an oxygen bottle behind her with two tubes supplying her with oxygen. We even had an oxygen bottle in the back seat of our car. She would rarely miss a day at work and, whether she was at home or the hospital, she would ask for files to be brought in so she could work.
She was well aware of her condition and the life expectancy of CF sufferers; her dream was to pass the age of 30 years and she did it. She was absolutely thrilled when we organised a party for her 30th birthday and we invited all her friends from her childhood, high school years, the university and work.
In July 1988, she was admitted to hospital for what was supposed to be two weeks of treatment. She worked at the Equal Opportunity Commission to the day of her admission and, even in the first week, she was asking for files to be brought in. Linda died on 27 July 1988, her brother John’s birthday.
Linda was an inspiring person. She never let her physical disabilities stop her enjoying life, growing up as a normal kid, studying and working. Bear in mind she did all this even when her lung capacity was only one-third of a normal person’s. She believed in life and she was telling me that she knew she would die first, but she wanted me to marry again and have the children we could not have together. She loved children and from an early age joined Plan Australia and had a foster child in the Congo. She also introduced me to Plan Australia and, for the past 25 years, I have had a number of foster children around the world.
Last year, I received a letter from the UWA advising me that the university was planning to establish a scholarship in Linda’s name for law students with a disability: The Linda Cotton Vatskalis Memorial Fund. They still remember Linda, her dedication to studies, her hard work and, of course, her will to succeed despite her condition. They approached Linda’s friends and family seeking donations. I understand most of her friends have now responded, and I believe that a sum in excess of $20 000 has now been collected for the scholarship. My wife, Margaret, and I have pledged $1000 for the next four years.
That was Linda Anne Cotton Vatskalis LLB, an inspiring person with a strong will, loving life and her job, and a strong believer in social justice and Labor principles, a loving daughter, and for me, a great friend and loving wife. I am very proud that her name will be remembered through the memorial fund established by the UWA. Next Friday, 23 February, I will be there.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk about a matter in Alice Springs. A matter that received a deal life publicity and I subsequently received an approach from this person’s family, one of them being a constituent.
I will outline the circumstances of this incident by quoting from a letter that my constituent sent me. He refers to a boy called Dylan. Dylan’s name is Dylan Blue and he is seven years old. He is the nephew of my constituent, Mr Ian McDonald.
Part of the letter reads as follows:
The letter goes on to talk about the article which appeared in the Centralian Advocate in which it was reported that 60 dogs were caught in one day. Mr McDonald asks, and I quote:
He goes on to say:
The letter goes on and it raises a number of issues. In any event, on behalf of Mr McDonald and Dylan’s family I wrote a letter to Tangentyere Council. On 14 December, I received a response from the Executive Director, William Tilmouth. In his second paragraph he referred to Dylan being ‘bitten’ at Charles Creek. It was an amazing thing to say. Dylan was not just bitten. Dylan was violently attacked by numerous dogs. I went on obviously to read the letter further. Mr Tilmouth advises that the Alice Springs Town Council rangers went around to Charles Creek Camp and disposed of the dogs, or I should say the owners of the dogs ‘willingly surrendered them’. He lists them as being three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups. Mr Tilmouth goes on to say: ‘It is understood that all dogs involved in the attack were removed that day’. Elsewhere in the letter Mr Tilmouth says, and I quote:
It is astounding to believe that vets go to town camps every three months in the manner described, noting how many dogs are at those camps, and in particular how many very nasty dogs are in many camps. Mr Tilmouth’s letter goes on to say:
Mr McDonald and his family were astounded to hear that there is a two dog policy operating in the town camps because not only is their experience of this particular incident, they know of others, but more importantly, they have a thorough understanding of the number of dogs in the town camps.
I found, as did the family, the letter from William Tilmouth and Tangentyere Council to be somewhat unsatisfactory. Why is it that Mr Tilmouth says that one owner at house 6 at Charles Creek Camp willingly surrendered three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups? That is more than two dogs per house.
I then, on behalf of the family, wrote to the Alice Springs Town Council asking them for information about this matter. I was advised in a letter from the town council dated 20 December that the Tangentyere Council and Alice Springs Town Council have a memorandum of understanding which includes a reference to ‘animal management’. The Alice Springs Town Council advised me in their letter:
It is clear that dogs are not removed twice weekly based on the information I have received from Dylan Blue’s family. I also base it on my own experience in town camps in Alice Springs.
Whereas Mr Tilmouth says:
I stress the phrase ‘looking at’. The point must be made that even though there is a memorandum of understanding between the Alice Springs Town Council and the Tangentyere Council, neither one knows what the policy is in relation to how many dogs per house.
Over and above that particular issue, we received more information from the ranger unit at the council. The information we received was from an e-mail:
That is in stark contrast to the letter dated 14 December from Mr Tilmouth at Tangentyere Council where he says that the owner willingly surrendered her dogs, namely, three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups. It is interesting that both of these organisations seem to be suggesting that all is well with camp dogs in Alice Springs, and that appropriate action was taken by them as a result of this life threatening attack on a seven-year-old little boy who lives at a town camp.
I understand, based on the information from the family, that many residents at Charles Creek are willing to talk about their increasing frustration and disappointment in dealing with Tangentyere Council about dog control at their community. That speaks volumes of the ineffective dog control program that Tangentyere Council says it operates. If Tangentyere Council maintains that its dog policy is working, then clearly it is failing by (a) this unprovoked and very nasty attack on this little boy, and (b) there being such a conflict between the relevant organisations as to how many dogs were involved and how many dogs were actually removed as a result of the incident.
The family tells me that only three dogs were ultimately removed, so that means there are other vicious dogs remaining. They may have been removed by now, who knows, and who would, but there can be, in my view, no doubt that there are a number of vicious dogs remaining, not just at that town camp but at others.
What is somewhat distressing is what appears to be something of a cavalier approach adopted by Tangentyere Council in relation to the dog policy, and what can only be described as a playing down of an incident where a number of dogs set upon this little boy. To say that Dylan Blue was ‘bitten’ at Charles Creek whilst playing in the playground area is to play down this incident in what I believe is a quite unconscionable way. This little boy spent eight days in hospital as a result of the attack. I am putting these matters on the Parliamentary Record with the family’s permission because they are angry, and they should be. They should be very angry.
We talk a lot in this place about doing our best for Aboriginal kids. Well, someone has to do something to ensure that a little kid is not killed by one of these dogs. Members in the Top End are unlikely to remember an incident, probably 18 months ago, where a resident, an older woman in a town camp, was mauled to death as a result of a number of ferocious dogs in the town camp.
Part of the reason I am putting this on the Parliamentary Record is to, on behalf of the family, express their utmost frustration at both the Tangentyere Council and the Alice Springs Town Council, which seems not to have been moved in the way that the family was to try to resolve the problem. One wonders where else the family can go when they get responses from the Alice Springs Town Council saying three dogs were removed, amongst other things, and getting a response from Tangentyere Council saying that Dylan was ‘bitten’, together with very incorrect information saying that the owner of the dogs surrendered them all when that is not the case.
The other reason this is being put on the Parliamentary Record is that, in years to come, when Dylan Blue is struggling with this incident - and of course he is surrounded every day by bloody camp dogs, and this boy is likely to be surrounded by them until, and if, he leaves that town camp - he needs to know in years to come the lengths to which his family went to try to get this issue resolved.
I now call on Tangentyere Council and the Alice Springs Town Council to get their acts together if they are serious about the operation of the memorandum of understanding in respect of animal management. They need to meet and they should do so immediately. They should get their facts straight, and they should do the decent thing by the people whom they represent, and should ensure that this attack on Dylan Blue or something like it never happens again.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I welcome to the electorate of Karama some new principals who have come in at the start of the school year.
I welcome Paul Nyhuis, the new principal at Malak Primary School. Paul was raised in Darwin but has taken the path that many of us raised here have, and gained experience overseas in his chosen profession. He spent a fair amount of time in the United States specialising in the middle school system in the United States. He is a young man married to an American, with a couple of young children. He came home and worked at Kormilda in the speciality of middle schools. He took the opportunity this year to step up to the role of principal at Malak Primary School.
I have met with Paul; he is a very impressive young man, a great testimony to the education system of the Territory and to how we foster our own talent. He has picked up significant skills overseas. I am sure that Malak Primary School will benefit enormously from his leadership. We had a very engaging and interesting discussion about middle schools and the benefits of middle schools. Paul is a passionate advocate of the middle school system and has enormous confidence in the decisions the government has made to introduce middle schools. I look forward to a good, strong working relationship with Paul as Principal of Malak Primary School, as I have had a very strong working relationship with the outgoing principal, Russell Legg.
Russell has taken on a large task. He has moved up as Principal at Sanderson High School. Certainly, Malak’s loss is Sanderson’s gain. Russell Legg is a very fine principal. I have had the privilege to work with him for some years now. I am looking forward to working with him in his leadership at Sanderson High School. Already, he is putting in place quite a few things to invigorate the school and prepare it for the challenge of middle schools next year. Congratulations to Russell Legg in his promotion to Principal of Sanderson High School. I am sure that the school community will be very well served by Russell. I have seen him in that leadership role at a primary level, and I have every confidence in his ability to deliver a quality education for our high school students in Sanderson.
I look forward to working alongside my colleague, the member for Sanderson, in supporting that school community because Sanderson is a fantastic school community. It really is reflective of Darwin, in the sense that has a very large number of Asian and indigenous students, as well as Anglo-Saxon background students. It is a real melting pot of cultures. The teaching staff are dedicated and passionate about ensuring that these young students, some of whom are from quite disadvantaged backgrounds, are given every opportunity to succeed through their education pathway. It is a very large school campus; there are significant numbers of students attending. However, they do it in a fairly harmonious way. All the very best to Russell Legg in his new role at Sanderson High School.
I also welcome to the electorate a new Principal at Holy Family Primary School, Marty Ogle. Marty has come from teaching in the Philippines, and prior to that he was running his own school for the Catholic Education System in Tasmania. He was talking to me about the challenges in Tasmania of having to move an entire school community from one campus to another. That was an intensive period of work for him. He chose to go to the Philippines within the Catholic Education system and teach in a very small school there. He had something like four students. He came back to Australia with his young family. His wife is teaching within the Catholic Education system as well. He has settled very well into Holy Family School.
I had a good long chat to Marty about his vision for the school. He is going to be working very closely with Lester Lemke at O’Loughlin College to look at the smooth implementation of middle schools in those two school campuses. The beauty of both Holy Family and O’Loughlin College is that they share a larger campus. They are schools which are abutting and adjacent to each other. They have for many years shared a common drama and indoor theatre area. The location of the Grade 6 and 7 classrooms do lend themselves to being absorbed into the O’Loughlin College area.
O’Loughlin College has grown enormously over the last few years. The school numbers have been heading upwards, particularly in the more junior grades of 8, 9 and 10, so much so that I was delighted to be at the opening of a new classroom block which the Territory government assisted in funding the construction of last year. Year 9 has a good classroom block, moving out of old demountables. The enrolments have gone up significantly again this year at O’Loughlin and it looks as if the school will not be removing the old demountables but looking at refurbishing them and using them in another way, which is a practical approach. It is a good opportunity for Holy Family and O’Loughlin to work closely this year, to provide for a smooth introduction of middle schools in the Catholic education system in my electorate.
I look forward to continuing to working closely with the Manunda Terrace Primary School. Bill Armstrong is back there again this year as Principal which is great to see. He is a true gentleman and a strong leader of the school. They have some fantastic programs, and a lovely school community and cohort with dedicated teachers, and a staff who have shown a great consistency over the years.
Karama Primary School is in the heart of my electorate. It is a joy to work with the Principal there, Margaret Fenbury. She is very strong and dynamic leader. She is well supported by her teaching staff, and has attracted a few new, very talented teachers, certainly well experienced in accelerated literacy. Teachers have come from Alice Springs to teach at Karama Primary School, and the accelerated literacy program there is starting to show some significant results even after its first year. We are all very excited about that program.
They also have a project attached to it which is innovative and is funded by my agency, Family and Community Services, which is the Families Centre. I look forward to seeing the programs run by the Smith Family in conjunction with Karama Primary School and funding from Family and Community Services through the Family Centre, and encouraging the young mothers and dads in the community in parenting and skilling-up programs where they work with the nought to threes, and nought to fours. It is a dynamic, innovative program modelled on a similar program in Palmerston.
It is good to see that our school communities again this year are well served by strong leadership, and the new principals have impressed me enormously.
I want to acknowledge the work done at our local childcare centres. Both Karama and Malak Family Centres have a strong, dedicated staff. Cheryl runs a good show at Karama and the staff are very friendly. I know they pay a great deal of attention to the programs for the children. Pon Moulding at Malak Family Centre does a fantastic job. She is a very hard worker. I have known her from the days when she was a staff member at Karama many years ago and she took over the directorship at Malak.
Malak has done it tough, there is no doubt about it. They have had a lot of playground equipment they have to replace there, and it has been fortunate that the Territory government has had a playground equipment program that has assisted non-government childcare centres across the Territory to replace dilapidated equipment. I look forward to seeing the programs grow from strength to strength at our early learning centres in Malak and Karama.
The community is gearing up for another good, strong Dry Season. There are some proposals around celebrating the pride of Karama again. Malak is looking forward to organising another party where we had a very large turnout a couple of years ago. We did not have the party at Malak last year because Malak Primary School was celebrating an anniversary, so there was an enormous show there instead.
I look forward to another strong year with Neighbourhood Watch and note that the first meeting is kicking off. The shopping centre is going well. We have had our share of itinerant behaviour around the shopping centre, but Peter La Pira has put some very competent security staff in place who have worked closely with the police.
I welcome an addition to Casuarina Police Station, the Superintendent, Jo Foley. She has come out and had a chat with me at the Karama electorate office about the issues in the area, and she is very keen to listen. I have already seen signs that she has taken on board some of the issues we have discussed and been very proactive in her response. I look forward to working with Superintendent Foley and officer-in-charge, Tim Mosley, when he returns from his leave.
I am looking forward to another strong year in the Karama and Malak communities. The schools are back. It is great to see the kids enthusiastically returning to school. In closing, I want to say that there are moments as a local member where you see the fruits of your labour and we have had, as people would know, an extremely wet start to the school year in the Top End. During the first couple of weeks of school we have had a torrential downpour at the critical school drop-off time. Those of us in this Chamber who are parents understand just how difficult it can be to try to get your kids to their school without becoming soaking wet.
One of the Martin Labor government’s initiatives that has been delivered is at Karama Primary School where we trialled something new called an All-Weather Drop-Off Zone. It is a hard structure designed to withstand the rain which created a drop-off zone with a linked walkway into the school proper. It has been just an absolute delight to see, during those torrential downpours early in the mornings, that the parents of Karama have been able to pull up at the drop-off zone and drop their kids directly into an undercover area from where they can make their way into school under cover. It is a practical example of how, when you have a commitment to improve your school in a structural sense as well as an educational sense, that it can work. It was lovely to see that working in the first couple of weeks of the new school year.
We were lucky at Karama that there was a natural car park area which lends itself to a style of drop-off zone. Have a look at your schools and see if there are areas that could lend themselves to that sort of design. It is a practical way of ensuring that parents can get their kids to school without the kids becoming soaking wet and going into the airconditioning where they end up getting sick. This is a practical way of making education accessible to our kids.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on Tuesday night I in my adjournment, I spoke about the Australian Day Celebrations in Katherine and I ran out of time to include the guest speaker’s speech. Wes Miller gave the Australia Day speech and I did commit to ensuring that I would place this on the Parliamentary Record. This is the Australia Day speech of 26 January 2007 from Katherine. As I said the other night, the Mayor of Katherine was raised in stature to Her Excellency:
I also ran out of time in my adjournment last night when I was paying respects to unfortunate deaths which have occurred in and around Katherine and Pine Creek, and here in the Top End.
I started to speak of a gentleman who was referred to by his friend as ‘passing of an outback legend’. The person I am referring to is Earl Gano from Pine Creek. I would like to read into Hansard what his friend Des Fishlock and Des’ wife, Sandra, had to say ABC Country Hour about their friend. It is obvious he is going to leave a huge hole in that community because he has contributed so much to it. I know that the member for Daly referred to Earl’s life last night in his adjournment, so I would like to continue on with Passing of an Outback Legend:
His friend, Des, said:
In finishing, I would like to say it is characters like Earl Gano that have made the Territory and given it such a passionate and wonderful rich history. Unfortunately, it is tragic that we do get older or we get sicker and that we do leave. But, my goodness, what a legacy people like him have left. I pay my respects to Elaine, and to Holly and Crystal, his daughters, and my deepest sympathy to them.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to start tonight by referring to a wonderful initiative, a CD entitled Vocalyse, put together by youth with the help of Mr Kin Leong, the program coordinator for youth at Palmerston City Council. I would like to give a little information about this CD which is a Hip-Hop CD.
Just before Christmas, the City of Palmerston ran a one week Hip-Hop program in the Palmerston Library as part of the school holiday program. Two members of the highly successful local Hip-Hop act Culture Connect, Liam Monkhouse and James Mangohig, facilitated the workshop. Over five days, six young people from the Palmerston Indigenous Village, 11 young refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and one young person referred from Centrelink wrote rhymes and recorded nine Hip-Hop tracks. The CD was produced on the last day of the workshop and each participant was given a copy of all the songs.
The project was significant in that it brought together two groups which are often reported to be at odds in the general community. The young people worked together and shared their stories and views with each other in a safe and inclusive space. This project was made possible through funding from the City of Palmerston and the Northern Territory government with the cooperation of the Palmerston Indigenous Village, Melaleuca Refugee Centre and the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory. It is a great product showing that there are some good things that ought to be reported. I seek leave to table a copy of the CD this evening.
Leave granted.
Mr BURKE: I am not backward in coming forward when I think the City of Palmerston might be doing something not fantastic but this is a great program. It is a great result and I congratulate all the communities and the council for putting this together. It is an excellent result, so well done to all those young people.
Australia Day is a big celebration, as it ought be, and part of the functions and activities that I attended on Australia Day was the Palmerston citizenship ceremony. It was a great day, as it was last year. It is smaller than the Darwin ceremony but in some ways that makes it more personal as well. It was obvious that for the people who became citizens, and their families around them, it was a very special day.
There are a number of awards that were given which I would like to mention. Nadine Chambers from Palmerston High, Cameron May from Driver Primary, Lily Reid from Durack Primary, Joseph Hodgson from Good Shepherd Lutheran, Dylan Quinn from Holy Spirit Catholic Primary, Megan Barden from Palmerston Christian School, and Haylea Gusling from Woodroffe Primary all were awarded Student Citizen Awards.
I know Nadine Chambers from my going to a number of youth events in Palmerston. She is a wonderful young lady who is very active in her community and a great role model for other young people. She seems always to be happy and bubbly which is a pretty good effort in itself, but her commitment to the community and her selfless donation of her time and being willing to get involved is just fantastic. I am sure that accounts for some of the reasons, but perhaps not all, why Nadine was chosen for that award from Palmerston High.
I would like to especially mention Joseph Hodgson simply because last year during the Palmerston markets, Joseph and I got into a regular routine of playing a game of chess. Joseph, at the time, was setting up chess boards and challenging all comers as a way to raise funds to send himself to Canberra for a chess camp, something he was successful in doing. I have not seen him since, so I have not been able to catch up with how he has been going. I can say as a student of Good Shepherd Lutheran School, he is an extremely adept chess player. He always gives me a run for my money, and considering the age difference, he is punching well above his weight on that score – which is not to say that I am too great a chess player, but for someone in primary school to reach that level, it is fantastic. I understand he was the only person from the Northern Territory to be invited to that chess camp. So, well done to him for all his efforts and well done to his family as well whom I know supported him all the way through and encouraged him with his fundraising efforts.
There are many activities happening on Australia Day. I went to a few and ended up at the Australia Day quiz night at the Palmerston Golf and Country Club where I joined my grandfather’s table in an attempt to stretch the brain a little more. Unfortunately, we did not top the leader board, but we gave it a good shot and it was a great fun night. I thank everyone who was part of that and thank the people on my table for a really wonderful evening.
As part of the activities that the Aboriginal All Stars and Essendon Football Club took part in when they came here to play, representatives from both teams went to the Life Balance gym where there was a barbeque sponsored by the Life Balance gym. This was an event that happened last year as well and it had the integral involvement of the Palmerston Regional Business Association and their President, Wayne Zerbe.
I have said this before, and I am sure I will say it on many occasions, the PRBA does excellent work for its members. It is a vibrant organisation, always searching for ways to better represent its members, and to involve its membership in activities. This barbecue is an excellent example of that. Wayne wraps it all up in his Around Palmerston presentations which can be seen on the television, and I am sure he uses all these events as further venues to explore his wide and exciting repertoire in shirts. I hope to be involved with a number of barbecues this year with the PRBA. I look forward to meeting as many members as possible, I am sure there are plenty I have not met yet, there are over 200 or so, I believe from memory, probably more. I just wanted to record my admiration and thanks for what the PRBA do, and to Wayne Zerbe as well.
I am certain that those who attended the Christmas function the PRBA put on at the casino will say, without hesitation, that it was certainly unforgettable. The casino does an excellent job with all their functions, so congratulations to them for putting on the dinner and to all the performers who performed that night as well.
Recently, in the Palmerston Sun, there was a feature on a local Palmerston business, The Essence of Beauty, owned by Ms Nathalie Hernandez. Nathalie has run the Essence of Beauty spa, I guess you would call it, at Palmerston for 18 years. She must be one of the longest small businesses that set up in Palmerston. She must have been all of about 15 when she started, because she does not look like she could have been running a business for 18 years. She is a lovely lady and I thank her for inviting me to the reopening of the spa. She recently completely refurbished and redesigned the shop space and it looks fantastic. Her father did the painting. She really has a wonderful staff. I met the two young ladies who work with her there and, having had a massage there myself on occasion, I can fully recommend to everyone in Palmerston to go there and treat yourself. It is a fantastic facility and I am sure Nathalie will see you right.
Recently, Sharan Burrow, the ACTU President was in the Territory. That was an important occasion. She spoke at a number of venues, and it was a privilege to catch up with Sharan again and talk about how the union movement has been progressing with its championing of workers’ rights, and what it is doing to try to combat the worst excesses of the WorkChoices legislation.
It was said in this Assembly earlier today that not all employers are bad, and that is certainly correct. I certainly would have no argument with that. In fact, the vast majority try to do exactly the right thing according to legislation and the right thing by their workers. However, there are those, unfortunately, who do not, and what can happen over time is that as those operators who are not as concerned for their employees’ rights cut corners, cut costs, and they force the other employers who want to do the right thing and operate a business sensibly and ethically, out of the various industries because they just cannot compete in the end.
So, this fight back on WorkChoices is not just about workers; it is about workers and employers – employers who want to do the right thing, employers who care about their employees as people with families, protecting them, working with them to ensure a productive workplace. That is why the WorkChoices legislation needs to be repealed. If I thought I could convince the current federal government to do that, I certainly would be trying.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, they are some of the things that have been happening in Palmerston. Palmerston is a vibrant, exciting city. It is a young city. It has fantastic youth. The Vocalyse CD just proves that, and that young people are more than prepared to work with each other and resolve differences and get beyond differences. It is not just all of the mayhem that the media likes to portray is out there. I will end where I started by congratulating the young people, especially, who put that CD together.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like give a couple of books that I picked up recently a plug. The first one is Wagiman Plants and Animals. People might remember that I also spoke highly of a similar book by the Jawoyn people. I think there was also one produced by the Tiwi people. This book was launched by the minister just the other day. I did not realise that. I picked up this from the local book shop in the mall. It is a terrific book.
What we are doing is adding to the collection of knowledge, especially indigenous knowledge and non-indigenous knowledge by putting these into really good volumes. This book here, as I said, entitled Wagiman Plants and Animals, is an Aboriginal knowledge of flora and fauna from the mid-Daly River area, northern Australia, put together by a number of Aboriginal people. I will mention their names in general because some of them have died. The Liddys and Huddlestones were some of the families that were involved. Mark Harvey was from the University of Newcastle, and Glenn Wightman, who is the local in the rural area, has been involved in much of this type of literature.
This is an excellent book. Instead of having colour photographs, there are black and white drawings. Those drawings were put together by Milton Andrews, Adi Dunlop and Valerie Alexander and a few other people not mentioned here. They are excellent diagrams. Anyone who has the slightest interest in native plants will enjoy what is in this book. I will give you a couple of examples.
One plant here is the coral tree. People might know the coral tree; some of it grows along the bicycle path just south of the Mobil service station, or the Caltex service station as it is now. It is called Erythrina vespertilio. The Wagiman name is in here – Darnatj - and it is called the coral tree. It has these notes:
This is the interesting bit, I thought:
There is an interesting little story attached to the uses of the plants by Wagiman people. There are a couple of other plants in here, Xanthostemon paradoxus called a bortbabin in Wagiman. It says:
It is a very beautiful tree. You will find it even around Darwin, especially on the more gravely country but it grows down at Daly River. It is a scraggly tree but a beautiful flower. This book is just full of so much information. The book talks about goannas and birds for which it gives all the Wagiman names. It gives you what animals are eaten. It has the red tailed black cockatoo called the lirrabin or dirrak-dirrak:
It is an interesting book even if you do not have a great knowledge of these things. You certainly see how many of these animals were related to Wagiman, especially in more traditional times.
It gives you a good run down on the snakes and tells you which ones they did not like. The taipan, the king brown, the western brown and the northern deaf adder were not their favourites. It talks about the bandicoot and the possum and how good they are to eat. Kangaroos and wallabies, there are plenty of those there, bats and flying foxes, dingoes and fish, even down to the frogs. It is interesting to see that the green tree frog is here, ngalbingay. It says:
I must admit when we were at Daly River we used to use the brown frog.
That is probably why my wife always asks me to take the green tree frogs out of the toilet. She thinks that happens. It has not happened to me. It goes on to the insects. It is a very detailed book, it is full of information.
It is interesting to read the section on feral and introduced animals. I read something similar to Jawoyn. You take the water buffalo, the Wagiman name is wild bugger, and as it says here the word comes from the English term ‘wild bugger’:
The word for cattle, wilmurr-garang, actually comes from the Wagiman name for a spear because the cattle had pointed horns.
The favourite of mine is the bujigat, yes, the pussy cat is in here again:
So, obviously, wild cat through this area was used for food because the Jawoyn mentioned exactly the same thing. It is up-to-date. It is has a name for cane toad:
So they have used the same name for the cane toad.
It has a great list of all the plants, the common names, the Wagiman names, and the scientific names in the back. It is just a book with heaps of information in. It has many references. It has a picture of the people who put the book together on the back. If people are looking for something special about the Northern Territory, you could not get past a book like that.
Another book I found at the same bookshop the other day - and I am not sure whether this has been launched - it may have been and I might have missed out but this is also a great book: A Wartime Journey – Stuart Highway Heritage Guide. I have always been keen on heritage and I actually go down the track. In fact, the front cover has a caravan going past the hill near Renner Springs they call Lubra’s Hill. About two or three years ago, after driving past that hill for many years, I climbed to the top and it is just a beautiful place. It is on the front cover.
This is also a great book. It has been put together by Howard Pearce and Bob Alford. Most people would know who Bob Alford is. He is a local historian and knows a lot about the war and the history of the Northern Territory. I am told he is, unfortunately, leaving the Northern Territory which is extremely disappointing. This book has a couple of special features. It has two CDs so you can play it in your car as you are driving. One goes from Alice Springs to Katherine, and the other one goes from Katherine to Darwin.
The book has great maps in it. It is a top book; whoever put it together and designed it have done an excellent job. For instance, from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek, there is a map which has numbers all over it which refer to different parts of the highway. For instance, No 18 is Ryan’s Well. It tells you how it came to be, and it normally has photographs to match it either from World War II, or from further back in European history. There are pictures of jockeys at the Barrow Creek races. That, to me, is a top book.
I know the Northern Territory government, like with the Wagiman Plants and Animals, has been involved in it. This has been put together by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, the Department of NRETA, and the Northern Territory Archive Service. Not only would it be a great book for someone as a gift, but it is a great book if anyone is travelling up and down the track. It is not cheap, $35, but with the quality of the book and two CDs in it, you have a fantastic book.
I congratulate the authors and the people who put it together. This helps what is an important part of our tourism economy; that is, the World War II heritage. It is not just covering World War II heritage, it also covers history before and after that. It is so up-to-date that when it talks about Strauss Airstrip it talks about the interpretive centre. It is quite recent publication, just last year. It is up-to-date with everything which has occurred. If people want another book to promote the Northern Territory, they could not go past it.
I was not going to promote this one, but the member for Sanderson said - and I will promote it anyway. Regardless of your opinion on uranium, this document was released by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry and Resources in November last year. It is called Australia’s Uranium – Greenhouse Friendly Fuel for an Energy Hungry World. It was a bipartisan document by a number of the members of the House of Representatives. The Labor Party did release a dissenting report but, in general, they supported pretty well all of what is in here.
Even if you do not agree with it, there is a lot of information, and facts and figures. It is as big as the book the Minister of Health had when referring to health statistics. I have been reading sections of it at a time - it is not light reading before you go to bed. It is an important document that can be used in a debate. You could use it either way, but I find there is a lot of good information in here. It is something I thought I would try to read. I probably will not get through the whole lot - 750 pages - but it is made up of executive summaries. There is a summary and recommendations for every chapter. It is an important book.
I have the Ziggy Switkowski book as well. It will be a long time before I get to read that. It is like a physics manual. It is a coloured book and could be part of a school curriculum. It is a scientific book, and was put together by scientists, of course. I will try to get involved in it also.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will put a little politics into the end of the day. I must admit when I was sitting here I pulled out the facts sheets that were given to me. I thought I would have a look at the section on Northern Territory Workplace Advocate Employees Leave Entitlements. I know we have been discussing the issue of whether you can get long service leave under the AWA. I opened the page on long service leave, and it says:
I thought it was funny reading that after the debate we were having today. It does not seem to quite match the argument we were having. Perhaps they should have pulled this one out and done an amendment.
Be that as it may, that is all I would like to say and I will finish there.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I congratulate Mildred Inkamala on her award as the Centralian of the Year. Mildred is an extraordinary person. She has committed herself not just to her children and her grandchildren, but to the community of Hermannsburg and also to Alice Springs. She is committed to the justice system, to try to help people understand that it is not right to be in gaol, that they have families, that they have laws and culture. While they are incarcerated, they miss out on all the stuff that goes on in the communities, ceremonies and sorry business.
Mildred and Carl are such committed people, I think it is only fitting that they go on the Parliamentary Record as good people, and people who are committed to indigenous affairs and helping crime and violence, not just in Aboriginal communities like Hermannsburg, but also in Alice Springs. I know that Mildred works really hard interpreting for people in court. She is such a committed person. She has all her grandchildren and she makes them all go to school. It is really good to have such a committed person on a remote Aboriginal community. These are the kind of people we do not recognise and acknowledge. It is only certain times when awards are given out that hard-working years of the past are recognised for one specific day or a moment. She has worked very hard and I wish her well, and Carl. I hope that she continues to work with her people in Alice Springs and at Hermannsburg.
I wanted to put on the record my thanks to Nicholas Rothwell, journalist from The Australian, for the trip that he and I did with Renee to Hermannsburg. He wrote the story on Gus Williams which was very fitting. Gus is a person who is also committed to his people and his community. I cannot go without mentioning the commitment that Gus has to country music and Tamworth. I thought that Nicholas’ trip out to Hermannsburg was fitting, and the story that he wrote on Gus was such a good story. I put on the record my thanks to Nicholas.
Another trip I did was with a journalist from the Northern Territory News, Nigel Adlam, and Justin and Aaron. On that trip we went right into Western Australia to Kiwirrkurra to have a look at the Pintubis who had been in the society for 22 years, with Walala, and his wife and son. It was the story of how they came into Kiwirrkurra after living in the desert. I felt so grateful that there were other people aside from the journalist industry that could go out and have a look at an Aboriginal community and do such a good story on the people who have just been in our society for 22 years. I put on the record my thanks to Nigel Adlam.
I also want to mention Mt Liebig School. I want to say thank you to the Principal of the Mt Liebig School, the AEW there, Roderick Kantamara, and the Mt Liebig community for their persistence and the commitment they have in educating their children. Last year, seven of their children reached the benchmark in literacy and numeracy. As a local member, and as a mother and as an indigenous woman, I felt so proud when I went out to Mt Liebig and received the news. They also received letters from the Chief Minister, Clare Martin, congratulating the children and their parents for their persistence and commitment to their children’s education. Two of those students are now attending Marrara Christian School in Darwin. I intend to see them this weekend and give them that moral support to continue with their education.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it was wonderful listening to the member for Macdonnell speak about education out in the bush and how she is very proud of achievements, and thanked the Chief Minister for her commitment and acknowledgement of how well the students out bush have done with their literacy and numeracy. I did not know that the member for Macdonnell was going to give that speech, but I, too, would like to recognise the Chief Minister for her commitment to the education of all our kids. It turns out that as I make my contribution tonight, we recognise the commitment that the Chief Minister has to all the children of the Territory, not just the urban and not just the bush, but all Territorian children.
To that end, last year you may recall that the Chief Minister launched the Focus on Literacy initiative. As part of that launch, she wrote to all MLAs and said that as Members of the Legislative Assembly it would be great for us to get behind the community and parents to support literacy programs and promote reading among Territory children. I cannot agree more. I met with the Chief Minister after I received this and spoke to her about her feelings on this initiative and she is very keen. She understands that children need to be made aware of how important literacy is to get on in life and how it is a fundamental building block to making a better life for themselves. I became very much aware of her feelings and motivation then.
I was very pleased, then, a little later on when she mentioned going to Wulagi School to present to them the Chief Minister’s Literacy Awards for 2006. I said that the kids would be very honoured by her visit. I was very impressed that the Chief Minister, particularly at that time of the year, could find the time to get out to Wulagi School.
On 4 December at their end of school assembly, the Chief Minister and I presented to the Wulagi children the Chief Minister’s awards. It was Mrs Perrin’s last active year at the school. Mrs Perrin has been there for well over the six years that I have been the local member. I am not too sure of her exact start date as principal of Wulagi School. She is now on long service leave; I believe retirement is pending for her, so this was really the last official duty that I got to do with Mrs Perrin who has been a great principal over that time.
The Chief Minister’s awards went from Years 6/7 down to the transition years and covered the English as a Second Language children. I must alert people who read this Parliamentary Record to the structure of the classes, as it is with all urban schools, is the year of the class and the name of the teacher. The awards went to: in 6/7 Schulz, Shaan Mitchell; 6/7 Kolomitsev, Roger Parreira; 4/5 Refchange, Daniel Gibson; 4/5 Burnett, Lindsay Martin; 2/3 Manning, Aylissa Austral; 2/3 Bourke, Wendy Young-Smith; T/1 Kerle, Evana Schober; T/1 Matthews, Justin Pope; ESL Mrs Faint – Most Improved, Jack Conroy; and Mrs Coleman, Literacy, Michelle Buse.
When the children received their awards, they were very impressed and a little shy to have the Chief Minister presenting the inaugural awards. It meant much to the parents and really conveyed the Chief Minister’s commitment and the government’s commitment to the children of the Territory.
I look forward to being back there again this year. I have spoken to the Principal at Anula School and I will be helping with the literacy program by reading to the kids there. Tomorrow, all things being equal, I hope to be at Wulagi School lining up a time where I will be able to sit down with some of the kids and read to them every week when we do not have sittings.
It is a wonderful program, and I thank the Chief Minister for taking the time and interest in the children of the Territory. I recommend it to all our MLAs and say get behind it in your schools. It is fantastic. To those kids from Wulagi and Anula and all other schools who received the initial awards, well done for 2006. I look forward to giving out the awards again in 2007.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Report of Northern Territory Workplace Advocate
Report of Northern Territory Workplace Advocate
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, today I inform members of the parliament of the first report of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate. On 2 May 2006, the government created the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate as a response to the federal government's WorkChoices legislation.
The role of the advocate is to inform, educate and consult with Territory workers, employers and their representatives about rights and responsibilities in relation to work-related matters; facilitate and encourage the fair industrial treatment of workers; promote informed decision-making by Territory workers and employers; act as an advisory service for workers, ensuring they are fully informed of the implications of their agreements and how these may affect their terms and conditions of employment; monitor and report to the minister on industrial relations practices in the Territory; and advise the minister generally about work-related matters.
The advocate provides free confidential advice to workers and employers on their rights and responsibilities under the new WorkChoices laws. The advocate also provides education and information to Territorians including WorkChoices fact sheets for young workers, employees and employers; web-based information; an agreement checklist; and a 1300 advice line.
Recognising that young Territorians are most vulnerable, the advocate has worked with DEET and the Office of Youth Affairs in the Department of the Chief Minister to prepare information resources that are relevant to students, teachers and careers advisers. The advocate is working with Charles Darwin University to help the business community to better understand the vital role that sound, modern human resource practices play in a successful business.
Since its inception, the advocate has received 225 inquiries to 31 January 2007. About two-thirds of these calls were from workers and one-third from employers. This is twice as many calls per head of population as the Victorian Workplace Rights Advocate. From these inquiries and community consultation, the advocate has compiled a database of the types of concerns Territorians have about the WorkChoices legislation. The advocate advises that large amongst these concerns are lack of job security, which includes dismissal or the threat of dismissal; bullying; victimisation; and arbitrary changes to employment conditions. Many callers have a poor understanding of the basis of their employment and what industrial instrument, if any, binds their employment.
WorkChoices seems to have made it harder to understand your rights. Employers consistently say to the advocate that the changes to the Workplace Relations Act are complicated and confusing, and that authoritative relevant advice is difficult to obtain.
Since the WorkChoices changes, approximately 3000 AWAs have been signed by Territory workers. Given the mobility of the Northern Territory workforce, this does not necessarily equate to 3000 individual workers. However, it is an indication of the level of change to employment conditions in the Territory workforce.
In May 2006, the federal government’s Employment Advocate revealed that a sample of AWAs showed that every AWA registered under the new laws had taken away at least one protected award condition. In addition, annual leave loading has been erased in almost two-thirds of AWAs lodged under the new laws; penalty rates have disappeared in almost two out of three agreements; and shift allowances have been removed in more than half of all new agreements.
ABS data shows that the hourly rate of pay for a non-managerial worker on an AWA is lower than that for workers on collective agreements. There is no reason to believe that Territory workers are faring any better than other workers on AWAs. We do not know as the federal government has stopped producing information about the content of AWAs.
Certainly, the inquiries received by The advocate and revealed in this report support this trend. The advocate report includes a range of case studies which demonstrates the types of practices which are occurring in the Territory. Names of individuals and businesses have not been included for confidentiality reasons.
Madam Speaker, I commend the work of the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate and I am confident that Territorians, workers and employers alike are receiving help and guidance from The advocate. This report confirms for me that this government is right to oppose the Howard government’s unfair WorkChoices regime. This is not good law; Territorians are disadvantaged. I am happy to make available to members copies of the report and also a Youth Pack and Fact Sheets which will be distributed.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. I have to say, minister, that was very good grandstanding you did this morning.
A member: It is going to get better.
Mrs MILLER: No, it is a lot of grandstanding and you have given me two minutes to respond to something that is of such importance.
The Office of the Employment Advocate was established and expanded to support both employers and employees on matters that were relating to their workplace and workplace agreements. It is obvious that people have been able to access that and they are using it quite well. It is very disappointing that you should make a political stunt of this, this morning. We are going to have extended debate on this as the morning goes on, so to introduce this as a report this morning is nothing but a political stunt.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, all we have from the member from Katherine were two phrases: grandstanding and political stunt.
Mrs Miller: It is grandstanding.
Mr HENDERSON: This is not grandstanding; it is not a political stunt. It is about the rights of Territory workers. It is about the rights of our kids. The class of 2006 which graduated last year entered the Territory workforce and for the first time, in many generations, our children are going to have fewer rights in the workplace in their terms and conditions for employment than did their parents. This is an absolute shame and tragedy for this country.
The government with the Workplace Advocate has provided free advice to employers and employees. Many employers will do the right thing and will not undermine the terms and conditions of employment, but many have, and many will. I urge all members to read this report and I urge the shadow minister to have a briefing from the advocate to hear directly the impacts of these laws in the Northern Territory.
Horticulture in Central Australia
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, we are strongly committed to regional development. We recognise that the capacity of remote regions and communities to develop new enterprise is paramount if we are to support a growing population. To that end, I am excited by the prospects the horticultural industry offers Central Australian communities. The climate, the accessibility to fertile land, and the availability of adequate, good quality water lends itself to a productive, high-yielding horticultural industry. We are working closely with the Central Land Council and Centrefarm to secure access to Aboriginal land to enable future horticulture development.
Centrefarm is involved in 23 projects across Central Australia in places such as Ti Tree, Ali Curung, Utopia, Pine Hill, and other sites south of Alice Springs. Negotiations with a range of stakeholders in relation to land, water access and operational arrangements are progressing well. In addition, the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is well advanced in planning for the establishment of a horticulture development at the Arid Zone Research Institute on the edge of Alice Springs. These new horticultural ventures also offer spin-offs for other industry sectors, with opportunities to diversify their operations. Undoolya Station operator, Richie Hayes, and Territory Lettuce proprietor, Mo McCosker, have together successfully developed an operation at Rocky Hill growing watermelons.
As I said previously, a key to the successful development of horticultural operations is the availability of suitable water supply. The arid regions of Australia have variable water resources. While some have little ground water, other areas have very large deposits, but it is often brackish and saline. However, Central Australia has significant quantities of better quality ground water. I am advised that at various locations throughout the region there is enough water of suitable quality to support several thousand hectares of horticulture projects.
Our arid Central Australian climate will never support horticulture on the same scale as some other parts of Australia. In these times of severe drought, the use of our precious water resources in the Centre must be well considered and well managed. The emphasis for these horticultural developments is on high value crops, particularly those that can be grown earlier or later than the southern growing season. By doing this, opportunities for the creation of niche markets for our produce are opened up.
A tangible example of the commitment we have to developing a horticultural industry that uses water responsibly is the water reuse project in Alice Springs. This world’s best practice project is nearing completion and the collaboration we have seen between NRETA, DPIFM, the Power and Water Corporation and CSIRO is to be commended. Their vision and professionalism will bring real horticultural opportunities to the Alice Springs region.
Madam Speaker, we will continue to research the locations of adequate ground water supplies and the needs of our environment. We will also continue investigating the most efficient water applications for a range of different crops. Importantly, we will continue to support the good work being undertaken by businesses like Centrefarm and other private developers. The aim of our work is to develop economic opportunity and prosperity for all Central Australians.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for her report on the horticultural industry, especially in Central Australia. We are very fortunate that so much work is being done in Central Australia to develop the industry. Obviously, there is still potential for it to develop even further.
Horticulture across the whole of the Northern Territory still has the opportunity to advance much more than it is, and I am sure we are going to have plenty of discussions in the future about the development and advancement of horticulture. We are very lucky in the Territory to have good water resources to be able to deal with this industry. I am sure that we are going to have much discussion about the advancement of horticulture. This is just two minutes in which I can say thank you, minister, for your report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister hit on the two characters in Central Australia, Mo McCosker and Richie Hayes, who would have to be some of the best ambassadors for Central Australia in getting their produce up and off to market. It is great to see.
We would like our communities also to be self-sufficient and I believe we should put a bit more emphasis on that. There used to be a program, for instance, at the gaol where they had a horticulture course. Some of the prisoners had their own patch which was producing food, with the idea that when they went back to communities, they would do it. It was a great idea. I pay tribute to Geoff Myers who has gone into many communities and helped establish citrus plantations or grape vines. It is something that we know is productive and is healthy. Laramba has done a lot with production.
Chief Minister, perhaps you can lobby the supermarkets to take the local produce. The big supermarkets only want to take large quantities with consistency, whereas our seasons can be short. Also, helping with the harvesting and marketing of the produce from the smaller communities would be a great way to help those communities become self-sufficient.
The price of some of the fresh foods in community stores is atrocious. It is terrible. I met someone from Utopia in Woolies the other day who said it was costing them 400% to 500% more to buy this particular item in their store. If we can encourage communities to be self-sufficient with that, along with developing the horticultural industry in Central Australia, it would be a real plus.
Geothermal Energy
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I announce the first steps in the development of an exciting alternative source for the Northern Territory, one that is clean, green, sustainable and renewable, and has enormous potential. I refer to geothermal energy, a valuable, emission-free energy source already harnessed in many parts of the world such as the United States, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The name derives from the Greek words ‘geo’ meaning earth, and ‘thermos’ meaning heat.
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable and sustainable energy source that is low in greenhouse gas emissions and is created naturally from heat within the earth’s crust. While most geothermal energy is obtained from ‘wet rocks’ in the vicinity of geysers, hot water pools and volcanoes, it has been identified that ‘hot dry’ rocks have substantial potential as a source of cheap, renewable energy. We potentially have plenty of ‘hot dry’ rocks in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory government recognises that the production and consumption of fossil fuel energy contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and is committed to securing sustainable, long-term and renewable energy sources.
To give effect to, and to encourage the exploration and development of, geothermal energy resources, the government is drafting the Northern Territory Geothermal Energy Bill. While the nature and extent of the Territory’s geothermal resources are largely unknown, proceedings from the World Geothermal Congress in 2005 identified promising areas including Dunmarra, McArthur and the Amadeus basins as seen on this map. Experience from interstate and overseas suggests that this resource can be an important alternative energy source for the future.
The Territory currently relies on Central Australian gas for its major centres power generation. This gas supply is now limited. In June 2006, the Power and Water Corporation signed a heads of agreement with ENI Australia Ltd for the supply of Blacktip gas to run power stations. Clearly, in the short- to medium-term, natural gas is the fuel of choice, however, the Power and Water Corporation has been looking at a number of alternative gas supply sources to meet its future demands.
In October 2004, officers from my Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines attended the inaugural geothermal ‘hot rocks’ conference, which drew expertise from around the world. In 2005, the department established a geothermal task force to develop a strategy for the development and management of geothermal energy in the Northern Territory. The task force comprises personnel from the Power and Water Corporation, Department of Justice, and my department. South Australia, Victoria and Queensland have passed specific legislation to manage the exploration and extraction of geothermal energy. The Northern Territory is a highly prospective region and we have received inquiries from some gas, oil and energy industry players to explore for geothermal energy resources in the Northern Territory.
A public discussion paper was released in 2006 to assist individuals and organisations to consider issues related to the introduction of the Northern Territory Geothermal Energy Bill, and to assist the government to develop an appropriate regulation regime for this new and exciting energy source. Copies of this paper can still be obtained by e-mail or downloaded from my department’s website. Eleven submissions regarding the proposed bill were received. All were supportive of geothermal energy, with comments centred upon administrative issues such as the size of tenure, amounts of royalties, use of water, and the interactions of native title and Aboriginal lands. These submissions are all being addressed and will be used to help shape the final draft of the bill, which is expected later this year.
Madam Speaker, new exploration for potential developments will help stimulate further investment in the Northern Territory and employment opportunities for Territorians. Geothermal energy is considered by many to be the clean, green, sustainable and renewable energy source of the future. This government wishes to maximise our opportunity for the assessment of the geothermal energy potential of the Territory and hopefully the future development of geothermal energy sources in the Territory. Reliable energy supply, particularly clean, green, low cost, sustainable and renewable energy such as geothermal is essential for the long-term future of the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, it is a very interesting report and worthy of support and investigation. I acknowledge the excellent work of the member for Nelson on this matter. He has raised it a number of times in my time in parliament, before I had even heard of the idea of geothermal energy. It is good that we have had the report from government today. These issues warrant very careful and thoughtful investigation.
It is a shame that we have these little tableaux of information, where ministers read a prepared statement and the opposition, with no warning whatsoever, must speak off the cuff.
In the interests of developing genuine debate and in the best interests of Territorians, it would assist if the opposition was forewarned of the matters to be raised during Ministerial Reports, which really is not a true parliamentary process, so that we could contribute more than off-the-cuff comments which do not really enhance the seriousness of some of the matters raised. This further illustrates that the purpose for matters that are raised - not specifically in this case, but generally – is to give government the opportunity to read a media release.
I challenge members opposite: if you want to continue this and show some credibility in respect of the process of parliament, give those reports without notes and we will see how you go.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report on geothermal energy. As the member for Blain said, I have had an interest in this for a long time as well as an interest in many other forms of energy.
One thing missing from this House for some time is a rational debate about energy. We are not only potentially one of the biggest sources of geothermal energy, but we are also one of the biggest miners of uranium. It could even be bigger if you look at some of the issues in Alice Springs. These are important issues. You have the potential for geothermal as a clean source of energy. I cannot say it is infinite because I am not sure it is renewable, which is an interesting issue with because it takes its energy from rocks. What happens when that energy dissipates? Does it continue? It has great potential and there is much more work to do.
I noticed on ABC news on 30 January, they are doing some work with BHP Billiton on the south-western corner of Western Australia. They were saying how important it would be to some of the Aboriginal communities in that area because geothermal energy would provide them with cheap electricity. At the moment they rely on diesel. It has great potential for many of our outback communities.
Minister, I thank you for your report. It needs a lot more discussion than the time we have now. I was a bit surprised when I saw a comment from the Chief Minister’s department asking for comments on the proposed legislation for geothermal energy. Someone from the Chief Minister’s department said they were concerned about because it will use a lot of water. If you look at the system that has been used in Innamincka, the water goes round and round. It is not wasting water, it is just recycling it. The person who made those comments is perhaps thinking of another method. We should be looking at all sources of energy, and not discarding nuclear, geothermal or other forms of energy just because we have an ideological bent against them. We should have more discussion about these things.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank both members for their comments. I know that the member for Nelson has been very active in encouraging the Northern Territory government to look at alternative energy sources. We are hopeful that the new bill will push things along. It will put the Northern Territory ahead of many other places in Australia in respect of ‘green’ fuel.
Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, I draw the attention of honourable members to a spray of cut flowers in the main hall which was kindly arranged by the Northern Territory Cut Flowers Association and my department. I hope everyone will take the opportunity to look at the fantastic range of flowers that are produced in the Territory. The Leader of the Opposition might even find some exotic gingers there which could put a bit of bite to her performance today.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
MOTION
Commonwealth WorkChoices Legislation
Commonwealth WorkChoices Legislation
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly:
- (a) note with concern that the Commonwealth WorkChoices legislation has taken away from Territorians a statutory right to long service leave;
(b) call upon the federal government to immediately re-instate the right of all Territory workers to long service leave entitlements; and
(c) express its ongoing concern at the Howard government’s WorkChoices legislation which is unfair and is particularly detrimental for Territory working families and young workers; and
- Through the Office of the Speaker, forward the terms of this motion and associated debate to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Commonwealth Parliament.
Madam Speaker, this is a very serious motion before this House. I point out to all members that when considering their position on whether to support this motion that we are talking about the right of Territorians to long service leave. This is what this debate is about and whether we believe, as a parliament …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, members opposite will have their opportunity to contribute to this debate and I will listen attentively to their contributions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members, order!
Mr HENDERSON: This is about the right of Territorians to long serve leave. The definitive legal advice from two eminent sources, which I have received as Minister for Employment, Education and Training, very clearly states that WorkChoices overrides the Long Service Leave Act of this parliament.
The history of this legislation that is being overridden by WorkChoices, and I am speaking from advice that I have had from the Commissioner for Public Employment this morning, is that the original Northern Territory Long Service Leave Ordinance was assented to in December 1965. Prior to self-government, all laws were in the form of ordinances rather than acts of parliament. The 1965 ordinance provided for 13 weeks long service leave after 15 years’ service, and an additional eight weeks long service leave after the completion of a further 10 years’ service with the same employer. The ordinance was later amended in 1974 to provide for three-tenths of a month’s long service leave for each completed year of service where the employee has completed at least 10 years’ service.
The Long Service Leave Act was assented to in 1981. It provides for long service leave at the rate prescribed for the 1974 ordinance but also introduced pro rata entitlements in restricted circumstances after seven years’ service. The act was later amended in 1997 to provide for 1.3 weeks long service leave per year of service after 10 years’ service.
This legislation, these entitlements, have a history that does not quite predate me - I was born in 1962, but some of my younger parliamentary colleagues are certainly predated by them. This is how long Territorians have had the right to long service leave, which is now being overridden by WorkChoices. I have not done all of the research but I am absolutely certain that the ordinances and the acts of parliament in 1981 and 1997 would have had bipartisan support, as would further amendments.
I will read from the second reading debate in 1981 by the founding father of the Country Liberal Party, Paul Everingham, who was the Chief Minister at the time, and a life member of the Country Liberal Party, as I understand it. I will read from Mr Everingham’s second reading speech:
- I should emphasise that, as I understand the purpose of this legislation, it provides minimal conditions for persons not covered by awards.
So for people who were not covered by awards, this provided a minimal set of conditions that applied to all Territorians. I quote again:
- The legislation has been drafted as a minimal standard because it is considered that the interests of employees and employers are best protected if conditions of employment are prescribed by awards and determinations of arbitral tribunals or by agreements registered with them. As the legislation is intended to apply only to employees not covered by an award or other legislation, this proposal should not be of such a high standard as to discourage employees from seeking award coverage nor to encourage those with award coverage to forsake it.
So the founding father of the Country Liberal Party, one Paul Everingham, on Tuesday, 9 June 1981, wants to protect the interests of Territorians not covered by awards, confirms in his second reading speech that the government of the day believed: ‘… that the interests of employees and employers are best protected if conditions of employment are prescribed by awards and determinations of arbitral tribunals’. The founding father of the CLP had the interests of Territorians at heart, and believed in the rights of collective bargaining under registered award conditions with the relevant tribunal to assent to them.
Back in 1981, we had a Country Liberal Party that actually had the interests of all Territorians at heart and the interests of a system that was fair, transparent and accountable to employers and employees. We are calling on this parliament today to confirm that this parliament still believes, as Paul Everingham, the first Chief Minister of the newly self-governing Northern Territory, believed back in 1981, that there should be a minimal set of conditions for long service leave applying to all Territory workers. History is very interesting in that regard.
Previously, the Northern Territory Long Service Leave Act entitled all workers to a statutory minimum entitlement of 13 weeks paid leave after 10 years continuous employment. Generally, if an employee ceased to be employed after seven years’ continuous service, that worker had a right to be paid for accrued long service leave at the rate of 1.3 weeks for every year of service. In the past, that entitlement could not be taken away by an employment contract. There was no capacity for an employment contract to wriggle out of that minimal set of entitlements. We now know that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation means that an AWA that provides for no long service leave at all will override the Northern Territory’s Long Service Leave Act. The WorkChoices regime is unfair and this government opposes it.
That is fundamentally why we oppose it. It is unfair.
Mr Stirling: It is un-Australian.
Mr HENDERSON: It is all about fairness. It is all about employers and employees sitting at the table and having equal bargaining positions in the employment contract. It is unfair and, as my colleague the member for Nhulunbuy says, un-Australian.
Long service leave is the latest in a long list of rights to be taken away. As I indicated yesterday, I have written to the federal Workplace Relations minister, Joe Hockey, and asked him to reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. I have done this because, on legal advice from the Solicitor-General, this parliament has no legislative power to change this situation. Our laws as a Territory under the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act are subservient to the Commonwealth.
The WorkChoices legislation subverts the intention of the Northern Territory parliament to provide a minimum enforceable long service leave entitlement for employees. This is yet another on a list of legislation passed by this parliament to express the will of the people of the Northern Territory. We go back to the euthanasia legislation which was over turned by the federal parliament, legislation that prohibits the storing and transport of nuclear waste through the Northern Territory has been overridden by the Commonwealth parliament, and now our Long Service Leave Act has been overridden by the federal parliament.
This motion reinforces my call to minister Hockey.
Madam Speaker, I remind members about WorkChoices. The WorkChoices legislation promotes individual agreements to the point of destroying the practical effect of collective bargaining. I go back to Paul Everingham’s comments. Back in 1981, the CLP used to stand up for the interests of Territorians, not stand up for Howard’s influence in Canberra. Paul Everingham would have agreed with this because he stated:
- The interests of employees and employers are best protected if conditions of employment are prescribed by awards and determinations of arbitral tribunals ...
WorkChoices also replaces comprehensive protection of wages and conditions through awards with a skeletal framework and minimal standards. This leaves those without power extremely vulnerable, particularly young people, young Territorians, who finish school, take their first steps into the workplace and are presented with an AWA, an instrument. Those young people who have had no history in the workplace, no exposure to the workplace, are supposed to be under these agreements on a level playing field with the employer to negotiate their rights. I do not think so, Madam Speaker.
It is a take-it-or-leave-it contract. If you do not take it, some other mug will. Do we really believe that a 16, 17, 18, 21, 22-year-old out of university looking for their first job is going to sit at the table, look at their AWA and say: ‘I am really sorry, Mr Employer, I do not think I should have to work on Saturdays and Sundays without additional penalty rates. I would really like to see at least a 50% loading for working on Saturdays in my award.’? Do you think that young people are going to have the capacity to do that? I do not think so. The employer is going to say: ‘Sorry, son, if you do not like it, I will offer the job to somebody else’. And away you go. That is what is happening, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Braham: Is that actually happening? Do you have examples of that happening?
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I suggest you read the report.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, honourable members!
Mrs Braham: Why didn’t you give us the report earlier?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: You can read it now. I will take you to page 36, read 11, 16, 18, 19 and 20, because I will.
Madam Speaker, this is about the new industrial climate that is operating here and now in the Northern Territory. There are specific examples of the impacts of that in this report which I tabled earlier today.
You do not need three weeks preparation for this debate. If you do not understand what is happening here for young people who are presented with an individual contract, compare it to the previous system where there was a set of prescribed conditions in awards on which everybody had to base their employment contracts. There was a set of basic minimal standards that at least gave young people a chance. They do not have a chance any more.
The new WorkChoices legislation guts the ability of the IRC to carry out the functions of the independent umpire ensuring the fair treatment of all parties, criminalises the normal functioning of unions by unreasonably limiting representation rights - and this is what this is all about. It is not about the economy. The economy in Australia is booming. It is not about making Australia a more competitive economy. It is about John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, who has had an ideological hatred of unions from the day he entered federal parliament. He was gifted by the Australian people an unexpected Senate majority to impose his ideological hatred of unions, as reflected in this legislation, and this will be the Prime Minister’s legacy. That is what this is all about.
WorkChoices allows employers to dismiss workers, practically at will. We are all members of parliament. We represent constituents. I had a constituent see me two weeks before Christmas. He was a young boy who was a second year apprentice electrician. He and his mother came to see me at my electorate office in Leanyer. They were very distressed. He was working for a contractor in the construction business, and was sacked without notice. We are working this through the Apprenticeship Board and what have you at the moment. He had spent two years as an apprentice electrician, essentially working on residential construction sites, wiring power points and fans. He was talking to a mate of his who worked for one of our major mining companies in the Northern Territory. Through a series of discussions, the mining company offered him work out at the mine for four to six months to get some industrial experience as an apprentice electrician. He went to his employer and said. ‘Mr Employer, I would like to …’ – and this is supposed to be what WorkChoices is about, some flexibility – ‘I would like the opportunity to spend four or six months working on a mine site to broaden my experience as I do my apprenticeship to get exposure to doing something different’. His employer accused him of being disloyal, and sacked him on the spot.
Do we want our kids growing up in that type of industrial climate? I do not think so. His mother was in tears. She could not believe that this could happen in Australia to an 18-year-old kid. We are trying to work through that because, maybe, we have some capacity through the Apprenticeship Board to do something about it. This is the impact of these laws in Australia; an ideological attack by John Howard. I am still really angry. If I can do anything for this young kid, I sure will. As I said, these laws are unfair and they are un-Australian.
This morning, I tabled a report from the Northern Territory Workplace Advocate who tells us that Territorians are telling him that they fear for their job security, including dismissal or the threat of dismissal, bullying, victimisation, and they are experiencing arbitrary changes to their employment conditions. In May 2006, the federal government’s Employment Advocate, Peter McIlwain, told a Senate Estimates Committee that a sample of AWAs showed that every AWA registered under the new laws had taken away at least one protected award condition.
Annual leave loading had been erased in almost two-thirds, 64%, of AWAs. Leave loading - gone; 64% of them. Penalty rates have disappeared in almost two out of three agreements, 63% - working Saturdays, Sundays, 10 o’clock at night, flat rate, that is all you get. Shift allowances have been removed in more than half, 52%, of new agreements. One in six agreements, 16%, have dropped all award conditions all together replacing them with just the government’s five minimum conditions. Four out of 10 agreements, 40%, have dropped gazetted public holidays. So, no more public holidays for 40%; you have to work. More than one in five new, individual contracts, 22%, contained no pay increases over the life of the agreement - none. Not a pay increase! It is a three year agreement, no pay increases.
We have a protracted negotiation with the Australian Nursing Federation at the moment about what is going to be the pay increase over the life of the agreement. Under this new legislation, 22% of all Australians who have signed an AWA will have no pay increase over the life of the agreement.
The Howard government has since stopped reporting on the content of AWAs. I wonder why. I wonder why the Prime Minister stopped reporting on the content of AWAs. Previously, through registered industrial agreements and awards, anybody could go to the Industrial Relations Commission, hop on to the website, log in, get a copy of the relevant award, and see the terms and conditions of employment. Now, under John Howard, it is all secret. A race to the bottom. Given those numbers after the first few months of the operation of WorkChoices, I wonder why the Prime Minister stopped reporting on the content of AWAs.
How are AWAs and WorkChoices operating in the Territory? The Advocate advises us that the total working population of the Territory as of June 2006 was 101 500, or 49% of the population. As at July 2006, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that nearly 14% of the Australian workforce started their current job within the last 12 months. So, 14% of the current workforce of the Northern Territory started their job with this new regime in place. The high mobility of the workforce suggests this figure is higher in the Northern Territory. A new job often means a new workplace agreement. As I outlined this morning, since the WorkChoices changes, approximately 3000 AWAs have been signed by Territory employees.
I will give a few examples. The report does not detail names of either the people who contacted the Advocate or the business concerned, for confidentiality reasons.
A hospitality business changed hands. The new employer offered AWAs to employees as a condition of them continuing employment with the new owner. The employee felt coerced into signing the agreement and, ultimately, resigned their employment. Not only was the employee coerced into signing an agreement, the agreement being offered contained significantly new entitlements. So, the business changes hands. The employee, who has been working there for many years, has racked up a whole heap of leave loadings and provisions and what have you; a new owner comes in: ‘Sign this. If you do not sign this, get nicked, we will get somebody else to do it’. Unfair!
After two months of work, an employee was sacked without notice. At the time of termination the employer alleged that the worker had given goods away for free and had stolen from them. No complaint was made to the police and the employee was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegation. This is not innocent until proven guilty, the basic principle of Westminster law and natural justice where everybody is entitled to the principle of innocence until proven guilty. An employer can now say: ‘I think that you have stolen from me, you are sacked’, and you have no rights at all, no rights whatsoever to respond to the allegation - not even a complaint to the police. Is this fair? I do not think so, Madam Speaker.
After a period of six months of casual employment a worker was made permanent. Two months after being made permanent, the employee’s position was unilaterally changed; however, no change was made to his remuneration. The worker approached the manager to complain about bullying and intimidation from other employees towards him and another group of employees of a particular ethnic background. Following this, a direction came from management that only English was to be spoken in the workplace. One day later the employee was sacked.
Again, the power equation - and it is not about power. It is about fairness in the workplace to be able to legitimately raise concerns with your employer without fear. This is what is happening in the Northern Territory. These are specific examples of what is happening in the Northern Territory and these things are happening every day to Territory workers.
Madam Speaker, as minister for employment and training, and as a father, I am concerned about the detrimental impact that WorkChoices is having on young workers across Australia. I am worried about the lack of employment protection for the 2006 graduates from Territory high schools, many of whom are entering the workforce for the first time and are at risk of being exploited under these laws.
Recent data from the Commonwealth shows that in the period of October to December 2006, the highest number of AWAs was made in the retail industry and in hospitality. This is an area in which many people get their first job. Young people are the most vulnerable under the WorkChoices legislation. In many cases, they lack the experience and knowledge to be able bargain effectively with their employers over wages and conditions. They just do not know what rights they have and are more likely to accept what is offered without querying it.
Here are a couple of examples from the Advocate’s six monthly report:
A 19-year-old man was initially engaged on a casual rate of $15 per hour. After two weeks his wage was reduced to $10 per hour without agreement, without notice. So, you start off at $15 an hour, two weeks later you are on $10. If you do not like it, get nicked, I will find somebody else. The Northern Territory Workplace Advocate assisted this man to formulate a claim and referred the matter to the Office of Workplace Services for investigation. Six weeks after the matter was referred to OWS, the man had still not been given a claim number nor even been contacted by OWS. The Workplace Advocate is not aware of any action being taken to finalise the claim.
The Howard government has this Mickey Mouse office called the Office of Workplace Services. Time and time again through this report, these types of cases are referred to the Office of Workplace Services. It takes months for them to get back - they do or do not do anything. Nobody ever gets back to the employee. You know, a 19-year-old cannot wait six weeks to get a complaint finalised. He has to get another job. It is absolutely outrageous!
In addition to the underpayment of wages, it would appear that the employer engaged him with the representation that he would receive training in a Certificate III level course which the employer is registered to provide. This training never occurred. Finally, there appears to be instances of bullying and intimidation by this employer. The employer was alleged to have approached the now former employee outside work and was alleged to have made threats in an effort to have the claim withdrawn.
Another one: an apprentice contacted the NTWA following significant abuse, bullying and harassment from the employer. Now, I was an apprentice and I know my colleague, the member for Drysdale, was an apprentice. We know there was a bit of fun and games for the young fellows as they start their apprenticeship, but not to the extent of bullying and harassment. The apprentice was encouraged to make a complaint to NT WorkSafe and the Australian Apprenticeship Centre - no action taken.
WorkChoices is not family friendly. Working longer hours for less pay is not a balanced and fair outcome. We talk about lifestyle. There was much debate about lifestyle in the Northern Territory. Working longer hours for less money? Is that a contribution and improvement to the great Territory lifestyle? I do not think so. In this time of economic boom, why is it harder for people to balance work and family, harder to get permanent jobs, and harder to ensure that they can pay for the mortgage and look after the kids?
In summary, the Northern Territory government believes that the long service leave entitlement is an important tool for Territory business. It attracts and retains employees in a very tight labour market. A very important tool.
My office contacted the Chamber of Commerce of the Northern Territory yesterday to hear what their position was regarding this advice from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory that WorkChoices overrode the Long Service Leave Act of the Northern Territory. The Chamber of Commerce’s advice came back very quickly. Their policy position is that all their members should pay long service leave entitlements as prescribed under the Territory legislation. They support it. They went even further, and they are going to write to me, they think there should be improved pro rata amendments made to the Northern Territory’s Long Service Leave Act.
The major employer group in the Northern Territory supports the Northern Territory government’s position. I commend the Chamber of Commerce on their position on this matter. I do believe that the vast majority of employers recognise that their business is only as good as the people who work for them and they will treat them fairly. It is about the rogue employers, particularly in those service- and manufacturing-based industries where price is the most important quotient of the question of whether a financial transaction will take place. If your competition is stripping out conditions of employment and salary from an employee, you are going to have to match it to stay competitive. That is the very real concern about this legislation. There is example after example after example in the document I distributed today.
I am calling on all members of this House to support this motion. Let us have a bipartisan motion that goes to the federal parliament saying that we as the Northern Territory think that we have the absolute democratic right to put a minimum standard in place that all employers should meet to pay for long service leave for Territory workers. This right has existed in the Northern Territory since 1965. That was before a number of members of this parliament were born.
I know it is going to be difficult for the Leader of the Opposition to support this motion. It is going to be difficult because it will be ...
Dr Burns: She stood up for David Hicks. That was courageous.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, that is right. It will be difficult for her to stand up to John Howard and say: ‘I want you to amend this legislation to protect Territorians’ rights to long service leave’. She stood up to Howard on David Hicks, who is not even a Territorian, and good on her for doing so, but David Hicks, to my knowledge, has never been to the Northern Territory. We are talking about 100 000 Territory workers who, potentially, are going to lose their right to long service leave. I know it is going to be difficult. I know that she was pulled apart by Dave Tollner and Nigel Scullion for going public on Hicks.
Dr Burns: And Murphy.
Mr HENDERSON: And Murphy. I also have it on very reliable advice that the Prime Minister stood up in the party room in Canberra and tore strips of her. He said: ‘In an election year, we do not break ranks; we stick together’. That was directly from the Prime Minister. We know that happened in the federal party room.
This is about the CLP, which used to stand up for the interests of Territorians. When Paul Everingham, the founding father, introduced this legislation in June 1981, he stated very clearly that this should be a minimum for all Territorians.
This is about the opposition today, standing up for the Territory. I will be the first to go out and do a media conference with the Leader of the Opposition and congratulate her for standing up for the Territorians in a bipartisan manner. I hope that occurs. This is too important for our young people in the Northern Territory who maybe have eight years’ worth of service and are planning for their 13 weeks leave. The employer comes in, potentially as they can do now, and says: ‘Here is your new agreement. Sign this. No long service leave’. That is what can happen, and you lose eight years of that entitlement. That is what this is about.
Madam Speaker, I urge all members of this House to support this motion today and stand up for the Northern Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, the Territory opposition does not support this motion. You have used this as merely a vehicle to promote and engender fear. That is the reason this motion will not be supported. I find it offensive that the use of this parliament to promote issues that are very prone to the exacerbation of fear would be used, particularly in the lead-up to a federal election. You are using this as an opportunity to advance the best interests of Mr Rudd and the political agenda of your federal masters ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: This is largely a matter for honourable members to consider as an issue governed by ideology. As the honourable member was heard without provocation from the opposition, I hope the same courtesy is afforded by those who sit opposite to allow this matter to be discussed in a sensible way, rather than using the knee-jerk reaction which is fed political opportunism to advance an issue because there is change; the capacity to use it to promote fear, uncertainty and to advance a political end. Those are the sorts of issues from which we need to take the emotion aside and think about this issue in a more sober manner.
If we reflect on another significant agenda of change that was presented to the Australian community, which was the introduction of the GST, members opposite were in opposition at that time, and they were vehemently opposed to the Coalition’s decision to bring about significant economic reform. It was opposed because it was the political opponent who was promoting such a position. Now, those who opposed and railed against such reforms are the beneficiaries of them. That issue was used in this Chamber to promote and engender fear. It is already on the record that there was great use of that issue to advance a political end.
With any kind of cultural change, there is a tendency for human beings to stay where they are; better the devil that you know than the one you do not. Therefore, members opposite, it is quite understandable that you would use this issue to stimulate fear and uncertainty. Undoubtedly, there will be examples that could be trotted out by the minister to advance the argument.
The argument, however, has largely focused on the issue of long service leave provisions. I will focus on that, unlike the minister, who spent much of his time wandering widely to demonstrate that this is an opportunity to advance a political argument for political ends and to promote uncertainty.
The minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. He is incorrect. Long service leave entitlements under state or territory legislation are not excluded by the Workplace Relations Act. They are not. However, it is possible for employers and employees to agree on alternative arrangements through a workplace agreement.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr MILLS: It is possible to agree on an alternative arrangement.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: If you have no confidence in the capacity of two to agree then …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, honourable members!
Mr MILLS: … there is nothing new, and this was possible prior to WorkChoices. In fact, this has been possible for 10 years. An AWA can only override statutory long service leave entitlements if the AWA terms are directly inconsistent with that entitlement. Silence is not enough to override the entitlement. AWAs provide employees and employers with flexibility to negotiate terms and conditions that are most suitable for their circumstances.
Members opposite who run the fear argument are also lauding the employment figures in the Northern Territory that have moved in a very favourable direction in the same period of time that we have had this workplace relations change. There has been a cultural change to reflect the changing workplace and the change of our society. It is allowing the opportunity for choice and for cooperation in the workplace. They are principles in which I believe. I do not believe in class warfare. I do not believe that those who have the capacity to employ would shaft their workers. If they do, there is the capacity to deal with the small number that would. That concerns me deeply. They are issues dear to me, and they can be dealt with.
Mr Stirling: They have taken those rights away!
Mr MILLS: As though that never occurred before! If those opportunities have been provided by employers before, has it occurred before? Of course, it has. You will always have that. Where you have greater flexibility, you have the opportunity for greater cooperation. As the minister rightly said, employers of the Northern Territory understand the need to look after their workers, and have moved, as they have with the Chamber of Commerce, to look at ways to make sure that they can value their workers. It makes good sense. That flexibility, however, is there; the parties may enter into a negotiation of mutual benefit.
Parties can agree to trade off long service leave in return for other entitlements; for example, higher pay or lower hours. AWAs are useful to attract and retain quality staff in a competitive labour market. Most importantly of all is the fact that the government, through being a consortium partner at the waterfront, has agreed to use AWAs. The minister, the aspiring Chief Minister, is part of a Labor government that has supported the use of AWAs in its business operations. The minister is a hypocrite, in fact, as are all those opposite …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is not that I personally take great offence at name calling. I am 6’5” and can take it, but I do believe being called a hypocrite is unparliamentary. I am prepared to take it, but I do not think it is parliamentary.
Madam SPEAKER: I ask you withdraw, member for Blain.
Mr MILLS: Well, you can exchange it for your own synonym for ‘hypocrite’.
Mr Henderson: Just withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, are you withdrawing?
Mr MILLS: I withdraw the word ‘hypocrite’. The thrust of the point is understood, though. I will continue.
When you thought there could not be any more, there is even more duplicity of position by the Leader of Government Business himself, as the Minister for Public Employment presiding over this NT Labor government making use of the provisions within the WorkChoices package in its treatment of the nurses through the balloting process.
The Leader of Government Business wants to come in here and present himself as a shining light of all things union, and to advance the cause of Kevin Rudd. The fact is that it is a bit closer to Jekyll and Hyde; a public face talking about opposing AWAs to the true believers and how bad they are and how fearful the prospects of this kind of change are in the face of improved employment figures in the Northern Territory and the like; and the private face of making use of them for business arrangements that suit the interests of government. They are two contrasting positions. Consistency fed by some integrity in this argument would reinforce the minister’s position. Sadly, it has not been the case.
I am happy to engage in a debate on the merits and the value of that kind of debate in good faith. However, when a debate is delivered by someone who says he opposes something, points his fingers at his opponents, calls them names and urges them to do the right thing with mock earnestness - which is something we have come to expect, sadly, from the Leader of Government Business - and, at the same time makes use of what has been in place for 10 years, and the new WorkChoices provisions through negotiating with the NT Public Service, then there can be no respect for either the argument or the way in which it was delivered.
Minister, you have spent a good deal of time dwelling on something that can generate a good amount of fear, and that is a concern shared by any concerned person; the fear that someone could be taken advantage. However, there are measures to assist in those few cases, and I would appreciate the opportunity to have a further assessment of the claims that you have made so that they can be properly weighed, considered and responded to. If the genuine concern is about the one who has been disadvantaged in the workplace, as reported by the minister - a decision that has been, as the minister would call it, unjust - it may well be the case. However, it is worth having a closer look at these cases because we have seen the case of the Labor movement using these cases, with an extraordinary amount of money, to promote them right around the nation to advance the cause, and to be found to be, in fact, actors ...
Ms Carney: Organising rallies.
Mr MILLS: Yes, yes, quite unsuccessful rallies. In fact, there was this great sense that there was going to be an overwhelming groundswell of support for the proposition that there was some terrible thing occurring in Australian society. There are, of course, still some true believers. There are some in here. I deliberately used the words ‘true believers’. I know there are some who dearly hold this view and sincerely believe that we are in that period just after the Industrial Revolution where you had robber barons and a class system using up those who had no power or education. There are some who hold that view quite sincerely, and play an active role in this broad discussion of these sorts of matters.
There are others who are not really true believers. They are true believers in the opportunity to use these sorts of matters to advance political ends, and to seize on an opportunity like this because it is going to bring about change. No one likes change, so you can use the psychological levers, bring out cases, hold them up, and everyone gets the sense that every child is going to be ripped off by every employer. That is a very dangerous and serious matter. We need to instil the confidence in our young people that it is not going to happen and, if it does, you are going to receive the appropriate response from any civilised person who wants to see a young person nurtured and developed.
The proposition, which is rooted in fear, is that that is going to happen; everyone is going to be ripped off. Some poor kid – ‘Watch out, watch out because something terrible is going to happen to you when you go to the workplace. They are going to shaft you. They are going to rip you off’. Well, that is not necessarily the case in the majority of cases. Any sensible employer, as we have sensible and good people here, wants to invest in our young people.
This argument the minister has run as a motion is about long service leave. I have already covered that. We need to wander further from the point, as the minister often does when advising and giving us counsel as to how we should respond to these matters in a more appropriate way in such a condescending way with mock sincerity. We are dealing with what really is the heart of this. Once again, we talk about the concerns that may be raised in the workplace of those who are vulnerable.
There is a role for unions in this process. Members on this side of the House believe in the exercise of choice. That is something central to this; the central notion of an individual’s capacity to choose one path over another. That notion needs to be strengthened. The running of arguments that promote fear only diminish the essential ingredient of a human being to choose. Of course, our focus will be on the vulnerable to ensure that the moment of choice is one that they can legitimately make. They will make a choice, move on and go from strength to strength. If there is a problem, there is the capacity to deal with that.
I believe in cooperation. Members on this side believe, based on that central notion of choice, there is the capacity for people to cooperate in the best interests and in mutual benefit because, if you choose to provide flexible opportunities for those who are going to enter into a contract with you, it is in the interests of both parties. People who employ young people want, more than anything, to create better flexibility.
I will speak of some people I know in Palmerston who have such a high turnover of kids who give it a shot and leave. The employer is having difficulty retaining quality staff and now has the opportunity to create agreements and contracts with those young people that strengthen their loyalty and cooperation with that which is essential to any enterprise: the labour, the worker, the skilled labour.
There is a role for unions in this process so that, if a person feels unsure about their negotiating, they can choose a representative, which includes a union rep or a lawyer or whoever they choose. They are not in there alone. I am sure those of you with concerns would assist in that process. Another thing that is apparent in this picture being painted is that great pressure will be brought to bear by overbearing employers to force employees to sign these documents under threat of their jobs, which was the central thrust of the minister’s argument. It is worth discussing this approach. Any contract that is signed by a person who is under duress or the subject of undue influence or unconscionable behaviour is in breach of both the common law and, in many cases, statute law. The remedy for such a breach of contract is damages, and there is provision for punitive and exemplary damages.
What the union movement and this government are suggesting at this point is that employers will en masse conduct their business on the wrong side of the law. Allegations have been thick, but evidence has been thin on the ground. I have already referred to those points that have been raised by the minister, and I will take a personal interest in those examples. I would like to get the other side of the story to ensure that we have an accurate representation of this matter.
The unemployment rate in this jurisdiction is 2%. Talk to any employer and they will tell you that they are having trouble finding good staff. Those who are struggling, such as Bechtel, are poaching staff with the lure of higher wages to get them to come over. Workers are in a very strong employment position. They know their labour and skill is an essential and valuable resource in this economy, and it is. They are cashing in big time. Those with a desire and the skills to work are in the bargaining seat. This government has resisted AWAs from the outset, but they have benefited from them enormously.
Why should employees not have a flexibility of choice? Why should a student who is working in a semester break on a mining site not be able to negotiate a better hourly rate instead of long service leave? Why should a mum who wants to work part-time to help pay the mortgage not get more flexible hours, leave arrangements and higher hourly rates in exchange for not having long service leave? Why should she not have this flexibility? Why should someone who is retired not have the option to put more money into their superannuation instead of some other entitlements? Flexibility is what the modern workforce is demanding. There will not always be boom times. We need to develop and strengthen the capacity to respond to times of change. Change is difficult, and it is not assisted by the raising of select cases to create the impression that this applies right across the board. Did the cases to which the minister referred occur before? Of course. There have always been the unscrupulous. We are talking in the broader context of building greater capacity and flexibility, engendering greater cooperation within the workplace between the employer and the employee so that we can capitalise on the strength of a growing and changing national economy.
I believe in the central notion of choice. That notion, fed by a sound education system, a good family and those who can enter the workplace with a sense of trust, can only be strengthened and our society would be strengthened as a result of reinforcing these underlying concepts and principles. If, however, that trust is damaged by cases such as those referred to by the minister, which do warrant further investigation, there is the capacity to deal with that, and it should be dealt with most severely. There is the capacity to deal with that. For the sake of our young and the vulnerable, of course those provisions must be there and they must be acted upon. They should not be used as cases to gird up an ideological argument. If there was a genuine concern, and there is a genuine opportunity to bring about greater flexibility and enhance the strengths of an individual to enter into a contract for mutual benefit, we should encourage that.
Madam Speaker, we cannot support this motion because of the basis on which it is established, and that is the use of a vehicle within this parliamentary Chamber to advance an agenda which is related directly to the forthcoming federal election. As a result, you will not have the support of the opposition for this motion.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, you have to reflect on what a difference 26 years has made to the Country Liberal Party. As the member for Wanguri held up here - and I refer to it again – Tuesday, 9 June 1981, in the name of Mr Everingham, Chief Minister - CLP, I believe - the bills were Annual Leave Bill, Long Service Leave Bill, Public Holidays Bill. Without reading all of the detail of those bills, and the passage of those bills, I bet London, to a brick, that those bills passed with the support of the members opposite of the Labor Party. What do we get today, with the Prime Minister of Australia wanting to rip up and take away these rights that Everingham was enshrining in Territory’s statute and legislation 26 years ago, and we are trying to defend the rights of Territorians? The once great, mighty CLP that introduced this legislation is now content to see it torn up and thrown aside. That is the difference 26 years and a couple of elections have made to this once great party, the CLP. It is now a rotting carcass and an embarrassment to the Territory, and the day that the Liberal Party takes it over must get ever closer.
What do we have now? We have the rights of Territorians ripped up and torn asunder, in relation to the waste dump. We have the rights of Territorians being sold out by the CLP here on WorkChoices. We have to look at the member for Solomon and his role in both of these issues. We have to look at the Northern Territory’s CLP Senator, Nigel Scullion, and his role in both of these issues. We have to look at the four members opposite because what we see now is Howard’s voice in the Northern Territory. Howard’s voice in the Northern Territory is being expressed through the member for Solomon, the CLP Senator for the Northern Territory and the four members opposite, whose role it is to defend and further the interests of Territorians and represent the interest of Territorians in Canberra. What a role reversal we are seeing from the days of February 1981 when they were led by one Paul Everingham who was never shy about taking it up to Canberra if he thought the federal government was trespassing on the rights of Territorians.
We need to be very clear on this issue: there is no economic reason whatsoever for the introduction of these iniquitous industrial relations laws. Each of us have the seen the Australian economy grow and prosper over our own lifetimes, and the generations before that, with a system of industrial relations that had equality, equity, fairness, and a balance of rights and power at the core of that system. We can go all the way back to 1901 and the passage of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. It was an act and a process of industrial relations that has served this country and Australians very well.
WorkChoices laws have been introduced and designed as an ideological onslaught by a conservative Prime Minister who has made it his life mission. It is his great zeal, his great desire. His one reason for hanging around in politics as long as he has was to finally get enough grunt on his side and the power of the Senate to savage the fundamental rights of working Australians and the unions.
John Howard grew up in a service station. His father owned a service station. It was a bit more prosperous than the one my father owned and ran, I think. However, in a time of fear of the unions during the 1940s and 1950s, the great communist scare, I imagine that the conversations in the Howard household were not much different from the conversations that went on in my household; a fear and a misunderstanding of unions for the struggling small business, as my father operated. I was not party to a lot of those conversations because my father passed away when I was just 12 years old. However, I imagine my family background, growing up in a service station, was not all that different from John Howard’s and, yet, he somehow has this passion, this hatred of unions, this hatred of working Australians, and has carried it, and will carry it to his grave. He is hell-bent on doing whatever he can to wreck, savage and erode the rights of ordinary working Australians.
What that background did to me - and, sure, it was a conservative family background I grew up in – was probably gave me a bit of a edge about big business and how it treated small business in the petroleum retail industry. I always had that bit of a fear and loathing about big business, but I got over it. I got over it, and I learned that in a country like Australia you have to have big business and they do a good job. I got to understand the workings of big business, and my fear and loathing and hatred of big business I had in those early days of my youth have gone; they have moderated with time. We have not seen that moderation with this Prime Minister in his fear and loathing of unions. To this day, he has made it his sole mission in political life to do what damage he can. Tragically, he is supported in these plans by the leadership, the membership of the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory, including their federal members.
It is all about removing conditions; let us make no mistake. These conditions have been hard fought for over generations and are hard-won conditions to improve the lives of working Australians. It is all about changing the balance of power so that one of the players at the card table of industrial relations holds all of the power - unlike the enterprise bargaining agreement system where there is an equal power play between the parties. This is a shift of power, and a system that deliberately shifts the balance of power from the employee across to the employer’s side of the table. It is about reducing the wages and entitlements of Australian workers.
We used to look, in years past, at the United States and bemoan the fact that so many of them were in unions, and the workers’ conditions. In fact, in the hospitality industry they lived on tips. If you did not get the tips while you were working in the restaurant or the hotel or whatever you were working in, you did not survive because your working wage did not get you there. I suppose we always looked askance at America and their pathetic system of industrial relations; the weakness of their union system that they were not able to stand up and defend the rights of workers. Well, today, we are moving to a situation where American workers will be better off than Australians.
We have already seen unscrupulous examples by employers. They are using the laws to remove the rights of employees: shift loading penalty rates and, of course, this example of long service leave. Someone asked: ‘Where are these examples?’ Here they are; I had a quick read. It was dropped on my desk this morning. I had a quick read of it and they are all there. They are all two-thirds of the way through. For the member for Braitling, if she wants to get informed on the action of some employers, there is a great range of examples in there of what has occurred, not just to young employees but a range.
Some of these companies - I am aware of one - call their staff ‘team leaders’ and they make them sign an AWA for a small wage increase. What do they get in return? Total removal of holidays and penalty rates so that the effect, in the end, is that the worker has fewer rights than a subcontractor. If we think that in a time of full employment, with just 2% unemployment in the Northern Territory, in an economy as strong as this, that these rorts are occurring now, let us wait until things slow down a little into the future and there is no labour shortage any more. Workers and unions then will not be able to resist the attacks on their conditions when employers have the liberty of simply signing another person up on the dotted line. Any of us who have lived through a slow time or recession know that life can be tense, indeed, if you are in the firing line. With these laws in place, of course, no one will have that protection.
What the minister has unearthed today is a further attack by stealth on the rights of Territorians in this question of long service leave now being so easily dispensed with. Of course, we have now seen that they are totally supported by the CLP. Are they supported by their federal colleagues, the member for Solomon and the CLP Senator for the Northern Territory? Absolutely, you can bet they are. We will not want to rely on those two to defend the rights of Territorians, because we have seen them disappoint all Territorians in the past.
You have to ask yourself to imagine a scenario in the Northern Territory with the Country Liberal Party and the current Leader of the Opposition as the Chief Minister. Every public servant would be signing on day one an Australian Workplace Agreement. ‘Sign on the dotted line now or go and apply for another job because you can forget about enterprise bargaining, you can forget about your union, you can forget about collective agreements; they are a thing of the past. Here is your AWA. It tells you all of your rights and everything you need to know’.
The CLP is keen on playing games around the process of enterprise bargaining agreements, particularly the member for Greatorex. He goes to great trouble, picking up misleading information in pamphlets, distributing them widely throughout his electorate, paying others to do it, urging teachers and nurses to go on strike and take industrial action, go for higher wages, but they know that the day they were elected to government they will be dispensing the whole process of enterprise bargaining agreements, the whole process of collective bargaining, and getting all of the public servants to sign on to AWAs as, indeed, every would-be conservative state and territory opposition in this country would do. It is a bit rich, indeed, for the member for Greatorex and the CLP to play up to nurses and teachers as they did before, to pretend that they are supporting workers throughout the process of the EBA, knowing within their back pocket is the sample AWA that they would drop on their desk the day they were elected. The day they were elected they would introduce AWAs right across the public sector. I will not use the word that the member for Blain used but, my goodness, it is a very appropriate term, indeed, to use in relation to the member for Greatorex and his deceitful game playing around EBAs and the policy position of the CLP.
Every public servant would have their rights eroded away and no Territory worker would have any support or protection from the federal regime. The Workplace Advocate would be the first casualty, I think - empty office, same rank, same salary, long service leave - gone. They would begin to hack in to the very heart of our lifestyle. Of course, that is a lifestyle that we treasure and, if there are some elements of it being a bit laid back, well, that is the Territory lifestyle. That is what all of us who live here have come to know and love over our time here in the Territory. This, of course, has the support of the Country Liberal Party.
We believe an important outcome of a strong economy must be that more people can enjoy the benefits of that strong economy. It is not created for a privileged few at the top. You have a strong economy to support and strengthen the lifestyle of all in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, I support this motion today because members on this side of the House do believe in a balance of rights and responsibilities. We do believe in the traditional right of workers to collectively bargain through the enterprise bargaining agreement process. Most of all, we, to a one, believe in that great Australian ethos and tradition; that is, a fair go for all. That is why we oppose WorkChoices. That is why we support this motion. We believe WorkChoices is not about a fair go for all and, in that sense, it is inherently un-Australian.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, you will have noticed that I listened quietly to the contribution of the somewhat hysterical Leader of Government Business and the member for Nhulunbuy. I hope public servants are listening to this because I am about to give them the facts.
Before I do that, however, I was genuinely amused by yet another mistake by the Leader of Government Business. In his contribution, he was not speaking always from notes so he wanders off and he needs to be very careful about this because he does get himself into trouble. I did rather enjoy his expression ‘Westminster law’. I thought: ‘I have not heard Westminster law before’. I have heard of Westminster lawyers; they specialise in family law in Melbourne. I have heard of the University of Westminster Law School. That is in England, obviously enough. There is the Westminster Law Library in the United States, but I am not sure about this ‘Westminster law’.
Of course, it comes as no surprise that the member for Wanguri, the Leader of Government Business, would get it wrong because, after all, he was the one who famously said on 1 December 2005 in this place, when describing the separation of powers: it was between the parliament – tick - the police – big cross - and the judiciary – tick. One wonders why it is that the Leader of Government …
Mr Henderson: What has this got to do with motion? Get on to long service leave.
Ms CARNEY: Oh, it is relevant all right, sport. One wonders why it is that the Leader of Government Business in any way positions himself as being qualified in any sense to talk about the effects of federal legislation on Territorians. How can people take this man seriously when he does not understand simple concepts? Some people would say he is misleading. I do not believe I am allowed to say that these days in the parliament, but this is a man who would, without hesitation, twist the truth and give people only selective bits of it - and they are the small bits - and then go off on some long excursion and, of course, he gets himself into trouble.
The Leader of Government Business does not have any credibility on this or, indeed, any other issues. His colleagues, of course, will be talking about that over the course of the next six to eight months – they might have to toss a coin eventually - as they decide whether it is the member for Fannie Bay or the member for Wanguri in terms of leadership.
In any event, to all those listening - and we know that members of government do not like to listen - I am exercising my right to put the counter argument; the correct argument. Unlike the twist and spin and dishonesty of the contents outlined by members opposite, I will put the facts.
The Labor Party is incorrect when they say that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. Wrong! Long service leave entitlements under state or Territory legislation are not excluded by the Workplace Relations Act. However, it is possible for employees and employers to agree on alternative arrangements through a workplace agreement. That is nothing new, and was possible prior to WorkChoices. An AWA …
Mr Henderson: To exclude long service leave.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I did listen to the member in silence. I ask him, although he is generally discourteous, to afford me the same level of courtesy.
An AWA can only override statutory long service leave entitlements if the AWA terms are directly inconsistent with that entitlement - and silence is not enough to override that entitlement. AWAs provide employees and employers with flexibility to negotiate terms and conditions that are most suitable for their circumstances. As members should know, parties can agree to trade off long service leave in return for other entitlements, such as higher pay or lower hours. AWAs are useful to attract and retain quality staff in a competitive labour market.
The member for Nhulunbuy, the Deputy Chief Minister, expressed what amounted to a severe degree of overacting - it is Oscars time; maybe he is inspired by that, I do not know. However, in his awful overacting, he said that he used to hate big business, but now he does not. Well, you would not know it, Madam Speaker, based on the rhetoric we have heard from members opposite this morning. In this parliament, over the last couple of days, and since Labor came to office, we have heard declarations of the undying love the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party has for big business. Certainly, some relationships are healthy, and that is a good thing. Yet, members opposite come in here and slag off and slag off and slag off at business - big or small. They look at places where people have been disadvantaged. It has been happening for years; it is not the case that, all of a sudden, some businesses give people a hard time. There have been cases of businesses giving employees a hard time. Similarly, there are employees who give business a hard time. It has always been so. There is always conflict, or there have always been examples of conflicts in the workplace all around the world. What this government is doing is re-pitching it and representing that it has only just happened as a result of this Commonwealth legislation. People just will not buy that sort of nonsense.
When the Leader of Government Business started his tirade, he said this is a serious motion. I tell you what this is: this is scaremongering; this is dishonest; this is a stunt …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition, I believe, is transgressing into actually making offensive remarks regarding legal advice that has been made by the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory. The legal advice is unequivocal in regard to WorkChoices overriding the Long Service Leave Act. If the Leader of the Opposition is saying it is dishonest, then she should withdraw that, because she is challenging the legal advice that we have received from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory, and is complicity saying that he has provided dishonest advice to me, as minister, and to this parliament.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek advice from the Clerk.
Ms CARNEY: May I speak to the point of order, Madam Speaker? I remind you and, indeed, the member opposite, of the motion before this Chamber. It is the motion that we are debating, divided into four parts. I refer you respectfully to that motion in support of my opposition to this silly point of order, Madam Speaker, and ask that you rule accordingly.
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 62 does not refer to the Solicitor-General. Standing Order 62 does not actually refer to people other than members. However, it would be helpful if you tempered your language in relation to the Solicitor-General.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I have not referred to the Solicitor-General, I am referring …
Mr Henderson: You said that we were being dishonest.
Ms CARNEY: Be quiet! Be quiet! I am referring to …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, it is the role of the Speaker to call order, not your role. I would appreciate that you did not interject in that manner. I have received advice and I have given you advice in relation to that; in that I ask if you could temper your language if, in fact, you are referring to the Solicitor-General.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for saying: ‘… if, in fact, I was referring to the Solicitor-General’ because, I was not. I was referring to the very motion that we are arguing; the very motion brought by the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party which, like me, also makes no reference to advice from the Solicitor-General - a very long bow, indeed, and yet another distraction. This motion is a dishonest motion. Read it!
Mr VATSKALIS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This motion originates because we have received advice from the Solicitor-General - honest advice. By calling this motion dishonest, she refers to the Solicitor-General’s advice as dishonest. The Leader of the Opposition should know better. Since she is very well aware of the Westminster system, she should know very well she cannot call advice from the Solicitor-General dishonest.
Ms CARNEY: Speaking to the point of order, if I may, Madam Speaker? Members would well understand that this motion - because they wrote it - is a politically driven motion. I make no comment in relation to the legal advice. Indeed, in my contribution I had no intention of so doing. I do not know why you are introducing the legal advice. We understand the legal advice. I forgot to thank you for the additional legal advice you provided to me yesterday.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, we are talking about a point of order. Please resume your seat. Mr Clerk, would you please confer?
There is no point of order. It would be a point of order if you were reflecting on members. However, once again, I caution you that if you do make comments about the Solicitor-General that you do so in a manner which is appropriate for the House.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr HENDERSON: Another point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer to Standing Order 62, Offensive or Unbecoming Words. The Leader of the Opposition has called this motion that I have presented to the parliament ‘dishonest’. Under Standing Order 62, my point of order is that I have found being called ‘dishonest’ by the Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: I have not even called you ‘dishonest’.
Mr HENDERSON: … offensive and unbecoming. Standing Order 62 states very clearly that this is highly disorderly. I have not introduced a ‘dishonest’ motion into this House. The motion states very specifically: ‘Note with concern that the Commonwealth’s WorkChoices legislation has taken away from Territorians a statutory right to long service leave.’
The Leader of the Opposition is saying that that is dishonest. This motion is based on advice from the Solicitor-General that states there is no doubt - definitive advice, there is no doubt- that the Commonwealth intended that where long service leave was the subject of an AWA, for example, having traded it off for a standard hourly rate, then the statutory rights provided in the state or territory legislation would be overwritten. Therefore, for the Leader of Opposition to call me dishonest, I call Standing Order 62. I find that offensive and I ask the member to withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, may I please be allowed to speak in relation to what is now a separate point of order? I did not call either the Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory …
Mr Henderson: No, you called me dishonest.
Mr Mills: Oh, come on!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms CARNEY: … nor would I, dishonest. I did not call the member for Wanguri dishonest. I said the motion was dishonest. I refer you, Madam Speaker, to Part 4 thereof - and there are other parts - which is expressing concern. I will argue that there is no concern given the benefits that the Northern Territory government has already availed themselves of. Secondly, the reference to the new laws being unfair and detrimental for Territory working families and young workers is a dishonest assertion. We are talking politics, Madam Speaker, not the law. To suggest that I would be disrespectful in any way to the Solicitor-General is, in and of itself, quite offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Are there any other comments on this?
Dr LIM: Madam Speaker, I would also like to make a couple of comments on this. I hope that the clock stops so that the member for Araluen’s time is not taken up with all these pointless points of order.
The Leader of the Opposition used ‘hypocritical’ or ‘dishonest’ as a descriptor. You can talk about anything using adjectives. Our standing orders refer to members calling each other by intemperate terms, casting aspersions, or using detrimental terms against another member. Using descriptors about actions or policies - the government does it all the time. It infers the CLP was racist all the time, but that gets allowed in this House.
However, when it comes to the Leader of the Opposition saying this policy is dishonest, or this motion is dishonest, it does not reflect on a particular member.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We are not in a court of law; we are in the Legislative Assembly. If the Leader of the Opposition declares the motion to be dishonest, she is declaring the mover of that motion to be dishonest. That is as simple as that. She should withdraw, or mount a substantive motion to prosecute her claim.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I ask you if, in your comments, you were making a reflection on the Minister for Employment, Education and Training in relation to his honesty or otherwise?
Ms CARNEY: No, Madam Speaker. My point was the motion and the politics behind it is dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Therefore, I rule that there is no point of order.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Getting back to the issue at hand. I see the member for Nhulunbuy making a very funny gesture. Madam Speaker, forgive me. Not a rude one, just a funny one.
This is mischievous motion. It really is ‘follow the bouncing ball’ - the ball being kicked from Canberra and the Australian Labor Party’s head office which, I assume, is in Canberra. I make this point: it is very interesting – and I know the Leader of Government Business is not a lawyer, and I do not suggest for a moment that he has to be - but it seems the greatest revelation today is that he has just discovered that Territory laws can be overridden by the Commonwealth. It has always been the case. Maybe he could get some advice from somewhere.
In any event, I make this second point: just because the Leader of Government Business and the Labor Party in the Northern Territory say something, it does not make it true. They say a lot; they say all sorts of things. It does not mean it is true. I hope that the public servants who are listening think about that. They are smart, hard-working public servants as, indeed, are our workers in the Territory. I know that this campaign has been driven from Canberra. Blind Freddy knows that. Every Australian knows that. I know that you have to pull your weight, as it were, and go into bat for Kevin. However, this is scaremongering.
Therefore, it is actually quite irresponsible. Politics is politics, but this is pushing the envelope to a very dangerous point because you are making people believe that they no longer have long service leave entitlements. It will be very interesting to read the Parliamentary Record because the Leader of Government Business, if he had a script, clearly digressed from it. Given that he gets himself into trouble with his separation of powers comment and the ‘Westminster laws’ comment, he is at great risk of getting himself into trouble.
He should appreciate, as a minister of the Crown, how utterly irresponsible it is to be part of a scaremongering campaign. One wonders whether workers will go home as a result of all of the media releases issued by his office and wonder seriously about their long service leave entitlements. That is very dangerous and is very disrespectful.
Let us look at some of the protections for the workers that the Australian Labor Party says they try to look after. Let us look at some of the protections contained in the WorkChoices system. Here are the facts: workers are free to belong to a union – fact. A worker is entitled to have a representative negotiate an AWA – fact. Collective agreements can be negotiated by a union group or group of workers – fact. Young people: a person under 18 cannot enter into an individual AWA without parental or guardian consent – fact. Unions retain a right of entry under the legislation – fact. Workers can take lawful industrial action during a bargaining period when negotiating an agreement – fact. Minimum wages for all of the various award classifications are preserved by WorkChoices - fact.
The minister should be aware of a media release issued by the Chamber of Commerce in March 2006. I will read extracts of it, referring to WorkChoices:
- The legislation will be especially helpful to small and micro-sized businesses. This is good for the NT since the majority of businesses in the Territory fall into this category. It will also encourage employment in this sector since very small employers will see less risk in taking on extra staff members. This will be very helpful to those in less advantaged sectors, such as disabled workers and mature aged workers, etcetera.
It goes on to say that:
- The Chamber’s Workplace Relations division has devoted considerable man hours over the past months to working through and understanding the changes in order to be well positioned to advise and provide guidance to their members.
The final paragraph of that media release says:
- The much anticipated changes are now law and, whilst we recognise there will be some teething problems, we believe that the introduction of WorkChoices will see a simplification of agreement making. It will become quicker and cheaper to implement with benefits for employers and employees.
This is from the Chamber of Commerce. It has words like ‘employment’ in it. Ministers on the other side quote the Chamber of Commerce whenever it suits them. The ministers talk about how impressed they are with low unemployment levels. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, the Chief Minister was talking about that yesterday. The Chamber of Commerce has made a thoughtful analysis of the legislation, and they think it is a good outcome.
Given the protections that exist for some workers, it is not as members opposite would have Territorians believe in relation to the doom and gloom. Given all of the rhetoric and the irresponsible nature with which the rhetoric is being perpetuated, it is a real pity that the minister lacked any form or any substance. It is a political distraction and, of course, he is very good at that.
The minister knows full well that long service leave provisions remain part of an agreement unless specifically referred to. Let me say that again: the minister knows full well that long service leave provisions remain part of an agreement unless specifically referred to.
The government, as the largest employer in the Northern Territory, has a choice as to whether long service leave remains part of public servants’ employment. It is the government and the minister that has condoned and agreed to the use of the provisions of WorkChoices through its own negotiations with nurses. This government has used the provisions of the WorkChoices legislation by consenting, as a consortium partner at the waterfront, for workers to use AWAs - and aren’t you leaking all over the place on that one? We know how unhappy you and your supporters are on that. That slipped through. You have not long been in government, so I can understand it, but you have to stand by that. Of the project that you consider yours, you are certainly a consortium partner. The whole project is, in fact, one that belongs to everyone in the Northern Territory. The people there are on AWAs - dreadful things, are they not, minister? How can you - we cannot say the ‘h’ word because that has been ruled out of bounds, and I accept that Madam Speaker. However, if ever there was a level of ‘h’, it was in respect of the government’s position with the WorkChoices legislation. The depth of insincerity of the minister is staggering. The levels that he will go to, to advance a political agenda and a political message, know no bounds.
I was surprised that the minister is not as well informed on this legislation as he should be, but I understand the politics of it and I am sure it will not be the last motion we will see before - what, August, September, October, November. It will come up again. We will see all sorts of issues that are debated in the federal parliament make their way all the way up to the Northern Territory. We will see the stunts, the grandstanding and the scaremongering that members opposite thoroughly enjoy perpetrating.
It is an attempt to divert attention from a number of other issues that, very clearly, the government does not want to deal with. When one considers what, in fact, the level of insincerity is, it is insincere, overacted, disingenuous, and just a political stunt. Protections are provided and the minister did not refer to that. The minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the right of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. Let me say that again: the minister is incorrect when he suggests that WorkChoices removes the rights of Northern Territory workers to long service leave entitlements.
Madam Speaker, we do not support the motion, for obvious reasons but, no doubt, the government will continue to debate it.
Debate suspended.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Member for Greatorex
Member for Greatorex
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I call on the member for Greatorex whom I have given leave to make a personal explanation.
Dr LIM (Greatorex)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I sought to make a personal explanation because of an article that was published in the Northern Territory News today which quoted that I said that the government had spent an additional $200m on Health department staff wages over the past six years.
What I did was actually on the run. I mentally calculated 200 extra bureaucrats recruited into the Health department since government took office in 2001, and estimated that the average wages would be in the order of $100 000 per person when oncosts are added. The result should have been $20m and not $200m.
MOTION
Commonwealth WorkChoices Legislation
Commonwealth WorkChoices Legislation
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I was not originally going to speak on this issue, but I have had a long think about it. I am not going to vote on it because, to some extent, what should be a reasonable debate about AWAs has been turned into the first cab off the rank in this year’s election campaign. The issue has been hijacked. We could be discussing something important without the extras that have been added to it.
Yesterday, when the minister read the advice from the Solicitor-General that the Commonwealth was overriding the Long Service Leave Act and, therefore, workers would lose their long service leave entitlements, I thought that is what the debate would be about. However, when the motion was put, there were four parts to it. The first leg deals with long service leave; the second calls for reinstatement of those entitlements; the third says we have ongoing concern about the Howard government’s legislation; and the last one says we should tell the President of the Senate and other people in the federal parliament about the motion.
Regardless of what side of politics you are on, you should always address the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister, not as ‘the Howard government’s WorkChoices legislation’. That sounds a bit cheap. You are basically asking …
Mr Henderson: Well, seek to amend it.
Mr WOOD: Yes, but you are basically telling the government that their legislation is unfair. I do not have an argument with whether you want to debate the WorkChoices legislation; I have some issues about it, and one of those has always being the unfair dismissal section of it. I have also been concerned about the protection of young people when they are employed. I do not mind debating those sorts of things, but I have problems with the process before us.
The letter that you gave us yesterday, minister, relates to advice given by Mr Nicholson on 21 November. I am not sure what date Mr Pauling sent this. It is 1 February, I presume, and the minister received it on 2 February, so the advice has been around for a while. I am not sure what the urgency of this motion is. Considering it is a legal document that requires a fair bit of thought and, in my case, I had to try to find advice on what this all means. I would have thought that notice could have been given yesterday and, maybe, we debate it next week to give us adequate time to deal with what is, when you start dragging in AWAs, pretty complex legislation. I gather the book on the legislation is about this thick. The process was a bit quick for adequate debate.
The minister said he had written to minister Joe Hockey asking for a reply. I would have thought the decent thing, then, would have been to wait for the minister’s reply. If the government did not accept the minister’s reply, let us have a debate. Then you could have said: ‘This is the federal government’s point of view; we do not accept that and we will have a debate accordingly’. That is what I would like to have seen.
The process has not been proper because the original concept was to deal with long service leave, then it developed into a big argument about AWAs and the WorkChoices legislation and, third, we did not wait for the minister’s reply, which would have been appropriate.
In saying all that, I have looked at this document several times and, although I am not a lawyer, I have read the first line on page 2. The Solicitor-General says:
- There is no doubt that the Commonwealth intended that where long service leave was the subject of an AWA, for example having been traded off for a standard hourly rate increase then the statutory rights provided for in state or territory legislation would be overridden.
May be I do not have the experience of some more learned people in here, but all that is saying is that if you trade off your long service leave for a financial benefit, you cannot argue the case for that long service leave under the Territory legislation. You have not lost your long service leave because you have traded it off for a standard hourly rate increase. So the way I read it is that this is purely a technicality because the Solicitor-General is saying it has been traded off for an hourly rate increase.
I would have thought you could trade off your long service leave under enterprise bargaining. That is not an uncommon thing. There has been a lot read into this that is not accurate or is an interpretation. If I am wrong, fair enough, but the way I read it is not the way that I understand the government is putting its case. Either way, I would prefer to hear what the Commonwealth has to say about your arguments that this will ‘take away from Territorians the statutory right to long service leave’. While that may be technically right, that is only being claimed if long service leave was the subject of an AWA where it was being traded off for a standard hourly rate. The way I read that, you actually have not lost anything.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, as it is the first time I have risen to speak on a substantive matter for these sittings, I acknowledge the Larrakia as the traditional owners of the land on which we meet.
WorkChoices legislation is the most fundamental attack on the family there has ever been in this country through legislation. Under WorkChoices, any time not spent at work is regarded as unproductive time. WorkChoices devalues people, devalues the personal, devalues the family.
WorkChoices has not been in very long and already it is destroying equality in the workforce. Professor David Peetz of Griffith University said on the ABC yesterday that his research shows that the gap between male and female pay is greatest for employees who are on Australian Workplace Agreements. Female hourly earnings are about 80% of male hourly earnings. For those of you who may not know, David Peetz is Professor of Industrial Relations at Griffith University and a Visiting Professor of the University of Bergen, Norway. I will take statistics and what he says as fact over and above the rantings and interruptions of those members of the opposition who do not wish to believe them because they are an inconvenient truth.
It is a good thing that we in this Assembly cannot be covered by AWAs, otherwise the members for Katherine and Araluen might have to identify with their female constituents in a very personal way. I say to them particularly: stand up and fight for Territory women. Go and chat to the ladies, Rachael and Ally, who run the NT Working Women’s Centre. I do. Let them tell you the experiences of the Territory’s working women that they hear on a daily basis. Sure, their clients are not, in the main, as educated as perhaps are the members for Araluen and Katherine. Sure, their conditions are certainly not as guaranteed, but they are real people with real families and they are really suffering under WorkChoices.
The member for Greatorex gives the appearance of being a great defender of the Territory. Who does he think is in the other category of greatest disadvantage under WorkChoices? Migrants, particularly migrants for whom English is a second language; migrants with low education; migrants who have come to Australia searching for a better way of life. Here is a hint for the member for Greatorex: stop spouting off about how clever you are at your doctors’ cocktail parties and soires, and go and learn about real battles faced by real migrant workers.
I can even give the member for Greatorex the number of Miguel Ociones, the LHMU’s Alice Springs organiser. He will put him in touch with some of the hard-working Alice Springs migrant community. Then the member for Greatorex will be able to hear about the issues they have with the unfairness of WorkChoices and AWAs.
The member for Blain likes to attack the argument in simplistic terms of left wing ideology. Somehow, it is Stalinist to believe that ordinary, average working families deserve fair pay and fair conditions of service. The only one in this Assembly arguing simplistic ideology is him. Why? Because he does not understand the legislation and its effects; I’ll bet he has not even read it. He does not want to understand it; it creates too many problems for him. It is he in this Assembly who is most like the sheep in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, faithfully bleating: ‘Four legs good; two legs bad’ without noticing the values underpinning the mantra have been swept aside.
Religious organisations across the country have come out against WorkChoices for the attack it is on families. Surely the member for Blain is not suggesting that the Australian Council of Churches is Leninist. Surely he, a prisoner trapped in some bygone era of a political cold war, can appreciate the fundamental absurdity of that notion.
The Leader of the Opposition pointed out that nowhere in the Workplace Relations Act does it specifically override long service leave provisions. She further said mere silence on the point is not enough, and, in my humble opinion, as far as she goes, that is right. I want to make a disclaimer at this point. I do not pretend to be any great legal mind, certainly not the great legal mind that the Leader of the Opposition is. I confess I struggle with the Workplace Relations Act. It is huge. For something meant to simplify life, the complete legislation is massive so I struggle through the provisions as best I can, and, like Isaac Newton, do my best to stand on the shoulders of other intellectual giants if only to see what they already do.
The Solicitor-General refers to section 17, so let us have a look and see what it says. I am looking at the version of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 reprinted on 31 March 2006 with amendments up to Act No 153 2005 and SLI 2006 No 52, Reprint 7, Volume 1 for sake of clarity.
Section 17(1):
- An award or workplace agreement prevails over a law of a state or territory, a state award or a state employment agreement to the extent of any inconsistency.
If I refer to the Solicitor-General’s opinion, he states on page 2:
- Even if s 17 were not in the WR Act inconsistency between a lodged (and therefore operational) AWA and a Territory law would to the extent of the inconsistency be resolved in favour of the AWA … because they have the force of Commonwealth law.
…
Once it is concluded that the AWA has the force of Commonwealth law then there is no question of amending Territory law to circumvent the Commonwealth law. It can’t be done.
Workers of the Territory used to have a right to long service leave. That right has been taken away through the operation of this act. If an AWA removes it, it is removed. If something is optional, it is not a right that can be protected. This legislation, although it does not specifically say it, through its operation removes Territory workers’ right to long service leave. So without actually saying it, the act effectively allows an employer to disregard the Long Service Leave Act if it wishes to do so.
Madam Speaker, I know this government is not in favour of such an attack on families as this, but I wonder where the CLP stands on it. I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to publicly state that a CLP government would not attack long service leave and condemns any employer that does. I warn her, though, to do so will bring her into direct conflict with their Commonwealth representative, Dave Tollner, who has publicly on many occasions claimed to be one of the architects of this legislation. Explain that to young Territorians, to Territory women, to the Territory’s indigenous population, to the migrants who come to the Territory seeking a better, more open life than the one from which they have come. Explain this to all these groups who are undoubtedly left worse off by this legislation.
At Question Time today, the opposition tried to suggest that workers are better off on AWAs because wages are higher. The question has to be asked: are they just visiting the planet? What do they not get? Conditions of employment can only be given away once. The value of the financial gain is worn away over time. Ask the workers of the United States and New Zealand whether they would like to get back the entitlements they traded away. Ask workers in those countries working two jobs and still struggling to get above the poverty line whether they envy the working conditions of Australian workers. Have a look at the minimum hourly wage in the United States - I believe it is around $6 an hour, slightly more, slightly less - and compare that with Australia. Ask New Zealanders, who went through a similar process as this some time ago, how far their wages have increased in that time compared with Australian minimum wages and conditions.
I do not accept, as the CLP appears to, that two jobs each paying $5 an hour is better for employment than one job paying $10 an hour. It is creating working poverty in this country, not better productivity. It is an abysmal attack on all Australia’s hard-working families and Australian family life.
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr BURKE: I thank honourable members for their indulgence, and I will not be too much longer. I just want to return to a couple of points. Even though the CLP lambasted a professor of industrial relations and ridiculed him in some of their interjections, I want to return to some of the things he said because he makes reference to matters which sound very close to some of the suggestions the member for Blain was making.
He refers to minister Andrews last year and refutes some of the contentions made about AWAs and the real wages. Professor Peetz said:
- When the advocates of individual contracting cite higher wages from AWAs than from collective agreements, they are careful to choose the figure that is most favourable to individual contracting - but which is also the least valid comparison of like with like. For example, they will typically use weekly rather than hourly earnings (because AWA employees work 6 percent more hours, though they have an hourly rate of pay 2 percent lower, the total weekly earnings of AWA employees are 4 percent more than workers on registered collective agreements) and include managerial employees (which makes AWA employees appear to receive 12 percent more per week than workers on registered collective agreements).
This is what minister Andrews was doing last year, using weekly wages that included high-paid managers in the figures.
What mainly happened is that the figures that were being cited by minister Andrews last year excluded many of the low-wage individual contracts that were in the Western Australian state jurisdiction in 2002. By 2004, most of those employees were covered by AWAs. (The remainder would mostly have been covered by s170LK non-union enterprise agreements.) The exclusion of Western Australian agreements from the 2002 figures meant that that year's AWA figures exaggerated the incomes of people on individual contracts.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. I am not going to revisit the whole debate in my summing up, but I am very disappointed that the opposition is not going to support this motion. It certainly is, as I said in Question Time, a very sad day for this parliament when we cannot send a message to the federal government - all 25 of us - that we believe, as a Territory parliament, that the express will of the Territory people, through the Territory parliament, should stand supreme. That is a very sad day for this Assembly.
I suppose the die has been cast in terms of the Country Liberal Party’s attitude and, obviously, application if they were ever to win government in the Northern Territory, assuming the Commonwealth government’s WorkChoices legislation stays in place. Australians will have their say later this year. The Australian people always know best. If it was to come to pass that the Coalition was returned and the CLP was returned to office here in the Northern Territory and, subsequently, WorkChoices were still there, then, obviously flowing from debate today in this parliament, the CLP would be applying AWAs throughout the Northern Territory public sector. I suppose we are going to debate this issue many times.
The Leader of the Opposition kept talking about flexibility. Well, flexibility is code for cutting conditions and entitlements. We have spoken about long service leave explicitly here today. Annual leave, study leave, electricity subsidies, rental subsidies - there are all sorts of allowances embedded in existing enterprise agreements with Territory public sector workers, whether they be police, nurses, teachers, Power and Water, the general public sector, or the various professional classifications. There is any number of entitlements and conditions embedded throughout all of those. They are all up for grabs under a potential CLP government and their application of AWAs here in the Northern Territory.
There is one thing that the member for Blain said that I agree with. He said: ‘I do not believe in class warfare’. I totally agree with him. I do not believe that there is any such thing as a class structure in Australia anyway. However, it is not about class warfare; it is about ideology.
As the member for Nhulunbuy so eloquently said, when the Prime Minister of this country first entered the federal parliament he brought with him an inherent political ambition to crush the unions and organised workers in Australia, and he will take that when he leaves. The tragedy is that he used the accident of the federal election results in 2004 that delivered a Senate majority to the Coalition to implement his ideology on the Australian people.
I am absolutely convinced, Madam Speaker, that if he had taken WorkChoices as part of a package to the people in the lead-up to the 2004 election, he certainly would not have won a Senate majority. I am absolutely convinced of that. Whether they would have won government, given the climate of the day on terrorism and all of the other issues that were running, maybe they would have got back to government federally but I do not believe Australians would have given them a Senate majority. Australians will have their say at the next federal election.
We talk a lot about lifestyle in this parliament and, as the member for Brennan was saying, this is an attack on Territory families. Thirteen weeks leave after 10 years employment with a single employer buys you a heck of a lot of lifestyle. Every time the CLP talks about lifestyle in the Northern Territory, I, for one, will be reminding Territorians that they believe that Territorians do not deserve the inherent right to long service leave and 13 weeks’ worth of paid leave after 10 years of service and pro rata leave. As I said, that buys a lot of lifestyle.
There was talk under the old system that you could increase or trade out the long service leave provisions. We said that we agree with that, but only under a no disadvantage test administered through the Australian Industrial Relations Commission that very conclusively showed that, if such award amendment or agreement was put up for ratification, the employee would be better off, not worse off. That is the key to this. Under WorkChoices, employers can offer AWAs that seek to extinguish the right to long service leave altogether, and the Commonwealth act presides over the Territory law. As the member for Brennan said, the right of all Territorians to long service leave has been taken away.
The member for Nelson talked about this issue being rushed and that there is not enough time to consider it. Again, with due respect to the member for Nelson, I would have thought that this is a pretty easy question about whether he believes that this parliament has the inherent right - and should have the inherent right - on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory whose law should stand supreme over the Commonwealth. He has quite clearly stated today that he needs more time to consider that. I find that very strange. What is the point of being here? What is the point of being here if you do not believe that this parliament should expressly, through the people of the Northern Territory, determine the laws of the Northern Territory? I find that the member for Nelson needing more time to come to grips with that fundamental principle, and that he cannot vote on this because he has not had enough time, quite extraordinary.
Regarding the strength of the legal advice - and, like the member for Nelson, I am quite happy to say I am not a lawyer and I do not have the greatest educational qualifications, but I have been around long enough to read a piece of advice and it is very clear to me what it actually says.
His other comments were about the third point of the motion that we have before us where we talk about the ongoing concern about WorkChoices legislation, and that it is unfair. If he wants to put a motion to amend or delete it, for the sake of the first three points of the motion, I would probably have been prepared to support it. However, I believe he is just using the fourth point to duck and squib a fundamental issue about the right of Territorians to long service leave.
With those comments, Madam Speaker, I am disappointed that this parliament, in a unanimous fashion, cannot send this motion to Canberra with all 25 of us stating very clearly that we believe the expressed will of the people of the Northern Territory should stand supreme over Commonwealth law. It is a sad day. I thank members for their contributions.
Motion agreed to.
BUSINESS NAMES BILL
(Serial 73)
(Serial 73)
Continued from 18 August 2006.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I will say this for the record: I had a discussion with the Attorney-General earlier this week. He asked me whether we were going to oppose any legislation. I said to him ‘No’, but when I gave him that answer, I was not aware that the Business Names Act would be debated at these sittings.
The Attorney-General will remember that it was held over from the last sittings, and not having received any indication to the contrary, I assumed that it would not be dealt with at all during these sittings. I apologise for saying that there would be no difficulties with the legislation that we would be dealing with. I was aware of difficulties with the Business Names Act and I understood that discussions were proceeding between government and the Chamber of Commerce.
Having said that, the relevant parts of the bill are opposed for reasons which I am sure the Attorney-General will understand and appreciate if he has been privy to any of the discussions with the business community and, as I understand it, the Chamber of Commerce.
The bill has two main consequences which have been the subject of great discussion around the Territory for business. One of them is the cost of registering business names. The second consequence is business people will need to bear the burden of proof when it comes to, on the face of it, contravening sections of the bill to become an act in due course. I will deal with both of those sections separately.
The former CLP government, I believe it was under Shane Stone, went out of its way to make the registration of business names a free service provided by the Northern Territory government, a free service. This legislation seeks to change that. It is also imposing …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Just to clarify for the Leader of the Opposition, this reintroduction of the fee system has absolutely nothing to do with this bill. That is something that was already passed. The current act allows fees, as does this bill. It does not go to this legislation at all. That is all right, talk about that, but do not confuse this legislation with fees.
Ms CARNEY: Yes, you are right. I did not put it correctly. There is also a consequence of this bill in relation to the maintenance of business names. The Attorney-General will, I am sure, agree that the effect of this bill is that, as I understand it, if a business name is not, for the want of a better word, used within a particular period of time then the business name is withdrawn or lapses. It seems from information that I have received from representatives of the business community, certainly as they perceive it, that there is an overly bureaucratic process in place. It dovetails into the introduction of fees. In other words, instead of making things easy and expeditious for business, this government is making it harder with this legislation and, indeed, some other legislation in the past, and as I understand it, further bills that will come before the parliament in the next 12 months.
The worst thing about this bill, and certainly the most significant, is the change of the burden of proof in a sense. This bill provides that if a corporation commits an offence against the act, each of the executive officers of the corporation commits an offence and is liable to the same penalty for the offence as an individual. Subsection 2 details the defence available to an executive officer. In the current act, any prosecution in relation to a breach of the act must prove that the executive member knowingly was involved in the commission of an offence. In the new model, if the business commits an offence, then the whole of the executive is deemed to have committed the offence unless they prove otherwise. That is a significant difference. In a practical sense, it means that it is up to a person to demonstrate to a court why he or she should not be found guilty of an offence which, in turn, means that they have to bear the expense and trouble of proving their innocence. That has been a worry for the business community, and seen in conjunction with the imposition of fees and the fact that business names will lapse if they are not used within a couple of months has caused a great deal of concern.
On the basis of my information, at least, the reason that this bill did not proceed last time round was that there were discussions under way - the Attorney-General can correct me when he is on his feet if the information I have is incorrect - between the Chamber of Commerce and government because there was a high level of dissatisfaction with the contents of the bill. Not all of the bill, obviously; I have just picked up a couple of the issues that the business community has raised with us. We, therefore, had something of an expectation that there might be some amendments before us but, clearly, that is not the case.
What is the nett effect of this bill? It is to make it more difficult for business. That is an interesting outcome given the way in which this government declares its undying love for the business community. Those parts of the bill that are not objectionable, obviously speak for themselves. I wonder whether the Attorney-General can say in his reply if he has met with representatives from the business community and if he is prepared to indicate whether the difficulties that they had with it some time ago have been alleviated. They may have been talked down, I will accept that, but the absence of amendments suggests that there is evidence there is no change.
Madam Speaker, in any event, I look forward to the Attorney-General’s response which, of course, we will send to relevant representatives of the business community.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I get the impression that the member for Araluen lives in a very harsh and cruel world. She thinks that the absence of amendment means that some party that may have had some differences with this legislation has been talked down. There are other ways to come to agreement without talking the other party down; that is, clarity, understanding, explanation, and people finishing up with a more thorough understanding of the legislation than they may have had in the first place.
That is not talking people or parties down; it is simply going through a process of communication and an exchange of views and facts. I wonder sometimes about the world in which the member for Araluen lives. There are winners and losers in her world and one party wins because it is able to talk the other party down. The real world, thankfully, does not work like that; there is a facilitation and exchange of ideas and views. However, I do thank the member for Araluen for her contribution.
The bill does rework all aspects of business name regulation and, contrary to her view that it makes it more difficult, it is, in fact, easier for everyone to access and for business to comply with. Government recognises the need for accessible legislation that is relevant, up-to-date and understandable. This Business Names Bill repeals the current Business Names Act and replaces it with far more modern legislation. The essence of the act remains unchanged. Registration, renewal, use, and display of business names all remain the same but are reworded for ease of use.
The bill also removes a costly requirement for some businesses and that is the ‘resident agent’ rule whereby interstate companies had to engage someone to effectively act as their mail box in the Northern Territory. With modern communication, and a secure mail system in Australia, the requirement was archaic and has been removed.
The bill also removes the statutory position of Registrar of Business Names and replaces it with the Commissioner of Consumer Affairs. It is a good fit with the commissioner’s role. In substance, the bill does not change the day-to-day operation of the Business Names Act, but it does set out requirements in a step-by-step, easy-to-use format. It abolishes the requirement for the resident agent providing the business can lodge and amend its own registrations directly. It updates penalties and revises them into units. It provides that the commissioner can approve forms rather than require approval through regulation. It provides the statute law revision changes such as removal of gender-specific wording, and removal of spent transitional provisions. It shifts the onus of providing justification for a breach of the act on to corporations, and consequential amendments are also made to several acts.
In relation to the difference between the current act and this bill in shifting the onus of proof in legal proceedings under the act, if a corporation commits an offence against the act, its executive officers are also liable unless they can show they could not have reasonably known of the breach or they exercised due diligence to prevent the breach. The current act requires the officers to have knowledge of the breach.
The bill also provides for prosecution of executive officers separate from the company. Many of the provisions in the current act are unchanged since the 1960s and they reflect the corporate thinking of the 1960s. The concepts of corporate governance and responsibility have shifted enormously in 40-plus years. These changes reflect corporate law norms across Australia. They are accepted as normal business practice. I note that the provision, to my knowledge and after investigation by the department, has not been used to date.
I will just give an example of that. If the director of a company instructed an employee to renew the business registration and signed the paperwork for that to be achieved and received advice from the employee that the registration had been lodged, the director would have a defence under this legislation if the employee had failed to lodge the document.
If we take a second case, a hypothetical gymnasium operating in the Northern Territory under a registered business name: a new company comes along and uses the same name but does not register. Business Affairs can now prosecute that company by simply proving that the name is unregistered. The onus of proof is placed on the unregistered trader to show they have a defence. At the moment, Business Affairs would have to prove that the company knew that they were trading with an unregistered business name.
So it provides added protection for those legitimately registered businesses in the Northern Territory by ensuring that Business Affairs has realistic powers to prosecute companies for such breaches of the act.
Business asked for an opportunity to comment on this bill, which was provided, and this might have been some of the information the member for Araluen was talking about. Letters were sent to the main resident agents in the Northern Territory about the abolition of that role, and no concerns were raised. The proposed bill was provided across a range of law and legal firms across the Territory. Officers from the Department of Justice and members of my office also met with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss various issues and some concerns that were brought forward by the Chamber of Commerce. A copy of the bill was placed on the Consumer and Business Support website for general public comment. No concerns were raised.
I did pick up the member for Araluen on the matter of the reintroduction of the fee system having nothing to do with this bill. That was announced last May and introduced last July, well before work on this bill commenced. This current legislation allows for fees, as does this bill. Very low fees have been introduced after Consumer and Business Affairs found the Northern Territory became a haven for unethical and anti-competitive practices. Because they did not have to pay for a name, some operators were registering names to stop competitors from being able to accurately and positively describe their business with the use of a particular name. There is some evidence also that people were hoarding names and attempting to sell them to genuine operators who wanted to use the name at wildly inflated prices. Those practices are simply not good for business in the Territory and acted as a hurdle for genuine business people to commence and continue business here.
I might mention that the fees that have been imposed are very much lower than elsewhere in Australia. It costs $60 up-front to register a business name, and $50 over three years for the renewal. The registration period is three years for $50, but $60 up-front and then $50 for three years. Now, if the business name is not renewed at the end of the three years that registered name lapses and that is the same as the current legislation. It is not a question of whether the business name has been used; it is simply a process of renewing the registration at the end of the three year period.
You would hardly call it a revenue raising exercise when it costs not very much. It is less than $20 a year anyway. If it is three, it is below $18, isn’t it? It is $18.50 or something. So you could not call it a revenue raising exercise, a little over $18 a year, but it will dissuade unethical operators that it is not worth registering dozens and dozens of names to block the market in the hope that you might get a windfall profit because you have a popular name that some business may otherwise want to use.
There is some evidence already that fewer names are being registered, which suggests that people are deciding that if they are not going to use that name, they will not reregister it. We think that is healthy and it will free up possibly trade or business names that companies may want to use to describe exactly what they do in the marketplace.
I thank the member for Araluen for her comments. It really is an update with that one change of reversal of onus of proof. Those examples show that it adds protection all round. It is quite straightforward. It is not a complicated process to understand, and it gives the agency greater powers to protect those businesses operating legitimately and, more importantly, greater powers to pick up those which are not.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General)(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 – Urban Public Transport
Note Statement – Urban Public Transport
Continued from 11 October 2006.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s important statement in which she updated the House last October about the Northern Territory’s public transport system.
As the minister stated:
- Our public transport system plays an important role in our community.
I, and I know this applies to my Labor colleagues, am very proud to be part of the Martin Labor government, which has committed a massive $24.3m this financial year alone to foster and develop our vitally important public transport network.
Public transport, particularly buses, takes the pressure off commuters to use private vehicles. The value of using a bus is a very wise choice in this day of increased fuel and motor vehicle running costs. It can lead to very significant and realistic savings in a family’s cost of living expenses as well. The more people who use public transport, the better the traffic flow, the less wear and tear on our roads infrastructure, and it also helps to defer expenditure on road work maintenance and capacity upgrading. I know some of these individually only have slight impacts, but they are nonetheless important as part of the overall impact on our lifestyle.
Using buses instead of the family car also helps people feel that they are doing something meaningful and worthwhile to help reduce the Territory’s greenhouse gas emission levels. Every time the car is left at home and the public bus is used instead, there is one less car spewing out greenhouse gas emissions at any point in time. A mass of individuals doing this is clearly better for the environment.
Of course, the Martin Labor government is taking an integrated approach to tackling global warming through our comprehensive Greenhouse Strategy. I was very excited to hear the minister declare that she hopes to see the use of renewable, environmentally friendly, green fuels used on our bus network in the near future. I look forward to updates.
The government-provided school bus service means that parents know their children are getting to school safely. It also helps our senior Territorians become more mobile and better able to live active and engaging lifestyles.
Palmerston and the rural area surrounding Darwin are acknowledged as the fastest growing areas in the Territory. New estate developments are rapidly being developed and released, particularly in the Humpty Doo and Herbert areas in my electorate of Goyder. The demand for these rural blocks is strong as more and more families come to realise the intrinsic value of raising their children in the rural area. To meet this growth, the government is looking at how to facilitate public transport in the rural areas as well as the urban areas. That is why the minister spoke at length about bus schedule reviews, targeting the services where they are most needed, new and better value for money fare structures, and improved bus contracts.
As part of the Labor government’s continuing strategy to ensure strong and sustainable economic growth for all Territorians, and to facilitate the full enjoyment of our lifestyle that is the best in Australia, this government is committed to delivering affordable public transport. As the minister said, our fares are probably the lowest in the country.
Rural residents are already benefiting from the Martin Labor government’s new family orientated fare structure. In addition to unlimited three hours of bus travel for just $2 full fare and 50 concession fare, our rural constituents are also benefiting from the reduced cost of weekly fares, now down to $15. Furthermore, this $15 covers the full seven day week rather than previous five day fare structure. As the minister stated: ‘This is a great outcome for bus commuters particularly our pensioners and those Territorians on concessions’. As a local Labor MLA who cares about the welfare of his constituents, this is another example that shows we are a responsible government, as we continue to assist families and senior Territorians across the board.
In the rural area, we know more than most how the added cost of fuel is having a significant impact on our work choices as well as our social choices. The new cheaper and simplified bus fare structure is just another way that this Labor government is helping to make Territorians’ lifestyle even better. As I said before, increasing bus use by all Territorians also helps free up peak period traffic congestion.
I was particularly pleased to hear the minister announce the construction of the new bicycle enclosures at Palmerston and Casuarina bus interchanges. I am also aware there is a proposal to construct another bicycle enclosure on the Mandorah side of the harbour. This will provide a safe facility for the Cox Peninsula cyclists who commute to Darwin using the Mandorah ferry within my electorate. I have also written to the minister asking for consideration to be given to erecting small bike racks at future rural bus shelters. I understand the department is looking into this matter.
Another important transport initiative is the Martin Labor government’s funding of free bus services for a good number of public events. In the rural area, free buses encourage our urban cousins to come out and enjoy our great Freds Pass Rural Show. Conversely, services from the rural area are provided free of charge to attend events like the Starlight Special New Year’s Eve Spectacular and the V8 Supercars. As the minister told us in her speech, these popular bus services also have the added benefit of reducing traffic and parking congestion, as well as providing a safe way home. This is a good, people-orientated government acting in a socially responsible manner.
As my rural constituents are aware, for most of 2005 I personally fought hard to get more and expanded bus services to the rural area. I was thrilled when the Martin Labor government delivered on this important election commitment to rural Territorians. In fact, it was with great pride that in November 2005 I rode the first mid-morning bus of the then new rural bus run 440. We travelled from Palmerston interchange along the Stuart Highway to Virginia, Bees Creek, then again along the Stuart Highway to past Noonamah, where we turned left into Elizabeth Valley Road then left into Redcliffe Road and on to the Humpty Doo shops. That was not the end of the journey through our rural hinterland, as the bus returned to Palmerston via the Arnhem and Stuart Highways respectively.
I hopped off the bus before it immediately returned to Humpty Doo, again by the more direct Stuart and Arnhem Highways. A second mid-afternoon 440 run operates as well. Noonamah and Humpty Doo are now serviced by four mid-day bus runs to Palmerston and two mid-day runs from Humpty Doo to Palmerston, all now on weekdays and Saturdays including school holiday periods. Thanks to the Martin Labor government, this has opened up a whole new world for our rural Territorians. At the same time, the existing runs of 445, 446, 447 and 450 are now also running on Saturdays and through the school holidays.
In this time of rising fuel prices, a surge in rural estate developments, extended rural bus services are clearly very welcome additions to our rural lifestyle. They are great for the safety of our kids who need to travel to and from Palmerston and beyond during the school holidays and on Saturdays. They now enable our rural seniors out at Humpty Doo to go to Palmerston, and even the city, on weekends and Saturdays, as well as enabling them to catch a return bus in the middle of the day. No longer is a trip to Palmerston a full day affair.
I must point out that all the rural routes are very scenic indeed and tourists and family visitors to Darwin can now travel by bus to Palmerston and then catch any of the 400 series rural bus runs through the rural hinterland to get a scenic taste of our rural Top End countryside. This would have to be the best and cheapest way to see the heartland of our fabulous rural area while enjoying a relaxing bus journey on a very limited budget. I encourage all Darwin residents to take their visiting families on this trip and start spreading the word. I hope my Darwin-based parliamentary colleagues can also take advantage of this fabulous service to show off one of the best and most pleasant parts of the Territory. Of course, I am a little biased in that respect.
The most pleasing aspect of the rural bus runs is that these services continue to be well patronised, and many of our rural Territorians have come to rely on these services. This was a good, socially responsible initiative by the Martin Labor government. I have a stall every second week at Humpty Doo and one of my constituents came along and proudly announced that they had just sold their car. He was an elderly chap and was a little dangerous in the way he drove at times. Just to hear him say that he was selling his car after I had been humbugging him about this for a little while was great news. He said it with pride and he was really pleased about it. There are some really nice little anecdotes arising from our programs.
Not content with what has been delivered in the rural area, I am keeping myself very much involved and informed on what work is being done by the department to look at options for increasing the rural bus services well into the future. This government continues to recognise that school buses are an integral part of our transport system. Thanks to the Martin Labor government, we continue to have an extensive system of dedicated school transport services operating across the greater Darwin area. The member for Daly and I have been working hard with the minister and her department to ensure that school communities and the department actively engage each other to deliver school bus services that best match the community needs and the bus service capabilities.
An important part of our rural school bus services is the new school bus interchange at Humpty Doo, which was completed in 2006, and the newly completed school bus interchange at the Cox Peninsula Road turn-off which I understand has just started operating this week. Both of these great Martin Labor government projects go a long way to ensuring the safety of our rural schoolchildren as they transfer from one bus to another on their often lengthy journeys to and from school.
There has been much discussion during these parliamentary sittings about the rural bus shelters. I would like to report one success story using one of the bus shelters which was stored at Freds Pass Reserve. The reason I can claim this as a success is because it involved getting it installed on the Cox Peninsula Road which happens to be a Northern Territory government road and not a council road. Incidentally, this says a lot about where the problem of getting bus shelters in the rural area lies. The Berry Springs School lobbied me to get a bus shelter on the southern side of Cox Peninsula Road at the Berry Springs shop. It was really a dangerous spot, particularly during the rainy periods …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ring the bells.
There being a quorum present, we will continue.
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will repeat this paragraph because it was interrupted.
There has been much discussion during these parliamentary sittings about the rural bus shelters. I would like to report one success story using one of the bus shelters that was stored at Freds Pass Reserve. The reason I can claim this was a success is because it involved getting it installed on the Cox Peninsula Road, which happens to be a Northern Territory government road and not a council road.
The Berry Springs School Council lobbied me for a bus shelter on the southern side of Cox Peninsula Road at the Berry Springs shops. It was a really dangerous spot particularly during rainy periods. The school kids were sheltering across the road at the garage and this meant that they were running across the busy road to catch their school bus when it arrived. After I approached the minister, the department came to the rescue, and quickly installed a concrete shelter, complete with seats and a full concrete slab floor. I now take great pride as I drive to work in the mornings and see these kids sheltering from the elements and knowing that I have been able to ensure their safety. Let us hope the council will soon ensure that the remainder of these shelters currently stored at Freds Pass Reserve are put on the council roads in the near future.
While I am on the subject of school buses, I am very pleased to hear the minister outline how this government has spent $1.7m on procuring an additional 10 buses needed to cater for the changed transport needs as a result of middle schooling requirements.
In answer to my question today, I applaud the minister for upping this to 12 buses and by all reports the current rural bus service has made a very smooth transition to the changed conditions. It is due to good departmental planning and school community engagement that this has occurred. I am especially proud that this government is on top of school bus needs and pleased to report that an extra bus has been put on to service Taminmin High School as a result of higher than expected enrolments as the minister outlined in Question Time.
As I near the completion of my supporting statement, I must make mention that the Martin Labor government supports the Mandorah ferry service. This service ensures my Cox Peninsula commuters get safely to and from Darwin. As the minister correctly pointed out, the Mandorah ferry service is a commercial operation but the government does provide a very significant subsidy to ensure that ferry operators provide core services including free school travel for Cox Peninsula school children.
Mr Deputy Speaker, it is great to be a Labor MLA in the Territory and to be able to get up in parliament and talk in an upbeat manner about how this government is at the helm in charge of a strong, growing and sustainable Territory economy across all departments. The minister’s statement is clear evidence of this. I commend the minister for this important update.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this statement. With all due respect to the minister, it is probably not one of the most exciting topics we debate in this House. For many thousands of Territorians it is a very important service and, as minister for education, getting kids to school is a responsibility that we as a government work hard to achieve.
I commend DPI and DEET for the work they did in planning the school bus services for the beginning of the 2007 school year. It was the biggest movement of students from an existing school system to a new school system that the Territory has ever seen. The time frames were really tight and the DPI and the DEET staff who worked very hard in planning the new network and services for the beginning of the 2007 year deserve this House’s commendation as it has gone very smoothly.
The minister stated that there were 12 new buses into the service in Darwin across 11 new routes; two additional buses in Alice Springs; and new route maps and timetables were made available to schools for parents and students. All of that information is on the DPI website. We have also introduced Transport Safety Officers monitoring Casuarina and Palmerston bus exchanges. All of us as members in the northern suburbs know that there have been issues and incidents of assaults at Casuarina Bus Exchange and I believe at Palmerston as well. Our local members from Palmerston have been articulating the need for improved safety at those bus exchanges. It is not new: kids have been fighting each other in various sorts of groupings that get together at school for many years. It is good that those Transport Safety Officers are there now, and things have certainly quietened down. I have seen them do the work that they do. It is a good initiative and I commend the minister for doing that. The advice I have had is that there were only a few minor issues identified in the first three days, and all school children affected are now able to catch a bus to and from school. To my colleague, the minister, it is a great result, well done.
I would like to quickly mention an election commitment that we made that relates to my electorate, which was to put new bus routes on for our seniors at our retirement villages across Darwin. That commitment has been honoured. For the Leanyer Seniors Village, there is a bus that goes there a couple of times a week and enables the people who live in the village to get to hospital, government offices, and major shopping centres. It has really become part of their little community in Leanyer. They now have the safety and ease of getting on a bus and doing their business without having to walk a long distance to a public bus stop and then have to change buses at Casuarina and use an extensive network. That route was negotiated with the residents and it is great to see that that election commitment has been honoured by this government.
With those few words, I wanted to take the opportunity as the minister for Education to congratulate all officers involved with the timetabling and planning for the new school year. There were massive changes in Darwin and in Alice Springs. It has all gone very well, and those public servants deserve this House’s commendation.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I did not doubt the minister’s sincerity when she said she is focused on providing a high level service across the public transport network. Despite the fact that it might not be a very glamorous topic, it is a very important one for thousands of people who utilise public transport.
An effective and efficient public transport system is crucial to workers leaving their vehicles at home to travel to their places of employment, and it is very important in providing mobility to people who are unable to afford a vehicle, or choose not to have one, and for our ageing population who have no access to a vehicle.
The minister announced in March 2006 that the public bus system had been revamped. I am sure that commuters were very pleased and relieved to hear that. However, what has become evident is that there are some very serious flaws in the delivery of service timetables, particularly to residents of Palmerston. To support the frustration being experienced by Palmerston commuters, I wish to read into Hansard a communication I received which very adequately describes the problem. I do this not just on behalf of Palmerston residents. This person has been trying to contact the department, and found that she has not got anywhere. She has gone through the correct channels and she contacted me because she was entirely frustrated. Hopefully, the minister will take some action to ensure that public transport timetables are running efficiently and effectively. I quote:
- It is with some reluctance that I feel compelled to voice my extreme displeasure with the changes in the Darwin Bus Service timetable which came into place late last year.
As a long-time regular patron of the service, up until the introduction of the new timetable, I was extremely happy with the service provided. However, the same cannot be said about the current service being provided to Palmerston commuters.
As a disabled person who is unable to hold a driver’s licence as a result of my disability, I rely on public transport to get me to and from work. Imagine my surprise when I returned from recreation leave to find that the service to myself, and many other commuters into the city, had been greatly affected by changes to timetables which were made under the premise that the service was being improved!
Firstly, I find it extremely difficult to understand why a timetable that was, and had been for some time, working extremely well, especially in the area of Palmerston area routes meeting up with routes travelling into the city and Casuarina, had been completely overhauled. Why would a timetable that wasn’t broken need to be changed so dramatically? It would appear that cost saving measures by the current government have again impacted inequitably on Palmerston residents. Whilst I can understand that some changes may have been required to timing as a result of the introduction of the new ticketing arrangements, it would appear that the current government has used the new ticketing as an excuse to reduce its costs in relation to public transport.
A good example of anomalies in the current timetable follows.
An express bus leaves Darwin at 4:30 pm for the Palmerston Interchange. It arrives in Palmerston between 5 pm and five past the hour at the latest. The bus to Woodroffe (route 71) however commences its run at 4:56 pm. The next connecting bus does not leave until 5:26 pm. Similarly, the route 8, which leaves Darwin at 4:50 pm, misses the connecting bus which leaves at 5:26 pm, just before the route 8 arrives at Palmerston Interchange. These passengers then have to wait until 6 pm to complete their journey home. This is even more exasperating as the driver of the No 28 express bus from Darwin does not have another run until 6:30 pm. With a usual meal break being 30 minutes of that time, the driver is still sitting around for an additional hour - a situation that the drivers are also not happy with, although they are not in a position to voice their displeasure.
However, if I was travelling home to the northern suburbs, express buses go directly to each of the suburbs and do not require these commuters to change buses at all. There seems to be some inequity here! Why is a similar service not provided to Palmerston commuters? Why do Palmerston residents once again get treated like second-class citizens?
The current government has espoused a policy of energy conservation and is encouraging the use of hybrid cars within government. This being the case, why is more not being done to encourage workers to use public transport rather than individually travelling into the city for work? As a disabled citizen who is still working full-time, I am constantly reminded that myself and others in similar situations are completely overlooked when policies are formulated and implemented. There are a number of commuters who travel daily for whom public transport is not a choice but a necessity. The impact of my not arriving home until later has resulted in my not being able to take my medication until later, thus exasperating my condition.
I would be really appreciative if this matter could be raised in the next parliamentary sittings as my and fellow commuters’ concerns have fallen on deaf ears when raised through the appropriate government channels.
I would appreciate anything that you can do to raise awareness of this issue and perhaps bring about a resolution in favour of the users of the service.
Leave granted.
There has also been much toing and froing in the media between your department, minister, and the councils which have responsibility for the maintenance of bus shelters. You are the one person who sits in this Assembly who does not mind repeating over and over, ‘take the politics out of it’. This is an instance of where the comfort and protection of the public transport system users should be taken into account and not political argy bargy, especially for our school children. So get the bus shelters to where they should be, at bus stops and not stacked up disused in a storage area somewhere.
I turn now to another sector of public transport, that is, taxis and particularly the regulations n drivers holding access cards. I have had many representations over the last three years from drivers who are fully aware of other drivers holding access cards. There is legislation in place that says that this is definitely against the law, but it is still happening. I want to know if the minister can tell me how it is being regulated and how it can be regulated further. Any inquiries that people who have contacted me have made have fallen on deaf ears. It is a little more rampant than you think and it needs to be curbed. I would like to know how that regulation is policed.
While I am on the subject of taxis, minister, concessions are given to owners when they purchase a vehicle which will carry a wheelchair or have disabled access. How are those vehicles policed to ensure that a percentage of the passengers they carry are disabled? Those people receive that concession purely so that they can provide a transport for disabled people. In some instances, that is being abused where they do not take into consideration a disabled person and look at where they can make a better fare, a longer fare, and make more money out of it. How is that policed?
While we are talking about buses and public transport, it was interesting to listen to your answer in Question Time about school buses and that everything is really hunky-dory. That is true, that is good; the bus drivers have done a reasonably good job. However, you failed to mention that there was one school on the first day, or it may have even been the second day, in Darwin whose children were left stranded because there was no bus. They tried for 20 minutes non-stop to get your department to find out where the bus was because the school was left waiting. I have followed that up and they said that it was taken care of the next day. It was interesting to hear that everything is all nice and rosy, but you do not tell us everything and be 100% truthful.
As you are the minister for Transport, I also want to talk to you about Tiger Brennan Drive. Last year on 31 August, the federal minister Lloyd wrote to the previous Minister for Infrastructure and Transport regarding funding for Tiger Brennan Drive, which has been the subject of debate in this Assembly. Then, it was reported inaccurately in the NT News. It was reported inaccurately! I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record the letter that was received from minister Lloyd dated 31 August 2006. It was addressed to Hon Dr Chris Burns MP, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure:
- Dear Dr Burns,
- Thank you for your letter of 30 August 2006 regarding funding for Tiger Brennan Drive.
I did not make the comments attributed to me in the Northern Territory News article on 30 August and certainly did not promise to fund 50% of Tiger Brennan Drive at its latest reported cost. It is unfortunate that inaccurate journalism on the part of the Northern Territory News has confused the issue.
Under the AusLink bilateral agreement, the Northern Territory government has an envelope of funding allocated until June 2009. This is notionally allocated to works on the Victoria Highway, Stuart Highway and Tiger Brennan Drive as outlined in the bilateral. Consistent with the correspondence from the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, dated 21 December 2005, if an increase to the Australian government contribution is sought on a project due to cost increases, a suitable offset from within the approved program and funding envelope will need to be identified by you.
To date, I have not received any formal notification of a revised budget or design for Tiger Brennan Drive. I am aware of your letter in the Northern Territory News of 24 August 2006 in which you said that the revised cost was now $51m. I also note that in yesterday’s Northern Territory News article you were quoted as saying that the Northern Territory government would pay its half.
I confirm my request to you for a revised design and budget for the project confirming your contribution of $25.5m and identifying a suitable off-set from within the current AusLink program. I will then be in a better position to consider maintaining the Australian government contribution of 50% to Tiger Brennan Drive. You may also wish to consider re-scoping of the project and/or staging the project to address the most needed elements of the road such as the intersection with the Stuart Highway and the connection to the existing Tiger Brennan Drive to fit within the funding envelope.
I would appreciate your advice on these matters.
Yours sincerely,
Jim Lloyd
31 August 2006.
My question to you, minister for Transport, is: have you provided the federal government with an updated project, an updated design and budget for that project, and can you tell the parliament exactly what the cost of that updated project is going to be, and if the Northern Territory government is going to go ahead and meet its requirements of 50% funding for that Tiger Brennan Drive? It has been a bone of contention for commuters around Darwin for some time. l seek leave to table this letter.
Leave granted.
Mrs MILLER: Thank you. I also want to continue with roads because the minister spends a fair bit of time criticising the federal government for not giving money for roads and saying that they need to give more money for roads. The opportunity was there, the offer was there, and the arrangement with the federal government with this is that it is 50-50. It is a dollar-for-dollar. Just recently, the Outback Highway received funding from the federal government which the Territory government did not meet that commitment by the federal government by, I think, $740 000 which means in effect there is $1.5m that the Northern Territory cannot be spending on its roads. That was given to the Western Australian government so they can spend on their section of the Outback Highway. So, it is rich of you, minister, to say that the federal government should be doing their part when …
Ms Lawrie: Come in, spinner.
Mrs MILLER: Oh no, you are coming in spinner well and truly now. You in effect handed that money to the Western Australian government when you should have had that committed to our outback roads for our cattle producers and pastoralists who have so much damage done to their vehicles and to the stock vehicles which travel those roads. From now on, I do not want to hear you whinging about the federal government not putting any money towards your roads.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement, in particular to talk about lifestyle and families. The public transport system provides the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory a certain lifestyle which we do not see in other parts of the country. In my electorate, you can catch a bus and be at Casuarina in less than 10 minutes. You can catch a bus and be in Darwin in less than 15 to 20 minutes. It is a fantastic service and it has been a long-standing service. I heard the member for Goyder talk about particular bus routes and in my area the famous No 4 and No 10 bus routes service the people of Millner, Coconut Grove and Nightcliff and all the way into town from Casuarina without naming every suburb.
I know that the current minister and former ministers of this government have made a fantastic attempt to ensure that our public transport is as good as anywhere in the world. The reason is that the Labor government is committed to providing a service for all Territorians, from the battlers to those who are environmentally conscious.
The minister mentioned the roll out of the Transport Safety Officers on our bus network. Over the last 12 months there has been an issue of antisocial behaviour at our bus terminals and on our buses. This government has reacted and provided Transport Safety Officers as of last November, I believe. They are full-time employees with the public transport system. They have statutory powers to remove troublesome passengers from buses or prohibit them from boarding. They also work with the police where required, and a protocol has been put in place to ensure Transport Safety Officers receive priority assistance from the police. Again, this is an example of government responding to the public’s concern about antisocial behaviour. It is about getting different departments to work together.
Unlike the CLP, we do work with our trade union movement. Some of the great work that this minister has done was with the Transport Workers Union. They worked closely with the minister and this government to develop this initiative. We have seen a fantastic response from the reports that I have received and the reports that the minister has given on a number of occasions, and this has ensured that the incidence of antisocial behaviour has decreased at the interchanges and on buses.
One of the other issues in my area about which I have made contact with the minister’s office is service to the military bases. The minister made specific mention of Robertson Barracks, but we also provide a service to the people at the RAAF Base. I am looking at the $100 000 that we have budgeted to begin a service, as a trial, which includes the military families not only in Robertson Barracks, but throughout the Palmerston and Darwin areas, which includes my electorate.
The minister and former minister participated in the process of the timetable changes, and they have reported on a number of occasions the hard work that went into ensuring that these changes were as efficient and least disruptive as possible to the people who use this service. Any major change like this to any service provided to the public always has the danger of causing disruption. Through my office, and it is the case for other members of this government, disruption has been minimal, which is fantastic.
One of the big issues in my electorate has been transport to town camps. I have made representations to the minister about town camps in my area, but also across Darwin. The minister, in conjunction with the local schools, was able to form a partnership with the indigenous communities based in Minmarama and Kulaluk. I suppose Minmarama would have a population of about 60 to 70 people, and Kulaluk, anywhere between 100 and 130 people. One of the major issues was that these communities are of the lower income earning group and transport to Millner School is over a number of major arterial roads, including Dick Ward Drive and Bagot Road, and is difficult for parents who do not have access to transport. This made it difficult for kids to get to school.
In Question Time, the minister mentioned the increase in numbers of kids attending, and the fact that the attendance level from these communities which was around 12 enrolments as of December last year has increased to 28 on the first day of school in 2007. So what we are talking about is another 16 children of indigenous background living in these town camps who have an opportunity to get at least minimum primary school level education. Once they are at school, we are looking forward to getting them into secondary education. These 16 people will turn into 16 families, hopefully, and these 16 families will continue to contribute to the Territory lifestyle that we know.
These are the little things that we as members of parliament fight for, and these are the little things that were not happening before we came to government. We all do a hard job here as politicians and we often get criticised for the things that we do not do. Often we do not get congratulated enough for the things that we do do. As the local member, I can advocate this to the minister. It is up to the minister to act upon this advocacy. I would like to thank her and previous ministers, the Education minister and the local school principal, Terry Quong, and Mrs Margaret Moon, who has been fantastic in ensuring that these kids feel welcome. I understand, from talking to the principal last week, that they are unbelievably grateful for this initiative and look forward to it working for years to come.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I turn to the issue of middle schools. The Education minister touched on it briefly, but the reality is that when any government takes on such a radical and overwhelming change for the better in terms of the policy of delivering education to our kids, there is a matter of logistics in pulling it off. The fact that we have not had any major transport issues in terms of middle schools since the start of the year is a fantastic commendation for the work of both the Transport and Education ministers. Members of the Labor Caucus raised this as one of the major hurdles to the smooth implementation of this policy change.
To be honest, we have not seen any highlighted disgruntlement from the general community. We have not seen any media negativity on this issue from the Northern Territory News, Channel 9 or other services. As a member of parliament, when you make these decisions, unfortunately you always have to think about what the consequences could be, both positive and negative. We chose to do it because it will benefit all children in the Northern Territory.
The Transport and Education ministers are to be congratulated for a smooth transition to the new timetable for moving kids around the northern suburbs and through the rest of the Northern Territory. The Transport minister will no doubt talk about numbers in her summary of the actual funding. From information provided by her office, my understanding is that in the CLP’s last transport budget in 2001-02, $19m was spent. In our transport budget for 2006-07, we spent $37.4m. That is a fantastic achievement for the former minister, the current minister, the Cabinet. As a team, we have identified that the battlers and the families of the Northern Territory need our support.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the statement to the House, and I thank the minister for her work.
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution to the Urban Public Transport statement. I particularly thank my colleagues who have embraced the challenges of public transport with enthusiasm and provided very important feedback to me on specific needs in their electorates. I have been pleased to be able to respond positively to those needs.
Since last speaking on this statement, there have been a number of developments in our bus services. One of those I would like to highlight, and I know the member for Wanguri has, is the roll-out of Transport Safety Officers on our bus network. This is a new initiative. The government acknowledged the need for our bus drivers and the general public to be safe on our public transport system. We committed to introducing Transport Safety Officers, and I was pleased to see them start the job in November of last year.
The key role of the Transport Safety Officers is to provide assistance and appropriate action where necessary in response to any incidents or reports of unruly behaviour on buses or at the interchanges. This is a major step of providing appropriately trained officers to assist drivers and passengers in addressing antisocial behaviour. They are full-time employees of the public transport system and have statutory powers to remove troublesome passengers from buses or prohibit them from boarding. They also work with the police where required and a protocol has been put in place to ensure Transport Safety Officers receive priority assistance from police.
The government worked with bus drivers and the Transport Workers Union to develop this initiative. Reports from bus drivers, bus contractors and the TWU all indicate that since the TSOs commenced, the level of antisocial incidents on our bus network, including at our interchanges, has reduced. The proactive approach of the Transport Safety Officers appears to be heading off the trouble before it starts. Examples of this are moving non-bus passengers away from loitering at the bus stops and interchanges; randomly travelling on buses and talking with passengers; timely response to calls for assistance from drivers; and addressing school children on buses to settle their behaviour.
The relationship between police and Transport Safety Officers is developing well with information flowing both ways regarding potential hot spots. The Transport Safety Officer initiative has been welcomed and has been successful. I thank those officers for the work they are doing to improve bus travel for drivers and passengers.
The first phase of middle schools has commenced this year and, as you have heard through debate, my agency has worked closely with the Department of Employment, Education and Training to plan the school bus needs for middle years. From data collected in parent surveys and projected enrolments, plans were put in place to rework the bus routes required, and procure the additional buses we would need. Initially, we expected to require an extra eight buses in the Darwin area but to ensure we had the requisite number of buses, an extra 12 buses have been put into service across 11 new bus routes. In Alice Springs, an extra two buses were introduced.
My agency has been monitoring implementation, including visiting schools and bus interchanges and talking to students about their bus options. Only minor issues were identified. In relation to the shadow minister’s concern about a minor issue, may I say that there was a mistake made when the bus driver did not actually stop to collect the kids. That was addressed within 24 hours. I want to point out that there was a bus route in place to take those children. As with every system, there is, at times, human error. I make no apology for the integrity of our planning and the delivery of the new middle years’ bus service. I also take this opportunity thank the bus drivers who do a pretty testy job at times carrying students around in their buses. If the shadow minister wants to have a go at a particular driver, I suggest you get out on those school bus routes when the buses are packed with students and see how tough some of our drivers are doing it out there. Of course, teenagers are not always the most polite of passengers, which is another reason why we have our Transport Safety Officers.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the middle years’ bus transport system, we had a dedicated phone line established and staffed for the first two weeks of school to provide assistance to parents, students and schools with the new school bus routes.
One of the success stories from this exercise, as we have heard, has been inclusion of the new bus route to collect school children from Minmarama and Kulaluk communities, and transport them to Millner Primary School. I acknowledge again the great work of the member for Millner in lobbying for this important service. I also join him in my thanks to the school principal, Dr Terry Quong, and the staff of Millner school to ensure a quality education for our Territory students. Prior to the bus route being established, as you have heard, enrolment of indigenous children from these communities was 12, and it rose to 28 on the first day of school, a small success story in a much larger picture, but a critically important success story. I really hope that those kids go from strength to strength with their education. It is very much the role of the Labor Martin government to support our children to attend school.
The urban bus timetable, as you have heard, has undergone a significant review to improve reliability. This is the first time we have had a full rework of the timetable in more than 15 years. What we found is that, obviously, Darwin has grown, Palmerston has grown, and the rural area has grown. In the context of what I call the Top End urban bus network, we added services over 15 years without a significant change to the scheduling. We just added on bits and pieces to our network. What resulted from that was a failure within the system. Connections were not occurring, it was an unreliable system and reports from the bus drivers, from the supervisors at the depots and interchanges was that we needed to completely overhaul our entire bus schedule.
We went to expert schedulers interstate to make sure that the scheduling was as good as possible. We knew, though, that with any significant reschedule such as we were undertaking, the first in 15 years, inevitably, as highly skilled as the schedulers are, there could be glitches. I was working very closely with my agency at the time when we introduced it in late November to ensure that that new schedule was closely monitored and that we were in a position to respond to any feedback from the public as to how the new connections were working.
I am very pleased to say as a result of listening to the concerns of the public, modification was made to the schedule in December to ensure that there were more connections during peak periods. In particular, the feedback we received from passengers in Palmerston and the rural area was quite specific about connections during peak periods. Some buses in Palmerston and the rural area required minor amendments to timing to improve connections to Casuarina and Darwin. The changes resulted in a number of additional buses now guaranteed to connect by ensuring drivers wait for connecting buses to arrive.
My agency is now undertaking a run-by-run, area-by-area evaluation of the new schedule to assess waiting times between connections. So, shadow minister, we are not sitting on our hands. We took on the most significant reform of our bus schedule and timetable in 15 years. We monitored implementation of the reforms, and we responded to public feedback on the schedule by making additional changes in December. We are now going into a detailed run-by-run, area-by-area evaluation of the new schedule to assess waiting time.
Overall, the new timetable has been successful with the bus service now boasting a higher level of reliability. We have gone from an unreliable service to a reliable one. I thank the bus drivers and staff of the Transport Division in my agency for the significant work they have done and for the extent to which they have gone to provide a robust public transport system.
Bus drivers are reporting that the timetable is very workable and alleviates many of their previous concerns. Because of the significance of this overhaul, passengers were permitted to ride for free during the first two weeks of implementing the timetable, which allowed bus operators to change the ticketing system. Our new ticketing and our cheaper fare structure commenced in mid-December.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I again want to stress that this has been a significant body of work, the first of its type in 15 years. No significant change like this has ever happened without its glitches, but I have been proud to say, as Transport minister, that we have not ignored the glitches. We have not stuck our head in the sand. We have responded to them, we have changed the schedules we required in December and are continuing to evaluate them. I believe my department is currently working to address the connections that the shadow minister raised on her specific concerns. I am happy to give the shadow minister a briefing in response to her concerns because there are detailed responses from the agency. As I said, evaluation of the bus-to-bus and the area connections has been very important.
The shadow minister strayed from bus transport into the area of taxis. There has been a code of practice for taxi drivers not to book-up and not to hold cards. Transport Inspectors do have a role to play, but it is very difficult when passengers willingly hand over their card. This issue was raised at Community Cabinet in Arnhem Land, particularly in relation to Katherine. I have raised the issue with my agency and asked them to ensure that the inspectors are alert to the problem of book-up in Katherine particularly. It is not an issue that has been significant in Darwin or Alice Springs. The government has not sat on its hands in relation to book-up. There has been extensive work on addressing the matter across the board, led by the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Finally, the shadow minister raised the issue of roads funding. I would like to have an extensive debate with the shadow minister on roads. This is not a roads statement, so I will only touch on it briefly, but it does go to the heart of how the Canberra hierarchy is ignoring the Territory’s roads needs. The shadow minister has a very superficial view on this. I am happy, and it is a genuine offer, to give the shadow minister a briefing on roads, and how funding is provided in the Territory.
I am on the record as saying, and I will say it again: the day the federal government wants to match us 50-50 on our roads funding, I will happily agree to it. We have spent in excess of $300m in the past five years on our roads, and the federal government, over the same period, spent about $180m.
Mrs Miller: On the national highways.
Ms LAWRIE: We are spending more than twice what the federal government is currently spending on our roads. I hear the shadow minister and I pick up on the interjection ‘on our national highways’. I say to the shadow minister: we are all here to get the best we can for Territorians and we cannot ignore the catch-up we need to make on the Territory road network. It is an issue of national significance. We are significant primary producers. We are a major transport hub. Just 23% of our road network is sealed. If you think for one minute the Territory government, on its own, can fund sealing of the network to the extent that is required, you are kidding yourself, shadow minister. You are kidding yourself.
Have a meeting with the Cattlemen’s Association. Have a meeting with the Australian Trucking Association. They, too, will tell you that they are knocking on the door of the Transport minister in Canberra saying: ‘Fund our Territory roads’. I will absolutely, shoulder to shoulder, join them in that call. We need more money for our beef roads; we need more money for our roads of significance, such as the Tanami Highway. In the shadow minister’s view, the federal government has no responsibility for the Tanami. I disagree. It is a road of national significance for Australia, and they should fund improvements to the Tanami. I have been corresponding with Jim Lloyd on our roads. In relation to the Outback Way, the latest correspondence was my letter to him saying:
- I understand from your correspondence that you will be re-allocating the balance of the original agreement, being some $740 000, to other sections of the Outback Way in adjoining states. I urge you to reconsider this, particularly given your government’s 22% reduction in AusLink maintenance funding.
The Territory has met its commitment of $3.74m in eligible matching funding under the Outback Way Funding Agreement.
I have also written to the Minister for Transport about Tiger Brennan Drive saying that we will match the federal government 50-50 on the current costs to build the Tiger Brennan extension. I will be having this conversation just after sittings with the federal Transport minister and I believe it is inherently important in that project to include grade separation. The volume of traffic anticipated for the Tiger Brennan extension requires grade separation, a flyover. The federal government is currently saying ‘re-scope it, put in some traffic lights, job is done’. Well, wrong. It would be unsafe and it would be foolish for a government to do that.
Trucks using the Tiger Brennan extension to access the port require appropriate grade separation for safety reasons let alone the traffic congestion that will arise from the proposal that Jim Lloyd recently put to me when he said: ‘No, we are just going to fund that portion of the Tiger Brennan extension that we are on the record as saying we would fund, and no more’.
The argument continues, shadow minister so watch this space. Whilst I am Transport minister I will continue to fight for the construction of Tiger Brennan, and the Territory government is saying: ‘We will fund our half. We are going to fund our half. It is time that Canberra stick its hand in its $15bn surplus pocket and gives some of that funding to the Territory’. Instead of getting that, we get the Canberra’s apologists’ view trotted out by the shadow minister for Transport. I will not be taking her with me to Canberra because I do not want someone sitting there at the table saying: ‘Do not give the Territory any more money, we are happy with what we got’. That is a crazy argument.
I am very happy to continue to work with the Cattlemen’s Association and the Australian Trucking Association because we have a partnership view on this. We have a shared view. The Territory government, the Cattlemen’s Association and the Australian Trucking Association agree on where we need additional roads funding from the Commonwealth government. I will keep knocking on the door of the federal government in Canberra with their $15bn surplus to fight for funds for the Territory, funds to which we are entitled.
I have strayed from bus transport for a moment to respond to the bizarre views of the shadow minister in terms fighting for more money for Territory roads.
In closing, I thank all members in the Chamber for their contributions to this debate. I particularly thank our bus drivers who are out there every day providing a fantastic service to our commuters, both our urban and school bus services in the Top End and Alice Springs. There is a body of work still to be done on bus transport. If we get our public transport systems right, we will increase patronage of those systems, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and provide better opportunities for commuters. There is a real need with the growth of Darwin, Palmerston, the Darwin rural area and Alice Springs, particularly its rural area subdivision, to continue to improve our public transport system.
I am privileged to be the minister for Transport in what I see as a blue sky moment for the Territory, in looking at our public transport needs through the next five, 10 and 15 years. I have terrific people in the agency, in the Transport Division of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure who have a great body of expertise and knowledge. We also rely on other expertise, such as Booz Allen Hamilton, to look at how we meet our public transport needs for the future. I thank all members of the Chamber for their contributions to this debate.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement - Tackling the Misuse and Abuse of Alcohol in the Northern Territory
Note Statement - Tackling the Misuse and Abuse of Alcohol in the Northern Territory
Continued from 14 February 2007.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Mr Deputy Speaker, as we know, alcohol abuse can cripple entire communities. The Martin Labor government has made a significant investment in combating the impact of drugs and alcohol on our community. We have been tackling alcohol abuse in a very coordinated way in a whole-of-government campaign. The Department of Justice has its Alcohol Courts and the antisocial behaviour legislation. The police target hot spots with community patrols, 10 additional Aboriginal Community Police Officers and two additional patrol vehicles. Racing, Gaming and Licensing oversees the implementation of the Alcohol Framework and, importantly, those Alcohol Management Plans. Local Government has worked in Community Harmony and, importantly, has the Town Camp Task Force.
As Minister for Family and Community Services, I oversee treatment and rehabilitation programs. Our commitment to tackling the problem is very clear. A clear commitment to reducing the incidence of public drunkenness and related antisocial behaviour and its impact on our community is something that the Martin Labor government has pursued. The Alcohol and Other Drugs Division within my department was allocated $20.8m in the 2006-07 budget, some 79% more than the $11.5m under the previous CLP governments.
Dr Burns: Can you repeat that please, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: Some 79% more than the $11.5m under the CLP …
Ms Carney: Gee, that GST is beautiful. It is just mmmm, which you opposed.
Ms LAWRIE: I note the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition. She says the GST is beautiful. May I say the government is always confronted with choices on how to direct its funding. What this 79% increase in the funding into Alcohol and Other Drugs Division clearly shows that we have very clearly made the attack on alcohol and drug consumption in our community a key priority of our government.
This year, we are providing some $10.6m in grants to non-government organisations to provide alcohol and other drug treatment services. The problems are enormous and far-reaching, but I am pleased to hear from the minister for Licensing that successes are emerging to show that our strategies are working, particularly in Central Australia, where we have seen the consumption of pure alcohol down by 11%, fewer hospital presentations for alcohol-related injuries, less disruption in town camps, and apprehensions for protective custody down by 50%. These wins translate to real improvements in people’s lives. It is really heartening to know that our focus is starting - and I emphasise starting - to make a difference. We all know that there is still much more to be done.
I take this opportunity in debate to recognise the non-government organisations which are at the coalface of delivering important assessment, counselling, rehabilitation, and diversion programs. Amity House is funded $408 000 from my department for its assessment, counselling and referral service and its drink driver coordination service. I have had the privilege of working with Amity on many occasions, and hearing from them the change in practice and delivery in the sector. I thank the staff of Amity House for their tireless work and the significant advice they provide me.
Centrecare, under the umbrella of the Catholic Church, does a fantastic job, with some $698 000-plus in funding for an urban family assessment service, counselling, referrals, and community education. They also have important remote prevention and intervention services. CAAPS is funded for some $337 000-plus and provides social support and a withdrawal and case management service. Importantly, they also provide a residential rehabilitation service for volatile substance abusers.
FORWAARD receives in excess of $580 000 in funding for a non-residential assessment, counselling and referral service, as well as a residential service. The Foster Foundation at Banyan House is getting some $378 000-plus for a drug rehabilitation and short treatment and drug withdrawal service. Gunbalanya Community Government Council is getting $36 000-odd for their volatile substance program. Mission Australia receives $540 000-plus for the Darwin sobering-up shelter and, importantly, the Palmerston Youth Beat. The Salvation Army, which does a fantastic job, receives $234 000-plus for what they call their Bridge Program. That also includes two withdrawal beds. Turning Points Alcohol and Drug Centre gets $50 000-plus for a telephone information service. In addition, Alcohol and Other Drugs Services are funded $1.3m for a specialist medical withdrawal opiate pharmacotherapy and counselling service based at the hospital.
In Alice Springs, Tangentyere Council received $470 000-plus in a remote area night patrol coordinated and a community day patrol. CAAAPU received $413 000 for an outreach referral of a residential treatment program, and the Central Australian Congress received $250 000 in youth programs.
DASA, which does a fine job in Central Australia, received $1.4m for residential rehabilitation in both the VSA, the sobering-up shelter, withdrawal and counselling services, and they auspice an excellent program called Bush Mob which is an outreach case management and treatment service. Holyoak received $219 000 for non-residential assessment counselling and community education.
Ilpurla Aboriginal Corporation received $27 000 for their volatile substance abuse program; Mt Theo for their fantastic programs received $20 000-plus; Mutitjulu received $46 000 for their volatile substance abuse program; and Alcohol and Other Drug Services in Central Australia received $1.1m for their specialist medical withdrawal opiate pharmacotherapy and counselling.
In Katherine, the main services there are Kalano which received $364 000 for a residential rehabilitation program and community patrol as well. Mission Australia are doing a fantastic job, they are in Katherine, and received $400 000-plus in their sobering-up shelter. In Tennant Creek, Anyinginyi received $86 000-odd for an after care case management coordination program; BRADAAG, the fantastic sobering-up shelter and residential rehabilitation in Tennant Creek received $500 000-plus in funding, and Julalikari Youth Development is doing a fantastic job with funding of more than $200 000 in their youth diversionary and their night patrol.
At East Arnhem, Mission Australia is now established and received new funding of $730 000 to provide counselling, rehabilitation, sobering-up shelter and a community patrol.
The work of these and other organisations throughout the Territory to combat alcohol abuse absolutely needs to be afforded. As I said, they are at the coalface of service delivery. It is the dedication and the hard work of the staff at these non-government organisations, in terms of their counselling and their ability to work through the referral services, their rehabilitation, their sobering-up shelters and the linkages between these that keep the hope alive that we can reform the lives of chronic alcoholics across the Territory. They are a key element to every bit of work we do as a government to try to combat the scourge of alcohol in our communities, right across our communities, be they urban, regional or remote. I wholeheartedly thank the non-government organisations for their work.
I will continue to try to work with the Commonwealth government in terms of the map of alcohol rehabilitation. I have flagged in the past my concerns that minister Brough says he has funding available for rehabilitation centres. I have said to him …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, I draw attention to the state of the House.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ring the bells. A quorum is present. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and the lone member of the opposition. Maybe we will call her the lone ranger.
As I was saying, I will continue to advocate for the Territory’s needs in terms of alcohol rehabilitation services and continue to try to get the responsible minister, minister Brough, to listen to some significant work done by officers in my agency to identify service delivery, growth and requirements. Certainly, it is not in the area of bricks and mortar. Beds are available. CAAAPU is a classic example in Alice Springs. We have sufficient beds there for rehabilitation. It is about the nature of programs and the nature of services being provided. We have some capacity building to do in our service delivery area there. I am happy to engage minister Brough about the funding he has available, but I really do believe that we need a range of services available across the Territory, not just bricks and mortar in Alice Springs. We have bricks and mortar in Alice Springs. This government is spending significant funding in capital works this year to improve the bricks and mortar in Alice Springs.
True rehabilitation services are about the nature and options of treatment, the follow-up to treatment, and the services that you can provide in that important follow-up phase. That is where I would like to engage minister Brough to look at spending some of the new dollars that he says he has to spend in alcohol rehabilitation.
I will continue to have officers of my agency who are experts in this area engage with officers of FaCSIA, the Australian government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Officers of FaCSIA understand the evidence we have put forward about how the new money could be spent wisely. The blockage is at the political level. Curiously, every attempt to engage minister Brough goes unanswered. The man does not see the need to meet with the minister responsible for alcohol rehabilitation in the Territory. I will never stop asking for that meeting because it is such a critical area. I will be ensuring that we are doing everything we can do.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister for his statement.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a topic that is close to everyone’s heart because we are all affected in one way or other within our communities by the abuse of alcohol. It is interesting that most government speakers so far have talked about the problem and how they are addressing it. We are talking about millions and millions of dollars being spent on trying to fix the problems of alcohol abuse within our communities. I wonder whether we are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted instead of trying to look at it before the horse has bolted. Perhaps we should be concentrating more on intervention and prevention rather than trying to fix it later.
The alcohol restrictions introduced in Alice Springs three months ago have had good and bad effects. Feedback so far has been that there has been a lessening of heavy alcohol consumption, but there is growth in the consumption of beer which means the people drinking it are not getting as drunk so quickly. We are hearing lots of talk about people being humbugged for more money to purchase more alcohol and it seems to be affecting many of the Aboriginal families in public housing. It is a shame that alcohol has that effect on families because that is not what alcohol is meant to be. Alcohol is mean to be a social drink. Most people in this parliament would probably drink alcohol and not abuse it any way.
There was a meeting the other night in Alice Springs about the application to make Alice a dry town. I am one of the people who speak against that the same way as I am against putting a curfew on young people. All we seem to be doing is creating this terrible image about the town when in fact the majority of residents are good citizens and do not abuse the law or abuse alcohol in that way.
The mayor keeps referring to her trip to Port Augusta and saying what a great transformation it has been in Port Augusta. In fact, recent news reports indicate that the so-called transformation is not as great as everyone is led to believe and perhaps Port Augusta is not the ideal model for us. They still have their issues with litter, humbug and antisocial behaviour, which is not something that we want to see repeated continually in Alice Springs.
Some of the comments made at the meeting the other night were interesting, and there were arguments for and against the notion of a dry town. If it is a dry town, people were concerned about the drinking being pushed into town camps and public housing, where most Aboriginal people live.
At the moment, the town camps are under special purpose leases so they would have to apply for separate legislation to be declared dry. In the meantime, there could be a great deal of damage done to those families living in the camps if Alice Springs was declared dry. I believe we really have to sensible about this and ask: is this solving the problem? Is saying we are a dry town going to help the drinkers? Is that going to help the damage that is being done by alcohol? It may give people a warm, fuzzy feeling and they may think that, by labelling it in this way, we are making it a safer place but, in fact, we are probably not. We are just moving the alcohol consumption somewhere else.
Some of the people involved in Aboriginal housing made some very emotive comments at that meeting. They felt sorry for the kids who are stuck with drinking families. The Alice Springs Town Council, perhaps, is not thinking of the impact upon these children. Although people are not drinking the wines, they have moved into heavy beer and, interestingly, heavy beer is costing them more than when they were drinking the casks. Because it is costing them more, and they need to drink more beer to get the same effect when drinking wine, they are now using up the money that is meant to be for their families for food, shelter and for clothing for liquor.
We have noticed a shift in people waiting for outlets to open. Before these restrictions, if you went to end of the mall before 2 pm, you would see large numbers of people hanging around waiting for the outlets to open. They have now moved to the Northside shops. It is interesting, because the Northside shops previously did not sell 4 litre casks but now they sell beer, and there seems to be a bit of a trend to put beer on special, and there seems to be more of it. What is happening is that we are getting the antisocial behaviour moving to the Northside shops and the shopkeepers are getting very angry about it. The problem of litter, glass and cans is very real. We have had some of our seniors in gophers who have punctured their wheels and, unfortunately, cannot fix them. Thankfully, one of the tyre companies in Alice Springs has helped out on occasions.
We have many children who ride their bikes to school along that path, and they have to go past all the glass, litter and cans. There was even a bottle up in a tree the other day. They have obviously been thrown everywhere. It is becoming quite a dangerous situation. As the minister pointed out in answer to the question I asked her, it is costing the government quite a bit more to clean up that area. They get out there about 5.30 pm and sweep that path, but they cannot pick up the glass. The prisoners in the working parties picking up litter cannot pick up the glass because it is a work health and safety issue. So we have a problem that we did not have before.
One of our solutions, and this was raised at the meeting the other night, is: why not introduce CDL? Kids love to get money for that. It is also a way of them getting money to buy food, and that was coming from an Aboriginal man. There seemed to be a bit of a trend from the mayor saying the NT government must give us money to cope with our problems, but nowhere through all these notes that were taken at that meeting do I hear what Alice Springs Town Council is going to do to assist.
Although the volume of hard alcohol is down, although protective custody numbers are down, shelter figures are down, there are parts of it which are not good. What we are not seeing, and we are not being able to gauge, is the number of families who have been disrupted by the shift in alcohol. We really do not know how much more it has pushed the drinking back into the public houses or into the town camps. We really cannot gauge the effect on the children. Are they being more disadvantaged or not?
As I said, I am not in favour of a dry town. We have to start looking beyond that. The millions and millions of dollars that the government is talking about, and we just heard the minister for Community Services talk about the amount of money she is putting into the problem, why don’t we redirect some of that back into the communities? If the communities were good places to live, people would not want to come into town. Where is the entertainment? There are some good communities which really do not even have the support they need to keep going with their basketball at night, or a decent oval, or a social centre, or a women’s centre or something like that. If we put some of those millions back into the community, people would not see the need to come to town.
At the meeting about the Dalgety Road dongas the other day, the Chairman of the CLC, who was from Bonya, said: ‘The more you put these in town, the more you are going to attract my people to come into town. I do not want them to come into town because, basically, then they get into trouble’. When town is the attraction and the community is not, you have that conflict between family responsibilities and culture. There is a whole generation, maybe even two, of Aboriginal people who are losing their family values and much of their culture. I am not sure how the leadership in Aboriginal communities will continue once the older generation pass on. It seems to me that many of the middle-aged bulk are destroying themselves and their families by drinking grog too much. Aboriginal people will have to start saying to themselves: ‘What are we doing to our people? We must stop them from harming themselves’. That is quite often the message you get: ‘Do not encourage them to come into town. Do not encourage them to come to the bright lights’. Let us make it better within their communities.
There are many ways it could be done. There are many small organisations which do individual good things around communities but, quite often, they do not get the support they need. There does not seem to be that cooperative effort from everyone to do that.
When you think about it, we made the law in 1964 or 1967 when Aboriginal people got the right to drink. Then, in 1980 or 1981, this parliament introduced dry areas legislation. On one hand, we say to Aboriginal people: ‘You can drink’, and on the other, we say: ‘But you cannot drink in your own home’. What alternatives do Aboriginal people have? How many of us would travel hundreds of kilometres just to have a beer? I doubt it, because we can do it in our own house. How many of us would want to buy a carton of beer and sit under a tree and drink it until it is all gone, even though it gets hot in the meantime? That is the situation we have forced Aboriginal people into; they do not have an alternative. Okay, they could go to the pub, but not many of them feel comfortable going into the pub in Alice Springs. So, where can they drink? If we do not want Aboriginal people to drink, we should say so. If we do want them to drink, we should at least give them an alternative way of drinking in a socially responsible way.
At the moment, I feel as though they are in this cycle and it is so hard to break the cycle that is spiralling downwards. We can keep putting on restrictions but, no matter how many restrictions, how many services, how many rules we put in, there will always be those people who will continue to break and flaunt those rules.
I would like to see the government put some of the millions they are putting into these services and these different groups back into the communities. It would make a huge difference to many of these communities if they had good sporting and recreation activities, social centres, women’s centres, employment and training opportunities, and good infrastructure. Too often it is too hard, there are too many, and other things take over. Instead, we continue, as a government, to treat this problem after the damage has been done, trying to patch it up rather than being proactive at the coalface. I say to government: even though what you are doing is good, we need to change our thinking. We are locked into this idea that we have to provide sobering-up shelters, rehabilitation courses, alcohol courts - you name it, we have the lot – legislation. In fact, what we are doing is treating the alcohol problem after it has occurred. We should be talking about how we can teach people to drink sensibly, the right way to drink, the same way you and I are able to drink our alcohol.
Aboriginal people are going to end up wondering in 50 years time where all their people are. We are killing so many Aboriginal people. So many women are being bashed and children being harmed, but we still do not seem to be addressing it.
If I suggest that we should have social clubs, and that is why I call them social centres, on remote communities there will be an outcry. I understand why the good women out there and some of the good men, and good families do not want it there but you do not always have to have alcohol in a social club. You can have all sorts of other activities to gather people together. If we know that the Aboriginal communities have that good feeling of belonging, then that is what we should be providing. I can recall a long time ago, visiting - I think it was Brunette Downs Station - and there were many examples of social areas, but all the ringers used to come in at the end of the day to the social club. Some drank and some did not. There was always a limit of two cans, or something like that. It was a place where you sat down and there was a lot of talk and laughter, and exchanging of ideas, and they had their meal there.
We do not seem to provide that opportunity for Aboriginal families in communities. We leave them out there to their own devices, and then when they say: ‘I am going to town’, their families do not want them to come to town. They get into town and that is when they go down. We say we are going to fix it up now. I say, let us fix it up earlier. Let us start putting some of those millions back in. Talk to some of those Aboriginal communities. Ask them what they would need, what they would like, to keep their people there.
It is all very fine for the mayor to have this meeting with the town people talking about a dry town. Has she talked to any of the communities around Alice Springs where these people come from? Has she asked them what they need; how we can help; why are you coming into town; how come when you get into the cycle you cannot break it and get back? Are these services like Back to Country, the day and night patrols, really working, or are they just pretend tokenism?
I would like government to have a good look at the services it is providing. Have a good talk to the people out on communities and ask them what they need to make their life better, and let us stop putting more and more restrictions, which to me is not the right way to go.
I understand, minister, what you are trying to do, but I suggest that we think broader. We do not just think down departmental lines; that we think from a people’s point of view and try to come up with the answers that will give answers for our people who need them most. Alice Springs, Katherine and many other towns are suffering from the antisocial behaviour by people who abuse alcohol. We have to start saying let’s try to fix this problem before it has started.
Minister, in your summing up, I would like you to tell us what you can do. Will you go out and listen to Aboriginal people in the communities? Even go one by one through the communities? Do not try to do too much at once. See how you can make it a better place, and what we can do to fix this cycle that many of these people have got into.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to support the great work our government is doing to address and reduce the high level of alcohol harm and disruption that has been a feature of our social landscape since seemingly time immemorial.
Debates on alcohol-related harm and disruption within our community have, in one form or another ...
Ms Carney: It is good you are talking on this. It is really good to hear you talking on this.
Mr KIELY: … have been going on …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Carney: What, with your alcohol difficulties and all. You know, that one in the past.
Mr KIELY: … in this place well before any of us, and I include members of government …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition, your interjections in reference to the member for Sanderson are in breach of Standing Order 62(1). That is my ruling. If you wilfully …
Ms Carney: I just have to refresh my memory, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, it is about offensive and unbecoming words. If you wilfully persist with it, we will move to Standing Order 239 and 240A.
Ms Carney: Hang on, sorry. 239?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: 239 and 240A.
Ms CARNEY: Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have an opportunity? 239.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, this is just a comment to you, okay. I warn …
Ms CARNEY: Is that your ruling, Mr Deputy Speaker?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a …
Ms CARNEY: I move dissent from the ruling of the Chair, thanks, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Will you put it in writing? You need to put it in writing.
Ms CARNEY: I will indeed. I will indeed.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson …
Ms Carney: Because to distort the facts is extraordinary.
Mr KIELY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will pick up on the interjections because I have been getting them for the last week. The Leader of the Opposition has been trying to bait me, and I expect that she will keep doing this. When you look at the rank hypocrisy of her comments when she was at the Masters Games…
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please resume your seat. Leader of the Opposition?
Ms CARNEY: We are not talking about a point of order. He seems to having something to say about your ruling, Mr Deputy Speaker. I ask that what you have done to the opposition you do to your own members.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Member for Sanderson, please resume your speech and please try to stick to the subject at hand.
Mr KIELY: I will, thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. She is very sensitive about things.
As I was saying, debates on alcohol-related harm and disruption within our community have, in one form or another, been going on in this place well before any of us, and I include the Leader of the Opposition, opposition members, government members and the Independents.
The community is very cynical when it hears the claptrap coming from CLP members that seemingly beginning from the period that the people of the Northern Territory turfed out the CLP government in 2001 has the misuse and abuse of alcohol somehow become a problem for Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. The sheer audacity of the members opposite to attempt to rewrite history and claim that for the 27 years before 2001, we all lived in an alcoholic utopia where people drank as much as they wanted and went peacefully home to sleep, shows the continued contempt the CLP has to this day in the ability of the community to know and understand what the true situation is.
We all know that the view of the CLP’s Territory utopia never existed. In my brief time in the Territory, and it is only from 1985, I can readily recollect newspaper headlines during the 1980s of riots in Port Keats, drunken fights in Cavenagh Street when the clubs closed at 3, 4 or 5am, fights at the footie, domestic violence in our suburbs, murders and rapes, house break-ins, and the road carnage, which, in the main, an element of alcohol abuse or misuse was a contributing feature.
It is important that we reflect on what the CLP did to address increasing community dysfunction from the high level of alcohol consumption and related harm and disruption. They reduced the operational efficiency of the police service and nearly crippled its ability to do any effective proactive programs in regard to alcohol-related dysfunction by freezing recruitment in the 1990s. The knock-on effect of the CLP strategy, which I might say they have never had the guts to reveal to the community, is something we still feel today.
In education, not one student being educated in their homelands was ever supported to graduate at the Year 12 level. How could families ever hope to break the cycle of disadvantage that is so readily associated with alcohol abuse when the CLP government knowingly and willingly turned their back on this need?
The Martin Labor government is working on correcting this great disadvantage to a significant sector of our community, but so much was the neglect by the CLP that it will take a significant period of time and resources. We have the will to turn the situation around.
I could go on about the health system under the CLP and how much more could have been done, how much more should have been done, and how much they refused to do to help address the effects of alcohol misuse and abuse in our society. I believe their shameful record is well known.
I acknowledge the good work and innovation that surrounded the Living with Alcohol program, but all of this became overshadowed by the lazy and cynical way they dropped the ball following the High Court ruling against the cask and heavy beer levy leading to this funding stream drying up.
I also vividly remember the former member for Drysdale, who was the last CLP Health Minister, appearing on Lateline and his embarrassing performance defending the CLP’s reluctance to place a renal dialysis unit in Tennant Creek.
The CLP has made much noise about neighbours from hell over the last number of years and now, according to them, this type of thing never, ever happened in their Territory. What utter rubbish that is. I can tell members that well before the minister for Health and Police, the member for Johnston, and I even thought of standing for the Legislative Assembly, back in the mid-1990s, we used to do a bread run on a Monday night for St Vincent’s to the homes of people who were on welfare and did not have any money to buy fresh bread. A casual observation was all that I needed to understand that some of these homes suffered under the impact of relatives and friends coming in from bush and staying there while some of the visitors got into the grog, to a level we would recognise as excessive or abusive. I could readily accept that at times these places would have erupted and probably cause great distress to their immediate neighbours, and most certainly not add to the overall amenity of the neighbourhood.
Did the CLP do anything to address this growing problem in our urban communities? In short, no. They claim they had laws, but nothing was done. There was not enough trained staff and it was all too hard given the cutbacks to the public service from infamous CLP de-funding policies given euphemistic names like the Estimates Review Committee, otherwise known as the Razor Gang, in 1991, and the Planning for Growth, better known as Pruning for Growth, at the end of the decade.
Contrast that CLP approach to dealing with so-called neighbours from hell and what we in the Martin Labor government are doing now to help our community address dysfunctionality in our suburbs caused through misuse and abuse of alcohol by people living or visiting houses owned by Territory Housing.
Early last year, we introduced the Antisocial Behaviour Bill. This bill allowed amendments to the Liquor Act to allow a private premise to be declared a ‘restricted premises’ under the act. The provision works by allowing an owner or occupier to apply to the Liquor Commission for a declaration that the premises are restricted premises. This means that Territory Housing is now in a position to help tenants stop problem drinkers coming into their homes and disturbing, not only the peace of the householder, but also neighbours.
The CLP has canned this initiative and done nothing at all to support the community in really tackling problem drinkers in the suburbs. I bet London to a brick that they do not even tell constituents who come through their electorate doors of this effective tool to deal with troublesome drinking houses. Shame on CLP members.
In the time I have left, I would like to walk members through a case study in my electorate of what we did as a community to address a matter of public disruption caused by groups of individuals drinking – speak up, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: You have been in power for six years. I would like to hear some positive stuff from you. I have heard all that before. Whether I agree or not is another issue. Give me something positive on alcohol.
Mr KIELY: Well, stick around! It gets better, stick around. I am glad you are in to hear it.
Mr Wood: I am but, you know, you can take so much of it.
Mr KIELY: Well, listen! If you would stop interjecting you would hear it.
Mr Wood: Go on, move on; tell us what you are going to do.
Mr KIELY: It is what I have done. It is what I have done, Gerry, and it is something that you might want to do instead of being …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please direct your remarks through the Chair.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, please stop interrupting the member.
Mr KIELY: He is just a little feisty, he is okay. I understand Gerry; he does not do much but he means well.
In Sanderson, at the Northlakes Shopping Centre, we had a situation where we had a crowd of people who were gathering on the verge between the service road and the main road. They would meet and after a while they got into the grog and they were drinking. They were purchasing liquor from the local outlets. For a while it was a peaceful gathering but, after some time, the alcohol took over. You would get antisocial behaviour which would lead to yelling and sometimes fights. You would also have people from the drinking crowd going into the local walkway and using that area to urinate in. People would also be sleeping and rolling out their, not so much swags, but perhaps an old mattress underneath the trees. This action by this crowd of people was upsetting the amenity of the neighbourhood. People would be walking from the Northlakes shops, cutting across over to the service road to this laneway, and they would be getting humbugged by people for money or for cigarettes. They would also find themselves in the middle of the crowd, sometimes when it was erupting into fights or arguments.
I had people come to my office to complain about this activity. They complained that they were reporting it to the police but nothing seemed to be happening and asking what was going on. I doorknocked the street and met with all the people who live along that service road, and also around the streets at the back of it, and I spoke to the shop owners about the situation. There was a range of views, but it became pretty clear that there were drinking camps being set up on the verge. I also had the pleasure of talking to the groups of people who were there. When I told them what the situation was, how people were complaining, they said: ‘It is not necessarily us. We are sitting here. We are just sitting down. We are visiting some people down the road here. But, there are others who come in and join the group, intermittently, who are drinkers and they are the ones causing the trouble’. One old man said: ‘We know about the litter, but we have nowhere to put it. If you could give us a hand, we will clean it up’. I got some heavy duty litter bags and they did just as they said they would do. They picked up all the litter and put it in the bins. That is because I talked to these people and treated them like humans and told them the issue. That is how they did it.
However, we still have some drinking problems there. I put out a letter to the residents around the area, and I will table it. In essence, it was an outline of the strategy that I intended to employ, which was to meet with police and Territory Housing because we had become aware that there is a house down the street which was getting a lot of visitors, which is a drinking house. We talked to Territory Housing, the police, local aldermen and members of Neighbourhood Watch, as well as the people in street, about what the situation was and what we could do. We had that community meeting and it was good.
Territory Housing undertook to work more closely with tenants of Territory Housing properties where antisocial behaviour has been identified by neighbours as a cause of concern in order modify the tenants’ behaviour as well as that of the visitors.
The NT Police will continually monitor the situation in the course of routine patrolling; inform and educate local residents of what restricted premises means in relation to alcohol management; and antisocial and criminal behaviour reduction strategies. The police also encourage residents to report alleged antisocial or criminal behaviours.
Darwin City Council agreed that they would clean the laneway between McMillans Road and Britannia Crescent and would seek funding to install lights in the laneway.
I undertook to speak to the liquor outlets around the place about complying with the Liquor Licensing Act and to be more vigilant, if they have drunks in, to stay within the letter of the law.
The meeting concluded and they were pretty happy with that. I am pleased to say that everyone did as they said they would. Territory Housing and the police, I believe, went to the particular house in the area where drinking was going on. The tenants wanted to make it a restricted premise, and they helped them go through the paperwork to make the premises restricted. The people who were drinking at the main road understood what was going on in the neighbourhood and they ceased their behaviour. In the end, we did not have to heavy, we did not have to monster, we did not have to stomp. We used the legislative framework and the policies that this government has been working on. We achieved a good outcome where everyone felt like something was achieved, and that goes for the people who were drinking on the verge, to the houses, and to the restricted premises. We have not had that situation return for some two full months and I am pretty happy with it.
The member for Nelson was saying: ‘Come on, we have heard you rubbish the CLP and what they did not do. Let us hear about what you and this government are doing’. Well, you have heard from the ministers of the various portfolios of how they work with the Alcohol Framework. You have heard how the government has introduced that. Member for Nelson, here is what a local member can do to address the situation. You say: ‘Let us hear some positives’. That is a positive. That is how it can be managed in the suburbs. That is how it is managed out my way.
Contrast that with what is going on in an opposition seat, and I will bet you it is all mayhem because they will not get out or use the strategy that this government has made for all Territorians; they will not inform their constituents about the ability to address it. They will not do anything positive to tackle it. They would rather bag the government, bag the people whose behaviour it is; do everything to blame the poor old victim. They will not do anything constructive.
Madam Speaker, I commend the government. I commend the government members for doing the things that I do. I condemn the laziness and the opportunism of the CLP members. I know they are not doing anything to assist their people address this situation which is, unfortunately, all too common throughout our suburbs.
Ms Carney: What nonsense! You just cannot help yourself. That is why you get yourself into trouble.
Mr KIELY: Not like you, eh? You are in trouble.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment, member for Sanderson.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from the Leader of the Opposition a motion of dissent from a ruling of the chair. I have considered the matters leading up to the issue and advise that as the Deputy Speaker was dealing with a matter of order, it does not constitute a ruling from which there could be dissent.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on tackling the misuse and abuse of alcohol in the Northern Territory. The economic and social costs are staggering. Just earlier this week in media reports we hear that on average every 38 hours an indigenous Australian dies as a result of alcohol. If we look at that every 38 hours, we are talking about every second day that an indigenous Australian dies. Every second day. Millions of dollars are spent here on dealing with alcohol-related harm and nearly $7m is committed to treatment services. This year, $2.36m has been committed to sobering-up shelters and still we need more support for those in our community who know no other way but drinking. The impact on families is deeply disturbing and unfortunately an endless cycle, as we have heard previously.
Our harmful drinking patterns in the Northern Territory mean we are almost 80% more likely than other Australians to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health. I have to repeat the statistics the minister spoke of in the statement because they are absolutely staggering. The statistics of how many Territorians are hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions in 2005 to 2006 – 6800 Territorians. If we look at our gaols, 24 927 people were placed into protective custody; some 65% of prisoners are gaoled for alcohol-related offences.
As the member for Arnhem I am acutely aware that it is the indigenous people in my constituency who are deeply affected, almost 24/7. As one of six Aboriginal members of this parliament I know only too well that I do not need to see or hear statistics to know how alcohol, when not managed effectively, takes negative control over the lives of Aboriginal people and our families, the negative control that has a compounding impact on the general community, and the wider community. We are talking about places right along the Stuart Highway, from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek to Katherine, right here in Darwin across to Nhulunbuy. Every town in the Northern Territory is talking about alcohol. Every individual has some story that they can relate to their local MLAs, to the committees, and the management plan discussions that are taking place right across the Northern Territory. Everyone has a story to share.
Let me share with this House how visits to the Royal Darwin Hospital have become a way of life for me and indeed, I am sure, for my colleagues especially those in the bush seats. It is not unusual to get a phone call alerting me that another family member, or someone I know in Arnhem Land, is arriving on the air medical plane to be taken to the Intensive Care Unit at RDH. The phone calls are usually late at night from a clinic where families have gathered to share their despair at yet another family member suffering from severe bruisings or bashings from alcohol-related domestic disputes. As recently as only a week ago, I received one of those phone calls. The young woman is fighting for her life but already liver damage from excessive alcohol has set in, not to forget that she has two broken bones in her arms believed to have been caused in a domestic dispute. You only need to talk to the medical staff right across the Northern Territory and they will tell you it is not unusual to see similar patients in similar circumstances.
This year already, families in the Gulf have had four funerals and we are only six weeks into the year. Let me remind the House that very rarely do victims in our remote communities not know the offender as many of the cases our hospitals deal with are domestic violence-related cases, which makes the healing process that much more difficult because it is someone close to you.
Ask any person in a community their story, and they will tell you - and I do not mean just remote communities. Madam Speaker, you will have a story to tell in Nightcliff. Everyone has a story to tell regarding alcohol; the negative impact and the way it has crippled our social way of life for all people in the Northern Territory. The social damage is so severe that all people, organisations and political leaders know that immediate and effective action is required. Not just action, but determined leadership by those across all sectors of the Northern Territory community.
It is here that I focus specifically on the leaders in our communities across the Territory, and in particular families who struggle to cope with the issues and the problems surrounding alcohol. It is action and leadership that our government is extremely committed to. I know this for a fact because I have a community in Arnhem Land that is making great progress in dealing with the issue of alcohol.
As part of our government’s initiative in assisting communities in tackling the alcohol issues, we support the establishment of alcohol management plans. In 2005-06, $94 000 was committed to the development of such plans. A further $110 000 has been allocated for this purpose in the current financial year, along with $137 500 to assist in implementation.
It is here that I would like to highlight the efforts of residents on Groote Eylandt. It took up to two years for Groote traditional owners, residents, police, health and the mining company, GEMCO, to draw up an alcohol management plan with which they all agreed. The permit system on Groote allows takeaway sales to be monitored and managed. Now, nearly two years later, the plan has been so successful that it is being cited as a model to be considered by other communities.
There have been some dramatic reductions in alcohol-related incidents attended by police and the health clinic, especially after hours, and there have been decreased levels of family violence and a reduction in absenteeism in the Aboriginal workforce at GEMCO. GEMCO’s figures show that Aboriginal employees previously were running on an average of 7.1% sick leave, but from July 2005 to now, the same employees are averaging 2.4% sick leave. Families on Groote have told me how their own lives have changed for the better. They do not get any humbug and they can sleep better at night. Drink driving offences have dropped from 20 in the year prior to the implementation of the plan to four in the first year of operation. I would like to reiterate the statement of this percentage, which I know the minister clearly identified twice in his statement: aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. I will repeat it, minister: aggravated assaults on Groote Eylandt have fallen by 80% since 2003.
When we consider that recent statistics show that the Northern Territory has the highest homicide rate in comparison with other states in Australia, this is a fantastic outcome for Groote Eylandt. I would like to digress a little on our homicide rate and the incidence of alcohol in the homicide rate. I quote:
- The Northern Territory with the highest proportion of indigenous inhabitants also recorded the highest proportion of indigenous homicide victims. Almost three in five male victims and all the female victims in the Northern Territory were indigenous.
These are statistics that come from the Australian Institute of Criminology and they deal in detail with victims in the Northern Territory and right across Australia. On that basis alone, we can look at what is happening at Groote Eylandt and say: ‘This is something extremely positive’ and it gives an insight, however small, into the future that we can have in all of our communities from Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, right up here to Darwin, and in all the communities surrounding those places. Groote Eylandt gives the insight. It still has its problems in other areas in trying to work through the issues of its permit system, but those statistics alone certainly give governments, departments and individuals a great deal of optimism in trying to find a way forward.
I commend the Anindilyakwa Land Council for showing effective and courageous leadership in tackling the problem on Groote, and the Angurugu, Umbakumba and Bickerton communities for the support they give to the Alcohol Management Plan. It is that kind of support that ensures such a high success rate on Groote Eylandt. They know only too well the damage grog does to Aboriginal people, not only on Groote, but on the surrounding communities across the Northern Territory.
Having laid the foundations for improving the lifestyle of all people on Groote Eylandt, the Anindilyakwa Land Council can now focus firmly on raising employment for Groote Eylandters through the building and running of its $18m tourist resort, as well as employment at GEMCO. I would like to mention a good word for the Groote Eylandt Police, under the leadership of both Dean McMaster and Steve Pfitzner.
Yes, the legal issues, which I know the minister has outlined in his statement in regards to Nhulunbuy, of the Alcohol Management Plan are complex, but with sincere goodwill, ways can be found forward. There will always be those who will test the boundaries of the permit system. Stronger vigilance by police is required to enforce the plan, and yes, this does mean thorough searches at the airport on Groote Eylandt. That opens up other issues in the legal terminology, and certainly for police and prosecutors and the like, but they are issues which people are moving forward on, and are aware that they need to work with.
Nhulunbuy is preparing its own plan along similar lines. Mind you, Tony Fuller of the Northern Territory Police was greatly involved with the Groote Eylandt model before moving to Nhulunbuy, and he knows only too well the constant dialogue that has to take place in getting the method right. As the minister has rightly pointed out in his statement, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Our government recognises the individual needs of each town and community, and those needs have to be reflected in the Alcohol Management Plans that are drawn up. We not only recognise it, we wholeheartedly support the effort that goes into these plans by the individuals and communities in trying to manage the alcohol problems.
We support these plans by providing funding, expert advice and linkages at the departmental level. Initial discussions have occurred in the Mataranka region, which includes my communities of Minyerri and Jilkminggan. Funding has been provided to Katherine to work on its Alcohol Management Plan. Our government is fully aware that Katherine cannot work alone on its plan. It needs the support of the surrounding communities. I know that residents of Manyallaluk, Barunga and Wugularr are appreciative of being involved through their regional representative, Nyirranggulung Regional Authority.
I will continue to work closely with these communities, and when I look at the good work that is being achieved, it gives great hope. I speak strong words of encouragement to those members of the Northern Territory community across our towns who are trying to deal with the alcohol issue to keep going, and to know there are positive outcomes appearing in some of our communities already. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I support the statement by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. I will focus my statement on what this government is doing in Central Australia and how that relates to my electorate.
Excessive alcohol consumption across the Northern Territory has plagued us for decades. It pains me that those people most affected are people I feel closest too. Indeed, some of my friends and relatives have fallen victim to excessive alcohol consumption. Yes, it has plagued my friends and my family, and I want to give an insight to this House, not just about my family, but other families in neighbouring communities as well.
I know it has plagued my family. As you know, in the last parliament, I received news that my youngest brother, only 36, was in intensive care on a life support machine with liver failure, self-inflicted by abuse of alcohol. As I said to him, even though he says it is his body and he will do what he likes because he enjoyed drinking alcohol, he did not understand how it affected other people, his immediate family, his wife, his children, his mother who is my mother as well and who is blind.
Alcohol has had a very bad impact on remote Aboriginal communities and on Aboriginal people. What we have to start doing is taking a holistic approach to service delivery which this government is doing with health, education, roads, and support in rehabilitation for these people. These people do not choose to go to Alice Springs just to consume alcohol; that becomes part of their life because they go to Alice Springs to access services such as renal dialysis. Children are attending secondary school at Yirara College, therefore, they feel that they need their parents around to give them that moral support to continue to go to school in Alice Springs. It is very important that as leaders and people who run the Territory on behalf of Territorians we do not blame the victims; that we stand up for the rights of these people who have fallen into this trap because it is a trap.
I will continue on this road to tell you about my two other brothers who were excessive drinkers but have given up. They have now been dry for 14 to 15 years and, with their and my encouragement, we can get the younger brother to realise that this is a terrible life to lead. I will continue to say that it is a learned behaviour, because I see my nieces and nephews, my immediate family that is, going down the same path as their parents. What they see is an adult whose actions should show them the ways to get better education, good health, stand up and be good people in society, going in a different direction. It is the direction plagued by alcoholism.
The same things happen in other communities. It happens at Hermannsburg. I have brothers, cousins and sisters there. I see the same things there. It happens with the people at Kintore. It happens with people at Utopia. It happens with my cousins, uncles and aunties at Yuendumu. It is a real problem that we have to sort out, as government. What the younger generation is seeing is their parents leading them down the wrong path. If there is to be hope for the future indigenous population of the Northern Territory, then we really need to stand up and talk about this disease - because it is a disease; I feel it is a disease, like cancer eating somebody from within - and highlight to them that this is a bad way to live.
I digress from that so that I can highlight that I do not think that there is any fun and games in us, as leaders - whether we are from the opposition or government - saying something to a crowd of people that might seem funny at the time. I had the pleasure of competing in the Masters Games recently in Alice Springs. The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the softball …
Ms Carney: Patron.
Ms ANDERSON: … patron of the softball team. I was really offended on that occasion when the Leader of the Opposition, as patron, encouraged people to wipe themselves out …
Ms Carney: Oh, rubbish. Come on, it is the Masters. Oh, don’t tell whoppers!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms ANDERSON: Our eyes weren’t red enough ...
Ms Carney: Oh, you are just like the rest of them, Alison.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Ms ANDERSON: Our eyes were not red enough, and that we should go and wipe ourselves out. You can laugh about it now, Leader of the Opposition.
Ms Carney: I am laughing because you just make it up.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Macdonnell, please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms ANDERSON: Yes, Madam Speaker. I believe that we cannot do that kind of thing not even in fun. The Master Games is an important event where we encourage people to be healthy and enjoy sports. Any patron of any sport should not encourage people to wipe themselves out.
Excessive alcohol consumption across the Northern Territory has plagued us for decades. Of course we see this everyday in Alice Springs. We see it when we walk down the street in Darwin. It is important to understand that when I spoke about the holistic approach, the holistic approach has been delivered by this government. When you have a look at the health initiatives, education initiatives, it encompasses the protection that we have to have for people, and that is everybody in the Northern Territory.
I have heard the alarming statistics detailed by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing in this statement. While there are tragedies some of them bear repeating. Our consumption of pure alcohol in 2005-06 was 70% higher than the rest of Australia as a whole. Figures show that in comparison to the rest of the nation the manner in which Territorians drink places them at great risk of harm - almost 50% more at risk of short-term harm and almost 80% more at risk of chronic harm. There are almost 25 000 incidents of people being taken into protective custody. Approximately 54% of road fatalities were alcohol-related, and over 70% of all police incidents were associated with alcohol. There is plenty for which we as Territorians can feel proud, this group of statistics is not one of them. We should not be proud of this kind of statistic.
In recent times I have visited the Alice Springs gaol and you only have to look at the over-representation of Aboriginal people in that institution to realise how parlous the position of excessive alcohol consumption is in our community. The member for Arnhem and I took the liberty of visiting the Alice Springs prison and when we walked out of there the discussion that we had was one of real sorrow, that too many of our people are in there. What really hit us both was the number of women that we saw inside the prison. These women are mums and their children are out there in the communities not knowing why their mums are there.
People I speak to in my electorate are really concerned about grog. They see the damage that it has done all around them. They feel the grief of victims of domestic violence, of losing loved ones to grog-related accidents and illness, or to all too regular incarceration. They see and feel the despair associated with the cycle of dependence. As the member for Arnhem said, we do attend too many funerals. If there is a funeral at Papunya, it is related to alcohol. If there is a funeral at Hermannsburg, or Docker River, or Kintore, it is related to alcohol.
Community function is disrupted. The capacity of communities and individuals to manage, to develop, to thrive, is all too often compromised. Community resources are stretched. Policing and health services are placed under immense pressure. Grog runners have had a field day profiteering from remote community residents keen to get their hands on alcohol at any price. This is the tragic thing: there is always the black market in everything. You can put things in place, and that is why I support what the member for Arnhem has said: we have to be vigilant. We have to be watching out for these people who are going around behind our backs, all the little back roads, they know those roads. It is about selling that alcohol to indigenous people in remote communities.
In the face of all this, police and health workers have done a fantastic job in trying to limit the impact that grog is having on our communities. I sincerely thank them for their previous and ongoing commitment and dedication.
Our great Central Australian lifestyle can be enhanced by responsible drinking, or can be undermined by excessive and abusive consumption. It is a shame that, too often, it is the latter that prevails. There is hope, however. There are good signs that things are changing and will continue to change. The introduction of the Alcohol Management Plan in Alice Springs is having a marked impact on residents in Macdonnell. As I have heard, the consumption of pure alcohol in Alice Springs over the first few months of the Liquor Supply Restriction is down by 11%. This has translated into not only fewer people presenting at hospital, but fewer assaults. I am sure over time it will mean less chronic illness.
It also has a flow-on effect to communities in Macdonnell, particularly those in closer proximity to Alice Springs. I am told that the demand on police services in Hermannsburg, a community police station that has been historically been renowned as a busy post, has decreased considerably over the last few months. While there are still those who attempt to run grog into the community, the nature of seizures by police, I am told, points to a reduction in total volume and reduction in alcohol content. In Titjikala, south of Alice Springs, I am advised that Alice Springs alcohol restrictions, it would seem at least anecdotally, are having a positive effect on community function, job participation, and absenteeism. It appears that less alcohol is making it into the community and people are more motivated to work and contribute positively to community life.
While the direct impact of alcohol abuse on residents of the rural area that form part of my electorate is probably less profound, these people make up an important part of the Alice Springs community. Many have livelihoods that depend on Alice Springs and Central Australia continuing to be seen as a vibrant, safe and enjoyable place to visit. They witness and experience unacceptable behaviour associated with excessive alcohol as it occurs in the township, then they navigate the roads in and around Alice Springs like the rest of us. They are equally inconvenienced by the huge demands placed on our emergency health services. I am heartened by the thought that the fantastic lifestyle and safety of the rural residents will be further protected by the measures taken by this government.
Madam Speaker, it concerns me that many people in Alice Springs see the alcohol problem as an Aboriginal problem. This could not be further from the truth. It is true that Aboriginal people in Central Australia are clearly over-represented in all statistical measures of alcohol-related issues, but alcohol does not discriminate and the cycle of dependence has left a devastating wake behind indigenous and non-indigenous families alike. That devastation is felt by the community as a whole. The concerns of the majority of people living in urban Alice Springs, the rural blocks, or in Docker River, are shared. We all pay the cost for alcohol abuse and dependence one way or another. That is why it is really important that the Central Australian community as a whole share the responsibility of overcoming the impact of alcohol abuse. We can all play a part. We can all strive to be better understand why it is that people drink, why it so hard for people to give up, and why is it that we share some inconvenience for the greater good.
There are those who suggest that remote communities that currently ban alcohol through the restricted area legislation should open canteens on their communities to limit the number of people who visit Alice Springs. To associate visitation of Aboriginal people to Alice Springs with a desire for those people to access grog is simplistic. It fails to recognise the broad range of services available to people in Alice Springs not otherwise accessible in their home communities.
The vast majority of Aboriginal visitors to Alice Springs are not there for the grog. To suggest otherwise is a gross generalisation. There is no doubt that there is a small number of people who visit Alice Springs specifically to drink. There are those who take the opportunity to drink when in town for other reasons. We cannot prevent people from doing this, but we can encourage responsible drinking, which is what the Alcohol Management Plan is all about.
In recent times there have been some community leaders who have actively considered the establishment of canteens in their community. There are already communities in the Territory that operate successful clubs and canteens. Unfortunately, there are others that do not enjoy the same level of success. For communities in my electorate that are thinking of going down that road, I urge caution. I urge them to consult widely and to consider all the implications of such a move. I will support communities who decide to establish canteens if they can demonstrate that the justification has community benefit, that all community members have been thoroughly consulted, their opinions taken into account and informed support has been provided by a vast majority. I remind communities that the establishment of restricted area legislation was done for a very good reason and any rationale for change should be compelling.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to say that I am part of a government that has not shirked its responsibility, and that has not shied away from making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions to maintain our great lifestyle. I am thoroughly convinced that the measures taken by the Martin Labor government to reduce the harm caused by alcohol will have sustained benefit to all people living in Central Australia. I congratulate former and current ministers for Racing, Gaming and Licensing for their understanding of the issue, their commitment to find solutions, and their vision for our great Territory.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support the statement by the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. On occasions like this, it is important that everyone engage in a very constructive way and in a way which effectively takes into account each one’s considerations of what is going to be the biggest issue that affects communities across the Northern Territory. It is healthy to hear debate where you have different points of view. It is for that reason that I have great faith in the context of our ability as a government and as a community to deal with some of these issues.
I have heard some really good examples of what is happening in places like Nhulunbuy, Alyangula on Groote Eylandt, and other communities in the Northern Territory. I was speaking to the Mayor of Katherine the other day, and I pay tribute to her, because she, I believe, is a very sincere person. She is working with the local community, both the indigenous and non-indigenous community. She realises what might happen if they do not start dealing with these sorts of problems in places like Katherine.
The member for Arnhem talked about an indigenous person dying every 38 hours. We had a very compelling expos by the member for Macdonnell of how it impacts on her family, her mother, brothers and sisters. I was only thinking about this the other day. It was not an alcohol-related matter, but I received a phone call at 2 am and when you get phone calls at that hour of the morning, you always think to yourself that it must be bad news. It was but it was not alcohol-related as such. I am not going to go into details in regards to the result of that, but it was another death. It was not specifically alcohol-related. I started thinking we are almost in a state of crisis not only in the indigenous community but also in the non-indigenous community. I say that not in an alarming way but in factual way as evidenced in my community of Tennant Creek and, to a lesser extent, Borroloola. However, I want to concentrate on the Tennant Creek situation.
Almost weekly, in fact, sometimes twice a week, you are subject to the news that someone has passed on, or that someone is very ill or in a critical condition. In almost all cases, it is alcohol-related - not all but in the majority of cases. It is something that, not only as a local member in the context of parliament, but as a member of the local community, that you are almost under constant stress in the sense that you are dealing with high levels of sadness, sorrow, and people around you who are really impacted on when someone dies. It has reached a stage – and I was only thinking about this the other day - where a community almost turns in on itself. You are surrounded by sadness and insurmountable problems and issues which you feel you cannot deal with.
Under normal circumstances, you might have the capacity to do that but, in Tennant Creek, I know over the last few months that is how I have felt because it is just one of those situations where you are dealing with these issues which are all grog-related. When you try to take a step back and ask yourself how you take a step forward, you cannot because you are dealing with all these issues around you. I do not mean to say that in a negative way, but it is something that many communities actually confront, more so the indigenous communities out there because of the culture and of the family connections. It is something you cannot avoid. I thought I would respond to the members for Arnhem and Macdonnell because it is very true; it has reached almost crisis proportions in the sense of people having the capacity to get on with their lives.
It is for that reason that I am very proud of what the Martin Labor government has done over the last few years in combating alcohol abuse. I also pay tribute to the previous CLP government for the Living with Alcohol program, because I thought it was a great program. I have become very heartened in how the communities have been able to respond in a meaningful way, or at least to be able to put up a fight regarding some of things that are happening in our communities.
I refer to issues in Central Australia, Tennant Creek and Borroloola. Apart from being the Minister for Central Australia, many of those communities are in my electorate. I am very proud of how the communities have gone about trying to tackle alcohol. It was back in the 1990s where, effectively, the total community across the board, both black and white, essentially said: ‘Enough is enough’. A summit was convened by the indigenous community and supported by the non-indigenous community which gave rise to what we know as the Thirsty Thursday restrictions. That was, I think, in 1993-94. That went right through to 1995 where there was a perception in the community that the restrictions were no longer working.
A review was undertaken by the Liquor Commission which gave rise to a different set of conditions which have been in place for six to eight months now. They are quite different, quite separate, from what occurred in the past. The point I am trying to make is that it is an attempt by the community, both indigenous and non-indigenous, to try to deal with a very serious issue, realising that there is not necessarily one solution to it. We thought the Thirsty Thursday was going to be the solution. Then we moved to a new set of conditions. The Liquor Commission, at the moment, is collecting data and will be reviewing it again. That is how you do it; there is no other way forward. You have to be flexible and innovative enough and be prepared to work with the community in dealing with the impact that alcohol has upon, not only yourself, but the community.
As a result of the information collected by the Liquor Commission, I hope that we are going to have a different process this time; that we go back to community consultation. That was the secret of the first set. On this occasion, I hope that we engage all members and sectors of the community - the businesses, the agencies, indigenous organisations, the whole lot. That is, by far and away, a better way. I will be encouraging that when we review the conditions.
Alcohol management plans have assisted immensely and we intend to go down that path in Tennant Creek. I hope that in the next period we will be able to appoint someone to assist the community and work with the community to develop an alcohol management plan.
One of the real highlights in the sense of the community working together and dealing with a very serious issue is Alice Springs. You have heard from the member for Macdonnell, you have also heard from other members here about what has occurred. The Chief Minister must be given great credit because she established the task force with local people in Alice Springs in response to the excessive alcohol consumption, high levels of unacceptable behaviour, and the recognition that excessive alcohol abuse and antisocial behaviour was impacting upon Alice Springs as a community. I am proud of Alice Springs as a community. They have had the guts and the courage to get up and do something about it. I readily admit that there is going to be no quick fix but at the very least they are on the right track in dealing with some of the issues that I refer to.
The Alice Springs Town Council has played a very important role; Mayor Kilgariff and David Koch have been very constructive in driving the reform and some of these changes forward.
I pay tribute to some of the others because as it is a community effort to get these sort of outcomes. I refer to the licensees: Paul Venturin, Tony Phillips, Peter Hahn, the combined Aboriginal organisations’ representatives; Pat Miller, the Deputy of the Administrator; Mr Neville Perkins; and people like, John Baskerville, Commander Mark Coffey; Penny Fielding; Chris McIntyre; and also the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination representative, Nick Raymond. All these people are working together to try get some real outcomes. I understand that only the other day there was a public meeting regarding the dry areas legislation. That is just another step in how the community might want to go forward.
The other point I want to make about what is happening there is that it really is a community effort. It takes high levels of dedication and commitment from people, but it does not help when you have small numbers of people who are narrow-minded, who are sniping from the side, acting in their own self-interest and not necessarily considering the long-term interests of the town, the quality of life issues that Alice Springs as a community deserves. I ask some of those people to be more constructive, to engage in a more professional way. Whether they like it or not, they all live in the same town, they all experience the same sorts of problems, and effectively, they are all in it together and the only way they can get out of it is by working together. For those people who are the sceptics in the context of what they are trying to achieve in Alice Springs, can I just say, get back on board because there are some really great people there who are really trying to work hard.
At the same time you have a task force regarding the town camps. The town camps have been the subject of much derision and criticism over a long period of time in terms of what goes on in there. It is fair to say that a lot of that is alcohol-related. You get all the resultant issues arising from the alcohol, but the point of the matter is that it is all alcohol-related. I pay tribute to Tangentyere Council for making a change for the better not only for themselves but for the people who live in town camps and for the broader community.
There are other organisations which are working in the background trying to deal with this issue. They are not the high profile people; they are just people trying to make life better. I am referring to some of the people associated with housing associations and Territory Housing because we bear the brunt of some of the impact of excessive alcohol on premises. Our people are working very closely with some of the housing organisations in and around Alice Springs and with tenants about restricted premises whereby a person can apply for a nil consumption of alcohol in their home.
All those initiatives to which I have referred and the commitment and dedication of people throughout Central Australia have served as an inspirational example of working together to try to get an outcome. No one government, no one person, no one politician is ever going to be able to resolve this unless it is driven by the community.
Borroloola is a town that, over a very long period of time, has been subject to chronic, excessive alcohol abuse. I do not like to say that, but it is the truth. In the main, it has been brought about by a culture that effectively feels a sense of denial, non-engagement, sadness and a sense that nothing is happening, nothing is being achieved for them. Only that community can get itself off the ground, and I know that it will.
The hotel was closed down, the Borroloola Inn, and I congratulate the minister for his very decisive action there and the Liquor Commission people because what they did was a good thing. The previous licensees had no consideration for the people’s wellbeing or welfare. They did not care. All they wanted to do was to make a buck. They did not worry about what damage was being done to the mums, dads, grandmothers, and to the kids. They did not care about the neglect that was going on. That within itself has served as a bit of a lesson for the community because the advice that I have received is that it is a lot quieter and people appreciate the fact that they are not totally engulfed by excessive grog and the irresponsible behaviour of licensees.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I pay tribute to the previous minister, minister Stirling, who was very dedicated and has provided a really good springboard for the equally dedicated new minister, minister Burns. I have spoken to him on several occasions about the impact of alcohol. I am aware of his medical background. I know that he will work in a very constructive way with the communities, the industry, and the people to try to achieve some real outcomes. I wish you all the best, minister. This is a very good statement. Even though there might be some differences across the House, I know that you have full support. We have great confidence in your ability to continue to drive forward reform that combats the present unsatisfactory impact of alcohol on indigenous people and non-indigenous people. I wish you well.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I welcome the contributions made by all members from all sides of the Assembly on this very important statement. I have made copious notes because I thought each member provided a lot of detail, had some very good thoughts and posed some important questions. If I were to answer everything that every member raised, we would still be here at about five o’clock in the morning. What I intend to do is try to go through the major issues raised by each member, and I apologise if I do not really address all the issues raised by members in this debate.
I would have to say that I agree with most of what members have raised in this place. Most of what members have raised in this statement deserve further thought and, in most cases, deserve further action. As a relatively new minister, I have much to think about. I appreciate the perspectives, and there have been different perspectives offered here, and it has really helped me to see where people are coming from, the different parts of the discussion on alcohol-related issues in the Territory, and the importance of their resolution for moving this great Territory ahead.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke about alcohol being the root cause of crime, antisocial behaviour and violence. A theme echoed by a number of members, including the last speaker, was the importance of consultation and engagement. That has been echoed and emphasised throughout this discussion. Many speakers, as did the Deputy Chief Minister, talked about what has happened at Nhulunbuy and the positives there, and also Groote Eylandt. I believe we are all agreed these are first steps, and we need to keep moving on those issues. I know there is further movement in both Nhulunbuy and Groote, and in other areas throughout the Territory, that are implementing or discussing alcohol management plans.
The member for Blain basically supported the statement and gave some very good ideas and posed some very good questions. He raised a very important issue that there is a perception that all indigenous people are very heavy drinkers, and he asked the question: what is the actual percentage of drinkers? Some 78% of indigenous people have drunk alcohol at some time in their lives compared with 85% of non-indigenous people. I do not have the exact figures, but I remember from my time as a researcher in drug and alcohol issues, that the percentage of non-drinkers was quite a lot higher, as this reflects here, but also the percentage of people who drank very little was also higher, although those Aboriginal people who were engaged in binge drinking certainly gave it quite a nudge.
When you look at the per capita alcohol consumption throughout the Territory being 17 litres per person of pure alcohol, if there are a lot of people not drinking, there must be a lot of people drinking more than their quota. I thought it was quite interesting what the member for Blain said about the display he saw at the Alice Springs Show emphasising the per capita consumption. When you think about it, if you are talking about beer, you are talking about 3% to 5% alcohol, or if you are talking about wine, from memory, it is about 8% to 10%. If 17 litres represents 3% to 5% or 8% to 10%, just the volume of alcohol product that is consumed to get to that 17 litres of pure ethanol is absolutely enormous.
The member for Blain posed a very good question relating to the Living with Alcohol program implemented by the CLP government under the leadership of Marshall Perron, I believe, and I did pay compliment to that program, which was a national award-winning program. I believe Marshall Perron had concern for Territorians and the Territory at heart when he implemented that particular program. The member for Blain asked what happened to the money that used to flow to the Territory through the tax on wine casks, where is it now? I have been looking, member for Blain, and asking questions. From what I can make of it, it is sort of lost in the mist of time, probably before this government came to power. To be honest, I am not really sure what happened to that money. My recollection is that, when that decision was made, there were a few stepping stones down to, basically, nothing, and there was nothing from the Commonwealth government. It is my recollection at least – and I have tried to ask some questions of Treasury – that was the factor that petered off and we are getting nothing from the Commonwealth at this stage in relation to it. . We have to make our own way.
The member for Katherine spoke very well. She said that we should be trying to get further support from the Commonwealth, given the size and importance of the problem in the Territory. We should be knocking on the Commonwealth’s door in relation to this. They are the ones who are getting considerable revenue from the sales of alcohol within the Territory. I believe it is more than reasonable for us to make an approach to the Commonwealth. Hopefully, if it is done the right way, we will get some results.
The member for Arafura talked about violence between people, female on female, female on male, and her own experience of her own family. She said quite passionately: ‘The children need a voice. The children are crying out to us in this debate. There is too much family and interpersonal violence and too many family breakdowns. We do owe it to the children to reduce harmful alcohol consumption’. She said we need to research properly in this area to understand it better. The member for Macdonnell also said that we need to understand what is driving people to drink, what is at the bottom of it. That is very important.
Going back to the member for Blain, I did miss something important that he said. He talked about role models, as did the member for Macdonnell. There are some fantastic role models out there; people who have given away the grog. Maggie Brady published a very important book telling individual stories about how they gave away the grog. There is no doubt that interventions by health professionals are very important in that, to put the idea in people’s minds: ‘If you keep on going down this path, you are going to die. You are harming yourself’. The report that came out this week underscored that.
It is up to leaders in the community such as the local members of parliament and sporting people, to really try to get that message over to people; that firstly, it is not acceptable for this to occur within communities, and our concern for people. Often people come up to me and ask: ‘Have you got a couple of dollars’, and I may even give them a talk. I might say something like: ‘I am worried about you. You need to watch what is happening, because there are devils in that bottle’. That is what I say to people. It is true - people do get killed in Darwin. We have had some horrible examples of that, associated with grog. We need to get that message across and really reinforce to people that it is very dangerous and we are concerned for them.
The member for Arafura, along with the member for Macdonnell, talked about social clubs on remote communities and how they have potentially disruptive effects. Both of them urged caution in moving down that path. There is a push for those communities that are dry to take on wet canteens. We need to be very careful with that. To those who advocate that, I am putting a personal view. I would say you can put a wet canteen in a community, but I reckon that might drive a lot of the problem drinkers out, because there is trouble, fights, arguments, and then people leave the township or community and come into town. I believe wet canteens have a great propensity to set people on the wrong path.
I appreciated the Leader of the Opposition’s offering in this debate. Basically, she applauded government’s efforts and the statement. She wished us well. She recognised we all have immense challenges in addressing this issue within the Territory. She asked questions about expenditure on treatment. The member for Karama, the Minister for Family and Community Services, addressed that in some detail in her offering. From memory, she said about $21m in toto and gave some examples of individual funding to non-government organisations for treatment and support. I hope the member for Karama answered some of the queries of the Opposition Leader. She talked about the commitment of previous governments and I have acknowledged that. She said that we have to have a go and the people must take responsibility. That is right, and that is also what the member for Macdonnell was saying, that some people are saying: ‘Well, it is my body, I am autonomous, I can do what I like, I like to drink’. I think people not only need to take responsibility for themselves, as the Leader of the Opposition said, they need to take responsibility for their family and the effects on the family as the member for Macdonnell said.
A number of speakers, including the Opposition Leader, talked about the need for increased sanctions or increased penalties for grog runners. That was certainly a recommendation of the Alcohol Framework. I am advised that with the revision of the Liquor Act that will be written in there. I believe there is an agreement across both sides of politics that there needs to be increased sanctions for those who run grog.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about better data collection in terms of violence and having a better dataset so that we can better understand and act. She also talked about the need to break this acceptance that seems to be there in terms of violence and alcohol-related violence. The Opposition Leader, as she should, put forward the CLP policy, the three strikes and you are in policy that she announced last year, but government, I suppose, is looking to alcohol courts and some of those prohibition orders that are being set up and enforced in some of the communities in terms of our alcohol management plan. She talked about proper evaluation being needed and I certainly agree with that.
Madam Speaker, you talked about your own electorate and the importance of the lifestyle, the importance of people being able to have a drink watching the sun go down in your beautiful electorate. You also talked about the problems that exist in your electorate around the shopping centre and also around Woolworths at Nightcliff, and the way you have galvanised action, cooperation with council, meeting with agencies such as Racing, Gaming and Licensing, police and Justice, convening meetings with residents and businesses, and now moving down the track of implementing a restricted area around the Nightcliff shops and Woolworths. The support you have had is magnificent. I am sure you will be successful in addressing this issue.
The member for Nelson, as always, has very strong feelings about alcohol. He has spoken very passionately a number of times in this parliament about alcohol. He drew attention to that when he said they are not new problems: we need to change that big culture of drinking. I certainly agree with him and I think we have already started on that. As a community, we need to place boundaries around people’s drinking, and I have mentioned that before.
In my own opinion, through controlling alcohol, and a number of speakers touched on this, if we can control alcohol and the harmful consumption of alcohol we can give communities breathing space to actually exert those social controls that are pushed to one side because the drinkers have centre stage. The drinkers have all the attention. They are a dominant force, they are very loud, there is a lot going on, and people are trying to control them. Basically, they are out of control but if we can reduce harmful drinking we can get some breathing space in there. That comes down to leadership and I talked about that previously.
The member for Nelson talked about the Alcohol Framework and progress in relation to the Alcohol Framework. As he would be aware, most of the 62 recommendations were adopted by government. You were concerned about the drinking culture in Territory sporting clubs. That has been included within the framework recommendations, and we are looking at introducing the Good Sports programs into some areas of the Territory, particularly in Alice Springs as part of their alcohol management program.
You talked about funding alcohol-free events, and the member for Katherine also spoke about that. The Community Benefit Fund gives grant up to $5000 to assist with such events. You were also concerned about income protection for families of drinkers, and this forms part of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan, and progress has been made in discussions with Centrelink and Tangentyere Council as well as with various retailers.
We have talked about the new Liquor Act, and I have talked about penalties for grog smugglers. The review of the act is addressing the existing code of conduct for licensed premises.
I agree it has been a few years since the Alcohol Framework was introduced, member for Nelson. I am a relatively new minister and I need to re-visit those recommendations to see where we are, particularly with the review of the Liquor Act. Your suggestion of an audit asking where we are, what has been implemented, and what is outstanding is a good one. I have taken it on board.
The member for Katherine provided a very heartfelt and down-to-earth look at alcohol issues within her electorate and, as she said, it is a very serious issue. She talked about the deaths and violence, and about her personal experience with Aboriginal people she knows who have wasted their lives on alcohol. She emphasised very strongly that it is time now for stronger action and pointed to the experience in Port Augusta, which has been in the news of late. She said it is time for the whole town of Katherine to be taking action, and I certainly support that. I am happy to come to Katherine and work with the mayor, the local member and, importantly, the member for Arnhem who, in her offering, talked about the need for the neighbouring communities to be involved in this Alcohol Management Plan. I certainly agree with that.
I have mentioned the member for Karama’s offering to this debate. She gave a detailed description of what the government is doing through her portfolio supporting detox facilities.
The member Braitling is diffident, or not wholly supportive, of the dry areas and the Alcohol Management Plan. We will have to wait and see how that pans out in terms of the evaluation and perhaps we can continue the discussion.
The member for Sanderson talked about his role as a local member in trying to address some of the issues associated with alcohol abuse and antisocial behaviour in his electorate.
The member for Arnhem, as always, made a very thoughtful contribution to this debate and, in a personal way, talked about the serious health effects of alcohol in her electorate, the visits to RDH, the funerals, and the families struggling to cope. She also talked about the positives in her electorate.
The member for Macdonnell made a similarly thoughtful contribution. She advocated an holistic approach and, similarly, the member for Barkly talked about some of the issues in Central Australia. As the member for Macdonnell said, it is not just an Aboriginal problem; it does not discriminate. We have to pull together as a community and try to address this issue. The common theme through everyone’s contribution was consultation and working together across the community to address this very serious issue that faces the Northern Territory. Madam Speaker, I thank every member for their contribution.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Research and Development in the Territory’s Mining, Primary Industry and Fisheries Sectors
Research and Development in the Territory’s Mining, Primary Industry and Fisheries Sectors
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, over the past few months, as I have been out and about visiting different locations of my Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines portfolios, and meeting with many of the stakeholders in the various sectors, I have been dazzled by the breadth of groundbreaking and innovative research being undertaken across the Northern Territory, particularly by my agency. Today, I take this opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives under way, innovative research and development being undertaken here in the Territory to further enhance our primary industry, fisheries and mining sectors. Frankly, it is research and development that is of such significance, it gives the Territory a place on the national and international stage.
International experts and the World Health Organisation predict that aquaculture, or fish farming, will provide for increased food production into the future. In the Northern Territory, we are well placed to showcase how this can be achieved on a sustainable basis, while having appropriate safeguards to protect our tropical environment. In that respect, I am pleased to advise that we are at the forefront of aquaculture development and innovation through the leading-edge work being undertaken by the Darwin Aquaculture Centre at Channel Island. The research and development of the Darwin Aquaculture Centre is world-class, and I say this not as an idle boast, but based on the international reputation the centre now enjoys.
The centre has a worldwide reputation for developing efficient and effective production systems for tropical marine fish and shellfish. Over the past four years, the staff at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre have developed leading edge technology for the production of juvenile barramundi to assist in the development of our barra farming industry. This unique system, developed in the Territory, is semi-automated and has seen production capacity for barramundi rise from just over one million fish per year to more than three million fish annually, and that is very impressive. What is equally impressive is that some of the leading fish producing companies from Australia and Europe are seeking information on the system’s design and operation.
The crustacean research team at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre have also been busy developing innovative and leading technology. The success of the mud crab research project has led to development of a capability to produce tens of thousands of juvenile crabs, or crablets as they are known, on an ongoing basis. The Darwin Aquaculture Centre’s success in breeding mud crabs in captivity is believed to be a world first. The reliable production of crablets has been instrumental in two grow-out trials in our indigenous communities.
The Fisheries Group are helping the Bawananga Aboriginal group at Maningrida and the Gwalwa Daraniki community at Kulaluk in Darwin to investigate techniques for culture of our iconic mud crab. The Kulaluk farm is already in production, and is a model being studied by other indigenous communities interested in establishing start up enterprise aquaculture facilities.
The Darwin Aquaculture Centre is also being used to benefit the Northern Territory’s growing aquaculture industry by using its facilities and staff expertise to leverage involvement in leading Australian research projects. An example of this is the project aimed at improved detection and control of the serious fish disease, Viral Nervous Necrosis, which is caused by a nodavirus. It causes significant economic losses to barramundi farms, and the Darwin Aquaculture Centre, together with the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories, have partnered with the University of Sydney to undertake this important project.
Other areas where the Aquaculture Centre has been used to advantage is the partnership that has been developed by a private company to undertake research and development into the breeding and farming of sea cucumbers. Another collaborative project, this time with the University of Queensland, the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories and the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association will investigate improved vaccination of barramundi against Streptococcal bacteria.
This expertise of our aquaculture researchers was recognised through an international fellowship awarded by the International Specialised Skills Institute. Similarly, one of our key researchers presented at an International Symposium on Aquaculture in Mexico, with the organisers covering their costs.
Fish health research and effective fish health management are crucial if we are to have a sustainable aquaculture industry. To help protect this industry and our environment, a translocation strategy has been developed which defines infected and non-infected zones for specific diseases for each of our major aquaculture sectors - barramundi, prawns, pearl oysters, mud crabs, redclaw, and sea cucumbers. This strategy facilitates the movement of aquatic animals for aquaculture and restocking programs. It seeks to define appropriate zones and protects other regions from the entry and establishment of diseases through a system of quarantine and health certification. This helps protect our wild fishery, aquaculture industries, and our aquatic resources from the spread of serious diseases associated with movements of live aquatic animals. The Northern Territory is recognised as a leader in aquatic animal health management, and the southern states are now starting to follow our lead and develop similar translocation strategies of their own.
You are probably also aware that another research innovation developed through DPIFM’s Fisheries Division is the gene-tag project. That has been a very high-profile project attracting both national and international attention. In fact, the gene-tag was not only featured on the ABC’s New Inventors show last year, but it picked up awards along the way. The gene-tag was developed to overcome difficulties associated with the use of the conventional plastic tag attached to pelagic fish such as Spanish mackerel. The gene-tag works on the basis of obtaining a genetic fingerprint of the fish. The gene-tag is a specially designed hook attached to a ‘lure’ that collects a tiny sample of flesh when the fish strikes, but it does not catch or impair the fish. The sample is then processed to provide a genetic fingerprint of the individual fish. This new technique overcomes the likelihood of the fish dying from shock, or predation from other fish, after being tagged.
So, a system conceived and tested here in the Territory is now being adapted to use in the shark research area, which means that sharks will not be handled by researchers. It has been adopted by fisheries scientists in Canada and North America. The genetic database it generates assists fisheries managers to better understand the movement and lifecycle of the fish and, thus, make better decisions that allow the fishery to be managed sustainably well into the future.
DPIFM’s researchers are also developing an holistic approach to the fisheries management using ‘fuzzy logic’ and geospatial statistics. The project is using the Timor Reef fishery as a case study and analyses the complex interactions and relationships that occur in the ecosystem as influenced by environmental variabilities such as climate, geomorphological features, fish behaviour and fishing practices. The ‘fuzzy logic’ component of the project allows scientists to translate uncertain human knowledge into hard data. In layman’s terms, it is estimating the amount of fish a vessel can catch given the level of the operator’s skills, taking into account changing environmental conditions.
The radical thing about this research is that it can pull together a vast amount of data at different levels of resolution in a visual format. It makes it easier to convey the results to stakeholders, and for them to become involved. At the end of this highly intricate project, a dynamic model will have been developed based on catch records, environmental data and fishing power which will allow the fisheries management to discern what effect environmental influences have on catch rates. Tools for managing multi-species fisheries within an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework have also been incorporated into the model. It is a real step forward for the management of our fisheries. You can see the DPIFM’s Fisheries Division is at the forefront of research and development that will benefit not only the fishing industry but the entire way we manage our marine environment.
Another area in which DPIFM is setting the pace is the pastoral industry which, as you would be aware, contributes more than $300m a year to the Territory’s economy. Interestingly, in a time when we hear a great deal about the skills shortage and our ageing workforce, DPIFM has 29 staff directly involved in research and development for our beef industry, and they are younger and better qualified than any other state or territory. I had the opportunity to meet many of these staff in Alice Springs at the Meat Profit Day late last year, and they see a very bright future for our pastoral industry.
Most research and development is carried out on a consultative and cooperative basis at a variety of sites across the Territory. DPIFM has nine research and demonstration farms, comprising three headquarter farms in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs, and six regional farms: the Victoria River Research Station which is at the principle pastoral research property; Douglas Daly Research Farm where mixed farming research takes place; Beatrice Hill Research Farm which is the department’s buffalo and floodplain research facility; Coastal Plains Research Farm which is the principle horticultural research property; Ti Tree Research Farm which is a small horticultural facility; and Old Man Plains Research Station which is a new pastoral research centre in Central Australia.
Yesterday, I referred to some outstanding work in the areas of pastoral production and biosecurity, and in order to emphasis this work, it is important to talk about this research again. The ‘best bet’ rangeland cattle production system developed at Victoria River Research Station has increased the production of breeder cows with a parallel and significant reduction in breeder mortality. This translates to an extra 32 calves per 100 breeder cows each year.
Another important project is the grazing land management or GLM package. The package comprises the GLM workshop and provision of post-training support. The GLM workshop has been specifically tailored to the Katherine and Central Australia regions. The key outcomes of this project are land managers combining the latest knowledge on rangeland management with their own observations and knowledge. From this, managers can design their own grazing management plans to map out actions to increase production and the health of their land. Over 20 producers have participated in the Katherine region with overwhelming positive feedback from participants. They report that because the package is personalised to each participating property, and the advice is provided one-on-one to suit the challenges of each property, the results are significant.
The first Alice Springs GLM course was run in November last year with participants reporting positive results which will proved over time as the management practices recommended are implemented on their properties. DIPFM has employed two GLM officers, one in Katherine and one in Alice Springs, to provide follow-up to ensure that the course’s practical results are maintained.
So far I have only spoken about the pastoral sectors of primary industries but there is also a lot going on in the crops, forestry and horticultural sectors.
With the nation’s attention increasingly on water use, the developing water crisis in southern states, our research is looking at irrigation management across the range of sectors including nurseries, tree fruits and broad acre crops to develop sustainable, water efficient techniques. DPIFM crops, forestry and horticulture researchers are also responding to industry requests for knowledge on biological farming, developing and testing techniques that utilise naturally occurring elements to create farming practices suited to northern Australia’s climate and biology. As public consciousness relating to clean, green produce increases so does the demand for environmentally sustainable farming practices and it is in this area that much of our effort is directed. This research and the techniques developed are becoming increasingly important in a water conscious, environmentally sensitive world. I am pleased to report that our researchers are actively working to improve our knowledge in this area. Crops, forests and horticultural research is primarily focused on the evaluation of new plant products and the development of sustainable production systems for our plant-based industry.
Another innovative program has seen DPIFM assisting in the formation of a company by a group of cut flower growers. Under this project the department supplied new commercial varieties of plants through its breeding program. The local cut flower growers have taken up the Plant Breeders Rights and commercialisation of the new cut-flower Zingiber hybrids bred by the department and has been called the Darzings. In addition, this company is looking at commercialising a number of others Zingiber hybrids generated from the department’s ginger breeding program.
Final evaluation and selection work will be undertaken this flowering season on the Ornamental Curcuma breeding project to identify the best bet cut flowers types for commercialisation. These Curcuma hybrids will expand the product range of cut flower gingers for the northern Australian tropical flower industry. The first commercial release of these hybrids is planned for this year.
Good feedback was received from all three commercial nurseries involved in the Curcuma breeding evaluation, and one of the nurseries has expressed interest in commercialising a number of selected potted colour types. These Curcuma hybrids will provide the nursery industry with a range of new potted colour varieties, and will further expand the cut flower industry in the Territory, once again a demonstration of the practical results of the department’s research and development. Indeed, members would have seen firsthand the blooming relationship between research, development and the Territory growers with the cut flower displays in Parliament House today.
The breadth and capacity of our fresh cut flower industry should not be underestimated. A cyclone in Far North Queensland devastated their tropical cut flow industry during the Commonwealth Games, and tropical flowers were in the centrepieces of the bouquets awarded to the medal winners. Local Northern Territory cut flower producers were able to step in and save the day by filling the void at very short notice.
Whilst it does not sound nearly as glamorous, the department is involved in research into a variety of weeds. Weed management experiments and demonstration plots are conducted each year on the department’s research farm and producer properties. Objectives include the evaluation of suitable herbicides, and the development of sustainable integrated weed control strategies such as grazing, crop rotation, and no-till sowing. The results from this research are highly beneficial to pastoralists and agriculturalists alike.
Research is also under way on a variety of forestry timbers suitable for growing in the climate in the Top End. As well, an approach has been made for a joint project with Vietnam to develop varieties of sesame suitable for that country’s sesame industry. You can see that the research and development work being undertaken is truly varied.
I again wish to point out the important work undertaken by the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines in the area of diagnostic services. This division conducted the field and development trials which have lead to the replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound that was previously used in the Territory horticulture industry to control termites. Its replacement is safer to use and has considerably less impact on the environment.
This division is also currently working with the CSIRO and the CRC for Plant Biosecurity to develop a project using molecular diagnostics to identify exotic termite species which threaten Australia, such as those that have been brought in on foreign fishing vessels. The research will use termite DNA material in a project that will potentially make exotic termite identification in the future much quicker and easier, as well as more effective.
In addition, the division is negotiating with research agencies to conduct work with Aboriginal communities in the Territory to extract compounds from the native Territory flora that can be used to control bacterial diseases in plants. The Territory should be justly proud of these men and women in DPIFM who work away in their laboratories to put the Territory at the forefront of this world-class research.
This is equally true for the research and innovation initiatives of my department in the minerals and energy sector. Our high quality geoscientific research is attracting investment and exploration dollars as never before. Mining is the Territory’s biggest and most economically significant industry, producing goods worth an annual $2.3bn or 20% of the GSP, but attracting new explorers and opening new mines does not happen overnight and the process, like most other industries, begins with research and development.
DPFIM’s Minerals and Energy division is at the cutting edge of new technologies through its Northern Territory Geological Survey group. I have been truly impressed by the high quality of expertise of this group, which is responsible for gathering the geoscientific data that is used by companies to evaluate the prospects available in the Territory. Simply put, the better the data available, the better the chance that a company will take the risk to explore in the Territory.
While we do have huge tracts of highly prospective under-explored land, not much is known about some areas, and that is what the geological survey work is addressing. One mining operation is already under way through a partnership with the Tiwi Island people and Matilda Minerals. This mineral sands operation is looking at zircon and rutile. These sands, however, lie on the surface and there is not enough geoscientific data available for explorers to understand possible mineralisation beneath the sand cover. That is where the airborne magnetic and radiometric survey comes in. Using a light aircraft packed with scientific instruments, scientists criss-crossed at a height of about 80 m above the ground with flight lines 400 m apart. This survey provides more information on the underlying geology of the islands and provides free data that will be available for mining companies to use to assist them in making exploration decisions. It also means that my department has now conducted airborne geophysical surveys over more than 90% of the Territory, probably the highest percentage of any Australian jurisdiction.
The Geological Survey, in conjunction with the federal agency Geoscience Australia, has also completed a ground gravity survey over a large portion of the eastern Arunta geological region to the north-east of Alice Springs. This gravity survey covers almost 21 000 km2 extending to the Queensland border, with its centre on the Jervois mineral field. The program took five weeks to complete at a cost of about $0.5m. It involved taking 5500 readings on a regular grid pattern at sites spaced 2 km apart. The entire operation was helicopter supported. The survey concentrated on mapping the extent and nature of the major geological structures extending through the region and replaces gravity data acquired over the region in the 1960s using outdated technology considerably less accurate than that now available. The information acquired will provide new insights into the mineral potential of the area, which is thought to be prospective for copper-gold, diamonds, nickel and other base metals.
The Northern Territory Geological Survey also cooperates with a variety of other agencies to facilitate cutting edge research outcomes. One such collaboration was in the production of a glossy coloured atlas and accompanying wall map that will give explorers valuable clues to the locations of mineral deposits throughout the Territory. The Atlas of Regolith Materials and Regolith Map of the Northern Territory were launched earlier this year at the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar, AGES, in the Alice Springs Convention Centre. The atlas contains more than 600 colour photographs of the major regolith materials, primarily surface soils and loose rock, as well as tables of geochemical data and diagrams of particle size distribution and regolith materials. The map was compiled from field observations from more than 1500 sites across the Territory, as well as existing geological maps and satellite imagery. Together, the atlas and map constitute the first comprehensive collection of data and descriptions of regolith-landform systems from across the Territory. The atlas is an invaluable tool for explorers, and was the result a of two-year joint venture between the NTGS and the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Explorations in Perth. Expertise for the project was provided by Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, with NTGS contributing critical geological knowledge, data and field support.
Mr Deputy Speaker, there are many other innovative, cutting edge projects being undertaken by researchers from my department, and I intend to update this House on research and development breakthroughs as they occur. However, I hope the projects highlighted will show that not only are we at the forefront of research, development and innovation in Australia but, in many cases, we are setting the pace for the rest of the world. Most importantly, I can say with certainty that I will continue to be impressed by the groundbreaking achievements of my departmental staff in Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, and these are achievements of which the Territory can be proud.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the member for Casuarina probably would agree, he has one of the best jobs in the Territory, because you can see the Territory and, maybe along with sport, that is not bad. I reckon, though, with Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, by the time you finish that job you will know a lot more about the Territory than many other people who live here.
I thank the minister for his statement. It is targeting research that the department is undertaking. It is not necessarily about the bigger picture of highlighting individual parts of his portfolio. Although I would like the minister to give us some time to discuss the mining industry and highlight what is actually happening, so we have a better understanding of what mines are operating, what their production is, what their difficulties are, what is being explored, and where is it being explored. Also, in primary industry, what are the problems faced by primary industry people such as production. We have the issues of local government - maybe not directly in your portfolio, but they certainly affect pastoralists. Horticulture is one of my favourites; that is my background. I am interested in hearing some details on the production of vegetables and fruit throughout the Northern Territory and where we are going with that. As much as I appreciate that this is one part of primary industry, there is much more that we could hear about your portfolio and it would be appreciated. I must admit whilst I enjoy debates here, I like to hear some of these things as well.
I would like to make a few comments, minister, about what you have said. I will go through the statement more or less as you have gone through it in that order.
You mentioned the Darwin Aquaculture Centre and its role in producing juvenile barramundi for the development of our barra farming industry. Since Marine Harvest has left the Territory - it had the barra farm at Port Herd on Bathurst Island, and it had three applications for development within the Darwin Harbour and Bynoe Harbour - has that had an effect on the Darwin Aquaculture Centre in the production of juvenile barramundi? You may be able to tell us what has happened at Marine Harvest; what were the reasons it packed up and left? Is there any chance of anyone taking its place?
It is interesting hearing about the culture of the mud crab. If the Bawananga Aboriginal Corporation at Maningrida and Gwalwa Daraniki community at Kulaluk can become involved and turn that into an industry - it is using native food for a commercial purpose such as we do with a lot of our plants - if that becomes successful it is great. As you know, anything that can help employment, especially for indigenous people, is worthwhile promoting.
I note the minister did not really raise the subject of prawns at all. We still have big prawn farms on Middle Point Peninsula and on the Blackmore River. I am interested to know if the department does any research work on prawns, or is it left up to the private industry to do that. We have some big prawn farms in the Darwin area. I would like to hear how it is going, because we have one of the biggest prawn farms on the Blackmore River today.
The minister mentioned gene-tag. It is great to hear that other parts of the world have taken up the technology. ‘Fuzzy logic’ has been around for a while. I might have done some of that back in my school days. It is good to hear how it is used for practical outcomes.
Mr Warren: Quantum physics, isn’t it?
Mr WOOD: Yes. We use fuzzy logic when we are betting on the horses; it does not work there.
The minister also spoke about the research and development on the experimental farms. I visited some of those farms a long time ago. I put it to the minister, if I may ask permission some time during the year to visit some of these places, because I have not been to some of them for a while. They might have changed their accent in certain research programs. It is good to keep up with what the pastoral and rural industry is doing.
The minister said that he had only spoken about the pastoral sector of primary industry but there was also a lot going on in the crops, forestry and horticulture sectors. One area of primary industry that seems to have dropped off, I think this could be related to a number of things, is basically agricultural crops. Not hay so much - there has been plenty of hay and from the statistics in the annual report hay production is pretty steady. Years ago, the Territory was a large producer of maize, soybean and things like that. In fact, if you ever want a symbolic monument to those days you go to Fleming and see the silos - they are empty. You see the silos in Katherine and they are empty. Once upon a time they were full. I do not know whether that is partly to do with the moratorium on land development in the Douglas Daly, or whether it is that the production of these crops is cheaper down south, or that Kununurra is able to produce them cheaper. It is a bit sad to see that in some of those areas they have not developed, in fact, they have nearly disappeared. It is one of those areas that we need to put more effort in to.
I have in my notes here: what are we doing with Ord River Stage 2? There is more emphasis on places like Ord River Stage 2 especially when you hear about Senator Heffernan forming this group to come and look at land and water in the north. Just before Christmas, Landline did an in-depth report on the Ord River and it is something that we need to be out there as well. People are worried about cropping on the Daly and perhaps it is the area that we should be concentrating on for the time being. It is an area that somewhere along the line has faded away. When you go out to a place like Fleming and see the empty silos you ask: ‘What happened?’
You also mentioned sesame. I remember being at the Douglas Daly Research Station a long time ago seeing paddocks that were pink - that was sesame. We have been growing sesame for an awful long time now at the Douglas Daly Research Station and I actually thought it was finished. I thought they had more or less given up and were going on to something else. It is interesting to hear that we are now looking at a joint program in Vietnam. Does this mean, hopefully, sesame has a new lease of life? If it does, that would be good? It certainly grew well and made pretty paddocks, and it has been around for along time. If at last all that research has come to fruition and we are able to create markets then that is a very good outcome for all the work that has been done down there.
It reminds me of another crop that has disappeared a little and that is peanuts. I might mention cotton here. Originally, the concept of growing cotton in the Top End was to use it as a rotational crop with peanuts. That is what they were going to try to do. That has not happened. Peanuts showed a lot of potential. There is still some grown but not to the quantities we thought were going to happen.
Minister, you also mentioned cut flowers. In my area, and the rural area where the member for Goyder is, cut flowers are a very important part of primary industry and horticulture. I am lucky that when a certain lady comes in for our shredded paper we do a swap: we get heliconias and she gets shredded paper. This area is developing all the time and we are able to produce flowers that nowhere else can produce - I suppose North Queensland - but we are producing flowers that are unique to the tropics so we do not have to have the gladioli and carnations all the time. As these things develop, the cut flower industry is a bright light when it comes to horticulture in the Northern Territory. I congratulate all those people in the industry. It is not easy; it is not just a matter of having cut flowers. You have to maintain them all the time because plants like heliconias and gingers get a bit rampant after a while and the flowers get smaller so they require constant work. I agree that it is a very interesting industry.
You talked about research into weeds. I have always felt that we have been lacking in possibly hybridising some of the grasses that we use for cattle, and a classic one is gamba. We have a plant that is loved by the pastoralists and hated by everyone else. Yet, when I used to grow some green feed for my poultry farm, one of the feeds you could buy was hybrid millet which has infertile seeds so it cannot seed. I always wondered why we could not have spent some time and money producing a hybrid form of gamba that did not produce fertile seed. That would have given us the best of both worlds. It would not have spread unless you actually bought the hybridised seed and planted it; it would not have spread by natural means; and we would not have the problem we have now with our environment. It is an area that the department could look at. I am not sure if there is enough money in the pastoral industry to spend on such a research program because it would require a fair bit of money to produce a hybrid plant.
Other areas with weed control would be whether there is any biological control of some of the weeds like the pennisetum polystachion, or Mission Grass. I do not know whether the department has been looking at some of those possibilities because pennisetum was introduced as a pasture species. I do not think it is today regarded as a particularly great pasture species since gamba was introduced, but it has certainly caused a problem as a weed in built up areas in the rural area.
Minister, you also mentioned that your division conducted field and development trials that have led to replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound which was previously used in the Territory horticultural industry to control termite. I am presuming that is Mirant; it may be something else. It would be nice to let us know a little more about that. As Mirant has now come off the usable list of termite poisons it would be interesting to know what replacement there is. That was an interesting piece in the statement, but there is not very much detail.
You also said you would be working with Aboriginal communities to conduct trials to extract compounds from native Territory flora to control bacterial diseases in plants. This is good news because we know that many of our native plants have medicinal properties and obviously they have other properties. Some of the books around today are very detailed about the chemical structure of many of the native plants. This is an area that needs a little more development. I know this is covering a large area, but they are items it would be good for this parliament to hear about, and what they are going to be used for, and how much involvement Aboriginal people will have in the development of those products.
Going back to the research stations for a minute, Beatrice Hill was mentioned. They produce buffalo. I am concerned about - and I think it concerns people at Beatrice Hill - the demise of the abattoir. Heaven help us, I know the media think that I wanted both the abattoir and the piggery taken over by the government, which is not what I said. I said that the government should take over the abattoir. Unfortunately, the piggery will depart just like the poultry industry. However, there is a concern that by having no abattoir, there is going to be difficulty developing a market for the buffalo in the Northern Territory. Even some of the experimental work done at the research station may have been done using that abattoir. Even if the abattoir was shifted or opened just once a month or something, and some of the departmental staff could perhaps operate it, it would be good. It does serve a purpose.
Some people say that is not the government’s role. In many parts of Australia the government did take on those roles and it had a community abattoir. I do not want the government to spend piles and piles of money, but there is nowhere else in the Top End that you are going to be able to kill animals. I do not know where you will be able to kill them. I am not sure there is an abattoir left in the Northern Territory, and so this is only one small abattoir. There may be the one at Meneling Station at Batchelor, but there are not many opportunities for meat to be cut up in the Top End.
Minister, this concerns me a little and I have probably spoken about it before. You talked about the Coastal Plains Research Station. The Coastal Plains Research Station was once the centre for horticultural research in the NT. It was the real centre. Anyone who visited that farm on the farm days they had would remember the many varieties of vegetables that were being trialled. Unfortunately, this has all disappeared with horticultural research going to the big name crops, like mangoes, for instance. It is unfortunate from a scientific research aspect. The Territory is in a developing stage when it comes to horticultural research. That is why the government, not industry, needs to be a driver of horticultural research, especially in relation to those crops which are not widely grown or could be potentially grown. I will give you some examples.
Back in the early or mid-1990s, Coastal Plains used to grow a number of Taiwanese varieties of vegetables like cabbages and cauliflowers, normally not things that do that well in the Top End because of the heat. They were able to get varieties that had a longer growing period. I use that example to say that I believe the government still has a role in a developing area like the Northern Territory to do much of that research which no one else could do because there is not big money in cauliflowers, not at the moment anyway. There could be big money in cauliflowers or cabbages if we grew them out of season and enough of them at the right time. I used to grow cabbages at Daly River and you can grow them quite successfully, it has a relatively short growing period.
I believe that is where the government has a role to play. Certainly, it has to do the work for the mango farmers. They invest money through their levies but I believe we have cut off this idea that government should not be in too much research, that it should be industry-led. Governments need to be in there because they have the scientists. They are the ones who can actually do a lot of this work that may be uneconomic at the present time, but it could lead to opening up markets in the Northern Territory. Take tourism: the government subsidises tourism - $27m over three years. Why? So we can open up markets. I would argue the same thing. If you want to help horticultural development in the Northern Territory, the government has to put that money in. Eventually it won’t. Eventually, if we get these markets, people will do their own work. That is a sad thing today. When you go out there, there is nowhere near the amount of work. We do grow plenty of Asian vegetables in the rural area, but I still believe there is a good market for other crops, and the Territory government has a role to play to try to assist the opening up and breaking into new markets.
It has done that to some extent with the flowers. Take the Darzings: obviously there was a lot of work done at the research station which the flower people have taken up and marketed. I know there is a different philosophy today. I have heard over the years how things have changed; now research has to be industry-driven. That is all right where you have big markets down south, where many of these crops are well developed, but in the Territory I believe we need to keep working on research of these smaller crops.
Another example is cotton. I know cotton is like ‘ugh’, but we did cotton trials in Katherine. For some reason we stopped doing them. Whether it was because of the GM, I do not know. However, 60% to 90% of cotton in Australia is GM, just go with the figures. That is what is being grown in Queensland and New South Wales. The figures are that. Because we now know how to use it properly, it has reduced pesticides remarkably. The amount of pesticides now used in cotton has just gone out the door. But we stopped growing it.
This is not an ad for GM cotton, but I know that there were people who wanted to keep growing cotton to see if they could get a better variety to be fungus resistant. There were mildews on some of the cotton because Katherine does get high dew in the morning. They wanted to see whether they could build up some resistant varieties that could be used in New South Wales and Queensland. However, the cotton trials stopped. Even though some people might have objections to GM - and to me, GM is too big a word to just say: ‘I object’, that way, because there is all sorts of GM - trials are trials. We gain knowledge from trials. We learn things from trials, and that is why we have trials.
It is a shame that because something did not fit into our ideology, we did not continue some of these trials. It gave our research station some money. Certain companies invested in the research stations to get the work done. I am not scared of that; I just think that is what we should be doing as that helps our scientific understanding of these crops. It was disappointing as I went down for the last cotton harvest in Katherine, and I felt we had taken a step backward, not a step forward, when it came to research.
Minister, you also mentioned the minerals side. I know we have spoken about geothermal and it is an exciting prospect for the Northern Territory. I have one of those gravity maps. I must admit the last time this was discussed I had no idea what a gravity map was. I now have a gravity map and I gather they are very important when it comes to identifying areas of mineral activity in the Northern Territory. I was asked by someone today if you could make sure you keep funding your exploration programs - you probably know where that came from. Do not drop off your exploration programs. It might cost you money but it does come back in with companies that are attracted to the Northern Territory because the information they need to explore is there. It is the government doing that work which makes it a good way to attract companies into the Territory to look at what opportunities we have for mining.
Minister, I thank you for the report. It is always interesting. If I have some critical points of view, they are not there because I am trying to be negative, but it is an area I have a great interest in. It is important, because there can be a tendency to forget that although a lot of people do not live in these areas where we have pastures and mining, it does produce a good part of our economy. It is the future for the Territory if it is well done. There will be a lot more work. You are going to have a fair bit of pressure - if I put it the right way - with the Commonwealth government looking at opportunities to open up land for development and whether we can use some of our water for that development. I am always interested to hear if the government has been looking at alternative ideas.
There has been a lot of emphasis on the Douglas Daly, but is there a possibility of using some Daly River water in the Sturt Plateau, for instance? It is not that far away, the King River starts in the Sturt Plateau. Could the Sturt Plateau be opened up for farming? I am not saying broad scale farming, but smaller scale farming that could be irrigated. It is a cooler climate, to some extent, and it may be that you are not going to run into issues that seem to dog the development of the Douglas Daly. It is just an idea that I have had floating around for quite some time; whether there are other areas in the Northern Territory that we could open up for agricultural activity.
All in all, minister, I thank you for your statement on the research and development in the Territory’s mining, primary industry and fishery sectors. I would be happy to hear, later in the year, some more statements about different activities of your portfolio in the Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business and Economic Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the former minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, I strongly support the statement by my colleague, the member for Drysdale and the current minister for Mines and Energy, and Primary Industry and Fisheries.
I agree with the member for Nelson, who said that if you do not spend money in research and development you are not going to reap the benefits in the future. There is a very good example in the mining industry. I know for a fact that it was the money we spent to produce the gravity maps - the maps with all the colours – that meant people such as geologists and explorers can understand what is hidden underneath the ground that will attract them to the Territory. We have done a very good job there.
It is not only the responsibility of one department to undertake research and development. More than one department can be involved, and I am very eager, with my new portfolio, to promote the use of research and innovation, provide solutions to issues in these areas, and maximise commercial and other benefits from research and knowledge. Every dollar we spend on research and development will translate to many dollars coming back to the Territory in the form of taxes or investment and, of course, jobs.
Let us not forget that we have the Northern Territory Research and Innovation Board. I am looking forward to working with them to progress our agenda for maximising social, environmental and commercial benefit from research. The board is the powerhouse of talent and has a national reputation for research, development and innovation in the private sector, university, research and teaching institutions because research and development is not the role of the government but also the role of the private sector. We know that many private companies spend a lot of money on research and development and in further developing some processes with a patent which they can then sell for millions of dollars.
The Chair of the board is Professor Grahame Webb. He is acknowledged as one of the world’s top experts in crocodilian research and management, winning the prestigious Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award in 2001. He is chair of the World Conservation Union’s Crocodile Specialty Group; Managing Director of his Darwin-based company, Wildlife Management International, and also established Crocodylus Park, our local top tourist attraction with behind the scenes, cutting edge research on crocodiles and other reptiles including turtles. He is often in the news because of his progressive ideas about ensuring preservation of wildlife through their use as a commercial resource. Many times we have agreed with Grahame Webb: when you put a price tag on something, that particular something, animal or plant, will never become extinct because it has a value. Territorians like Grahame have exceptional value because they successfully straddle academic, entrepreneurial and practical pursuits and contribute significantly to the Territory’s knowledge economy.
Other board members have similar reputations in their field, for example Alan Langworthy, Managing Director of Powercorp Pty Ltd, who established the first wind-based power stations in Antarctica after the Americans said it could not be done - and Alan did it. Bruce Walker, who like Grahame has also won a Clunies Ross Award, as founder and director of the Centre for Appropriate Technology has headed up the application of innovative technologies in the bush to improve the livelihoods of desert communities with inventions such as the hand-powered washing machine, the ventilated improved pit toilets that solve the problem of flies and smell, and solar powered outback lighting.
The board has a primary role in supporting similarly innovative and entrepreneurial talent in the Territory including through initiatives like research and innovation awards and research and innovation grants with a budget of approximately $1m over three years. The awards are a great way to recognise and further encourage research excellence and entrepreneurship, creating jobs and commercial opportunities throughout the Territory.
Some examples of these awards include Rik Buckworth of the Northern Territory Fisheries Division who developed a hollow hook for sampling mackerel without having to overly stress the fish by hauling it on board, tagging and releasing them, yet able to collect adequate biological information for the sound management of the fishery. Rik and his team were further honoured by winning their round on the televised show The New Inventors.
Mark Smith used successful business in radio technology to finance research and development of an antenna which is the envy of the communications world and meeting Australia’s Defence needs, allowing tanks to swerve and sway through the terrain without losing communication links with satellites.
Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek has built partnerships between indigenous experts, scientists and land managers to improve fire management techniques on his traditional country, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and attracting significant private investment to create job opportunities for locals.
The grants: two thirds funds for research and development grants for traditional and applied research with substantial capacity to leverage for external research funds into the Territory, and one third of funds for generally private sector-based innovation grants. To date, from the three completed rounds of grants, $500 000 in grants from the fund has leveraged more than nine times this amount in external funds for the Territory, a total of $4.8m.
Examples of the grant recipients from the latest fourth round of grants are:
- Professor Dave Parry and Karen Gibb from Charles Darwin University have been awarded a grant of $45 000 over three years to develop a system of using micro-organisms to decontaminate acid rock drainage from mine sites;
- Mr Geoff Goodrich, owner of Waste Oil Solutions, received a grant to test and determine the ability of a pressurised filtration technique to adequately clean waste oil to a point where it is reusable in mobile internal combustion engines. If successful, he can take his business to the next level of commercialisation, while killing two birds with one stone, avoiding damage to the environment through the disposal of waste oil by cleaning up and reusing the oil and doing it in away that will work in remote areas. Sixty of his waste oil disposal units have already been sold to the cattlemen and other remote and rural areas; and
- a grant to the Northern Territory Manufacturer’s Council to allow it to establish and develop the NT Manufacturing Entrepreneurship Advancement Network, providing business advancement services to small business owners to translate innovative ideas into business realities.
Government, therefore, has begun to investigate reasons for this and to come up with solutions, including developing programs to improve access by SMEs to information on what kind of Commonwealth and industry grants are available and offering assistance in preparing competitive applications.
In closing, the Northern Territory Research and Innovation Board is making a real contribution to the Territory’s knowledge economy through recognising and supporting the Territory’s most innovative researchers and entrepreneurs. I commend them on their impressive record and wish them continued success.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am prepared to work with my colleague, the member for Drysdale and Minister for Mines and Energy and Primary Industry and Fisheries, to continue research and development in the Northern Territory that will benefit some of the most viable industries in the Territory, namely fisheries, primary industries, and certainly mining.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his first statement as the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, and for Mines and Energy. It is good to hear a report such as this. It saves asking many questions, and I was interested to read through it. I support the member for Nelson’s comment about what a great portfolio it is - Mines and Energy and Primary Industry and Fisheries takes you to every part of the Territory. There would not be too many parts you are not involved in. I hope you enjoy your position as the minister with responsibility for these portfolios, and I wish you well in them.
I want to make a few comments regarding the mining industry because that is my portfolio now. Geological Survey and its role in providing competitive data for exploration companies to come to the Northern Territory is vitally important. If I am not wrong, I think it was an innovation of the CLP. Did we do something right for you people? Tick! Tick! We have no argument as far as the value of mining to the Northern Territory. As you have acknowledged, it is 26% of the Territory’s gross state product, which is fabulous news for the Territory.
I have a couple of questions. The Angela and Pamela leases are very much in the media in recent times. They were indicative of a great financial boom for Territory investors. It has been interesting to watch this man, Norm, stake his claim on the lease in the old fashioned way. Could the minister explain in his reply how this can still happen? I do not fully understand how he could stake such a claim and beat the big mining companies which invest millions of dollars in the Territory. I would like to know how that can happen, and how you are going to address it in the future.
Mr Wood: Sell alarm clocks.
Mrs MILLER: Yes, sell a lot of alarm clocks. Good idea, member for Nelson. I believe there are over 37 companies which have expressed an interest in Angela and Pamela, and they are predominantly Australian companies, which is good because all the gross profit will stay in Australia. It is also good that we have had some overseas companies express an interest, and we definitely welcome them. However, with that many companies expressing an interest, what framework is in place to assess those companies to decide who will be the successful applicant? How will you decide that? Could you also tell me what incentives you offer exploration companies and industry to come to the Northern Territory?
I noticed here – well, I have not noticed here actually, that is what I am going to ask you. What happened on your trip to China? Could you give some detail such as how many companies you spoke to, or expressed an interest when you were in China? Since your return, minister, how many expressed an interest to explore in the Northern Territory? That is really important? I know it is important for you to go overseas to sell the Territory, and sell what we have here, and I congratulate you for doing that. I would like to know how many have shown an interest in coming to the Territory.
There are a whole lot of areas I would like to cover. One of them is GBS Gold. GBS Gold is going to be a great contributor to regional NT, mainly around Pine Creek and Katherine. We are very glad to have them there and they are already contributing to the community. Some of their executive staff are living in Katherine. That means their families are there. They are going to have a shopfront in Katherine. That is really good because they will base their Maud Creek mining base in Katherine. The big thing is that are starting a joint partnership with the Katherine youth development group, whereby they are co-funding the development and training of apprentices. That is going to be on an annual basis. That is really good as it is giving an opportunity for young people who are showing an interest in the mining industry the opportunity to develop. So we may be able to train some more people in geology in the Northern Territory, some homegrown kids from the Territory, which is really good.
As far as development goes in aquaculture - there are a lot of areas I could go to there. I will start with aquaculture. You talked about the benefits of aquaculture, and I guess that my experience with aquaculture elsewhere in Australia, and especially South Australia, has highlighted to me the benefit of aquaculture, and that is when the land became less profitable. I am talking about particular areas on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia when the land became difficult to make a living from; it seemed to me that the fortune moved from there to the ocean. There was a lot of research and development done in the tuna and tuna aquaculture and with oysters on the west coast of South Australia as well. I believe it is really important for us in the Territory to look at what we can develop in our aquaculture. In particular, you have mentioned the major aquaculture sectors of barramundi.
When I was in Port Lincoln, I took the opportunity to visit a tuna aquaculture farm. There are some 18 pens about an hour-and-a-half boat ride to the other side of Boston Island. It was quite rough; the swell is quite strong out there. I would like to let the House know that I was the only female on board who did not end up giving some berley bait to the fish. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the full process of the aquaculture. It is a really interesting process whereby they do not produce their own fingerlings, they go deep sea. Sometimes it takes them two to three weeks to actually bring them back in a special net at a very slow pace until they get back to the aquaculture farm. There, they put the baby tuna in those pens and they are there for some four years before they harvest them.
I was fortunate enough to witness a harvest. The reason I am relating this is because significant research went into the development of the tuna aquaculture, to the point that it is an extremely financial benefit to South Australia, especially Eyre Peninsula and Port Lincoln. Within four days of witnessing this harvest of tuna, which was on a Monday, by the Thursday evening the tuna were to be on the plates in Japan. It is a very slick process, but we can do it. We can do it here with barramundi. I encourage the minister to have a look at that particular area.
One of the challenges that has arisen in aquaculture here is that it has been put forward that the nutrients from the barramundi contaminate the ocean, etcetera. These tuna in South Australia are fed fish from the ocean. They are fed herrings and sardines from the ocean, so they are only putting back into the ocean what has been taken out. They regularly scientifically test the ocean below these farm cages, so it is a very slick operation. We can do it here; I am sure we can. Much more research, of course, will need to go into it. I know we have trialled many of these things, but we must not give up. We really must not do that.
Just as an add-on to the barramundi, it is interesting to note that one of the Leader of the Opposition’s staff purchased some smoked barramundi this week. Guess where it was processed? In Mile End, South Australia. It would be interesting to know if we could have an add-on industry in the Northern Territory where we could smoke our own barramundi and use that as an export trade. That is something that we need to look at. We need to add on to our own in the Northern Territory.
Another aquaculture sector that is being trialled here is the sea cucumber. In September last year I went to a conference in Brisbane and visited a sea cucumber processing plant with a group of people from that conference. This one runs very successfully. I forget the name of it right now, but I can get the details if you would like. That is a great opportunity for us to have here in the Territory. This was run by an indigenous community. They had trialled their sea cucumber processing until they had it down just pat. They have the answers. These people have the answers because they have trialled it all. They were very obliging and offered to give any assistance they could. The sea cucumber is an extremely lucrative market. There is a great opportunity to the Territory.
I heard the member for Nelson talk about sesame. Sesame seed was trialled at Katherine Research Station also. A couple of years ago, I had a look at some plantations, and there were over 20 varieties. I had absolutely no idea there was so many varieties. It is interesting to hear the member say that he believes that it is now being trialled overseas. I do not know where we are with sesame. I know that there is a possibility - and highly likely - that we have an opportunity to have an industry in sesame. I would like to know where the research has gone with sesame seed.
Peanuts are still grown near Katherine. There are still a couple of producers there. I believe they are still experimenting with them but, at this stage, I am not aware that they are unhappy with what they have been producing. Of course, melons and pumpkins grow really well in Katherine; we know that. That research does not need to be carried out.
As far as the cotton trials go in Katherine, I found interesting many of objections about the cotton trials, and it is because people have a perception that cotton is grown broad acre as it is in New South Wales, and it takes up all of your water and will ruin waterways, and that it is a water guzzler. When I visited the research farm and looked at the cotton in the last year they were growing, they were using a drip water system, and they had proved that it used less water than mangoes. I found that interesting and am disappointed that that has finished. I have no great aspirations for cotton to be grown broad acre, and there is nowhere for it to be grown broad acre in the Territory. However, I do believe that it should not be squashed entirely as much research has gone into it to prove that it is a viable rotational crop. I am not saying you need to grow it broad acre; not at all.
Mr Wood: Middle-sized farms.
Mrs MILLLER: Yes, that is right. I am also interested in the minister investigating a lot further what is happening with the Ord River Stage 2 development. It has been interesting listening over the last three years since I have been in the Assembly to the barrier there seems to be towards looking at that area for development. I find it strange that we have this mass of water in the Ord River Scheme from Lake Argyle, which is a huge body of water, and they have fantastic soil and it does not stop at the border. It is an invisible line, but I think it is going to be highly visible shortly as it is going to stop right at the border and we are missing an opportunity. I encourage the minister to further look at the Ord River Stage 2 scheme and see if there is something which can be developed there for the Northern Territory.
Another area I would like to see research done, and support given, and I believe that it has to come from government as I do not think the money is there for small operators to do this, is a multi-species abattoirs. I have been a bit hot on abattoirs as there is a vacant one in Katherine which I would love to see filled. I know it is expensive to operate. I know that the Teys brothers are not interested in opening it themselves, however, they have the facility there and I know there are other abattoirs throughout the Territory which could be utilised.
We need to have an outlet for our small operators who need to process pigs, goats, deer, and small buffalo, and we do not have anywhere for that. We are missing an opportunity and I would like to see that investigated and researched properly, and followed through to provide somewhere for these people to be able to process their animals.
The development of the Douglas Daly has always been of interest to me. I am not advocating mass clearing of land, but I believe the people who own land in the Douglas Daly are being discriminated against with the moratorium that has been placed on them. Most of those property owners, I would say, have a great respect for the land and the river and would not abuse that as it is their livelihood and future. None of us want to see happen in the Douglas Daly what has happened in the southern states with their river systems – it is tragic to look at that on the television – and I would not like to see that happen, but we need to encourage more development in the Douglas Daly region. Of course, I have a vested interest in that for the Katherine area. I would like to see an all-weather crossing at the Edith River through Edith Farms. There is a lot of land which could be accessed between the river and the Douglas Daly that needs to be opened up. The only thing that is stopping it is isolation. They are really isolated if they do not have a cross-over at the Edith River. It is a really beautiful spot, by the way.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am running out of time and I have not even got to some of the areas that I wanted to talk about, but they do come under other headings. One thing is that you are going to have a lot of problems in the rural areas with the shires. I believe that you are going to have your hands full as the minister for Primary Industry because many pastoralists are not going to be very happy with the shire boundaries. That is a debate for another day.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines in his research and development statement in which he outlined how this government is promoting R&D in the mining, primary industry and fishery sectors.
Our vibrant research and development is a major vein pumping blood to the heart of our strong and sustainable economic growth. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Territory than in our natural resource and farming sectors. The Martin Labor government is rising to the challenge, and the minister eloquently and proudly outlined the depth of R&D that is currently occurring in the Territory. Contrast this with the dearth of research and development that occurred under the previous CLP governments. The contrast is strong and blatant.
In supporting the minister’s important statement, I wish to focus on a handful of those fabulous areas of research and development that are occurring in and around my electorate of Goyder. Despite my professional background in mining, I am the member for Goyder and will therefore concentrate on discussing R&D related to farming and fishing, which directly affect my Darwin rural area constituents.
How can we forget the local newspaper’s attention grabbing headline: ‘Pox in the Crocs’? It certainly grabbed my attention, as at least one crocodile farm is located within my electorate of Goyder. The media headlines claimed that a sexually transmitted disease was detected in hatchlings of crocodiles caused by chlamydia. This is untrue, despite the fact that chlamydia is one of the sexually transmitted diseases that affects humans. Let me make it clear that it is not a sexually transmitted disease in crocodiles. This disease was apparently spread within the crocodile farm by contact and by aerosol. Independent analysis has confirmed that the department’s initial diagnosis was correct, demonstrating that DPIFM’s Berrimah vet lab is one of the very best in the country and that our government scientists really are experts in their field.
For the record, I will tell you what happened. In June 2006, an unusual number of deaths were reported in hatchlings of salt water crocodiles at two farms in the Darwin area. In late June, Chlamydia was diagnosed by both the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory and Oonoonba Veterinary Laboratory in Queensland. Chlamydia is a disease that affects farm crocodiles in South Africa and Papua New Guinea and has been present in Australia since 2004. Its clinical symptoms are severe conjunctivitis with throat infections often observed first. In our crocodile farms where it was detected, it seems to attack hatchlings but did not affect the older crocodiles as much. Departmental officers advised that the disease can be managed by good biosecurity and improved on-farm husbandry methods. Departmental vets have worked closely with the crocodile farms to identify the source of the disease and provide advice on future control measures.
It should be noted that Chlamydia is present in most vertebrates, including humans, mammals and birds but it is species specific. In layman’s terms, this means that the strain in crocodiles is different from that found in herons, for example, and it is highly unlikely that one species could be able to pass the disease onto another species.
One international expert incorrectly suggested that the outbreak may have been caused by a pox virus which has previously appeared in South Africa. However, DNA technology has shown that the disease is a previously unidentified strain of Chlamydia specific to crocodiles. This advice has been confirmed by the University of Melbourne, which undertook the DNA sequencing of tissue taken from crocodiles affected by the disease. The reason the mortality rate was so high is a combination of factors, including the fact that the hatchlings are stressed by environmental factors such as cold weather and then become susceptible to infection. Incidentally, the coldest average minimum monthly temperatures for 64 years were recorded in the Darwin area during the time of this outbreak.
What this incident clearly demonstrates is that we have international standard research, diagnostic and management expertise available locally. We are, indeed, very lucky to have such professional, dedicated people working here and supporting an emerging industry in my electorate. As a final note, workshops have been convened with industry members to develop future industry procedures to minimise the impacts of the disease.
The Darwin Aquaculture Centre, or DAC, is located within my electorate at Channel Island in Darwin Harbour. The DAC has been instrumental in the development of our barramundi aquaculture industry in the Top End. I will shortly join the minister when he visits the DAC and I look forward to updating the House on this aspect of their operation. But I can tell you that the DAC supplies fingerlings for Bob Richards’ barramundi farm on the Adelaide River in my electorate, which I visited late last year, and for other farms in my electorate on the Blackmore River and Middle Arm. Bob Richards, an old mate of mine, and his partners, have been developing the farm at Adelaide River to supply larger sized whole fish to interstate markets for the fillet trade. I understand that just at the moment they are having an enviable problem of unexpected overproduction. They are madly sorting and packaging their harvest and reaping the greater benefits from their considerable efforts.
I understand the DAC is leading the world in the production of juvenile crabs, not surprisingly known in the industry as crablets. Mud crab growout has been occurring throughout Asia for several generations of aquaculturalists, but relies entirely on the capture of juvenile mud crabs from the wild. These are then grown out in artificial mangrove enclosures or earthen ponds. Large scale commercial production of hatchery-reared crablets was first achieved in early 2003 at the DAC, with the production of tens of thousands of crablets. This has put the Northern Territory industry at the forefront of production for this species. Just for the record, trials at the DAC ponds harvested after 16 weeks, or 112 days, yielded between 542 and 1900 kilograms per hectare. This is an extraordinarily good outcome from these trials.
I am a great advocate for regional economic development that supports regional and remote communities. Mud crab aquaculture has been proposed as a potential economic development activity for regional and remote Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Aquaculture seems to be an activity which stimulates interest and enthusiasm in these communities. There are currently two mud crab aquaculture projects under development in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The most progressed project is the venture established by the Gwalwa Daraniki Association, or the GDA, at Kulaluk in Darwin. This project not only provides a commercial venture on indigenous land for indigenous people but also will research models of crab farming that will be applicable for remote communities across the Top End.
At Maningrida, there is a project that involves mangrove ranching of crabs. A section of mangrove forest is fenced off with discarded prawn trawl netting, and is then stocked with hatchlings produced by mud crabs derived from local brood stock. This is truly an innovative approach using appropriate technology. I must point out that the eastern Territory is more suitable for this style of farming than the west due to the smaller tidal range of the order of only plus or minus 3 m.
I was pleased the minister spoke at some length about the cut flower industry. This is one of the great burgeoning industries that I can proudly proclaim to be centred in the rural area outside of Darwin. I am sure the member for Nelson agrees with that. The Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines is right there assisting these growers promote their product and helping them expand their market. Of particular interest is the innovative way DPIFM has assisted in the formation of a company by a group of cut flower growers to expand this relatively new industry. The department has not only assisted with the formation of the company, but has also supplied new commercial varieties through its innovative plant breeding program in conjunction with the growers. The Territory can now look forward with some degree of excitement about the further expansion of the cut flower industry in the Northern Territory, an industry that has a very bright future due to its participation with the DPIFM in a clear demonstration of the practical results of departmental research and development.
A significant proportion of the mango industry occurs in the rural areas around Darwin. In 2006, the NT mango harvest totalled more than 17 500 tonnes, of which about 11 000 tonnes was grown in the Darwin rural area. Over the last year, it was a pretty good year and the high production was due to a three-month long harvest season, and the smaller overlap between the Darwin and Katherine harvest periods was also beneficial. 2006 also saw a higher average fruit growth as a result of less rainfall during harvesting. Overall, 2006 was a season of high production and good prices.
A great asset to the mango growers is the involvement of the Territory’s DPIFM mango crop forecasting project. The DPIFM Horticultural Australia Ltd Mango Crop Forecasting Project has made a significant contribution to the success of the 2006 season. This forecast project has allowed the industry to provide a benchmark of current supply chain outcomes that will impact on supply chain management in coming years. This great project assists in labour hire, planning and transport needs for growers, packers and transport logistics companies. The 2006 extended harvest season provided an opportunity for good utilisation of packing and transport infrastructure available and available labour.
The Northern Territory Horticultural Association also got together with Charles Darwin University to jointly run a training program for pickers and packers. This joint venture apparently was of great assistance in preparing the harvest labourers for the Top End mango industry.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this government is committed to delivering for all Territorians well into the future. As I said at the outset, our viable research and development is a major vein pumping blood to the heart of our strong and sustainable economic growth. Nowhere else is it more evident in the Territory than in our natural resources and farming sectors. I thank the minister for his most enlightening statement and I eagerly look forward to further updates.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge the statement and support the comments made. I also support the member for Goyder’s comments - that might be a surprise to you, member for Goyder - that, indeed this sector is critical to the potential of the Northern Territory. I have said on other occasions - and I am not alone in this, of course - that it is the primary industry sector, if that potential is unlocked, which could launch the Territory into a whole new place of development. It has been neglected over many years. I will not be so churlish as to say in the last five years, or anything silly like that and cast it in political terms. However, anyone who has assessed the history of the Northern Territory would have to say it has been recognised as a area of huge potential. From the earliest days and the earliest writings, there were those who came to the Territory with a dream to see that potential develop. Therefore, it is good to see a statement like this which identifies some areas of activity and the progress made in those areas.
Sadly, there have been many dreams and not all of those dreams have come anywhere near to fruition. Of recent times, it was the cattle industry, and market forces have driven that. However, government plays a very important role in setting the right foundations, the right parameters, and the right framework to allow that potential to be unleashed. We would have to be pragmatic that the political agenda can easily be swayed by places where there are larger numbers of votes like the northern suburbs. Those who live in the northern suburbs enjoy the produce that originates from areas where there is a small population. If that small population were not there - the farmers who live remote, those working in the primary industry sector, or those who work on the fishing boats were not there - those in the northern suburbs and those in the highly populated areas around the country would soon wake up and wonder why someone is not doing something about that important sector that, sometimes, politically we can be tempted not to give due attention to.
I urge the minister to continue that journey of unlocking the potential that is inherent in that which we have in the Northern Territory to the tropics to the Centre and to the sea. I will not speak at length because many words have been spoken but just a couple of points.
With regards to recreational fishing and the fishing effort, the development of management plans is critical in order to have management plans established today that will allow us to access the resource tomorrow and into the future. These management plans are not just so that recreational fishermen will have opportunity to catch fish. We know that the recreational fishing effort feeds into many other sectors of the Territory economy.
The development of management plans, strategies and the like can only be developed if you have quality information. It is my view and the view of others, and I am sure the minister would be aware of this, that there is the pressing need for a thorough audit to be done in a timely manner and over measured periods of time to measure, perhaps every five years or so, the amount of fish being taken from our waterways, from the rivers and the coasts, particularly barramundi. There have been times when those surveys have been conducted. And if you conduct this sort of business in a scientific manner, you have to do it from period to period so you can compare like with like, every five years or whatever, so that you will know whether your management plan is actually working and you can adjust accordingly based on sound scientific information. That also feeds into the commercial fishing effort.
The data needs to be collated and fed into a system that informs policy and management plans. But I would specifically focus on the recreational fishing effort. That must occur. That kind of research is essential. We can say all sorts of things and bandy slogans around the place and feel good about fishing, but unless we have the hard data, we will not have quality management plans and we may not have a future of what we would hope it to be.
Another area of research I do not see referenced is to support the statements and expectations that have even been made in this House about biodiesel. There has been the opening of a plant. There have been people up here assessing the potential of developing an oil seed industry here. I would like to hear the minister report to the House on what sort of support has been provided to this enterprise at that level. Agricultural development requires a high level of support at the earliest stages. As anyone knows, to be a pioneer in the agriculture sector, you need a market. Here there is a market. There is a biodiesel plant currently supplied with oil seed from our immediate region. There is the opportunity now for a market to be supplied locally. To exploit that market there are many hurdles that need to be overcome, one of them being the sheer investment and risk that is taken by someone who wants to go down that path.
They would need the support of government. I would like to know what kind of support there has been offered in terms of the deeper level research and guidance for those who are prepared to make that immense risk. I can speak with some close quarter interest in that because as a former farmer from Western Australia, I have had farmers from Western Australia and from Victoria coming here to assess the opportunities. I know where they come from and I know the deep burdens that they carry, but I know that they also carry a desire to actually contribute to some new exciting adventure, but they need support. I would like to know what support is there.
The Ord River has already been mentioned. I know that all relevant encumbrances have been cleared from the Western Australian side, that being native title. Sites of cultural significance and environmental issues have all been cleared on the Western Australian side. Could we have a report on what has occurred on the Northern Territory side? I understand that a water allocation plan was to be finalised on the Western Australian side. Has that been finalised and what is the response of the Northern Territory government to that water allocation plan? Ultimately, what is the minister’s view on the development of the Northern Territory with regards to the Ord River? What is the minister’s view? What is his desire? What would he like to see? Are we going to make progress on that or are we going to remain in the holding pattern, which is tantamount to having no plan or desire to progress it?
All the indications seem to point to that being the conclusion. I hope that is not the case because we are not governing for the next ballot; we need to address these difficult issues that are away from the public eye which will lay foundations for many years to come and which could bolster the Territory economy. We need a response on that.
My second to last issue is the research farms. I note, when reading the comments about the innovation, research and development, much of it arises from the private sector. It appears to be the trend around the country with research farms that are government managed that they have been rationalised and the research capacity is now taken up by the private sector. That seems to be the trend. In Western Australia that is the case where once the government research farm that served to provide innovation and to absorb some of the cost of risk for the primary industry sector has now been outsourced to the private sector. That may be a cost save and it may have some merit, but it also has some significant risks in the long term because if the private sector then manages research and innovation exclusively without the interests of government being involved, you can have the critical mass of certain sectors dominating and excluding others. That sort of data needs to be fed into area of interest in an impartial way.
There is a part for government to play in research and supplying that research to the primary industry sector. I fear that there is a plan to rationalise – let’s use the polite word when in fact the impolite, or the direct, or frank word is to close or sell - some of our research farms. There are six of them and I know that they would cost a fair amount to run. I suspect that following interstate trends, there would be a plan to sell or close them, or rationalise their operation to use the softer word. Whatever phrase, I would like to know the plan regarding the six research farms.
Finally, an issue that the member for Katherine wanted me to raise does not relate directly to the statement, and that is rural women. They certainly play a very important role. They are, in many cases, the unsung heroes of the primary industry sector. You only have to meet the ladies who home school their kids, the Isolated Parents Association. They are quiet, they are strong and they do not speak repeatedly, but when they speak, you want to hear them, because you know they put in a huge effort out there. Anyone who has had experience living remote from urban centres, you know that the load that is carried, away from the public eye, away from electorate offices where you can call in and tell the troubles of the world, these folk just get down and do it, and when they come to town you listen to them. There are many others like that out in the rural areas that you do not get to see. You might get to see them at the local show and things like that and when they get together they do have a good time.
Rural women are honoured from time to time, I understand, minister, and the request from the member for Katherine, and I am happy to endorse this as well - there was an undertaking that the honouring of the rural women would be elevated to a more formal status, rather than being what it has been in the past, reported to me, less formal and perhaps less auspicious. I believe those who live remote, those who are, in this case, our unsung heroes, need to be given greater endorsement and an event of a more formal nature so that we can truly honour them. I ask if the minister could respond to that. I understand there was an undertaking from the former minister, but perhaps that is something you would like to consider if you want further information, another fine rural woman, the member for Katherine, could give you further information on that.
With those specific points that I have raised, minister, I endorse the statement and support it, and I wish you well. It is a very important area and perhaps one that a not many people would know about nor appreciate through not having had that experience. In this Chamber there are those who have had a variety of experience, and it seems to me there are a number who have had experience of remote and in things agricultural, and have a sense, perhaps of a vision, that is yet to be fully realised for the Northern Territory. It is an important statement.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their support of this statement. I am very pleased to have this portfolio. It is a fantastic portfolio and, as all members have said, there is a lot of work to be done. I am still basically at ground level, still learning a lot. It is one of those jobs where you just do not stop learning; you just keep working through it. I do love what I am doing and I have some fantastic people around me who are guiding me in the right direction, so that really does help, and that is in every department that I deal with.
I thank the member for Nelson for his support. I know he is very passionate about many of the points that he raised, and he continues to do that on a regular basis at many of our sittings and has many briefings from departments to bring himself up to speed, and we appreciate that.
He mentioned the Aquaculture Centre and the juvenile barra. The juvenile barra are produced at quite a rate at the aquaculture farm. As I said in my statement, and probably reported at the odd time, they supply a number of industries around the place. The main one was Marine Harvest and, as the member quite rightly pointed out, Marine Harvest is no longer here; it has withdrawn from the Territory. However, the Tiwi Island group have acquired the assets of that company and they are looking for commercial investment. Certainly the government is assisting the Tiwi Land Council in promotion and opportunity for investment along those lines in the hope that they can get that industry up and going again. We can supply the juvenile barra to them.
The other interesting aspect of it is the prawn farmers. Many prawn farmers are turning from prawn farming to barra farming, so there are quite a few juveniles going there, plus the fact we are also topping up Manton Dam on quite regular occasions with these juveniles as well. The Aquaculture Centre is still heavily maintaining the numbers of barra and the market is there for them at this stage.
The member for Nelson mentioned prawn farming. The department does a lot of research with prawns. It is undertaking research into a number of species. However, due to the international pricing, it has dropped quite significantly. Prawn farms are actually turning away from prawns to barra in some aspects. They are also looking at other areas such as mud crabs and trepang. As much as we are doing the research with the different species of prawns, the price has dropped.
If you want to visit research farms, I am happy to arrange that any time. I have to go out to them and have a look around, and any time you have a spare moment and would like to make a visit, by all means contact my department and we can arrange that for you.
The members for Katherine and Blain raised the issue of Ord River Stage 2. It is a water source in Western Australia with Lake Argyle. It is a staged development and, initially, that stage is developing in Western Australia itself. They have called for expressions of interests and have developed further stages within their complex. We have always envisaged it would be a staged development to deliver water to the Northern Territory, so we have our finger on the pulse there. We are remaining in conversation with them so we are aware of what is going on down the track. We are well aware of the stages that are taking place and will remain in contact with the Western Australian government on that.
At the moment, the department is doing a lot of research and evaluating the new varieties of sesame which are available. I understand local producers have produced oil from a crop at Katherine in the past. However, we are hoping the new variety research will create another industry for us. Again, the department is working with producers and interested parties along those lines.
Regarding the cut flowers, nothing more can be added to what we have said today. The cut flower industry is going ahead in leaps in bounds. There have been good reports on what they are doing, and the department is working with the cut flower growers to produce the new hybrids and keep ahead of the industry. The industry is there from around Australia and our cut flower group are pleased with the way things are progressing.
The abattoirs, unfortunately, are not government business. That has been mentioned on a number of occasions before. The problem we have is the buoyant prices we are getting for export cattle overseas, especially into Indonesia. I witnessed that firsthand on my trip to Sabah late last year. However, the government will continue to encourage commercial investors to consider setting up a business here if they want to come and have a look at it. If anyone wants to put their hand up to look at an abattoir business here, we are only too pleased to help them out where we can.
You mentioned the cabbage and cauliflower you used to grow. It is probably one of the specialised areas; however, it is a great opportunity. What the department is looking at is for vegetables to be grown and create an opportunity which is out of season. This is where we are trying to get into specialised markets and take advantage of them. This is where the Asian vegetables have come to the fore. Asian vegetable sales have grown from $10m to $30m in a few years and sales are going ahead in leaps and bounds.
You have said you would like to hear a lot more. There is no doubt that throughout the year I will be making many more statements and reports. I will try to keep you up to date. You know yourself that if there is anything you are interested in you can get a briefing. The department is only too pleased to do that at any stage, and you can do that on a regular basis.
The member for Katherine mentioned that the geosurvey is great news. I have witnessed that firsthand, as I said earlier in my report. The interest which was shown in the geosurvey report we took to China was amazing, and that is really starting to bear fruit. That is witnessed by the Chinese delegation we had here the other day. I know the member for Katherine asked for some more detail on the China visit. I made a report on it earlier in the week, and I am happy to table that for the member for Katherine. It has all the detail on the companies. In that report is a lot of information on who we visited while we were there and the information also details the companies which are going to visit Northern Territory in the not too distant future. That was borne out by the visits that we had last week which is one of the first of four visits we will have throughout the season.
The member for Katherine mentioned the Angela and Pamela leases south of Alice Springs. Unfortunately, I cannot discuss any of that at this stage because it is before the courts. However, once the case has been determined, the government will certainly consider any issues that have been raised by the member for Katherine. In relation to the companies that she asked about which applied for the lease, or for the interest in the Angela and Pamela deposits, again I cannot talk about the companies involved. The department will be working through a process to assess each application. There is a process set out in the Mining Act with that.
Just for interest of members, due to the high level of interest in the Angela and Pamela prospects applicants are requested, and also they had to address the following in their applications:
- the applicants must show their past performances in their exploration areas;
- they must show the nature, the timing and the expenditure they are going to have in the first two years of the proposed exploration program;
- the finance and technology capabilities to accomplish any financial covenants;
- the relevant future plans of the area and/or work programs; and
- the capacity to bring a deposit if proven into production.
GBS Gold, which the member for Katherine mentioned, is a wonderful story. The initiatives and innovations of the GBS Gold Company have done some fantastic things for Pine Creek and Katherine, and it is pleasing to see how innovative they are with their ideas. It is really capturing the interest of the surrounding areas of their mine. They are doing everything right and I believe they are paving the way for other mining companies throughout the Territory.
The member for Katherine mentioned the aquaculture and the tuna farming. I have witnessed the tuna farming at Port Lincoln. It is a very interesting setup and raises a lot of money. It is amazing how much money one fish is worth in Japan. Unfortunately it is not a tropical farming operation as we have a different type of tuna in our waters up here. However, the department is always looking at other areas within aquaculture to see what can be exploited by interested companies. That could be seen from the sea cucumber exploits also mentioned by the member for Katherine. Research at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre has been undertaken and we found that the sea cucumbers have a growing capacity and it is well advanced and has a big future in our waters in the future.
Cotton is a very interesting area. The member for Katherine mentioned cotton and that it perhaps should be grown in the Northern Territory. We understand that the CLP has a policy that no cotton should be grown in the Daly so it is interesting to hear that the member for Katherine has her views on that. That was interesting. She also mentioned the Douglas Daly. We do not want to go through the problems that they are having down south - she mentioned that - so we are trying to balance the interests of the parties in that area. As minister, I am well aware of all the stakeholders when it comes to the Daly. We have to weigh all those things up as best we can. I thank the member for Katherine for her input.
The member for Blain mentioned a couple of areas including support for the cattle industry. The cattle industry is doing very well. The cattle industry is underpinned by research and that has been happening over a long time. The government has invested quite well in the Northern Livestock Identification System, which is an international market that has been developed here. Sabah again is a good example of that. So the research is being undertaken in the cattle industry and we are working very closely with them. We are trying to push that as much as we can because we realise that it is a very important industry for the Northern Territory.
On recreational fishing, the member for Blain mentioned the management plans that should be in place. We have many management plans already in place and surveys are undertaken. However, we have not been able to get any national support with the surveys we want to undertake, so we are trying to battle on as best we can with that. We have just undertaken a big research project into jewfish, and that looks at the health of the stock in our waters, which is really coming along well. Commercial and charter vessels also provide regular information on their catches. We are trying to get as much collation of data together as we can so that we can stay on top of the recreational fishing industry and make sure that the stocks are there for future recreational fishing.
The member for Blain mentioned the research farms. We have six of those, and we undertake strategic research in the Northern Territory on a regular basis to look at those. Cooperative research is undertaken with industry. National research funding bodies seek practical research outcomes as often as they can. We work closely with all parties to ensure that the research farms remain active and viable.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the members for Casuarina and Goyder for their support. I know the member for Casuarina has a vast interest in this portfolio, having just left it. I am very pleased fill his shoes. As I said before, I am really pleased to be involved with some terrific people. There are some fantastic things happening in the Northern Territory. It is a place really going ahead in all aspects of my department. The member for Blain said that we hold nearly 30% of the economy for the Northern Territory, so it is a big portfolio, but the work that is being undertaken by my department and the dedication of the people within the department will take the Northern Territory forward. I thank them for their support and commend the statement.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Old Timers is a well respected aged care facility in Alice Springs. We all know it. It provides a peaceful environment for its residents, and the staff are caring and compassionate and carry out their duties with a high degree of professionalism.
One of those staff members, Chris Parkinson, has just celebrated her 25th year working at Old Timers. In today’s job market, it is not too often that people stay in the same job for 25 years. I am told that Chris has enjoyed her time at Old Timers so much that she just cannot bear the thought of leaving. For 20 years, she worked as a carer, working closely with residents to improve the quality of their lives. For the past five years, Chris has been working as Old Timers’ Activities Coordinator. It is no easy job to find and organise activities to cater for people with so many different interests and varying levels of mobility, but somehow she manages. I know the Old Timers residents appreciate her care and support. It is great to be able to formally recognise Chris’ work here in the parliament.
There is no doubt that we have our fair share of musical talent here in the Territory. Following on the recent success of Australian Idol runner-up, Jessica Mauboy, and classical guitarist, Katharina Fehringer, May Loke of Alice Springs has taken out the inaugural NT Music Performance Award. The award is presented to the Year 12 student who achieves the highest standing in music performance in the Northern Territory as well as maintaining an excellent standard during the year achieving good results in the NTCE. May is a gifted musician and has completed her AMEB Level 8 in both clarinet and piano. During her time as a student at OLSH College, she was an active member of the OLSH band and often accompanied other musicians during performances. May also passed on her knowledge to others, tutoring other students at OLSH in piano. On behalf of everyone in this place, I congratulate May on her wonderful achievements.
The Police Commissioner’s Commendation is a prestigious award, and this year it was won by a brave and courageous Territorian, Carmen Butcher. Carmen is a member of the Northern Territory Police Force and is based in Alice Springs. Just over a year ago, Carmen was holidaying in Egypt when the bus she was travelling in crashed. The roof of the bus collapsed on top of the passengers. We saw the horrific images of the accident on the evening news, and we all marvelled at Carmen’s courage as she selflessly went to the aid of others who were seriously injured. She did this despite having a broken pelvis herself. Carmen’s injuries were so serious that she spent a full 10 months recuperating. She returned to duty last October and is once again making an impact with the Regional Investigation Section in Alice Springs. I wish Carmen all the best and, on behalf of all Territorians, I congratulate her on her award and wish her all the best for the future.
The achievements of young people in Central Australia are recognised through the Young Centralian of the Year Award. This year, the Young Centralian was awarded to 20-year-old Kelvin Caspani. Kelvin is a Rugby League star in the making and will shortly be leaving Alice Springs for Townsville University to start his Rugby League career. Hopefully, we will one day see Kelvin on our television screens starring in the NRL. Last year, Kelvin was awarded the prestigious Keegan Medal, the Best and Fairest Award for Rugby League in Alice Springs. He also volunteers his time at Alice Springs High School, acting as a role model and coach for students with an interest in Rugby League. Kelvin certainly has a bright future ahead of him and my congratulations go to him on winning the Young Centralian of the Year. I am sure of the House will join with me in wishing Kelvin all the best for the future and may we see him play in the NRL when it comes next to Darwin.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about a person who is not a Territorian. She was not born in the Territory, she never lived in the Territory, but she is one of the reasons that I am here today as the Labor member for Casuarina. I will speak tonight about a very special person who overcame adversity, physical disability, and had courage and strength. These qualities have always inspired me to try harder to succeed in my life.
I will speak about my late wife, Linda Vatskalis ne Cotton, and the recognition to be bestowed on her by the University of Western Australia with the establishment of the Linda Cotton Vatskalis Scholarship for Students with Disabilities to be launched on Friday 23 February 2007.
Linda was born in Perth on 5 May 1957. She was the second of three children in her family; Sandra being the elder sister, and John the younger brother. Her father, Dick, was a school teacher, and her mother, Nita, stayed home to care for the family in North Fremantle, Western Australia. Her brother, John, was not a healthy boy and was later diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a congenital disease that affects various internal organs of the body. It affects the pancreas, reducing its ability to produce enzymes used in digestion. It affects the secretion of salt in the body, and mucous in the body becomes very viscous, which can cause blockages, especially in the lungs with subsequent infection and destruction of the lung tissue. The life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers at the time of John’s diagnosis was short; in most cases, it will not exceed the mid-teens. People with cystic fibrosis had to take numerous pills containing enzymes with every meal to assist digestion, and spend hours doing physiotherapy, hitting the chest region to remove mucous from the lungs to prevent infection and to be able to breathe.
Following John’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, the family doctor tested Linda and her sister, Sandra. Sandra was found to be a carrier, but Linda was found to have full blown cystic fibrosis. John died when he was eight years old, but Linda grew up, thanks to the care of her mother. She attended high school in Fremantle, and later succeeded in gaining entrance to the Law School at the University of Western Australia in 1975.
Her daily routine was getting up in the morning and, before having breakfast, she would inhale a chemical agent through a nebuliser in order to loosen the mucous in her lungs. Then she would lie down in bed and her mother would hit her chest area with her hand for the lungs to be freed of the excess mucous. This would be repeated at night time before going to bed. This happened every day for the 28 years of her life after she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
This did not stop Linda from enjoying life to the full, and certainly did not stop her from studying in a very demanding field, and finally graduating from the Law School at the University of Western Australia. She was very proud of her graduation certificate that stated ‘Linda Cotton LLB.’
In 1980, Linda travelled to Europe. She arrived in London and she got a unit at Hampstead Heath. In London, she worked as a trainee lawyer at the Kensington Legal Service. At the same time, she took a part-time job as an editor of the English Law Journal. Her mother, Nita, also came to London to assist her and, of course, to perform the now regular physio routine.
In December 1981, Linda decided to go to Athens for holidays, and it was there that we met. We married in London in March 1982 and returned to Athens where we lived for 10 months before we migrated to Australia in January 1983. Upon our arrival, Linda got a contract to draft the legal studies curriculum for the Perth Technical College. She did such an excellent job that I believe her work is still in use in TAFE.
Linda was Articled to the Perth Aboriginal Legal Service and was admitted to the Bar in Perth in 1984. From 1985 to 1986, she worked for the North Perth Migrant Centre, and produced a report Migrants and the Law. The Migrant Centre had unsuccessfully attempted five times to gain funding from the Western Australian government, and it was only after Linda’s report that they received funding.
They offered the job to Linda, but she declined due to ill health. Linda’s physical condition, her lung capacity, was not good and she had to go to hospital regularly for treatment. She hated hospitals but she was determined she would continue to work. Sometimes, she worked too hard.
Upon arrival in Australia, I enrolled at the Western Australian Institute of Technology studying environmental health, and Linda was now my mentor, coach, and editor of my assignments. She helped me enormously at a time when I needed help most, having just arrived in Australia and having limited English language skills.
Linda, like her father, Dick, and mother, Nita, was a strong Labor Party supporter, and she encouraged me to join the Labor Party in Western Australia, something which I did very quickly, joining the Melville Branch of the Labor Party in 1984. She was also a strong supporter when, in 1986, I put my hand up for preselection for the blue ribbon Liberal seat of Clontarf in Perth, and her advice was critical. This was the beginning of my political aspirations that finally led me to stand for the Labor Party in the Territory.
In between hospital admissions, and the daily rounds of physiotherapy, Linda got a job as an advising solicitor with the Equal Opportunity Commission in Western Australia in 1987. She would get up early in the morning, do her daily physio routine, rush to work, meet her friends in the afternoon, come back for more of the same physio, and then stay up late watching tennis or her favourite programs on the ABC. She loved ballet and opera. She taught me to love opera, but I drew the line at ballet. She was also an avid reader, and she loved music - classical, modern and jazz. I still have approximately 300 LPs and hundreds of books she collected over the years as she refused to throw anything out.
Her health had now deteriorated to such a degree that she had to have oxygen at night and, when at work, she would have an oxygen bottle behind her with two tubes supplying her with oxygen. We even had an oxygen bottle in the back seat of our car. She would rarely miss a day at work and, whether she was at home or the hospital, she would ask for files to be brought in so she could work.
She was well aware of her condition and the life expectancy of CF sufferers; her dream was to pass the age of 30 years and she did it. She was absolutely thrilled when we organised a party for her 30th birthday and we invited all her friends from her childhood, high school years, the university and work.
In July 1988, she was admitted to hospital for what was supposed to be two weeks of treatment. She worked at the Equal Opportunity Commission to the day of her admission and, even in the first week, she was asking for files to be brought in. Linda died on 27 July 1988, her brother John’s birthday.
Linda was an inspiring person. She never let her physical disabilities stop her enjoying life, growing up as a normal kid, studying and working. Bear in mind she did all this even when her lung capacity was only one-third of a normal person’s. She believed in life and she was telling me that she knew she would die first, but she wanted me to marry again and have the children we could not have together. She loved children and from an early age joined Plan Australia and had a foster child in the Congo. She also introduced me to Plan Australia and, for the past 25 years, I have had a number of foster children around the world.
Last year, I received a letter from the UWA advising me that the university was planning to establish a scholarship in Linda’s name for law students with a disability: The Linda Cotton Vatskalis Memorial Fund. They still remember Linda, her dedication to studies, her hard work and, of course, her will to succeed despite her condition. They approached Linda’s friends and family seeking donations. I understand most of her friends have now responded, and I believe that a sum in excess of $20 000 has now been collected for the scholarship. My wife, Margaret, and I have pledged $1000 for the next four years.
That was Linda Anne Cotton Vatskalis LLB, an inspiring person with a strong will, loving life and her job, and a strong believer in social justice and Labor principles, a loving daughter, and for me, a great friend and loving wife. I am very proud that her name will be remembered through the memorial fund established by the UWA. Next Friday, 23 February, I will be there.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk about a matter in Alice Springs. A matter that received a deal life publicity and I subsequently received an approach from this person’s family, one of them being a constituent.
I will outline the circumstances of this incident by quoting from a letter that my constituent sent me. He refers to a boy called Dylan. Dylan’s name is Dylan Blue and he is seven years old. He is the nephew of my constituent, Mr Ian McDonald.
Part of the letter reads as follows:
- During the afternoon of Thursday, 5 October 2006, Dylan was dragged off his bicycle by at least four large dogs as reported on the first page of the Centralian Advocate, 13 October 2006. This unprovoked dog attack occurred in a children’s park at the Tangentyere Town Camp of Charles Creek village area. Direct intervention from a woman at a nearby house who had heard Dylan’s terrified screaming was a significant factor in saving Dylan’s life, as was the critical first aid treatment that Dylan received from a St John Ambulance crew who attended the scene.
Dylan required further urgent medical attention and was consequently hospitalised for a period of eight days. Dylan’s physical injuries included numerous deep lacerations to his shoulders, lower back and to both of his arms and legs. As a result of this vicious dog attack, Dylan endured significant mind numbing pain and is yet to fully confront the associated psychological trauma associated from such an attack. Dylan also has extensive scaring to contend with.
The offending dogs were subsequently destroyed with the assistance of the Alice Springs Town Council Ranger Unit. The offending animals were three pit bull-type dogs owned by a David Odegaard and his partner, Sarah Kenny. The other offending dog was a blue heeler owned by Sarah Kenny’s brother, Damien Kenny.
The letter goes on to talk about the article which appeared in the Centralian Advocate in which it was reported that 60 dogs were caught in one day. Mr McDonald asks, and I quote:
- This fact begs the question: if the dog attack on Dylan did not occur would these 60 dogs and other culled dogs still be alive and well?
He goes on to say:
- Long before the attack on Dylan the offending dogs which attacked Dylan were reported to Tangentyere Council and to their owners on numerous occasions, chasing people, biting people and being an obvious danger.
The letter goes on and it raises a number of issues. In any event, on behalf of Mr McDonald and Dylan’s family I wrote a letter to Tangentyere Council. On 14 December, I received a response from the Executive Director, William Tilmouth. In his second paragraph he referred to Dylan being ‘bitten’ at Charles Creek. It was an amazing thing to say. Dylan was not just bitten. Dylan was violently attacked by numerous dogs. I went on obviously to read the letter further. Mr Tilmouth advises that the Alice Springs Town Council rangers went around to Charles Creek Camp and disposed of the dogs, or I should say the owners of the dogs ‘willingly surrendered them’. He lists them as being three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups. Mr Tilmouth goes on to say: ‘It is understood that all dogs involved in the attack were removed that day’. Elsewhere in the letter Mr Tilmouth says, and I quote:
- Tangentyere also arranges the services of a visiting vet on a three monthly basis to carry out desexing, treatment for mange, mange and euthanizing.
It is astounding to believe that vets go to town camps every three months in the manner described, noting how many dogs are at those camps, and in particular how many very nasty dogs are in many camps. Mr Tilmouth’s letter goes on to say:
- Tangentyere Council has a dog policy effectively endorsing the Alice Springs Town Council by-laws allowing for a maximum of two dogs per house. As numbers often blow out when visitors arrive, a lot of resources goes into communication with residents and their visitors to ensure that the numbers remain within the two dog limit.
Mr McDonald and his family were astounded to hear that there is a two dog policy operating in the town camps because not only is their experience of this particular incident, they know of others, but more importantly, they have a thorough understanding of the number of dogs in the town camps.
I found, as did the family, the letter from William Tilmouth and Tangentyere Council to be somewhat unsatisfactory. Why is it that Mr Tilmouth says that one owner at house 6 at Charles Creek Camp willingly surrendered three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups? That is more than two dogs per house.
I then, on behalf of the family, wrote to the Alice Springs Town Council asking them for information about this matter. I was advised in a letter from the town council dated 20 December that the Tangentyere Council and Alice Springs Town Council have a memorandum of understanding which includes a reference to ‘animal management’. The Alice Springs Town Council advised me in their letter:
The removal of dogs is usually done twice weekly with a council senior ranger who liaises with the contact person at Tangentyere Council. At times other support officers from various organisations are involved in the collection of dogs.
It is clear that dogs are not removed twice weekly based on the information I have received from Dylan Blue’s family. I also base it on my own experience in town camps in Alice Springs.
Whereas Mr Tilmouth says:
- Tangentyere Council has a dog policy effectively endorsing the Alice Springs Town Council by-laws allowing for a maximum of two dogs per house …
- Tangentyere Council is presently looking at adopting a two dogs per household policy based on the Alice Springs Animal Control by-laws.
I stress the phrase ‘looking at’. The point must be made that even though there is a memorandum of understanding between the Alice Springs Town Council and the Tangentyere Council, neither one knows what the policy is in relation to how many dogs per house.
Over and above that particular issue, we received more information from the ranger unit at the council. The information we received was from an e-mail:
- We could only get confirmation of three of the dogs’ identity. Therefore, three dogs were surrendered and subsequently destroyed.
That is in stark contrast to the letter dated 14 December from Mr Tilmouth at Tangentyere Council where he says that the owner willingly surrendered her dogs, namely, three pit bulls, one Staffordshire and three pups. It is interesting that both of these organisations seem to be suggesting that all is well with camp dogs in Alice Springs, and that appropriate action was taken by them as a result of this life threatening attack on a seven-year-old little boy who lives at a town camp.
I understand, based on the information from the family, that many residents at Charles Creek are willing to talk about their increasing frustration and disappointment in dealing with Tangentyere Council about dog control at their community. That speaks volumes of the ineffective dog control program that Tangentyere Council says it operates. If Tangentyere Council maintains that its dog policy is working, then clearly it is failing by (a) this unprovoked and very nasty attack on this little boy, and (b) there being such a conflict between the relevant organisations as to how many dogs were involved and how many dogs were actually removed as a result of the incident.
The family tells me that only three dogs were ultimately removed, so that means there are other vicious dogs remaining. They may have been removed by now, who knows, and who would, but there can be, in my view, no doubt that there are a number of vicious dogs remaining, not just at that town camp but at others.
What is somewhat distressing is what appears to be something of a cavalier approach adopted by Tangentyere Council in relation to the dog policy, and what can only be described as a playing down of an incident where a number of dogs set upon this little boy. To say that Dylan Blue was ‘bitten’ at Charles Creek whilst playing in the playground area is to play down this incident in what I believe is a quite unconscionable way. This little boy spent eight days in hospital as a result of the attack. I am putting these matters on the Parliamentary Record with the family’s permission because they are angry, and they should be. They should be very angry.
We talk a lot in this place about doing our best for Aboriginal kids. Well, someone has to do something to ensure that a little kid is not killed by one of these dogs. Members in the Top End are unlikely to remember an incident, probably 18 months ago, where a resident, an older woman in a town camp, was mauled to death as a result of a number of ferocious dogs in the town camp.
Part of the reason I am putting this on the Parliamentary Record is to, on behalf of the family, express their utmost frustration at both the Tangentyere Council and the Alice Springs Town Council, which seems not to have been moved in the way that the family was to try to resolve the problem. One wonders where else the family can go when they get responses from the Alice Springs Town Council saying three dogs were removed, amongst other things, and getting a response from Tangentyere Council saying that Dylan was ‘bitten’, together with very incorrect information saying that the owner of the dogs surrendered them all when that is not the case.
The other reason this is being put on the Parliamentary Record is that, in years to come, when Dylan Blue is struggling with this incident - and of course he is surrounded every day by bloody camp dogs, and this boy is likely to be surrounded by them until, and if, he leaves that town camp - he needs to know in years to come the lengths to which his family went to try to get this issue resolved.
I now call on Tangentyere Council and the Alice Springs Town Council to get their acts together if they are serious about the operation of the memorandum of understanding in respect of animal management. They need to meet and they should do so immediately. They should get their facts straight, and they should do the decent thing by the people whom they represent, and should ensure that this attack on Dylan Blue or something like it never happens again.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I welcome to the electorate of Karama some new principals who have come in at the start of the school year.
I welcome Paul Nyhuis, the new principal at Malak Primary School. Paul was raised in Darwin but has taken the path that many of us raised here have, and gained experience overseas in his chosen profession. He spent a fair amount of time in the United States specialising in the middle school system in the United States. He is a young man married to an American, with a couple of young children. He came home and worked at Kormilda in the speciality of middle schools. He took the opportunity this year to step up to the role of principal at Malak Primary School.
I have met with Paul; he is a very impressive young man, a great testimony to the education system of the Territory and to how we foster our own talent. He has picked up significant skills overseas. I am sure that Malak Primary School will benefit enormously from his leadership. We had a very engaging and interesting discussion about middle schools and the benefits of middle schools. Paul is a passionate advocate of the middle school system and has enormous confidence in the decisions the government has made to introduce middle schools. I look forward to a good, strong working relationship with Paul as Principal of Malak Primary School, as I have had a very strong working relationship with the outgoing principal, Russell Legg.
Russell has taken on a large task. He has moved up as Principal at Sanderson High School. Certainly, Malak’s loss is Sanderson’s gain. Russell Legg is a very fine principal. I have had the privilege to work with him for some years now. I am looking forward to working with him in his leadership at Sanderson High School. Already, he is putting in place quite a few things to invigorate the school and prepare it for the challenge of middle schools next year. Congratulations to Russell Legg in his promotion to Principal of Sanderson High School. I am sure that the school community will be very well served by Russell. I have seen him in that leadership role at a primary level, and I have every confidence in his ability to deliver a quality education for our high school students in Sanderson.
I look forward to working alongside my colleague, the member for Sanderson, in supporting that school community because Sanderson is a fantastic school community. It really is reflective of Darwin, in the sense that has a very large number of Asian and indigenous students, as well as Anglo-Saxon background students. It is a real melting pot of cultures. The teaching staff are dedicated and passionate about ensuring that these young students, some of whom are from quite disadvantaged backgrounds, are given every opportunity to succeed through their education pathway. It is a very large school campus; there are significant numbers of students attending. However, they do it in a fairly harmonious way. All the very best to Russell Legg in his new role at Sanderson High School.
I also welcome to the electorate a new Principal at Holy Family Primary School, Marty Ogle. Marty has come from teaching in the Philippines, and prior to that he was running his own school for the Catholic Education System in Tasmania. He was talking to me about the challenges in Tasmania of having to move an entire school community from one campus to another. That was an intensive period of work for him. He chose to go to the Philippines within the Catholic Education system and teach in a very small school there. He had something like four students. He came back to Australia with his young family. His wife is teaching within the Catholic Education system as well. He has settled very well into Holy Family School.
I had a good long chat to Marty about his vision for the school. He is going to be working very closely with Lester Lemke at O’Loughlin College to look at the smooth implementation of middle schools in those two school campuses. The beauty of both Holy Family and O’Loughlin College is that they share a larger campus. They are schools which are abutting and adjacent to each other. They have for many years shared a common drama and indoor theatre area. The location of the Grade 6 and 7 classrooms do lend themselves to being absorbed into the O’Loughlin College area.
O’Loughlin College has grown enormously over the last few years. The school numbers have been heading upwards, particularly in the more junior grades of 8, 9 and 10, so much so that I was delighted to be at the opening of a new classroom block which the Territory government assisted in funding the construction of last year. Year 9 has a good classroom block, moving out of old demountables. The enrolments have gone up significantly again this year at O’Loughlin and it looks as if the school will not be removing the old demountables but looking at refurbishing them and using them in another way, which is a practical approach. It is a good opportunity for Holy Family and O’Loughlin to work closely this year, to provide for a smooth introduction of middle schools in the Catholic education system in my electorate.
I look forward to continuing to working closely with the Manunda Terrace Primary School. Bill Armstrong is back there again this year as Principal which is great to see. He is a true gentleman and a strong leader of the school. They have some fantastic programs, and a lovely school community and cohort with dedicated teachers, and a staff who have shown a great consistency over the years.
Karama Primary School is in the heart of my electorate. It is a joy to work with the Principal there, Margaret Fenbury. She is very strong and dynamic leader. She is well supported by her teaching staff, and has attracted a few new, very talented teachers, certainly well experienced in accelerated literacy. Teachers have come from Alice Springs to teach at Karama Primary School, and the accelerated literacy program there is starting to show some significant results even after its first year. We are all very excited about that program.
They also have a project attached to it which is innovative and is funded by my agency, Family and Community Services, which is the Families Centre. I look forward to seeing the programs run by the Smith Family in conjunction with Karama Primary School and funding from Family and Community Services through the Family Centre, and encouraging the young mothers and dads in the community in parenting and skilling-up programs where they work with the nought to threes, and nought to fours. It is a dynamic, innovative program modelled on a similar program in Palmerston.
It is good to see that our school communities again this year are well served by strong leadership, and the new principals have impressed me enormously.
I want to acknowledge the work done at our local childcare centres. Both Karama and Malak Family Centres have a strong, dedicated staff. Cheryl runs a good show at Karama and the staff are very friendly. I know they pay a great deal of attention to the programs for the children. Pon Moulding at Malak Family Centre does a fantastic job. She is a very hard worker. I have known her from the days when she was a staff member at Karama many years ago and she took over the directorship at Malak.
Malak has done it tough, there is no doubt about it. They have had a lot of playground equipment they have to replace there, and it has been fortunate that the Territory government has had a playground equipment program that has assisted non-government childcare centres across the Territory to replace dilapidated equipment. I look forward to seeing the programs grow from strength to strength at our early learning centres in Malak and Karama.
The community is gearing up for another good, strong Dry Season. There are some proposals around celebrating the pride of Karama again. Malak is looking forward to organising another party where we had a very large turnout a couple of years ago. We did not have the party at Malak last year because Malak Primary School was celebrating an anniversary, so there was an enormous show there instead.
I look forward to another strong year with Neighbourhood Watch and note that the first meeting is kicking off. The shopping centre is going well. We have had our share of itinerant behaviour around the shopping centre, but Peter La Pira has put some very competent security staff in place who have worked closely with the police.
I welcome an addition to Casuarina Police Station, the Superintendent, Jo Foley. She has come out and had a chat with me at the Karama electorate office about the issues in the area, and she is very keen to listen. I have already seen signs that she has taken on board some of the issues we have discussed and been very proactive in her response. I look forward to working with Superintendent Foley and officer-in-charge, Tim Mosley, when he returns from his leave.
I am looking forward to another strong year in the Karama and Malak communities. The schools are back. It is great to see the kids enthusiastically returning to school. In closing, I want to say that there are moments as a local member where you see the fruits of your labour and we have had, as people would know, an extremely wet start to the school year in the Top End. During the first couple of weeks of school we have had a torrential downpour at the critical school drop-off time. Those of us in this Chamber who are parents understand just how difficult it can be to try to get your kids to their school without becoming soaking wet.
One of the Martin Labor government’s initiatives that has been delivered is at Karama Primary School where we trialled something new called an All-Weather Drop-Off Zone. It is a hard structure designed to withstand the rain which created a drop-off zone with a linked walkway into the school proper. It has been just an absolute delight to see, during those torrential downpours early in the mornings, that the parents of Karama have been able to pull up at the drop-off zone and drop their kids directly into an undercover area from where they can make their way into school under cover. It is a practical example of how, when you have a commitment to improve your school in a structural sense as well as an educational sense, that it can work. It was lovely to see that working in the first couple of weeks of the new school year.
We were lucky at Karama that there was a natural car park area which lends itself to a style of drop-off zone. Have a look at your schools and see if there are areas that could lend themselves to that sort of design. It is a practical way of ensuring that parents can get their kids to school without the kids becoming soaking wet and going into the airconditioning where they end up getting sick. This is a practical way of making education accessible to our kids.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on Tuesday night I in my adjournment, I spoke about the Australian Day Celebrations in Katherine and I ran out of time to include the guest speaker’s speech. Wes Miller gave the Australia Day speech and I did commit to ensuring that I would place this on the Parliamentary Record. This is the Australia Day speech of 26 January 2007 from Katherine. As I said the other night, the Mayor of Katherine was raised in stature to Her Excellency:
- Your Excellency, the Mayor of Katherine, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, countrymen and last but not least, my wife, welcome.
Australia is not the lucky country for some. It’s now 229 years since Captain Phillip went ashore at Botany Bay to establish the colony of New South Wales. At the time, Aboriginal Australians were amongst the healthiest nations on earth. Now we are one of the sickest. We die on average 17 years earlier than non-Aboriginal Australians, infant mortality rates are still three to four times higher, we are far more likely to be imprisoned, unemployed, homeless, uneducated or victims of violence. As Mick Dodson famously said, ‘a certain kind of industrial deafness has developed … The meaning of these figures is not heard or felt … We die silently under these statistics’.
The Katherine River has been central to the social and commercial activities of Aboriginal people from this region since time immemorial, and that continues to this day. Only now as drought continues to grip much of the country down south do many people realise what a major asset we have here. It is the river that draws us all together and provides for our wellbeing.
I first saw the river and the township in 1985 on a visit to rediscover my roots because, although born in Darwin, I was separated from my family and raised beside another great river, the Tamar in northern Tasmania. My mother was born on the banks of the Maranboy Creek close to where her father, my grandfather, George Fisher, worked as a shift foreman in the now abandoned Maranboy tin field. He went there in 1913 and stayed for 50 years until old age and infirmity finally forced him to leave. He must have been a tough old bloke. Living conditions were pretty harsh there in those days with few, what we would regard as, modern amenities; malaria was rampant and occupational health and safety practices were a far cry from today’s standards. So I have a two-way connection to this country both through my mother’s, mother’s family and through my non-Aboriginal grandfather.
When I came to Katherine, it had a reputation of being a racist town. The Katherine Land Claim was in the throes of being finalised with the hand back of the gorge to the Jawoyn people occurring in September 1989. It was feared by some at that time that Jawoyn might cut off the water supply to the township should we win the land back. Others said we would close the park. There was much anger and resentment which caused division throughout the Katherine community.
Of course none of these things happened. Nitmiluk National Park sits there in all its glory. Thousands of people come every year to see the Katherine River, to swim, paddle canoes and to ride the cruise boats. The Jawoyn have been involved in the operations of the river since 1993; first as joint venturers and now fully in their own right. The benefits of this successful operation flow throughout the Katherine community. The Park board of management is made up of Jawoyn and non-Jawoyn people and has been operating successfully and harmoniously for nearly 20 years. It has been held up as the model for other parks to try and emulate. Reconciliation can work when both sides are prepared to listen to and respect the different perspectives that parties bring to the table.
So let’s take a moment on Australia Day 2007 to look at where we are at with black/white relations in Katherine starting with a brief overview of the interaction of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Katherine since the late 19th century.
Captain Arthur Phillip established the colony of New South Wales in 1788, however the effects of that did not reach the Katherine region until the building of the overland telegraph in the 1870s and the establishment of Springvale Homestead in 1879. As everywhere else, the settlement of Katherine likely caused the decimation of Aboriginal people in the immediate vicinity however, over time, people from further afield were also displaced and relocated towards settler activities and dependencies of various kinds grew between the Aboriginal groups and the new settlers.
In the 1920s for example, Aboriginal people congregated around the peanut and vegetable farms but subject to the 1918 prohibited areas ordinance that was gazetted for Katherine (and other Territory towns) stipulating that Aboriginal people were only allowed within the town area during the day if engaged upon the legitimate business of an employer and were not to be there between sunset and sunrise.
One of the most significant government decisions taken in recent times was the 1966 NT Cattlemen’s Award, handed down by the Full Bench of the Arbitration Commission headed by Sir Richard Kirby. The decision meant that, for the first time, Aboriginal stockmen were to be paid the same wages as other stockmen. It was, apparently, a cost that most pastoralists could not afford, so many Aboriginal stockmen and their families were forced to leave the stations. Some went to settlements, but many ended up on the fringes of towns along the Stuart Highway, including Katherine.
The disengagement from the cattle industry for these hundreds of Aboriginal stockmen essentially signalled the end of their participation in economic life.
Most were uneducated (in the white man’s way) and it was the only work they knew. It could be argued that the decision by Justice Kirby instigated the current era of welfare dependency for many families in remote northern Australia. A 1952 census by Native Affairs indicated that there were 105 Aboriginal people situated at various localities around Katherine. By 1970, that figure had risen to over 300 living in four principal locations, a situation not entirely welcomed by some townspeople who had hoped that the influx was temporary. In time, however, when it became clear that people were there to stay, the notion of fringe camps softened to town camps in a move to legitimise what were largely tent communities so that some services could be provided and the camps regulated.
In 1974, the Kalano Association was established, part of the wider shift from principal management by state and territory government agencies to local, Aboriginal-run, housing organisations. As more and more people moved into Katherine during the 1980s and early 1990s, it became apparent that the shortage of suitable housing was becoming critical. A group made up of various Aboriginal organisations lobbied the town council and government agencies to investigate the feasibility of establishing more town camps (referred to as living areas) in and around Katherine. Funding was found, a consultant engaged and a comprehensive report was produced. The recommendations from the report were, by and large, ignored by government and those intimately involved in the campaign simply ran out of energy. A great opportunity, I believe, was lost. My advice to the current Harmony Group is: learn from the mistakes of the past and, in doing so, avoid making them again in the future.
Nevertheless, the achievements of the Jawoyn and other Aboriginal organisations, working in partnerships with government agencies and the business community, have shown that progress can be made where there is goodwill on all sides. The proposed cultural centre, once established, will become a centrepiece for showcasing the cultural diversity of the region, and will be something we should all be proud of as well as being a major tourist attraction. Katherine has the potential to show the rest of the country to show that reconciliation is working. Thank you.
Acknowledgements:
Mick Dodson: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, 1994
Francesca Merlan: Caging the Rainbow: Places, Politics, and Aborigines in a North Australian Town.
I also ran out of time in my adjournment last night when I was paying respects to unfortunate deaths which have occurred in and around Katherine and Pine Creek, and here in the Top End.
I started to speak of a gentleman who was referred to by his friend as ‘passing of an outback legend’. The person I am referring to is Earl Gano from Pine Creek. I would like to read into Hansard what his friend Des Fishlock and Des’ wife, Sandra, had to say ABC Country Hour about their friend. It is obvious he is going to leave a huge hole in that community because he has contributed so much to it. I know that the member for Daly referred to Earl’s life last night in his adjournment, so I would like to continue on with Passing of an Outback Legend:
- Have you ever panned for gold in the Top End town of Pine Creek as part of the annual Goldrush Festival? Or taken a ride in the town’s restored 1877 steam engine locomotive? Further south, you’ve probably taken a leisurely soak in the beautiful Mataranka Hot Springs. All these Territory attractions have received the magic touch of restoration and passion by 58-year-old Earl Gano, who has been an active volunteer in Territory towns for over three decades.
However, earlier this week, he sadly passed away after a long battle with health. Friends and family are arriving in the Territory this week to mark his life and legacy, and they include Sandra and Des Fishlock. Mr Fishlock joined Country Hour to share some stories and memories of his closest mate.
Mr Gano left his home in Alberta, Canada with his wife, Elaine, to make a life in New Zealand before settling in the Territory. They arrived in Mataranka in 1971 and Earl worked for Parks and Wildlife as a ranger.
His friend, Des, said:
- ‘He was the first ranger in Mataranka in the early 1960s and we were going to go for a swim and he said we couldn’t, and we had a heated discussion and I was going to punch his lights out but we became good friends’.
- Mr Gano built the hot springs rock wall by hand over two-and-a-half years. His friends suggest he may have spent one of those years underwater for the project using a snorkel! ‘It had to be natural and it had to be done the right way, it was underwater and you couldn’t use cement anyway. He just lived in his snorkel and goggles daylight to dark’.
Mr Gano was also a buffalo hunter, and keen fossicker for gold nuggets in the notorious Pine Creek hills.
Mr Gano was also a buffalo hunter and keen fossicker for gold nuggets in the notorious Pine Creek hills. ‘There were a lot of trophy buffalo at that time. He would pick up hunters and take them out and show them trophy buffalo. He was passionate about everything. He was a man with a mission and he lived for gold and he got to know all the old miners living in humpies. He would ensure they were never forgotten and would carve images and wording onto stone slab headstones. He was afraid a lot of the old Chinese diggings and heritage would be lost and they were involved in getting the National Trust to town’.
- Mr Gano also restored the 1877 steam train which featured in the film We of the Never Never which was used to transport tourists around town. It takes up to four hours to crank up the engine with a wood fire. ‘He and his wife, Elaine, became Australian citizens. That train was located at Pine Creek at the Railway Museum area. He had a positive attitude and he had some really bad times. I know that Australia, the Northern Territory and Pine Creek is much poorer for the loss of a true blue Territory legend and those that are left behind to grieve are much poorer for it’.
In finishing, I would like to say it is characters like Earl Gano that have made the Territory and given it such a passionate and wonderful rich history. Unfortunately, it is tragic that we do get older or we get sicker and that we do leave. But, my goodness, what a legacy people like him have left. I pay my respects to Elaine, and to Holly and Crystal, his daughters, and my deepest sympathy to them.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to start tonight by referring to a wonderful initiative, a CD entitled Vocalyse, put together by youth with the help of Mr Kin Leong, the program coordinator for youth at Palmerston City Council. I would like to give a little information about this CD which is a Hip-Hop CD.
Just before Christmas, the City of Palmerston ran a one week Hip-Hop program in the Palmerston Library as part of the school holiday program. Two members of the highly successful local Hip-Hop act Culture Connect, Liam Monkhouse and James Mangohig, facilitated the workshop. Over five days, six young people from the Palmerston Indigenous Village, 11 young refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and one young person referred from Centrelink wrote rhymes and recorded nine Hip-Hop tracks. The CD was produced on the last day of the workshop and each participant was given a copy of all the songs.
The project was significant in that it brought together two groups which are often reported to be at odds in the general community. The young people worked together and shared their stories and views with each other in a safe and inclusive space. This project was made possible through funding from the City of Palmerston and the Northern Territory government with the cooperation of the Palmerston Indigenous Village, Melaleuca Refugee Centre and the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory. It is a great product showing that there are some good things that ought to be reported. I seek leave to table a copy of the CD this evening.
Leave granted.
Mr BURKE: I am not backward in coming forward when I think the City of Palmerston might be doing something not fantastic but this is a great program. It is a great result and I congratulate all the communities and the council for putting this together. It is an excellent result, so well done to all those young people.
Australia Day is a big celebration, as it ought be, and part of the functions and activities that I attended on Australia Day was the Palmerston citizenship ceremony. It was a great day, as it was last year. It is smaller than the Darwin ceremony but in some ways that makes it more personal as well. It was obvious that for the people who became citizens, and their families around them, it was a very special day.
There are a number of awards that were given which I would like to mention. Nadine Chambers from Palmerston High, Cameron May from Driver Primary, Lily Reid from Durack Primary, Joseph Hodgson from Good Shepherd Lutheran, Dylan Quinn from Holy Spirit Catholic Primary, Megan Barden from Palmerston Christian School, and Haylea Gusling from Woodroffe Primary all were awarded Student Citizen Awards.
I know Nadine Chambers from my going to a number of youth events in Palmerston. She is a wonderful young lady who is very active in her community and a great role model for other young people. She seems always to be happy and bubbly which is a pretty good effort in itself, but her commitment to the community and her selfless donation of her time and being willing to get involved is just fantastic. I am sure that accounts for some of the reasons, but perhaps not all, why Nadine was chosen for that award from Palmerston High.
I would like to especially mention Joseph Hodgson simply because last year during the Palmerston markets, Joseph and I got into a regular routine of playing a game of chess. Joseph, at the time, was setting up chess boards and challenging all comers as a way to raise funds to send himself to Canberra for a chess camp, something he was successful in doing. I have not seen him since, so I have not been able to catch up with how he has been going. I can say as a student of Good Shepherd Lutheran School, he is an extremely adept chess player. He always gives me a run for my money, and considering the age difference, he is punching well above his weight on that score – which is not to say that I am too great a chess player, but for someone in primary school to reach that level, it is fantastic. I understand he was the only person from the Northern Territory to be invited to that chess camp. So, well done to him for all his efforts and well done to his family as well whom I know supported him all the way through and encouraged him with his fundraising efforts.
There are many activities happening on Australia Day. I went to a few and ended up at the Australia Day quiz night at the Palmerston Golf and Country Club where I joined my grandfather’s table in an attempt to stretch the brain a little more. Unfortunately, we did not top the leader board, but we gave it a good shot and it was a great fun night. I thank everyone who was part of that and thank the people on my table for a really wonderful evening.
As part of the activities that the Aboriginal All Stars and Essendon Football Club took part in when they came here to play, representatives from both teams went to the Life Balance gym where there was a barbeque sponsored by the Life Balance gym. This was an event that happened last year as well and it had the integral involvement of the Palmerston Regional Business Association and their President, Wayne Zerbe.
I have said this before, and I am sure I will say it on many occasions, the PRBA does excellent work for its members. It is a vibrant organisation, always searching for ways to better represent its members, and to involve its membership in activities. This barbecue is an excellent example of that. Wayne wraps it all up in his Around Palmerston presentations which can be seen on the television, and I am sure he uses all these events as further venues to explore his wide and exciting repertoire in shirts. I hope to be involved with a number of barbecues this year with the PRBA. I look forward to meeting as many members as possible, I am sure there are plenty I have not met yet, there are over 200 or so, I believe from memory, probably more. I just wanted to record my admiration and thanks for what the PRBA do, and to Wayne Zerbe as well.
I am certain that those who attended the Christmas function the PRBA put on at the casino will say, without hesitation, that it was certainly unforgettable. The casino does an excellent job with all their functions, so congratulations to them for putting on the dinner and to all the performers who performed that night as well.
Recently, in the Palmerston Sun, there was a feature on a local Palmerston business, The Essence of Beauty, owned by Ms Nathalie Hernandez. Nathalie has run the Essence of Beauty spa, I guess you would call it, at Palmerston for 18 years. She must be one of the longest small businesses that set up in Palmerston. She must have been all of about 15 when she started, because she does not look like she could have been running a business for 18 years. She is a lovely lady and I thank her for inviting me to the reopening of the spa. She recently completely refurbished and redesigned the shop space and it looks fantastic. Her father did the painting. She really has a wonderful staff. I met the two young ladies who work with her there and, having had a massage there myself on occasion, I can fully recommend to everyone in Palmerston to go there and treat yourself. It is a fantastic facility and I am sure Nathalie will see you right.
Recently, Sharan Burrow, the ACTU President was in the Territory. That was an important occasion. She spoke at a number of venues, and it was a privilege to catch up with Sharan again and talk about how the union movement has been progressing with its championing of workers’ rights, and what it is doing to try to combat the worst excesses of the WorkChoices legislation.
It was said in this Assembly earlier today that not all employers are bad, and that is certainly correct. I certainly would have no argument with that. In fact, the vast majority try to do exactly the right thing according to legislation and the right thing by their workers. However, there are those, unfortunately, who do not, and what can happen over time is that as those operators who are not as concerned for their employees’ rights cut corners, cut costs, and they force the other employers who want to do the right thing and operate a business sensibly and ethically, out of the various industries because they just cannot compete in the end.
So, this fight back on WorkChoices is not just about workers; it is about workers and employers – employers who want to do the right thing, employers who care about their employees as people with families, protecting them, working with them to ensure a productive workplace. That is why the WorkChoices legislation needs to be repealed. If I thought I could convince the current federal government to do that, I certainly would be trying.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, they are some of the things that have been happening in Palmerston. Palmerston is a vibrant, exciting city. It is a young city. It has fantastic youth. The Vocalyse CD just proves that, and that young people are more than prepared to work with each other and resolve differences and get beyond differences. It is not just all of the mayhem that the media likes to portray is out there. I will end where I started by congratulating the young people, especially, who put that CD together.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like give a couple of books that I picked up recently a plug. The first one is Wagiman Plants and Animals. People might remember that I also spoke highly of a similar book by the Jawoyn people. I think there was also one produced by the Tiwi people. This book was launched by the minister just the other day. I did not realise that. I picked up this from the local book shop in the mall. It is a terrific book.
What we are doing is adding to the collection of knowledge, especially indigenous knowledge and non-indigenous knowledge by putting these into really good volumes. This book here, as I said, entitled Wagiman Plants and Animals, is an Aboriginal knowledge of flora and fauna from the mid-Daly River area, northern Australia, put together by a number of Aboriginal people. I will mention their names in general because some of them have died. The Liddys and Huddlestones were some of the families that were involved. Mark Harvey was from the University of Newcastle, and Glenn Wightman, who is the local in the rural area, has been involved in much of this type of literature.
This is an excellent book. Instead of having colour photographs, there are black and white drawings. Those drawings were put together by Milton Andrews, Adi Dunlop and Valerie Alexander and a few other people not mentioned here. They are excellent diagrams. Anyone who has the slightest interest in native plants will enjoy what is in this book. I will give you a couple of examples.
One plant here is the coral tree. People might know the coral tree; some of it grows along the bicycle path just south of the Mobil service station, or the Caltex service station as it is now. It is called Erythrina vespertilio. The Wagiman name is in here – Darnatj - and it is called the coral tree. It has these notes:
- The pale, light wood is strong and is used to make the shafts for flat woomeras (manggalin), and to make rafts (galbangarr), for crossing large rivers. The wood is also used to make coolamons (lijarri).
This is the interesting bit, I thought:
- When the corky outer bark is burned it forms a fine black soot on the outside. This is rubbed on the skin of babies to darken the skin. In the past, it was also rubbed on the skin of half-caste babies so welfare officers would not take them away from their mothers. When the bright red flower is produced, it signals that freshwater crocodiles (yakba) have laid their eggs which can be collected, cooked and eaten. This plant is the brother of garnbit (Sesbania formosa) which is similar but different.
There is an interesting little story attached to the uses of the plants by Wagiman people. There are a couple of other plants in here, Xanthostemon paradoxus called a bortbabin in Wagiman. It says:
- The hard dense wood can be used to make boomerangs (buran) and fighting sticks (majangarrin). The timber from this tree cannot be used for firewood. When it is placed on the fire, it kills the fire and that is what the Wagiman name means.
It is a very beautiful tree. You will find it even around Darwin, especially on the more gravely country but it grows down at Daly River. It is a scraggly tree but a beautiful flower. This book is just full of so much information. The book talks about goannas and birds for which it gives all the Wagiman names. It gives you what animals are eaten. It has the red tailed black cockatoo called the lirrabin or dirrak-dirrak:
- This large black bird has a distinctive raucous call and the Wagiman dirrak-dirrak refers to this call. The flesh is good to eat, however, it is hard to spear this bird.
It is an interesting book even if you do not have a great knowledge of these things. You certainly see how many of these animals were related to Wagiman, especially in more traditional times.
It gives you a good run down on the snakes and tells you which ones they did not like. The taipan, the king brown, the western brown and the northern deaf adder were not their favourites. It talks about the bandicoot and the possum and how good they are to eat. Kangaroos and wallabies, there are plenty of those there, bats and flying foxes, dingoes and fish, even down to the frogs. It is interesting to see that the green tree frog is here, ngalbingay. It says:
- This large frog is found in trees in the bush, however, they are also commonly seen in toilets, laundries and bathrooms or other areas where there is permanent water. Some Wagiman people think they are excellent bait for catching barramundi.
I must admit when we were at Daly River we used to use the brown frog.
- Most Wagiman people do not like to touch ngalbingay as the slime from the skin and the urine causes warts to form on the skin.
That is probably why my wife always asks me to take the green tree frogs out of the toilet. She thinks that happens. It has not happened to me. It goes on to the insects. It is a very detailed book, it is full of information.
It is interesting to read the section on feral and introduced animals. I read something similar to Jawoyn. You take the water buffalo, the Wagiman name is wild bugger, and as it says here the word comes from the English term ‘wild bugger’:
- Buffalo used to be common but are rarely seen now. The meat is strong and tasty, it has little fat in it.
The word for cattle, wilmurr-garang, actually comes from the Wagiman name for a spear because the cattle had pointed horns.
The favourite of mine is the bujigat, yes, the pussy cat is in here again:
- In the past the old people used to cook and eat the flesh from wild cats. The feet and head were cut off before cooking. The flesh tastes similar to possum flesh.
So, obviously, wild cat through this area was used for food because the Jawoyn mentioned exactly the same thing. It is up-to-date. It is has a name for cane toad:
- The Wagiman name, wortngong, is often applied to the cane toad which is the name of the large water frog.
So they have used the same name for the cane toad.
It has a great list of all the plants, the common names, the Wagiman names, and the scientific names in the back. It is just a book with heaps of information in. It has many references. It has a picture of the people who put the book together on the back. If people are looking for something special about the Northern Territory, you could not get past a book like that.
Another book I found at the same bookshop the other day - and I am not sure whether this has been launched - it may have been and I might have missed out but this is also a great book: A Wartime Journey – Stuart Highway Heritage Guide. I have always been keen on heritage and I actually go down the track. In fact, the front cover has a caravan going past the hill near Renner Springs they call Lubra’s Hill. About two or three years ago, after driving past that hill for many years, I climbed to the top and it is just a beautiful place. It is on the front cover.
This is also a great book. It has been put together by Howard Pearce and Bob Alford. Most people would know who Bob Alford is. He is a local historian and knows a lot about the war and the history of the Northern Territory. I am told he is, unfortunately, leaving the Northern Territory which is extremely disappointing. This book has a couple of special features. It has two CDs so you can play it in your car as you are driving. One goes from Alice Springs to Katherine, and the other one goes from Katherine to Darwin.
The book has great maps in it. It is a top book; whoever put it together and designed it have done an excellent job. For instance, from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek, there is a map which has numbers all over it which refer to different parts of the highway. For instance, No 18 is Ryan’s Well. It tells you how it came to be, and it normally has photographs to match it either from World War II, or from further back in European history. There are pictures of jockeys at the Barrow Creek races. That, to me, is a top book.
I know the Northern Territory government, like with the Wagiman Plants and Animals, has been involved in it. This has been put together by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, the Department of NRETA, and the Northern Territory Archive Service. Not only would it be a great book for someone as a gift, but it is a great book if anyone is travelling up and down the track. It is not cheap, $35, but with the quality of the book and two CDs in it, you have a fantastic book.
I congratulate the authors and the people who put it together. This helps what is an important part of our tourism economy; that is, the World War II heritage. It is not just covering World War II heritage, it also covers history before and after that. It is so up-to-date that when it talks about Strauss Airstrip it talks about the interpretive centre. It is quite recent publication, just last year. It is up-to-date with everything which has occurred. If people want another book to promote the Northern Territory, they could not go past it.
I was not going to promote this one, but the member for Sanderson said - and I will promote it anyway. Regardless of your opinion on uranium, this document was released by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry and Resources in November last year. It is called Australia’s Uranium – Greenhouse Friendly Fuel for an Energy Hungry World. It was a bipartisan document by a number of the members of the House of Representatives. The Labor Party did release a dissenting report but, in general, they supported pretty well all of what is in here.
Even if you do not agree with it, there is a lot of information, and facts and figures. It is as big as the book the Minister of Health had when referring to health statistics. I have been reading sections of it at a time - it is not light reading before you go to bed. It is an important document that can be used in a debate. You could use it either way, but I find there is a lot of good information in here. It is something I thought I would try to read. I probably will not get through the whole lot - 750 pages - but it is made up of executive summaries. There is a summary and recommendations for every chapter. It is an important book.
I have the Ziggy Switkowski book as well. It will be a long time before I get to read that. It is like a physics manual. It is a coloured book and could be part of a school curriculum. It is a scientific book, and was put together by scientists, of course. I will try to get involved in it also.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will put a little politics into the end of the day. I must admit when I was sitting here I pulled out the facts sheets that were given to me. I thought I would have a look at the section on Northern Territory Workplace Advocate Employees Leave Entitlements. I know we have been discussing the issue of whether you can get long service leave under the AWA. I opened the page on long service leave, and it says:
- Unless an applicable award or workplace agreement makes specific provision for long service leave, this entitlement will be governed by the Long Service Leave Act (NT). All employees, including casuals, are entitled to long service leave after 10 years of service and, in certain situations, after seven years.
I thought it was funny reading that after the debate we were having today. It does not seem to quite match the argument we were having. Perhaps they should have pulled this one out and done an amendment.
Be that as it may, that is all I would like to say and I will finish there.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I congratulate Mildred Inkamala on her award as the Centralian of the Year. Mildred is an extraordinary person. She has committed herself not just to her children and her grandchildren, but to the community of Hermannsburg and also to Alice Springs. She is committed to the justice system, to try to help people understand that it is not right to be in gaol, that they have families, that they have laws and culture. While they are incarcerated, they miss out on all the stuff that goes on in the communities, ceremonies and sorry business.
Mildred and Carl are such committed people, I think it is only fitting that they go on the Parliamentary Record as good people, and people who are committed to indigenous affairs and helping crime and violence, not just in Aboriginal communities like Hermannsburg, but also in Alice Springs. I know that Mildred works really hard interpreting for people in court. She is such a committed person. She has all her grandchildren and she makes them all go to school. It is really good to have such a committed person on a remote Aboriginal community. These are the kind of people we do not recognise and acknowledge. It is only certain times when awards are given out that hard-working years of the past are recognised for one specific day or a moment. She has worked very hard and I wish her well, and Carl. I hope that she continues to work with her people in Alice Springs and at Hermannsburg.
I wanted to put on the record my thanks to Nicholas Rothwell, journalist from The Australian, for the trip that he and I did with Renee to Hermannsburg. He wrote the story on Gus Williams which was very fitting. Gus is a person who is also committed to his people and his community. I cannot go without mentioning the commitment that Gus has to country music and Tamworth. I thought that Nicholas’ trip out to Hermannsburg was fitting, and the story that he wrote on Gus was such a good story. I put on the record my thanks to Nicholas.
Another trip I did was with a journalist from the Northern Territory News, Nigel Adlam, and Justin and Aaron. On that trip we went right into Western Australia to Kiwirrkurra to have a look at the Pintubis who had been in the society for 22 years, with Walala, and his wife and son. It was the story of how they came into Kiwirrkurra after living in the desert. I felt so grateful that there were other people aside from the journalist industry that could go out and have a look at an Aboriginal community and do such a good story on the people who have just been in our society for 22 years. I put on the record my thanks to Nigel Adlam.
I also want to mention Mt Liebig School. I want to say thank you to the Principal of the Mt Liebig School, the AEW there, Roderick Kantamara, and the Mt Liebig community for their persistence and the commitment they have in educating their children. Last year, seven of their children reached the benchmark in literacy and numeracy. As a local member, and as a mother and as an indigenous woman, I felt so proud when I went out to Mt Liebig and received the news. They also received letters from the Chief Minister, Clare Martin, congratulating the children and their parents for their persistence and commitment to their children’s education. Two of those students are now attending Marrara Christian School in Darwin. I intend to see them this weekend and give them that moral support to continue with their education.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it was wonderful listening to the member for Macdonnell speak about education out in the bush and how she is very proud of achievements, and thanked the Chief Minister for her commitment and acknowledgement of how well the students out bush have done with their literacy and numeracy. I did not know that the member for Macdonnell was going to give that speech, but I, too, would like to recognise the Chief Minister for her commitment to the education of all our kids. It turns out that as I make my contribution tonight, we recognise the commitment that the Chief Minister has to all the children of the Territory, not just the urban and not just the bush, but all Territorian children.
To that end, last year you may recall that the Chief Minister launched the Focus on Literacy initiative. As part of that launch, she wrote to all MLAs and said that as Members of the Legislative Assembly it would be great for us to get behind the community and parents to support literacy programs and promote reading among Territory children. I cannot agree more. I met with the Chief Minister after I received this and spoke to her about her feelings on this initiative and she is very keen. She understands that children need to be made aware of how important literacy is to get on in life and how it is a fundamental building block to making a better life for themselves. I became very much aware of her feelings and motivation then.
I was very pleased, then, a little later on when she mentioned going to Wulagi School to present to them the Chief Minister’s Literacy Awards for 2006. I said that the kids would be very honoured by her visit. I was very impressed that the Chief Minister, particularly at that time of the year, could find the time to get out to Wulagi School.
On 4 December at their end of school assembly, the Chief Minister and I presented to the Wulagi children the Chief Minister’s awards. It was Mrs Perrin’s last active year at the school. Mrs Perrin has been there for well over the six years that I have been the local member. I am not too sure of her exact start date as principal of Wulagi School. She is now on long service leave; I believe retirement is pending for her, so this was really the last official duty that I got to do with Mrs Perrin who has been a great principal over that time.
The Chief Minister’s awards went from Years 6/7 down to the transition years and covered the English as a Second Language children. I must alert people who read this Parliamentary Record to the structure of the classes, as it is with all urban schools, is the year of the class and the name of the teacher. The awards went to: in 6/7 Schulz, Shaan Mitchell; 6/7 Kolomitsev, Roger Parreira; 4/5 Refchange, Daniel Gibson; 4/5 Burnett, Lindsay Martin; 2/3 Manning, Aylissa Austral; 2/3 Bourke, Wendy Young-Smith; T/1 Kerle, Evana Schober; T/1 Matthews, Justin Pope; ESL Mrs Faint – Most Improved, Jack Conroy; and Mrs Coleman, Literacy, Michelle Buse.
When the children received their awards, they were very impressed and a little shy to have the Chief Minister presenting the inaugural awards. It meant much to the parents and really conveyed the Chief Minister’s commitment and the government’s commitment to the children of the Territory.
I look forward to being back there again this year. I have spoken to the Principal at Anula School and I will be helping with the literacy program by reading to the kids there. Tomorrow, all things being equal, I hope to be at Wulagi School lining up a time where I will be able to sit down with some of the kids and read to them every week when we do not have sittings.
It is a wonderful program, and I thank the Chief Minister for taking the time and interest in the children of the Territory. I recommend it to all our MLAs and say get behind it in your schools. It is fantastic. To those kids from Wulagi and Anula and all other schools who received the initial awards, well done for 2006. I look forward to giving out the awards again in 2007.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016