2005-10-18
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise that this week is the celebration of Democracy Week. The Parliamentary Liaison and Information Unit is conducting activities for celebrating Democracy Week each day targeting a different audience. Yesterday, we saw the Parliament of the Birds; today is the Parliament of Wizards, and the Statehood Challenge and Teachers Forum will be on Thursday.
Today, the Parliament of the Wizards, a new program developed by the federal Parliamentary Education Office, is to extend students’ understanding of parliamentary debate as well as a fun activity. The students take on the role of witches and wizards to debate a bill. This activity will involve 50 upper primary students from Nakara Primary and Parap Primary schools and the bill will be debated at 1.15 pm in the Members and Guests Lounge. All honourable members are invited to watch the debate.
On Thursday, the Statehood Challenge is being held in the dining room commencing at 9 am. This activity is open to students from Year 8 through to Year 11. Students will be given information about statehood and asked to develop an advertising campaign and strategy to inform young Territorians about the issues surrounding statehood for the Northern Territory. At present there are two schools participating, Taminmin and Sanderson High Schools, and students will present their ideas from 1 pm.
Also on Thursday there will be the Teachers Forum in the Members and Guests Lounge. This activity is open to both primary and secondary teachers and will run from 3.30 pm to 5 pm. Teachers will be given a brief tour of the building followed by afternoon tea. The education coordinator will also present an overview of the programs offered by the Legislative Assembly and discuss the types of pre-visit and post-visit activities that will further enhance student learning. All members are invited to attend any of these activities.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, today I report on the Northern Territory’s live cattle export industry, and in particular, my recent visit to Indonesia with a cattle industry delegation. While in Indonesia I also met with the agriculture, fisheries and mining ministers and a Territory business delegation participating in Mining Indonesia.
Indonesia remains our key market for live exports for Territory cattle. Live cattle exports contribute around 50% of the total value of our pastoral industry. More than 160 000 head have been consigned so far this year - 10 000 more than total Territory exports for 2004. Rising fuel costs, an appreciating exchange rate, a partial slowdown in Indonesian economic growth, and increased competition will place further pressures on our live cattle market. However, there is confidence that the current level of exports will be maintained over the short to medium term.
Our live export industry is based on the export of tropical cattle from the northern half of the Territory - feeder cattle that are raised, transported and on grown under the same tropical climate conditions. Cattle are carefully selected and conditioned prior to loading. Shipments are a short haul – a six day voyage from Darwin to Jakarta. Industry members - pastoralists, exporters and feedlot operators - afford the high priority to animal husbandry and welfare standards.
On arriving in Jakarta very late in the evening, I travelled direct to the port to view the unloading of Territory feeder cattle from two vessels. Thanks to the work of the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association and the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, who were accompanying me on this visit, I was able to meet with the key members of the Indonesian Feedlot Association, APFINDO. Strengthening our relationships will ensure the Territory remains the preferred supplier of feeder cattle.
Territory feeder cattle remain in feedlots for around 100 days, depending on demand, with weight gains of about 100 to 150 kilograms achieved.
Very early on the first morning, I visited a small local beef, goat and sheep wet market. On grown Territory feeder cattle are processed in a local abattoir, distributed and generally sold on the same day. Small stallholders were selling beef by the piece rather than individual beef cuts. Local consumers purchase and consume fresh beef on a daily basis. Whilst there will undoubtedly always be a place for the wet markets, an increasing amount of product will be sold to retail and food service outlets. With no export abattoir operating in the Northern Territory, we are unable to supply directly to the supermarket and/or the food service sector and will continue to rely on Indonesian abattoirs.
I also visited the Australian Embassy and met with the Ambassador and senior staff including senior AusTrade representatives. They advised that, in addition to local issues, a likely reduction in fuel subsidies will place further pressure on the local economy.
My delegation met with His Excellency Mr Anton Apiyantono, the Indonesian Minister for Agriculture in his official residence. Our discussion focused on quarantine, extension and technology transferred direct to local farmers, together with food safety and animal husbandry standards. It was agreed that our senior officials should meet regularly in strengthening our trade relationships and pave the way for ongoing issues to be considered under a Northern Territory/Indonesian senior official group.
I met with His Excellency, Mr Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, to discuss issues of mutual interest, including Darwin being an ideal support base for mining and energy industries in Indonesia. I attended Mining Indonesia, the premium mining exposition and conference and met with the Northern Territory industry/government delegation.
I met with His Excellency Freddy Munberi, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries about illegal fishing incursions by sophisticated commercial fishing vessels in both Indonesian and Australian waters. We agreed on benefits of a regional ministerial forum to find solutions to foreign fishing incursions.
My visit to Indonesia builds on those undertaken by the former Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, together with the Chief Minister in attending the 60th anniversary of Indonesian Independence. It also builds on similar visits to Malaysia and the Philippines in strengthening our relations with key regional cattle trading partners. This government remains strongly committed to developing our live export cattle trade throughout South-East Asia.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. It is good to see that the live cattle industry is starting to increase again. The last 12 months have seen a downturn in live cattle exports and, in addition to the droughts that the cattlemen have experienced in Central Australia, it has been a challenging year for them. The Cattlemen’s Association is very proactive in their industry.
I appreciate the Northern Territory government realising the importance of taking a delegation to Indonesia. I would encourage regular delegations overseas to continually promote the Territory and to foster good relationships with Indonesia.
With what has been happening just north of us in Bali in the last couple of weeks, it has certainly been very important for us to ensure that we remain very good friends with Indonesians as far as primary industry and fisheries, and mining, energy and resources are concerned. I thank the minister for his report.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her support. It is true that we have to continue building our relationship with Indonesia; it is our biggest market for live cattle export and we have to promote our live cattle export. I understand the Australian cattle industry is coming under pressure from countries like Brazil. Our benefit is that we are free of diseases like foot and mouth and other diseases that the Indonesians and other South-East Asian countries object to being imported to their countries.
We have the first results. We have already had a delegation arrive in Darwin to have discussions with our senior officers about fisheries. There will be a regional ministers’ forum held in Canberra in November, and I believe the Minister for Fisheries will be visiting Darwin before or after that conference.
We are committed to promoting our industries, and to visit as many countries as possible to strengthen that market, and also to find new markets in South-East Asia.
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Madam Speaker, I will provide a report on an important initiative which supports the commitment that this government made in the lead-up to the recent election. This report relates to the level of support the Northern Territory provides to members of the Australian Defence Force and their families who are posted to the Territory.
I have outlined on numerous occasions the importance of the Defence presence to our economy and our community. The significant presence of Defence not only delivers considerable benefit to our economy, but it also delivers substantial benefit to the functioning of our Northern Territory community.
Prior to the Territory election, the Labor government made a commitment to introduce a package of measures to help Australian Defence Force families get the most from their Top End posting. I am advised that between 700 and 1000 ADF personnel and their families are posted to the Territory each year for an average two-year posting. The Defence population contributes to the economy, not only through consumption and investment, but also through ADF partners, often skilled people, contributing to our work force.
The 2003 Defence Census found that around 56% of ADF partners who were not permanent Defence Force members worked full-time. Of all partners, 48% had formal qualifications and 22% were undertaking some form of study.
Our unique and relaxed lifestyle makes the Northern Territory a great place to live. However, we know that Australian Defence Force families face significant challenges associated with their postings, including finding new schools for their children, spouses finding work, and families establishing new networks to help them flourish in their environments. Our aim is to help Defence families settle into their new Territory home and help make the Territory an even more attractive posting.
One of the initiatives we announced was a ‘Welcome to the Territory’ expo to be held for Defence families in their home state in the event of major relocation. We stated that the expos would be designed to provide information about life in the Territory, including information on schools, curricula, child-care services, job opportunities for Defence spouses, recreation activities, and health services.
Some 300 1st Aviation Regiment personnel and their families are expected to relocate to Robertson Barracks in support of the Tiger helicopters that start arriving this year. This major strategic relocation of capability and people by the ADF accordingly requires a concentrated effort on the part of NT government in terms of support. My department has been working closely with Defence, Defence Housing Authority, Defence Community Organisation and Defence Families Association to focus our support to Defence in this area.
Two important briefings were presented in Townsville on 30 August and in Oakey on 2 September for 1st Aviation Regiment personnel and their families. The Departments of Employment; Education and Training; Health and Community Services; Local Government, Housing and Sport; Business, Economic and Regional Developments and the Tourist Commission participated in the presentations.
A range of other services are also being provided to welcome these Defence families to the Northern Territory. Firstly, a welcome pack of printed material and the Northern Territory government’s DVD illustrating Territory lifestyle has been provided to all personnel relocating. Also, a 1st Aviation Welcome to Darwin Northern Territory government web site with links to relevant information is now available to Defence personnel providing links to information on education, health, sports, entertainment, weather, and a range of activities. A telephone and e-mail helpdesk for queries relating to Northern Territory government services is available for people seeking more information. The government has placed a welcome message in the Northern Defence staff magazine recently, with additional copies sent to 1st Aviation Regiment personnel in Townsville and Oakey.
The response by Defence to this initiative has been very positive. A request for the Northern Territory government to organise a similar exercise at Williamtown for personnel and families who could be posted to RAAF Base Tindal has been agreed and will take place in June 2006 prior to the postings being announced.
The decision by Defence to relocate 1st Aviation Regiment from Townsville and Oakey to Darwin has already brought major benefits to the Territory economy and the community, and will continue to do so for many years, such as the $82m construction project at Robertson Barracks which has seen over 90% of the work subcontracted to local SMEs and the associated $120m development at Lee Point which will provide approximately 300 homes to boost the Defence Housing Authority’s stock and also provide over 300 properties into the real estate market.
In economic terms, the new employment multiplier effect means that, as a result of the 300 Defence jobs in the Northern Territory, another 165 jobs will be indirectly created in our economy.
I would also like to mention that the second contingent of Australian troops will be deployed shortly to Southern Iraq. Around 450 personnel, predominantly from the 5th and 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment from Darwin’s 1st Brigade will fly out within the next month, led by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Short. I am sure all members of this House will join with me in wishing the troops all the very best for a successful deployment and we look forward to their safe return.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I welcome the report, the first one in Labor’s second term. Both sides of politics and, all Territorians welcome and respect the role of our service personnel in the Northern Territory. I have met relatively few so far, although, I plan to make contact with some of the personal connections I have had in the past with some Defence personnel as well as to meet others.
It is the case that Defence plays a pivotal role in the Northern Territory and the contribution to the economy is significant. Last week, we were in this parliament, with Labor ferociously getting stuck into the federal government. I note that the minister was silent as to the federal government’s commitment and contribution. I also cannot help but wonder as to the sincerity of the minister when he talks about Defence personnel. One only has to read the pontifications of former Labor Leader, Mark Latham - the one the new Labor president flew all the way back from New York to vote for, one Warren Snowdon - the book by Mark Latham is a good read. It says much about the pretence that is the Australian Labor Party …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms CARNEY: So when we have a bloke like Mark Latham standing up and saying: ‘Oh, I did not mean any of it, and I do not really like the US alliance or the relationship’, it brings into question the sincerity and so-called commitment of everyone in the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party headed by Mr Snowdon.
I note a media release issued by the Chief Minister on 24 February 2004 in which Mark Latham, great man that he was according to some, especially one Mr Snowdon, came to the Northern Territory and the Chief Minister went on at some length about how she and Mr Latham discussed the advantages of the Australian and US defence forces developing new forms of joint training arrangements. Well, you do wonder, what on earth did they talk about? Probably it was Mark saying: ‘Oh, I hate the Americans, I hate Defence.’ One can only speculate as to what the Chief Minister said in reply.
Your sincerity is doubted and thank you, Mark Latham, for bringing into doubt every utterance of Labor politicians in this country.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the government on its initiative, which is especially welcomed, for troops and their families who are coming to Darwin. For a long time there have been programs to help assimilate families coming into the Territory. However, that usually occurred in Darwin itself, and Palmerston, and the idea of taking that interstate is great.
The question I would ask the minister is: how does that affect single defence personnel? This is concentrating more on defence soldiers and their families and there are quite a large number of defence personnel who come to the Territory as single people. I do not know whether you have anything to say on whether they are also part of this ‘Welcome to the Territory’ so that they understand about the facilities available.
I know we had an expo last year which all soldiers were required to attend, where various departments of the Northern Territory government were assembled. There were sporting groups and all sorts of people there which enabled those people who had arrived the opportunity to find out what was available to them.
You also mentioned the package of measures you were putting forward, minister. One of those packages was a bus service. I am wondering whether a bus service is running from Robertson Barracks. I am talking more about the single people too. As you know there have been some concerns about people driving home from some of the clubs with too much alcohol, and if there could be a bus service provided to Robertson Barracks, that would be good. I would like to hear more about that.
I also support your comments about the members of the 1st Brigade going to Iraq. I attended a function, along with the member for Johnston, last week and it was an important gathering of people who wished all the best to the 1st Brigade. Godspeed, I hope they all come back safely.
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Madam Speaker, I will address the member for Nelson first. Yes, single defence personnel are a significant part of the ‘Welcome to the Territory’ and information about sporting and recreational activities is available to single soldiers, not only in the presentation, but also on the hotline. We are also considering providing a dating service. The singles who come here have said to the Chief Minister that when it comes to meeting girls not enough girls is a bit of an issue. Whether we should provide a dating service is under consideration. The bus service was an election commitment and over the course of this government we will be providing a bus service to Robertson Barracks.
The Leader of the Opposition’s comments about sincerity was interesting. I will be judged by my actions rather than by the Leader of the Opposition’s words. However, I note that there is more interesting reading around. I do not have it with me, however, I will have to get a copy of the Stone Review into the CLP. The Stone Review would be very interesting reading, particularly about the parliamentary wing, the four who are left. I remember reading words like ‘lazy’, ‘bone idle’, and ‘would not get out of their own shadow’. So if you want to read interesting insights into politics in the Territory, the Stone Review is a great insight into the CLP, particularly those four members opposite whom Shane Stone himself has said were bone idle and lazy. They still have the same attributes.
Children’s Week
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, one of the best things about living in the Territory is that it is a great place to raise our children, although that does not necessarily make it easy. Next week is Children’s Week and today I want to talk about how the government is supporting Territory parents to raise happy, resilient and confident children. Last week, I talked about the important role that sport and recreation plays in the health and wellbeing of our youth. This year, in support of the International Year for Sport and Physical Education, the Children’s Week theme is ‘Take the time to play with your children’.
It is simple things like playing with our children that can make all the difference and create positive relationships that allow children to feel loved and safe. Most of you would know that parenting does not come with an instruction manual. This government acknowledges that all parents need help at some stage and some, due to social or personal situations, need more help than others. Support for parents ultimately needs to equip them to problem solve and respond to their children in a flexible and suitable way as they grow up.
Government assistance for families comes in many forms. There is financial assistance. We are the only state or territory to provide a child care subsidy which cuts the costs for families about $20 per week for each child in care. There is assistance with information. News services like the Families web site and Parentline provide up-to-date information ranging from vital health information through to ideas for the weekend. The government also provides more concentrated help, like the new Family Intensive Support Service which works with families in crisis to help them stay together.
This government is all about supporting Territorians which is why my Department of Family and Community Services includes an Office of Children and Families which is dedicated to providing services to support children and their families.
I am very pleased to be able to inform the House of some of the important achievements made by the Office of Children and Families, including the training of more than 60 professionals from across the Territory in fields of education, disability services, early childhood, maternal and child health, mental health and welfare in Triple P parenting courses. The Triple P program stands for the Positive Parenting Program and is designed to assist families in dealing with behavioural and emotional difficulties in children.
The newly trained Triple P practitioners have started working with Territory families and they will soon undergo accreditation to ensure their practice meets the goal of the program. Also, through the support of the Office of Children and Families, MARVIN, the computer animated community health tool is being embraced by remote communities including Gunbalanya, where the Yingarna project has enabled community members to research and prepare culturally meaningful stories about raising children, and to create local language resources to be used within the community.
Another success of the Office of Children and Families is the establishment of the Moulden Park Comprehensive Children’s Service which is a school-based family support program. An external evaluation of the first three years of the program illustrated just how much the community valued the program. A similar model is being established at Karama Primary School and opportunities to replicate this approach are being funded in Maningrida, Wadeye and Katherine. A resource kit for families, Seven Steps to Safety, is being developed by the government. The kit aims to help families keep kids safe at home and in emergency situations. I look forward to announcing more details during Children’s Week.
These achievements are important building blocks in the long term effort to help Territory parents. The government went to the election with a range of initiatives to continue our support for families. These include the introduction of a $50 voucher for each child enrolled in a government or non-government school to help offset the cost of uniforms or other essential supplies; and the introduction of a new carer’s card which will provide discounts and services and financial support for people who are carers such as public transport and motor vehicle registration, electricity, water and sewerage charges, at a cost of more than $1m a year.
The creation of a new Darwin Family Centre at Karama as a one-stop-shop of community organisations will provide services to Territory families and young people. These initiatives will cut the cost to families and help extend the vital support services we provide. This government is proud of our support to Territory families and through the Office of Children and Families we are making it easier for parents and carers to access information and support when they most need it.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report embracing the department for what it has done. She went from sports to education to family and children’s services. I am glad to see that the government is trying to approach this topic in a fairly holistic way. However - and I need to add this - the department is not addressing significant issues about child abuse. When people report child abuse, as it is compulsory to report, you hear frequently that the department has not followed through and people who report it are left hanging and those children who are reported are left in jeopardy. That is a real problem. I ask the minister to look at it more closely to ensure that our children are better protected than what the department has provided so far.
As regards to education, while nominally still in place, the DARE program that every parent, every school wanted to support their children, to support their family, is no longer there. It is significant to note that even the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Services - the police themselves - are concerned that government is no longer motivated to support DARE as it has been in the past. Every local member will tell you the same thing, yet this government refuses to acknowledge that DARE is very much supported and desired by our community.
Minister, I congratulate you on trying to approach this in a very holistic way. However, there are many pockets within your department that are lacking in their performance, and you need to pull them up. You have to get yourself across those issues so you are aware where they have gone severely under-serviced - and the most significant one is about child abuse.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, next Thursday is Universal Children’s Day and there is a function being held in Alice Springs. I urge all members to come along. I am supplying 20 kg of sausages. It is going to be held on the Flynn church lawns, and is a celebration of children. It is important for us to give them that support and be there so we can see what is happening.
I remind the minister that child care has a long waiting list in Alice Springs, and it is really very difficult to get working mothers back to work when they cannot find child care places. As well as that, the cost of child care has gone up. The ACCC put a bit of a cold wash on the Family Day Care Centre which used to have a set charge per hour for people using their services. The ACCC said they could not do that; they had to leave it open for competition. So, in some cases, the cost of child care and family day care per hour went up considerably. Whether market forces will sort that out we are not sure, however, it is a concern that that has happened.
The minister mentioned a $50 voucher for school children to purchase certain things. I ask the minister how you are going to make sure the money is spent on what it is meant to be spent on? We already know what happens to family benefits and Austudy subsidies. They do not get spent on what they are meant for. Perhaps the minister could inform us just how she intends to make sure the $50 voucher is spent in the right place. Will it go to the schools or the parents? Who will it go to?
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I respond in the first instance to the member for Braitling. I congratulate you for raising Universal Children’s Day and supporting the efforts in Alice Springs.
The Commonwealth has started to abrogate its responsibilities for child care right across Australia. We are feeling the impact of that in the Territory. The Commonwealth has had carriage of child care previously, and they are just walking away from their commitments. They are leaving local government in the lurch, because it has been a relationship between the federal government and local government. I and other state and territory ministers have raised this issue with the federal minister, and we are fighting hard to get the Commonwealth to deliver on its commitments.
The $50 voucher will be redeemable at schools, so it will go to uniforms and school supplies.
I just want to point out to the opposition spokesperson regarding the issue of child abuse, that this Territory government has hired 61 child protection workers in the last financial year alone. We take this issue incredibly seriously. This compares to not a single additional child protection worker in 10 years of the CLP. So, hang your head in shame. We are tackling it because you refused to.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
Bill, by leave, presented and read a first time.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Cemeteries Amendment Bill, together with proposed changes to the Cemeteries Regulations, will allow for multiple burials in a cemetery which has been closed.
On 16 April 2003, the Darwin General Cemetery at McMillans Road was closed by notice in the Gazette with effect from 1 August 2003. The closure meant that burials in the Darwin General Cemetery would cease from 1 August 2003, except for burials in allotments in which an exclusive right of burial had been granted.
In recent times, government has received a number of requests from family members wishing to bury spouses or other family members in allotments in which a family member is already buried in the Darwin General Cemetery. They have come to me in a time of great emotional stress as they do not possess an exclusive right of burial in the allotment in which the other family member is already buried. The current Cemeteries Act does not provide me with any power to retrospectively approve double burials in the Darwin General Cemetery. Quite clearly, this situation is causing distress to many families and the bill before the House will rectify this situation.
The amendment to the act and current amendments to the regulations will enable the minister to approve the burial of a spouse or other family members who are not holders of an exclusive right of burial in respect of the allotment in which their spouse and other family members are already buried in the Darwin General Cemetery.
Members would be well aware that the Darwin General Cemetery continues to have a strong and personal affinity with certain sections of our community and is regularly visited and maintained. Loved ones unable to be buried in a family grave simply because an exclusive right of burial has not been obtained in respect of that allotment, is unacceptable. There may have been all manner of circumstances where, in a time of grief, families did not have at the forefront of their minds the obtaining of an exclusive right of burial, and, in some cases the other spouse was in hospital and the funeral arrangements were managed by other family members or friends. These people should not be penalised because of an administrative or emotional oversight. This bill will correct that situation and show compassion to those families. I seek the support of all members in expediting these changes.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 25 August 2005.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, my response to this will be fairly predictable and, without wanting to be difficult or cryptic, the opposition is in a position where we are generally supportive of what the Attorney-General is trying to achieve, however, I stress it is with a number of reservations expressed by many others. I am sure the Attorney-General and his departmental officers are aware of them. The extent and the nature of the concerns simply create a level of unease within me, not only as a politician but as a person who has had a long-standing interest in this area.
What I propose to do is to read into the Parliamentary Record a number of concerns expressed by others because that is appropriate in all of the circumstances.
Attorney-General, you will be aware of a criticism that since there is a review, described by people in that sector as a comprehensive review of the Domestic Violence Act, there is some concern about tackling some areas in isolation. Many people would argue, and it is a view that I have some sympathy with, that to tinker with parts of legislation in isolation is generally not a good approach when amending various and detailed legislative provisions. In your reply, I would like you to address that concern. Why is it that this is being done in isolation and not waiting to be contained in the fulsome review of the Domestic Violence Act? And, associated with that, one wonders about what impact these suggested changes will have in terms of the ongoing review of the act. So what safeguards, what comments, do you have in relation to that concern?
There is also a concern about empowering police to make judicial decisions and therefore create potential debate about due process and procedural safeguards for all parties, particularly when we are talking about people’s liberties. As the Territory’s first law officer, I feel certain that you will have something to say in relation to those concerns. I am not sure that they could be categorised as a criticism. They are genuine concerns and, as first law officer, I would like you to address them.
In relation to the content or the aim of the bill, there is a view that it will create conflict for police in fulfilling their role under the act. Providing police with judicial power to issue a restraining order has the potential for conflict with their role of assisting the defendant to apply, to revoke, or vary the order, and to prosecute breaches of orders, particularly in remote communities.
I am not certain whether the Police Association has contacted you to provide you with a formal view of the association. I have spoken with members of the association, and members of the police generally, and you would surely be aware that there is a concern held by police in relation to this matter. I would ask you to comment on that and, if you could, to do so today. If not, if you would agree to do so after today in a timely manner. If you could advise what, if any, training will be provided to police officers to assist them in what can only be described as a new function?
Attorney-General, you would be aware of the view that there should be guidelines in place to protect against police having free discretion to approach a court or a magistrate to make an order under section 6. I would like you to comment on that. Additionally, you would be aware that section 10 of the Domestic Violence Act provides for the mandatory minimum sentences for breaches of orders. However, it will not apply, as I understand it, until orders are confirmed by a magistrate. Should considerable time delays occur there is a general level of apprehension as to the implications for women and children’s protection from violence. I would be grateful if you would comment on that.
I know I touched upon this at the beginning, but where my points are best and more eloquently expressed by others, I am happy to quote:
If you would give us some details as to your level of concern and how you would address some of those matters.
There is a lengthy letter that was addressed to you, which I am certain you have received, and I understand that various representatives met with your departmental officers recently. The letter is for and on behalf of the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit, the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service, Katherine Family Support Unit Aboriginal Corporation, the Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service, NPY Women’s Council and Top End Women’s Legal Service. There are a number of specific concerns and, it is appropriate that I summarise them for the purposes of Hansard.
The people from the organisations to which I have just referred again express a view that given that the Domestic Violence Act is being reviewed, why are we dealing with this in isolation. The letter is dated 30 September 2005 and I am happy to table it if you require it, however, I know you have it. It says:
They raise a number of other concerns. They refer to the power to make a restraining order so that it should be exercised by a judicial officer. I contacted the Law Society which was strangely silent on this and it is a mystery to me. I suspect because of the amount of legislation you provided to them in the last term they might, to put it politely, be a bit puffed out. For such a serious issue regarding judicial powers to be exercised by people other than judicial officers, I would have thought that a law society anywhere would be more than very interested in that issue.
Back to the letter: the author says:
Elsewhere in the letter there are references to section 6B(3)(b) of the bill and it says that it will require police to undertake conflicting roles, being to:
Elsewhere in this letter, Attorney-General, they say:
They go on to say that:
They go on to say also in relation to clause 6A(1)(a) that it should only require that the police be satisfied that the order is necessary for a victim’s safety, and not that a court might reasonably have made the order. My view - and I note that I have not proposed an amendment – is that it could have been drafted differently to give effect to the concerns expressed by these organisations.
They go on to say that:
I would have thought that that was a significant point and one that you, as the Territory’s first law officer, should address in reply.
The authors go on to say that the explanatory memorandum refers to circumstances in which it is not practicable to apply under section 4(1), being that it is outside of court hours or in a remote location. Of course, we know that so much domestic violence is perpetrated in our remote indigenous communities. They go on to say:
The authors go on to say in relation to clause 6A that it should require police officers to:
The recommendations of the authors of this letter, Attorney-General, are that these additional requirements are based on their experience of working in remote communities, in which it is envisaged that the police will be issuing these orders - not an insignificant matter to raise.
The authors also say that:
The conclusion in the letter is as follows:
I would like you to address the concern, Attorney-General, of people from these august organisations; people who know better than you and I - with the greatest of respect - about what is happening out there. These are the people who are dealing with the difficulties of the legal system, as well as the victims.
When authors of a letter like this say that unless the matters that they have referred to are addressed they anticipate considerable inconsistent application of the legislative provisions across the Territory, increasing the numbers of requests to vary and/or revoke police initiated restraining orders, contested applications and non-compliance with restraining orders, I would have thought that we, as law makers, should be pretty concerned about that.
Returning to the opposition’s formal view, when it comes to this legislation, we are supportive of it. We will not oppose it, and there is a pointlessness to that course of action in any event. However, for the purposes of a good debate, and in the interests of parliament, Territorians and in particular the people who work in this area, you should, with respect, put on the Parliamentary Record your fulsome answers to these very legitimate concerns that have been raised. I do not think that I can put matters any more clearly. With those comments, I look forward to the Attorney-General’s response.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I also have some queries for the Attorney-General and the minister for Police, as the priority I have is for women and their safety, and if this particular move is going to provide that, then that is good. However, I question the reason for bringing this along, as did the member for Araluen, in isolation from the rest of the review of the act that you intend to do later.
The member for Nelson and I had a briefing. Government is always saying ‘have a briefing’, but I have to admit I was a bit surprised at some of the attitudes we received when we asked questions. I am not quite sure whether your ministerial staff do not like giving briefings to Independent members, but if we front up for a briefing then we could at least be treated with a bit of civility and not rudeness.
Let me give you some examples. We asked about the consultation process: exactly who had been consulted prior to this being drafted. The member for Araluen went on at great lengths about the letter that was received. Let me just point out, that letter was initiated after the member for Nelson and I wrote to those organisations seeking their response. Part of the response in the letter outlines serious concerns shared by all the specialised Northern Territory family and domestic violence service providers’ signatories regarding the proposal to provide police with additional powers to issue restraining orders.
Their comments also say:
These particular organisations were not consulted and I find that a little bit strange to say the least.
I have not spoken to the police union, although I know the member for Nelson has, however, we also asked who else had you consulted with. When it was suggested that the police union could be someone to consult, we were told that the senior sergeant in charge of this strategy had been spoken to, the answer, basically was: ‘Why should we consult with the police union?’ For goodness sake, you are a Labor government, why don’t you consult with the unions? You do with the nursing federation, in your other portfolio. Just because you do not like the response you are getting from the police union, why do you not consult with them? I have not spoken with them, however, I have spoken with police informally. There are some police against this and there some police for it.
We also asked what women’s groups you had consulted with. The answer was: ‘You tell us who you have consulted with?’ Come on, let us face it, this is a very important area. We all know that the Domestic Violence Strategy Unit is doing a great job. The number of call-outs has increased considerably, as you said in your second reading speech, and it is a credit to them that they are addressing this very strongly. I believe it is very important that they do, however, you do not just introduce something without consulting all stakeholders.
I presume you consulted with magistrates because there is a feeling out there that the magistrates are pushing very hard for this and you say in your second reading speech: ‘… alleviating the pressure of out of hours work on magistrates’. Does this particular amendment mean that the first port of call is to the magistrate, or to the senior sergeant? Perhaps you would clarify that. How are they going to determine who to go to first? Are they going to say: ‘After midnight do not go near the magistrates’? Let’s face it, most of the violence incidents occur late at night. Is this going to let the magistrates off the hook? Is it really just alleviating some of their workload and increasing the police workload? We could not get an answer to that.
We note that the Western Australian government has introduced a similar piece of legislation. We asked if there had been any consultation to find out what effect that had on junior constables and police particularly in remote communities. We are all concerned about the remote communities where there may not be quick access to senior sergeants. The Western Australian legislation states that there will be an operational review to look at its effectiveness and whether there is a need for the retention. I wonder, Attorney-General, if you can tell me whether you have found how this is operating in other states and jurisdictions?
We are a bit concerned about the role of the junior constable or the role the constable that is changing from messenger into an authority. There is that overlap of powers. One of the questions we asked was: in small remote communities where we do have a number of junior officers, if the officer in charge is not there or a senior sergeant is not available, does that junior constable issue the order? In some circumstances in remote localities where senior officers may be on leave, or they may even be home in bed, do they get woken up in preference to waking up a magistrate? What position does it actually put the constables in?
There seems to be a feeling that this change or overlap in role may cause confusion amongst the women. We all know that police issue infringement notices which are not taken seriously. Now they are going to be issuing these restraining orders. Will it decrease the importance of that restraining order to women? I do not know whether I am putting that very well but there seems to me to be a change in duties of the police officer in presenting this.
Your staff told us that officers will be trained and we see that as an important step. You would not want to introduce this without some training going on. I am well aware that it is a very sensitive area. We had that terrible incident in Alice Springs recently where a junior female officer was punched when trying to take away the defendant. We do not want that happening, by giving them not only the power to take the person away but also the power to issue this authority. I am just wondering whether you are confusing the roles and whether we might have some further cases such as this.
I talked about consultation. We just wondered how many women’s groups you actually consulted with, and as far as I can see you did not. I find that a little bit strange as these are the people who are going to be affected by it. Will women think this is a good idea or will they question it? As it has to be ratified by a magistrate, if the magistrate does not ratify it, is there some legal implication for our police officers? Is there a problem there? Are we creating some sort of administrative legal problem for our police?
We talked about the magistrates being overloaded. Were there alternatives looked at to alleviate this problem? If the magistrates feel as though they are being overloaded with this, were other suggestions put forward to them? For instance, could more magistrates be put on duty? Just exactly what are your figures per night for north and south? Is it really a great problem? Have we looked at whether a magistrate had a number of calls and he is on duty full-time that his workload within the courts is lessened? Maybe he starts later in the day, I do not know. Were there alternative suggestions looked at to solve the problem of why the magistrate should not be on duty for 24 hours a day? I wonder whether we are sending the wrong message to some of the victims. I am wondering whether we are creating an administrative nightmare for our constables.
I know the police have at heart the welfare and the safety of women put in these circumstances and that is a really important aspect of what we are doing to improve the Domestic Violence Bill. We can streamline it in some way, however, I would ask you, minister, if you are going to look at the whole bill again that you should defer it, wait to get some more feedback and do it all at once, as has been suggested, rather than piecemeal. That is most of what I wanted to ask you and I would appreciate if you could respond to those questions.
The police are seen as messengers of the authority which issues the order at the moment, so are we changing their role? Also, consultation was an important part of what we wanted to ask. Minister, if you are going to continue to offer briefings for us as Independents, I would like at least to be able to feel comfortable walking into your office asking questions that your advisors might not like. They at least should understand that we have a role also to play in protecting our constituents.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support this bill as I feel it will assist in preventing or at least reducing domestic violence situations. As we have seen from statistics over the years, the number of reported cases of domestic violence has increased substantially. I might differ from the member for Braitling in saying that anything which can reduce domestic violence is something that we should support. We should support it because it protects spouses, not just women, but spouses and families.
I spent three years on the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council looking at this very issue about ten years ago and it came to light that women are not the only ones who are victims of domestic violence. Without making a judgment on certain cases in Alice Springs recently, I believe quite a few of those people who were murdered in Alice Springs as recently reported in The Bulletin were males. I am not making any judgment as to why that happened. I am making the point that domestic violence is about violence against a spouse and it is worse in many ways against a family with children who suffer probably even worse in the long term.
I support any bill that will make the lessening of those situations become a reality and I hope this legislation the government is introducing will do that. Only time will tell as, with all new legislation, you have to see how it works in practice.
I also thank the minister for his briefing on this amendment. The member for Braitling has made some comments about that briefing and I will not add anything to that. The members for Araluen and Braitling have raised a number of issues regarding the various women’s groups that have written to us with their concerns. I believe those comments have been addressed adequately by both members of parliament.
I get the impression that the department seems to have spoken to the police administration and the magistrates, or they have talked to you, and that has given me the impression that everyone is happy. However, it sounded a little like a case of ‘Trust me, I am from the government, and there cannot be anything wrong with this legislation’. I was disappointed to hear at the briefing that some of these women’s groups had not been consulted, and the Police Association had not been consulted. That was a surprise to me because, I would imagine, when there were negotiations about things related to the Fire Service - especially when there were changes to the fire management regimes – that, naturally, the members who belong to the union were consulted. Up until recently, the Police Association was not directly consulted.
I have had a note from Vince Kelly this morning that says that there has been some consultation with the Police Association. He advised me that the Solicitor-General has said that there will be appropriate protection under the Domestic Violence Act when issuing orders. That was one of the concerns of the Police Association; they wanted to know what protection they would have when they acted using this legislation. There has been some negotiation. However, initially when this legislation was brought to parliament, I contacted the Police Association, and they said that they had not been consulted. Certainly, police management had been consulted. Even though one might say that is enough, we all know that in the police, if the Commissioner has an opinion, it does not necessarily mean the Police Association has the same opinion. I believe both areas should be consulted.
It is in the areas of policing that I raise a number of issues. There is the issue that the member for Braitling raised of the possibility that a junior constable could have the power to issue these orders. We raised that at the briefing. I would be interested to know whether that actually is the case. It is, you would think, a possibility, especially in an outback community if the officer-in-charge has gone out on patrol where he might be out for a couple of days, and he has left either a constable or a junior constable at the station.
The association is still concerned about the fact that police will be issuing judicial orders. I know that what is thrown back at that argument is that the police do that already under the Bail Act. I would just like to know whether the two things are the same. Under the Bail Act, are the police issuing judicial orders, or is it something else? Can you argue the case that, because they do it under the Bail Act, they can do it under this act in handing out restraining orders?
The other issue which comes from the centre of the problems that the Police Association has, is that they say the bill has been done without due consultation about implications of resourcing or staffing. I raised this issue in the briefing and was given an answer basically saying they doubted very much whether this would have great implications in that area. That may be a fair point; I am not saying that they are wrong. However, this is coming from the Police Association saying: ‘We have not been consulted enough on this issue’. Has anyone actually done a study to see what effect this extra workload would have on the police?
I raise these issues not because I am saying this is not a good change to law. I get a little concerned sometimes when I stand up here and, because I knock something, people say I can be a bit negative, however, that is my job. I can support the bill, however, if we just stood up here and said, ‘Baa, we all agree’, we would not be doing our job. I am not the government. My job is to look at these bills, to talk to people and to put the concerns various groups in the community have. I might not even agree with some of those concerns, or even understand them. However, it is my job to bring them to this parliament to see whether the government has an adequate response to those queries.
I raise those issues that the police have raised in the context that I support anything that will reduce domestic violence. It is probably something that has been happening for hundreds of years. You hear reports of people in the Industrial Revolution days with big families, with someone working in the coal mines, life is pretty crook, and the wife is subject to a thrashing from her husband. I can remember reading books about those sorts of things, however, it is still something that is a scourge of our society today and, according to the reported statistics, it has got worse.
It is something that I give my support to, however, I feel that the government has not done its homework well enough in presenting this document to the parliament. It should have spoken to various women’s groups; it should have spoken to the Police Association. It needed to tell parliament why it was so difficult under days of satellite telephones for a policeman to contact a magistrate. Perhaps they could tell us why magistrates were finding this very difficult. As the member for Braitling said, they are on quite a considerable salary, and they are not the only people who are on 24-hour call.
I can imagine there are a number of people in our community like doctors, yes, plumbers, electricians – they are also on 24-hour call and they are required at some odd hours of the night to get up and do some work, as much as they might not like it, and they get paid for it. You would have to say that magistrates get paid well, and even though it might be an inconvenience, they should accept that that is part of the job.
Be that as it may, I do realise that you have given police the option of either ringing a magistrate or applying a restraining order themselves. It is important that that option always stays there, because if police find themselves in a position where giving a restraining order in a small community could come back and bite them, especially in the case if the court decides that that restraining order was not correct, then it could be a troublesome time for a police officer on a small community if he had to then go back and tell the supposed offender that he had made a mistake. It was, as was said in our briefing, clearly stated that the police have the option. It is important that they know they have the option, if they do not want to take on this role, they can still ring up a magistrate.
I would prefer that the job, in most cases, be left with a magistrate and that there be an emphasis that the requirement for a policeman or policewoman to do this should only be in cases of emergency or where it really is impractical to do it. Not because it happens to be 4.21 pm but because this is so urgent it requires it to be done right on the spot and there may be not the communications available that would make it easily accessible to obtain a magistrate’s advice, and the only way to do it is to do it immediately through the police issuing a restraining order.
As I said, I support the bill. Anything that helps reduce domestic violence situations will be welcomed by the parliament. I believe there are a number of issues that need to be addressed, and I would be interested in hearing what both the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and you, as Attorney-General, have to say.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Women’s Policy): Madam Speaker, the legislation before the House is designed to enable urgent domestic violence restraining orders to be granted on behalf of individuals at risk. Almost all of the cases are women in remote locations in the Northern Territory. The proposed changes are procedural in nature and seek to provide effective protection once the problem has already arisen.
I very much approve of the new measures and will try to illustrate by reference to potential, or actual, scenarios in my own electorate and how they will work on the ground.
Before I get into that I should preface my comments by making the observation that with these changes the real challenge we face is to address the underlying causes of domestic and family violence. The principle underlying cause in my experience, going around my electorate and many of the bush electorates, and even in town - when we look at the crux of this problem - is substance abuse. This is not just an issue that is endemic in our remote communities. You only have to sit in Darwin in some of the suburbs at night and you can see this happening.
I stand up and I support this amendment because it is about the protection of women. Not just women, but there are silent victims with all of this. I know that the member for Nelson talked about men and we do need to look at that whole issue of the perpetrator and the offending. Often, though, we forget the one victim behind all of this is our children. From my point of view, and why I stand up and support this, is that for far too many women and children in our remote communities, violence is an every day experience. Grog, petrol and ganga, and as I said, if we look at substance abuse, these problems make it very difficult to deal with.
I have some concerns, and I have spoken to both the Attorney-General and the minister for Police, where we have some situations in remote communities where it is a resourcing implication, where there are no police, where we do not have safe places for these women to go to. There are issues that we have to look at, and there have been a number of things that we have done to address these many issues. At the end of the day, there are women and children out there who do need our protection.
I thank the Attorney-General and his staff for the information that I received during the briefing. I understand there were 39 applications in 1999 rising to 724 in 2004. That is a huge increase. I understand, and may be the Attorney-General will be able to answer that, that that is the reason why this part has been brought in before the actual review which commences in January. That is justification to try to get this amendment passed. And there are cases. I have not had too much of an opportunity of talking to those stakeholders and I put on the record that organisations like NPY, the Katherine Women’s Legal Services and all those non-government organisations that provide that support, such as Ruby Gaia, to women and children in cases like that, play a fantastic role. I have not had much of an opportunity to talk to them of late, although, I have talked to many of these stakeholders in the past.
Who I have talked to all the time about issues of domestic and family violence, and the need to put in place effective strategies and to change law, are the women themselves. Going out to those communities and talking to the indigenous women in my electorate who are sick to death - and many of them have died, Madam Speaker. I stand here supporting this. Not long ago, about a month ago, I lost my niece in a very brutal and violent incident at the hands of her partner. For me, any strategy to deal with this issue is a good thing. There are concerns. We will never, ever get a system where you going to have - there is always going to be a risk. As government we will be working together to make sure that we cover them. Like anything there is a risk.
In regard to what government is doing about domestic and family violence in the Northern Territory, significant resources have gone into funding new initiatives. When I look at the child protection area, along with my colleague, the Minister for Family and Community Services, we have put $53m to enhance child protection services across the Northern Territory. That is quite substantial funding for the first time to look at strengthening families in communities, which is in line with trying to deal with the whole issue of family violence, the protection of children, as well as another $3m funding for accommodation for women and children escaping violence.
The Northern Territory Antenatal and Maternity public hospitals departments screen for family violence and so far over 1000 women have been screened to date. Personal and domestic protection units are being established in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine, with enhanced staffing for existing units in Darwin. There has been increased funding to specialist domestic violence legal services in Darwin and Alice Springs. Correctional and community-based offender and diversionary programs are being trialled with funding assistance from the Australian government.
The Strong Family, Strong Community, Strong Future Project, which is an indigenous-designed, indigenous-led project addressing family violence, has been implemented in three regions: my own region of the Tiwi Islands, Katherine East and Alice Springs West. Through the Strong Family Project, curriculum has been developed for a new Certificate III course in Family Violence Prevention and Early Intervention. That course commenced in September 2005 and is being offered to community workers by the Charles Darwin University.
Sixteen educators representing 34 cultural groups and languages trained to educate the communities on what constitutes domestic violence, and what services they can access and how. The bilateral agreement between the Territory and the Australian government has already resulted in approximately $2m in funding to support community patrols in remote communities; anti-violence education programs for young people; integrated family violence services in the Katherine region; and interventions for children exposed to family violence. They are just a number of areas that government is working with and through the Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Committee which involves committed community members in working with government to make sure the voice of the community is involved in the development and management of our domestic and family violence strategies.
The Attorney-General and the minister for Police will answer some of the technical areas that were raised by members opposite. However, I stand here and support it for the reasons I have outlined. There are many situations in our electorates where women do seek these orders. This allows that flexibility for those women to be able to go to police and seek an order. I fully support it. It is just another layer or part of the wider strategy that we need to take to offer women and children protection.
Mr HENDERSON (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I support this legislation. It is good to follow my colleague, the member for Arafura, as this is all about further protecting women and children. It is as simple as that. We were elected to government in 2001; one of the platforms was safer communities and this is just another example of how this government continues to work to make the Territory a safer place and, in particular, a safer place for women and children.
It is a very simple bill. I am surprised at the level of concern that Independents and members opposite have in regard to this bill as it is a very simple bill with very simple applications. Maybe I am just a simple man; I am not sure. When you look at the numbers - and the Leader of the Opposition was on her soapbox talking about reservations - let us look at the policy application here in terms of the work that is happening.
In 1999, when the CLP left office, only 39 applications for a domestic violence order had been made - 39 across the Northern Territory under the last year of the previous government. From a policy objective, looking at policy across government as to why we have such an appalling rate of violence in the Northern Territory, those rates of violence have been there for many years. They have been reported on, spoken about, and the subject of intense scrutiny. Where was the capacity in the previous government, from a policy level, to look at the whole gamut of issues there and do something about it? We had a police force that had been run down to the ground that was barely able to get out and do the most basic of law enforcement across the Territory. There was no commitment to the police force, to legislative change, or on the social side of the equation, and just 39 applications were made for domestic violence orders in 1999.
Last year, there were 724 across the Northern Territory. I can advise the House today that, in the first quarter of this year, already 199 applications have been made - on the way to 800 for this year. This amendment was requested by police, came from the Domestic Violence Task Force which the Commissioner has put together, to assist and aid police in their work trying to protect the women of the Northern Territory. That is a policy response to a significant problem here in the Northern Territory, as opposed to the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing from the Leader of the Opposition - and crocodile tears in this particular case. Police have requested this amendment. I thank my colleague, the Attorney-General, for very quickly bringing this through.
I will speak on the comments from the member for Nelson about the Police Association not being consulted. Very appropriately, the Police Commissioner brings to me, from time to time, requests for amendments to legislation to better enable the police to do their job across the Northern Territory. I take those requests from police and, from time to time, member for Nelson, there is a divergence of view between the association - which I have great respect and regard for, and have a good working relationship with - and the Commissioner, who has responsibility for running the police force and achieving government’s policy objectives of a safer community.
The Police Commissioner has adopted an operational strategy of intelligence-led policing targeting repeat offenders. He has had great success regarding property crime. We have seen property crime rates decrease by about 50% across the Northern Territory and, in the last four years, to a large part attributable to the significant increase in police resources - an extra 137 officers on the job. It is a very specific operational strategy deployed by the Commissioner.
He has then led, or created, dedicated domestic violence units across the Northern Territory. I can advise the House that there are 24 dedicated officers in those units that did not exist two years ago. Ten of those are dedicated to Darwin, 10 in Alice Springs, two in Tennant Creek and two in Katherine - dedicated, full-time police resources targeting repeat offenders. It is a small start, there is a long way to go, but as we have seen with the latest crime figures released the other day by my colleague, the Justice minister, we saw a 10% reduction in reported violent offending across the Northern Territory.
These powers will give the police additional capacity to very quickly deal with circumstances, particularly in the bush where they need to act quickly, to apply domestic violence orders that gives them capacity to require that the perpetrator absent himself from the vicinity of the victim, or for the police to be able to remove that perpetrator. It gives the police the capacity to move much more quickly in those circumstances, better protecting women and children.
The question arises: is this going to mean that new recruits, junior constables placed in the bush, will be able to issue those orders? The answer is no. The power to make these orders will be given to watch commanders and officers-in-charge. They will have to be commissioned officers, typically in the bush, of brevet sergeant rank or above. We do not place, and the Commissioner does not place young, inexperienced officers into bush stations; that does not occur. Constables will not have the power. It will be watch commanders and officers-in-charge.
The Police General Orders are going to be amended as a result of this legislation. There will be specific training provided, and that issue will be worked through between police and Justice. This legislation will not commence until such time as specific training has been provided to police. We want this legislation commenced as soon as possible, and that work will happen very quickly. These powers are an interim order. Those orders will have to be confirmed by the court and people will be able to challenge, through the usual processes, the issuing of those orders.
However, if we are going to be serious about responsibly tackling the tragedy of domestic violence across the Northern Territory, when the police come to government and ask for these additional powers as they believe that they can get in there and intervene much earlier, better protect women, who are we to say for all these theoretical reasons and interpretations that we are going to send this off to a committee and consult for the next six months in terms of a broader review of the Domestic Violence Act? I believe we would be failing in our responsibility as government to the women and children of the Northern Territory not to take that advice from police and to not enact this legislation.
It has gone through Justice; it is a Justice bill. Justice has worked through the checks and balances of how the laws would apply and the implications of other statutes. We have very dedicated and competent legal officers …
Mrs Braham: Perhaps we should have asked you for a briefing.
Ms Carney: Perhaps you should have got one, sport.
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: You are politicising what was a sensible debate. I hope the Attorney-General’s response is better than yours. You should be ashamed of yourself for some of the things you have said.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, order!
Ms Carney: Absolutely ashamed.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: I accept and recognise that it has to be a challenge for the opposition over the next four years in scrutinising legislation introduced by the government. It is a very responsible role that the opposition in providing that scrutiny.
There is going to be much more legislation introduced. Some is going to be more important than others due to the impact and the effect that it is going to have in the Northern Territory. If the opposition does have reservations or genuine concerns about legislation - well, this has not been rushed through. This has gone through the usual process of being tabled in the last sittings, and the shadow minister, in this case the Leader of the Opposition, has a responsibility to inform herself …
Ms Carney: Do not start talking about our responsibilities. Yours is to read it and understand it because you are the minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you will cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: … has an absolute responsibility to discharge her duties in scrutinising this legislation to seek a briefing.
Ms Carney: Rubbish!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you will cease interjecting.
Ms Carney: He is very provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: I will pick up on the interjection, Madam Speaker. Parliament is about informed debate. We have a responsibility to inform ourselves, as opposed to swanning in here and grandstanding on pedantic points. If the Leader of the Opposition had genuine concerns - she is a lawyer; I am not. I accept …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … about the application of the technical …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … interpretation in the courts …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … specific clauses in legislation, and that is where she is coming from in her contribution to this debate. She has an opportunity to seek a briefing to put those concerns. They will be addressed by the appropriate legal officers who have the responsibility for putting the policy and drafting the legislation, to discuss all of those issues and then come back in here much better informed. She uses parliament to trawl through her interpretation, her technical interpretation, without availing herself of the opportunity that is provided, and which was taken up by the members for Nelson and Braitling who recognised their responsibilities of being informed in order to contribute as Independents, let alone the opposition who are putting ipso facto the alternative government view.
She is failing in her responsibility. We cannot take her comments seriously and genuinely in the absence of her seeking to inform herself as to the policy intent and the legal application of legislation that we bring before this House. I do not take the Opposition Leader’s comments with any degree of genuineness at all given her complete failure to be briefed on this particular legislation.
This is sensible. For somebody who proposes to always be on the side of the victim, there are a number of cases where, through comments implied and otherwise by the Leader of the Opposition, she is trying to have it two ways and it is not going to wash.
Those numbers again: 39 applications for domestic violence orders in 1999 when the CLP were last in office, heading to 800 this year under this government. Our commitment is to do everything we can to provide safer communities through additional resources, not only to police but also health and education and other areas of government such as housing. We will make the legislative changes where we can and this is a very commonsense request for a change that is going to assist the police to do their job.
I certainly will be taking requests from the Police Commissioner and the police who are in the front line doing everything they can to protect women in the Northern Territory over and above the advice of the Leader of the Opposition anytime.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I will attempt to give a full response to the various concerns that have been raised by members. I thank them for their contribution to the debate both when they are standing at their chair and when they are sitting.
I welcome the support for the bill and am quite happy to acknowledge that there were qualifications brought forward by some members which I will deal with.
First, there has been some talk about the issue of consultation and also the relationship of this reform to the general community consultation that is proceeding on the review of the Domestic Violence Act in general. As the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services quite rightly pointed out, this bill responds to a very specific set of circumstances that were brought to the attention of the government by the police. The figures that have already been used in this debate do give a very good insight as to why this reform was seen to be more urgent than to be left in the body of the review issues that are proceeding through community debate at the moment.
When you look at the situation of a duty magistrate, and look at the numbers of these applications that have come to magistrates in recent times - close to 750 in a year and increasing - it is not the only function a duty magistrate is performing in their night duty. They are looking at bail applications. They are looking at quite a number of other matters. It does make sense to provide other mechanisms for a response to a critical situation where a woman or child’s wellbeing might be in endangered by a would-be offender.
I do not accept for a minute the assertions that we have these under-utilised magistrates who are sitting there doing nothing and getting good money for it. There has been that sort of tone to some of the debate which I find quite regrettable.
Our magistrates are both very hardworking and very diligent in the work that they do in applying the law on behalf of the Territory community, and particularly the duties they perform out of hours. When most of the community is having a good night’s sleep, our magistrates are on call to deal with these and other matters. However, it is very important to see the full body of the work of the duty magistrate is not purely about domestic violence applications. It is certainly an important part of it, although, there are many other matters they are also available to deal with.
To expand, the initial consultation occurred as a dialogue between the police department, which brought this issue to us, and the Department of Justice. Whilst this bill has sat before the House, other organisations have come forward such as the Police Association. We have had a number of discussions with the Police Association about their concerns and have dealt very specifically with those concerns. The Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit made approaches on behalf of other domestic violence services. The Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission and the Northern Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service have approached us with particular issues regarding this legislation. Although it is quite right to say we have not gone out comprehensively around the community, we felt that this is a very specific arrangement aligning what the police do operationally with the courts, and that it was appropriate to work out the details with the people who will be directly involved in these mechanisms.
The review will proceed through community consultation. I can say that there will be no limit or constraint on who participates in that public debate. We want to proceed with that as extensively as possible through stakeholder groups in the community. I ask all members of this House to promote the inclusiveness of that process. If they are aware of groups which want to take part or bring issues to the overall review, please encourage them to get in touch. We will be more than happy to include their views in what we report.
There has been some talk about the new role of police in putting interim orders in place. That will be a new function of police, as it was in the CLP’s own version of this reform that was brought forward prior to the change of government. The difference is that our reform will work better in practice as it is not time limited. It will allow us to deal with those situations around the Territory where it is not practical to have a court determine a time frame in a restraining order where the police judge that there is a real threat to the women and children involved.
I will recap the key provisions for members just so we are clear on what we are actually putting in place. The bill provides that interim restraining orders can only be issued by police officers when it is not practicable to obtain an order from the court and it is necessary to make an order to ensure the immediate safety of the person for whose protection the order is being made.
The Leader of the Opposition raised the issue of the basis on which the interim order is put in place. Is it to be the judgment of the police officer that the safety of the potential victims are at such a level of vulnerability that there needs to be an immediate order put in place, or is for the police to stand in the place of a court and say: ‘What would a court do in this situation, or be likely to do in making a decision about applying an order?’ Quite clearly, we are talking about the same criteria for both in looking at what would underpin a restraining order.
I will go to section 4(1) of the existing Domestic Violence Act which says:
Now here are the criteria:
You can see that the focus of those existing provisions would guide both the police and the magistrate in a case where they are determining whether an order should be put in place, very much focused on the future safety of the woman or the child who is under threat. When you look at provisions in the amendments, this will be self-normalising because every single interim restraining order put in place by police will be reviewed by the court at the earliest possible opportunity. It will be very clear, very early, if the police are deviating from the practice seen as being appropriate by the courts in applying those criteria. It is a confirmation that the criteria in the Domestic Violence Act which guides the placement of a restraining order are being correctly interpreted and followed by the police in putting orders in place.
Interim means interim. It means that these decisions will be immediately reviewed by a court. I believe that renders the issues about whether judicial power is or is not being conveyed or placed on the police. It is largely an academic question in that the court, ultimately, underpins the placement of an order and will, increasingly with practice, come to bring the interpretation of the police into line with what the courts would follow in any event.
I am satisfied with those mechanisms which are in parallel with current provisions over the granting of bail by police officers. Again, there is a court review process which applies in those processes as well. We are not creating this new detached power of police to do what a court would normally do; we are simply using the police as agents at large in the places where these offences are likely to be contemplated, to immediately put an order in place which can then be ratified by the court using the same criteria under the current act. I hope that might deal with issue of judicial powers and police powers.
My colleague, the Police minister, has certainly dealt already with the matter of whether training will be provided to the police. It has been made very clear that these provisions will not commence until we are satisfied that sufficient training has been provided, and that the police are sufficiently across the operation of these new provisions to go out and apply them.
Regarding the conflict in police roles, I will read out some notes that deal with the matter of the role of police officers. The fundamental role of a police officer in maintaining law and order in our community sees them fulfilling a wide range of different duties and responsibilities. Law enforcement is not just about arresting offenders and conducting criminal investigations. The police, along with other key community organisations, such as Victims of Crime NT, play an important role in supporting victims of domestic violence. Police officers are used to addressing the variable the nature of their role in a flexible and professional manner.
The power of police officers to issue restraining orders under this bill is, in essence, no different from the power police officers already have under the Bail Act to grant or refuse bail. The role of police in assisting a defendant under the Bail Act to seek a review from a magistrate of a police bail decision is similar to the one proposed under this bill in relation to review by a court for a police-issued restraining order. There have been no suggestions that police powers under the Bail Act have compromised their ability to carry out their other duties in an appropriate and professional manner. It should be noted that Western Australia and Tasmania already have legislation that permits police officers to issue restraining orders and similar powers have been proposed as appropriate by the Law Reform Commission of New South Wales.
Police already have a broad range of powers to intervene in domestic violence incidents, to provide protection for victims, and to hold offenders accountable for their behaviour. The power to issue urgent interim restraining orders will serve as an additional tool that will complement these existing powers. The model adopted by the current bill reaches an appropriate compromise between providing the added flexibility for police to make their own orders and, at the same time, ensuring that the rights of defendants are safeguarded by processes of confirmation review of orders through the court.
It is a question of balance. It is a question of wanting to reach in as widely as possible to situations where women and kids constitute potential victims in further assaults and violence, versus the right of the potential offender, or the person suspected of being a potential offender, to a due process under the law, so the offender can certainly request a review by the court. They can put their case to a court within the earliest practicable time after the order took place. I believe that is a fair balance between our most pressing response to the potential victims and to maintain the safeguards for the people who are accused or suspected of being potential offenders.
There was an issue raised by the Leader of the Opposition that some of the bill was incorrectly drafted. We checked that out and it is simply not true. While the submission was well meant and it was not trying to misrepresent the situation on the face of the bill, it was an unfounded argument.
That probably deals with the main issues that have been brought forward by members. I again thank everyone for their contributions. We all know that there is a political dialogue in this House; we are all politicians, for God’s sake. I accept that every member of this House would share exactly the same sincere desire to do as much as we can about victimisation particularly of women and children in our community. I will accept all contributions in this debate in that spirit as I always do when introducing legislation.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: This legislation belongs to the House as a whole. It is brought forward by the government of the day. As members of parliament, we all have a right to bring forward our individual concerns on any aspects of legislation. I will conclude my remarks on that basis, Madam Speaker.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Debate suspended until after Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you of the presence in the gallery of visitors for October Business Month, and also other visitors from Darwin and Palmerston. In particular, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Nakara and Parap Primary Schools who have been involved in the Parliament of the Wizards today. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
In committee:
Clauses 1 and 2, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 3:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 2.1. Clause 3 states that the act amends the Domestic Violence Act. This committee stage amendment inserts the words ‘(except sections 13A and 14)’ into clause 3. Clause 13A amends the Firearms Act and clause 14 repeals the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2001.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 3, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 4 to 13, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
New clause 13A:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 2.2. New clause 13A provides for amendments to section 3(1) of the Firearms Act. This amendment omits the definition of ‘interim restraining order’ and ‘restraining order’ contained in section 3(1) of the Firearms Act and inserts new definitions consequential to the amendments made to the Domestic Violence Act by this bill. The new definition in the Firearms Act includes a reference to orders made under the new section 6A and orders confirmed under the new section 8C of the Domestic Violence Act.
Amendment agreed to.
New clause 13A agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE: (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Economic Development): Madam Speaker, today I update the House on the creation of the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development or DBERD with an ‘e’ as opposed to DBIRD with an ‘i’, and the central role it will play in the future economic developments of the Northern Territory.
The Martin government is driving economic development because we know what it means – jobs for Territorians. The creation of DBERD will enable a stronger, more cohesive focus on the driving forces of sustainable economic development in the Territory, and the development of new opportunities for Territory business. Before turning to the new agency, I would like to first reflect on the current state of the Northern Territory economy and its future outlook, to place in context the role that DBERD will play.
The Northern Territory economy is strengthening at a rate we have not seen for many years. The recent Sensis Business Index showed that Northern Territory small and medium enterprises are the most confident in Australia, and indeed have raised the bar for the rest of the country by recording the highest levels of performance in almost all economic indicators.
The latest Access Economics Five Year Business Outlook describes the Territory’s economic prospects as ‘excellent’, saying, after the Treasurer did today in Question Time, ‘the world will be beating a path to the Territory’s door for some time yet’. Access predicts the Territory will have the highest average annual Gross State Product for the five years to 2009-10 at 4.5%, outstripping the national average of 3.5%. Access also predicts the Territory will have the highest annual job growth rate over the same period at 2.3%, compared to the national forecast of 1.4%.
Importantly, the Territory’s population is also forecast to grow at an annual rate of 1.6%, the second-highest rate in the country.
The Territory’s construction industry is also moving ahead. Recent data shows that, in the first quarter of this year, construction work completed in the Territory increased by 30.4% over the previous quarter, influenced in part by the Bayu-Undan Stage 2 project and the ramping up of construction fro the Alcan G3 alumina refinery expansion.
You only need to look around Darwin and Alice Springs to see that our builders and subcontractors are flat out, reflecting ABS figures that show the Territory’s residential building approvals are still the strongest in the country at 6.7% for the 12 months to August 2005, bucking a 12.6% decrease nationally.
Tourist numbers are up, property values are up, and so is consumer spending. Casuarina Square, for example, has recorded an increase in sales on the same period the year before every month for the past 14 months, ranging from anywhere between 5% to 10%. Talking to the new General Manager of Casuarina Square the other day, they, for the first time, are looking at turnover exceeding $300m this year.
Put simply, the Territory is moving ahead and we must harness the economic opportunities before us. The Darwin to Adelaide railway and the East Arm Wharf projects laid the foundations, forming the new AustralAsia Trade Route that has opened up a new freight corridor between Asia and Australia through Darwin.
A 500 km undersea pipeline now links the $3bn production facility in the Bayu-Undan gas field and the $1.6bn Wickham Point LNG Plant, ensuring that gas is brought onshore in the Territory. News of the gas find in the Caldita field north west of Darwin is also promising news for the Territory. I wish Santos and ConocoPhillips best of luck in seeing that find developed.
Alcan’s $2bn expansion of its alumina refinery at Gove will result in a world-scale plant, creating 1700 jobs during the 2 year construction phase and 120 new permanent jobs in Gove. When complete, Alcan will increase its alumina exports by a further $430m each year.
Work has started on Darwin’s $1.2bn waterfront development, with 500 000 m3 of landfill being trucked in to create the sea wall and pad upon which the convention and exhibition centre will be built. The movement of trucks over the next 16 weeks may cause some annoyance, however, I urge everyone to be patient. The completed convention centre will bring tens of thousands of extra visitors to town and generate an additional $190m in tourism expenditure over the next 20 years.
The Territory’s long term and improving resource based industries also continue to provide job opportunities in regional and remote parts of the Territory. In April this year, the government welcomed the signing of a major contract between Bootu Creek Resources and FreightLink to transport 600 000 tonnes of manganese every year for five years along the railway from the Bootu Creek Mine, about 160 km north of Tennant Creek. My colleague, the member for Barkly, has been a great supporter of that project. This mining project is but one that is generating real jobs and economic benefit to Territorians in regional areas.
Defence spending is another of the Territory’s key economic drivers, injecting about $828m in recurrent spending into the economy in 2003-04. We will soon see the biggest arrival of Army personnel into the Northern Territory since the early 1990s, with the relocation of 1st Aviation to Roberston Barracks in support of the new Tiger helicopters, generating new service and maintenance opportunities, and the creation of the new Darwin suburb of Lyons. In addition to the Tigers, the Territory will also be home to the Abrams Tanks and Armidale Patrol Boats, further boosting opportunities for Territory business.
Add to that the development of the Bradshaw field training area, increasing Defence activities in the region, such as the recent Kakadu VII exercises, R&R visits from Australian and international forces, and Defence continues to deliver significant economic benefits to the Territory.
This broadening of the Territory’s economic base and development of new industries is also generating new opportunities in supporting sectors. At Wickham Point, the construction of the LNG plant has led to a proposal from BOC to build a $33m helium plant on the same site. The new $55m Vopak Darwin industry fuel terminal at the Darwin Business Park at East Arm has not only opened the way for the removal of the old tank farm at Stuart Park and redevelopment of 25 ha close to the CBD, but also the construction of the $77m biodiesel facility which will be the largest in Australia. These projects highlight the maturing of the Territory economy and the increasing confidence of the private sector to invest and reinvest in current projects and future developments.
The challenge ahead is to maximise on the Territory’s continuing economic strength and build an economy more resilient to the cycles of boom and bust than we have witnessed in the past. No business can survive and thrive without sound planning. Governments and business must continue to develop plans to harness and maximise on opportunities in order to drive economic developments and create jobs for all Territorians no matter where they live.
The future economic growth of the Territory is closely linked to investment confidence, a supportive business environment, and a skilled work force. We are already starting to see a focus on a different type of investment, one led by the private sector. We are also seeing the beginnings of a shift away from the traditional investments to investment in technology driven sectors with growth in exports. New technology, innovation, business and labour skills all contribute significantly to increased industry productivity.
I have already touched on a number of the Territory’s major projects and large infrastructure developments and how their flow-on effects impact on investor confidence in the start up of supporting projects. We are also witnessing examples of businesses putting their stake into the Territory because they can see what the future holds. Companies such as Worley Parsons, one of Australia’s leading engineering firms, has established an office in Darwin because they believe the Territory economy will continue to grow. They expect to employ at least 30 officers over the next 12 months focusing on mining, oil and gas and defence related works. ConocoPhillips, too, has its eyes to the future of the Territory and has announced its plans to relocate between 30 and 40 engineering, operational and support staff from Perth to Darwin next year to manage its Bayu-Undan offshore facilities and development, Bayu-Undan pipeline, and Darwin LNG plant. Congratulations to ConocoPhillips for making that decision.
The Territory’s strengthening economy and emerging projects and industries are also driving the creation of industry clusters and development projects to target business opportunities. The Martin government knows we have a key role to play in establishing a business environment in the Northern Territory that both supports and drives economic developments. We have delivered record tax cuts making the Territory the lowest taxing jurisdiction in Australia for small business. We have delivered record capital works budgets to drive the construction industry, supported investment in major projects, refocused and improved procurement policy to better meet the needs of business, and developed initiatives to further build our skilled work force. We know that the availability of skilled employees, that is why we are building our population and boosting the Territory skills basis, is a priority of this government. We will continue to work in partnership with business and industry to roll out strategies to attract and retain skilled employees.
We have already achieved good results through our first Jobs Plan. I am pleased that there are now more than 3200 apprentices and trainees in the Territory, up 47% since 2001. Significantly, there has been a 65% increase in the number of apprentices and trainees completing their training, up from 848 in 2001 to 1408 in 2004. We are also improving the number of indigenous Territorians taking up apprenticeships and trainees with 696 commencing in 2004, a 41% increase over the last four years. This is a good start, however, the Martin government knows there is more to do and we are investing significantly in the future work force of the Territory with our Jobs Plan 2 offering a range of initiatives to support the training of 10 000 apprentices and trainees over the next four years.
We are also supporting Territory business to grow their work force through skilled migration, investing more that $1m over the next two years to promote the Territory overseas as the place to live, work and invest. In 2004-05, the Business and Skilled Migration Unit of my department supported Territory businesses in sponsoring 220 skilled workers, up from 89 in 2003-04. That work continues and this month the Territory government will participate in migration exhibitions in India, England and Ireland, and will head to China in November.
Whilst the Territory economy is relatively small compared to other jurisdictions, it is changing and growing at a rapid pace. Just compare where we are now to where we were when we first came to government in 2001. We have witnessed significant growth over the past few years and seen strengthening of existing industries and sectors and the emergence of new business and new industries. Whilst we welcome this blend of existing and new business, and industry development, I would like to emphasise that this journey ahead will have its challenges. The vast distances between our population centres make access to efficient and effective transport, communications, power and water essential to the quality of life and increasing productivity capacity. We need to capitalise on our unique strengths, our can-do attitude, our proximity to Asia, our political stability, our infrastructure foundations, our lifestyle, and our wealth of natural resources.
The vision I have for the future is a strong, vibrant, growing and sustainable Northern Territory economy. The newly created Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development will play a central role in achieving that vision: a new agency with a new focus. The new department brings together the business and industry development functions of the former Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development; the knowledge and innovation activities of the Department of the Chief Minister; and the Regional and Indigenous Economic Development units of the former Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. This government is serious about driving economic development and creating jobs in the bush. That is why we have placed indigenous and regional economic development into the key economic agency.
Currently, about 30% of Territorians are indigenous. As an example of expected future growth of the Territory’s indigenous population, the town of Wadeye, the Territory’s sixth biggest town, is expected to double its population over the next 20 years to about 4000 people. Wadeye’s high population growth is indicative of the demographic changes facing many remote indigenous communities across the Territory, and it is clear from these statistics alone, that indigenous Territorians must be properly engaged in the Territory economy if the Territory is to continue to grow.
In May this year, the Chief Minister launched this government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy. This strategy sets out a clear vision to deliver improved quality of life through dramatic advances in the economic status of Territorians. It also describes the enormity of the challenges ahead to achieve better employment opportunities for indigenous Territorians. They are challenges the Territory government cannot meet alone. We must work in partnership with indigenous Territorians, business and industry, and the federal government. The first steps have already been taken. The Martin government and the Australian government recently signed the overarching agreement on indigenous affairs between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia, focused in part on building indigenous wealth, employment and entrepreneurial culture. Both this agreement and the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy provide frameworks for practical activities for governments and the private sector to partner with indigenous people in gaining an increasing independence from welfare through new flexible and cooperative ways of creating jobs and business.
The strategy has identified a range of industries where there are opportunities for indigenous economic development, including retail, the arts, construction, forestry and agribusiness, and knowledge and culture. The Indigenous Economic Development Unit within DBERD is the leading force in the Territory government’s drive to see indigenous Territorians fully engaged in, and benefiting from, the Territory’s economic growth.
As I stated before, looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead. The Land Development Corporation is now housed in DBERD in recognition of the importance of industrial and commercially orientated land in the economic development equation. The corporation will continue to work with investors and manage strategic land releases to provide a further catalyst for industry to capitalise on major projects and developments.
Bringing the NT Tourism Commission into DBERD reflects the significant contribution tourism makes to the Territory economy and regional development. It will also facilitate a more collaborative approach to tourism development across the public sector, and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission Act will be reviewed to reflect this arrangement.
As the lead economic development agency, DBERD will focus on:
Mike Burgess, as chief executive, will be overseeing the management of this new agency. Dennis Bree, as his deputy, will have specific responsibility for the Business Development, Regional and Indigenous Economic Development and Industry Investment Divisions. The focus of this key group will be to coordinate government’s efforts across the Territory to help business get started and grow; facilitate job creation in the regions and remote areas of the Territory; and drive investment. The group will also have a role in working closely with the Department of Employment, Education and Training and our partners in the push to build our skilled work force, including in the regions. The business and skilled migration team will continue its work to attract more skilled and professional migrants to the Territory, building our work force and growing our population.
Support for the development of our manufacturing, mining and petroleum supply and service industries will continue to be provided. The Defence Support Division will also continue to identify and facilitate industry development opportunities that expand Defence-related business and activities in the Northern Territory. This team will play a lead role in developing the Territory’s first Defence Support Industry Development Strategy, creating a road map to grow industry capabilities to meet Defence needs, attract new Defence business, and deliver real outcomes for Territory business into the future.
The Knowledge and Innovation Group has an important role in progressing the Tropical and Desert Knowledge Strategies of government, and providing impetus to identify new opportunities in supporting innovative business and innovators in the Territory.
The Industry and Economic Policy Group will take a lead role in coordinating the development and implementation of a strategy for economic development for the future, as well as providing strategic information and advice to government on industry and economic outlook and potential.
Maree Tetlow and the NT Tourist Commission will be able to take advantage of the additional resources of the department to support the tourism industry, operators, and the flow-on to other business sectors in a more comprehensive way.
This new agency will be focused and geared to work more efficiently and effectively with its partners to better enable government to respond to business and industry needs in this changing economic environment.
The procurement process will be improved, and a dedicated government industry procurement liaison person to be located in my department will ensure that procurement processes work better for local business.
We need to be able to better understand our economy, the impacts of future developments and help business maximise the opportunities for Territory industry development. The creation of DBERD as the lead economic agency will enable a more cohesive and stronger focus on the Territory’s future economic development. I am looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a disappointing statement. It is hallmark Labor; it describes structural and procedural change and calls it a triumph. Those are harsh words. However, they are well deserved. I will tell the House why. A ministerial statement is an opportunity for a minister to trumpet achievement. The creation of a new department is not an achievement; it is a means to deliver greater success.
In some respects, this statement may be an admission of failure. Does this latest restructure indicate that the previous structure failed to capitalise on the Territory’s strategic advantage? If that is not the underlying reason for this restructure, then why doesn’t the minister say anything about the achievements of the first term? Does the minister draw inspiration from a progressive vision for the Territory? It appears not, as this statement describes no plan or progressive vision, but remains anchored in a description of process and structure. We are told what this department will look like and even who is running it. The rest is puffery.
What will it do? On page 23 it is ‘maximising and promoting and facilitating and identifying’ things. The minister is offering this House a statement that, effectively, says the department is going to do stuff. Why does this statement not describe specific goals and objectives, and outline a clear and inspiring vision? The answer is simple. For a department to achieve goals, it takes a minister and a Chief Minister to drive that process. That is the role of the minister and the Cabinet. Ministers provide the vision and must drive these issues and drive them hard. Departments are, in many respects, like cars; they run well, however, will only idle unless the driver is in the driver’s seat, has their hands on the wheel and their foot firmly on the accelerator. The minister, in fact, describes a fine vehicle, and my comments are not a reflection on the quality of the vehicle, by any means. I stress, minister, that if you want to say I am slagging off at public servants, nothing could be further from the truth, and perhaps you are unable to hear what I am saying.
The need is to see where we are going. As has become the style of this government, timidity results in leaving the car in the garage rather than risking a few scratches taking it for a drive. This administration has plenty of courage to conduct reviews, however, when decisive action is required, timidity confuses consultation with achievement rather than consultation as a means to a decision. It is not just me who thinks this. Last Monday in the Financial Review, an article describes this type of leadership as besetting the entire nation and is holding this nation back. This Chief Minister runs the risk of being the longest serving caretaker Chief Minister the Northern Territory has ever had.
Even in the statement the sense of idling is projected. On page 5, the minister points out the recent successes of Santos and ConocoPhillips by managing to strike gas in the Caldita field north-west of Darwin. What does the minister offer them, and us, in his statement? He wishes them luck. This is government support. Surely you would be doing more than saying bon voyage to these people. Surely you should be saying how much you will be doing to help open up their markets in South-East Asia and beyond. No. This minister wishes them luck. Minister, get into the car and drive it. Take this vehicle somewhere. Show us where we are going and achieve what can be achieved. Drive it like Shane Stone did when he was behind the wheel. Drive it like Marshall Perron did, like Paul Everingham did, and make it happen.
I confess that my sense of disappointment is not assisted when the minister fails to mention Asia in his plans for the future. In the last 10 pages of this statement there is not one mention of Asia at all. This smells of a departmental tail wagging the ministerial dog. Once again, it is not just me, minister, making these observations. This article in the NT News on 17 August reveals the problem in its starkness. The headline reads: ‘The NT Needs a Higher Profile’. I quote the first sentence of the article:
What happened? Before 2001, we were out there, and in China and in Japan and in the Philippines. You could not get Mick Palmer out of the Philippines, and that was for a good cause.
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: The NT was known there …
Mr Henderson: For all the wrong reasons.
Dr Toyne: Infamous from one island to the next.
Mr MILLS: On 22 August, now do not speak too loudly, over there.
Mr Henderson: For all the wrong reasons.
Mr MILLS: Do not speak too loudly over there on that matter. On 22 August, the NT News editorial said that:
That is not a good quote, minister. It is a comment on this government’s introspective approach on how it does its business.
What this government did do in their last four years was to shut down NT representation in Thailand and in Jakarta by removing our consultancies there. Frankly, it surprises me that the minister read this statement to the House.
The best is yet to come for the Territory, minister, but hope is deferred while this government finds the courage to match its own rhetoric. I urge members to look carefully at this padded out document and judge it. The minister tells us about a new department and then spends 17 out of a 27 page document telling us all sorts of work other people are doing. These pages list the successes of corporations and organisations that have received minimal support from this government and their success is largely unrelated to the actions of this government. Most of it is about what other people are doing and the last few pages are about what the new department would look like. What is missing is what the minister is going to do. It is completely devoid of the minister’s vision and, like so many governments after a good election result, they coast. Not good enough because the opportunity to take advantage of the magnificent set of circumstances that the Territory is being offered is not being realised.
There is also another matter that needs attention and needs attention now. In these set of circumstances that the Territory has been offered, there is a policy direction that must kick in and the need is to manage in times of boom and growth just as much as we need to manage in times of economic downturn. Anyone who is in business knows that these are times when you need to be on task with greater rigour than when things are hard. A matter of deep concern to the Territory needs to be addressed. It is about a matter of critical importance to the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory. The issue arises out of the government’s inability to deal with the corner that they are painting themselves into and more importantly, the corner that they appear to be oblivious of. The business community is very aware of this. Once trapped in that corner, the government will have to allow for an enormous blow-out in energy costs in the Territory.
What this government has failed to do is to secure a supply of gas for the power stations that drive our electricity generating turbines in Darwin and Alice Springs. Before the last election, the government made much mileage from the gas plant that has been constructed at Wickham Point; a gas plant that this government had nothing to do with bringing onshore. This government had nothing to do with building the bridges into the marketplaces where the gas will be sold or with the construction of the gas plant that exists there now.
All of that was the work of the former government and Shane Stone, in fact, with Premier Court went into China and sold that …
Mr Henderson: Doing Western Australia’s bidding!
Mr MILLS: Shane Stone is a Territorian and the two went and sold that product into the world marketplace. This is to show by comparison the lack of action and leadership from this government. He sold the product and convinced the Chinese to use gas rather than coal for their energy needs. However, do not confuse that with the marketplace that he helped to establish in Japan which is where the Bayu-Undan gas is being sent. How did he manage that? He developed close ties with the Howard government which put a great deal of work into convincing the Japanese that Australian gas was the way to go. Again, they avoided using dirtier forms of fuel because they had the tenacity and drive to make them see the sense of our gas supplies. The market was established by visionary leadership. It will be little remembered that these simple actions and leadership did more for the global environment than any Labor premier ever has.
This Chief Minister was handed the whole gas operation on a plate. All they had to do was make certain the gas that the former government had negotiated to be supplied to the power houses in Darwin and Alice was secure. That is all that was left to do. At the time there were two suppliers because there were two prospects competing to get into the Territory: Shell through Sunrise and ConocoPhillips with Bayu-Undan. They were competing with each other to gain access to the Territory government as a customer and they were working in the area. That is all we needed: a small amount of gas coming onshore so that it could power the turbines in our power stations at Channel Island and Alice Springs. Hardly a huge task when all the rest was in place.
Nevertheless, this government has not been able to secure that deal and, currently, there will not be enough gas to power a cigarette lighter for the people of the Northern Territory. This Chief Minister was not able to convince ConocoPhillips to let Territorians have enough gas from the Bayu-Undan field to run our power stations. How on earth could this chance be let go by? It was a few moments from being signed, sealed and delivered. The pipe that would have been built was only a few kilometres long from Wickham Point to Channel Island. It is hardly a marathon distance. Yet after this government touched it, every single molecule of LNG that is produced from a field just north of Darwin is off to other parts of the world, not least of which is China and Japan. At least that part of a CLP vision is still intact.
ConocoPhillips would be delighted. They can land the gas into Japan at $US6 per gigajoule at the current market rates. That is not a bad return at all. In fact it is an excellent return. Surely this should not be a problem. There is gas available in the Territory that drives those turbines, isn’t there? The answer is yes, but more accurately, not for long.
That is right. The gas that runs our lights in this House is running out. The gas that runs the televisions in Anula, the refrigerators in Jingili and the dishwashers in Fannie Bay is running out. What is worse, the gas that is left may run out as early as 2007; contracts expire definitely in 2009. That is not far away, and it is for that reason that the government has embarrassed itself by failing to secure gas from Wickham Point. The stunning thing about gas from Wickham Point is that it would have dropped the generation costs of electricity by more than half under the terms of the deal that was previously struck.
Electricity would have been cheaper for domestic use as well as for business use. Imagine that. In these times of increasing fuel costs we could have made the Territory business among the most cost effective in the country. A manufacturing sector that would have been a cheaper proposition in the Territory than in other parts of the country and families would have gone to the cinema on a weekly basis with the money they were saving on their power bills.
The government is procrastinating on this issue and there is a very definite time line. It is in the marketplace looking for a new source of gas. However, it will never be as cheap as gas from Wickham Point as the infrastructure that has to be built will make it hugely expensive. The other problem is that the Bayu-Undan field is the only source of gas that is now available. Even if the pipeline from Blacktip to Nhulunbuy was to be built, it will not be built in time to supply Channel Island. Worse even, if it were built on time the infrastructure would be much more expensive than a simple pipeline from Wickham Point.
There is another problem. Darwin is a small time user of gas. It is not like we are Kobe or Tokyo with populations of millions upon millions of individuals; we are a little over 100 000 souls in the Top End. Moving gas over vast distances to supply a small market means that the price of each joule will be massively inflated by the time the consumer uses it in the form of electricity. The costs of generating in such circumstances will be profound.
We have a coastline that is awash with gas. There are numerous fields out there, however, none are going to supply gas to Darwin. In the case of a field like Bayu-Undan the gas is all going offshore and in the case of a field like Sunrise the wellheads have already been capped. The Northern Territory is now in the marketplace, and what are they offering per gigajoule? The market rate is $US6 per gigajoule; the offer I understand is $AU3, far less than half the going international market rate. By the way, I wonder if members are aware that the international price of gas has doubled only in the last month?
The sad thing is that under previous arrangements organised by the former Chief Minister, Denis Burke, the Wickham Point gas was nearly secured. The former government was prepared to become an equity partner in a pipeline if it was needed, and due to the strengths of the former government’s position we were in a position to get a good result. The former government had two potential suppliers vying to supply gas and they were bargaining in the area of $2.35 or thereabouts per gigajoule, which was a competitive price at the time. Also, we had something to offer both of these companies – Wickham Point and Glyde Point. We also wanted to lock in long-term deals at competitive rates by offering to the foundation customers at these rates.
What are the government’s options now? We could go cap in hand to ConocoPhillips and plead with them for a deal. That would mean paying whatever ConocoPhillips decided to charge and, believe you me, that will be a whole lot more than government has budgeted for.
Perhaps the Chief Minister will turn to the other forms of fuel that are available out there such as diesel or coal. I can see the smoke stacks and cooling towers right now. Raw fossil fuel so unrefined that, if you burn them, you need to bring in so many filtration systems to bear that you create a new filter industry overnight. I want to win government. However, I do not want to do it standing next to smoke stacks.
Be assured the advice from the Chief Minister that the PNG supply which is being extended to the Gove Peninsula will surely be extended to Darwin. How much will that cost, and how ridiculous will it look to see a gas plant a couple of kilometres from a power station that sources its fuel from New Guinea? It is a very difficult situation, and we require this level of leadership from government to lead us to solutions to what are very serious issues that are largely unaddressed in a statement that should dwell on such matters which should be constantly brought before this Chamber.
There is another option for ConocoPhillips. That is to simply generate the power themselves and then sell that power back into the marketplace. I wonder how many people work for Power and Water now? I wonder how many people would work for them if they were not generating power? Somewhat less of them, I would think, and some Territorians will be left working for - well, water. This would also not fix the government’s problem for Alice Springs as it would not be profitable for ConocoPhillips, if they were to generate our power in the worst case scenario, to deliver power to Alice Springs. Government would still have to provide power, then we are back to coal and diesel again. If any members know where the power station is in Alice Springs, they will know what a problem these options would present.
The government has to come up with solutions and they have to do it now. In reply, I ask the minister to address some of these issues. I am sure he will spend a good portion of his time criticising what I have said, however, that is hardly the point. The point is that these are core issues that need to be addressed, and they are the sorts of matters I would have expected to be addressed in a statement of this kind.
Finally, I would like to address the issues of indigenous economic development. The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, the ALRA, covers the systems of ownership enjoyed by Aboriginal people. The systems that guide the ALRA were based on the economic rationale of the 1970s; namely a highly regulated centralised economic model. This model was reflected around the world in the economic thinking of the time. If you add, then, a belief that these people are not sophisticated enough to look after their own land, then the justification for regulation and centralisation is further enhanced. It is for these two reasons that so much authority was vested in the land councils and so little in the people who actually owned the land.
Worst still is that the land trust system still precludes any real opportunity for individual development. Land trusts operate in a fashion that makes them impossible to divide, therefore, the only option is leasing. The federal government has taken a tiny step in that direction.
The major problem is that, when the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act was finally turned into legislation, its shelf life was limited. The economic modelling which the act reflects was rejected by the OECD in the late 1970s, and the result was a global economic philosophy which was quite the opposite of how the ALRA actually works. In short, the world was increasing its belief in individual property rights, while the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act remained locked firmly in the old model. There are countries still that use the highly centralised systems of economic management, notably Cuba and North Korea. Neither of these places could be accused of being economic power houses.
The philosophy of protection that is reflected in the ALRA has seen the creation of walls around Aboriginal people to protect them. Those walls have now turned into prisons. Investment money tries to find its way into Aboriginal land from time to time but, because the walls are so strong, it simply does not become viable for the money to stay there. The Northern Land Council seems to have gone some way to figuring this out and has become slightly more investment friendly, however, the Central Land Council remains implacable in its rigidity in resisting investment.
The financial isolation that this represents is the reason for the lack of jobs and the rampant poverty that is the majority of the land trusts in the Northern Territory. Minister, your new department is going to struggle in the same way that others have struggled unless there is a change in the commercial thinking practices of land councils. It can be done. The Tiwis and the Sylvatech project is a landmark. Newmont and the CLC have done some good things, however, much more has to happen and access has to be easier or money will walk somewhere else. This statement is long on puffery but short on description of outcomes for Territorians and identification of core problems that need addressing if we are going to progress economic development in the Northern Territory.
The darkest cloud on our horizon is the supply of energy to allow the potential of the Territory to be realised. I do not for a moment diminish the strong economic growth that Territorians are experiencing at the moment. Sound economic management requires issues such as inflation and the increased cost of living, the cost of fuel and its impact on families, businesses and industry to be addressed by sound policy. Those matters need to be addressed now. Times of growth are times of very serious action. They used to say that when the sun is shining it is time to make hay, that is, it is time to prepare for the downturn. It is time to put the planks in place to address those issues. We need to recognise that we have limited resources, and also that the resources boom is propelling the Territory in a direction just as the property market is moving the Territory in a particular direction.
Recognise too, that, in a number of states the housing market has dropped. That could also happen in the Northern Territory. There will be ups and there will be downs. When the market was strong in Sydney and Melbourne, it was not responding in the Territory. It now has in the Territory, it is no longer in Sydney and Melbourne. We need to be prepared for that. I would like to hear the minister reflect on those things rather than the buoyant reflections of what is being reported now.
We are enjoying good times now, however, visionary leadership recognises where we could be if we do not keep our hand on the wheel. The resources boom is strongly affecting the economies of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and, to some degree, South Australia, however, that is being fuelled, as we know, by India and China. That may not always be the case. Those issues need to be brought into consideration and reflected in a statement such as this. There is very little reference to those issues which need to be discussed.
The Territory comes off a low economic base, and we have a small population, which can have massive turnarounds. The government spent four years batting against accusations that the employment rate was going down and now it is going up from a low base. Any growth, even small growth, reflects very strongly in the Territory statistically. However, we need to recognise that we have a small economic base. If we have negative impact, let us say China changes direction or India changes its economic prospects, that will have a direct effect on the Northern Territory. Out of the two states and the Territory which are enjoying strong growth at the moment delivered by the resources boom, it is the Territory alone which will suffer the greatest because we have such a fragile economic base.
It is those matters which need to be addressed so that we have some confidence as to what lies ahead. Show us what cannot be seen at this moment and prepare the way for us. What we have described here is mechanical and structural change, which is fine. However, for those other issues, the energy issues, the real drivers of our economy which are largely out of our control, we need to be able to surf these waves to the maximum benefit and those sorts of things need to be addressed in statements like this. I am sure the minister will use his full allocation of time to address some of those issues. I hope he does for the sake of the Territory and the families that are looking ahead who also believe that the best is still to come for the Territory, which I sincerely believe.
We need those core issues properly addressed and reflected in statements that are made by ministers in this place so that we can move the whole agenda forward, so that we can all benefit from it, so that we can leave this place a better place than it currently is.
We are enjoying good times and good on you for whatever reflection that is on this Territory government. However, if you are honest, it is not huge. You are doing what governments do: they put policies in place and that sort of stuff and they set some sort of direction. The tone of this statement is the same sort of tone that has been reflected in much that this government does - it looks good, it sounds good, it appears good – however, there is an underlying timidity and a lack of courage to take us forward and to address the difficult issues before we reach them.
With those words, I wish those people who work in the department, who are working in this new agency all the very best. I am sure the good times will continue. I urge the minister to address the issues that need to be addressed, today, so that we do not have problems to encounter tomorrow.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Minister for Business and Economic Development has provided the House a clear statement on the government’s thinking behind the creation of the new arrangements for his agency and our plans over the next four years including our intention to continue the close monitoring of the economy to continue to plan the very important role that government plays in an economy of this size.
I have two roles to play in this overall plan: as Treasurer, I am responsible for spearheading the budgetary plans of the government and, as Employment, Education and Training minister I have responsibility for the development of a skilled Territory.
Over the next four years we anticipate continued economic growth. We anticipate a continued improvement in housing and the labour markets as well as growth in consumer spending and in construction, particularly residential.
The current population growth rate is above the national average at 1.1%, and we are hopeful of maintaining a strong growth rate through this time. As always, there are clouds on every horizon, challenges we must prepare for. The current cloud is the slowing down of the revenue received from GST. There are clear signs that the slowing national economy will mean a reduced growth pattern for GST. We must ensure that government’s expenditure matches this pattern to ensure we do not get out of alignment and create large deficits. For larger economies, such as New South Wales, fluctuations in GST receipts have a lesser impact. For the Territory, the GST accounts for well over 7% of our income. These fluctuations can make for huge differences between anticipated and actual Commonwealth receipts.
One of the failures of the last CLP administration was they did not adjust their expenditure and they lost their flexibility to handle an economic slump. Because they allowed the government to run up hundreds of millions in deficit budgets, they could not provide any funds to boost the capital works program when private sector investment dried up. It could not invest in tourism expenditure or any other of the drivers in the economy identified by the minister in his statement. In effect, at the time that the economy needed the government the most, they were unable to respond to the call and the single investment in the railway, as good as that was, was simply not enough to keep the rest of the economy out of diving into a hole. That is the situation that this government has learnt from, and I can assure members of this House that while I am Treasurer, we will not be digging ourselves into a similar hole.
Since coming to office, we have made clear economic management decisions which have held us in good stead in the first four years of this government. They have been a clear and tight fiscal strategy; a strong investment in infrastructure; record capital works budgets, four in a row; and investment in key social and economic development programs. Our fiscal strategy has been to bring the cash outcome down to balance by the end of the first term, and now to hold to small deficits while investing in the large infrastructure project, the waterfront. We expect to be back into a cash balance by 2009.
That requires discipline and that will mean each minister being required to carefully scrutinise all requests for funding with an eye to whether it can be done within existing resources, by substitution of another program, or whether it need be done at all. An obvious product of the discipline has been the waterfront itself. We were capable of investing the necessary money in this project because we have such fiscal discipline around other expenditure it gave us that much needed flexibility.
We set into place record capital works budgets, now $2.2bn in cash alone over four years. We have spent that capital works and infrastructure money on economic boosters as well as developing our social capital. We have invested in the port, road infrastructure, the joint user terminal and the waterfront. All of these are designed to leverage more development out of the private sector.
We have also invested in key social development, economic development areas, under funded in previous years. We had to place $75m into police over three years to increase the numbers of police and reduce the burden on both business and the community of increasing property crime. The effect of those increased police numbers has been to slash property crime by 50%. We invested $27.5m into tourism marketing over three years to help turn the tide on that industry, with everyone agreeing that last year and this year have been better years.
We continue to invest in health, employment, education and training, which brings me to my second responsibility, that of providing a skilled work force for the Territory. Growing the skills of Territorians remains a key priority of the Martin government. We believe it is critical for the future economic and social development of the community. We are doing it by growing the apprentice and training numbers across the Territory, providing training opportunities to upskill existing workers and building the skills of those not in the work force. We have introduced a range of incentives – Jobs Plan One and Two, Get VET marketing campaign, employer incentives, work gear, Work Ready NT Program and Build Skills NT Program. As a result of those initiatives we are seeing growth in apprentice and training commencement numbers and importantly we are keeping more of them in training to completion. We have a strong commitment to commence 10 000 apprentices into training over the next four years at 2500 per year and we are exceeding that target as I speak. We will meet this target and we will do more to ensure that the Territory has a strong economic future with the skilled work force.
I thank the minister and I support his statement today.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I listened to the minister’s statement with great interest today. It is the job of government to drive economic development, and the minister has outlined in his statement the role of the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development, and what role it will play in the future economic development of the Northern Territory.
You have presented the Northern Territory in glowing terms, so much so that all would have to believe that the Territory is absolutely abuzz with development and progress: never been better; everyone is happy; business is booming; opportunities abound. There is sustainable economic development in the Northern Territory. The new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development will enable and I quote:
I ask the Minister for Business and Economic Development if he is going to base the CEO of his new department, Mr Mike Burgess, in a regional town in the Northern Territory - either Alice Springs or Katherine would be fine? Or maybe Denis Bree as his deputy, whom I believe is going to have specific responsibility for the business, regional and indigenous economic development as part of his responsibilities.
I remind the minister that the wonderful picture that he has painted of the economy in the Territory applies to what is happening - what he sees - above the Berrimah Line, and does not seem to be reflected in regional Northern Territory. Many regional communities in the Northern Territory have great difficulty in retaining population and the numbers are declining in many regions. I will use the example of my electorate of Katherine which had a population of around 11 000 in 1998 and is now down to 8500. Interestingly enough, not once in 28 pages of the minister’s statement today was Katherine mentioned, nor Borroloola for that matter. That clearly identifies that the minister had nothing positive to report about the third largest town in the Northern Territory. Once again, a regional town – Katherine – is ignored, as so many good people keep lamenting.
The minister talked about harnessing and maximising opportunities to drive economic development and creating jobs for all Territorians no matter where you live. Well, minister, how will your new department address the serious economic needs in regional towns and communities that are below the Berrimah Line? At present, it seems to me that to be recognised and supported by this government you have to live and have businesses in Darwin. There are a great number of Territorians who love living in regional and rural Northern Territory who need this new department’s support.
You have said in your statement that looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead, and that you have placed indigenous and regional economic development into the new key economic agency. Does this include all regional areas? I am also concerned about the economic future of regional Northern Territory, and my concerns are genuine. They come from experience, and I am going to use my own electorate of Katherine to support and demonstrate my sincere concerns.
One business in the main street of Katherine closed at the end of September, with another business, the only dedicated shoe shop in Katherine, closing at the end of October. The only large accountant practice in Katherine relocated to Darwin earlier this year leaving one staff member to mind the office, and that means that local people now have to come to Darwin to get that advice. Representatives from that accountancy firm met with me prior to that relocation to advise me it was not viable for them to remain in Katherine any longer. This business had been there for over 20 years. Minister, how bad is that?
When a business closes, the flow-on effect to the community can, in some cases, be significantly negative. For example, a family with two children may choose to relocate from the town. That affects property, education, health, retail, sport, recreation and social activities. The whole community is affected socially and economically. There are significant economic issues to be dealt with in regional communities throughout the Northern Territory.
I asked earlier whether you would consider basing heads of your departments in regional areas. This has been another bone of contention for some time. It seems that most government departments are centralised in Darwin and away from where the real issues are. Government employees based in regional locations make a huge difference to the economy of that area. I would like to know if the minister has considered relocating heads of departments into regional areas.
I will be watching with interest how this new super department takes on the responsibility of regional tourism development amongst its other responsibilities. Tourism is a serious economic contributor to all of the Northern Territory but, especially, to regional Northern Territory. I will be keenly watching how this new super department handles regional development in the Northern Territory. I am quite concerned that this department may be another bureaucratic collection of agencies. I will be very pleased to hear how this department will be working cooperatively and cohesively with regional and remote communities to improve the economic outcomes for everyone.
Remember, minister, you said in your statement and I quote: ‘Looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead’. I hope you fully appreciate the impact of that statement, and that your new department reminds themselves every day of that statement. I wish the agency staff well in their endeavours to drive the Northern Territory economy forward, especially in regional and remote Northern Territory.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I support the statement made by the Minister for Business and Economic Development. The town is abuzz. Talking to many business owners in the area of Port Darwin, I am only hearing good news stories regarding the economic situation in Darwin. This information is direct from the business people, especially from the real estate-related fields. An excellent indicator, as we all know, is the real estate industry. Real estate is currently the number one barbecue topic in Australia, and so it should be in the Northern Territory.
According to the RELM analysis, compiled and produced by the REINT, the median house price overall in Darwin has increased by 1.7% in the last quarter and 9.7% over the year. The staggering figures show that $138m of real estate has changed hands in the last quarter. Palmerston recorded that 204 homes changed hands in this last quarter. This is an all time high. The Acting Chief Minister was quoted in a media release on 17 August saying:
At this point in time, conveyancers cannot keep up with the amount of property settlements. Real estate agents cannot get enough houses or units to sell. I will go further to say that real estate changing hands creates a distribution of wealth all the way down the line. Some of the parties that are indirectly but positively affected in a buoyant real estate market include conveyancers, solicitors, local newspapers, engineers, plumbers, electricians, pest controllers, gardeners, cleaners, handymen and women, and administrative employees. Most, and usually all of the above professionals are involved in a single property transfer transaction in the Territory. Basically, a strong real estate market is good for everyone.
With the announcement by Outrigger Group launching the Pandanus Apartments, and so many other major projects commencing soon, such as Synergy Square, Evolution, Hastings on Mindil, Goyder 1869, Elements, The Chambers, Aspect and the Imperial, not to mention, also announced recently, the National Property Group, Kinsmen Ltd, has re-entered the Territory marketplace. The company is based in Adelaide and has committed to two new developments in the Northern Territory. These will represent an investment of $27m. One project will be to the tune of $7.5m – it will be a purpose-built facility for AMP subsidiary, Australian Fuel Distributors – and also a $19.5m residential land project.
The NT Business Review quoted Mr Craig Watson, Managing Director of Kinsmen Ltd, with the following comments:
referring to Darwin, and:
Mr Watson also said:
If ever there was an indication of our confidence in the economy, it is emulated in the Kinsmen Group adding the Northern Territory to their already considerable $300m property development portfolio.
Local, interstate and international investors have seen the competent, focused and innovative ways that the Martin Labor government has worked and continue to work with business and industry to keep the economy stimulated. The electorate of Port Darwin is not only considered the business hub, but fast earning the reputation of being the residential hub and, in the near future, will be the tourism hub and the gateway to the Territory.
As we all know, tourism is big business in the Northern Territory. On Monday, 22 August, I was present when the Chief Minister launched the Destination Darwin tourism campaign. As a part of the second ever Destination Darwin campaign, 230 000 pocket-sized booklets have been produced and will be widely distributed nationally and locally, in magazines, publications and even in our own Parliament House. They are colourful and humorous and will appeal to a wide audience. The booklets are filled with insider tips and contain stories from some of our fantastic local identities, such as Jimmy Shu the owner of one of my favourite restaurants, the Hanuman. The new campaign will inject $1.4m into this national campaign and along with the announcement in August that $650 000 for a six-month long marketing campaign ‘NT For Sale’ which is specifically targeting off-peak travel to the Territory.
Speaking about our great restaurants and tourism, this brings me somewhat off the track to something that happened the other day in Cavenagh Street. I came across a couple, obviously tourists, who looked a little lost. I asked if I could help them. They were from Rome, Italy and were looking for a restaurant that served traditionally Territorian cuisine. Well this stumped me. I explained to them that one of the best features of Territory dining was that almost every country of the world was represented in Darwin as local cuisine. They found this very curious as each area of Italy has a distinct regional flavour. I suggested that they may enjoy some alfresco dining with a short walk and I felt happy recommending the Twilight Caf in Lindsay Street. I am sure that they were well looked after and enjoyed the experience.
Our city is bustling with tourists and also, during August, 4000 members of the American Navy. As the Minister for Defence Support stated in parliament during the last parliamentary sittings, it was expected that the 4000 American sailors would inject over $2m into the economy during the week-long visit. Whilst our economy is racing ahead, one area that is of particular concern to business owners large and small, is the shortage of skilled workers. The Chief Minister has set a target of 10 000 Territorians to take up traineeships and apprenticeships in various areas over the next four years. This is a start to relieving the pressure placed on business in the Territory. The Skilled Migration Program and the interstate call, ‘Come To The Territory’, are all positive and effective ways to support the business community of the Northern Territory.
Northern Territory businesses are being listened to by their government. I would like to quote from a press release by the Treasurer on 13 October 2005 Jobless Rate Continues to Drop.
The Treasurer also said:
The formation of the Department of Business and Economic Development is proof that the Martin Labor government has a strong commitment to maintain and nurture further economic development within the Northern Territory.
Recently, there have been several events staged to recognise our strong business leaders and managers in the Northern Territory, such as the Australian Institute of Management 2005 Management Excellence Awards, which were held on Saturday night. I was fortunate to attend and watch five outstanding Territorians take out the top accolades. The winners and categories include Owner/Manager of the Year which went to Julie Shugg of AKS Welding & Fabrication; Professional Manager of the Year, Public Sector – Ross Bradford, Chief of Staff, HQ 1st Brigade, Department of Defence; Private Sector - Mr Shane Dawson, CEO, Top End Division of General Practice; and Young Manager of the Year – Russell Cahill. This year’s recipient of the National Australia Bank Medal for Management Innovation is Mr Alan Langworthy, Managing Director of Powercorp.
On 4 October, I was proud to attend the 2005 Telstra Business Women’s Awards. The calibre of the short list of candidates was astounding. The categories and winners were: Business Owner Award, supported by Westpac, went to Jo Reiter, owner and creative director of Boyanton Advertising; Australian Government Private and Corporate Sector Award winner was Dr Sandy Griffin, Principal Environmental Scientist with HLA-Envirosciences Pty Ltd; the Hudson Community and Government Award winner was Phyllis Nicoll, Director of Lifeline in Central Australia; Panasonic Young Business Women’s Award Winner - this is a category specifically for women aged 30 years and under – was Teresa Anderson, owner and operator of Kabuki Haircutters. I am also proud to say that Teresa is one of my constituents in Port Darwin.
I would like to mention that the 2004 Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Michelle Hanton, was present at the awards and presented a moving speech on what the award has meant to her and her important cause, breast cancer awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the business of breast cancer is a serious one. Through a business ideology, Michelle and the other members and volunteers of Dragons Abreast have and will continue to make a huge difference in the future.
Let us not forget that October Business Month is here again. This year’s theme is Taking Care of Business. October Business Month is becoming bigger and better each year. Over 90 events will be held over the Territory during this month, and it makes me wonder if we will have to rename this program the October/November Business Months if it continues to grow. These seminars, presentations and workshops are spread around six Territory centres including Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy and Groote Eylandt.
These events are being presented by local, national and international speakers. Events like this prove what the Minister for Business and Economic Development has recently stated in that the Territory government is all about backing Territory business to grow. As an advocate for small business in the Northern Territory, I am excited by a current period of economic growth and development. We have the highest economic growth rate in Australia at 7.2%, and the lowest taxes for small businesses in Australia.
The Martin Labor government is committed to sustained growth and will continue to plan for the economic future of the Territory. I support the minister in his statement.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I support the statement of my colleague, the Minister for Business and Economic Development. I will provide additional information about the role of my new Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and how our two departments can and will work closely together. After all, they complement each other: the Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development focuses on emerging service industries as well as strategic development opportunities, while my department has been created to provide similar leadership in the established resource industries.
Until recently, the two departments were joined. I and my colleague, the member for Wanguri, will work very closely, and I have to pay tribute to the CEO and the staff of the department for the fantastic results they deliver for Territorians.
In effect, DBIRD became the platform from which the government had been able to refine its vision for business and industry in the future years. Over the past four years the government has recognised that whilst there are efficiencies in combining existing business and industry agencies under one banner, there are a number of emerging service industries which would also benefit from this coordinated approach.
As a result, the new DBERD has been created to combine business services with a range of functions from the Department of the Chief Minister, Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs, and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. DBERD will give a higher profile to both regional development and indigenous economic development. It will also target key strategic issues that impact on the Territory’s economic performance, boosting innovation and stimulating job creation.
The Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines has a similar focus on boosting the economic performance in the Territory’s resource industry. It is important to recognise that this industry is not static; it also has significant potential for continued growth which supports the economic and job creation targets of DBERD.
That is why I said we are working closely together. We have a common purpose, a common focus. One focus is on emerging industries. My department is focusing on existing industries and we try to put policies in place that will promote the existing industries, on how to involve the emerging industries, and how to make sure these industries continue to contribute to the development and wealth of Territorians, in particular, those who live outside urban centres, and indigenous Territorians.
A considerable amount of progress has already been made improving indigenous economic development by the two departments, particularly in the pastoral and fishing industries. This underpins the need for a strong relationship between the two new departments. For example, the Primary Industry and Fisheries group provides specialist advice on potential areas for development including needs such as infrastructure, potential markets and appropriate models. DBERD then provides specialist advice on matters such as business planning, financial management and governance.
DPIFM will continue to identify these opportunities to work in partnership with indigenous Territorians and DBERD to boost indigenous economic development. Amongst other programs, we will continue to work with indigenous owners of pastoral properties to return these areas to sustainable production. We will continue to support indigenous marine ranger groups which are playing an increasingly important role around the Northern Territory’s coastline, and will continue to work with regional communities to identify appropriate models for aquaculture and other industry opportunities.
We have a strong commitment to increasing indigenous employment, including within the department. Mr Carroll, the CEO of DPIFM, has advised me he will be targeting increased indigenous employment in our department as part of the department’s commitment to key stakeholder groups. A similar service arrangement has been put in place for services from the Economic Division, which will also remain with DBERD. This was another example where it was more effective strategically to keep the resource in one agency rather than split it between two, in order to get the best possible result from the available expertise.
DPIFM also has offices in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Tennant Creek, which deliver a variety of services to regional areas. It is not north of the Berrimah Line; we prefer to be where our clients are. Our clients are in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine, so that is where we are.
The department is now working to develop a corporate approach which will ensure services continue to be provided to Territorians in regional areas in an effective and seamless manner. In order to establish the environment in which DPIFM will operate, it is appropriate to outline the impact of their client industries on the Northern Territory economy.
The minerals and energy industries comprise the Territory’s largest industry sector. They make up 20% of the Territory’s GSP, the gross state product, compared with Australia’s rate of 4.5%. In 2003-04, the value of production for minerals and energy projects was $2.3bn. Of this amount, it is estimated that $1.7bn was valued added to the Territory economy. Approximately 3500 mine workers and 1000 oil and gas workers were employed in the Territory in 2003-04. DPIFM will continue to play a critical role in supporting the expansion of the mineral and energy industries. The ‘Building the Territory’s Resource Base’ program is targeted at increasing exploration in the Territory through a combination of awareness campaigns that provide high quality geological data through the Northern Territory Geological Survey.
I noted that the member for Blain criticised my colleague that we are not reacting quickly and we let the department run the show. The truth is that the ministers have taken a leading role. My colleague and I have discussed with the department which direction to go. We have been travelling a lot. I do not think anybody wants to stay away from their family for days living out of a suitcase if we really did not believe in what we are doing. We are doing it to promote the Territory as a destination.
I said before that I travel extensively and I intend to continue to do so. Now we will see the results, not only because we attract exploration to the Territory. For the first time, national magazines have started to have whole sections dedicated to the Territory. The Gold & Minerals Gazette, in March 2005, had eight pages exclusively on the Territory, highlighting projects, emerging projects and opportunities. That was followed in May 2005 when Australia’s Paydirt magazine had a section on the Territory and the opportunities that the Territory provides for mining. Mining Monthly had nine pages on Territory mining opportunities, highlighting this government’s commitment to improve and increase mining, the different projects that are taking place, and the opportunities the Territory offers.
What do we offer these people? I will tell you what we offer: not just good luck as the member for Blain said. We offer them expertise, staff, and evidence and information that they would not get elsewhere in Australia. The geophysical data that they get in the Territory they do not get anywhere else in Australia. In some cases, they do not get it in other advanced countries in the world. All of it is free. This is what we use to attract them.
In the Australia’s Paydirt magazine for September 2005 there is again an article about the Territory and its opportunities. A respected newspaper, The Financial Review, has a special report, a whole section, on the Northern Territory. Did this happen by luck? No. We put it there. We make sure that these people know what we are doing. They know what we want to do; what the Territory has to offer, and we are out there actively promoting the Territory. We want people to come to the Territory to see what we have to offer them. Of course, if they ‘never, never go they will never, never know’, so they are coming. That is why we are seeing an increase in the number of mineral exploration applications in the Territory.
It is not only minerals. We have a series of projects: the Alcan Gove $2bn project; Bootu Creek, 600 000 tonnes of manganese a year, on the train, in our port, and off it goes to China; Tom’s Gully, about which I answered a question this afternoon; Maud Creek in Katherine; Cosmo Howley and Zapopan in Pine Creek; and Merlin, the Western Australian company, is reworking the tailings that the previous company left behind and up until now they have discovered 2000 carats of diamonds, high quality diamonds and 10% of them the very expensive, yellow diamonds. I have been advised that the exploration in Frances Creek has given results with extremely high grade, 62%, 63%, 68% iron ore. At McArthur River Mine, the open pit, they are working through the EIS and are proceeding because they are sitting on 150 million tonnes of zinc - one of the biggest ore bodies in the world. Then there is the Browns copper, cobalt, and nickel oxide project. Tiwi Island Mineral Sands is a significant project; recently, the company updated their estimated forecast - they are sitting on a significant volume of mineral sands. If we go to Central Australia, there is potential for phosphates and other minerals.
As for the gas, there is Bayu-Undan and there are other significant gas fields like Caldita, Blacktip, Petrel and Tern and, of course, Abadi sitting just over our border. During my recent visit to Indonesia, I was advised by the Indonesian minister that IMPEX would like to build a gas-fired powered station in Bali but because of the location of the Abadi gas field they are looking at bringing it to Darwin and re-exporting it as liquefied natural gas to Bali, and that is an exciting development. Darwin is now seen as a supply base for the gas and oil fields in the Arafura and Timor Seas.
The Territory’s agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries generated produce worth $487m in 2003-04. Of this amount, an estimated $276m was value-added to the Territory economy. This industry has contributed 3.3% to the Territory’s gross state product, slightly lower than the Australian rate of 3.4%. Although the products are a lower value in dollar terms, these industries employed nearly 2500 Territorians in 2003-04.
These statistics demonstrate why DPFIM has such an important role to play in supporting the Territory’s economic development, not only supporting the industry but supporting indigenous Territorians. We have had tremendous success in bringing pastoral land into production: the leasing of indigenous land for pastoral development on indigenous land, capable of carrying in excess of 25 000 head of cattle; the development of three separate indigenous pastoral enterprises; workshops in Alice Springs specifically for indigenous people interested in pastoralism; and encouraging indigenous trainees into the pastoral industry.
We also employ indigenous people to monitor tuberculosis in Oenpelli and Maningrida. We have issued contracts worth $88 000 to three indigenous ranger groups to shoot, post mortem and collect samples from feral buffaloes in the area. The Gulin Gulin Buffalo Company is an indigenous company that has licences with the NLC and traditional owners to muster buffalo in the Bulman area under a regulatory system. In 2004, the Gulin Gulin Buffalo Company mustered 4000 head of buffalo and sold 2000, mostly for live export to Brunei and Malaysia. The company employs eight or 12 staff during the catching season and I am very proud to announce that the new Buffalo protocol has now been agreed with Indonesia. That will open a new market for Territory buffalo and the forecast for the industry is that about 5000 head per year will be exported to Indonesia.
Centafarm offers indigenous horticultural opportunities. There are table grapes at Ti Tree and Ali Curung and people employed there developing their own grape farms. There are two indigenous abattoirs operating currently, Oenpelli and Palumpa, and they slaughter local cattle for sale of meat to Aboriginal communities. My vision, after visiting Oenpelli, is that the Oenpelli abattoir will not be an abattoir that sells meat only to indigenous communities but will be a commercial abattoir that will be able to produce meat products which can be sold throughout the Northern Territory. I will work very hard to ensure this happens by providing the necessary assistance, such as finding a way to provide a meat inspector when they kill in order to increase the number of animals killed at those abattoirs.
Fishing and mud crab aquaculture: we have managed to breed mud crabs in captivity and we have two projects now – one is in Maningrida and the other is Kulaluk. The crablets are ready in Maningrida. Traditional owners and the Fisheries Group are working together to give another opportunity to indigenous Territorians living outside the urban centres.
Marine rangers are very important for the safety of Australia. They know the coastline like the back of their hand. They have already detected foreign vessels that come to Australia and they have advised the Navy and Customs about this intrusion with quick results. Seventy seven rangers have completed training which includes core units of the seafood industry.
As you can see the department is working for the economic development of the Territory, and we are working very closely with DBERD. We target specific areas which include:
The new structure of DPIFM has now been finalised. When the department was created the opportunity was taken to develop a structure which matched the strategic needs of industry with the objectives of the government. The final structure was determined after extensive consultation with staff and stakeholder representatives. Whilst the three main operational groups remain consistent with primary industry, fisheries, and minerals and energy, some internal changes have been made to improve operating structure and processes.
In the Primary Industry group, a new Diagnostic Services Division has been created to give clear strategic focus to the department’s laboratory services. A division has also been created to combine the department’s nine primary industry research facilities across the Territory under one management approach. In the Minerals and Energy group, the process of consolidating the new structure of the group has continued with the creation of a Mines and Petroleum Authorisation and Evaluation Division. This combines the scientific assessment of proposed mining operations with those responsible for monitoring closed or legacy operations. A new stand alone Policy, Planning and Review Division has been created to provide a whole-of-department focus on strategic policy, planning and efficiency issues. In addition, the new structure provides for the Directors of Finance, Human Resources, and Communications and Information Management to report directly to the Chief Executive and to participate on the Board of Management.
An important initiative was to create a position on the new Board of Management for an employee representative. That position is now occupied by Michael Knox, an environmental scientist in the Minerals and Energy group. Michael also brings an indigenous perspective to the board and the issues that it considers. The board has already commenced a detailed planning process to establish clear, corporate directions for the new department. This planning included a focus on traditional indigenous issues with traditional owners from the Oenpelli region.
In addition to the new structure of the board, the department has also adopted a new set of values. These were developed through contribution of staff across the department and provide a valuable context for all activities. These values are dedicated professionalism; passion with purpose; individual accountability; fun and celebrating success; motivation to lead underpinned by mutual respect; and ethical behaviour.
This is indeed an exciting time in the delivery of services to Territory’s resources industry. I am confident that the new Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines will deliver improved levels of service to industry clients with a clear focus on achieving the best possible result for Territorians. I look forward to working in partnership with my colleague, the Minister for Business and Economic Development, to support the growth of development in all of the Territory industry sectors.
The member for Wanguri and I have always talked the missed opportunities in the Territory since 1993, when I arrived here, and how there were a small number of businesses or people benefiting and nothing was happening outside Darwin. I recall talking about the amount of work available in the Territory and with few indigenous people working in these jobs. Why can’t these people get a decent job there? Why is everything directed to a selected few, the silver circle?
We made a big investment in the Territory by coming here, having a family here, putting our kids in schools and hoping that they would stay in the Territory rather than going down south. We believe in the Territory. We believe in the economic development of the Territory. We do not see a difference between urban Territorians and Territorians who live in the rural area. We do not see a difference between white Territorians and black Territorians. We do not see any difference in people who came from somewhere else and made the Territory home. We believe that this is the social capital for the Territory. We have the minerals. We have the products. We have the will. We have the people. Working together we can grow the Territory even further.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support this important statement by the Minister for Business and Economic Development which outlines the directions for the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development.
This government is committed to ensuring that the Territory’s future economic development is sustainable. Sustainable economic development in the Territory is dependent on investment confidence, the supportive business environment and a skilled work force. We already have the foundation for continued strong investment confidence. Access Economics has confidently predicted that the Territory’s economic growth will be the highest in Australia over the next five years. Capital expenditure, consumer spending, property prices, tourism numbers and employment are all continuing to rise.
According to Sensis Business Index, business confidence in the Territory is the highest in the nation. An investment confidence continues to rise on the back of a surge in development activity. Construction work is at near record levels. This government’s investment in major infrastructure projects demonstrates its commitment to supporting a strong economic environment. It is providing a supportive business environment for the private sector to come on board and invest in major projects in the Territory.
Nowhere is this more evident than projects like the world-class Alice Springs to Darwin railway. The rail corridor passes through my electorate of Goyder. It is a project on which I worked as a senior engineer during its construction. The Territory government injected $212m into the project, along with the South Australian government and the federal government. The public sector investment package totalled $560m in this world-class construction project. The private sector provided the remaining $800m to see this important Territory economic infrastructure icon become a reality. Of course the story does not end there. FreightLink, the rail operator, reported for the 2004-05 financial year a total of 603 716 tonnes of freight was transported on the rail. This figure is well in excess of the budget estimates. Not only has freight far exceeded expectations but because of the railway exciting new Territory projects will come on-line. In fact, the AustralAsia Railway has already started to bring the realisation of important new development projects for our region, such as the Bootu Creek manganese mine near Tennant Creek, which my colleague, the member for Barkly, is rightfully passionate about and which would not have been possible nor considered viable without the railway.
Another important aspect of this project was the cooperative approach to indigenous employment adopted by the Northern and Central Land Councils and ADrail, the construction arm of the railway project, to ensure that indigenous people received accredited training and jobs. Of the 1450 construction staff and subcontractors working in the field, 130 were indigenous Territorians and this remains one of the most endearing aspects of the project.
Darwin Harbour lies within the Goyder electorate too. On the north-eastern shore sits the East Arm Wharf precinct, another project which I am pleased to have been involved in as a consulting engineer. This is the other major component of our freight transport infrastructure. Together with the Adelaide to Darwin Railway, the East Arm Wharf completes the land link of the AustralAsia Trade Route, cementing Darwin as a gateway between Asia and Australia. The $200m plus facility incorporates 754 m of continuous berthing space. With 600 m of land-backed berthing facilities, it has more than 4000 m2 of undercover cargo handling facility, and an additional 18 ha available for future reclamation, making this infrastructure a vital asset for the Territory’s future commercial growth development for many years to come.
Another iconic Territory infrastructure employment project currently under construction is the $1.6bn Wickham Point LNG plant, which also lies within my electorate of Goyder. I am pleased to report that, by July this year, over 2000 tradespeople had been employed on-site, and more than 47% of these were Territorians. At the same time, there were 37 apprentices on-site, including 29 metal trade-based apprentices, seven electrical apprentices, and one building trade apprentice. When the opposition starts whingeing and carping about the skills shortage and starts talking down the Territory, they should stop and take time to reflect on this government’s achievements in continuing to bring to the Territory such iconic infrastructure projects which employ and train Territorians; Territorians who are now gaining lifelong skills, who are now playing, and will continue to play, a crucial role of filling our skills shortage, and are helping to literally build the Territory.
There is more good news from Wickham Point. The building of the Wickham Point LNG plant has meant hundreds of millions of dollars of work has also gone out to Territory businesses like EC & C in Berrimah, which led a team of local businesses that fabricated the steel roof on the main gas tank.
Let me give another example. On the north-western shoreline of Darwin Harbour sits the site for Darwin waterfront convention centre. The project will inject $1bn worth of development activity into the Territory economy over the next five to 10 years. Over this period, it will provide a strong and sustainable boost for all those Territory businesses in the provision of local goods and services. It is also expected that this project will generate at least 1000 on-site construction jobs. Once up and running, the precinct will provide a wealth of jobs in the local hospitality, retail and tourism sectors. This is another great boost to our Territory economy.
Projects like those I have just mentioned are providing the catalyst for the economic growth and development of the Territory. As I have just shown, these iconic projects are creating new opportunities for our own Territory businesses to provide goods and services to these projects and, at the same time, increasing our export potential. Because of this growth and development, our economic landscape is clearly broadening. Economic growth and development provides new opportunities, creates jobs and attracts workers. We need a skilled work force which is capable of coping with this economic growth. This government is working with business and industry to attract and, most importantly, retain skilled employees and their families. The best way that government can support sustainable economic development is to ensure that the make-up of its lead economic development agency reflects these needs.
DBERD combines the existing functions of business and industry with regional community and indigenous economic development into one department which now has an enhanced focus on regional economic development.
Madam Speaker, I believe that DBERD will coordinate the efforts to assist new Territory businesses to get started, facilitate job creation in regions and remote areas, and work closely with business and industry to invest in the Territory’s economy and generate more wealth for the Territory and Territorians. I commend the minister for this very important statement.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I am pleased that the minister has outlined that the department’s role in Defence support will strengthen as a large number of Defence personnel live in my electorate of Drysdale. It is gratifying to see that the development at Robertson Barracks is providing real opportunities for industry with the advent of the relocation of the Tiger helicopters, the 1st Aviation Regiment from interstate. Most of the work on the $75m project to relocate to Robertson Barracks is currently flowing to local Territory business. The project includes constructing facilities to house 17 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters, as well as maintenance, command, training and domestic facilities. This, along with the Abrams tanks to Robertson Barracks, will add a whole new dimension in capability to the Northern Territory.
Robertson Barracks is not the only establishment in the Top End that has increased its activities. I had the pleasure of being invited to the Larrakeyah Barracks last Sunday evening to HMAS Coonawarra for a celebration of Navy Week. I was pleased to see three Armidale Patrol boats were berthed at the haven, with one of them in dry dock in preparation for an upgrade. We were also informed that a further two Armidale craft were under final construction in Perth, from where they will be assigned to Darwin on completion to increase the current fleet. The establishment of this patrol boat fleet in Darwin will also boost opportunities for Territory businesses.
I congratulate the Minister for Defence Support on conducting the recent Defence Welcome Expos held in Townsville and Oakey, as they provide information and support to our incoming families. Again, many of these families will be housed in my electorate. The success of this innovativeness is obvious. An invitation has now been extended for a further function to be held in Williamtown. The minister’s report this morning shows how the government as a whole is working together to make sure that the troops and their families relocating have as much information as possible on the Northern Territory so that they can settle quickly into Top End lifestyle and have some familiarity with their new surrounds.
To add to the importance of the military expansion, I had the pleasure of attending the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards last Saturday night. I am pleased to recognise that Mr Ross Bradford, the Chief of Staff from Headquarters 1st Brigade won the Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector category. He mentioned in his speech how cooperative the Northern Territory government and Northern Territory businesses have been in assisting business and industry liaison with Defence Force. His skills within the public sector business world have been recognised by his peers, and in a field of importance to Australia and, of course, the Northern Territory.
In acknowledging the Territory’s economic growth, I am pleased to see that this is now involving our indigenous community in many positive ways. I recently visited Larrakia Development Corporation offices at Marrara and spoke to Kelvin Costello from the corporation who was kind enough to show me around. They are exceptionally pleased with the partnerships with industry and government that they are progressing. Jobs created on the waterfront development, the Darla subdivision at Palmerston is going well, and their involvement in the Lyons Housing Development is progressing. The painting of the tank at Vopak is a visual contribution to the area providing an outlet for indigenous youth at risk and is now attracting tourist buses. I know that the corporation is keen to evolve even further to work with government agencies to increase employment, skill learning and training within their community, and strengthen the stability and standing of their organisation.
As I move within my electorate I am pleased to advise that the feedback from employers and businesses in Winnellie, Pinelands and Berrimah is that they are benefiting enormously from expansion of the Robertson Barracks, the establishment of the Armidale Class Patrol Boats, the building of the LNG Plant and the construction of Vopak. I am also pleased to hear that the minister recently participated in the turning of the sod for the beginning of the construction of the natural fuel plant. The projected helium plant and the waterfront project will ensure that opportunities for business to participate in the ongoing growth will continue.
With this growth and activity, the Northern Territory government’s target of 10 000 apprentices will be right on track in the not too distant future. From my previous life as a fitter, I know how important it is to industry to constantly train more skilled workers. The need to keep abreast of new technology, industry requirements and standards is imperative. It has been brought home to industry over the years that it is crucial that training must occur and be forever ongoing. The Northern Territory government has recognised this fact and has put in place a number of training schemes and incentives to assist both the employer and employee with their training needs, which is supporting industry in this time of growth and expansion. I welcome the minister’s report and give it my full support.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I speak to the ministerial statement regarding the Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development. The economy of the Northern Territory is of key interest to the government of the Territory regardless of flavour. The Territory economy provides the means for Territorians to meet their aspirations and goals. We have been having some exciting economic times in the Territory since Labor came to power.
We have seen the Wickham Point Bechtel gas plant go from strength to strength. The plant has not only employed many people, but has assisted local businesses with services that the work force use such as smoko vans, takeaway food outlets, and the Palmerston Cinema complex, all of which workers at the plant do not so much require, although enjoy having close by. About 600 or so of the 2000 Bechtel employees were accommodated and remain accommodated in the Bechtel camp at Yarrawonga, however, many others also live in the suburbs of Palmerston. Some reside in rental accommodation thereby providing economic incentive to the rental market in Palmerston. Others have bought properties in the Palmerston area. I can say that a number of workers who came to the Territory for the purpose of working at Bechtel have chosen to remain in the Territory and declare the Territory as their residence which is reflected in the number of changes to residential addresses on the Electoral Roll.
Having such a large facility opens up further opportunities to existing local businesses. It provides a reason for local business people to employ extra workers, extra apprentices, and that in turn keeps the money circulating within the Northern Territory economy rather than being injected in to be immediately removed. The benefit to the Territory from an investment that Bechtel represents can be seen in the shopping centres; Palmerston Shopping Centre must be one of the busiest in the country. .
Other projects are seen to come on-line. I was at the Mineral Council industry forum earlier this year in July where BOC Gas spoke about the opening of its helium plant. This is another massive injection of capital to the economy through jobs and associated jobs that the plant would bring. One of the things that interested me about this particular project was that I did not realise that helium was such a rarely occurring gas and that, had BOC not looked to open its plant here next to the Bechtel plant, the helium would have been released as a waste gas not to be used. BOC is going to turn it into a major exporting industry with benefits to the Territory and to the national economy as a whole.
The third development out at Wickham Point, which I found very exciting, is the biodiesel project. I first heard about this at the Minerals Council industry forum and did not realise that the prototype diesel engine had in fact been powered by non-fossil fuels. The transfer to fossil fuel-based diesel perhaps had something to do with the availability of fossil fuels and the cheapness of them at the time that the discovery was made. I am not a historian of the minerals industry, however, I am excited by enterprise where biodiesel can be used in any ordinary diesel engine and in fact can clean out the gunk from a conventional diesel engine and take it back to a better operating and better economic engine. There is no inhibitor to running 100% biodiesel in vehicles. I look forward the boatloads of palms which I believe would be used as the basis of palm oil which will be used as the basis for the biodiesel plant.
There are some examples of the vibrant economy on the doorstep of Palmerston and how Palmerston is benefiting in a very tangible way. Another indicator is the take up of the HomeNorth Extra program introduced by this government. As the Minister for Housing said in his statement in a previous sitting of this Assembly, at that time 175 applications had been received from Palmerston alone. Palmerston represented a considerable proportion of the total number of HomeNorth Extra applications that had been received. Of those, 175 were first home buyers. That is significant in itself for we enable people to get a firm economic base. Many commentators cite the ability to buy the home in which he resides as the first step to financial investment and financial security. Australians have a love of bricks and mortar investments and it is great to see that so many people are using Palmerston as the base to buy their first home.
Other encouraging figures were that 68.5% of those people had a weekly income between $600 and $899 and 9.4% have weekly income of between $300 and $599. People on relatively modest incomes and extremely modest incomes are still able to fuel the Territory economy by getting access to the housing market. The government increased the value of the purchase price of property through the HomeNorth Extra Scheme from $180 000 to $260 000, a considerable increase in the threshold in a short 12-month period.
I note from the various statistics regarding age of those accessing the HomeNorth Extra scheme that 21% are between 18 and 24 years old. Again, this has more than just its direct impact on the economy; it has a flow-on effect, because the younger you are when you start building your financial base, the better able you are placed in middle and later years to build on your investments and have a secure economic and financial future.
The economic activity can be seen at the Yarrawonga industrial area. It is in a prime location to service the needs of Palmerston and the surrounding areas, including Wickham Point, and many owners of industry enterprises are choosing to set up there. I did a search of commercial property available and there are a number of lots available in the Yarrawonga estate, and there appears to be considerable interest in setting up there. Yarrawonga is, of course, home to the Northern Territory’s only winery in the Top End, the Mango Winery, which continues to be an attraction for tourists, again ensuring that more moneys stays within the Northern Territory economy.
The Palmerston City Council and the Northern Territory government are involved in a bold joint venture to reshape the Palmerston CBD. This is a dual vote of confidence from both the NT government and Palmerston Council. It provides a mall area which will be very comfortable to walk along, to visit the library, and the recreation centre which will be built there. There is also provision for more small shops, cafs, and retail outlets for people to access. That sort of investment would not be happening, and would not be contemplated, if there was no confidence in what was happening in the Northern Territory.
Another indicator of confidence in industry is the fact that the Palmerston Regional Business Association has grown its membership considerably. Over 400 members are now recorded on its books, and I am proud to say that I am one of them. I want to congratulate the President, Mr Wayne Zerbe, and the Secretary, Mr Ray Walton, on their continued efforts ensuring that Palmerston business, and businesses elsewhere, are given information they can use to fully realise the potential which exists here in the Territory. I understand the PRBA has asked the Chief Minister to be patron of the association, and she is considering the request. I add my voice, as a member of the PRBA, to encourage the Chief Minister to accept that patronage. I can advise the House that the PRBA is not just an organisation in name; it is a vibrant, healthy organisation with very active members who attend the association dinners and give the association a great deal of support.
Other indicators which show that government assistance and focus in the economic area is having an effect are the decisions by Alcan and GEMCO to expand their operations in the Northern Territory. Again, these represent huge investments of capital and salaries paid to the people who work there, and also the associated industries. For example, at both GEMCO and Alcan, the companies do not operate their mess kitchens themselves; they subcontract that out to another company, so it creates extra jobs in that enterprise, not only the miners themselves. The added importance of those two particular operations is that they occur in remote areas outside of Darwin or the urban centres of economic activity. I was pleased to hear that the Tom’s Gully gold mine will reopen as it is economically viable again to continue mining, and I am sure the Northern Territory will see the benefits of that flow into its economy as well.
However, it is not just about private enterprise operating alone, it is about getting support from the government through its various agencies, including the announcement by the minister today. I am, of course, referring to this government’s Jobs Plan 2, which commits to the training of apprentices and traineeships for 10 000 young Territorians over the next four years. This will provide skilled workers based here in the Territory, living here, prepared to raise families here in the Territory, to enable local businesses to take up the opportunities that exist without having to recruit interstate for those specialised skills, or even internationally. That is not to say interstate and international recruitment does not have a role, however, it is so much better for the Territory the more we can find those skills within our own population.
Madam Speaker, I commend the minister and thank him for his statement. I wish the department all the best in the coordinating role that it will now take up. I look forward to further announcements, both from government and private enterprise, taking up all of those opportunities that become available in the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on DBERD and its commitment to driving economic development in the Northern Territory. I was particularly interested to read the editorial in today’s NT News discussing the Northern Territory economy. It reports that the independent forecaster, Access Economics, predicts a growth of 4.5% per year over the next five years, a more rapid rate than any other jurisdiction in Australia. The NT News editorial also refers to the Darwin waterfront development, describing it as ‘a laudable project’. The editorial says:
It continues:
The author of the editorial has hit the nail on the head. The government’s investment in the waterfront project is driving economic development and is creating jobs for Territorians. Meanwhile, the waterfront itself is becoming a hive of activity.
As a prelude to this activity, I would have to say that magnetometer investigations have been conducted, identifying metalliferous objects in the area to be dredged. In other words, the dredging operation has looked to see whether there is any unexploded ordnance in the area that is being dredged to accommodate the footprint for the waterfront development. Fortunately, there were no unexploded ordnance found there, so that was a great relief both to the dredging company, government, and the proponents to this great project. Basically, in the removal of these objects from marine sediments, there are other objects made of metal that have been removed, a whole range of things fallen to the bottom over the years. These have been removed and dredging is now well advanced.
Perimeter fencing has been erected by MacMahon Contractors, the design and construct contractor for the community infrastructure works. A dredged spoil pond has been constructed within the reclamation area at East Arm Port and this will retain the sediments that will be removed for the construction of the sea wall and the convention centre pad within Kitchener Bay. The assembly of the dredge pipeline used to transport sediments from Kitchener Bay to the sediment ponds has been completed and the pipeline is in service for the removal of mud in connection with war debris removal. The dredging of the foundation for the convention pad will be the first construction activity taken on the site.
It was my pleasure to visit that site last week and see the trucks as they were bringing fill in from the Darwin Business Park. As the area is dredged and the sediment is taken out, that fill will be put in there and gradually the pad will take shape. I am advised that the piles for the convention centre will be driven in early in 2006. This is a fantastic project which is providing a lot of employment within Darwin, and it is driving a lot of activity for local companies.
As members would be aware there is a local industry participation plan which has as its target that 85% of the value of that project is to be carried out by local contractors. I have had a briefing with the proponents and discussed their strategies to implement the local industry participation plan. As members would also be aware, there is a penalty clause within the contract and contractual agreement between government and the proponents. For every percent that they are under 85%, there is a penalty. So there are incentives for the proponents to perform to make sure that local companies are involved and this is going to be great for local Darwin and Territory businesses to participate in such a great plan. There is a feeling of excitement, there is a feeling of engagement, and there is a feeling of expectation. This is a great project and I am very proud to have oversight of it from the government perspective. I am certainly paying close attention to the project because it is a very large project.
A local company, Gulf Transport, is transporting the fill, and the work on that should be completed by mid-November 2005. Upon completion of the convention centre pad, construction will proceed on the sea wall with completion targeted for mid-July 2006. From memory, I am pretty sure that there is 57 000m3 of rock armour that will comprise the sea wall, and 500 000m3 of fill that is coming over from the business park. That is a substantial amount of fill. My best wishes to all who are involved in those two operations.
It is also appropriate to mention at this stage the government initiatives on builders’ registration, part of our election commitment to review the NT Building Act 1993. Government has been working very closely with the building and construction industry to modernise our laws and regulations surrounding the building industry. The overwhelming feedback that I have had over the years that I have been involved from various parts of industry is that they are very happy with this government in the way that it is reviewing construction laws and modernising the construction industry within the Northern Territory. They are very happy with the economic development that this government has attracted and the projects that this government is getting squarely behind.
The Building Amendment Act 2004 incorporating builder’s registration was assented to on 21 December - Madam Speaker, I think I have picked up the wrong notes here somewhere. Oh, this is terrible.
Those projects that I have mentioned are driving economic development and building business and industry. I will speak without the notes as I know this subject. I need to speak about the wharf. This is an important area for government and, as members would be aware, the wharf has been experiencing some problems. Government has been moving to rectify that, however, there is a very bright future for the wharf with the Bootu Creek operations coming on-line early next year. Preparations are well under way to be able to handle about 500 000 tonnes of manganese ore per annum which will be coming from Bootu Creek on the railway. This is an important development as it forms a basis of our port, and bulk loading will be a very important part of our ports operations and profitability.
Speaking about the port, Territory Iron is also a prospective project that is likely to get off the ground; we hope it gets off the ground. There are final assays and tests being done on the deposits of iron ore around Frances Creek near Pine Creek. It is proposed that 1 million tonnes of iron ore will be exported through the port of Darwin over five years. That will also build on the bulk loading capacity of our port.
The port does play a very key role in the economic development of the Territory and as government we are keen also to build on our container traffic, although it is difficult for our port to compete with southern ports which would have much more container traffic. If we have realistic targets we can aim for and do our work overseas. I know the main function of the board of the port is an advisory role to government and one of their key foci is to build that trade link between the Northern Territory and South East Asia. This is a government that is looking to build business within the Territory and also build links overseas. It is very important to acknowledge that when the liquid natural gas plant comes on-stream that will also add to the operations of the port.
The Port of Darwin is going to become extremely busy over the next three to five years. I commend Barry Berwick and the Port Corporation for the fantastic work that they do.
Government is also engaged in procurement reform. A procurement reform agenda was initiated by this government in 2002, and the review of the procurement framework is now completed. A revised framework for determining value for money incorporating the ‘Buy Territory’ policy and government procurement has been included in the new procurement directions. I am taking a very active interest in this. I know the member for Wanguri during the election campaign certainly championed a ‘Buy Territory’ aspect to our procurement policy of which the details of that are being worked through. We are very close to coming forward with some announcements about that. Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, and the construction industry have all been consulted about that and have been asked for their comments on some of these draft directions for government.
This is a very important process. Procurement is a lifeline between government and business. We have to make sure that it is fair and equitable and that Territory businesses are on a good footing to secure Territory work. That has already been happening over the last year and through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure as 95% of projects either by company or by value have been won by Territory companies through DPI. That is already happening, however, we want to look at the wider picture.
We are a government which is about supporting Territory business. I have mentioned the local industry participation plans at the waterfront. We have also talked with the Defence Housing Authority regarding the Lee Point development, the new suburb of Lyons, ensuring that Territory business is well represented at every level within these developments.
As part of our procurement reform, we established a complaints hotline and complaints lodgement process in September 2002. Effective on 15 August, a new complaints handling mechanism has been established based on the following principles:
A simple tender process for procurement between $10 000 and $50 000 was introduced from 1 January 2005. The new process includes a simplified and standardised tender document process, tender processes, response schedules, and contract conditions.
In closing, I was interested to read in Mr Shane Stone’s review of the 2005 Territory general election that the CLP’s research showed there was a strong sense amongst voters that the Territory was heading in the right direction. Mr Stone writes, and I quote:
Earlier, the minister described his vision of a strong vibrant, growing and sustainable Northern Territory economy …
Mrs Miller: Must have changed his mind.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I will pick up on the interjection opposite. When I was a candidate in 2001, the Territory economy was flat; there was zero growth. From the people in the construction industry whose doors I knocked, all I heard was that people were suffering; their families were suffering because of the lack of work. In fact, in some quarters under the last CLP administration, there was negative growth.
This government has led the way forward with vision and by engaging with industry. This is a government that is moving the Territory ahead, and it has been recognised today by the NT News editorial, and certainly recognised by Mr Shane Stone.
The government agencies for which I have a responsibility look forward to playing an integral part in this future. Madam Speaker, I commend the minister’s statement to this House.
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Economic Development): Madam Speaker, it is always great to follow my colleague, the Minster for Infrastructure and Transport, as he is very enthusiastic about all aspects of his job. In running through members’ contributions to the statement, contrasting - and it is a pity because it should not be a political thing - the acknowledgement of everybody on this side of the House, people who are out and about in their electorates and it does not matter if you have a bush, regional, or capital city electorate, we are all engaged in the economy in certain ways, and everybody recognises we have hit some good times at the moment and a bit of a purple patch - and contrast that, unfortunately, with the member for Blain who is still doom and gloom about certain issues.
If we look at how an economy works, then, certainly, the economy of the Territory is only going to continue to steam ahead if the private sector has confidence to invest. At the end of the day, the private sector can invest anywhere it likes in the world and to invest in the Territory it has to have confidence. The confidence in what is happening at the moment with the member for Blain and his view of the world - the timidity of government and the disappointments in the statement - contrasts with what is actually happening out there in the marketplace as money follows money. It does so when money makes money, and that is what is happening here in the Territory at the moment.
We have looked at the Access Economic forecasts which were in the paper today. Members should actually get the September quarter Access Economics Business Outlook page. It makes very interesting reading; about five pages of confidence in regards to the Territory’s economy out to 2009-10. That is an independent forecast. That is not government’s spin, and certainly shows that we are heading in the right direction. The Housing Industry Association Northern Territory State Outlook September 2005 - I commend the Housing Industry Association - this is a very detailed look at not only the housing sector here and the construction industry in the Territory but the Territory economy. For an industry association to be able to compile such a detailed analysis of the Northern Territory economy on a quarter by quarter basis they are to be commended. I would urge members to subscribe to this particular publication because it is a very good look at the economy. A big quarter for the NT economy, it says on page 8: ‘The Northern Territory economy enjoyed near record growth in the June quarter’. We can certainly see that people are being confident in terms of investment.
I would like to touch on the member for Blain’s obsession, I suppose, in regards to energy prices and the cost of energy. That was an obsession that the opposition ran during the election campaign, and also the rewriting the history that the member for Blain is trying to do. He seems to forget that coming into government many of the public servants who worked with the previous and the last CLP administration are the same people working on the same projects who are working for this administration. So there is continuity in regards to how the government has engaged these major players who are investing in the Territory. The story and the methodology that the member for Blain is trying to put in regard to how close the previous government were in negotiating an equity deal with ConocoPhillips to purchase equity in the pipeline and deliver gas onshore for Territorians at $2 a kilowatt is absolute fanciful nonsense.
I challenge the member for Blain to bring anything into this parliament to substantiate the mistruth that he is perpetrating that somehow Territorians were on the brink of getting gas at $2 a kilowatt an hour. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you actually look at the history, the then Chief Minister of the day, one Denis Burke, almost single-handedly scuttled the entire deal, given his high-handed attitude and his megaphone diplomacy, such as it was, trying to tell the then East Timorese, not the formal administration but the caretaker administration of the day, how they should be doing business with ConocoPhillips.
Who can forget that the then Prime Minister in waiting, Prime Minister Alkatiri, refused to invite the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory to East Timor for a signing ceremony, essentially black banned him, and in the history of that whole sorry saga, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory nearly wrecked the whole deal.
So for the member for Blain to come in here and somehow say that they were on the verge of delivering gas to Territorians and Territory business at $2 a kilowatt an hour is absolute fanciful nonsense. History will stand that the then Chief Minister of the day, in his own arrogance and high-handed fashion, nearly sank the whole deal.
He then went back to talk about the previous administrations and Chief Ministers and ministers swanning around Asia, and what a great job they did promoting the Northern Territory. Again, let us look at the history. Let us look at what was actually achieved. Shane Stone, yes, did spend a lot of time with Richard Court in China. However, let us look at the history of that; it was all about train two and train three for the North-West Shelf. It had nothing to do with gas from the Northern Territory; it was all about Western Australia. If you then follow Shane Stone’s career in the private sector and who he actually has ended up having major consultancy contracts with, and look at the operators on the North-West Shelf, you can certainly see who benefited from all of that travel to China. It certainly was not the Northern Territory. It was one Shane Stone QC who benefited very nicely on his retirement from Territory politics from all of that travel to China.
There is a saying in terms of ministerial travel in Asia: ‘What goes on tour stays on tour’, and I am not going to again mention any particular or specific incidences. However, since the member for Blain mentioned Mick Palmer being ensconced in the Philippines, the member for Blain seems to forget that some of those public servants who travelled with the previous administration have now travelled with this administration. If you really want to have a debate, member for Blain, about the activities of certain ministers in Asia and the great work that they did, well bring it on. Some of those ministers did more harm than good. There was a particular incidence in regard to mangoes that nearly wrecked our live cattle industry here in the Northern Territory and across Australia. That was down to one Mick Palmer and his antics in the Philippines.
When I travelled to Indonesia as the first Asian Relations and Trade Minister for the new Territory government, they said: ‘Here comes the Territory again’. The previous administration had been given a nickname by Indonesian officials and that nickname was NATO. That acronym stood for No Action Talking Only. That was what the previous government had been referred to in their constant trips to Indonesia and other places. It was nothing to do with action. It was all about talking and there was a degree of derision and contempt held for the constant delegations from the Territory which never actually delivered anything but had a wonderful time whilst they were there and did a lot of talking.
So if the member for Blain wants to have a debate about what was actually achieved during those years, well, bring it on. There was even one laudable case and I know my colleague, the member for Casuarina, will laugh. I am not going to name names here, however, there was one previous minister in the Territory government who went up to a certain part in Asia - I won’t say which particular part because it might draw the threads a bit closer - and tried to pass himself off as the Prime Minister of Australia, and he was caught out. I will not talk about the particular establishment and the particular people he was dealing with at the time, however, he had very high aspirations of his position on the pecking chart and was passing himself off as Prime Minister of Australia rather than as a minister in the Northern Territory government. However, member for Blain, if you want to bring it on, bring it on. History is not going to show some of those ministers in very good light.
The member for Blain talked about a timid government. It is a timid government that has delivered record levels of growth in the Territory, record levels of private sector investment. Again, if you looked at the history of the Territory economy it was built on government expenditure. We had the Sheratons, the Yularas, this Parliament House building, Housing Commission construction, roads, bridges, the public service expenditure in wages and salaries and supported retail and the service sector. You had the Commonwealth relocating large numbers of Defence Forces up here. Nothing happens in the Territory without government spending money apart from the mining sector, the live cattle industry and the tourism sector to some degree.
What we are seeing is a real shift for the first time where the private sector is coming in investing in a whole range of diverse opportunities and those opportunities are in the tourism, mining, the industrial sector, the commercial sector, and the residential sector. This government is looking for the first time, significantly, at a public private partnership for the Darwin City Waterfront and Convention Centre Project. There is a change in the nature of the NT economy and the opposition should be welcoming the fact that the private sector is a much larger part of the economy than it was 20 years ago and, for our economy to sustain its growth, that is the way forward.
I can let the member for Blain know that there is a lot of work going on in securing a final gas contract for Power and Water. He well knows that. The opposition has been well briefed in what is happening there. However, to run the line that somehow the CLP was going to deliver gas at $2 a kilowatt for the Territory is nothing short of absolutely fanciful. I do not know where he got that information from.
Member for Katherine, it is disappointing to hear that there are some businesses closing in Katherine, although other businesses will open. I met with a member of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce from Katherine recently and his view was that the Katherine economy was doing very nicely, thank you very much, the best that it had been doing for quite some time, and said that Katherine was going really well. It is disappointing to hear individual enterprises closing, however, there can be all sorts of reasons for that and nothing is more certain than other enterprises will step up and take their place.
I disagree with the member for Katherine: the call from people from Central Australia that one way to stimulate the economy is to send more bureaucrats there. I do not believe that that is the case at all. This government did make the Katherine Research Centre the home of the pastoral division of the department of primary industry. The potential for growth is going to come from private sector investment, not sending more public servants into the region. There is good reason to see more public servants in the region to get better, more autonomous, decision making occurring. However, is that going to lead to increased investment from the private sector? I do not see the leap in logic there. What we have to do is to promote the regions of the Northern Territory, the opportunities for investment, and where the private sector can get that return - not plonk more bureaucrats in to the region.
Other members made solid contributions. I thank the member for Port Darwin. I am looking forward to working with her over the next four years, particularly with the experience she brings having worked in the private sector and being at the heart of the Territory’s economy here in the CBD. The member for Port Darwin is going to provide me with great advice over the next four years. The Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and I are going to continue to work very closely together. It was very good to hear the ongoing contribution that that department is going to make in regional development and indigenous economic development. It is absolutely essential we move ahead in those areas and I will be working with my colleague very closely over the next few years.
The member for Goyder, again somebody from the private sector, has joined us in this term of government. He is a friend of mine - I have known the member for Goyder going back to 1993 - and I am well aware of his long experience of consulting and engineering in the private sector. I have enjoyed many discussions over the years with the member for Goyder and he is going to make a big contribution in providing advice to me over time.
It is good that the team, the dynamic duo from Palmerston, the member for Drysdale and the member for Brennan, are very keen to work with me to promote opportunities in the defence sector for business. As one of the two fitters in this House, I share a background with the member for Drysdale and we will continue to work together on issues relating to business opportunities in Defence.
The member for Brennan talked about all the activity in the Palmerston/Yarrawonga areas. It is fantastic to see great investment heading out to the Darwin Business Park, in particular the biodiesel plant and the helium plant. I would just like to pick up on one little note from the member for Brennan when he talked about HomeNorth Extra and the 175, I think it was, first home buyers in Palmerston. I was taken with a story in the NT News just a couple of weeks ago about a young woman, 19 years of age, purchasing and building her first home in Palmerston. That is what we are in this game for: creating opportunities for individuals to get ahead. What a great story: a 19-year-old woman having the confidence to get out, get a loan, and build her own house in Palmerston. To whoever that young lady is, good luck, and I hope you enjoy your new home – it is a great story.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, it is a big responsibility on your shoulders. However, I know you will carry it well in view of the local industry participation plan for the Darwin waterfront. All of us who were in the Cabinet room made an absolute commitment that, if the Territory government was going to put money into this public/private partnership, we wanted to see in contracts a real commitment to supporting local industry. That has been achieved. I know my colleague will manage that and diligently oversight that over the years to come, along with procurement reform. I am really looking forward, as Business minister, to working with my colleague regarding the election commitments we made in reforming the procurement system to further support Territory business, and better support investment here in the Territory.
I thank all honourable members for their contributions. We certainly have come a long way in four years from how the economy was performing four to five years ago to how it is performing now. On the basis of that is private sector investment. Business confidence is a very fragile thing, and I will be doing all I can to work with business to see that confidence to invest maintained over the next few years. Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank everybody for their contribution and support for the economy in the private sector here in the Territory.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Mr Deputy Speaker, my ministerial statement is on the Northern Territory Public Service Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. For the benefit of members, I table the tool kit. I will be speaking about that later on in my statement. There will also be CDs to be distributed to members.
Turning to the statement: today, I would like to share with my parliamentary colleagues a good news story about what the Northern Territory public sector has achieved in indigenous employment. Since the Martin Labor government won office in 2001, the number of indigenous men and women employed in the Northern Territory Public Service has increased significantly, and agencies are breaking new ground in establishing best practice indigenous employment initiatives.
The government has a vision for a future Northern Territory public sector that reflects the diversity of the community it serves. I am pleased to say that initiatives being implemented across agencies are gaining momentum and we are beginning to see this vision realised.
We are constantly reminded of the link between social and economic wellbeing. The statistics on indigenous issues speak for themselves – low socioeconomic status, lowest rates of employment, higher mortality and morbidity, and lowest level of education. If these facts were not compelling enough there are now further critical drivers in the need to address indigenous employment in the Northern Territory.
First, although the Territory has a growing indigenous population and relatively young population compared to other jurisdictions, we also have a declining non-indigenous birth rate and we are experiencing labour market shortages similar to other jurisdictions. Most commentators agree that the supply of labour in Australia is in decline and that will continue over the next 10 years. The Australian workplace will face a baby boom exodus between 2005 and 2020 and, at the same time, experience a continual decline in youth as a percentage of the population.
Like most of the rest of the Western world, the Northern Territory public sector must deal with these recruitment and retention challenges. As a former health professional and academic, I know how long it takes to affect change. Therefore, the positive outcomes I wish to discuss today bode well for the future. Despite these trends, we cannot be complacent. We cannot afford to leave this issue unaddressed for the next generation to deal with. The Northern Territory has the highest population of indigenous people, and the youngest population when compared to other jurisdictions.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28% of Territorians identify as indigenous compared with an average of 2.2% for all Australians. Forty percent of the indigenous population in the Northern Territory were under the age of 14 in 2001. Over the next decade, these young people will be at an age where they should be entering the work force. However, if these young people do not achieve improved educational outcomes and have access to employment and training, it may mean that well over a third of young Territorians will end up living on welfare in future years. The social and economic costs that go hand in hand with this cannot be underestimated, particularly if we want to capitalise on our current economic growth and continue to have a vibrant future. Quoting a study from Hunter, Kinfu and Taylor from CAEPR, 2003:
In describing the important purpose that work and employment has in our live, Stiglitz, in his article on ‘Employment, social justice and societal wellbeing’, in 2002, states:
We implicitly know that having a meaningful job, contributing and being valued for what we each do has a tremendous impact on our belief systems and in our ability to function in a full sense. It is difficult enough where someone loses a job, however, the circumstances are far worse when someone has never had a job.
In the Northern Territory, indigenous people are an untapped resource. Although our work force is shrinking, the Territory’s indigenous population is growing and this government’s vision for a future Northern Territory public sector is one where significant numbers of indigenous Territorians are employed as zoologists, medical practitioners, teachers, accountants and policy makers.
Another driver for addressing indigenous employment in the Northern Territory is that indigenous people comprise the largest cultural group and are proportionately the greatest users of government services. With over 15 850 staff, the Northern Territory public sector is the single largest employer in the Northern Territory and has a significant impact on the Territory community and, proportionately, on indigenous Territorians. This provides a clear business case for why the Northern Territory must ensure it has a work force that reflects its composition and one that is able to meet the needs of the community now and in the future.
Given our relatively small economy, the Northern Territory cannot afford to have one third of our potential work force unemployable through lack of education and job skills. There are volumes of research about indigenous labour force participation and the consequences of communities not addressing these problems. While it is not possible to put a dollar value on less tangible social costs of low employment and higher unemployment, research has shown that the indigenous unemployed, especially the long term unemployed, fare worse than the employed on a range of social indicators. Once again, the source for that information comes from the article by Hunter et al in 2003 through CAEPR. I should point out that, along with my statement, a bibliography has also been circulated to honourable members.
Within the Northern Territory context, the public sector is a major employer and, as such, must play a crucial role in addressing indigenous employment. There is a significant opportunity for the Northern Territory public sector to build a pool of labour market participants and, at the same time, improve employment opportunities for indigenous people. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also shows a stark contrast between the unemployment rate of indigenous people to non-indigenous people. In 2001, only 6.6% of non-indigenous people in the Northern Territory were unemployed compared to 17.6% of indigenous Territorians. If CDEP participation rates were excluded from this data, it would rise again to a staggering 57%.
Unless young indigenous people are able to access employment and training, well over a third of young Territorians will end up living on welfare in future years. This paints a grim picture for those young indigenous people and the Northern Territory community. The Northern Territory government must address this dire socioeconomic situation now.
According to Access Economics, in 2001, the Northern Territory will be the only jurisdiction to experience a working age population growth over the next 50 years. However, unless we act to increase the work force participation rates amongst indigenous Territorians we will not enjoy the benefits that can potentially flow from this growth. The stark reality is that to bring the level of unemployment of indigenous people equal to that of non-indigenous people we would need to almost double the number of indigenous people in work over the next 10 years.
The issues around indigenous employment have been in the public arena for decades. For instance, many of you may recall when the Aboriginal Employment Development Plan was developed after the Miller Report in 1986. At that time it was estimated that the Northern Territory would have to create 800 new indigenous jobs a year over 10 years to achieve parity with mainstream Territorians. To highlight the enormity of the challenge ahead, the Chief Minister announced 2000 new jobs each year would need to be created to address the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous employment. It is apparent that indigenous employment is a greater priority for this government than it had been for previous CLP governments. We are hopeful of bipartisan support for the initiatives of the Martin government regarding indigenous employment, however, are unsure of the position of the current Leader of the Opposition or her party.
A previous CLP government attempted to address indigenous employment with the then Chief Minister in 1983 setting the targets that 20% of the Northern Territory Public Service would be indigenous by 1990. However, there is no accurate data to measure whether this target was ever met and whatever gains may have been made were certainly not sustained.
The current situation is that 6.6% of the Northern Territory public sector employed are indigenous people; 45% of these are aged over 40 with the average age being 39 years. While this in itself may not appear to be of concern, viewed in the context that on average indigenous people die 20 years younger than non-indigenous people this presents a significant challenge for the Northern Territory public sector.
So, what is the Northern Territory government doing? A review of the original Northern Territory Public Sector Aboriginal Employment and Career Development Strategy 1995 to 2000 was undertaken in 2001. Key findings from this review were that there had been limited progress in addressing indigenous employment and that its implementation across agencies had been varied. After winning office, this government developed and launched its Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006 in November 2002. The aim of the strategy is to address the disproportionately low representation of indigenous people within the Northern Territory public sector by providing a range of appropriate recruitment, career development and retention initiatives. The outcomes sought under this strategy are, firstly, an increased number of indigenous men and women recruited to the public sector; second, representation of indigenous people at all levels within the Northern Territory public sector to ensure representative and effective policy development and service delivery; third, effective evaluation and reporting system; and lastly, increased cultural diversity through the Northern Territory public sector.
Before sharing some of the successes we are now achieving in indigenous employment I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector should not be viewed as peripheral to agencies’ core business. Indigenous employment is a key issue and core business. To address the lack of empirical data on indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector and to monitor the implementation of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy a comprehensive reporting framework has been developed. Progress reports are submitted to Cabinet every six months.
For the first time the Northern Territory government has a clear picture of where indigenous people are in the Northern Territory public sector and can monitor trends across the sector. Clearly, having this data on indigenous employment trends is critical to successful policy implementation. To strengthen the implementation of the strategy, the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment, over a 12-month period, met with every Chief Executive and their executive team throughout the Territory. This highlighted that this was a key policy and high priority of this government, and clarified the roles and expectations of agencies in implementing the strategy. During the initial implementation phase, agencies were encouraged to: firstly, improve the collection of EEO data and renew their data systems; second, develop clear reporting systems on indigenous employment; third, develop agency implementation plans; and, lastly, review recruitment and retention practices to ensure they were inclusive of, and targeted, indigenous people.
I am pleased to announce that since launching the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy, the Northern Territory public sector has seen the number of indigenous people employed in the Northern Territory public sector increase from 4.6%, or 725 people, to 6.6%, or 1124 people as of July 2005, representing a 44% increase.
Following extensive implementation of the strategy in agencies across the Territory there are a growing number of innovative and best practice examples of the Northern Territory public sector now taking the lead and breaking new ground in addressing indigenous employment. Some of these best practice examples include the southern parks region which has recently developed flexible employment program for local indigenous people which offers short-term casual employment. It targets traditional owners of the jointly managed parks and is aimed at allowing people to gain an understanding of ranger work and conditions of employment within the Northern Territory public sector.
The indigenous employment program at the Alice Springs Desert Park has 10 identified positions for indigenous people from the Alice Springs region, and has established special arrangements to increase the advertising period from two weeks to six weeks to increase the potential pool of indigenous applicants. The Alice Springs Desert Park now enjoys having a significant number of local indigenous recruits working for the park which is crucial for the sustainability of the local environment and culture. This model acknowledges the cultural obligations of the local indigenous staff and, as such, positions are not advertised between December and January as many local indigenous people are involved in traditional ceremonies during this time. Interview coaching and role-plays are also offered to indigenous applicants prior to attending interviews. Temporary and permanent indigenous employees are encouraged to attend the two day staff selection and recruitment coaching course at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
Traditional owners are also consulted on job descriptions for positions within parks and the Alice Springs Desert Park. These are written in plain English. New apprenticeship job descriptions within the Alice Springs Desert Park are advertised by way of a pro-forma which can be filled out and submitted without the need to have access to a computer. This is particularly important for the local indigenous people who may not be computer literate, let alone own a computer or have access to broadband at home. These case studies provide an excellent example of how the Alice Springs Desert Park is engaging with and recruiting indigenous people in a pragmatic and effective manner.
Moving on to other examples, the Department of Health and Community Services has recently recruited their first indigenous pharmacy cadet at Royal Darwin Hospital. In January 2003, the Department of Health and Community Services also successfully implemented Medicare bulk billing into 50 remote communities across the Northern Territory. The revenue generated has been committed to employing much needed administrative staff in remote community health centres, and has created 23 community based positions for indigenous people. These positions are advertised locally to target indigenous applicants from the communities. The advertisements are displayed in prominent places around the community. The interview process for local indigenous applicants is conducted in a culturally appropriate manner, and the regional team provides training and ongoing support to these remote employees. Flexibility and job design has allowed full-time and part-time, and job-share arrangements, to suit the indigenous employee and the health centre needs. The 23 remote Medicare clerk positions have become an integral part of the health centre system.
Additional good news associated with the Medicare bulk billing is that the experience working as Medicare clerks in the health centres has also led to further interest by local indigenous people in the role of Aboriginal Health Workers. There are now two clerks who will commence training to become Aboriginal Health Workers and another two who are considering becoming Aboriginal Health Workers.
We are also starting to see some examples of best practice within the Northern Territory Police. They are involved in providing training for the Aboriginal Community Police Officer (ACPO) supervisors in order to assist them with completing tertiary studies, as well as providing coaching and support in the workplace. Many of the ACPO supervisors undertake the Diploma of Business (Frontline Management), with two ACPO supervisors this year graduating with this qualification.
Police continue to address the literacy and numeracy of their indigenous employees with a partnership arrangement developed with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, with the Aboriginal Community Police Officers attending block training to increase their skills. This is critical to increasing the number of indigenous men and women entering mainstream policing, where they can continue to play a significant role in the community. Police, Fire and Emergency Services has also entered a partnership agreement with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and the Aboriginal Community Police Officers. This is a significant move as it encourages the Aboriginal Community Police Officers to increase their literacy and numeracy skills to enter mainstream policing.
In addressing indigenous employment, the Northern Territory government cannot afford to view this solely from within our western labour market framework. For this reason, our approach to indigenous employment sits within a community engagement framework.
Another good example of establishing best practice models in Indigenous employment involves extensive work undertaken by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment. In partnership with the Institute of Public Administration of Australia (IPAA) NT Division, the OCPE established a series of indigenous employment forums as a comprehensive community engagement initiative that culminated in the Northern Territory public sector indigenous employment tool kit, which I tabled earlier, for the Northern Territory public sector management - a first for the Northern Territory public sector and, perhaps, Australia.
The indigenous employment forums were founded on the principles of community engagement, continuous improvement, and local capacity development. The emphasis of which, throughout the forum process, reflect the increasing importance of working in partnerships with indigenous people to find sustainable solutions. The importance of engaging effectively with the community when developing public policy is being recognised internationally, as well as our own government through its community engagement framework.
As stated by Mr Jim Cavaye, a man who has a PhD in Community Development and has worked with the Queensland government in developing a community engagement framework – he says:
The forums help regional communities to utilise and build local networks and skills. The organisation of the forums involve participation of local indigenous people and resulted in increased confidence, capacity and skills development for the indigenous people who had volunteered their time to be part of the process. Through the series of indigenous employment forums, the Northern Territory government was the key driver in the community engagement process and help build local frameworks and skills throughout the region.
Key findings from the series of Indigenous Employment Forums included participants identifying:
In concluding her presentation, Debbie encouraged her indigenous colleagues to:
The contribution of Debbie Simpson and that of hundreds of others throughout the Northern Territory has culminated in the development of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, a practical resource for managers in recruiting and retaining indigenous people. The purpose of the tool kit is to provide a reference guide for employers and managers on recruiting and retaining indigenous people within the Northern Territory public sector work force.
The Indigenous Employment Tool Kit has been heralded as a significant achievement for the Northern Territory public sector and is an exciting addition to the increasing number of initiatives occurring right across government. This excellent initiative, the first for the Northern Territory public sector, gives managers and employers the tools and practical information on developing indigenous recruitment and retention strategies. I already tabled the tool kit which has been distributed to members.
Other successful initiatives are the Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program, or Kigaruk, which was developed in 2003 and more recently the equivalent indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program, or Lookrukin. Kigaruk is a Kungarakan word meaning adult male and similarly Lookrukin is the Kungarakan word meaning adult female.
The Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program is designed to provide a higher level significant learning experience for indigenous men employed in the Northern Territory public sector. Objectives of the program are to address the lack of representation of indigenous men in senior management and executive officer position within the Northern Territory public sector and to provide an opportunity for indigenous men to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to compete on merit for senior positions.
Kigaruk was developed in close consultation with a reference group of indigenous men drawn from across a range of Northern Territory public sector agencies. The pilot program commenced in June 2003 with 25 participants from Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and the Cobourg Peninsula. In May 2004, all 25 participants graduated from Charles Darwin University with the Diploma of Business Frontline Management. I quote a Kigaruk participant who has successfully completed the program:
Following the pilot program, Charles Darwin University conducted an independent evaluation in June 2004. Findings revealed that the pilot program was overall an outstanding success. Feedback about the program from stakeholders during the evaluation phase included comments such as:
Similar to Kigaruk, the Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program will be accredited as a Diploma of Business Frontline Management through Charles Darwin University. The academic component of the program has been conducted at CDU from August 2005 to December 2005. Both the Kigaruk and Lookrukin programs are being conducted concurrently with 53 participants in total. Formal graduation at CDU is anticipated for mid to late May 2006.
All of these innovative programs and initiatives have contributed to the impressive increase of 44% in the proportion of Aboriginal people employed in the public sector, since this government launched the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy in November 2002. Examples of best practice as I have outlined are proving successful in addressing indigenous employment. However, we are not only developing best practice initiatives through the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. Inextricably linked to this is a responsibility to encourage and support our existing indigenous employees to upgrade their various professions.
We are doing this through a scholarship program for remote employees, an initiative of the Remote Workforce Development Strategy. To date, eight remote indigenous employees have been awarded individual scholarships to undertake a range of professional development activities including VET, undergraduate study, and to attend sector specific conferences and workshops.
Further, through an innovative grants scheme another initiative of the Remote Workforce Development Strategy many remote indigenous Northern Territory public sector employees have participated in professional development programs that are being delivered through their agencies, and others will be attending conferences and workshops specific to their jobs. One example of this is that a significant number of remote indigenous teaching assistants from the Katherine and central regions will be attending and presenting at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in New Zealand next month.
While we can quantify the effects of these programs in terms of individuals gaining skills and qualifications, it is not so easy to measure the good will, confidence and ongoing positive impact that this type of support fosters within indigenous communities. It is perhaps enough to share the following quote with you:
In closing, I would like to reiterate that 6.6% of Northern Territory public sector employees now identify as indigenous or are indigenous employees. While this figure may not seem significant in itself it reflects a considerable commitment by the government to address indigenous employment. The evidence clearly shows that through the ongoing monitoring of the strategies Northern Territory public sector agencies are progressing more effectively than ever before.
It would seem timely that I take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the Chief Executives of agencies and to the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment for maintaining a concerted effort in monitoring and implementing this government’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy.
The recent innovations demonstrated by agencies in addressing indigenous employment is a major step forward and heralds a new and exciting era for the Northern Territory public sector. Feedback from the Northern Territory community acknowledges that there are no easy or silver bullet solutions to achieving successful indigenous employment outcomes; that putting in the hard yards and being persistent is required for sustainable indigenous employment outcomes to be achieved. This will require our ongoing commitment and attention if we want to build on the momentum in attracting and retaining indigenous people.
Indigenous people today can become tomorrow’s leaders, health practitioners, engineers, lawyers and teachers. Put simply, failing is not an option as the consequences are too grim. However, the good news is that we have raised the bar through the ongoing monitoring of the strategy and the innovative practices we are seeing rolled out across agencies. The Northern Territory Public Sector is now leading the way on indigenous employment.
Initiatives such as the Territory-wide series of indigenous employment forums, the Northern Territory Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, the flexible employment models such as those developed by the Alice Springs Desert Park, and the indigenous leadership development programs will help the Northern Territory public sector to continue to improve employment outcomes for indigenous people, and obvious social and economic benefits this will mean to the Territory. I look forward to the ongoing work by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and the Northern Territory public sector agencies in continuing to implement the Northern Territory public sector indigenous employment and career development strategy.
The way forward will be through creating pathways for young indigenous people making the transition from school to the work force, such as the graduate employment cadetships and new apprenticeships. This will help to build the skilled work force we need. Valuing the skills indigenous people bring to the work force will be integral to building our work force. The Northern Territory public sector recognises the need to grow its own leaders and is committed to building attraction and retention strategies for indigenous people; providing access to greater mobility and mentoring between the public sector, community-based organisations and the private sector; strengthening career development strategies which include vertical and horizontal pathways in and across agencies; and providing support for managers in recruiting and retaining indigenous employees.
The development of a Northern Territory public sector specific career mapping tool will also enhance the ability of existing indigenous employees and young people entering the work force to identify opportunities within a flexible work environment. This initiative acknowledges the reality that, for generations to come, multiple career paths will be the norm. The mapping tool will assist in the development of a highly-skilled mobile work force able to meet the changing demands of a dynamic and innovative public sector.
While we have made some impressive inroads, we still have a long way to go. When, then, will we know we are successful? We will know we are successful when there is no longer a need to have an explicit indigenous employment policy within the Northern Territory public sector, as this will be incorporated in the agency’s overall diversity planning. We will know when we are successful when the children of today’s indigenous employees seek jobs in the Northern Territory public sector because their mothers, fathers, friends, uncles and aunties have also worked in the Northern Territory public sector and consider it a good place to work.
We will know when we are successful when it is no longer considered extraordinary or unusual to have indigenous people developing public policy and delivering government services. We will know we are successful when indigenous people are employed as teachers in our classrooms, medical officers and nurses in our clinics, rangers in our parks, and as chief executives in our agencies.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, as spokesman for the opposition, we welcome the statement. Rest assured, minister, the answer to your question early on in the report as to whether the opposition supports the direction the government has taken is yes. We start our parliament each morning by saying ‘to advance, and prosper the best interests of all Territorians’. I stand by that. I represent an electorate comprised of indigenous and non-indigenous, and they are all Territorians. We want to see the best interests of all Territorians advanced and for them to prosper.
I will pass no specific comment on the strategies that have been outlined because in order to address this issue we need to look at structural reform of a more significant nature than the programs that have been outlined in the Northern Territory Public Service. They are welcomed – do not think otherwise. However, the question first and foremost is with the increased population and the increased proportion of indigenous Territorians is whether the global figure of indigenous employment is actually increasing? I am not sure if it is. We need to consider that, if there are an increasing number of young indigenous Territorians, we have to make significant gains to keep ahead and to grow employment in the indigenous sector.
In your reply, I would ask if, in the global sense, that figure is improving or not. I trust you have recorded that. That tells us whether we need to attend to more structural change and reform, such as is being spoken of by the federal government at this time. If we are dealing specifically with the Northern Territory Public Service, yes, it appears that there has been a gain. However, the Northern Territory Public Service sits within the broader context of the entire Territory community, with the economic drivers which underline it, the economic and social, and land tenure reforms which are required to make significant, sustained long-term change.
I would like to pitch my comments in that broader context, as I, for one, are more interested in sustained and ongoing reform and change than to maintain political position. They are, I believe, what really satisfies the interests of families right across the Northern Territory, whether they are in the central desert or in Arnhem Land, or in Ports Keats, it does not matter. They all want the same thing. They want structural change as there is not a lot to encourage.
It is pleasing to hear reference in a couple of places to a reassurance that the core purpose of the Northern Territory Public Service will not be compromised. That is critical as there is a great danger for anyone who is a student of such development and initiatives in altering the culture to serve a social end, and that comes in with tokenism. No-one is a winner whatsoever if we entertain, or court, or feed, the notion of tokenism. We have all seen that occur in our social networks. In a broader context, in running corporations and bureaucracies, the hint of tokenism is death. It does not produce any long-term life. It might sustain a short-term gain. You might be able to get a statement in a year’s time which says that there has been some increase in numbers, although, if we increase the negative aspects that are associated with tokenism, we lose in the long-term.
I acknowledge the comments the minister has made, and they are critical if we are to sustain long-term change. There is a very serious issue related to balance within achieving these objectives in a real and long-term way. The policy to advantage the disadvantaged has been discussed in many forums and places. At one time it was gender – we are talking about race here – and if we are talking about a policy to advantage the disadvantaged, we have to be so careful of the culture that we create in endeavouring to achieve this. A human being as an individual is a complex creature, emotionally complex. Extrapolate that into an organisation or bureaucracy, immensely complex, if we want to change the culture of an organisation. How difficult is it to change the attitude of an individual, to change the way they think and feel? To change a view that was once a racist view to a more inclusive view? It is not an easy thing to do and you cannot do that by policy. It is a very difficult thing to get someone, even in your own family, or a friend to change their view.
That is an indication of how difficult it is to change the culture of an organisation. That is what we are talking about and it has to be taken in that context. Otherwise, we enter into the domain of tokenism and we make superficial change, but in our hearts we know that we have made no real change of an ongoing nature.
There needs to be - and I did not hear it and I am sure it was implied in the statement - cross-cultural work and education within the public sector of the non-indigenous sector so that they understand the other culture. There is nothing more eye opening than when a person recognises that another culture thinks differently to them: judge things differently, respond differently, body language is different, world view is different. Those types of things need to be attended to very carefully in the culture of the organisation, the mainstream or the dominant culture, that we are endeavouring to bring that change into. Otherwise we will have once again that problem that I talked about of the negative aspects of what could be called tokenism.
In the workplace it would be difficult to stand in a position and have some confidence if the word around the workplace is that the person was only put in that position because of a explicit policy of government, particularly when that person is quite eligible to hold that position and able to stand in that position legitimately. Yet, if you have a culture where that person is being undermined in their confidence which is the key, having the confidence to stand in another place, we enter very dangerous territory. I am sure you have enough expertise around you, and enough sensitivity and learning in the around you, minister, to recognise those things and know that what I am saying is, I believe, in merit.
What I was referring to at the beginning is how do we change the situation that you described well at the beginning of the statement. We must change. Skills shortage alone is sufficient argument to require a will to be found to change. Anyone who has an interest just in the economy knows that we must find better ways of dealing with the problems that are before us. An economist will enter this argument and require creative solutions. An economist will find the will. Anyone interested in social development and looking at the health problems and the education problems and all that flows from there will find the will when we see poor education outcomes. When we see appalling health outcomes, a will needs to be found to bring in the change. So there is a will being found which brings us to the word that some may find offensive, and that is ‘mainstream’.
The word ‘mainstream’ is an important one to reconsider. There may need to be a better word if people have difficulty accepting what the word mainstream may mean. However, what I understand it to mean is at the beginning of each parliamentary session when we say ‘our purpose is to advance and prosper the best interests of all Territorians’. That is my interest and that is everyone else’s interest; we are mainstreaming these interests. We want all of us, all Territorians, to see improvements in these areas. I represent indigenous and non-indigenous so anything that starts to separate and create exclusive attention has an inherent danger.
We find within the Education department, from what I am understand, a mainstreaming of that will to find solutions. We find within different agencies, there is starting to come into the Territory psyche a mainstream will; an expression of will to see a change. Once that will is cultivated then we are able to find solutions. That is the important part of it. We all want to see success here. It only takes someone from the Territory who has been thinking about these things and having discussions about them to go to another place, to another state, and to have similar discussions. It is surprising to find how advanced the Territory is in discussing and thinking about such matters.
I sometimes mix in the circles I came from many years ago and I am shocked to learn there has been little change in attitudes back in the wheat belt in Western Australia. They are still saying and believing in the same things that I had forgotten about it. It seems like a lifetime ago. However, racist attitudes are just extraordinary. In the Territory there is an emerging will to apply creative solutions to a clear problem which is all our responsibility. Not the ALP, not the CLP; we are the elected representatives of this community to find solutions.
The core of this is the want, the will, the motivation. That is why reform is so important. Economic reform and welfare reform is important as it then creates the need to change. It is going to be difficult, just as it is difficult to someone who is addicted to tobacco to change and decide not to smoke anymore. I know some smokers, devout smokers and it is not an easy thing to change. There is an addiction involved. I believe in a similar way there is an addiction to welfare. There are the ensuing health problems attached to that addiction and there has to be some tough decisions made. They must be made and this community is starting to recognise that.
Unfortunately, it is developing across the racial divide, if I may use such a term, to make tough decisions such as linking attendance at school to Centrelink payments. In one way or another there has to be a connection between some obligation as a parent to send their children to school and the receipt of benefits. Otherwise, the very sense of the benefit loses its meaning. It is a benefit to assist, to encourage a mutual obligation.
We are going there, we have to go there. Otherwise, all of this tokenism is icing on some foul cake. If we think that all of this rhetoric and a few figures tossed around will make a difference, we have to change the core of these things and make some of those tough decisions. If we do not start introducing some of those concepts, such as consequence for inaction, the workplace will have very little meaning. Turning up to work is an obligation, as is the obligation of the workplace to provide a safe environment and to pay you for doing your work. There is that obvious connection. There is no escaping it. We cannot change the economic model so that it will completely accommodate another world for you and another experience.
Therefore, the welfare system has to also change so that there is a link between consequence and action, effort and reward. Send your kids to the school, you get rewarded; you receive a benefit for assisting in your part of that equation. It seems harsh, however, we are going to have to go there. The new concept of mutual obligation has to be very soundly and sensibly considered if we are going to change culture. The question I asked at the beginning was: ‘Is employment actually increasing in our indigenous communities globally’, as it would have to be at a mighty rate. I am sure I would have heard it trumpeted again and again if it had, because we recognise the extraordinary growth in the young demographic, in particular, indigenous communities. I would suspect because we are dealing with small numbers that statistically we would probably be going backwards.
This links to education through learning, attendance at school, basic literacy and numeracy. It is disturbing to look at the statement and recognise that the Northern Territory Public Service is having to provide courses in basic literacy and numeracy to those wanting to work when we have great institutions and dedicated teachers fully resourced all over the place. Yet, you can get through to adult life and there is no literacy and numeracy. That is why we must have those kids going to school today so that we can reduce this problem and that expenditure in that sector and increase it in other places at a later stage.
I am sure the minister and the members of government will recognise the dangers of tokenism. That is why the CLP traditionally holds that view, very strongly, that any appointment must be on merit - providing all sorts of assistance and priming the pump as far as possible. Ultimately, the appointment must be on merit otherwise we corrupt the very good intention that we are seeking to initiate. Fundamentally, it must be on merit, and the purpose of the public sector must never be compromised. What is the purpose of the public sector? We have to be careful about that otherwise we can quickly get ourselves consumed with another agenda and think that the purpose of the public sector is an agent to bring in social change. No, that is not the primary purpose of the public sector; it is to serve the executive arm of government. Whilst doing that, you can bring about social change, however, that is not the objective; that is another issue. If we are going to attend to that explicit policy of government it must always be subordinate to the purpose of the public sector, otherwise we corrupt that process as well.
I notice also that there has been a significant increase in the public sector in the last couple of years under this Labor government. That brings in issues of cost and raises that issue of reminding ourselves and government about the purpose of the public sector. Is it efficient? Is it attending to its core business and is the core business to bring about social change? There has been quite a large increase in the public sector; that issue needs to be watched.
Generally speaking, we recognise that there needs to be fairly significant reform within the Northern Territory - land tenure, welfare reform and the way that we deal with education - if we are going to sustain change in the way that the minister has set up and recounted the structures that are in place.
The opposition welcomes the statement and commends the strategies, and all those people who represent all of us in the public service who are trying to bring about change. We want to see the change; we are aware of the problems. We know that the best is yet to come for the Territory and all of our endeavours are critically important. However, I urge the government to keep their hand on the tiller and ensure that we are actually heading to achieve that core objective which is to advance and to prosper all our best interests in an economic and social sense without being diverted. It has to be sustainable and real. May we, ultimately, affect the motivation of people to want to apply for work in their own right, irrespective of their race. I commend the minister on the statement.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing forward this statement. I thank the member for Blain for his, on balance, very positive and constructive comments in relation to indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector.
It is my firm belief that the member for Blain ought consider his position in relation to the leadership on the other side because he is at least able to stand on his feet and articulate a view according to himself - and I would expect it to be a view of the CLP - and has the ability to be gracious enough to say, ‘Good job government, I want to see this, I want to see that, I am not sure about this, however, on balance a good job’. That seems to me a skill that is eluding other members opposite. If not leader, he should at least be putting his hand up for deputy leader to support the current leader and bring some integrity and credibility, which is sadly missing from the current leadership team over there.
Notwithstanding those comments, it was interesting to hear his views, that he had been in the wheat belt of Western Australia, and been confronted, perhaps, with some of the things of the past, in relation to attitudes that do not change. That, I believe, would occur from time to time to many of us who return to a place from whence we came after many years in the Territory.
A situation springs to mind: at the weekend when I was in Central Victoria, I met a young woman prison officer. My brother was standing quite close. I was only down there for 48 hours. She said: ‘You would find it funny being down here. You go two days without seeing a coon’. And my mouth and jaw dropped. My brother stepped back quickly and thought he did not want to see what was going to come with this. However, I actually tried to work it through with her and she said: ‘We lock them up down here’. We do too, of course, in the Northern Territory - that is no surprise. However, I tried to work through some of those unfortunate attitudes. Now, that is a person who has not been outside Victoria, not exposed to the daily interaction that we have with indigenous people across the length and breadth of the Territory. It just hit me when the member for Blain was saying that he has experienced that situation. I certainly do not get that much of it, certainly not in that direct ignorant type of tone that I was confronted with on the weekend. I rarely see that in the Northern Territory, and not very often in that very direct and blunt, ignorant tone that was put to me on the weekend.
The member for Blain’s comments in relation to whether the numbers are increasing in regard to the increase in the indigenous population overall are relevant. However, I point out to him that at least we have a benchmark of where we are now, we know where we are going into the future, and we are building those numbers. Without being too condemning of the previous government, it is a bit rich to ask, ‘Are you really on track?’ considering they would not have even known how many indigenous employees they had let alone a strategy to increase it. They simply did not care about having a public sector that was representative of the community it serves.
That was something that the Australian Public Service did with its equal employment opportunity strategies and others from the early 1980s where they brought forward these strategies and said, ‘The Australian Public Service is there to serve this population of Australians that we have and it ought be representative, in broadly percentage terms, right across its face, right across all of the levels, right across all of the agencies, in terms of the ethnic make up of Australia’. We are some almost 20 years behind the APS in coming to the realisation that we need to act here.
I will not be too hard on the member for Blain because I thought his contribution was very positive on balance, however, it is a little churlish to suggest that we are not making ground here when, to make ground on anything, the most important thing is to make a start. Once you have a start, once you have that benchmark material and evidence behind you, then you can move forward. I believe that has dealt with the member for Blain’s comments. I do thank him. I do seriously suggest that he should look at his position, as I believe he has a bit more than what is there at the moment.
We are committed to achieving meaningful and sustainable improvement in indigenous employment levels in the broader community and, most importantly, in the public sectors, specifically where we can bring about change. During my time as minister for the public sector, I made it one of my priority tasks for the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment, and I am pleased that minister Burns, having taken over that responsibility, is continuing this policy. It is imperative that our public sector does increase its indigenous employment, not just to improve the statistics. It is important knowing where we are, because we need a representative public sector, and people in government who understand the Territory and all its people.
Government decision makers need to be able to make balanced and informed decisions about the future of the Territory that reflect its cultural diversity and need. Indigenous people in the Territory represent almost 30% of the population yet just 6.6% of Territory government staff. That is an enormous imbalance and it has to be rectified if we are to continue to build the Territory and ensure its ongoing prosperity. This should not only occur in those traditional areas of indigenous career paths of health, education and police but all agencies which provide crucial services to Territorians.
I want to advise the House of the work of one particular agency that has already taken the important steps towards increasing indigenous employment opportunities, and that is Northern Territory Treasury. Treasury is a key agency. It is a central agency within government providing essential advice to government on issues affecting the whole of the Northern Territory, government revenue and spending, economic and financial analysis, and regulation for liquor and gambling industries. As well as dealing with the fiscal side it also has a key role to play in social development. Increasing indigenous employment in Treasury is critical to our ongoing ability to develop effective economic and social policy for the whole of the Northern Territory.
Treasury has recognised this; it has developed its own Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy which I had the pleasure to launch in November last year. It forms the backbone of Treasury’s efforts to achieve greater indigenous representation with the agency, however, it is much more than just boosting indigenous numbers in the public sector. It is also increasing Treasury’s ability to support government and the community it serves whilst improving the advancement of indigenous people in the Territory. It is a multifaceted strategy aimed at a range of stakeholders from high school students to existing employees in both public and private sectors.
Some of its key goals include promoting:
Treasury currently has nine indigenous staff including the Senior Research Officer, and Licensing Inspector Chief Steward with Racing Gaming and Licensing, Superannuation Officers, Executive Assistant to the Licensing Commission and two national indigenous cadetship project cadets. In the past 12 months, almost half of Treasury’s indigenous employees have been acting in or promoted to higher positions. Two indigenous employees are currently undertaking the Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program. One of them, Alissa Richards, is currently seconded to my office as a Ministerial Liaison Officer. Regular meetings are held between indigenous staff and Treasury so they can strengthen their networks, raise work related issues and provide feedback on various Treasury policies and strategies.
Indigenous staff have been consulted on the best way to promote Treasury careers to school students. As well as advancing the cause of indigenous Territorians, having more indigenous employees in Treasury also has enormous benefits for the agency. The Territory and Treasury, in particular, has always experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled and experienced staff. Treasury, generally, has had the best success in this regard to local recruits. This combined with our ageing work force means that indigenous people represent a largely untapped source of potential employees who will assist Treasury to effectively conduct those work force issues.
My agency of DEET has a sound track record of employing indigenous people. In fact, DEET employs more indigenous people than any other agency. I have worked with my agency to ensure that there are proper career paths for indigenous employees, working on proposals to increase the number of indigenous teachers.
There is a set of statistics which I quote reasonably often: in 2004, Australia produced around 170 000 new entrants into the work force. From 2020 until 2030 it is likely that Australia will produce in total about 200 000 new work force entrants for that whole 10-year period. Only one jurisdiction will have an increase in cohort of 15 to 19-year-olds, and that will be the Northern Territory. Around 80% of those young people will be indigenous. It is imperative that we urgently get on top of indigenous education and employment issues for the sake of the Northern Territory’s future and, indeed, Australia’s future. It is only appropriate that the Northern Territory public sector by its sheer size in the work force in the Northern Territory leads the way by example.
I thank the Minister for Public Employment for his statement. It is encouraging for me to know that my successor in this job is continuing an emphasis and a spotlight on this work. There is only so much the OCPE can do; it does rely on individual ministers and their chief executive officers in each of those agencies. However, by bringing forward a statement such as the minister has today, he is again putting on the record this government’s continued commitment to this strategy, and we want to see results across the board. We have some, we are on the board, and we need to strengthen and sustain those and build on the early successes we have had to carry us into the future. I thank the minister, and I commend him for this statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I also thank the minister for his statement on public employment. It is great to see that there are more indigenous people taking the opportunities offered to them than before. The demand for employment in regional and remote communities especially in the areas of health and education opens up many opportunities for employment and training for indigenous people well into the future. It makes sense to train people who are living in these communities to be workers in those communities, as that is where they have their family structure, as well as important support.
Indigenous issues across the Northern Territory have been discussed, debated, and argued over for many years. It is well known and recognised that low socioeconomic status equals a low level of education, unemployment, esteem, poor community structure and indigenous support. This equals despair, despondency, no hope and expectation for the future.
This sad story gets repeated over and over, generation after generation. To stop this cycle, and it is something I have long talked and argued about, is that communities need economic support, and I am mainly going to talk briefly about regional and remote communities. What better way to introduce self esteem and employment, with the opportunity to improve oneself and having the needs of the community being addressed by those who live there, than employing and training locals. Education is the beginning of breaking this cycle followed by employment issues. In the first instance, regional and remote communities have priorities no different than any suburban community. Their priorities are health, education and training, and being well paid for the work they do. I have not as yet had the opportunity to read the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, however, I am looking forward to doing so.
In Katherine, Burridj Aboriginal Group Training, which is next door to my office, is very active in promoting and supporting indigenous employment in the public and private sectors. They work very closely with Katherine High School through the VET program and school-based apprenticeships, and have some notable achievements and success. In addition, Nitmiluk Park has a high proportion of indigenous employees, especially as park rangers, who do a fantastic job. These employees are well trained and take great pride in their jobs. The park rangers have a huge responsibility in looking after the safety of the tens of thousands of visitors to Nitmiluk Park each year, and to also give accurate information to those visitors. The visitors always speak highly of an indigenous ranger as their guide, and appreciate the cultural experience they share.
In addition, indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector in the Katherine region appears to me to be going reasonably well. I am very supportive of any person who wants to improve their situation in life, and hope that any indigenous person who wants the opportunity for their own advancement in whatever area they choose, be given that opportunity. I also want to reiterate the member for Blain’s comments that these people do have to earn their role on their own merit the same as everybody else.
I congratulate the remote indigenous teaching assistants from the Katherine and central regions who will be attending and presenting at the World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education in New Zealand next month. This will give those assistants the opportunity to network and to increase their knowledge and skills which will, in turn, increase their enthusiasm when delivering education programs in NT schools. Participation in conferences and workshops is to be encouraged for upskilling. It is also an extremely encouraging sign to see that these people will come back to their communities and set an example for their families to follow.
Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement and look forward to assessing the outcomes of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy over the coming years.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the minister’s statement on the NTPS Indigenous Employment Career Development Strategy. I have long had an interest in recruitment and retention strategies for indigenous employees in the public sector. From memory, I participated in the development of a recruitment and retention strategy for my employer, the then Department of Social Security, and had input into a national strategy for the Department of Social Security’s Employment and Retention Strategies.
In the NTPS, I was one of a number of officers in the Education Department who worked to develop a departmental indigenous employment strategy in about 1998. I must admit I was surprised to find that the strategy we were working on had been around in draft form for quite some time, and there was little accurate hard data or organisational information on how the department was performing in its employment and retention of indigenous staff. I was very surprised at this, given the information that my previous federal employer had amassed on its indigenous work force participation rate. I naively thought that this was how it would be in all government agencies whether federal, state or Territory. However, I was wrong; it was not the case in the NTPS of that time.
This problem was not unique to the Department of Education. Across the NTPS in the 1990s, there was little concerted effort to capture employee personal details in relation to whether they identified themselves as indigenous or not. This lack of data, I feel, marks the inability and lack of political will of the CLP government to achieve its publicly-stated objective in 1983 to achieve indigenous work force participation in the sector to 20% of the total work force by 1990. It should have come as no surprise to anyone that a review of the CLP’s NTPS Aboriginal Employment Career Development Strategy 1995-2000, found that there had been limited progress in addressing indigenous employment and that the strategies implementation across agencies had varied. I would like to place on record that this review was conducted prior to the change of government in 2001; however, the report itself was not presented until after August 2001.
One must really question how it was that the CLP, in 1983, had identified indigenous employment as such a critical social issue that they set a work force participation rate of 20% and, yet, some 18 years later under their stewardship they could only achieve a work force participation rate of less than 5%. I do not mean to infer that there was some sort of CLP government conspiracy undertaken to not employ indigenous public servants, however, I will make the point to my colleagues that over this time we saw a comparative decline in the overall living standards of our countrymen in areas of health, education and social amenity. We did, however, see in most or our countrymen’s community an increase in crime against the person, in lifestyle-related diseases, and in substance abuse and misuse.
It should come as no surprise then that the available employment pool of potential individual indigenous citizens, who had the standard of education to enter either the professional or clerical streams of the NTPS, was very limited. I also make the observation this lack of job ready skills was also likely to be one of the underlying inhibitors for the individual to have the opportunity to access employment options in the private sector as well.
I would hazard a guess that all members of the Assembly are well aware that around 20% of our Territory population identifies themselves as indigenous Australians and that, in an ideal and equitable world, we should be seeing this type of representation in both our public and private sector work force participation rates. However, I believe that until we improve our economic and social base in the bush will we not be able to see anything like that figure in our work force participation rates.
The majority of our public sector jobs are to be found in either Darwin or Alice Springs, approximately three quarters of the work force are to be found in these two centres. In contrast, approximately 65% of our indigenous citizens are to be found in the remote areas of the Northern Territory, in areas that have historically suffered from the lowest standards of health, education and housing of all of our citizens. They live in places that were set up as administrative centres rather than for economic reasons, so that proximity to job opportunities or economic activity is a coincidence, with the end result being high levels of welfare dependency. These factors make the task of trying to make our current public sector employment base emulate our population base impracticable under current structures. However, it is highly unlikely that these structures will change in the immediate to near future. For this reason, I do not think it is neither practical nor wise to set up arbitrary human resource employment targets.
The minister mentioned earlier in his statement that indigenous Territorians do account for about 28% of our population and, of this number, some 40% in 2001 were under the age of 14. We know that a great number of these kids’ parents are welfare-dependant for a number of reasons, however, high amongst those reasons would be lack of education and job skills, and lack of access to any employment market. We also know that, historically, educational outcomes in our remote areas over the last three decades have been, to say the least, unsatisfactory, both individual and the community.
That disadvantage is being addressed by the targeted policies of this government and the hard work of our teachers in the bush is recognised. However, realistically, we will not turn around the decades of neglect overnight. We have, right now, probably between 35% to 45% of our indigenous population who, if given the opportunity by way of training, flexible working conditions and, of course, a job market, would be able to participate in full-time employment. These are local recruits. If we can get them into the labour market, savings to the greater community and the economic benefit they would generate overall would be massive. People may scoff at this picture, however, if we do not believe such outcomes are achievable, then we might as well shelve any employment retention plans for indigenous workers, because what these plans are, in fact, are gateways for a better future for the entire sector. These types of plans should be formulated with the idea that they will become redundant over time, that they will no longer be needed because individuals are able to compete, on merit, for positions, and each and every one of us has the some chance of a good job on an equal playing field, which, I might say, is not the case at this time in our society.
Given that we have an ageing work force and we are competing for new labour market entrants, it makes good business sense to put in the additional effort to recruit, develop and retain our own locals. These are born and bred Territorians. They are not going to wake up one morning, smell the roses and feel the need to return to their home states. They are home: their parents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends are here. Sure, as is the right of the individual, they might move from job to job, from the public sector to the private or NGO, however, overall, their skills and knowledge will be used for the benefit of the Territory in the Territory.
This strategy was developed with the aim to address the critical under-representation of indigenous people within the NTPS. As I stated earlier, in 2001, as an employer we really did not have a good handle on what exactly the completion of our work force was, and a lot of the work had to be undertaken to identify the baseline data. I was very pleased to be advised that, since 2001, when only two agencies, both of which, I might add, have a strong human resource management focus and really positive workplace culture - I am referring to the Commissioner for Public Employment and Department of Corporate and Information Services - had credible equal employment opportunity data.
I understand that, following a lot of hard work and hard sell by staff of OCPE, we have seen an attitudinal shift in the NTPS whereby staff are now more willingly reporting the EEO data to the extent that, from 2002 when 60% of entries on the government personal database had their indigenous status recorded as unknown, the current level of reporting has dropped to 38% unknown. There is still quite some work to be done to reduce this reporting figure, however, it is heartening to see that both the individual and the departmental response to providing this data has improved over time and there is every likelihood, with improved awareness and better capturing of data at the commencing phase of employment, that we will finally be able to have an accurate picture of the true penetration of indigenous participation rates in our public sector.
We require this information so that we can better target personal and organisational development programs to maximise the potential of the individual to the public sector. I have had a look at some of our recent NTPS employment statistics and it will come as little surprise to see that the main areas of employment for our indigenous workers are in the Education department as assistant teachers, the Health Department as health workers, or the Police as community police. It is heartening, however, to see that we have approximately 317 indigenous officers in the clerical stream. However, our joy at this statistics needs to be tempered with the knowledge that most of those jobs can be found at the lower end of the pay and responsibility scale.
There are indications that change is on foot. We are now starting to identify indigenous individuals working in the nursing stream, working as police officers, and working as teachers. We also see a small number of individuals employed at the Executive Officer level of the NTPS. These examples highlight the need for us as an employer to identify what are the barriers for the vast majority of indigenous employees from progressing at the same rate in percentage terms as their colleagues in similar positions in the NTPS.
The answer has already been given earlier. It is the lack of access to adequate employment skills to make them competitive on merit with others in the workplace. This is where the strength of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Career and Development Strategy lies. These statistics inform us as to where the development needs are most required and allow us to create programs to meet that need. An example of such a program - and everyone is going to this because it is a fabulous program - is Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program and the Kiguruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program. Both these programs have the same structure and modules and have an end result for the individuals in that they graduate with Diploma in Business. Unlike other NTPS development courses, such as the PSMC and EDS, the Lookrukin and Kiguruk courses are sex specific and so are delivered in a culturally appropriate forum. Participants are expected to complete 11 written assessments based on core units such as manage your personal work priorities and professional development; manage effective workplace relationships; manage quality customer services; and ensure term effectiveness.
As I indicated, there are many more units, however, those I have mentioned give you an understanding that this course is not easy. Given appropriate support, indigenous employees who may not otherwise have the opportunity to progress within the NTPS are now able to compete on merit; full promotion leading to improve employment satisfaction. I have been fortunate to view some course feedback. I am pleased to say that one individual advised that after completing the course, they had successfully competed for a high administrative position in the NTPS. The valuation of the Kigaruk program also indicated that the individual participants learnt how to study and were now prepared to undertake other courses and programs which may translate in the more indigenous employees acquiring skills and abilities to enable them to operate at the executive level of the NTPS.
I believe the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Career Development Strategy 2002 – 2006 is a focus strategy that is achieving and will continue to achieve a marked increase in the indigenous work force participation rates right across the public sector and internally across all levels. The strategies set sound foundations to further build on creating a job market that will provide greater opportunity for indigenous employees, particularly those who may have suffered some disadvantage to accessing quality education and skills training through no real contributing fault of their own, however, more likely through the happenstance of life. This strategy has the potential if implemented with conviction, compassion and understanding of improving the social wellbeing of both the individual employee and their dependants.
We Territorians must not allow ourselves to be misled by some who would have us believe such employment strategies are in the province of the bleeding hearts and the wrist-wringers. Government-led indigenous recruitment and retention strategies make good economic and social sense. We have for too long as a society and for too long as an employer not provided our indigenous employees with a level playing field on which to enter and compete in the public sector work force. I consider this strategy to be just one, but a critical one, of the stepping stones to achieving a better and more effective NTPS for all Territorians. I commend the minister for his statement. I commend the public servants, each and every one of them, for getting behind and supporting the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Strategy 2002 – 2006.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I support the statement on the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. I welcome the vision of this government to have a future public service in the Northern Territory that reflects the diversity of the community it serves. I particularly welcome the vision that sees indigenous Territorians taking their place amongst the professions. I have long argued the need for career paths that would encourage indigenous workers to undertake further studies and training to become professionals and para-professionals. I welcome hearing from the minister the commitment to achieve this across the public sector.
The minister is totally correct. Indigenous people in the Northern Territory are an untapped resource. Investing and developing the capacities of the indigenous people is an urgent task and it is in the economic interest of the Northern Territory that this commences now.
The minister reflected on future population growth, and I would like to add to this by discussing the demographic picture of Central Australia. In 2001, the relative proportions of Central Australian resident population was 38% indigenous and 62% non-indigenous. Population projections showed that by 2021, the relative proportions in Central Australia would be 42% indigenous and 58% non-indigenous and, most importantly, the indigenous population is younger. As the minister said, if we invest now in developing the capacity in employment opportunities for indigenous people, we have the potential to avoid the labour market shortages as Australian work force numbers decline when the baby boomers retire from the work force and continual decline in youth as the percentage of the population.
For the indigenous population it is the lack of employment opportunities resulting in large numbers of Aboriginal people being unemployed or classified as not in the labour force that has the largest effect on wellbeing. In the 15 to 24-year-old age group, 65% of indigenous people in Alice Springs and 82% from remote communities were classified as unemployed or not in the labour force. The income of people in this age group is correspondingly low; almost 80% of people from remote communities had an income of less than $200 per week, with 12% of this age group having no income. When you compare New Start data for indigenous and non-indigenous people in the 15 to 25-year-old age group, you find young indigenous people receive substantially less income, compared to approximately one third of non-indigenous youth, even though they are on the same benefit.
Many indigenous people aged between 15 and 24 years also have young families and indeed the data records a 66% birth rate to indigenous mothers in this age group. The low levels of income have a strong bearing on the ability of parents to provide for their children and subsequently the health status, educational outcomes, and other indicators of wellbeing are brought down. These problems are compounded by CDEP. CDEP is the primary source of employment in the remote communities in Central Australia while market-based employment dominates in Alice Springs. There too, CDEP looms large as a buffer to unemployment. The problem with CDEP is that a significant number of CDEP participants earn less than $200 per week, which is less than they would receive if they were collecting welfare entitlements. Of the 1071 people participating in CDEP in Central Australia in August 2001, 123 people received zero dollars. Getting around this situation of appalling poverty by creating opportunities for employment is urgent.
As the minister said in his statement, there is a causal connection between unemployment and problems such as alcoholism and high suicide rates. If this continues into the future then the cost of social and health problems on the Northern Territory budget will multiply. In effect, the Northern Territory cannot afford not to invest in Aboriginal employment and I applaud this government’s foresight for making indigenous employment a priority. I also join with the minister in hoping for bipartisan support for these initiatives, as the future of the Northern Territory and its Aboriginal people are too important. As the minister said, we need to double the number of indigenous people in work over the next ten years and the Northern Territory public sector is one vehicle well placed to assist with this growth. I am very pleased that the government will be monitoring the implementation of the strategy and look forward to being able to scrutinise the implementation of the indigenous employment and career development strategy.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to the member for Macdonnell. I concur with a lot of things she said. One of the other areas that Aboriginal people are disadvantaged when they are on low wages is the very high cost of living, especially buying basic food items. I will probably come across that in my statement to some extent, however, I will still be interested in reading what she said in Hansard later, especially some of those statistics she gave us.
I might start off with what you finished at the end of your statement. You said: ‘We will know we are successful when indigenous people are employed as teachers in our classrooms, as medical officers and as nurses in our clinics, as rangers in our parks and as chief executives in our agencies’. I totally concur with that. Without trying to sound high and mighty, I made that statement 35 years ago when I went to Daly River. We are still along way from achieving that. There are some successes and, sometimes, you might say those successes are not quite where you have aimed at in your statement, because we certainly have a lot of sporting successes. Quite a number of Aboriginal people have succeeded there. However, if you were to compare that with the number of doctors we had, for instance, I suppose that would look fairly minute. I agree with what you said, minister. It certainly is what we have to keep aiming at. There are times when you can get a bit down about this whole thing.
I thought I would add a little of my own personal approach to it. Whilst I agree with what you have said, I could probably say that my family could also add to some of what you have said in your opening statement. My wife had quite a low education qualification; I would have thought she had Grade 6 in the days of grades. She became a nursing aide and was one of the first Aboriginal Health Workers in the Northern Territory. Afterwards, she was a teacher’s aide in Palmerston. My eldest daughter now works in Perth for the Department of Education, Science and Training. My other daughter is doing a cadetship with the Commonwealth Valuer-General. My third daughter is working at Batchelor College.
How many Aboriginal kids who live out bush could be as lucky? I had the advantage of leaving the bush, coming to the city, finding a job, and was able to put my children through a good education.
This paper tells of the programs the government has put in place to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed by the NT Public Service and the number of jobs required to address the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous people. As I will show later - and I congratulate the government on its strategies - it cannot take away the fact that employment for Aboriginal people overall is fairly appalling.
The Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002-06 is an important strategy in achievable goals. I will quote what you have said, minister:
I hope that this strategy is careful not to achieve outcomes or political targets based on tokenism but, instead, on the qualification of merit and the filling of real jobs. We need to be able to make the opportunities available for indigenous applicants, and allowances for a sometimes foreign and frightening environment, with the need to have the feeling they have achieved the position based on their educational skills and other appropriate qualifications. To not do so would not only be patronising, but also be seen as dropping people in the deep end without having swimming lessons. They would be out of their depth and, perhaps, a cause of resentment for those who had to get to the same place with hard work and study.
I should say that it is a difficult balance. Aboriginal people coming into a foreign environment working with the public service do need assistance. You are attempting to put them there on the same level as anyone else, however, the reality is, whether it is shyness, there are other factors that are difficult for people to measure if you just stand in front of a board and say: ‘Are you qualified?’ There are other factors that make it hard sometimes for Aboriginal people, and there needs to be a helping hand. However, at the same time, that does not extend to be a tokenistic approach.
Many Aboriginal people are well qualified for the jobs they are asked to do. The minister highlighted some of the examples with employment in the southern park region. Aboriginal people have in-built knowledge about the plants and animals, the weather and the landscape of their region, and we must not stop there. Hopefully, this is just the beginning, with more people going on to university to study and broaden their knowledge, and employing people with both traditional and scientific knowledge in our parks is certainly a great attribute for the Territory.
I notice the minister mentions the number of ACPOs in our police force. ACPOs are an important part of police in the Northern Territory, and it was good to see the government recently overturned one of its policies which required local government to help fund ACPOs in their community and now fund it through the normal police budget. ACPOs are an integral part of the police and should be recognised through the budget as just that. One of the greatest problems is the retention of ACPOs. It would be interesting to hear whether the minister has any figures on the retention of ACPOs with an analysis of how long they have stayed in the force, the reasons for leaving, and what can be done to reduce the turnover.
With our prison population about 80% indigenous, I would be interested in how many indigenous correctional service officers are employed in the NTPS? Does it compare with ACPO numbers in the police force, and how does it compare with the overall numbers in the NTPS? Surely, with so many Aboriginal people in gaol, the numbers of indigenous correctional officers is an issue worth considering.
There are two areas you have not touched on - and I understand the debate, if you take it strictly according to the statement about Indigenous Employment in the Northern Territory Public Service - and the member for Macdonnell touched on one in her statement. One is CDEP, and the other is non-government employment. There is one place where there should be full Aboriginal employment and that is on the communities. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and this fact is hidden by the CDEP programs which mean if they were removed from the unemployed data, then about 57% of Aboriginal people would be unemployed. Whilst CDEP has been run with good intentions, it has had a hit and miss history of success, and has been used to fund programs, especially local government programs, where they should have been funded from normal sources. CDEP is, on its own, worthy of discussion in this parliament as it has been part of Aboriginal employment, or unemployment, strategies for years in the Northern Territory. Although it is not a Northern Territory Public Service employment strategy, it cannot be isolated from this discussion today.
According to the Building on Success CDEP Discussion Paper 2005, a submission by the NT Council of Social Service (NTCOSS), CDEP employs about 50% of Aboriginal people who are registered by the ABS as being employed. They also say that 81.3% of the indigenous population live outside of Darwin, and 53% live outside regional centres in remote communities. There are more CDEP programs in the NT population than elsewhere in Australia. NTCOSS states that indigenous employment is declining. Statistics show that, over the last 10 years, the percentage of indigenous people in the labour force, including those working on CDEP, has declined by 1% as compared to a growth of over 12% for non-indigenous people. NTCOSS goes on to say that during the same period the number of CDEP places has increased, that is, there has been an even greater drop than 1% in employment when CDEP jobs are excluded.
Minister, whilst you may paint a rosy picture of indigenous employment in the public service, one has to ask, is most of this in the major centres, and is it the case that we are really hiding the appalling unemployment levels for indigenous people in the bush, and worse when you include CDEP? I would be interested if the government has done anything to pick up NTCOSS’ recommendation number 5 from their submission, and I will quote:
I realise that the Commonwealth government has looked at the CDEP program, however, having a look at what they came up with I am not sure a great deal has changed, and whether there are opportunities for the Territory to renew a commitment to the reviewing the progress of the CDEP program. It is sad that many of our councils, which I know come under a lot of criticism, are not being used as the major employer in these communities, not CDEP. The councils have sufficient funds to employ people like any other council in Queensland or outback New South Wales because they are the obvious group that can run many of these employment programs.
I believe your statement has much merit and it is good for those Aboriginal people moving into the NT Public Service. However, it does seem to me that we are hiding the overall situation in indigenous employment in the Northern Territory. Minister, you quote a gentlemen called Stiglitz, on page 4 of your statement and I agree with what he says. I quote:
I do not want this taken the wrong way, however, when we talk about jobs in the Northern Territory Public Service for indigenous people, are we giving jobs, you might say, to urban Aboriginals and at the same time leaving remote Aboriginal people out of the equation? Statistically, we might have many urban Aboriginal people getting jobs in the Northern Territory Public service. Is that covering up the fact that many remote Aboriginal people cannot get a job with the Northern Territory Public Service? Maybe a few; many of them cannot. As I said before, the CDEP program should be a program where full wages are paid, where enough capital equipment is provided, where good honest managers are in place to make sure it is run correctly and that there is nobody rorting the system. Then you get a culture of work from which people can move up the scale. Until you get that going it is very hard to change that culture.
There are plenty of Aboriginal people working hard, however, in some other areas it is just window dressing. I have a couple of Aboriginal communities in my electorate and I really do wonder what the CDEP program does because each time I visit those places do not seem to be maintained. I know they have money to maintain them and if we have these programs they need to be properly audited. CDEP needs an overhaul.
The other area the minister did not mention was private employment. I know that strictly it is not an area of your concern, however, it is an area that offers the most scope and advancement for Aboriginal people. I have a friend, Lyn Jones, and her daughter who drive dump trucks out at Ranger Uranium. One does one shift and the other does the other shift and the only time they meet is when one gets out of the truck and the other one gets into the truck. I have to get out there and see these two ladies working. They work 12-hour shifts driving those great big dump trucks around Ranger Uranium. Here are two Aboriginal women out there with the rest showing them they can do the job.
There are plenty of other Aboriginal people working in the mining sector. It is an area that would be good to see the statistics on. How many indigenous people had jobs or training with Bechtel? How many jobs have Aboriginal people gained from the Darla subdivision at Palmerston? How many indigenous people are employed in the tourist industry?
A few years ago a common complaint was that people would go to Kakadu and not see one Aboriginal person. Has this changed? How many Aboriginal people are working in Coles or Woolworths Supermarkets around Darwin? I cannot recall any. Is there any program either by government of the big supermarket chains to employ more Aboriginal checkout chicks? How many indigenous people are employed in the cattle industry, once the backbone of Aboriginal employment? Real jobs are in mining, retail, agriculture, transport, tourism and Defence, and that is where our indigenous people will make their mark.
Until Aboriginal people are able to have full employment, until a culture of work not unemployment exists, a culture of learning and not skipping school and the disappearance of the tall poppy syndrome - which does not get mentioned; however, I do know in the communities that I have been in that sometimes when a person has achieved something and has gone back to their communities they find it very difficult to stay as leaders because the culture tends to be of the tall poppy syndrome. That is hard for some people and they need encouragement to get through that - until these things are done it is going to be hard.
Education in remote areas it is just woeful. I have said it time and time again, 9% of year 3 Aboriginal students in remote areas achieve the standards required and it is a very low figure. Until we can lift those figures up, as education is the key to employment, it is going to be hard to have indigenous doctors, nurses, teachers, fighter pilots or train drivers.
Your indigenous statement is good, although governments can feel good if they read statements like this without taking in the whole picture. Aboriginal people are moving forward, however, as I said before to the detriment job-wise of remote Aboriginal people. That is where we should be really putting our resources. We need to put our thinking caps on, create practical programs to create employment, widen the funding the role of councils so they can employ more people on real wages and forget the theory and do something.
If this parliament really wants to make a change for indigenous unemployment then it has to act decisively along with the Commonwealth. I do not believe that the Territory government should have to take this matter wholly and solely on its own plate. It needs the Commonwealth to act. I know they have talked about changing CDEP, however, I do not think they have taken it far enough. I think the member for Barkly has spoken before on CDEP saying ‘you really need full wages; people need to earn a proper wage under CDEP’. Until those radical things change we will not advance.
The minister’s statement is good. It is about getting more people into the Northern Territory Public Service. It would be interesting to know, and maybe the minister cannot tell us, what the Commonwealth Public Service policy is for encouraging indigenous people into the Commonwealth Public Service.
One of daughters works for the Department of Education, Science and Training. She started off working for Centrelink at Casuarina and Palmerston. She moved to Kununurra where she continued with Centrelink and then she was offered a job at the Department of Education, Science and Training. She now works out of Perth where she is working with Aboriginal groups associated with the schools to the south of Perth. She has found her way into the Commonwealth Public Service. My other daughter is doing a cadetship in the Valuer-General’s Office. I do not know whether there are parallels to what the NT government is doing with the Commonwealth, as that is the bigger picture: to see if there are as many indigenous people being employed in the Commonwealth.
I congratulate you on your statement. It is good from a Northern Territory Public Service point of view. The downside is that when you look at the big picture of Aboriginal employment it is not real good; we have to try a bit harder. It is going to be a long haul; we cannot give up. I am sure you will have some comments on it. I applaud you for the statement but there is a lot more to do yet.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I support the ministerial statement regarding the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. I said in my maiden speech that amongst the things I would like to achieve in my time as representative for Brennan in this Assembly are improvements in health, education, and job availability for Aboriginal people.
The Northern Territory is one of the largest employers doing business in the Territory. It, therefore, has a role in improving job availability for Aboriginal people. Picking up on what the member for Nelson said, it has a leadership role in showing to private practice what can be done for employment of Aboriginal people. I know there are initiatives that private enterprises have in place, however, as all speakers have noted, there is much more that can and needs to be done to improve employment rates for Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal people are increasing as a proportion of the total population in the Northern Territory. Approximately 30% of our population now identifies itself as Aboriginal. As I said in my maiden speech, if we can truly harness the power of this section of our community then the Territory will, inevitably, become an economic power house.
The government has a vision. The minister referred to some statistics reflecting the position of indigenous people in the Territory and elsewhere in Australia. They bear repeating: the lowest socioeconomic status, the lowest rates of employment, higher mortality and morbidity rates than the non-indigenous populations, and the lowest levels of education. There is a lot of hard work to be done and I look forward to the day these statistics read that Aboriginal people have at least the same levels of employment, mortality and morbidity, and education as non-Aboriginal people. I look forward to the day we can announce that Aboriginal people enjoy the same range of socioeconomic status as other groupings within our society. Along with that go the same prospects to look forward to.
In November 2002, this government launched the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006. This strategy made it clear to everyone, within and outside the public sector, that this government viewed indigenous employment as a key issue, core to the business of every government department and agency. In order to effect change, a direction must first be set. Direction is determined by the destination that is sought. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006 set the goals and the direction clearly. The minister’s statement referred to the fruits of this clarity: 44% increase in employment of indigenous people in the public sector. That is a significant figure, however, we all accept that there is a lot more work to do.
I touched on the importance of engaging more Aboriginal people and economic development. The minister also went into some detail, and there are some other aspects to mention as well. We are all aware that the Territory still experiences a considerable turnover in population. The Australian Bureau of Statistics states:
To put this into even more stark relief, the ABS published turnover in population between 1996 and 2001 found the Northern Territory has the highest population turnover. The figure it came up with for this period was 89.2% of the Territory’s total population. That is an astounding figure. I thank those in the Parliamentary Library for locating the figures for me. These figures do not flesh out an accepted observation, that the turnover basically occurs in the same area of the population, that is, one part of our population remains in the Territory with very little turnover, however, there is another part of our population that is comprised of a transient population where short term residents regularly move into and out of the Northern Territory.
Our indigenous peoples, by and large, do not form part of that transient population moving out of the Territory. Our permanent indigenous population, which currently makes up around 30% of our total population and continues to increase as a proportion of that total population, is the bedrock of support for the Northern Territory. Investment in the Aboriginal population will return great dividends to Aboriginal people at an individual level, a community level and provide a return to the Northern Territory, because the Territory will not lose its investment. The Northern Territory Public Sector will gain, as will other industry sectors which employ Aboriginal people in greater numbers from a work force that remains in the Northern Territory. This contributes to the build-up of corporate knowledge within agencies, industry and companies.
If the public sector reflects the population it serves, it also has a greater ability to connect with that population. Let us not forget that the relationship between Aboriginal people and government, not just the Northern Territory government and those before the Northern Territory had self-government, and the federal government, but all governments, the interaction Aboriginal people had with those agencies, historically, was, by and large, bad from their perspective. We have the Stolen Generation who are a legacy of a lack of understanding. There are other aspects to that as well but it bears out the point that Aboriginal people have not had a great relationship with bureaucracy.
We heard from the member for Macdonnell, during the minister’s statement in relation to the interpreter service, that many Aboriginal people feel alienated from the public sector, and this can be traced back to what I have just said. This inhibits the use of government services, it even prevents the use of services that government attempts to make freely available. Getting more Aboriginal people into the public service will break down this feeling of alienation. This means that the public service will become more efficient at service delivery as more and more of those whom it attempts to contact feel more comfortable and confident in their dealings with it and with its objectives in relation to them.
The member for Macdonnell referred to the barrier that language poses for many Aboriginal people. This is something government agencies can overcome if they had employed in their agencies local Aboriginal people who speak Aboriginal languages and are available to deal with the indigenous people who seek the assistance of government. I am always amazed by the number of different dialects that many Aboriginal people speak. It is not a case of Aboriginal people speaking one different language or two. Often it is four or five and the member for Macdonnell is a perfect example of that.
An example of what can be done is provided by the Australian Army with its creation of Norforce. The army has successfully harnessed skills possessed by Aboriginal people to meet a need it was unable to address to its satisfaction previously to the use of Norforce. Norforce traverses land in which other units struggle. It engages with remote communities in a way the Defence Force previously had no success in doing. Such is the success of Norforce that it has become a vital defence unit with a vital role in the Top End. The minister referred to a variety of initiatives designed to encourage and support more Aboriginal people being employed in the public sector. This ought to be seen, as I said earlier, as an investment in the Territory economic future. It is an investment in individual Territorians, in Territory communities and it is an investment in providing better services and better service delivery by the public sector which addresses the concerns of a significant proportion of the community.
I commend the minister on the statement and with all members look forward to further improvement in Aboriginal employment within the Northern Territory Public Sector.
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, I welcome all contributions by all members here this evening. There have been some very thoughtful contributions and they have all been given in a very good spirit. Each speaker has added to the debate and there are some threads and themes that have run through the contribution of members. One of them is everything is moving along in the Northern Territory public sector, but what is happening outside that? What is happening in terms of remote Aboriginal communities? What is happening in terms of employment in private sectors and areas outside? What is directly influenced by the Northern Territory public sector? I will try to address some of those issues as I move through the contributions by individual members.
Of particular interest was the contribution by the member for Blain. He welcomed the statement and welcomed the initiative by government. However, he raised a wider question about significant reforms required to really push Aboriginal employment within the wider community. He talked about some of the welfare reforms that he believes in and that is a debate that has been had by the wider community. It is something that quite a number of members mentioned. This is a topical issue and some very high profile members of the Aboriginal community within the Territory and nationally are raising this very issue. It is a healthy debate that the community has to have and we need to move forward on those particular issues.
My particular statement focused on the Northern Territory Public Service. A number of speakers, including the member for Blain, warned against the whole issue of tokenism within the public service, that basically it is no good just offering indigenous people jobs if it is tokenism. A number of speakers have also mentioned that the Northern Territory public sector works on the merit based principle and that is not being pushed aside in this particular respect.
The member for Nelson showed a fair bit of wisdom there. He said: ‘We should be focused on outcomes not tokenism. It is a difficult balance. However, what is required is a helping hand’. That was very wise advice, member for Nelson, and underneath what we are talking about here is a merit principal, and a helping hand being extended to indigenous people to support them in gaining employment and reaching their goals and objectives within the Northern Territory Public Service. I agree it is a very important issue and we need to preserve that principle of merit. Then it becomes a very valuable thing to attain.
The member for Blain also raised the issue about things moving along within the Northern Territory Public Service. What about the community as a whole? What is happening with Aboriginal employment as a whole within both the private and public sector within the Northern Territory community? He raised some issues there and this government has been fairly active in trying to grow traineeships and apprenticeships within our community. Whilst there are no specific incentives for indigenous trainees or apprentices, there have been about 2500 young people in the Northern Territory taking up traineeships and apprenticeships per annum. Three thousand are currently in training and I am advised that 700 of those are indigenous. There is a natural take-up across all industry sectors and across all trades including what are known as the hard trades. This proportion that government is offering through traineeships and apprenticeships is close to the proportion of indigenous people within our wider Northern Territory community.
It is an important issue, member for Blain, however, government is endeavouring through these traineeships and apprenticeship programs to redress the imbalance and try to ensure that there is an increased uptake of employment within all sectors. We are interested in helping and supporting Aboriginal people, particularly young Aboriginal people, to benefit. It is a very important issue.
The member for Blain also mentioned that whilst it was important for organisational change to occur within the Northern Territory public sector and beyond, there is a balance where people also have to adapt to the work culture and the workplace. That is a very hard balance and it is one that I want to see in the Northern Territory public sector. I agree to a large extent with what the member for Blain has said there.
The member for Nhulunbuy has had a long history with education and working with Aboriginal people in that particular context. He made a fairly important statement where he said he is just not looking at the statistics but the quality of what has happened, of what is going on. What are the outcomes for people individually and collectively and the sort of positions that people might aspire to and the sort of support that might be offered for those people to gain employment within the public sector and reach their goals like everyone else in the public sector. He was very emphatic about that. He also went through a number of initiatives: Treasury, which is the main central agency. Some of us tend to think of Treasury as heartless bean counters, although they are out and about on the show circuit this year. They are certainly active as the Treasurer pointed out in terms of initiatives in this important area of indigenous employment.
The member for Katherine gave a very good perspective from a regional and remote focus. That was her focus and she emphasised the importance of employing and training local people. There was much wisdom in what the member for Katherine had to say. She pointed to the success of Nitmiluk in regard to Aboriginal employment and the work that people are doing in Nitmiluk. She also gave a bit of a report card from the Katherine regional perspective that, from what she could ascertain, there were positive initiatives within the Northern Territory Public Service to support the employment of indigenous people who want to be employed within the Northern Territory public sector. The member for Katherine, I thought, spoke very well from her perspective.
The member for Sanderson has also had a fairly long-term involvement through his jobs in the public sector, both within the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory. He pointed to what he saw as a lack of results under the previous government, particularly in data collection. This is an important aspect which has been picked up under the current initiatives. Like many other speakers, he talked about the importance of recruiting indigenous people locally within the public sector, and also pointed to the fact that the merit based principle worked very strongly within the indigenous leadership program where people were able to go on and get promotions within the public sector. To quote the member for Sanderson, he talked about this strategy, ‘making good economic and social sense’.
The member for Macdonnell spoke very eloquently about a vision of equality for people within Central Australia. She had a Central Australian focus, which is understandable. She also talked about the disadvantage of people having a low income and problems with CDEP. Quite a number of other speakers also mentioned CDEP, and I want to return to some comments about that as I know the member for Nelson also spoke at some length about it. Once again, the discussion became broader than the Northern Territory public sector, and it points a way for us to focus within this parliament and also within the Northern Territory, to look at the wider picture of Aboriginal employment.
The member for Macdonnell said that many people in CDEP positions earn less than $200 per week. She wants some equity. She is also looking for bipartisan support that we, as a parliament, as the Northern Territory as a whole, can address these very important issues which exist within her electorate and beyond. I thought the member for Macdonnell made an excellent contribution.
Coming to the member for Nelson, he agreed that there was a lot of success in the statement; there were highlights in it. He also talked about the closing quotes within the statement that we will know we have arrived when we can see that there is equality in Aboriginal people being nurses, doctors and teachers, and occupying a whole range of positions in equitable numbers across our public service. He said that is something he has believed for a long time, since he first came to the Northern Territory and worked at Daly River - that basically that was the aim; there would be equality in that way when people have equity and those positions. I thought that was pretty true; it held true then, member for Nelson, and it holds true today.
I particularly enjoyed the personal approach the member for Nelson took when he spoke. He talked about the achievements of his own children, and he has every reason to be proud of his daughters and what they have achieved. It is something he and his wife can be justly proud of. He also pointed to the fact that there are quite a number of indigenous people who have not achieved for a variety of reasons, and he started to explore that within his speech tonight. I want to try to follow through on some of the things which he said.
He said he wanted outcomes, not tokenism, and I dealt with that earlier in what I had to say. He emphasised the importance of having a helping hand rather than tokenism. I will say again that that is certainly something I agree with. He asked the question about the number of indigenous people within the Corrections Department. I do not have those figures at hand tonight, member for Nelson, however, I will endeavour to get those to you. I believe you made quite a valid point - given the number of indigenous people who are incarcerated – that we should be looking to have more indigenous people as correctional officers.
He highlighted two areas of concern for him, as the member for Macdonnell did and a number of other speakers, about the issue of CDEP and of indigenous employment in the non-government sector. Basically, he talked about an NTCOSS recommendation of some years ago that there be a review and overhaul of CDEP. I am advised, member for Nelson, that that review is currently being carried out. According to the study by Taylor from CAEPR, from 1996 to 2001, the major change in Aboriginal employment across the Northern Territory had been a slight increase in CDEP employment, and the proportion of employment for indigenous people in the mainstream falling from 20% to 16%. You have made some very valid points. There are concerns amongst members of this side, and concerns in the community in general, about CDEP - where it is now and where it is going to go to, because there is no doubt that people want real jobs. In some places, CDEP works well, and in other places it does not work well. It is no good having people on CDEP wages if they are doing the same job as someone else but the other person is getting a full wage and they are not. It is a very complex issue. We do not want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
If we make some sort of decree such as no one who is associated with Northern Territory government work or agencies is going to be on CDEP it could instantly throw a whole lot of people out of work. I know it is an important issue that Dennis Bree is working through. He is looking at indigenous economic development and also indigenous employment. It has been very interesting, in discussions with him and also to see the booklet that was launched earlier this year by the then minister, Jack Ah Kit, looking at indigenous economic development and giving some little picture snapshots of various enterprises across the Northern Territory in mining, in tourism, in beef production - all the things that the member for Nelson mentioned. There are some great success stories in there, and I know the member for Arnhem mentioned some initiatives in her electorate in terms of bakeries and training. So there are some positive things going on there with the private sector.
Employment is the key, not only to economic development, but to many of the problems that face particularly remote Aboriginal communities. I do not talk about it much in this place, but I actually did my PhD on Aboriginal petrol sniffing in the Top End and, apart from the scientific and medical side, it was a look also at strategies to combat petrol sniffing on our communities. I did one particular case study at Maningrida, and there are a number of strategies that were used by the community council, including Avgas, which I suppose has its parallel in the OPAL fuel. In my mind, the major success there was the whole spectrum of skills training and employment strategies that were implemented by the council, particularly with the young men who were at risk who were already interacting with the law because of their petrol sniffing and all the rest of it. Basically, the employment that was offered there was to do with building. They had different teams: they had a building team, they had a demolition team, they even had the ‘roach busters’ team as they used to call them, and they had the horticulture team. They had a whole range of teams of these young blokes who were very happy to be working and painting and whatever.
That was a major contributing factor to petrol sniffing vanishing in Maningrida. My advice is there is no significant amount of petrol sniffing out there at this stage although, unfortunately, a whole range of other drug use has replaced it. One of the tragedies that I could see was, basically, that there was a change of government federally and many of those education and training programs which were previously funded by the federal government were axed. Overnight many of these young blokes were thrown into unemployment and the whole cycle started again.
There is a message in there for governments to try to have some consistency in their programs and we also have to be careful of advocating economic growth just for its own sake. I know in Maningrida there have been some fantastic programs; economic development occurred there and quite large turnovers of money. However, if you look at some of the census statistics between 1996 and 2001 what you find is there has been a decrease in Aboriginal employment of about 15% to 20% and that is including CDEP. In the corresponding period there has been an increase in the number of non-Aboriginal people working in this place. So we have to be very careful and this is the work that Dennis Bree is doing: trying to target economic development, trying to build the skills, training and employment that actually supports Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities to have full participation rather than just introducing another layer of bureaucracy or outsiders in there. Our focus should be to grow our own.
You have raised some very important issues, member for Nelson. You also talked about urban versus remote employment and I have mentioned a few of the initiatives of government in relation to that. Also, in my statement I highlighted some things that are happening in the region and mentioned the work that Dennis Bree and others are doing there. That is an important issue.
I also compliment the member for Brennan for his offering. He points out that the Northern Territory public sector is the largest employer in the Territory. The stark statistics of unemployment …
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I move that the member for Johnston be given an extension of time to complete his speech.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I will not be long in finishing now.
The major issue that the member for Brennan raised is about turning this stark statistic around and arriving at a point where Aboriginal people are equitably represented throughout the Northern Territory Public Service at every level, and sharing in the wealth and the good fortune of the Northern Territory, making their proper contribution. Like the member for Brennan, in my maiden speech I talked about the importance of unlocking the vast social, cultural, and economic potential in the Northern Territory and in a way we have had a sleeping giant in terms of what Aboriginal people can offer as time moves forward in the Northern Territory.
Culturally and historically, their contribution, their place, cannot be questioned. However, I think there is a place that is opening up there that we need to open up for them to fully participate as the Northern Territory moves forward in this new century. And young people are essential to that.
The member for Brennan also talked about the population turnover and how there was stability amongst the Aboriginal population. He rightly points out that indigenous people are the bedrock of support for the Territory and that the strategy that has been presented here today is an investment in indigenous people within the Northern Territory. He also talked about the sorry history of interaction between indigenous people and governments and government agencies, and the need to turn that around for Aboriginal people to be full participants and thereby the bureaucracy of the government agency will become more efficient.
He also raised the example of Norforce, which of course is not a Northern Territory government initiative. However, I have personally noticed Norforce is a great opportunity for young Aboriginal men to train, to get self-esteem, to be welcomed in a great organisation like the Australian Army. Aboriginal people right along the coastline of the Northern Territory have a great history of being part of the army and the defence of Australia. One only has to go out to Yirrkala and see some of the exhibits there of some of the other communities to know what great contributions Aboriginal people made in war time. That is just a continuation of something that has been happening for a long time and I commend it.
In closing, I thank all members for their contributions here tonight. It has all been very positive and there have been some very good offerings made tonight and there have been some positive suggestions from all sides.
I thank the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment and, in particular, Wendy Ah Chin who put together the statement and has been very helpful in furnishing some facts and figures to me. I thank Wendy for her commitment and indeed the Commissioner for Public Employment for their commitment to this very important initiative by government. I commend them for their work. I also thank John Martin from my office for assisting in this statement here tonight. I commend the statement to the House. I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
In early September, I had the pleasure of attending Moil Preschool disco which was held to raise funds for the preschool to complete their bike track. The track cost $6000 and the school needed to raise a few more dollars to equal the dollar for dollar funding. Steve Saint donated two barbeques to the preschool to help raise funds and these were raffled and the prize winners announced at the disco. The disco was well organised with lots of games and prizes for the kids and hip hop and rap dancing for the older kids. There were purple lights and glow sticks and the kids looked fantastic in their fancy dress.
I was delighted to help with the barbeque and chat with the parents and children during the night. Sharon Walker and the staff did a fantastic job as they always do. They dress up, put face make up on, and give the kids such an enjoyable night. I know the kids love it. It was great to see Gabby Willes and her mum, Michelle, there; also Manuel, Ian, Shaun and Dennis Talbot were there with their mum, Jennifer; Kaitechia and Deb Griffey; Deb and Neil Clifford with Ashleigh and David; Jessica and Emily Bartlett with mum and dad, Anne and Stephen; Chris Bollmann and Mathew Nathan with their kids, Kevin, Emma and Patrick; and Luke and Zoe Craze with their mum, Ruth. They were some of the crowd enjoying the festivities during the evening. Moil Preschool has some really great fun nights and I really look forward to the next one.
Tonight I would like to talk about the MASH Group from the Salvation Army. I had the privilege of entertaining the MASH Group from the Salvation Army for morning tea on Wednesday, 7 September. This group, started by Russell and Ruth Beazley back in the 1970s, is a multicultural mature age mix which meets every second Wednesday from 9.30 am to 11 am for various outings. Russell and Ruth, who are well known in Darwin for their community service, have just retired and moved to Howard Springs. MASH gives people over 50 an opportunity to get together for friendship, information sharing and going out and seeing places around Darwin. The Salvation Army Corp Church, its officers and administrators, Peter and Karina Wood are presently the organisers of the MASH Group and Karina is doing a great job. Peter and Karina live in Moil and are constituents. I commend them and the Salvation Army for the great community work that they do, not only with the seniors group, but also with young people and a whole range of people across the community.
Transport is provided for those in the MASH Group who are unable to get to the venues on their own. Stuart Eddy and Russell Beazley have been the bus drivers, however, now that Russell has retired from this, casual drivers are being used until a permanent driver is found. Events that have happened during the past six months include a visit to Charles Darwin National Park, morning tea on my balcony, and a visit to the museum is on the cards. There have been visits from guest speakers including Healthy Living NT, Cardiac Health, and Commissioners Doug and Bev Davis, who were formally leaders of the Salvation Army in South Australia. Doug and Bev spoke on their visit to Gallipoli.
On days when an excursion is not scheduled, the seniors look forward to games mornings and quiz competitions. MASH has members of varying abilities, with some in wheelchairs and some with limited vision; the oldest member is 92 years young. Peter and Karina, together with Coral Haynes who does the catering for the group, do a fantastic job giving our seniors something to look forward to every second Wednesday. I also commend Coral Haynes. She lives in Jingili. Coral is a very community-minded person and I always love having a word with Coral. She is having a great time supporting the seniors doing the catering and supporting the work of the Salvation Army who do such a fine job in our community.
It has been my pleasure this evening to speak about some people and events within my electorate of Johnston.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk tonight about a couple of events I have attended over the last few weeks and just to say a few words of recognition about one of my constituents who has retired.
First, I would like to mention that I had the opportunity of attending the Ngurratjuta Country Cup in Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago. I was representing the Minister for the Department of Sport and Recreation. Whether it was my football background that got me down there, I am not sure. I am pleased that I did go as it was just a great day.
The grand final was played between Yuendumu and Central Anmatjere. It was an outstanding game of football. Central Anmatjere were up all day until the final siren when everything was drawn. They had to go into extra time, and the game progressed for two five-minutes halves and Yuendumu ended up winning after being behind all day. It was a great game. There were some wonderful skills, and the game was very respectful in the way of behaviour. Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, as you are an umpire, the umpiring was done very well and it was an enjoyment for the crowd to see. Needless to say, the emotion of Yuendumu at the end of the game was ecstatic, and it was unfortunate to see poor old Central Anmatjere down in the dumps after being up all day and playing so well. They really can hold their heads high. They went in as the underdogs, however, played exceptionally well with confidence and displayed outstanding team work all day. The discipline from both sides was very good.
Congratulations should go to the AFLCA board and to the administration there. They ran the day exceptionally well, and everything went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the following week was a bit more disappointing. I did not go down there, however, the match ended up in disappointment with the crowd and players displaying poor sportsmanship to the opposition, officials and umpires. It is a shame that all the hard work that the board and the administration of the AFLCA had put in throughout the whole year came to an abrupt disappointment there that week.
The night before, I had the pleasure of attending a dinner which was run by the AFLCA, which was a fantastic event. It was the AFLCA’s Outback Team of Champions’ dinner. They had in excess of 100 people present at the dinner which was held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre. It was a wonderful night. It recognised all of the old players from over 58 years of football in Alice Springs. They all graced Traeger Park at some stage of their careers. This night recognised the greats in administration, umpiring and the coaches and players of over those 58 years. There was a poll done through a committee. That committee had a hard job to come up with the final team. I would like to recognise those people in a minute.
They had special guests including Wayne Johnston, commonly known as ‘the Dominator’ who used to play with Carlton Football Club; Peter Phelps, the actor, who has been involved with a number of series on television such as Sons and Daughters, Flying Doctors, and so on, and one of our Northern Territory greats, Michael Long, also attended. They made presentations throughout the evening. Before going into this any further, I would like to recognise the good work and the effort that the general manager, Gary Learmonth, put in over a time. Unfortunately, Gary has now left Alice Springs; however, he and his wife, Stasha, did an amazing job. They were there for 18 months, and put in a terrific amount of time and really turned the league around. They managed to get a lot of sponsorship and did a lot of hard work to recognise the league and the players.
It is a hard competition. It is a five team town competition. The country’s competition played on the Sunday is played between eight teams, and it takes a lot of administration and a lot of collective effort from everyone there to make sure it all happens. I would like to recognise Gary and Stasha’s efforts in their time they did spend there, and to finally put this night together is an outstanding accolade for both of them.
The team has some fantastic names here, and you might have to bear with me for a little while. I would like to mention the teams and the administrators that were involved. From the back lines and the back pockets were Michael Liddle Snr, who played for Pioneers; Noel Hayes, who played for Amoonguna and South. The fullback was Patrick Nandy from South. The halfback flanks were Steve Connelly from Wests and Alan Irwin from Rovers, and centre halfback is a name that has sort of stuck with me, Gerry Ebert, who played with the Rovers. I played with Gerry’s younger brother, Russell, who was an outstanding footballer in South Australia, winning four Magarey Medals and captained the team that I played with in South Australia for a number of years, and was just a sensational player. It was great to see Gerry being named as centre halfback in this representative team. Gerry has put a lot of time and effort into Alice Springs football over the years.
On the wings were Richard Kopp Snr, who played for Pioneers, and Brian Napier from Federals, and in the pivot position at centre was John Pepperill who played for Pioneers. The half-forward flankers were Henry Peckham Snr from Pioneers and Dennis Henschke from Rovers, and centre half forward was Bruce Simmonds from Federals. The forward pockets were Daniel Palmer from Larrapinta and Federals, and the other pocket was Phillip AhChee from Pioneers, Lance White was at full forward. The followers were Les Turner from Pioneers, Graeme Smith from Pioneers, and the rover was Darren De Brenni from Rovers. On the interchange bench was Don Blackmen, Federals; Lloyd Bray, Pioneers; Peter Buckham, Federals; George Cooke from West/South; Craig Davies from West, and Grant Jungala from Amoonguna and South. Kevin Tilmouth was also named on the bench as well from Federals, Amoonguna and South.
The coach was Richard Taylor from Pioneers, who has had an amazing career as coach for Pioneers. They have been a very strong side over the years. His assistant coaches were Reg Harris from Federals/Pioneers and Athol Mitchell who was involved in four of the teams there, Pioneers, Federals, Souths and West. The administrator was Cal Dean and many people would know Cal. He has been involved in Alice Springs football for years. In my time at the AFLNT, I had quite a bit to do with Cal who was just a fantastic administrator. He spends most of his days at the park and can do nothing but work hard and make sure that the football progresses there. He has been an amazing administrator over all those years.
Dave Perry was the field umpire, along with Dean Newman. Terry and John Bell were the boundary umpires, and the goal umpires were Max Juett and Chris Russack. I am pleased to say that all of these people I have just named have gone into the first Hall of Fame for the Central Australia AFL. As I said, it was a great night with many stories told as you can imagine.
I was lucky enough to be invited by the Chief Minister the other night to the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards held at the Holiday Inn. I must say I went there with a bit of trepidation thinking it was going to be one of those boring nights, however, it turned out to be a really good night. I want to thank Meriel Corbett-Weir, chair of the Management Excellence Awards Committee; she did a marvellous job with her committee to set up a wonderful night. It recognised some terrific achievements from some people throughout the business community of Darwin.
I want to announce a few of those and the winners: the Owner Manager of the Year was between two people: Julie Shugg, the Managing Director of AKS Welding & Fabrication, and Paul Lemesurier, Director and Operations Manager of NTess Fire Consultants. Julie Shugg was lucky enough to win. She is running a very good business and is very busy at the moment with all the construction business going on around town.
The Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector was between four people: Ross Bradford, whom I mentioned in my speech earlier and is the Chief of Staff of Headquarters 1st Brigade in the Department of Defence; Louise De Bomford, Director of Mitchell Street Childcare Centre; Stuart Fitch, the Chief Executive Officer of Arafura Timor Research Facility; and Margaret Broadbent, Business Manager of the Casuarina Senior College. As I mentioned earlier, Ross Bradford won the Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector.
The Professional Manager of the Year in the Private Sector was between seven people: Shane Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Top End Division of General Practice; Yvonne Lamotte, Northern Territory Manager of Great Southern Rail; Jane Lawton, Northern Territory Operations Manager for Mission Australia; Mike Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Group Training NT; Michael Maloney, Human Resources Manager of Tangentyere Council; Helder Santos, Manager of BOC Gas and Gear; and Vicki O’Halloran, Chief Executive Officer of Somerville, and Shane Dawson was lucky enough to win.
The Young Manager of the Year was between four people: Jennifer Anderson, the Manager of Coast Watch Darwin, Australian Customs Service; J Easterby-Wood, Manager Interactive Communications and Development for the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services; Anastasia Govan, Project Manager, Power and Water; and the winner was Russell Cahill who is the Director of Service and Contract in Power Corp Pty Limited. One other person in that group – it should have been five - was Lucio Cercarelli, the Director of Technical Services at Palmerston City Council who has done exceptionally well. I have had a bit to do with Lucio through the Palmerston City Council and he is a terrific operator and it was great to see him recognised in the Young Manager of the Year.
What set the night off was the guest speaker, a gentleman by the name of Tom O’Toole. He sat at our table and when I first meet him he seemed a demure, well presented gentleman, quietly spoken. I did not really know too much of him until I read the booklet which gave some background. Tom O’Toole is a charismatic and innovative inspirational baker from Beechworth in Victoria and he has built his bakery into one of Australia’s greatest retail success stories. To see Tom sitting down talking quietly with us and then get on stage, there was such a huge transition. At first I thought he was a lunatic on stage; he went beresk. His actions had to be seen to be believed; he was very vocal, his actions were excessive, and his expressions were amazing. He carried on like this for about 30 minutes, however, I could say after two or three minutes he had you enthralled with what he was talking about. His talk was outstanding, motivational and positive. He was extremely entertaining and probably one of the best speakers I have ever heard.
He has had his shares of ups and downs. He took over the bakery in the small town when it had a population of 3000 people, and those 3000 people were gradually dwindling away in the early 1970s. He had a staff of two, now he has a staff of 70 plus. When he first started he had an annual turnover of $100 000; now he has an annual turnover of $4m. He is serving well over 900 000 customers a year. It is an amazing story. He had some troubled experiences in his early adult life, which he explained throughout the evening. He owes a lot of his success today to a close friend, a solicitor, who took him to Lifeline and some counsellors to get him back on track and help him through his low points. His motivation and positive outlook on his life which has got him through and his business up to where it is today was explained exceptionally well and very captivating. If any of my fellow colleagues get a chance to see Tom O’Toole in action, do it. It is a very entertaining night.
The last one, I would like to …
Mr Acting DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, your time has expired.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to make some comments for the purposes of Hansard and also for the purposes of sending to a number of people, many of whom I have received telephone calls from today in relation to the minister for Police and what can only be described as his extraordinary outburst earlier today when we were debating the Domestic Violence Bill. It is appropriate that I put these on the record. I plan on sending my comments - and I have already sent the minister for Police’s comments as recorded in a parliamentary rush I received earlier this afternoon - to a number of people who work in the area of domestic violence. To say they were appalled is something of an understatement.
For the sake of completeness, and because of the seriousness with which I and others regard his comments, it is appropriate that I refer to various matters for the sake of the Hansard and for historical record. Not to put too fine a point on it, I wish to place my condemnation of the way the minister for Police conducted himself and the comments he made. Before addressing some of the matters he raised during his contribution to the debate, I would like to state in very clear terms my disappointment, and the extent of it, of the way he has politicised the issue of domestic violence.
It is a sad day, indeed. I have not seen, in the relatively short time that I have been in parliament, a minister of the Crown, nor for that matter, any other member of parliament behave so despicably. To politicise this issue is both shameful and unforgivable. As members will recall, we had what could be described as a reasoned and civilised debate about the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill today.
I made the point that the opposition was supportive of it, however, that a number of concerns expressed to me by well respected people who work in the area created a level of unease within me. I then went through and quoted from letters I had received, one of which had been sent to the Attorney-General. The letter was from the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit, the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service, Katherine Family Support Unit Aboriginal Corporation, Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service, NPY Women’s Council and Top End Legal Service. I went through and quoted much of the letter. I made it clear that they were the views of the authors of the letters, and I asked the Attorney-General to provide a response when he had the opportunity of replying to the issues raised.
It was a well-measured, reasoned range of points that were, it seemed to me and others, respected by the Attorney-General. I now, with some level of regret, turn to the comments of the minister for Police and in this regard I will quote some of the things he said. He said, at the outset:
The answer to that is that the minister for Police need not have any reason to be uncertain. Yes, he is a simple man; certainly not a complex one. Nor did he display great levels of intellectual ability or agility when it came to discussions for a serious and sensitive piece of legislation. Secondly, the police minister said:
Although the sentence is unfinished, I make the point that, to dismiss my interest in the violence that is perpetrated day in, day out, in the Northern Territory against women and children as a ‘soapbox’ is regrettable to say the least. I am very glad that I feel strongly about some issues that affect people in the Northern Territory. I do not know what the minister for Police feels strongly about; he has not given any indication either in or out of the parliament of his passion or his levels of concern in relation to anything. He may, indeed, make it up as he goes along, however, that is for others to judge.
If he was trying to say that he is tired of me talking about the issue, then I simply say ‘poor him’; he is to be pitied. I will not resile from using this parliament and other forums as a vehicle to effect a change. When all 25 of us were elected to this parliament, we had somewhere in our minds the willingness or the desire to contribute to making a difference. By describing my interests in these issues and, by implication, questioning my commitment to them, the Police minister diminishes the work that I and so many others have done over many years. People I know and respect, regardless of the politics, have devoted much of their working life to making a difference to women and children who are the victims of domestic violence. By referring to their desire to make a difference and to help others, he is relegating their passion to the realms of soapboxes. If caring about domestic violence is a soapbox, then I am very proud to be on it.
Third, the minister tried to make a comparison with the numbers of domestic violence orders under the CLP and Labor governments. There are a couple of points I wish to make in respect to that comment. First, there is no doubt that he has sought to politicise domestic violence - shame on him. I do have some regard to history. I never met Maggie Hickey, however, I am well aware that, as Labor leader, there was with her leadership a great deal of bipartisan support, application, and commitment to the issues of domestic violence. That was the case in Territory politics for many years. However, on the Labor side of politics, the example of Maggie Hickey is one that the Police minister have should reflect upon.
Second, he seems to proclaim - and this is very curious indeed - that an increase from 39 domestic violence applications under the CLP in 1999 up to 724 under the Labor government as a success. It is not a success. How dare the Police minister gain some sort of perverse pleasure from an increase in these figures? They are figures to him, however, I can assure him that they are more than just figures to the women and children who are the victims of domestic violence day in, day out, in the Northern Territory.
Third, the minister is in complete denial about the great work and education that all governments around this country, regardless of their political colour – state, territory and Commonwealth - have done over many years, as well as those who work in the sector, to heighten education about domestic violence. This is an issue about which there should be no politics.
The minister referred to the difference in the figures, from which he seemed to derive some pleasure, and made various remarks about policies of the CLP. He questioned where the policy commitment was and why the CLP did not do anything about it. Well, in the short time I have had, I have trawled some of the Parliamentary Records and am more than happy to personally deliver some of the them to the Police minister. The facts speak for themselves. In some of the debates that I have read, members from the Labor side who were in opposition at the time generally supported - particularly under the leadership of Maggie Hickey - some of the policies that were implemented by Shane Stone as CLP leader. Now, people will criticise Stone, they will criticise the CLP. The CLP did some things well and some things badly, but, by God, did the CLP under Shane Stone’s leadership do domestic violence well. In particular, I refer to a comment he made during a debate on 25 February 1998, where he referred to various programs, and said:
He went on to talk about the Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy and other initiatives, as well as the Domestic Violence Strategy of the Northern Territory. So, to have a go at the CLP, which is the way the member for Wanguri, also Police minister works, is one thing, but by having a go and suggesting that under the CLP nothing or very little happened is, in fact, to have a go at those hardworking public servants, not to mention those who work in non-government organisations and all of the efforts they have done over many years. The work of the Office of Women’s Policy done over many years was commendable. My view is that the Office of Women’s Policy is a shadow of its former self when it comes to its initiatives on domestic violence.
The minister went on to refer somewhat dismissively and in a patronising, condescending and unconscionable way to my concern about this issue as, ‘the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing from the Leader of Opposition and the crocodile tears in this particular case’. As I said, I have e-mailed and faxed the Police minister’s comments to a number of people who work in the area of domestic violence. I will not quote all of it because I can assure you it is decidedly unparliamentary. One of the comments is as follows:
The e-mail goes on to say, ‘Lack of genius; what is he saying? That you are lying, you made it up? What a …’, it is unparliamentary, the four letter word starts with a D and ends with a K, second part of the word is head.
That is just one of the responses I have received from people in the sector in relation to the very alarming comments made by the minister for Police. For reasons unknown, the minister saw fit in the context of a debate about domestic violence to refer to the issue of property crime. I am not sure why he did that. It is curious, to say the least. However, I can assure the minister, who patently has shown by his comments and his conduct, that he has no understanding whatsoever of the issues of domestic violence, that property crime is not high among the concerns of the women and children who are the victims of domestic violence.
The minister went on to say that I used theoretical reasons and interpretations or otherwise of legislation. I gather that he does not hold tertiary qualifications, not that that in itself is pivotal in anyone’s capacity to engage with the community or represent the community or, indeed, to participate in debates of a legislative nature, but for the Police minister to have a go at what he describes as theoretical reasons and interpretations of legislation, all I can say is, get a life. This is the forum where we do debate legislation; some aspects are theoretical. However, I simply make the point that when we are talking about domestic violence this is about the protection of women and children. There is nothing theoretical about it, minister for Police.
What was interesting, of course, was that he seemed to suggest that the Northern Territory parliament was not the appropriate forum to have this debate. Perhaps I am missing something but last time I looked it was a democracy in the Northern Territory. I know that riles members of the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party and they would like to put an end to it, however, this is the appropriate forum and any day of the week I will come into this parliament and debate any issue raised by government.
What was concerning was that he said, and I quote: ‘There is going to be a ton of legislation come through here. Some is going to be more important than others’. I do not know what the inference of that comment was. Is the Police minister suggesting that domestic violence legislation is not more important than other legislation? I do not know the answer to that. I guess that is for others to judge when they have a close look at Parliamentary Record.
He did suggest that rather than raising issues preferably and legitimately in the Northern Territory parliament that we should have had a briefing. I say to the member for Wanguri, who is also the minister for Police, that for people of the Northern Territory the only briefing they get is in this Chamber. I appreciate that the Attorney-General to his great and eternal credit respected the debate and made mention of not only the contents of the debate but our rights to debate this issue in his closing remarks.
I end on this note, the Attorney-General is a man of greater intellect and integrity than the police minister will ever be or indeed ten members for Wanguri. I am heartened that there is someone of intellect and integrity on the Labor side of politics because it sure is not the member for Wanguri who is also minister for Police.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this evening I speak of the happenings and achievements in the electorate of Port Darwin. Firstly, I must say that many of the children of Larrakeyah Primary School are keen Crusty Demon fans. As the member for Port Darwin, I donated four Crusty Demon tickets to my local school, Larrakeyah Primary. The principal, Jo Wynn, and deputy principal, Michael Calwell, decided to raffle the tickets. The two very excited winners were Josh Mills and Nathan Appleby. Congratulations to both boys.
Other news from Larrakeyah Primary is that the project to identify talented and gifted children is currently under way. Advice in the recent newsletter was that a number of children had been identified as being gifted in the arts. This program is being coordinated by Alison Walsh who has expertise in the visual arts and Belinda Hoult representing drama. Perhaps there are some future famous actors and directors amongst the students of Larrakeyah Primary. This is a splendid initiative.
I received a copy of the Larrakeyah News during the week. This newsletter is put together by the Larrakeyah branch of the National Trust. They are advising in this addition that the Myilly Point Heritage Precinct will hold an open day of all four houses and gardens on Sunday, 30 October during the hours of 1 pm to 5 pm. Tours of the houses and gardens will be conducted and afterwards you can enjoy Devonshire tea in a relaxing friendly historical atmosphere. The kids have not been forgotten. There will be activities and competitions with prizes during the day. Other news from the National Trust is that high tea is available every Sunday between 3.30 pm and 6 pm. You can enjoy some old world favourites such as lemon curd tarts, ribbon sandwiches and rich fruit cake in the ambience of historic Burnett House. This is a must for relatives and friends who brave the build up and come to Darwin in the green season.
Unfortunately, the Trust has had to cancel Heritage Week celebrations this year due to a shortage of resources to organise this major event. However, looking to the future, they are fortunate to have two new people to assist with the functions of the Trust and they are Jenny Milne and Jeanette Anictomatis. Both women will provide invaluable support to the Trust. Hopefully, with the addition of Jeanette and Jenny plus others who are interested in promoting and preserving our heritage, this event will be available next year.
The Larrakeyah branch committee for 2004–05 comprises Chris Bond, Lesley Mearns, Gaynor Maggs, Serena Milne, Vivien Morris, Alastair Shields, Lillian Smith and Pat Townsend. The Trust will be holding their AGM and awards night on Friday, 28 October at Burnett House. If there are people who are interested in the enjoyment and preservation of our historically significant buildings and traditions, this is a great way to meet people, learn about and contribute to and share our history.
On 28 September, I attended and participated in Clean Up Darwin Day. I was provided with pink gloves and a large bag to assist with cleaning up of the city area. Others involved were Red Cross volunteers, city traders, Lord Mayor Peter Adamson, Larrakia Rangers, and council staff, Christie Thatcher, Steven Joseph, Gene Robson and Mike Spencer. This was a very worthwhile day and it coincided with the launch of the new marketing strategy for Darwin City, Darwin Does It For Me, and Port Darwin does do it for me.
I enjoyed a very busy weekend, starting with my attendance, on behalf of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, at the Charles Darwin University graduation ceremony on Friday evening to witness the graduation ceremony of students who have completed their studies in a number of disciplines. Robert Chamberlain of the Department of Justice was awarded his Bachelor of Laws, and Wendy Raymond, who is Territory Housing’s Darwin Housing Manager, completed her Diploma of Frontline Management. Both of these recipients are long-term public servants who have studied while maintaining their employment. Congratulations to these and all graduands.
Later that evening, I attended the 50th Anniversary Dinner of the NT Minerals Council. This dinner was hosted by Ms Kezia Purick, who has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the last 15 years. The Minerals Council has been in operation in the Northern Territory for 50 years to the day of the ceremony. I enjoyed the company of Mr and Mrs Joe Fisher, who are residents of many years in the Port Darwin electorate. Mr Fisher was mentioned for his long contribution to the Northern Territory Minerals Council at the executive level.
Saturday was again very busy, starting with my attendance at the Defence Forces Freedom of Entry and Welcome to Darwin at Raintree Park. I was pleased to represent the Chief Minister and continue my relationship with the Defence personnel who are strongly represented in my electorate of Port Darwin. I was also very fortunate to be invited to Larrakeyah Barracks on Sunday afternoon for a sunset cocktail party to celebrate and mark the end of Navy Week. I was witness to the Ceremonial Sunset, which is traditionally maintained by Navies throughout the world to salute the lowering of the Ensign at the close of the day and also the Beat to Quarters which stems from the 17th Century when a drum roll or beating of drums was carried out in warships to signify a call to arms when an enemy ship had been sighted. These are perhaps the oldest and most significant of Naval ceremonies. Although steeped in Naval history, they now usually conclude days of special importance. This was the case being the finale to Navy Week 2005, and I feel very privileged to have been witness to this ceremony on Sunday evening. My thanks are extended to my gracious hosts, Commodore Campbell Darby DSC AM RAN, Captain Peter Marshall RAN, and Captain of HMAS Coonawarra, Mark Hill RAN.
On Saturday evening, I also, like the member for Drysdale, attended the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards. I would like to congratulate Alan Langworthy, Julie Shugg, Russell Cahill, Shane Dawson and Ross Bradford for their outstanding achievements. I also congratulate all of the finalists. The competition was very strong and I would not have liked the job of judging the winners.
As a final point, I would like to remind everyone that this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have spoken about this issue at every opportunity over the past two weeks, and by now members of our parliament may feel like calling a point of order for repetition in parliament. If this is the case, I am delighted, mission accomplished. Awareness and education are the keys until a cure is found. I am touched and proud that our Madam Speaker so quickly agreed to my suggestion of going pink in parliament. Madam Speaker has invited members and visitors to wear pink in parliament this coming Thursday during Question Time. I commend Madam Speaker and all members for supporting this important cause which is very close to my heart.
Concluding this adjournment, I must say congratulations and thank you to all the people I have met and who have hosted me over this fantastic weekend, and do not forget to buy a pink ribbon.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I have the privilege to place on the record the obituary relating to Mr Gil Court. Mr Gil Court was a member of the Minerals Council for many years and he passed away on 14 August. His funeral was held on Friday, 19 August, and was attended by around 200 people. I have been asked if I would place this on record, and it is my privilege to do so as the shadow minister for Mines and Energy.
Those comments were from Kezia Purick, the CEO of the NT Minerals Foundation. The next obituary was read by Tim Schinkel, who is the Executive Officer for Major Industries Training Advisory Council:
Des Caulfield, the Executive Director of the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Skills Council, which is the National Training Advisory Council for the resource industry, read the main eulogy:
Vale, Gil Court
They were the other obituaries read for Gil Court at his funeral on Friday, 19 August 2005.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will be brief this evening, although I have a couple of important adjournments to recognise some significant people.
Firstly, congratulations to the Power and Water Corporation’s Nathan Heinrich who won this year’s prestigious Austin Asche Apprentice of the Year award at the annual Group Training Northern Territory Awards. As Minister for Essential Services I am very keen to see that we maintain and increase our effort in terms of providing young people with apprenticeships and traineeships. After completing his cable jointing apprenticeship, Nathan won a permanent position with Power and Water as a cable jointer with Power Networks in the underground section. After winning this award he was invited to attend the Australian Training Awards in Perth in November. Nathan also recently spent a week in Canberra rubbing shoulders with the Prime Minister as part of a development initiative through Group Training Australia. He was nominated to take part in this national leadership program for 21 group training apprentices and trainees held at the Australian Institute of Sports. This program aims to maximise leadership potential helping participants make better informed decisions about their work, life and the balance between the two.
Power and Water have good reason to be proud of their apprentices. Last year, three Power and Water apprentices won awards at the annual Group Training Northern Territory awards including Mark Stansil winning apprentice of the year, Christopher Moles winning stage three apprentice of the year, and Michael Turner winning an outstanding achievement award for trainees. This year, the Power and Water Corporation recruited a record intake of 12 apprentices up from eight in 2004. Undertaking an apprenticeship is a challenge for any young person, however, it requires a great deal of commitment and hard work although the skills gained last a lifetime.
Six of these new apprentices are based in Darwin, three in Alice Springs, two in Katherine and one in Tennant Creek. The apprenticeships, which will last up to four years, are for linesman working on the power networks, electricians working on networks and power station generators, mechanics working on power and water infrastructure, and plumbers. The apprentices are employed and managed by Group Training NT in partnership with the Power and Water Corporation. This initiative supports the Northern Territory government’s Jobs Plan and will help address the skills shortages in these traditional trade areas.
As long as I am minister for this particular organisation I will be making sure that we do keep our shoulder to the wheel in terms of training young people. It is the most important thing we can do.
I would also like to take time tonight to thank Daryl Trainor, Assistant Principal at Leanyer Primary School. Daryl has been Assistant Principal at Leanyer for 13 years, and that is a huge commitment to any school in the Northern Territory, and Daryl has provided 13 years of hard work and commitment for the students, teachers and families and the school’s programs. My experiences with Daryl have certainly been very inspiring. He heads the music school at Leanyer Primary, he has been passionate in ensuring that students have the opportunity to participate in various bands and ensembles, and have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. It was Daryl’s initiative to bring the Leawanala School Band to life, and that is a combination of the school bands at Leanyer Primary, Wanguri Primary and Alawa Primary - and they are a great bunch of young people with a huge amount of talent.
Daryl has also left behind at Leanyer the Leanyer Guitar Ensemble which has been a key music program within the school curriculum. I have always enjoyed talking to Daryl about all things musical as I have seen the results of his passion for it through these two initiatives. It was great to work with Daryl this year to ensure that Leanyer Primary students had an opportunity to participate in the Darwin Guitar Festival. I was sorry that I was not in town the night that the Leanyer Guitar Ensemble had the opportunity to play at that internationally-renowned guitar festival.
Daryl is going to be missed by the students, staff and parents at Leanyer. However, he has left a very strong legacy within the school with the school’s participation in, and love of, music. I wish Daryl all the best for his future career and life choices. Daryl, you will be sorely missed and thank you for 13 years of commitment to the students at Leanyer Primary School.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to raise an issue that was written to me by a person in Alice Springs. She wants me to address her issue in parliament. I will seek to table a letter that she wrote to me, the original letter, as I proceed to talk about the issue.
Leave granted.
Dr LIM: Thank you. I raised this matter with the minister responsible for the Territory Insurance Office earlier this year. It has been an issue that has been going for some four years. To date, in my opinion, it has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the family and I believe the family has been treated quite poorly.
It is a letter that Alice Frost wrote and addressed to the Northern Territory government, Parliament House, Darwin, Northern Territory, 7 September 2005.
I did write to the minister responsible for the TIO, and commented that the TIO was quite dismissive of the way Mrs Frost has been negotiating with it for payment, or commutation, of Mr Kenneth Frost’s insurance claim. While, technically, TIO was correct; he died and that is the end of the case. However, the commutation process was well under way, and in fact it was quite close to a negotiated outcome. Though in principle the TIO has agreed to that, the fact that this man then had an accident consequent to his medication, and he died as a consequence of complications to his injury, I believe this is all part of the same worker’s compensation claim. To that, I believe there is some moral obligation on the government’s part.
The minister has the ability to provide an ex gratia payment to this widow, and I believe the government should do so.
Had the matter gone before the Work Health Court to settle on the agreed amount of commutation, the cost to TIO would be in the order of some $500 per week for several years in anticipation that Mr Kenneth Frost was going to live for the next 10, 15 or 20 years. When you commutate that based on $500 per week for 10, 15 or 20 years, that is a substantial amount of money.
The TIO has a windfall, essentially, as a result of Mr Kenneth Frost dying from complications which occurred following the fracture of his shoulder from the fall. There is room for the government to show compassion to this woman. To allow TIO and the government to deny liability on the part of TIO is contrary to the spirit of the legislation. The Work Health legislation is about providing rehabilitation and it is not possible to then allow an injured employee to have some level of financial support for the rest of his life which would then be passed on to his family. In this case nothing like that has happened.
Mr Kenneth Frost had anticipated that a commutated compensation would enable his then widow to be financially secure in her senior years: ‘I have worker’s compensation. You are going to pay me $500 a week for the rest of my life. Okay, let’s work out an agreed amount to commutate and then if and when I pass away, my widow will receive this commuted sum’. Because the government, the minister, and TIO are sticking strictly to the letter of the law, then all we can say is too bad, we are not going to support you on that.
The Country Liberal Party government under the Chief Minister, Denis Burke, in fact did provide an ex gratia payment once for a case that was under similar circumstances. It was to provide under a moral obligation to support the claimant through an ex gratia payment. It is something that can be done and I believe that the government should do that. By doing that it would show compassion to this lady, support a long term Territorian who has lived here for over 30 years, and she will be eternally grateful. Surely this widow does not have to fight every inch of the way for the remainder of her life to survive. She is going to be in difficulties and there is no reason why we should do that to her.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Democracy Week
Democracy Week
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise that this week is the celebration of Democracy Week. The Parliamentary Liaison and Information Unit is conducting activities for celebrating Democracy Week each day targeting a different audience. Yesterday, we saw the Parliament of the Birds; today is the Parliament of Wizards, and the Statehood Challenge and Teachers Forum will be on Thursday.
Today, the Parliament of the Wizards, a new program developed by the federal Parliamentary Education Office, is to extend students’ understanding of parliamentary debate as well as a fun activity. The students take on the role of witches and wizards to debate a bill. This activity will involve 50 upper primary students from Nakara Primary and Parap Primary schools and the bill will be debated at 1.15 pm in the Members and Guests Lounge. All honourable members are invited to watch the debate.
On Thursday, the Statehood Challenge is being held in the dining room commencing at 9 am. This activity is open to students from Year 8 through to Year 11. Students will be given information about statehood and asked to develop an advertising campaign and strategy to inform young Territorians about the issues surrounding statehood for the Northern Territory. At present there are two schools participating, Taminmin and Sanderson High Schools, and students will present their ideas from 1 pm.
Also on Thursday there will be the Teachers Forum in the Members and Guests Lounge. This activity is open to both primary and secondary teachers and will run from 3.30 pm to 5 pm. Teachers will be given a brief tour of the building followed by afternoon tea. The education coordinator will also present an overview of the programs offered by the Legislative Assembly and discuss the types of pre-visit and post-visit activities that will further enhance student learning. All members are invited to attend any of these activities.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Live Cattle Exports to Indonesia
Live Cattle Exports to Indonesia
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, today I report on the Northern Territory’s live cattle export industry, and in particular, my recent visit to Indonesia with a cattle industry delegation. While in Indonesia I also met with the agriculture, fisheries and mining ministers and a Territory business delegation participating in Mining Indonesia.
Indonesia remains our key market for live exports for Territory cattle. Live cattle exports contribute around 50% of the total value of our pastoral industry. More than 160 000 head have been consigned so far this year - 10 000 more than total Territory exports for 2004. Rising fuel costs, an appreciating exchange rate, a partial slowdown in Indonesian economic growth, and increased competition will place further pressures on our live cattle market. However, there is confidence that the current level of exports will be maintained over the short to medium term.
Our live export industry is based on the export of tropical cattle from the northern half of the Territory - feeder cattle that are raised, transported and on grown under the same tropical climate conditions. Cattle are carefully selected and conditioned prior to loading. Shipments are a short haul – a six day voyage from Darwin to Jakarta. Industry members - pastoralists, exporters and feedlot operators - afford the high priority to animal husbandry and welfare standards.
On arriving in Jakarta very late in the evening, I travelled direct to the port to view the unloading of Territory feeder cattle from two vessels. Thanks to the work of the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association and the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, who were accompanying me on this visit, I was able to meet with the key members of the Indonesian Feedlot Association, APFINDO. Strengthening our relationships will ensure the Territory remains the preferred supplier of feeder cattle.
Territory feeder cattle remain in feedlots for around 100 days, depending on demand, with weight gains of about 100 to 150 kilograms achieved.
Very early on the first morning, I visited a small local beef, goat and sheep wet market. On grown Territory feeder cattle are processed in a local abattoir, distributed and generally sold on the same day. Small stallholders were selling beef by the piece rather than individual beef cuts. Local consumers purchase and consume fresh beef on a daily basis. Whilst there will undoubtedly always be a place for the wet markets, an increasing amount of product will be sold to retail and food service outlets. With no export abattoir operating in the Northern Territory, we are unable to supply directly to the supermarket and/or the food service sector and will continue to rely on Indonesian abattoirs.
I also visited the Australian Embassy and met with the Ambassador and senior staff including senior AusTrade representatives. They advised that, in addition to local issues, a likely reduction in fuel subsidies will place further pressure on the local economy.
My delegation met with His Excellency Mr Anton Apiyantono, the Indonesian Minister for Agriculture in his official residence. Our discussion focused on quarantine, extension and technology transferred direct to local farmers, together with food safety and animal husbandry standards. It was agreed that our senior officials should meet regularly in strengthening our trade relationships and pave the way for ongoing issues to be considered under a Northern Territory/Indonesian senior official group.
I met with His Excellency, Mr Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, to discuss issues of mutual interest, including Darwin being an ideal support base for mining and energy industries in Indonesia. I attended Mining Indonesia, the premium mining exposition and conference and met with the Northern Territory industry/government delegation.
I met with His Excellency Freddy Munberi, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries about illegal fishing incursions by sophisticated commercial fishing vessels in both Indonesian and Australian waters. We agreed on benefits of a regional ministerial forum to find solutions to foreign fishing incursions.
My visit to Indonesia builds on those undertaken by the former Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, together with the Chief Minister in attending the 60th anniversary of Indonesian Independence. It also builds on similar visits to Malaysia and the Philippines in strengthening our relations with key regional cattle trading partners. This government remains strongly committed to developing our live export cattle trade throughout South-East Asia.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. It is good to see that the live cattle industry is starting to increase again. The last 12 months have seen a downturn in live cattle exports and, in addition to the droughts that the cattlemen have experienced in Central Australia, it has been a challenging year for them. The Cattlemen’s Association is very proactive in their industry.
I appreciate the Northern Territory government realising the importance of taking a delegation to Indonesia. I would encourage regular delegations overseas to continually promote the Territory and to foster good relationships with Indonesia.
With what has been happening just north of us in Bali in the last couple of weeks, it has certainly been very important for us to ensure that we remain very good friends with Indonesians as far as primary industry and fisheries, and mining, energy and resources are concerned. I thank the minister for his report.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her support. It is true that we have to continue building our relationship with Indonesia; it is our biggest market for live cattle export and we have to promote our live cattle export. I understand the Australian cattle industry is coming under pressure from countries like Brazil. Our benefit is that we are free of diseases like foot and mouth and other diseases that the Indonesians and other South-East Asian countries object to being imported to their countries.
We have the first results. We have already had a delegation arrive in Darwin to have discussions with our senior officers about fisheries. There will be a regional ministers’ forum held in Canberra in November, and I believe the Minister for Fisheries will be visiting Darwin before or after that conference.
We are committed to promoting our industries, and to visit as many countries as possible to strengthen that market, and also to find new markets in South-East Asia.
1st Aviation Regiment Relocation to Darwin
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Madam Speaker, I will provide a report on an important initiative which supports the commitment that this government made in the lead-up to the recent election. This report relates to the level of support the Northern Territory provides to members of the Australian Defence Force and their families who are posted to the Territory.
I have outlined on numerous occasions the importance of the Defence presence to our economy and our community. The significant presence of Defence not only delivers considerable benefit to our economy, but it also delivers substantial benefit to the functioning of our Northern Territory community.
Prior to the Territory election, the Labor government made a commitment to introduce a package of measures to help Australian Defence Force families get the most from their Top End posting. I am advised that between 700 and 1000 ADF personnel and their families are posted to the Territory each year for an average two-year posting. The Defence population contributes to the economy, not only through consumption and investment, but also through ADF partners, often skilled people, contributing to our work force.
The 2003 Defence Census found that around 56% of ADF partners who were not permanent Defence Force members worked full-time. Of all partners, 48% had formal qualifications and 22% were undertaking some form of study.
Our unique and relaxed lifestyle makes the Northern Territory a great place to live. However, we know that Australian Defence Force families face significant challenges associated with their postings, including finding new schools for their children, spouses finding work, and families establishing new networks to help them flourish in their environments. Our aim is to help Defence families settle into their new Territory home and help make the Territory an even more attractive posting.
One of the initiatives we announced was a ‘Welcome to the Territory’ expo to be held for Defence families in their home state in the event of major relocation. We stated that the expos would be designed to provide information about life in the Territory, including information on schools, curricula, child-care services, job opportunities for Defence spouses, recreation activities, and health services.
Some 300 1st Aviation Regiment personnel and their families are expected to relocate to Robertson Barracks in support of the Tiger helicopters that start arriving this year. This major strategic relocation of capability and people by the ADF accordingly requires a concentrated effort on the part of NT government in terms of support. My department has been working closely with Defence, Defence Housing Authority, Defence Community Organisation and Defence Families Association to focus our support to Defence in this area.
Two important briefings were presented in Townsville on 30 August and in Oakey on 2 September for 1st Aviation Regiment personnel and their families. The Departments of Employment; Education and Training; Health and Community Services; Local Government, Housing and Sport; Business, Economic and Regional Developments and the Tourist Commission participated in the presentations.
A range of other services are also being provided to welcome these Defence families to the Northern Territory. Firstly, a welcome pack of printed material and the Northern Territory government’s DVD illustrating Territory lifestyle has been provided to all personnel relocating. Also, a 1st Aviation Welcome to Darwin Northern Territory government web site with links to relevant information is now available to Defence personnel providing links to information on education, health, sports, entertainment, weather, and a range of activities. A telephone and e-mail helpdesk for queries relating to Northern Territory government services is available for people seeking more information. The government has placed a welcome message in the Northern Defence staff magazine recently, with additional copies sent to 1st Aviation Regiment personnel in Townsville and Oakey.
The response by Defence to this initiative has been very positive. A request for the Northern Territory government to organise a similar exercise at Williamtown for personnel and families who could be posted to RAAF Base Tindal has been agreed and will take place in June 2006 prior to the postings being announced.
The decision by Defence to relocate 1st Aviation Regiment from Townsville and Oakey to Darwin has already brought major benefits to the Territory economy and the community, and will continue to do so for many years, such as the $82m construction project at Robertson Barracks which has seen over 90% of the work subcontracted to local SMEs and the associated $120m development at Lee Point which will provide approximately 300 homes to boost the Defence Housing Authority’s stock and also provide over 300 properties into the real estate market.
In economic terms, the new employment multiplier effect means that, as a result of the 300 Defence jobs in the Northern Territory, another 165 jobs will be indirectly created in our economy.
I would also like to mention that the second contingent of Australian troops will be deployed shortly to Southern Iraq. Around 450 personnel, predominantly from the 5th and 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment from Darwin’s 1st Brigade will fly out within the next month, led by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Short. I am sure all members of this House will join with me in wishing the troops all the very best for a successful deployment and we look forward to their safe return.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I welcome the report, the first one in Labor’s second term. Both sides of politics and, all Territorians welcome and respect the role of our service personnel in the Northern Territory. I have met relatively few so far, although, I plan to make contact with some of the personal connections I have had in the past with some Defence personnel as well as to meet others.
It is the case that Defence plays a pivotal role in the Northern Territory and the contribution to the economy is significant. Last week, we were in this parliament, with Labor ferociously getting stuck into the federal government. I note that the minister was silent as to the federal government’s commitment and contribution. I also cannot help but wonder as to the sincerity of the minister when he talks about Defence personnel. One only has to read the pontifications of former Labor Leader, Mark Latham - the one the new Labor president flew all the way back from New York to vote for, one Warren Snowdon - the book by Mark Latham is a good read. It says much about the pretence that is the Australian Labor Party …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms CARNEY: So when we have a bloke like Mark Latham standing up and saying: ‘Oh, I did not mean any of it, and I do not really like the US alliance or the relationship’, it brings into question the sincerity and so-called commitment of everyone in the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party headed by Mr Snowdon.
I note a media release issued by the Chief Minister on 24 February 2004 in which Mark Latham, great man that he was according to some, especially one Mr Snowdon, came to the Northern Territory and the Chief Minister went on at some length about how she and Mr Latham discussed the advantages of the Australian and US defence forces developing new forms of joint training arrangements. Well, you do wonder, what on earth did they talk about? Probably it was Mark saying: ‘Oh, I hate the Americans, I hate Defence.’ One can only speculate as to what the Chief Minister said in reply.
Your sincerity is doubted and thank you, Mark Latham, for bringing into doubt every utterance of Labor politicians in this country.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the government on its initiative, which is especially welcomed, for troops and their families who are coming to Darwin. For a long time there have been programs to help assimilate families coming into the Territory. However, that usually occurred in Darwin itself, and Palmerston, and the idea of taking that interstate is great.
The question I would ask the minister is: how does that affect single defence personnel? This is concentrating more on defence soldiers and their families and there are quite a large number of defence personnel who come to the Territory as single people. I do not know whether you have anything to say on whether they are also part of this ‘Welcome to the Territory’ so that they understand about the facilities available.
I know we had an expo last year which all soldiers were required to attend, where various departments of the Northern Territory government were assembled. There were sporting groups and all sorts of people there which enabled those people who had arrived the opportunity to find out what was available to them.
You also mentioned the package of measures you were putting forward, minister. One of those packages was a bus service. I am wondering whether a bus service is running from Robertson Barracks. I am talking more about the single people too. As you know there have been some concerns about people driving home from some of the clubs with too much alcohol, and if there could be a bus service provided to Robertson Barracks, that would be good. I would like to hear more about that.
I also support your comments about the members of the 1st Brigade going to Iraq. I attended a function, along with the member for Johnston, last week and it was an important gathering of people who wished all the best to the 1st Brigade. Godspeed, I hope they all come back safely.
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Madam Speaker, I will address the member for Nelson first. Yes, single defence personnel are a significant part of the ‘Welcome to the Territory’ and information about sporting and recreational activities is available to single soldiers, not only in the presentation, but also on the hotline. We are also considering providing a dating service. The singles who come here have said to the Chief Minister that when it comes to meeting girls not enough girls is a bit of an issue. Whether we should provide a dating service is under consideration. The bus service was an election commitment and over the course of this government we will be providing a bus service to Robertson Barracks.
The Leader of the Opposition’s comments about sincerity was interesting. I will be judged by my actions rather than by the Leader of the Opposition’s words. However, I note that there is more interesting reading around. I do not have it with me, however, I will have to get a copy of the Stone Review into the CLP. The Stone Review would be very interesting reading, particularly about the parliamentary wing, the four who are left. I remember reading words like ‘lazy’, ‘bone idle’, and ‘would not get out of their own shadow’. So if you want to read interesting insights into politics in the Territory, the Stone Review is a great insight into the CLP, particularly those four members opposite whom Shane Stone himself has said were bone idle and lazy. They still have the same attributes.
Children’s Week
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, one of the best things about living in the Territory is that it is a great place to raise our children, although that does not necessarily make it easy. Next week is Children’s Week and today I want to talk about how the government is supporting Territory parents to raise happy, resilient and confident children. Last week, I talked about the important role that sport and recreation plays in the health and wellbeing of our youth. This year, in support of the International Year for Sport and Physical Education, the Children’s Week theme is ‘Take the time to play with your children’.
It is simple things like playing with our children that can make all the difference and create positive relationships that allow children to feel loved and safe. Most of you would know that parenting does not come with an instruction manual. This government acknowledges that all parents need help at some stage and some, due to social or personal situations, need more help than others. Support for parents ultimately needs to equip them to problem solve and respond to their children in a flexible and suitable way as they grow up.
Government assistance for families comes in many forms. There is financial assistance. We are the only state or territory to provide a child care subsidy which cuts the costs for families about $20 per week for each child in care. There is assistance with information. News services like the Families web site and Parentline provide up-to-date information ranging from vital health information through to ideas for the weekend. The government also provides more concentrated help, like the new Family Intensive Support Service which works with families in crisis to help them stay together.
This government is all about supporting Territorians which is why my Department of Family and Community Services includes an Office of Children and Families which is dedicated to providing services to support children and their families.
I am very pleased to be able to inform the House of some of the important achievements made by the Office of Children and Families, including the training of more than 60 professionals from across the Territory in fields of education, disability services, early childhood, maternal and child health, mental health and welfare in Triple P parenting courses. The Triple P program stands for the Positive Parenting Program and is designed to assist families in dealing with behavioural and emotional difficulties in children.
The newly trained Triple P practitioners have started working with Territory families and they will soon undergo accreditation to ensure their practice meets the goal of the program. Also, through the support of the Office of Children and Families, MARVIN, the computer animated community health tool is being embraced by remote communities including Gunbalanya, where the Yingarna project has enabled community members to research and prepare culturally meaningful stories about raising children, and to create local language resources to be used within the community.
Another success of the Office of Children and Families is the establishment of the Moulden Park Comprehensive Children’s Service which is a school-based family support program. An external evaluation of the first three years of the program illustrated just how much the community valued the program. A similar model is being established at Karama Primary School and opportunities to replicate this approach are being funded in Maningrida, Wadeye and Katherine. A resource kit for families, Seven Steps to Safety, is being developed by the government. The kit aims to help families keep kids safe at home and in emergency situations. I look forward to announcing more details during Children’s Week.
These achievements are important building blocks in the long term effort to help Territory parents. The government went to the election with a range of initiatives to continue our support for families. These include the introduction of a $50 voucher for each child enrolled in a government or non-government school to help offset the cost of uniforms or other essential supplies; and the introduction of a new carer’s card which will provide discounts and services and financial support for people who are carers such as public transport and motor vehicle registration, electricity, water and sewerage charges, at a cost of more than $1m a year.
The creation of a new Darwin Family Centre at Karama as a one-stop-shop of community organisations will provide services to Territory families and young people. These initiatives will cut the cost to families and help extend the vital support services we provide. This government is proud of our support to Territory families and through the Office of Children and Families we are making it easier for parents and carers to access information and support when they most need it.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report embracing the department for what it has done. She went from sports to education to family and children’s services. I am glad to see that the government is trying to approach this topic in a fairly holistic way. However - and I need to add this - the department is not addressing significant issues about child abuse. When people report child abuse, as it is compulsory to report, you hear frequently that the department has not followed through and people who report it are left hanging and those children who are reported are left in jeopardy. That is a real problem. I ask the minister to look at it more closely to ensure that our children are better protected than what the department has provided so far.
As regards to education, while nominally still in place, the DARE program that every parent, every school wanted to support their children, to support their family, is no longer there. It is significant to note that even the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Services - the police themselves - are concerned that government is no longer motivated to support DARE as it has been in the past. Every local member will tell you the same thing, yet this government refuses to acknowledge that DARE is very much supported and desired by our community.
Minister, I congratulate you on trying to approach this in a very holistic way. However, there are many pockets within your department that are lacking in their performance, and you need to pull them up. You have to get yourself across those issues so you are aware where they have gone severely under-serviced - and the most significant one is about child abuse.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, next Thursday is Universal Children’s Day and there is a function being held in Alice Springs. I urge all members to come along. I am supplying 20 kg of sausages. It is going to be held on the Flynn church lawns, and is a celebration of children. It is important for us to give them that support and be there so we can see what is happening.
I remind the minister that child care has a long waiting list in Alice Springs, and it is really very difficult to get working mothers back to work when they cannot find child care places. As well as that, the cost of child care has gone up. The ACCC put a bit of a cold wash on the Family Day Care Centre which used to have a set charge per hour for people using their services. The ACCC said they could not do that; they had to leave it open for competition. So, in some cases, the cost of child care and family day care per hour went up considerably. Whether market forces will sort that out we are not sure, however, it is a concern that that has happened.
The minister mentioned a $50 voucher for school children to purchase certain things. I ask the minister how you are going to make sure the money is spent on what it is meant to be spent on? We already know what happens to family benefits and Austudy subsidies. They do not get spent on what they are meant for. Perhaps the minister could inform us just how she intends to make sure the $50 voucher is spent in the right place. Will it go to the schools or the parents? Who will it go to?
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I respond in the first instance to the member for Braitling. I congratulate you for raising Universal Children’s Day and supporting the efforts in Alice Springs.
The Commonwealth has started to abrogate its responsibilities for child care right across Australia. We are feeling the impact of that in the Territory. The Commonwealth has had carriage of child care previously, and they are just walking away from their commitments. They are leaving local government in the lurch, because it has been a relationship between the federal government and local government. I and other state and territory ministers have raised this issue with the federal minister, and we are fighting hard to get the Commonwealth to deliver on its commitments.
The $50 voucher will be redeemable at schools, so it will go to uniforms and school supplies.
I just want to point out to the opposition spokesperson regarding the issue of child abuse, that this Territory government has hired 61 child protection workers in the last financial year alone. We take this issue incredibly seriously. This compares to not a single additional child protection worker in 10 years of the CLP. So, hang your head in shame. We are tackling it because you refused to.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
CEMETERIES AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 28)
(Serial 28)
Bill, by leave, presented and read a first time.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Cemeteries Amendment Bill, together with proposed changes to the Cemeteries Regulations, will allow for multiple burials in a cemetery which has been closed.
On 16 April 2003, the Darwin General Cemetery at McMillans Road was closed by notice in the Gazette with effect from 1 August 2003. The closure meant that burials in the Darwin General Cemetery would cease from 1 August 2003, except for burials in allotments in which an exclusive right of burial had been granted.
In recent times, government has received a number of requests from family members wishing to bury spouses or other family members in allotments in which a family member is already buried in the Darwin General Cemetery. They have come to me in a time of great emotional stress as they do not possess an exclusive right of burial in the allotment in which the other family member is already buried. The current Cemeteries Act does not provide me with any power to retrospectively approve double burials in the Darwin General Cemetery. Quite clearly, this situation is causing distress to many families and the bill before the House will rectify this situation.
The amendment to the act and current amendments to the regulations will enable the minister to approve the burial of a spouse or other family members who are not holders of an exclusive right of burial in respect of the allotment in which their spouse and other family members are already buried in the Darwin General Cemetery.
Members would be well aware that the Darwin General Cemetery continues to have a strong and personal affinity with certain sections of our community and is regularly visited and maintained. Loved ones unable to be buried in a family grave simply because an exclusive right of burial has not been obtained in respect of that allotment, is unacceptable. There may have been all manner of circumstances where, in a time of grief, families did not have at the forefront of their minds the obtaining of an exclusive right of burial, and, in some cases the other spouse was in hospital and the funeral arrangements were managed by other family members or friends. These people should not be penalised because of an administrative or emotional oversight. This bill will correct that situation and show compassion to those families. I seek the support of all members in expediting these changes.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMENDMENT
(POLICE ORDERS) BILL
(Serial 17)
(POLICE ORDERS) BILL
(Serial 17)
Continued from 25 August 2005.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, my response to this will be fairly predictable and, without wanting to be difficult or cryptic, the opposition is in a position where we are generally supportive of what the Attorney-General is trying to achieve, however, I stress it is with a number of reservations expressed by many others. I am sure the Attorney-General and his departmental officers are aware of them. The extent and the nature of the concerns simply create a level of unease within me, not only as a politician but as a person who has had a long-standing interest in this area.
What I propose to do is to read into the Parliamentary Record a number of concerns expressed by others because that is appropriate in all of the circumstances.
Attorney-General, you will be aware of a criticism that since there is a review, described by people in that sector as a comprehensive review of the Domestic Violence Act, there is some concern about tackling some areas in isolation. Many people would argue, and it is a view that I have some sympathy with, that to tinker with parts of legislation in isolation is generally not a good approach when amending various and detailed legislative provisions. In your reply, I would like you to address that concern. Why is it that this is being done in isolation and not waiting to be contained in the fulsome review of the Domestic Violence Act? And, associated with that, one wonders about what impact these suggested changes will have in terms of the ongoing review of the act. So what safeguards, what comments, do you have in relation to that concern?
There is also a concern about empowering police to make judicial decisions and therefore create potential debate about due process and procedural safeguards for all parties, particularly when we are talking about people’s liberties. As the Territory’s first law officer, I feel certain that you will have something to say in relation to those concerns. I am not sure that they could be categorised as a criticism. They are genuine concerns and, as first law officer, I would like you to address them.
In relation to the content or the aim of the bill, there is a view that it will create conflict for police in fulfilling their role under the act. Providing police with judicial power to issue a restraining order has the potential for conflict with their role of assisting the defendant to apply, to revoke, or vary the order, and to prosecute breaches of orders, particularly in remote communities.
I am not certain whether the Police Association has contacted you to provide you with a formal view of the association. I have spoken with members of the association, and members of the police generally, and you would surely be aware that there is a concern held by police in relation to this matter. I would ask you to comment on that and, if you could, to do so today. If not, if you would agree to do so after today in a timely manner. If you could advise what, if any, training will be provided to police officers to assist them in what can only be described as a new function?
Attorney-General, you would be aware of the view that there should be guidelines in place to protect against police having free discretion to approach a court or a magistrate to make an order under section 6. I would like you to comment on that. Additionally, you would be aware that section 10 of the Domestic Violence Act provides for the mandatory minimum sentences for breaches of orders. However, it will not apply, as I understand it, until orders are confirmed by a magistrate. Should considerable time delays occur there is a general level of apprehension as to the implications for women and children’s protection from violence. I would be grateful if you would comment on that.
I know I touched upon this at the beginning, but where my points are best and more eloquently expressed by others, I am happy to quote:
- The consequences of poorly considered and implemented legislation most profoundly affects those the legislation was
implemented to protect.
If you would give us some details as to your level of concern and how you would address some of those matters.
There is a lengthy letter that was addressed to you, which I am certain you have received, and I understand that various representatives met with your departmental officers recently. The letter is for and on behalf of the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit, the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service, Katherine Family Support Unit Aboriginal Corporation, the Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service, NPY Women’s Council and Top End Women’s Legal Service. There are a number of specific concerns and, it is appropriate that I summarise them for the purposes of Hansard.
The people from the organisations to which I have just referred again express a view that given that the Domestic Violence Act is being reviewed, why are we dealing with this in isolation. The letter is dated 30 September 2005 and I am happy to table it if you require it, however, I know you have it. It says:
- In our view, amendments such as those contained in the bill must be considered in the context of an ongoing review of the entire
act. It is premature and pre-emptive to consider the bill in isolation.
They raise a number of other concerns. They refer to the power to make a restraining order so that it should be exercised by a judicial officer. I contacted the Law Society which was strangely silent on this and it is a mystery to me. I suspect because of the amount of legislation you provided to them in the last term they might, to put it politely, be a bit puffed out. For such a serious issue regarding judicial powers to be exercised by people other than judicial officers, I would have thought that a law society anywhere would be more than very interested in that issue.
Back to the letter: the author says:
- In domestic violence cases this means that where evidence is sufficient to support an application courts can ensure that the
orders made are proportionate, appropriate and tailored to the conduct of the defendant and the individual circumstances
of the victim. Currently, magistrates have the power to issue orders in emergency situations and magistrates share
responsibility for being available outside court hours to consider such applications.
If the legislature intends that this power will no longer be exercised by magistrates, or that magistrates will no longer be
required to share this responsibility, this should be explicit and a matter for public debate.
Elsewhere in the letter there are references to section 6B(3)(b) of the bill and it says that it will require police to undertake conflicting roles, being to:
- (a) issue restraining orders;
Elsewhere in this letter, Attorney-General, they say:
- In our view, the following additional safeguards are required:
- (a) section 6A(1)(a) should require it to be impracticable to apply under subsection 4(1) and 6(1).
They go on to say that:
- The police issue of a restraining order must be an option of last resort. For the police to issue an order under section 6A,
section 6A(1)(a) only requires that it not be practicable to obtain an order under section 4(1). This is also what is required for
the police to apply to a magistrate under section 6(1). This allows police to ‘forum shop’ as it is at their unfettered discretion
whether or not to approach a magistrate to make an ‘emergency’ order under section 6. If the police are to be given this power,
it should only be where approaching a magistrate is not possible.
They go on to say also in relation to clause 6A(1)(a) that it should only require that the police be satisfied that the order is necessary for a victim’s safety, and not that a court might reasonably have made the order. My view - and I note that I have not proposed an amendment – is that it could have been drafted differently to give effect to the concerns expressed by these organisations.
They go on to say that:
The police should only be able to exercise their power to make orders where it is required to ensure a victim’s safety. Requiring
police officers to also consider what a court might reasonably have done in the circumstances is impractical and a further
inappropriate blurring of the distinction between judicial officers and other decision makers.
I would have thought that that was a significant point and one that you, as the Territory’s first law officer, should address in reply.
The authors go on to say that the explanatory memorandum refers to circumstances in which it is not practicable to apply under section 4(1), being that it is outside of court hours or in a remote location. Of course, we know that so much domestic violence is perpetrated in our remote indigenous communities. They go on to say:
- These circumstances should be explicitly referred to in a non-exhaustive list. This would provide legislative guidance as to
where it is anticipated that the police power should be used, while still allowing for additional unforeseen circumstances
where an application to the court or by telephone to a magistrate is not possible.
The authors go on to say in relation to clause 6A that it should require police officers to:
- ensure that the terms and conditions are appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances;
state whether or not the victim consents to the police issuing the order; and
ensure that the defendant understands their rights to apply for a variation or revocation of the order. This could
require the police to engage an interpreter or alternative appropriate person or to refer the defendant to a legal
service.
The recommendations of the authors of this letter, Attorney-General, are that these additional requirements are based on their experience of working in remote communities, in which it is envisaged that the police will be issuing these orders - not an insignificant matter to raise.
The authors also say that:
- Courts will need to ensure that where the police specify a time and place for the return of an order under section 6A(1),
the court registries ensure that this listing is complied with.
The conclusion in the letter is as follows:
- In the absence of the above matters being included, we anticipate considerable, inconsistent application of the legislative
provisions across the Territory, increasing numbers of requests to vary and/or revoke police initiated restraining orders,
contested applications, and non-compliance with restraining orders.
We note that in section 4(8), the bill incorrectly refers to section 4(8) in sections 6(6) and 6A(2). The references should instead
be to 6(3) and 6A(1) respectively, because these contain the powers for magistrates and authorised police officers to issue
orders in certain circumstances.
I would like you to address the concern, Attorney-General, of people from these august organisations; people who know better than you and I - with the greatest of respect - about what is happening out there. These are the people who are dealing with the difficulties of the legal system, as well as the victims.
When authors of a letter like this say that unless the matters that they have referred to are addressed they anticipate considerable inconsistent application of the legislative provisions across the Territory, increasing the numbers of requests to vary and/or revoke police initiated restraining orders, contested applications and non-compliance with restraining orders, I would have thought that we, as law makers, should be pretty concerned about that.
Returning to the opposition’s formal view, when it comes to this legislation, we are supportive of it. We will not oppose it, and there is a pointlessness to that course of action in any event. However, for the purposes of a good debate, and in the interests of parliament, Territorians and in particular the people who work in this area, you should, with respect, put on the Parliamentary Record your fulsome answers to these very legitimate concerns that have been raised. I do not think that I can put matters any more clearly. With those comments, I look forward to the Attorney-General’s response.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I also have some queries for the Attorney-General and the minister for Police, as the priority I have is for women and their safety, and if this particular move is going to provide that, then that is good. However, I question the reason for bringing this along, as did the member for Araluen, in isolation from the rest of the review of the act that you intend to do later.
The member for Nelson and I had a briefing. Government is always saying ‘have a briefing’, but I have to admit I was a bit surprised at some of the attitudes we received when we asked questions. I am not quite sure whether your ministerial staff do not like giving briefings to Independent members, but if we front up for a briefing then we could at least be treated with a bit of civility and not rudeness.
Let me give you some examples. We asked about the consultation process: exactly who had been consulted prior to this being drafted. The member for Araluen went on at great lengths about the letter that was received. Let me just point out, that letter was initiated after the member for Nelson and I wrote to those organisations seeking their response. Part of the response in the letter outlines serious concerns shared by all the specialised Northern Territory family and domestic violence service providers’ signatories regarding the proposal to provide police with additional powers to issue restraining orders.
Their comments also say:
- We request that the provision of the bill be included in the ongoing review of the Domestic Violence Act, which states that
restraining orders should only be made by judicial officers and comment on safeguards required if police are to be given
the power to issue restraining orders.
We finally note that NCOSS has endorsed their position that the bill not proceed further until adequate consultation with
relevant stakeholders, including specialised Northern Territory family and domestic violence service providers and
networks has occurred.
These particular organisations were not consulted and I find that a little bit strange to say the least.
I have not spoken to the police union, although I know the member for Nelson has, however, we also asked who else had you consulted with. When it was suggested that the police union could be someone to consult, we were told that the senior sergeant in charge of this strategy had been spoken to, the answer, basically was: ‘Why should we consult with the police union?’ For goodness sake, you are a Labor government, why don’t you consult with the unions? You do with the nursing federation, in your other portfolio. Just because you do not like the response you are getting from the police union, why do you not consult with them? I have not spoken with them, however, I have spoken with police informally. There are some police against this and there some police for it.
We also asked what women’s groups you had consulted with. The answer was: ‘You tell us who you have consulted with?’ Come on, let us face it, this is a very important area. We all know that the Domestic Violence Strategy Unit is doing a great job. The number of call-outs has increased considerably, as you said in your second reading speech, and it is a credit to them that they are addressing this very strongly. I believe it is very important that they do, however, you do not just introduce something without consulting all stakeholders.
I presume you consulted with magistrates because there is a feeling out there that the magistrates are pushing very hard for this and you say in your second reading speech: ‘… alleviating the pressure of out of hours work on magistrates’. Does this particular amendment mean that the first port of call is to the magistrate, or to the senior sergeant? Perhaps you would clarify that. How are they going to determine who to go to first? Are they going to say: ‘After midnight do not go near the magistrates’? Let’s face it, most of the violence incidents occur late at night. Is this going to let the magistrates off the hook? Is it really just alleviating some of their workload and increasing the police workload? We could not get an answer to that.
We note that the Western Australian government has introduced a similar piece of legislation. We asked if there had been any consultation to find out what effect that had on junior constables and police particularly in remote communities. We are all concerned about the remote communities where there may not be quick access to senior sergeants. The Western Australian legislation states that there will be an operational review to look at its effectiveness and whether there is a need for the retention. I wonder, Attorney-General, if you can tell me whether you have found how this is operating in other states and jurisdictions?
We are a bit concerned about the role of the junior constable or the role the constable that is changing from messenger into an authority. There is that overlap of powers. One of the questions we asked was: in small remote communities where we do have a number of junior officers, if the officer in charge is not there or a senior sergeant is not available, does that junior constable issue the order? In some circumstances in remote localities where senior officers may be on leave, or they may even be home in bed, do they get woken up in preference to waking up a magistrate? What position does it actually put the constables in?
There seems to be a feeling that this change or overlap in role may cause confusion amongst the women. We all know that police issue infringement notices which are not taken seriously. Now they are going to be issuing these restraining orders. Will it decrease the importance of that restraining order to women? I do not know whether I am putting that very well but there seems to me to be a change in duties of the police officer in presenting this.
Your staff told us that officers will be trained and we see that as an important step. You would not want to introduce this without some training going on. I am well aware that it is a very sensitive area. We had that terrible incident in Alice Springs recently where a junior female officer was punched when trying to take away the defendant. We do not want that happening, by giving them not only the power to take the person away but also the power to issue this authority. I am just wondering whether you are confusing the roles and whether we might have some further cases such as this.
I talked about consultation. We just wondered how many women’s groups you actually consulted with, and as far as I can see you did not. I find that a little bit strange as these are the people who are going to be affected by it. Will women think this is a good idea or will they question it? As it has to be ratified by a magistrate, if the magistrate does not ratify it, is there some legal implication for our police officers? Is there a problem there? Are we creating some sort of administrative legal problem for our police?
We talked about the magistrates being overloaded. Were there alternatives looked at to alleviate this problem? If the magistrates feel as though they are being overloaded with this, were other suggestions put forward to them? For instance, could more magistrates be put on duty? Just exactly what are your figures per night for north and south? Is it really a great problem? Have we looked at whether a magistrate had a number of calls and he is on duty full-time that his workload within the courts is lessened? Maybe he starts later in the day, I do not know. Were there alternative suggestions looked at to solve the problem of why the magistrate should not be on duty for 24 hours a day? I wonder whether we are sending the wrong message to some of the victims. I am wondering whether we are creating an administrative nightmare for our constables.
I know the police have at heart the welfare and the safety of women put in these circumstances and that is a really important aspect of what we are doing to improve the Domestic Violence Bill. We can streamline it in some way, however, I would ask you, minister, if you are going to look at the whole bill again that you should defer it, wait to get some more feedback and do it all at once, as has been suggested, rather than piecemeal. That is most of what I wanted to ask you and I would appreciate if you could respond to those questions.
The police are seen as messengers of the authority which issues the order at the moment, so are we changing their role? Also, consultation was an important part of what we wanted to ask. Minister, if you are going to continue to offer briefings for us as Independents, I would like at least to be able to feel comfortable walking into your office asking questions that your advisors might not like. They at least should understand that we have a role also to play in protecting our constituents.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support this bill as I feel it will assist in preventing or at least reducing domestic violence situations. As we have seen from statistics over the years, the number of reported cases of domestic violence has increased substantially. I might differ from the member for Braitling in saying that anything which can reduce domestic violence is something that we should support. We should support it because it protects spouses, not just women, but spouses and families.
I spent three years on the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council looking at this very issue about ten years ago and it came to light that women are not the only ones who are victims of domestic violence. Without making a judgment on certain cases in Alice Springs recently, I believe quite a few of those people who were murdered in Alice Springs as recently reported in The Bulletin were males. I am not making any judgment as to why that happened. I am making the point that domestic violence is about violence against a spouse and it is worse in many ways against a family with children who suffer probably even worse in the long term.
I support any bill that will make the lessening of those situations become a reality and I hope this legislation the government is introducing will do that. Only time will tell as, with all new legislation, you have to see how it works in practice.
I also thank the minister for his briefing on this amendment. The member for Braitling has made some comments about that briefing and I will not add anything to that. The members for Araluen and Braitling have raised a number of issues regarding the various women’s groups that have written to us with their concerns. I believe those comments have been addressed adequately by both members of parliament.
I get the impression that the department seems to have spoken to the police administration and the magistrates, or they have talked to you, and that has given me the impression that everyone is happy. However, it sounded a little like a case of ‘Trust me, I am from the government, and there cannot be anything wrong with this legislation’. I was disappointed to hear at the briefing that some of these women’s groups had not been consulted, and the Police Association had not been consulted. That was a surprise to me because, I would imagine, when there were negotiations about things related to the Fire Service - especially when there were changes to the fire management regimes – that, naturally, the members who belong to the union were consulted. Up until recently, the Police Association was not directly consulted.
I have had a note from Vince Kelly this morning that says that there has been some consultation with the Police Association. He advised me that the Solicitor-General has said that there will be appropriate protection under the Domestic Violence Act when issuing orders. That was one of the concerns of the Police Association; they wanted to know what protection they would have when they acted using this legislation. There has been some negotiation. However, initially when this legislation was brought to parliament, I contacted the Police Association, and they said that they had not been consulted. Certainly, police management had been consulted. Even though one might say that is enough, we all know that in the police, if the Commissioner has an opinion, it does not necessarily mean the Police Association has the same opinion. I believe both areas should be consulted.
It is in the areas of policing that I raise a number of issues. There is the issue that the member for Braitling raised of the possibility that a junior constable could have the power to issue these orders. We raised that at the briefing. I would be interested to know whether that actually is the case. It is, you would think, a possibility, especially in an outback community if the officer-in-charge has gone out on patrol where he might be out for a couple of days, and he has left either a constable or a junior constable at the station.
The association is still concerned about the fact that police will be issuing judicial orders. I know that what is thrown back at that argument is that the police do that already under the Bail Act. I would just like to know whether the two things are the same. Under the Bail Act, are the police issuing judicial orders, or is it something else? Can you argue the case that, because they do it under the Bail Act, they can do it under this act in handing out restraining orders?
The other issue which comes from the centre of the problems that the Police Association has, is that they say the bill has been done without due consultation about implications of resourcing or staffing. I raised this issue in the briefing and was given an answer basically saying they doubted very much whether this would have great implications in that area. That may be a fair point; I am not saying that they are wrong. However, this is coming from the Police Association saying: ‘We have not been consulted enough on this issue’. Has anyone actually done a study to see what effect this extra workload would have on the police?
I raise these issues not because I am saying this is not a good change to law. I get a little concerned sometimes when I stand up here and, because I knock something, people say I can be a bit negative, however, that is my job. I can support the bill, however, if we just stood up here and said, ‘Baa, we all agree’, we would not be doing our job. I am not the government. My job is to look at these bills, to talk to people and to put the concerns various groups in the community have. I might not even agree with some of those concerns, or even understand them. However, it is my job to bring them to this parliament to see whether the government has an adequate response to those queries.
I raise those issues that the police have raised in the context that I support anything that will reduce domestic violence. It is probably something that has been happening for hundreds of years. You hear reports of people in the Industrial Revolution days with big families, with someone working in the coal mines, life is pretty crook, and the wife is subject to a thrashing from her husband. I can remember reading books about those sorts of things, however, it is still something that is a scourge of our society today and, according to the reported statistics, it has got worse.
It is something that I give my support to, however, I feel that the government has not done its homework well enough in presenting this document to the parliament. It should have spoken to various women’s groups; it should have spoken to the Police Association. It needed to tell parliament why it was so difficult under days of satellite telephones for a policeman to contact a magistrate. Perhaps they could tell us why magistrates were finding this very difficult. As the member for Braitling said, they are on quite a considerable salary, and they are not the only people who are on 24-hour call.
I can imagine there are a number of people in our community like doctors, yes, plumbers, electricians – they are also on 24-hour call and they are required at some odd hours of the night to get up and do some work, as much as they might not like it, and they get paid for it. You would have to say that magistrates get paid well, and even though it might be an inconvenience, they should accept that that is part of the job.
Be that as it may, I do realise that you have given police the option of either ringing a magistrate or applying a restraining order themselves. It is important that that option always stays there, because if police find themselves in a position where giving a restraining order in a small community could come back and bite them, especially in the case if the court decides that that restraining order was not correct, then it could be a troublesome time for a police officer on a small community if he had to then go back and tell the supposed offender that he had made a mistake. It was, as was said in our briefing, clearly stated that the police have the option. It is important that they know they have the option, if they do not want to take on this role, they can still ring up a magistrate.
I would prefer that the job, in most cases, be left with a magistrate and that there be an emphasis that the requirement for a policeman or policewoman to do this should only be in cases of emergency or where it really is impractical to do it. Not because it happens to be 4.21 pm but because this is so urgent it requires it to be done right on the spot and there may be not the communications available that would make it easily accessible to obtain a magistrate’s advice, and the only way to do it is to do it immediately through the police issuing a restraining order.
As I said, I support the bill. Anything that helps reduce domestic violence situations will be welcomed by the parliament. I believe there are a number of issues that need to be addressed, and I would be interested in hearing what both the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and you, as Attorney-General, have to say.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Women’s Policy): Madam Speaker, the legislation before the House is designed to enable urgent domestic violence restraining orders to be granted on behalf of individuals at risk. Almost all of the cases are women in remote locations in the Northern Territory. The proposed changes are procedural in nature and seek to provide effective protection once the problem has already arisen.
I very much approve of the new measures and will try to illustrate by reference to potential, or actual, scenarios in my own electorate and how they will work on the ground.
Before I get into that I should preface my comments by making the observation that with these changes the real challenge we face is to address the underlying causes of domestic and family violence. The principle underlying cause in my experience, going around my electorate and many of the bush electorates, and even in town - when we look at the crux of this problem - is substance abuse. This is not just an issue that is endemic in our remote communities. You only have to sit in Darwin in some of the suburbs at night and you can see this happening.
I stand up and I support this amendment because it is about the protection of women. Not just women, but there are silent victims with all of this. I know that the member for Nelson talked about men and we do need to look at that whole issue of the perpetrator and the offending. Often, though, we forget the one victim behind all of this is our children. From my point of view, and why I stand up and support this, is that for far too many women and children in our remote communities, violence is an every day experience. Grog, petrol and ganga, and as I said, if we look at substance abuse, these problems make it very difficult to deal with.
I have some concerns, and I have spoken to both the Attorney-General and the minister for Police, where we have some situations in remote communities where it is a resourcing implication, where there are no police, where we do not have safe places for these women to go to. There are issues that we have to look at, and there have been a number of things that we have done to address these many issues. At the end of the day, there are women and children out there who do need our protection.
I thank the Attorney-General and his staff for the information that I received during the briefing. I understand there were 39 applications in 1999 rising to 724 in 2004. That is a huge increase. I understand, and may be the Attorney-General will be able to answer that, that that is the reason why this part has been brought in before the actual review which commences in January. That is justification to try to get this amendment passed. And there are cases. I have not had too much of an opportunity of talking to those stakeholders and I put on the record that organisations like NPY, the Katherine Women’s Legal Services and all those non-government organisations that provide that support, such as Ruby Gaia, to women and children in cases like that, play a fantastic role. I have not had much of an opportunity to talk to them of late, although, I have talked to many of these stakeholders in the past.
Who I have talked to all the time about issues of domestic and family violence, and the need to put in place effective strategies and to change law, are the women themselves. Going out to those communities and talking to the indigenous women in my electorate who are sick to death - and many of them have died, Madam Speaker. I stand here supporting this. Not long ago, about a month ago, I lost my niece in a very brutal and violent incident at the hands of her partner. For me, any strategy to deal with this issue is a good thing. There are concerns. We will never, ever get a system where you going to have - there is always going to be a risk. As government we will be working together to make sure that we cover them. Like anything there is a risk.
In regard to what government is doing about domestic and family violence in the Northern Territory, significant resources have gone into funding new initiatives. When I look at the child protection area, along with my colleague, the Minister for Family and Community Services, we have put $53m to enhance child protection services across the Northern Territory. That is quite substantial funding for the first time to look at strengthening families in communities, which is in line with trying to deal with the whole issue of family violence, the protection of children, as well as another $3m funding for accommodation for women and children escaping violence.
The Northern Territory Antenatal and Maternity public hospitals departments screen for family violence and so far over 1000 women have been screened to date. Personal and domestic protection units are being established in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine, with enhanced staffing for existing units in Darwin. There has been increased funding to specialist domestic violence legal services in Darwin and Alice Springs. Correctional and community-based offender and diversionary programs are being trialled with funding assistance from the Australian government.
The Strong Family, Strong Community, Strong Future Project, which is an indigenous-designed, indigenous-led project addressing family violence, has been implemented in three regions: my own region of the Tiwi Islands, Katherine East and Alice Springs West. Through the Strong Family Project, curriculum has been developed for a new Certificate III course in Family Violence Prevention and Early Intervention. That course commenced in September 2005 and is being offered to community workers by the Charles Darwin University.
Sixteen educators representing 34 cultural groups and languages trained to educate the communities on what constitutes domestic violence, and what services they can access and how. The bilateral agreement between the Territory and the Australian government has already resulted in approximately $2m in funding to support community patrols in remote communities; anti-violence education programs for young people; integrated family violence services in the Katherine region; and interventions for children exposed to family violence. They are just a number of areas that government is working with and through the Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Committee which involves committed community members in working with government to make sure the voice of the community is involved in the development and management of our domestic and family violence strategies.
The Attorney-General and the minister for Police will answer some of the technical areas that were raised by members opposite. However, I stand here and support it for the reasons I have outlined. There are many situations in our electorates where women do seek these orders. This allows that flexibility for those women to be able to go to police and seek an order. I fully support it. It is just another layer or part of the wider strategy that we need to take to offer women and children protection.
Mr HENDERSON (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I support this legislation. It is good to follow my colleague, the member for Arafura, as this is all about further protecting women and children. It is as simple as that. We were elected to government in 2001; one of the platforms was safer communities and this is just another example of how this government continues to work to make the Territory a safer place and, in particular, a safer place for women and children.
It is a very simple bill. I am surprised at the level of concern that Independents and members opposite have in regard to this bill as it is a very simple bill with very simple applications. Maybe I am just a simple man; I am not sure. When you look at the numbers - and the Leader of the Opposition was on her soapbox talking about reservations - let us look at the policy application here in terms of the work that is happening.
In 1999, when the CLP left office, only 39 applications for a domestic violence order had been made - 39 across the Northern Territory under the last year of the previous government. From a policy objective, looking at policy across government as to why we have such an appalling rate of violence in the Northern Territory, those rates of violence have been there for many years. They have been reported on, spoken about, and the subject of intense scrutiny. Where was the capacity in the previous government, from a policy level, to look at the whole gamut of issues there and do something about it? We had a police force that had been run down to the ground that was barely able to get out and do the most basic of law enforcement across the Territory. There was no commitment to the police force, to legislative change, or on the social side of the equation, and just 39 applications were made for domestic violence orders in 1999.
Last year, there were 724 across the Northern Territory. I can advise the House today that, in the first quarter of this year, already 199 applications have been made - on the way to 800 for this year. This amendment was requested by police, came from the Domestic Violence Task Force which the Commissioner has put together, to assist and aid police in their work trying to protect the women of the Northern Territory. That is a policy response to a significant problem here in the Northern Territory, as opposed to the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing from the Leader of the Opposition - and crocodile tears in this particular case. Police have requested this amendment. I thank my colleague, the Attorney-General, for very quickly bringing this through.
I will speak on the comments from the member for Nelson about the Police Association not being consulted. Very appropriately, the Police Commissioner brings to me, from time to time, requests for amendments to legislation to better enable the police to do their job across the Northern Territory. I take those requests from police and, from time to time, member for Nelson, there is a divergence of view between the association - which I have great respect and regard for, and have a good working relationship with - and the Commissioner, who has responsibility for running the police force and achieving government’s policy objectives of a safer community.
The Police Commissioner has adopted an operational strategy of intelligence-led policing targeting repeat offenders. He has had great success regarding property crime. We have seen property crime rates decrease by about 50% across the Northern Territory and, in the last four years, to a large part attributable to the significant increase in police resources - an extra 137 officers on the job. It is a very specific operational strategy deployed by the Commissioner.
He has then led, or created, dedicated domestic violence units across the Northern Territory. I can advise the House that there are 24 dedicated officers in those units that did not exist two years ago. Ten of those are dedicated to Darwin, 10 in Alice Springs, two in Tennant Creek and two in Katherine - dedicated, full-time police resources targeting repeat offenders. It is a small start, there is a long way to go, but as we have seen with the latest crime figures released the other day by my colleague, the Justice minister, we saw a 10% reduction in reported violent offending across the Northern Territory.
These powers will give the police additional capacity to very quickly deal with circumstances, particularly in the bush where they need to act quickly, to apply domestic violence orders that gives them capacity to require that the perpetrator absent himself from the vicinity of the victim, or for the police to be able to remove that perpetrator. It gives the police the capacity to move much more quickly in those circumstances, better protecting women and children.
The question arises: is this going to mean that new recruits, junior constables placed in the bush, will be able to issue those orders? The answer is no. The power to make these orders will be given to watch commanders and officers-in-charge. They will have to be commissioned officers, typically in the bush, of brevet sergeant rank or above. We do not place, and the Commissioner does not place young, inexperienced officers into bush stations; that does not occur. Constables will not have the power. It will be watch commanders and officers-in-charge.
The Police General Orders are going to be amended as a result of this legislation. There will be specific training provided, and that issue will be worked through between police and Justice. This legislation will not commence until such time as specific training has been provided to police. We want this legislation commenced as soon as possible, and that work will happen very quickly. These powers are an interim order. Those orders will have to be confirmed by the court and people will be able to challenge, through the usual processes, the issuing of those orders.
However, if we are going to be serious about responsibly tackling the tragedy of domestic violence across the Northern Territory, when the police come to government and ask for these additional powers as they believe that they can get in there and intervene much earlier, better protect women, who are we to say for all these theoretical reasons and interpretations that we are going to send this off to a committee and consult for the next six months in terms of a broader review of the Domestic Violence Act? I believe we would be failing in our responsibility as government to the women and children of the Northern Territory not to take that advice from police and to not enact this legislation.
It has gone through Justice; it is a Justice bill. Justice has worked through the checks and balances of how the laws would apply and the implications of other statutes. We have very dedicated and competent legal officers …
Mrs Braham: Perhaps we should have asked you for a briefing.
Ms Carney: Perhaps you should have got one, sport.
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: You are politicising what was a sensible debate. I hope the Attorney-General’s response is better than yours. You should be ashamed of yourself for some of the things you have said.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, order!
Ms Carney: Absolutely ashamed.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: I accept and recognise that it has to be a challenge for the opposition over the next four years in scrutinising legislation introduced by the government. It is a very responsible role that the opposition in providing that scrutiny.
There is going to be much more legislation introduced. Some is going to be more important than others due to the impact and the effect that it is going to have in the Northern Territory. If the opposition does have reservations or genuine concerns about legislation - well, this has not been rushed through. This has gone through the usual process of being tabled in the last sittings, and the shadow minister, in this case the Leader of the Opposition, has a responsibility to inform herself …
Ms Carney: Do not start talking about our responsibilities. Yours is to read it and understand it because you are the minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you will cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: … has an absolute responsibility to discharge her duties in scrutinising this legislation to seek a briefing.
Ms Carney: Rubbish!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you will cease interjecting.
Ms Carney: He is very provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: I will pick up on the interjection, Madam Speaker. Parliament is about informed debate. We have a responsibility to inform ourselves, as opposed to swanning in here and grandstanding on pedantic points. If the Leader of the Opposition had genuine concerns - she is a lawyer; I am not. I accept …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … about the application of the technical …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … interpretation in the courts …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … specific clauses in legislation, and that is where she is coming from in her contribution to this debate. She has an opportunity to seek a briefing to put those concerns. They will be addressed by the appropriate legal officers who have the responsibility for putting the policy and drafting the legislation, to discuss all of those issues and then come back in here much better informed. She uses parliament to trawl through her interpretation, her technical interpretation, without availing herself of the opportunity that is provided, and which was taken up by the members for Nelson and Braitling who recognised their responsibilities of being informed in order to contribute as Independents, let alone the opposition who are putting ipso facto the alternative government view.
She is failing in her responsibility. We cannot take her comments seriously and genuinely in the absence of her seeking to inform herself as to the policy intent and the legal application of legislation that we bring before this House. I do not take the Opposition Leader’s comments with any degree of genuineness at all given her complete failure to be briefed on this particular legislation.
This is sensible. For somebody who proposes to always be on the side of the victim, there are a number of cases where, through comments implied and otherwise by the Leader of the Opposition, she is trying to have it two ways and it is not going to wash.
Those numbers again: 39 applications for domestic violence orders in 1999 when the CLP were last in office, heading to 800 this year under this government. Our commitment is to do everything we can to provide safer communities through additional resources, not only to police but also health and education and other areas of government such as housing. We will make the legislative changes where we can and this is a very commonsense request for a change that is going to assist the police to do their job.
I certainly will be taking requests from the Police Commissioner and the police who are in the front line doing everything they can to protect women in the Northern Territory over and above the advice of the Leader of the Opposition anytime.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I will attempt to give a full response to the various concerns that have been raised by members. I thank them for their contribution to the debate both when they are standing at their chair and when they are sitting.
I welcome the support for the bill and am quite happy to acknowledge that there were qualifications brought forward by some members which I will deal with.
First, there has been some talk about the issue of consultation and also the relationship of this reform to the general community consultation that is proceeding on the review of the Domestic Violence Act in general. As the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services quite rightly pointed out, this bill responds to a very specific set of circumstances that were brought to the attention of the government by the police. The figures that have already been used in this debate do give a very good insight as to why this reform was seen to be more urgent than to be left in the body of the review issues that are proceeding through community debate at the moment.
When you look at the situation of a duty magistrate, and look at the numbers of these applications that have come to magistrates in recent times - close to 750 in a year and increasing - it is not the only function a duty magistrate is performing in their night duty. They are looking at bail applications. They are looking at quite a number of other matters. It does make sense to provide other mechanisms for a response to a critical situation where a woman or child’s wellbeing might be in endangered by a would-be offender.
I do not accept for a minute the assertions that we have these under-utilised magistrates who are sitting there doing nothing and getting good money for it. There has been that sort of tone to some of the debate which I find quite regrettable.
Our magistrates are both very hardworking and very diligent in the work that they do in applying the law on behalf of the Territory community, and particularly the duties they perform out of hours. When most of the community is having a good night’s sleep, our magistrates are on call to deal with these and other matters. However, it is very important to see the full body of the work of the duty magistrate is not purely about domestic violence applications. It is certainly an important part of it, although, there are many other matters they are also available to deal with.
To expand, the initial consultation occurred as a dialogue between the police department, which brought this issue to us, and the Department of Justice. Whilst this bill has sat before the House, other organisations have come forward such as the Police Association. We have had a number of discussions with the Police Association about their concerns and have dealt very specifically with those concerns. The Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit made approaches on behalf of other domestic violence services. The Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission and the Northern Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service have approached us with particular issues regarding this legislation. Although it is quite right to say we have not gone out comprehensively around the community, we felt that this is a very specific arrangement aligning what the police do operationally with the courts, and that it was appropriate to work out the details with the people who will be directly involved in these mechanisms.
The review will proceed through community consultation. I can say that there will be no limit or constraint on who participates in that public debate. We want to proceed with that as extensively as possible through stakeholder groups in the community. I ask all members of this House to promote the inclusiveness of that process. If they are aware of groups which want to take part or bring issues to the overall review, please encourage them to get in touch. We will be more than happy to include their views in what we report.
There has been some talk about the new role of police in putting interim orders in place. That will be a new function of police, as it was in the CLP’s own version of this reform that was brought forward prior to the change of government. The difference is that our reform will work better in practice as it is not time limited. It will allow us to deal with those situations around the Territory where it is not practical to have a court determine a time frame in a restraining order where the police judge that there is a real threat to the women and children involved.
I will recap the key provisions for members just so we are clear on what we are actually putting in place. The bill provides that interim restraining orders can only be issued by police officers when it is not practicable to obtain an order from the court and it is necessary to make an order to ensure the immediate safety of the person for whose protection the order is being made.
The Leader of the Opposition raised the issue of the basis on which the interim order is put in place. Is it to be the judgment of the police officer that the safety of the potential victims are at such a level of vulnerability that there needs to be an immediate order put in place, or is for the police to stand in the place of a court and say: ‘What would a court do in this situation, or be likely to do in making a decision about applying an order?’ Quite clearly, we are talking about the same criteria for both in looking at what would underpin a restraining order.
I will go to section 4(1) of the existing Domestic Violence Act which says:
- (1) Where, on an application made in accordance with subsection (2), the Court or the Clerk is satisfied, on the
balance of probabilities –
Now here are the criteria:
- (a) that the defendant –
- (i) has assaulted or caused personal injury to a person in a domestic relationship with the defendant
or damaged property in the possession of that person; and
person's property;
defendant or threatened to damage property in the possession of the person; and
- (i) the defendant has behaved in a provocative or offensive manner towards a person in a domestic
relationship with the defendant;
that may cause another person to reasonably fear violence or harassment against himself or herself or
another; and
(iii) the defendant is, unless restrained, likely again to behave in the same or a similar manner,
You can see that the focus of those existing provisions would guide both the police and the magistrate in a case where they are determining whether an order should be put in place, very much focused on the future safety of the woman or the child who is under threat. When you look at provisions in the amendments, this will be self-normalising because every single interim restraining order put in place by police will be reviewed by the court at the earliest possible opportunity. It will be very clear, very early, if the police are deviating from the practice seen as being appropriate by the courts in applying those criteria. It is a confirmation that the criteria in the Domestic Violence Act which guides the placement of a restraining order are being correctly interpreted and followed by the police in putting orders in place.
Interim means interim. It means that these decisions will be immediately reviewed by a court. I believe that renders the issues about whether judicial power is or is not being conveyed or placed on the police. It is largely an academic question in that the court, ultimately, underpins the placement of an order and will, increasingly with practice, come to bring the interpretation of the police into line with what the courts would follow in any event.
I am satisfied with those mechanisms which are in parallel with current provisions over the granting of bail by police officers. Again, there is a court review process which applies in those processes as well. We are not creating this new detached power of police to do what a court would normally do; we are simply using the police as agents at large in the places where these offences are likely to be contemplated, to immediately put an order in place which can then be ratified by the court using the same criteria under the current act. I hope that might deal with issue of judicial powers and police powers.
My colleague, the Police minister, has certainly dealt already with the matter of whether training will be provided to the police. It has been made very clear that these provisions will not commence until we are satisfied that sufficient training has been provided, and that the police are sufficiently across the operation of these new provisions to go out and apply them.
Regarding the conflict in police roles, I will read out some notes that deal with the matter of the role of police officers. The fundamental role of a police officer in maintaining law and order in our community sees them fulfilling a wide range of different duties and responsibilities. Law enforcement is not just about arresting offenders and conducting criminal investigations. The police, along with other key community organisations, such as Victims of Crime NT, play an important role in supporting victims of domestic violence. Police officers are used to addressing the variable the nature of their role in a flexible and professional manner.
The power of police officers to issue restraining orders under this bill is, in essence, no different from the power police officers already have under the Bail Act to grant or refuse bail. The role of police in assisting a defendant under the Bail Act to seek a review from a magistrate of a police bail decision is similar to the one proposed under this bill in relation to review by a court for a police-issued restraining order. There have been no suggestions that police powers under the Bail Act have compromised their ability to carry out their other duties in an appropriate and professional manner. It should be noted that Western Australia and Tasmania already have legislation that permits police officers to issue restraining orders and similar powers have been proposed as appropriate by the Law Reform Commission of New South Wales.
Police already have a broad range of powers to intervene in domestic violence incidents, to provide protection for victims, and to hold offenders accountable for their behaviour. The power to issue urgent interim restraining orders will serve as an additional tool that will complement these existing powers. The model adopted by the current bill reaches an appropriate compromise between providing the added flexibility for police to make their own orders and, at the same time, ensuring that the rights of defendants are safeguarded by processes of confirmation review of orders through the court.
It is a question of balance. It is a question of wanting to reach in as widely as possible to situations where women and kids constitute potential victims in further assaults and violence, versus the right of the potential offender, or the person suspected of being a potential offender, to a due process under the law, so the offender can certainly request a review by the court. They can put their case to a court within the earliest practicable time after the order took place. I believe that is a fair balance between our most pressing response to the potential victims and to maintain the safeguards for the people who are accused or suspected of being potential offenders.
There was an issue raised by the Leader of the Opposition that some of the bill was incorrectly drafted. We checked that out and it is simply not true. While the submission was well meant and it was not trying to misrepresent the situation on the face of the bill, it was an unfounded argument.
That probably deals with the main issues that have been brought forward by members. I again thank everyone for their contributions. We all know that there is a political dialogue in this House; we are all politicians, for God’s sake. I accept that every member of this House would share exactly the same sincere desire to do as much as we can about victimisation particularly of women and children in our community. I will accept all contributions in this debate in that spirit as I always do when introducing legislation.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: This legislation belongs to the House as a whole. It is brought forward by the government of the day. As members of parliament, we all have a right to bring forward our individual concerns on any aspects of legislation. I will conclude my remarks on that basis, Madam Speaker.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
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Debate suspended until after Question Time.
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VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you of the presence in the gallery of visitors for October Business Month, and also other visitors from Darwin and Palmerston. In particular, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Nakara and Parap Primary Schools who have been involved in the Parliament of the Wizards today. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMENDMENT (POLICE ORDERS) BILL
(Serial 17)
(Serial 17)
Continued from earlier this day.
In committee:
Clauses 1 and 2, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 3:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 2.1. Clause 3 states that the act amends the Domestic Violence Act. This committee stage amendment inserts the words ‘(except sections 13A and 14)’ into clause 3. Clause 13A amends the Firearms Act and clause 14 repeals the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2001.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 3, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 4 to 13, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
New clause 13A:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 2.2. New clause 13A provides for amendments to section 3(1) of the Firearms Act. This amendment omits the definition of ‘interim restraining order’ and ‘restraining order’ contained in section 3(1) of the Firearms Act and inserts new definitions consequential to the amendments made to the Domestic Violence Act by this bill. The new definition in the Firearms Act includes a reference to orders made under the new section 6A and orders confirmed under the new section 8C of the Domestic Violence Act.
Amendment agreed to.
New clause 13A agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE: (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
New Central Agency to Drive Economic Development in the Northern Territory
New Central Agency to Drive Economic Development in the Northern Territory
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Economic Development): Madam Speaker, today I update the House on the creation of the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development or DBERD with an ‘e’ as opposed to DBIRD with an ‘i’, and the central role it will play in the future economic developments of the Northern Territory.
The Martin government is driving economic development because we know what it means – jobs for Territorians. The creation of DBERD will enable a stronger, more cohesive focus on the driving forces of sustainable economic development in the Territory, and the development of new opportunities for Territory business. Before turning to the new agency, I would like to first reflect on the current state of the Northern Territory economy and its future outlook, to place in context the role that DBERD will play.
The Northern Territory economy is strengthening at a rate we have not seen for many years. The recent Sensis Business Index showed that Northern Territory small and medium enterprises are the most confident in Australia, and indeed have raised the bar for the rest of the country by recording the highest levels of performance in almost all economic indicators.
The latest Access Economics Five Year Business Outlook describes the Territory’s economic prospects as ‘excellent’, saying, after the Treasurer did today in Question Time, ‘the world will be beating a path to the Territory’s door for some time yet’. Access predicts the Territory will have the highest average annual Gross State Product for the five years to 2009-10 at 4.5%, outstripping the national average of 3.5%. Access also predicts the Territory will have the highest annual job growth rate over the same period at 2.3%, compared to the national forecast of 1.4%.
Importantly, the Territory’s population is also forecast to grow at an annual rate of 1.6%, the second-highest rate in the country.
The Territory’s construction industry is also moving ahead. Recent data shows that, in the first quarter of this year, construction work completed in the Territory increased by 30.4% over the previous quarter, influenced in part by the Bayu-Undan Stage 2 project and the ramping up of construction fro the Alcan G3 alumina refinery expansion.
You only need to look around Darwin and Alice Springs to see that our builders and subcontractors are flat out, reflecting ABS figures that show the Territory’s residential building approvals are still the strongest in the country at 6.7% for the 12 months to August 2005, bucking a 12.6% decrease nationally.
Tourist numbers are up, property values are up, and so is consumer spending. Casuarina Square, for example, has recorded an increase in sales on the same period the year before every month for the past 14 months, ranging from anywhere between 5% to 10%. Talking to the new General Manager of Casuarina Square the other day, they, for the first time, are looking at turnover exceeding $300m this year.
Put simply, the Territory is moving ahead and we must harness the economic opportunities before us. The Darwin to Adelaide railway and the East Arm Wharf projects laid the foundations, forming the new AustralAsia Trade Route that has opened up a new freight corridor between Asia and Australia through Darwin.
A 500 km undersea pipeline now links the $3bn production facility in the Bayu-Undan gas field and the $1.6bn Wickham Point LNG Plant, ensuring that gas is brought onshore in the Territory. News of the gas find in the Caldita field north west of Darwin is also promising news for the Territory. I wish Santos and ConocoPhillips best of luck in seeing that find developed.
Alcan’s $2bn expansion of its alumina refinery at Gove will result in a world-scale plant, creating 1700 jobs during the 2 year construction phase and 120 new permanent jobs in Gove. When complete, Alcan will increase its alumina exports by a further $430m each year.
Work has started on Darwin’s $1.2bn waterfront development, with 500 000 m3 of landfill being trucked in to create the sea wall and pad upon which the convention and exhibition centre will be built. The movement of trucks over the next 16 weeks may cause some annoyance, however, I urge everyone to be patient. The completed convention centre will bring tens of thousands of extra visitors to town and generate an additional $190m in tourism expenditure over the next 20 years.
The Territory’s long term and improving resource based industries also continue to provide job opportunities in regional and remote parts of the Territory. In April this year, the government welcomed the signing of a major contract between Bootu Creek Resources and FreightLink to transport 600 000 tonnes of manganese every year for five years along the railway from the Bootu Creek Mine, about 160 km north of Tennant Creek. My colleague, the member for Barkly, has been a great supporter of that project. This mining project is but one that is generating real jobs and economic benefit to Territorians in regional areas.
Defence spending is another of the Territory’s key economic drivers, injecting about $828m in recurrent spending into the economy in 2003-04. We will soon see the biggest arrival of Army personnel into the Northern Territory since the early 1990s, with the relocation of 1st Aviation to Roberston Barracks in support of the new Tiger helicopters, generating new service and maintenance opportunities, and the creation of the new Darwin suburb of Lyons. In addition to the Tigers, the Territory will also be home to the Abrams Tanks and Armidale Patrol Boats, further boosting opportunities for Territory business.
Add to that the development of the Bradshaw field training area, increasing Defence activities in the region, such as the recent Kakadu VII exercises, R&R visits from Australian and international forces, and Defence continues to deliver significant economic benefits to the Territory.
This broadening of the Territory’s economic base and development of new industries is also generating new opportunities in supporting sectors. At Wickham Point, the construction of the LNG plant has led to a proposal from BOC to build a $33m helium plant on the same site. The new $55m Vopak Darwin industry fuel terminal at the Darwin Business Park at East Arm has not only opened the way for the removal of the old tank farm at Stuart Park and redevelopment of 25 ha close to the CBD, but also the construction of the $77m biodiesel facility which will be the largest in Australia. These projects highlight the maturing of the Territory economy and the increasing confidence of the private sector to invest and reinvest in current projects and future developments.
The challenge ahead is to maximise on the Territory’s continuing economic strength and build an economy more resilient to the cycles of boom and bust than we have witnessed in the past. No business can survive and thrive without sound planning. Governments and business must continue to develop plans to harness and maximise on opportunities in order to drive economic developments and create jobs for all Territorians no matter where they live.
The future economic growth of the Territory is closely linked to investment confidence, a supportive business environment, and a skilled work force. We are already starting to see a focus on a different type of investment, one led by the private sector. We are also seeing the beginnings of a shift away from the traditional investments to investment in technology driven sectors with growth in exports. New technology, innovation, business and labour skills all contribute significantly to increased industry productivity.
I have already touched on a number of the Territory’s major projects and large infrastructure developments and how their flow-on effects impact on investor confidence in the start up of supporting projects. We are also witnessing examples of businesses putting their stake into the Territory because they can see what the future holds. Companies such as Worley Parsons, one of Australia’s leading engineering firms, has established an office in Darwin because they believe the Territory economy will continue to grow. They expect to employ at least 30 officers over the next 12 months focusing on mining, oil and gas and defence related works. ConocoPhillips, too, has its eyes to the future of the Territory and has announced its plans to relocate between 30 and 40 engineering, operational and support staff from Perth to Darwin next year to manage its Bayu-Undan offshore facilities and development, Bayu-Undan pipeline, and Darwin LNG plant. Congratulations to ConocoPhillips for making that decision.
The Territory’s strengthening economy and emerging projects and industries are also driving the creation of industry clusters and development projects to target business opportunities. The Martin government knows we have a key role to play in establishing a business environment in the Northern Territory that both supports and drives economic developments. We have delivered record tax cuts making the Territory the lowest taxing jurisdiction in Australia for small business. We have delivered record capital works budgets to drive the construction industry, supported investment in major projects, refocused and improved procurement policy to better meet the needs of business, and developed initiatives to further build our skilled work force. We know that the availability of skilled employees, that is why we are building our population and boosting the Territory skills basis, is a priority of this government. We will continue to work in partnership with business and industry to roll out strategies to attract and retain skilled employees.
We have already achieved good results through our first Jobs Plan. I am pleased that there are now more than 3200 apprentices and trainees in the Territory, up 47% since 2001. Significantly, there has been a 65% increase in the number of apprentices and trainees completing their training, up from 848 in 2001 to 1408 in 2004. We are also improving the number of indigenous Territorians taking up apprenticeships and trainees with 696 commencing in 2004, a 41% increase over the last four years. This is a good start, however, the Martin government knows there is more to do and we are investing significantly in the future work force of the Territory with our Jobs Plan 2 offering a range of initiatives to support the training of 10 000 apprentices and trainees over the next four years.
We are also supporting Territory business to grow their work force through skilled migration, investing more that $1m over the next two years to promote the Territory overseas as the place to live, work and invest. In 2004-05, the Business and Skilled Migration Unit of my department supported Territory businesses in sponsoring 220 skilled workers, up from 89 in 2003-04. That work continues and this month the Territory government will participate in migration exhibitions in India, England and Ireland, and will head to China in November.
Whilst the Territory economy is relatively small compared to other jurisdictions, it is changing and growing at a rapid pace. Just compare where we are now to where we were when we first came to government in 2001. We have witnessed significant growth over the past few years and seen strengthening of existing industries and sectors and the emergence of new business and new industries. Whilst we welcome this blend of existing and new business, and industry development, I would like to emphasise that this journey ahead will have its challenges. The vast distances between our population centres make access to efficient and effective transport, communications, power and water essential to the quality of life and increasing productivity capacity. We need to capitalise on our unique strengths, our can-do attitude, our proximity to Asia, our political stability, our infrastructure foundations, our lifestyle, and our wealth of natural resources.
The vision I have for the future is a strong, vibrant, growing and sustainable Northern Territory economy. The newly created Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development will play a central role in achieving that vision: a new agency with a new focus. The new department brings together the business and industry development functions of the former Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development; the knowledge and innovation activities of the Department of the Chief Minister; and the Regional and Indigenous Economic Development units of the former Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. This government is serious about driving economic development and creating jobs in the bush. That is why we have placed indigenous and regional economic development into the key economic agency.
Currently, about 30% of Territorians are indigenous. As an example of expected future growth of the Territory’s indigenous population, the town of Wadeye, the Territory’s sixth biggest town, is expected to double its population over the next 20 years to about 4000 people. Wadeye’s high population growth is indicative of the demographic changes facing many remote indigenous communities across the Territory, and it is clear from these statistics alone, that indigenous Territorians must be properly engaged in the Territory economy if the Territory is to continue to grow.
In May this year, the Chief Minister launched this government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy. This strategy sets out a clear vision to deliver improved quality of life through dramatic advances in the economic status of Territorians. It also describes the enormity of the challenges ahead to achieve better employment opportunities for indigenous Territorians. They are challenges the Territory government cannot meet alone. We must work in partnership with indigenous Territorians, business and industry, and the federal government. The first steps have already been taken. The Martin government and the Australian government recently signed the overarching agreement on indigenous affairs between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia, focused in part on building indigenous wealth, employment and entrepreneurial culture. Both this agreement and the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy provide frameworks for practical activities for governments and the private sector to partner with indigenous people in gaining an increasing independence from welfare through new flexible and cooperative ways of creating jobs and business.
The strategy has identified a range of industries where there are opportunities for indigenous economic development, including retail, the arts, construction, forestry and agribusiness, and knowledge and culture. The Indigenous Economic Development Unit within DBERD is the leading force in the Territory government’s drive to see indigenous Territorians fully engaged in, and benefiting from, the Territory’s economic growth.
As I stated before, looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead. The Land Development Corporation is now housed in DBERD in recognition of the importance of industrial and commercially orientated land in the economic development equation. The corporation will continue to work with investors and manage strategic land releases to provide a further catalyst for industry to capitalise on major projects and developments.
Bringing the NT Tourism Commission into DBERD reflects the significant contribution tourism makes to the Territory economy and regional development. It will also facilitate a more collaborative approach to tourism development across the public sector, and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission Act will be reviewed to reflect this arrangement.
As the lead economic development agency, DBERD will focus on:
- identifying and implementing means of countering the cyclical boom and bust nature of the
Territory economy;
maximising the business opportunities in the tourism sector;
taking a lead role in fostering indigenous economic development;
promoting sustainable regional development and strengthening the Territory’s regional
economies, infrastructure and communities;
coordinating industrial land requirements to meet the needs of future growth;
facilitating investment in the Territory;
providing the central entry point for Territory business to access government information
and services;
actively pursuing strong partnerships with key industry sectors; and
identifying new opportunities and technologies to assist the Territory’s future developments;
and involving the private sector in capturing those opportunities.
Mike Burgess, as chief executive, will be overseeing the management of this new agency. Dennis Bree, as his deputy, will have specific responsibility for the Business Development, Regional and Indigenous Economic Development and Industry Investment Divisions. The focus of this key group will be to coordinate government’s efforts across the Territory to help business get started and grow; facilitate job creation in the regions and remote areas of the Territory; and drive investment. The group will also have a role in working closely with the Department of Employment, Education and Training and our partners in the push to build our skilled work force, including in the regions. The business and skilled migration team will continue its work to attract more skilled and professional migrants to the Territory, building our work force and growing our population.
Support for the development of our manufacturing, mining and petroleum supply and service industries will continue to be provided. The Defence Support Division will also continue to identify and facilitate industry development opportunities that expand Defence-related business and activities in the Northern Territory. This team will play a lead role in developing the Territory’s first Defence Support Industry Development Strategy, creating a road map to grow industry capabilities to meet Defence needs, attract new Defence business, and deliver real outcomes for Territory business into the future.
The Knowledge and Innovation Group has an important role in progressing the Tropical and Desert Knowledge Strategies of government, and providing impetus to identify new opportunities in supporting innovative business and innovators in the Territory.
The Industry and Economic Policy Group will take a lead role in coordinating the development and implementation of a strategy for economic development for the future, as well as providing strategic information and advice to government on industry and economic outlook and potential.
Maree Tetlow and the NT Tourist Commission will be able to take advantage of the additional resources of the department to support the tourism industry, operators, and the flow-on to other business sectors in a more comprehensive way.
This new agency will be focused and geared to work more efficiently and effectively with its partners to better enable government to respond to business and industry needs in this changing economic environment.
The procurement process will be improved, and a dedicated government industry procurement liaison person to be located in my department will ensure that procurement processes work better for local business.
We need to be able to better understand our economy, the impacts of future developments and help business maximise the opportunities for Territory industry development. The creation of DBERD as the lead economic agency will enable a more cohesive and stronger focus on the Territory’s future economic development. I am looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a disappointing statement. It is hallmark Labor; it describes structural and procedural change and calls it a triumph. Those are harsh words. However, they are well deserved. I will tell the House why. A ministerial statement is an opportunity for a minister to trumpet achievement. The creation of a new department is not an achievement; it is a means to deliver greater success.
In some respects, this statement may be an admission of failure. Does this latest restructure indicate that the previous structure failed to capitalise on the Territory’s strategic advantage? If that is not the underlying reason for this restructure, then why doesn’t the minister say anything about the achievements of the first term? Does the minister draw inspiration from a progressive vision for the Territory? It appears not, as this statement describes no plan or progressive vision, but remains anchored in a description of process and structure. We are told what this department will look like and even who is running it. The rest is puffery.
What will it do? On page 23 it is ‘maximising and promoting and facilitating and identifying’ things. The minister is offering this House a statement that, effectively, says the department is going to do stuff. Why does this statement not describe specific goals and objectives, and outline a clear and inspiring vision? The answer is simple. For a department to achieve goals, it takes a minister and a Chief Minister to drive that process. That is the role of the minister and the Cabinet. Ministers provide the vision and must drive these issues and drive them hard. Departments are, in many respects, like cars; they run well, however, will only idle unless the driver is in the driver’s seat, has their hands on the wheel and their foot firmly on the accelerator. The minister, in fact, describes a fine vehicle, and my comments are not a reflection on the quality of the vehicle, by any means. I stress, minister, that if you want to say I am slagging off at public servants, nothing could be further from the truth, and perhaps you are unable to hear what I am saying.
The need is to see where we are going. As has become the style of this government, timidity results in leaving the car in the garage rather than risking a few scratches taking it for a drive. This administration has plenty of courage to conduct reviews, however, when decisive action is required, timidity confuses consultation with achievement rather than consultation as a means to a decision. It is not just me who thinks this. Last Monday in the Financial Review, an article describes this type of leadership as besetting the entire nation and is holding this nation back. This Chief Minister runs the risk of being the longest serving caretaker Chief Minister the Northern Territory has ever had.
Even in the statement the sense of idling is projected. On page 5, the minister points out the recent successes of Santos and ConocoPhillips by managing to strike gas in the Caldita field north-west of Darwin. What does the minister offer them, and us, in his statement? He wishes them luck. This is government support. Surely you would be doing more than saying bon voyage to these people. Surely you should be saying how much you will be doing to help open up their markets in South-East Asia and beyond. No. This minister wishes them luck. Minister, get into the car and drive it. Take this vehicle somewhere. Show us where we are going and achieve what can be achieved. Drive it like Shane Stone did when he was behind the wheel. Drive it like Marshall Perron did, like Paul Everingham did, and make it happen.
I confess that my sense of disappointment is not assisted when the minister fails to mention Asia in his plans for the future. In the last 10 pages of this statement there is not one mention of Asia at all. This smells of a departmental tail wagging the ministerial dog. Once again, it is not just me, minister, making these observations. This article in the NT News on 17 August reveals the problem in its starkness. The headline reads: ‘The NT Needs a Higher Profile’. I quote the first sentence of the article:
‘The NT will have to raise its profile in Indonesia if it wants to increase trade and education ties’, Indonesia Australia
Business Council (IABC) Vice President, Peter Fanning said.
What happened? Before 2001, we were out there, and in China and in Japan and in the Philippines. You could not get Mick Palmer out of the Philippines, and that was for a good cause.
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: The NT was known there …
Mr Henderson: For all the wrong reasons.
Dr Toyne: Infamous from one island to the next.
Mr MILLS: On 22 August, now do not speak too loudly, over there.
Mr Henderson: For all the wrong reasons.
Mr MILLS: Do not speak too loudly over there on that matter. On 22 August, the NT News editorial said that:
… at least this government has realised Asia exists and could be good for the Territory.
That is not a good quote, minister. It is a comment on this government’s introspective approach on how it does its business.
What this government did do in their last four years was to shut down NT representation in Thailand and in Jakarta by removing our consultancies there. Frankly, it surprises me that the minister read this statement to the House.
The best is yet to come for the Territory, minister, but hope is deferred while this government finds the courage to match its own rhetoric. I urge members to look carefully at this padded out document and judge it. The minister tells us about a new department and then spends 17 out of a 27 page document telling us all sorts of work other people are doing. These pages list the successes of corporations and organisations that have received minimal support from this government and their success is largely unrelated to the actions of this government. Most of it is about what other people are doing and the last few pages are about what the new department would look like. What is missing is what the minister is going to do. It is completely devoid of the minister’s vision and, like so many governments after a good election result, they coast. Not good enough because the opportunity to take advantage of the magnificent set of circumstances that the Territory is being offered is not being realised.
There is also another matter that needs attention and needs attention now. In these set of circumstances that the Territory has been offered, there is a policy direction that must kick in and the need is to manage in times of boom and growth just as much as we need to manage in times of economic downturn. Anyone who is in business knows that these are times when you need to be on task with greater rigour than when things are hard. A matter of deep concern to the Territory needs to be addressed. It is about a matter of critical importance to the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory. The issue arises out of the government’s inability to deal with the corner that they are painting themselves into and more importantly, the corner that they appear to be oblivious of. The business community is very aware of this. Once trapped in that corner, the government will have to allow for an enormous blow-out in energy costs in the Territory.
What this government has failed to do is to secure a supply of gas for the power stations that drive our electricity generating turbines in Darwin and Alice Springs. Before the last election, the government made much mileage from the gas plant that has been constructed at Wickham Point; a gas plant that this government had nothing to do with bringing onshore. This government had nothing to do with building the bridges into the marketplaces where the gas will be sold or with the construction of the gas plant that exists there now.
All of that was the work of the former government and Shane Stone, in fact, with Premier Court went into China and sold that …
Mr Henderson: Doing Western Australia’s bidding!
Mr MILLS: Shane Stone is a Territorian and the two went and sold that product into the world marketplace. This is to show by comparison the lack of action and leadership from this government. He sold the product and convinced the Chinese to use gas rather than coal for their energy needs. However, do not confuse that with the marketplace that he helped to establish in Japan which is where the Bayu-Undan gas is being sent. How did he manage that? He developed close ties with the Howard government which put a great deal of work into convincing the Japanese that Australian gas was the way to go. Again, they avoided using dirtier forms of fuel because they had the tenacity and drive to make them see the sense of our gas supplies. The market was established by visionary leadership. It will be little remembered that these simple actions and leadership did more for the global environment than any Labor premier ever has.
This Chief Minister was handed the whole gas operation on a plate. All they had to do was make certain the gas that the former government had negotiated to be supplied to the power houses in Darwin and Alice was secure. That is all that was left to do. At the time there were two suppliers because there were two prospects competing to get into the Territory: Shell through Sunrise and ConocoPhillips with Bayu-Undan. They were competing with each other to gain access to the Territory government as a customer and they were working in the area. That is all we needed: a small amount of gas coming onshore so that it could power the turbines in our power stations at Channel Island and Alice Springs. Hardly a huge task when all the rest was in place.
Nevertheless, this government has not been able to secure that deal and, currently, there will not be enough gas to power a cigarette lighter for the people of the Northern Territory. This Chief Minister was not able to convince ConocoPhillips to let Territorians have enough gas from the Bayu-Undan field to run our power stations. How on earth could this chance be let go by? It was a few moments from being signed, sealed and delivered. The pipe that would have been built was only a few kilometres long from Wickham Point to Channel Island. It is hardly a marathon distance. Yet after this government touched it, every single molecule of LNG that is produced from a field just north of Darwin is off to other parts of the world, not least of which is China and Japan. At least that part of a CLP vision is still intact.
ConocoPhillips would be delighted. They can land the gas into Japan at $US6 per gigajoule at the current market rates. That is not a bad return at all. In fact it is an excellent return. Surely this should not be a problem. There is gas available in the Territory that drives those turbines, isn’t there? The answer is yes, but more accurately, not for long.
That is right. The gas that runs our lights in this House is running out. The gas that runs the televisions in Anula, the refrigerators in Jingili and the dishwashers in Fannie Bay is running out. What is worse, the gas that is left may run out as early as 2007; contracts expire definitely in 2009. That is not far away, and it is for that reason that the government has embarrassed itself by failing to secure gas from Wickham Point. The stunning thing about gas from Wickham Point is that it would have dropped the generation costs of electricity by more than half under the terms of the deal that was previously struck.
Electricity would have been cheaper for domestic use as well as for business use. Imagine that. In these times of increasing fuel costs we could have made the Territory business among the most cost effective in the country. A manufacturing sector that would have been a cheaper proposition in the Territory than in other parts of the country and families would have gone to the cinema on a weekly basis with the money they were saving on their power bills.
The government is procrastinating on this issue and there is a very definite time line. It is in the marketplace looking for a new source of gas. However, it will never be as cheap as gas from Wickham Point as the infrastructure that has to be built will make it hugely expensive. The other problem is that the Bayu-Undan field is the only source of gas that is now available. Even if the pipeline from Blacktip to Nhulunbuy was to be built, it will not be built in time to supply Channel Island. Worse even, if it were built on time the infrastructure would be much more expensive than a simple pipeline from Wickham Point.
There is another problem. Darwin is a small time user of gas. It is not like we are Kobe or Tokyo with populations of millions upon millions of individuals; we are a little over 100 000 souls in the Top End. Moving gas over vast distances to supply a small market means that the price of each joule will be massively inflated by the time the consumer uses it in the form of electricity. The costs of generating in such circumstances will be profound.
We have a coastline that is awash with gas. There are numerous fields out there, however, none are going to supply gas to Darwin. In the case of a field like Bayu-Undan the gas is all going offshore and in the case of a field like Sunrise the wellheads have already been capped. The Northern Territory is now in the marketplace, and what are they offering per gigajoule? The market rate is $US6 per gigajoule; the offer I understand is $AU3, far less than half the going international market rate. By the way, I wonder if members are aware that the international price of gas has doubled only in the last month?
The sad thing is that under previous arrangements organised by the former Chief Minister, Denis Burke, the Wickham Point gas was nearly secured. The former government was prepared to become an equity partner in a pipeline if it was needed, and due to the strengths of the former government’s position we were in a position to get a good result. The former government had two potential suppliers vying to supply gas and they were bargaining in the area of $2.35 or thereabouts per gigajoule, which was a competitive price at the time. Also, we had something to offer both of these companies – Wickham Point and Glyde Point. We also wanted to lock in long-term deals at competitive rates by offering to the foundation customers at these rates.
What are the government’s options now? We could go cap in hand to ConocoPhillips and plead with them for a deal. That would mean paying whatever ConocoPhillips decided to charge and, believe you me, that will be a whole lot more than government has budgeted for.
Perhaps the Chief Minister will turn to the other forms of fuel that are available out there such as diesel or coal. I can see the smoke stacks and cooling towers right now. Raw fossil fuel so unrefined that, if you burn them, you need to bring in so many filtration systems to bear that you create a new filter industry overnight. I want to win government. However, I do not want to do it standing next to smoke stacks.
Be assured the advice from the Chief Minister that the PNG supply which is being extended to the Gove Peninsula will surely be extended to Darwin. How much will that cost, and how ridiculous will it look to see a gas plant a couple of kilometres from a power station that sources its fuel from New Guinea? It is a very difficult situation, and we require this level of leadership from government to lead us to solutions to what are very serious issues that are largely unaddressed in a statement that should dwell on such matters which should be constantly brought before this Chamber.
There is another option for ConocoPhillips. That is to simply generate the power themselves and then sell that power back into the marketplace. I wonder how many people work for Power and Water now? I wonder how many people would work for them if they were not generating power? Somewhat less of them, I would think, and some Territorians will be left working for - well, water. This would also not fix the government’s problem for Alice Springs as it would not be profitable for ConocoPhillips, if they were to generate our power in the worst case scenario, to deliver power to Alice Springs. Government would still have to provide power, then we are back to coal and diesel again. If any members know where the power station is in Alice Springs, they will know what a problem these options would present.
The government has to come up with solutions and they have to do it now. In reply, I ask the minister to address some of these issues. I am sure he will spend a good portion of his time criticising what I have said, however, that is hardly the point. The point is that these are core issues that need to be addressed, and they are the sorts of matters I would have expected to be addressed in a statement of this kind.
Finally, I would like to address the issues of indigenous economic development. The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, the ALRA, covers the systems of ownership enjoyed by Aboriginal people. The systems that guide the ALRA were based on the economic rationale of the 1970s; namely a highly regulated centralised economic model. This model was reflected around the world in the economic thinking of the time. If you add, then, a belief that these people are not sophisticated enough to look after their own land, then the justification for regulation and centralisation is further enhanced. It is for these two reasons that so much authority was vested in the land councils and so little in the people who actually owned the land.
Worst still is that the land trust system still precludes any real opportunity for individual development. Land trusts operate in a fashion that makes them impossible to divide, therefore, the only option is leasing. The federal government has taken a tiny step in that direction.
The major problem is that, when the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act was finally turned into legislation, its shelf life was limited. The economic modelling which the act reflects was rejected by the OECD in the late 1970s, and the result was a global economic philosophy which was quite the opposite of how the ALRA actually works. In short, the world was increasing its belief in individual property rights, while the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act remained locked firmly in the old model. There are countries still that use the highly centralised systems of economic management, notably Cuba and North Korea. Neither of these places could be accused of being economic power houses.
The philosophy of protection that is reflected in the ALRA has seen the creation of walls around Aboriginal people to protect them. Those walls have now turned into prisons. Investment money tries to find its way into Aboriginal land from time to time but, because the walls are so strong, it simply does not become viable for the money to stay there. The Northern Land Council seems to have gone some way to figuring this out and has become slightly more investment friendly, however, the Central Land Council remains implacable in its rigidity in resisting investment.
The financial isolation that this represents is the reason for the lack of jobs and the rampant poverty that is the majority of the land trusts in the Northern Territory. Minister, your new department is going to struggle in the same way that others have struggled unless there is a change in the commercial thinking practices of land councils. It can be done. The Tiwis and the Sylvatech project is a landmark. Newmont and the CLC have done some good things, however, much more has to happen and access has to be easier or money will walk somewhere else. This statement is long on puffery but short on description of outcomes for Territorians and identification of core problems that need addressing if we are going to progress economic development in the Northern Territory.
The darkest cloud on our horizon is the supply of energy to allow the potential of the Territory to be realised. I do not for a moment diminish the strong economic growth that Territorians are experiencing at the moment. Sound economic management requires issues such as inflation and the increased cost of living, the cost of fuel and its impact on families, businesses and industry to be addressed by sound policy. Those matters need to be addressed now. Times of growth are times of very serious action. They used to say that when the sun is shining it is time to make hay, that is, it is time to prepare for the downturn. It is time to put the planks in place to address those issues. We need to recognise that we have limited resources, and also that the resources boom is propelling the Territory in a direction just as the property market is moving the Territory in a particular direction.
Recognise too, that, in a number of states the housing market has dropped. That could also happen in the Northern Territory. There will be ups and there will be downs. When the market was strong in Sydney and Melbourne, it was not responding in the Territory. It now has in the Territory, it is no longer in Sydney and Melbourne. We need to be prepared for that. I would like to hear the minister reflect on those things rather than the buoyant reflections of what is being reported now.
We are enjoying good times now, however, visionary leadership recognises where we could be if we do not keep our hand on the wheel. The resources boom is strongly affecting the economies of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and, to some degree, South Australia, however, that is being fuelled, as we know, by India and China. That may not always be the case. Those issues need to be brought into consideration and reflected in a statement such as this. There is very little reference to those issues which need to be discussed.
The Territory comes off a low economic base, and we have a small population, which can have massive turnarounds. The government spent four years batting against accusations that the employment rate was going down and now it is going up from a low base. Any growth, even small growth, reflects very strongly in the Territory statistically. However, we need to recognise that we have a small economic base. If we have negative impact, let us say China changes direction or India changes its economic prospects, that will have a direct effect on the Northern Territory. Out of the two states and the Territory which are enjoying strong growth at the moment delivered by the resources boom, it is the Territory alone which will suffer the greatest because we have such a fragile economic base.
It is those matters which need to be addressed so that we have some confidence as to what lies ahead. Show us what cannot be seen at this moment and prepare the way for us. What we have described here is mechanical and structural change, which is fine. However, for those other issues, the energy issues, the real drivers of our economy which are largely out of our control, we need to be able to surf these waves to the maximum benefit and those sorts of things need to be addressed in statements like this. I am sure the minister will use his full allocation of time to address some of those issues. I hope he does for the sake of the Territory and the families that are looking ahead who also believe that the best is still to come for the Territory, which I sincerely believe.
We need those core issues properly addressed and reflected in statements that are made by ministers in this place so that we can move the whole agenda forward, so that we can all benefit from it, so that we can leave this place a better place than it currently is.
We are enjoying good times and good on you for whatever reflection that is on this Territory government. However, if you are honest, it is not huge. You are doing what governments do: they put policies in place and that sort of stuff and they set some sort of direction. The tone of this statement is the same sort of tone that has been reflected in much that this government does - it looks good, it sounds good, it appears good – however, there is an underlying timidity and a lack of courage to take us forward and to address the difficult issues before we reach them.
With those words, I wish those people who work in the department, who are working in this new agency all the very best. I am sure the good times will continue. I urge the minister to address the issues that need to be addressed, today, so that we do not have problems to encounter tomorrow.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Minister for Business and Economic Development has provided the House a clear statement on the government’s thinking behind the creation of the new arrangements for his agency and our plans over the next four years including our intention to continue the close monitoring of the economy to continue to plan the very important role that government plays in an economy of this size.
I have two roles to play in this overall plan: as Treasurer, I am responsible for spearheading the budgetary plans of the government and, as Employment, Education and Training minister I have responsibility for the development of a skilled Territory.
Over the next four years we anticipate continued economic growth. We anticipate a continued improvement in housing and the labour markets as well as growth in consumer spending and in construction, particularly residential.
The current population growth rate is above the national average at 1.1%, and we are hopeful of maintaining a strong growth rate through this time. As always, there are clouds on every horizon, challenges we must prepare for. The current cloud is the slowing down of the revenue received from GST. There are clear signs that the slowing national economy will mean a reduced growth pattern for GST. We must ensure that government’s expenditure matches this pattern to ensure we do not get out of alignment and create large deficits. For larger economies, such as New South Wales, fluctuations in GST receipts have a lesser impact. For the Territory, the GST accounts for well over 7% of our income. These fluctuations can make for huge differences between anticipated and actual Commonwealth receipts.
One of the failures of the last CLP administration was they did not adjust their expenditure and they lost their flexibility to handle an economic slump. Because they allowed the government to run up hundreds of millions in deficit budgets, they could not provide any funds to boost the capital works program when private sector investment dried up. It could not invest in tourism expenditure or any other of the drivers in the economy identified by the minister in his statement. In effect, at the time that the economy needed the government the most, they were unable to respond to the call and the single investment in the railway, as good as that was, was simply not enough to keep the rest of the economy out of diving into a hole. That is the situation that this government has learnt from, and I can assure members of this House that while I am Treasurer, we will not be digging ourselves into a similar hole.
Since coming to office, we have made clear economic management decisions which have held us in good stead in the first four years of this government. They have been a clear and tight fiscal strategy; a strong investment in infrastructure; record capital works budgets, four in a row; and investment in key social and economic development programs. Our fiscal strategy has been to bring the cash outcome down to balance by the end of the first term, and now to hold to small deficits while investing in the large infrastructure project, the waterfront. We expect to be back into a cash balance by 2009.
That requires discipline and that will mean each minister being required to carefully scrutinise all requests for funding with an eye to whether it can be done within existing resources, by substitution of another program, or whether it need be done at all. An obvious product of the discipline has been the waterfront itself. We were capable of investing the necessary money in this project because we have such fiscal discipline around other expenditure it gave us that much needed flexibility.
We set into place record capital works budgets, now $2.2bn in cash alone over four years. We have spent that capital works and infrastructure money on economic boosters as well as developing our social capital. We have invested in the port, road infrastructure, the joint user terminal and the waterfront. All of these are designed to leverage more development out of the private sector.
We have also invested in key social development, economic development areas, under funded in previous years. We had to place $75m into police over three years to increase the numbers of police and reduce the burden on both business and the community of increasing property crime. The effect of those increased police numbers has been to slash property crime by 50%. We invested $27.5m into tourism marketing over three years to help turn the tide on that industry, with everyone agreeing that last year and this year have been better years.
We continue to invest in health, employment, education and training, which brings me to my second responsibility, that of providing a skilled work force for the Territory. Growing the skills of Territorians remains a key priority of the Martin government. We believe it is critical for the future economic and social development of the community. We are doing it by growing the apprentice and training numbers across the Territory, providing training opportunities to upskill existing workers and building the skills of those not in the work force. We have introduced a range of incentives – Jobs Plan One and Two, Get VET marketing campaign, employer incentives, work gear, Work Ready NT Program and Build Skills NT Program. As a result of those initiatives we are seeing growth in apprentice and training commencement numbers and importantly we are keeping more of them in training to completion. We have a strong commitment to commence 10 000 apprentices into training over the next four years at 2500 per year and we are exceeding that target as I speak. We will meet this target and we will do more to ensure that the Territory has a strong economic future with the skilled work force.
I thank the minister and I support his statement today.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I listened to the minister’s statement with great interest today. It is the job of government to drive economic development, and the minister has outlined in his statement the role of the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development, and what role it will play in the future economic development of the Northern Territory.
You have presented the Northern Territory in glowing terms, so much so that all would have to believe that the Territory is absolutely abuzz with development and progress: never been better; everyone is happy; business is booming; opportunities abound. There is sustainable economic development in the Northern Territory. The new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development will enable and I quote:
A stronger more cohesive focus on the driving forces of sustainable economic development in the Northern Territory
and the development of new opportunities for Territory business.
I ask the Minister for Business and Economic Development if he is going to base the CEO of his new department, Mr Mike Burgess, in a regional town in the Northern Territory - either Alice Springs or Katherine would be fine? Or maybe Denis Bree as his deputy, whom I believe is going to have specific responsibility for the business, regional and indigenous economic development as part of his responsibilities.
I remind the minister that the wonderful picture that he has painted of the economy in the Territory applies to what is happening - what he sees - above the Berrimah Line, and does not seem to be reflected in regional Northern Territory. Many regional communities in the Northern Territory have great difficulty in retaining population and the numbers are declining in many regions. I will use the example of my electorate of Katherine which had a population of around 11 000 in 1998 and is now down to 8500. Interestingly enough, not once in 28 pages of the minister’s statement today was Katherine mentioned, nor Borroloola for that matter. That clearly identifies that the minister had nothing positive to report about the third largest town in the Northern Territory. Once again, a regional town – Katherine – is ignored, as so many good people keep lamenting.
The minister talked about harnessing and maximising opportunities to drive economic development and creating jobs for all Territorians no matter where you live. Well, minister, how will your new department address the serious economic needs in regional towns and communities that are below the Berrimah Line? At present, it seems to me that to be recognised and supported by this government you have to live and have businesses in Darwin. There are a great number of Territorians who love living in regional and rural Northern Territory who need this new department’s support.
You have said in your statement that looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead, and that you have placed indigenous and regional economic development into the new key economic agency. Does this include all regional areas? I am also concerned about the economic future of regional Northern Territory, and my concerns are genuine. They come from experience, and I am going to use my own electorate of Katherine to support and demonstrate my sincere concerns.
One business in the main street of Katherine closed at the end of September, with another business, the only dedicated shoe shop in Katherine, closing at the end of October. The only large accountant practice in Katherine relocated to Darwin earlier this year leaving one staff member to mind the office, and that means that local people now have to come to Darwin to get that advice. Representatives from that accountancy firm met with me prior to that relocation to advise me it was not viable for them to remain in Katherine any longer. This business had been there for over 20 years. Minister, how bad is that?
When a business closes, the flow-on effect to the community can, in some cases, be significantly negative. For example, a family with two children may choose to relocate from the town. That affects property, education, health, retail, sport, recreation and social activities. The whole community is affected socially and economically. There are significant economic issues to be dealt with in regional communities throughout the Northern Territory.
I asked earlier whether you would consider basing heads of your departments in regional areas. This has been another bone of contention for some time. It seems that most government departments are centralised in Darwin and away from where the real issues are. Government employees based in regional locations make a huge difference to the economy of that area. I would like to know if the minister has considered relocating heads of departments into regional areas.
I will be watching with interest how this new super department takes on the responsibility of regional tourism development amongst its other responsibilities. Tourism is a serious economic contributor to all of the Northern Territory but, especially, to regional Northern Territory. I will be keenly watching how this new super department handles regional development in the Northern Territory. I am quite concerned that this department may be another bureaucratic collection of agencies. I will be very pleased to hear how this department will be working cooperatively and cohesively with regional and remote communities to improve the economic outcomes for everyone.
Remember, minister, you said in your statement and I quote: ‘Looking after the bush helps the Territory move ahead’. I hope you fully appreciate the impact of that statement, and that your new department reminds themselves every day of that statement. I wish the agency staff well in their endeavours to drive the Northern Territory economy forward, especially in regional and remote Northern Territory.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I support the statement made by the Minister for Business and Economic Development. The town is abuzz. Talking to many business owners in the area of Port Darwin, I am only hearing good news stories regarding the economic situation in Darwin. This information is direct from the business people, especially from the real estate-related fields. An excellent indicator, as we all know, is the real estate industry. Real estate is currently the number one barbecue topic in Australia, and so it should be in the Northern Territory.
According to the RELM analysis, compiled and produced by the REINT, the median house price overall in Darwin has increased by 1.7% in the last quarter and 9.7% over the year. The staggering figures show that $138m of real estate has changed hands in the last quarter. Palmerston recorded that 204 homes changed hands in this last quarter. This is an all time high. The Acting Chief Minister was quoted in a media release on 17 August saying:
‘These figures …
… show that the Territory housing market is extremely buoyant - a sign of an increasingly growing economy and
strong consumer confidence, which is great news for small business, the real estate industry and the construction
sector’.
At this point in time, conveyancers cannot keep up with the amount of property settlements. Real estate agents cannot get enough houses or units to sell. I will go further to say that real estate changing hands creates a distribution of wealth all the way down the line. Some of the parties that are indirectly but positively affected in a buoyant real estate market include conveyancers, solicitors, local newspapers, engineers, plumbers, electricians, pest controllers, gardeners, cleaners, handymen and women, and administrative employees. Most, and usually all of the above professionals are involved in a single property transfer transaction in the Territory. Basically, a strong real estate market is good for everyone.
With the announcement by Outrigger Group launching the Pandanus Apartments, and so many other major projects commencing soon, such as Synergy Square, Evolution, Hastings on Mindil, Goyder 1869, Elements, The Chambers, Aspect and the Imperial, not to mention, also announced recently, the National Property Group, Kinsmen Ltd, has re-entered the Territory marketplace. The company is based in Adelaide and has committed to two new developments in the Northern Territory. These will represent an investment of $27m. One project will be to the tune of $7.5m – it will be a purpose-built facility for AMP subsidiary, Australian Fuel Distributors – and also a $19.5m residential land project.
The NT Business Review quoted Mr Craig Watson, Managing Director of Kinsmen Ltd, with the following comments:
- ‘It is the first of many investments for the company there …’
referring to Darwin, and:
- ‘We are pretty confident in the Darwin market, and we will be in town on a regular basis and at a good time, I might add’.
Mr Watson also said:
- ‘We are already looking at the next couple of opportunities.
If ever there was an indication of our confidence in the economy, it is emulated in the Kinsmen Group adding the Northern Territory to their already considerable $300m property development portfolio.
Local, interstate and international investors have seen the competent, focused and innovative ways that the Martin Labor government has worked and continue to work with business and industry to keep the economy stimulated. The electorate of Port Darwin is not only considered the business hub, but fast earning the reputation of being the residential hub and, in the near future, will be the tourism hub and the gateway to the Territory.
As we all know, tourism is big business in the Northern Territory. On Monday, 22 August, I was present when the Chief Minister launched the Destination Darwin tourism campaign. As a part of the second ever Destination Darwin campaign, 230 000 pocket-sized booklets have been produced and will be widely distributed nationally and locally, in magazines, publications and even in our own Parliament House. They are colourful and humorous and will appeal to a wide audience. The booklets are filled with insider tips and contain stories from some of our fantastic local identities, such as Jimmy Shu the owner of one of my favourite restaurants, the Hanuman. The new campaign will inject $1.4m into this national campaign and along with the announcement in August that $650 000 for a six-month long marketing campaign ‘NT For Sale’ which is specifically targeting off-peak travel to the Territory.
Speaking about our great restaurants and tourism, this brings me somewhat off the track to something that happened the other day in Cavenagh Street. I came across a couple, obviously tourists, who looked a little lost. I asked if I could help them. They were from Rome, Italy and were looking for a restaurant that served traditionally Territorian cuisine. Well this stumped me. I explained to them that one of the best features of Territory dining was that almost every country of the world was represented in Darwin as local cuisine. They found this very curious as each area of Italy has a distinct regional flavour. I suggested that they may enjoy some alfresco dining with a short walk and I felt happy recommending the Twilight Caf in Lindsay Street. I am sure that they were well looked after and enjoyed the experience.
Our city is bustling with tourists and also, during August, 4000 members of the American Navy. As the Minister for Defence Support stated in parliament during the last parliamentary sittings, it was expected that the 4000 American sailors would inject over $2m into the economy during the week-long visit. Whilst our economy is racing ahead, one area that is of particular concern to business owners large and small, is the shortage of skilled workers. The Chief Minister has set a target of 10 000 Territorians to take up traineeships and apprenticeships in various areas over the next four years. This is a start to relieving the pressure placed on business in the Territory. The Skilled Migration Program and the interstate call, ‘Come To The Territory’, are all positive and effective ways to support the business community of the Northern Territory.
Northern Territory businesses are being listened to by their government. I would like to quote from a press release by the Treasurer on 13 October 2005 Jobless Rate Continues to Drop.
The Territory jobless rate is now at 4.3% for September, the lowest it has been since December 1999.
The Treasurer also said:
… major products such as the Darwin Waterfront and Alcan Gove expansion, continuing strong housing activity and a
rebound in our tourism industry will all continue to contribute to ongoing jobs growth in the Territory.
The formation of the Department of Business and Economic Development is proof that the Martin Labor government has a strong commitment to maintain and nurture further economic development within the Northern Territory.
Recently, there have been several events staged to recognise our strong business leaders and managers in the Northern Territory, such as the Australian Institute of Management 2005 Management Excellence Awards, which were held on Saturday night. I was fortunate to attend and watch five outstanding Territorians take out the top accolades. The winners and categories include Owner/Manager of the Year which went to Julie Shugg of AKS Welding & Fabrication; Professional Manager of the Year, Public Sector – Ross Bradford, Chief of Staff, HQ 1st Brigade, Department of Defence; Private Sector - Mr Shane Dawson, CEO, Top End Division of General Practice; and Young Manager of the Year – Russell Cahill. This year’s recipient of the National Australia Bank Medal for Management Innovation is Mr Alan Langworthy, Managing Director of Powercorp.
On 4 October, I was proud to attend the 2005 Telstra Business Women’s Awards. The calibre of the short list of candidates was astounding. The categories and winners were: Business Owner Award, supported by Westpac, went to Jo Reiter, owner and creative director of Boyanton Advertising; Australian Government Private and Corporate Sector Award winner was Dr Sandy Griffin, Principal Environmental Scientist with HLA-Envirosciences Pty Ltd; the Hudson Community and Government Award winner was Phyllis Nicoll, Director of Lifeline in Central Australia; Panasonic Young Business Women’s Award Winner - this is a category specifically for women aged 30 years and under – was Teresa Anderson, owner and operator of Kabuki Haircutters. I am also proud to say that Teresa is one of my constituents in Port Darwin.
I would like to mention that the 2004 Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Michelle Hanton, was present at the awards and presented a moving speech on what the award has meant to her and her important cause, breast cancer awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the business of breast cancer is a serious one. Through a business ideology, Michelle and the other members and volunteers of Dragons Abreast have and will continue to make a huge difference in the future.
Let us not forget that October Business Month is here again. This year’s theme is Taking Care of Business. October Business Month is becoming bigger and better each year. Over 90 events will be held over the Territory during this month, and it makes me wonder if we will have to rename this program the October/November Business Months if it continues to grow. These seminars, presentations and workshops are spread around six Territory centres including Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy and Groote Eylandt.
These events are being presented by local, national and international speakers. Events like this prove what the Minister for Business and Economic Development has recently stated in that the Territory government is all about backing Territory business to grow. As an advocate for small business in the Northern Territory, I am excited by a current period of economic growth and development. We have the highest economic growth rate in Australia at 7.2%, and the lowest taxes for small businesses in Australia.
The Martin Labor government is committed to sustained growth and will continue to plan for the economic future of the Territory. I support the minister in his statement.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I support the statement of my colleague, the Minister for Business and Economic Development. I will provide additional information about the role of my new Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and how our two departments can and will work closely together. After all, they complement each other: the Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development focuses on emerging service industries as well as strategic development opportunities, while my department has been created to provide similar leadership in the established resource industries.
Until recently, the two departments were joined. I and my colleague, the member for Wanguri, will work very closely, and I have to pay tribute to the CEO and the staff of the department for the fantastic results they deliver for Territorians.
In effect, DBIRD became the platform from which the government had been able to refine its vision for business and industry in the future years. Over the past four years the government has recognised that whilst there are efficiencies in combining existing business and industry agencies under one banner, there are a number of emerging service industries which would also benefit from this coordinated approach.
As a result, the new DBERD has been created to combine business services with a range of functions from the Department of the Chief Minister, Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs, and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. DBERD will give a higher profile to both regional development and indigenous economic development. It will also target key strategic issues that impact on the Territory’s economic performance, boosting innovation and stimulating job creation.
The Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines has a similar focus on boosting the economic performance in the Territory’s resource industry. It is important to recognise that this industry is not static; it also has significant potential for continued growth which supports the economic and job creation targets of DBERD.
That is why I said we are working closely together. We have a common purpose, a common focus. One focus is on emerging industries. My department is focusing on existing industries and we try to put policies in place that will promote the existing industries, on how to involve the emerging industries, and how to make sure these industries continue to contribute to the development and wealth of Territorians, in particular, those who live outside urban centres, and indigenous Territorians.
A considerable amount of progress has already been made improving indigenous economic development by the two departments, particularly in the pastoral and fishing industries. This underpins the need for a strong relationship between the two new departments. For example, the Primary Industry and Fisheries group provides specialist advice on potential areas for development including needs such as infrastructure, potential markets and appropriate models. DBERD then provides specialist advice on matters such as business planning, financial management and governance.
DPIFM will continue to identify these opportunities to work in partnership with indigenous Territorians and DBERD to boost indigenous economic development. Amongst other programs, we will continue to work with indigenous owners of pastoral properties to return these areas to sustainable production. We will continue to support indigenous marine ranger groups which are playing an increasingly important role around the Northern Territory’s coastline, and will continue to work with regional communities to identify appropriate models for aquaculture and other industry opportunities.
We have a strong commitment to increasing indigenous employment, including within the department. Mr Carroll, the CEO of DPIFM, has advised me he will be targeting increased indigenous employment in our department as part of the department’s commitment to key stakeholder groups. A similar service arrangement has been put in place for services from the Economic Division, which will also remain with DBERD. This was another example where it was more effective strategically to keep the resource in one agency rather than split it between two, in order to get the best possible result from the available expertise.
DPIFM also has offices in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Tennant Creek, which deliver a variety of services to regional areas. It is not north of the Berrimah Line; we prefer to be where our clients are. Our clients are in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine, so that is where we are.
The department is now working to develop a corporate approach which will ensure services continue to be provided to Territorians in regional areas in an effective and seamless manner. In order to establish the environment in which DPIFM will operate, it is appropriate to outline the impact of their client industries on the Northern Territory economy.
The minerals and energy industries comprise the Territory’s largest industry sector. They make up 20% of the Territory’s GSP, the gross state product, compared with Australia’s rate of 4.5%. In 2003-04, the value of production for minerals and energy projects was $2.3bn. Of this amount, it is estimated that $1.7bn was valued added to the Territory economy. Approximately 3500 mine workers and 1000 oil and gas workers were employed in the Territory in 2003-04. DPIFM will continue to play a critical role in supporting the expansion of the mineral and energy industries. The ‘Building the Territory’s Resource Base’ program is targeted at increasing exploration in the Territory through a combination of awareness campaigns that provide high quality geological data through the Northern Territory Geological Survey.
I noted that the member for Blain criticised my colleague that we are not reacting quickly and we let the department run the show. The truth is that the ministers have taken a leading role. My colleague and I have discussed with the department which direction to go. We have been travelling a lot. I do not think anybody wants to stay away from their family for days living out of a suitcase if we really did not believe in what we are doing. We are doing it to promote the Territory as a destination.
I said before that I travel extensively and I intend to continue to do so. Now we will see the results, not only because we attract exploration to the Territory. For the first time, national magazines have started to have whole sections dedicated to the Territory. The Gold & Minerals Gazette, in March 2005, had eight pages exclusively on the Territory, highlighting projects, emerging projects and opportunities. That was followed in May 2005 when Australia’s Paydirt magazine had a section on the Territory and the opportunities that the Territory provides for mining. Mining Monthly had nine pages on Territory mining opportunities, highlighting this government’s commitment to improve and increase mining, the different projects that are taking place, and the opportunities the Territory offers.
What do we offer these people? I will tell you what we offer: not just good luck as the member for Blain said. We offer them expertise, staff, and evidence and information that they would not get elsewhere in Australia. The geophysical data that they get in the Territory they do not get anywhere else in Australia. In some cases, they do not get it in other advanced countries in the world. All of it is free. This is what we use to attract them.
In the Australia’s Paydirt magazine for September 2005 there is again an article about the Territory and its opportunities. A respected newspaper, The Financial Review, has a special report, a whole section, on the Northern Territory. Did this happen by luck? No. We put it there. We make sure that these people know what we are doing. They know what we want to do; what the Territory has to offer, and we are out there actively promoting the Territory. We want people to come to the Territory to see what we have to offer them. Of course, if they ‘never, never go they will never, never know’, so they are coming. That is why we are seeing an increase in the number of mineral exploration applications in the Territory.
It is not only minerals. We have a series of projects: the Alcan Gove $2bn project; Bootu Creek, 600 000 tonnes of manganese a year, on the train, in our port, and off it goes to China; Tom’s Gully, about which I answered a question this afternoon; Maud Creek in Katherine; Cosmo Howley and Zapopan in Pine Creek; and Merlin, the Western Australian company, is reworking the tailings that the previous company left behind and up until now they have discovered 2000 carats of diamonds, high quality diamonds and 10% of them the very expensive, yellow diamonds. I have been advised that the exploration in Frances Creek has given results with extremely high grade, 62%, 63%, 68% iron ore. At McArthur River Mine, the open pit, they are working through the EIS and are proceeding because they are sitting on 150 million tonnes of zinc - one of the biggest ore bodies in the world. Then there is the Browns copper, cobalt, and nickel oxide project. Tiwi Island Mineral Sands is a significant project; recently, the company updated their estimated forecast - they are sitting on a significant volume of mineral sands. If we go to Central Australia, there is potential for phosphates and other minerals.
As for the gas, there is Bayu-Undan and there are other significant gas fields like Caldita, Blacktip, Petrel and Tern and, of course, Abadi sitting just over our border. During my recent visit to Indonesia, I was advised by the Indonesian minister that IMPEX would like to build a gas-fired powered station in Bali but because of the location of the Abadi gas field they are looking at bringing it to Darwin and re-exporting it as liquefied natural gas to Bali, and that is an exciting development. Darwin is now seen as a supply base for the gas and oil fields in the Arafura and Timor Seas.
The Territory’s agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries generated produce worth $487m in 2003-04. Of this amount, an estimated $276m was value-added to the Territory economy. This industry has contributed 3.3% to the Territory’s gross state product, slightly lower than the Australian rate of 3.4%. Although the products are a lower value in dollar terms, these industries employed nearly 2500 Territorians in 2003-04.
These statistics demonstrate why DPFIM has such an important role to play in supporting the Territory’s economic development, not only supporting the industry but supporting indigenous Territorians. We have had tremendous success in bringing pastoral land into production: the leasing of indigenous land for pastoral development on indigenous land, capable of carrying in excess of 25 000 head of cattle; the development of three separate indigenous pastoral enterprises; workshops in Alice Springs specifically for indigenous people interested in pastoralism; and encouraging indigenous trainees into the pastoral industry.
We also employ indigenous people to monitor tuberculosis in Oenpelli and Maningrida. We have issued contracts worth $88 000 to three indigenous ranger groups to shoot, post mortem and collect samples from feral buffaloes in the area. The Gulin Gulin Buffalo Company is an indigenous company that has licences with the NLC and traditional owners to muster buffalo in the Bulman area under a regulatory system. In 2004, the Gulin Gulin Buffalo Company mustered 4000 head of buffalo and sold 2000, mostly for live export to Brunei and Malaysia. The company employs eight or 12 staff during the catching season and I am very proud to announce that the new Buffalo protocol has now been agreed with Indonesia. That will open a new market for Territory buffalo and the forecast for the industry is that about 5000 head per year will be exported to Indonesia.
Centafarm offers indigenous horticultural opportunities. There are table grapes at Ti Tree and Ali Curung and people employed there developing their own grape farms. There are two indigenous abattoirs operating currently, Oenpelli and Palumpa, and they slaughter local cattle for sale of meat to Aboriginal communities. My vision, after visiting Oenpelli, is that the Oenpelli abattoir will not be an abattoir that sells meat only to indigenous communities but will be a commercial abattoir that will be able to produce meat products which can be sold throughout the Northern Territory. I will work very hard to ensure this happens by providing the necessary assistance, such as finding a way to provide a meat inspector when they kill in order to increase the number of animals killed at those abattoirs.
Fishing and mud crab aquaculture: we have managed to breed mud crabs in captivity and we have two projects now – one is in Maningrida and the other is Kulaluk. The crablets are ready in Maningrida. Traditional owners and the Fisheries Group are working together to give another opportunity to indigenous Territorians living outside the urban centres.
Marine rangers are very important for the safety of Australia. They know the coastline like the back of their hand. They have already detected foreign vessels that come to Australia and they have advised the Navy and Customs about this intrusion with quick results. Seventy seven rangers have completed training which includes core units of the seafood industry.
As you can see the department is working for the economic development of the Territory, and we are working very closely with DBERD. We target specific areas which include:
- continue to facilitate land access for sustainable economic development through partnerships between the
government, land councils and the industry;
we worked with industry and other stakeholders to review the Mining Act so we can provide and improve
efficiency of the mining regime in the Territory;
to provide frontline defence against invasion of pests and diseases that might affect the viability of our plant
and animal industry;
ensure that the review of the national drought policy takes account of the Territory’s specific circumstances;
continue to develop fishing infrastructure and work with communities to open new fishing areas; and
maintain financial support for key industry associations to ensure they have the capacity and ability to represent
their sector effectively.
The new structure of DPIFM has now been finalised. When the department was created the opportunity was taken to develop a structure which matched the strategic needs of industry with the objectives of the government. The final structure was determined after extensive consultation with staff and stakeholder representatives. Whilst the three main operational groups remain consistent with primary industry, fisheries, and minerals and energy, some internal changes have been made to improve operating structure and processes.
In the Primary Industry group, a new Diagnostic Services Division has been created to give clear strategic focus to the department’s laboratory services. A division has also been created to combine the department’s nine primary industry research facilities across the Territory under one management approach. In the Minerals and Energy group, the process of consolidating the new structure of the group has continued with the creation of a Mines and Petroleum Authorisation and Evaluation Division. This combines the scientific assessment of proposed mining operations with those responsible for monitoring closed or legacy operations. A new stand alone Policy, Planning and Review Division has been created to provide a whole-of-department focus on strategic policy, planning and efficiency issues. In addition, the new structure provides for the Directors of Finance, Human Resources, and Communications and Information Management to report directly to the Chief Executive and to participate on the Board of Management.
An important initiative was to create a position on the new Board of Management for an employee representative. That position is now occupied by Michael Knox, an environmental scientist in the Minerals and Energy group. Michael also brings an indigenous perspective to the board and the issues that it considers. The board has already commenced a detailed planning process to establish clear, corporate directions for the new department. This planning included a focus on traditional indigenous issues with traditional owners from the Oenpelli region.
In addition to the new structure of the board, the department has also adopted a new set of values. These were developed through contribution of staff across the department and provide a valuable context for all activities. These values are dedicated professionalism; passion with purpose; individual accountability; fun and celebrating success; motivation to lead underpinned by mutual respect; and ethical behaviour.
This is indeed an exciting time in the delivery of services to Territory’s resources industry. I am confident that the new Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines will deliver improved levels of service to industry clients with a clear focus on achieving the best possible result for Territorians. I look forward to working in partnership with my colleague, the Minister for Business and Economic Development, to support the growth of development in all of the Territory industry sectors.
The member for Wanguri and I have always talked the missed opportunities in the Territory since 1993, when I arrived here, and how there were a small number of businesses or people benefiting and nothing was happening outside Darwin. I recall talking about the amount of work available in the Territory and with few indigenous people working in these jobs. Why can’t these people get a decent job there? Why is everything directed to a selected few, the silver circle?
We made a big investment in the Territory by coming here, having a family here, putting our kids in schools and hoping that they would stay in the Territory rather than going down south. We believe in the Territory. We believe in the economic development of the Territory. We do not see a difference between urban Territorians and Territorians who live in the rural area. We do not see a difference between white Territorians and black Territorians. We do not see any difference in people who came from somewhere else and made the Territory home. We believe that this is the social capital for the Territory. We have the minerals. We have the products. We have the will. We have the people. Working together we can grow the Territory even further.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support this important statement by the Minister for Business and Economic Development which outlines the directions for the new Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development.
This government is committed to ensuring that the Territory’s future economic development is sustainable. Sustainable economic development in the Territory is dependent on investment confidence, the supportive business environment and a skilled work force. We already have the foundation for continued strong investment confidence. Access Economics has confidently predicted that the Territory’s economic growth will be the highest in Australia over the next five years. Capital expenditure, consumer spending, property prices, tourism numbers and employment are all continuing to rise.
According to Sensis Business Index, business confidence in the Territory is the highest in the nation. An investment confidence continues to rise on the back of a surge in development activity. Construction work is at near record levels. This government’s investment in major infrastructure projects demonstrates its commitment to supporting a strong economic environment. It is providing a supportive business environment for the private sector to come on board and invest in major projects in the Territory.
Nowhere is this more evident than projects like the world-class Alice Springs to Darwin railway. The rail corridor passes through my electorate of Goyder. It is a project on which I worked as a senior engineer during its construction. The Territory government injected $212m into the project, along with the South Australian government and the federal government. The public sector investment package totalled $560m in this world-class construction project. The private sector provided the remaining $800m to see this important Territory economic infrastructure icon become a reality. Of course the story does not end there. FreightLink, the rail operator, reported for the 2004-05 financial year a total of 603 716 tonnes of freight was transported on the rail. This figure is well in excess of the budget estimates. Not only has freight far exceeded expectations but because of the railway exciting new Territory projects will come on-line. In fact, the AustralAsia Railway has already started to bring the realisation of important new development projects for our region, such as the Bootu Creek manganese mine near Tennant Creek, which my colleague, the member for Barkly, is rightfully passionate about and which would not have been possible nor considered viable without the railway.
Another important aspect of this project was the cooperative approach to indigenous employment adopted by the Northern and Central Land Councils and ADrail, the construction arm of the railway project, to ensure that indigenous people received accredited training and jobs. Of the 1450 construction staff and subcontractors working in the field, 130 were indigenous Territorians and this remains one of the most endearing aspects of the project.
Darwin Harbour lies within the Goyder electorate too. On the north-eastern shore sits the East Arm Wharf precinct, another project which I am pleased to have been involved in as a consulting engineer. This is the other major component of our freight transport infrastructure. Together with the Adelaide to Darwin Railway, the East Arm Wharf completes the land link of the AustralAsia Trade Route, cementing Darwin as a gateway between Asia and Australia. The $200m plus facility incorporates 754 m of continuous berthing space. With 600 m of land-backed berthing facilities, it has more than 4000 m2 of undercover cargo handling facility, and an additional 18 ha available for future reclamation, making this infrastructure a vital asset for the Territory’s future commercial growth development for many years to come.
Another iconic Territory infrastructure employment project currently under construction is the $1.6bn Wickham Point LNG plant, which also lies within my electorate of Goyder. I am pleased to report that, by July this year, over 2000 tradespeople had been employed on-site, and more than 47% of these were Territorians. At the same time, there were 37 apprentices on-site, including 29 metal trade-based apprentices, seven electrical apprentices, and one building trade apprentice. When the opposition starts whingeing and carping about the skills shortage and starts talking down the Territory, they should stop and take time to reflect on this government’s achievements in continuing to bring to the Territory such iconic infrastructure projects which employ and train Territorians; Territorians who are now gaining lifelong skills, who are now playing, and will continue to play, a crucial role of filling our skills shortage, and are helping to literally build the Territory.
There is more good news from Wickham Point. The building of the Wickham Point LNG plant has meant hundreds of millions of dollars of work has also gone out to Territory businesses like EC & C in Berrimah, which led a team of local businesses that fabricated the steel roof on the main gas tank.
Let me give another example. On the north-western shoreline of Darwin Harbour sits the site for Darwin waterfront convention centre. The project will inject $1bn worth of development activity into the Territory economy over the next five to 10 years. Over this period, it will provide a strong and sustainable boost for all those Territory businesses in the provision of local goods and services. It is also expected that this project will generate at least 1000 on-site construction jobs. Once up and running, the precinct will provide a wealth of jobs in the local hospitality, retail and tourism sectors. This is another great boost to our Territory economy.
Projects like those I have just mentioned are providing the catalyst for the economic growth and development of the Territory. As I have just shown, these iconic projects are creating new opportunities for our own Territory businesses to provide goods and services to these projects and, at the same time, increasing our export potential. Because of this growth and development, our economic landscape is clearly broadening. Economic growth and development provides new opportunities, creates jobs and attracts workers. We need a skilled work force which is capable of coping with this economic growth. This government is working with business and industry to attract and, most importantly, retain skilled employees and their families. The best way that government can support sustainable economic development is to ensure that the make-up of its lead economic development agency reflects these needs.
DBERD combines the existing functions of business and industry with regional community and indigenous economic development into one department which now has an enhanced focus on regional economic development.
Madam Speaker, I believe that DBERD will coordinate the efforts to assist new Territory businesses to get started, facilitate job creation in regions and remote areas, and work closely with business and industry to invest in the Territory’s economy and generate more wealth for the Territory and Territorians. I commend the minister for this very important statement.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I am pleased that the minister has outlined that the department’s role in Defence support will strengthen as a large number of Defence personnel live in my electorate of Drysdale. It is gratifying to see that the development at Robertson Barracks is providing real opportunities for industry with the advent of the relocation of the Tiger helicopters, the 1st Aviation Regiment from interstate. Most of the work on the $75m project to relocate to Robertson Barracks is currently flowing to local Territory business. The project includes constructing facilities to house 17 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters, as well as maintenance, command, training and domestic facilities. This, along with the Abrams tanks to Robertson Barracks, will add a whole new dimension in capability to the Northern Territory.
Robertson Barracks is not the only establishment in the Top End that has increased its activities. I had the pleasure of being invited to the Larrakeyah Barracks last Sunday evening to HMAS Coonawarra for a celebration of Navy Week. I was pleased to see three Armidale Patrol boats were berthed at the haven, with one of them in dry dock in preparation for an upgrade. We were also informed that a further two Armidale craft were under final construction in Perth, from where they will be assigned to Darwin on completion to increase the current fleet. The establishment of this patrol boat fleet in Darwin will also boost opportunities for Territory businesses.
I congratulate the Minister for Defence Support on conducting the recent Defence Welcome Expos held in Townsville and Oakey, as they provide information and support to our incoming families. Again, many of these families will be housed in my electorate. The success of this innovativeness is obvious. An invitation has now been extended for a further function to be held in Williamtown. The minister’s report this morning shows how the government as a whole is working together to make sure that the troops and their families relocating have as much information as possible on the Northern Territory so that they can settle quickly into Top End lifestyle and have some familiarity with their new surrounds.
To add to the importance of the military expansion, I had the pleasure of attending the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards last Saturday night. I am pleased to recognise that Mr Ross Bradford, the Chief of Staff from Headquarters 1st Brigade won the Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector category. He mentioned in his speech how cooperative the Northern Territory government and Northern Territory businesses have been in assisting business and industry liaison with Defence Force. His skills within the public sector business world have been recognised by his peers, and in a field of importance to Australia and, of course, the Northern Territory.
In acknowledging the Territory’s economic growth, I am pleased to see that this is now involving our indigenous community in many positive ways. I recently visited Larrakia Development Corporation offices at Marrara and spoke to Kelvin Costello from the corporation who was kind enough to show me around. They are exceptionally pleased with the partnerships with industry and government that they are progressing. Jobs created on the waterfront development, the Darla subdivision at Palmerston is going well, and their involvement in the Lyons Housing Development is progressing. The painting of the tank at Vopak is a visual contribution to the area providing an outlet for indigenous youth at risk and is now attracting tourist buses. I know that the corporation is keen to evolve even further to work with government agencies to increase employment, skill learning and training within their community, and strengthen the stability and standing of their organisation.
As I move within my electorate I am pleased to advise that the feedback from employers and businesses in Winnellie, Pinelands and Berrimah is that they are benefiting enormously from expansion of the Robertson Barracks, the establishment of the Armidale Class Patrol Boats, the building of the LNG Plant and the construction of Vopak. I am also pleased to hear that the minister recently participated in the turning of the sod for the beginning of the construction of the natural fuel plant. The projected helium plant and the waterfront project will ensure that opportunities for business to participate in the ongoing growth will continue.
With this growth and activity, the Northern Territory government’s target of 10 000 apprentices will be right on track in the not too distant future. From my previous life as a fitter, I know how important it is to industry to constantly train more skilled workers. The need to keep abreast of new technology, industry requirements and standards is imperative. It has been brought home to industry over the years that it is crucial that training must occur and be forever ongoing. The Northern Territory government has recognised this fact and has put in place a number of training schemes and incentives to assist both the employer and employee with their training needs, which is supporting industry in this time of growth and expansion. I welcome the minister’s report and give it my full support.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I speak to the ministerial statement regarding the Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development. The economy of the Northern Territory is of key interest to the government of the Territory regardless of flavour. The Territory economy provides the means for Territorians to meet their aspirations and goals. We have been having some exciting economic times in the Territory since Labor came to power.
We have seen the Wickham Point Bechtel gas plant go from strength to strength. The plant has not only employed many people, but has assisted local businesses with services that the work force use such as smoko vans, takeaway food outlets, and the Palmerston Cinema complex, all of which workers at the plant do not so much require, although enjoy having close by. About 600 or so of the 2000 Bechtel employees were accommodated and remain accommodated in the Bechtel camp at Yarrawonga, however, many others also live in the suburbs of Palmerston. Some reside in rental accommodation thereby providing economic incentive to the rental market in Palmerston. Others have bought properties in the Palmerston area. I can say that a number of workers who came to the Territory for the purpose of working at Bechtel have chosen to remain in the Territory and declare the Territory as their residence which is reflected in the number of changes to residential addresses on the Electoral Roll.
Having such a large facility opens up further opportunities to existing local businesses. It provides a reason for local business people to employ extra workers, extra apprentices, and that in turn keeps the money circulating within the Northern Territory economy rather than being injected in to be immediately removed. The benefit to the Territory from an investment that Bechtel represents can be seen in the shopping centres; Palmerston Shopping Centre must be one of the busiest in the country. .
Other projects are seen to come on-line. I was at the Mineral Council industry forum earlier this year in July where BOC Gas spoke about the opening of its helium plant. This is another massive injection of capital to the economy through jobs and associated jobs that the plant would bring. One of the things that interested me about this particular project was that I did not realise that helium was such a rarely occurring gas and that, had BOC not looked to open its plant here next to the Bechtel plant, the helium would have been released as a waste gas not to be used. BOC is going to turn it into a major exporting industry with benefits to the Territory and to the national economy as a whole.
The third development out at Wickham Point, which I found very exciting, is the biodiesel project. I first heard about this at the Minerals Council industry forum and did not realise that the prototype diesel engine had in fact been powered by non-fossil fuels. The transfer to fossil fuel-based diesel perhaps had something to do with the availability of fossil fuels and the cheapness of them at the time that the discovery was made. I am not a historian of the minerals industry, however, I am excited by enterprise where biodiesel can be used in any ordinary diesel engine and in fact can clean out the gunk from a conventional diesel engine and take it back to a better operating and better economic engine. There is no inhibitor to running 100% biodiesel in vehicles. I look forward the boatloads of palms which I believe would be used as the basis of palm oil which will be used as the basis for the biodiesel plant.
There are some examples of the vibrant economy on the doorstep of Palmerston and how Palmerston is benefiting in a very tangible way. Another indicator is the take up of the HomeNorth Extra program introduced by this government. As the Minister for Housing said in his statement in a previous sitting of this Assembly, at that time 175 applications had been received from Palmerston alone. Palmerston represented a considerable proportion of the total number of HomeNorth Extra applications that had been received. Of those, 175 were first home buyers. That is significant in itself for we enable people to get a firm economic base. Many commentators cite the ability to buy the home in which he resides as the first step to financial investment and financial security. Australians have a love of bricks and mortar investments and it is great to see that so many people are using Palmerston as the base to buy their first home.
Other encouraging figures were that 68.5% of those people had a weekly income between $600 and $899 and 9.4% have weekly income of between $300 and $599. People on relatively modest incomes and extremely modest incomes are still able to fuel the Territory economy by getting access to the housing market. The government increased the value of the purchase price of property through the HomeNorth Extra Scheme from $180 000 to $260 000, a considerable increase in the threshold in a short 12-month period.
I note from the various statistics regarding age of those accessing the HomeNorth Extra scheme that 21% are between 18 and 24 years old. Again, this has more than just its direct impact on the economy; it has a flow-on effect, because the younger you are when you start building your financial base, the better able you are placed in middle and later years to build on your investments and have a secure economic and financial future.
The economic activity can be seen at the Yarrawonga industrial area. It is in a prime location to service the needs of Palmerston and the surrounding areas, including Wickham Point, and many owners of industry enterprises are choosing to set up there. I did a search of commercial property available and there are a number of lots available in the Yarrawonga estate, and there appears to be considerable interest in setting up there. Yarrawonga is, of course, home to the Northern Territory’s only winery in the Top End, the Mango Winery, which continues to be an attraction for tourists, again ensuring that more moneys stays within the Northern Territory economy.
The Palmerston City Council and the Northern Territory government are involved in a bold joint venture to reshape the Palmerston CBD. This is a dual vote of confidence from both the NT government and Palmerston Council. It provides a mall area which will be very comfortable to walk along, to visit the library, and the recreation centre which will be built there. There is also provision for more small shops, cafs, and retail outlets for people to access. That sort of investment would not be happening, and would not be contemplated, if there was no confidence in what was happening in the Northern Territory.
Another indicator of confidence in industry is the fact that the Palmerston Regional Business Association has grown its membership considerably. Over 400 members are now recorded on its books, and I am proud to say that I am one of them. I want to congratulate the President, Mr Wayne Zerbe, and the Secretary, Mr Ray Walton, on their continued efforts ensuring that Palmerston business, and businesses elsewhere, are given information they can use to fully realise the potential which exists here in the Territory. I understand the PRBA has asked the Chief Minister to be patron of the association, and she is considering the request. I add my voice, as a member of the PRBA, to encourage the Chief Minister to accept that patronage. I can advise the House that the PRBA is not just an organisation in name; it is a vibrant, healthy organisation with very active members who attend the association dinners and give the association a great deal of support.
Other indicators which show that government assistance and focus in the economic area is having an effect are the decisions by Alcan and GEMCO to expand their operations in the Northern Territory. Again, these represent huge investments of capital and salaries paid to the people who work there, and also the associated industries. For example, at both GEMCO and Alcan, the companies do not operate their mess kitchens themselves; they subcontract that out to another company, so it creates extra jobs in that enterprise, not only the miners themselves. The added importance of those two particular operations is that they occur in remote areas outside of Darwin or the urban centres of economic activity. I was pleased to hear that the Tom’s Gully gold mine will reopen as it is economically viable again to continue mining, and I am sure the Northern Territory will see the benefits of that flow into its economy as well.
However, it is not just about private enterprise operating alone, it is about getting support from the government through its various agencies, including the announcement by the minister today. I am, of course, referring to this government’s Jobs Plan 2, which commits to the training of apprentices and traineeships for 10 000 young Territorians over the next four years. This will provide skilled workers based here in the Territory, living here, prepared to raise families here in the Territory, to enable local businesses to take up the opportunities that exist without having to recruit interstate for those specialised skills, or even internationally. That is not to say interstate and international recruitment does not have a role, however, it is so much better for the Territory the more we can find those skills within our own population.
Madam Speaker, I commend the minister and thank him for his statement. I wish the department all the best in the coordinating role that it will now take up. I look forward to further announcements, both from government and private enterprise, taking up all of those opportunities that become available in the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on DBERD and its commitment to driving economic development in the Northern Territory. I was particularly interested to read the editorial in today’s NT News discussing the Northern Territory economy. It reports that the independent forecaster, Access Economics, predicts a growth of 4.5% per year over the next five years, a more rapid rate than any other jurisdiction in Australia. The NT News editorial also refers to the Darwin waterfront development, describing it as ‘a laudable project’. The editorial says:
Apart from the fact that development will provide the city with a vibrant, sophisticated gateway, it is a good example of
cooperation between private enterprise and government.
It continues:
- The Territory government is putting up more than $100m to entice private investors to risk ten times that.
The author of the editorial has hit the nail on the head. The government’s investment in the waterfront project is driving economic development and is creating jobs for Territorians. Meanwhile, the waterfront itself is becoming a hive of activity.
As a prelude to this activity, I would have to say that magnetometer investigations have been conducted, identifying metalliferous objects in the area to be dredged. In other words, the dredging operation has looked to see whether there is any unexploded ordnance in the area that is being dredged to accommodate the footprint for the waterfront development. Fortunately, there were no unexploded ordnance found there, so that was a great relief both to the dredging company, government, and the proponents to this great project. Basically, in the removal of these objects from marine sediments, there are other objects made of metal that have been removed, a whole range of things fallen to the bottom over the years. These have been removed and dredging is now well advanced.
Perimeter fencing has been erected by MacMahon Contractors, the design and construct contractor for the community infrastructure works. A dredged spoil pond has been constructed within the reclamation area at East Arm Port and this will retain the sediments that will be removed for the construction of the sea wall and the convention centre pad within Kitchener Bay. The assembly of the dredge pipeline used to transport sediments from Kitchener Bay to the sediment ponds has been completed and the pipeline is in service for the removal of mud in connection with war debris removal. The dredging of the foundation for the convention pad will be the first construction activity taken on the site.
It was my pleasure to visit that site last week and see the trucks as they were bringing fill in from the Darwin Business Park. As the area is dredged and the sediment is taken out, that fill will be put in there and gradually the pad will take shape. I am advised that the piles for the convention centre will be driven in early in 2006. This is a fantastic project which is providing a lot of employment within Darwin, and it is driving a lot of activity for local companies.
As members would be aware there is a local industry participation plan which has as its target that 85% of the value of that project is to be carried out by local contractors. I have had a briefing with the proponents and discussed their strategies to implement the local industry participation plan. As members would also be aware, there is a penalty clause within the contract and contractual agreement between government and the proponents. For every percent that they are under 85%, there is a penalty. So there are incentives for the proponents to perform to make sure that local companies are involved and this is going to be great for local Darwin and Territory businesses to participate in such a great plan. There is a feeling of excitement, there is a feeling of engagement, and there is a feeling of expectation. This is a great project and I am very proud to have oversight of it from the government perspective. I am certainly paying close attention to the project because it is a very large project.
A local company, Gulf Transport, is transporting the fill, and the work on that should be completed by mid-November 2005. Upon completion of the convention centre pad, construction will proceed on the sea wall with completion targeted for mid-July 2006. From memory, I am pretty sure that there is 57 000m3 of rock armour that will comprise the sea wall, and 500 000m3 of fill that is coming over from the business park. That is a substantial amount of fill. My best wishes to all who are involved in those two operations.
It is also appropriate to mention at this stage the government initiatives on builders’ registration, part of our election commitment to review the NT Building Act 1993. Government has been working very closely with the building and construction industry to modernise our laws and regulations surrounding the building industry. The overwhelming feedback that I have had over the years that I have been involved from various parts of industry is that they are very happy with this government in the way that it is reviewing construction laws and modernising the construction industry within the Northern Territory. They are very happy with the economic development that this government has attracted and the projects that this government is getting squarely behind.
The Building Amendment Act 2004 incorporating builder’s registration was assented to on 21 December - Madam Speaker, I think I have picked up the wrong notes here somewhere. Oh, this is terrible.
Those projects that I have mentioned are driving economic development and building business and industry. I will speak without the notes as I know this subject. I need to speak about the wharf. This is an important area for government and, as members would be aware, the wharf has been experiencing some problems. Government has been moving to rectify that, however, there is a very bright future for the wharf with the Bootu Creek operations coming on-line early next year. Preparations are well under way to be able to handle about 500 000 tonnes of manganese ore per annum which will be coming from Bootu Creek on the railway. This is an important development as it forms a basis of our port, and bulk loading will be a very important part of our ports operations and profitability.
Speaking about the port, Territory Iron is also a prospective project that is likely to get off the ground; we hope it gets off the ground. There are final assays and tests being done on the deposits of iron ore around Frances Creek near Pine Creek. It is proposed that 1 million tonnes of iron ore will be exported through the port of Darwin over five years. That will also build on the bulk loading capacity of our port.
The port does play a very key role in the economic development of the Territory and as government we are keen also to build on our container traffic, although it is difficult for our port to compete with southern ports which would have much more container traffic. If we have realistic targets we can aim for and do our work overseas. I know the main function of the board of the port is an advisory role to government and one of their key foci is to build that trade link between the Northern Territory and South East Asia. This is a government that is looking to build business within the Territory and also build links overseas. It is very important to acknowledge that when the liquid natural gas plant comes on-stream that will also add to the operations of the port.
The Port of Darwin is going to become extremely busy over the next three to five years. I commend Barry Berwick and the Port Corporation for the fantastic work that they do.
Government is also engaged in procurement reform. A procurement reform agenda was initiated by this government in 2002, and the review of the procurement framework is now completed. A revised framework for determining value for money incorporating the ‘Buy Territory’ policy and government procurement has been included in the new procurement directions. I am taking a very active interest in this. I know the member for Wanguri during the election campaign certainly championed a ‘Buy Territory’ aspect to our procurement policy of which the details of that are being worked through. We are very close to coming forward with some announcements about that. Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, and the construction industry have all been consulted about that and have been asked for their comments on some of these draft directions for government.
This is a very important process. Procurement is a lifeline between government and business. We have to make sure that it is fair and equitable and that Territory businesses are on a good footing to secure Territory work. That has already been happening over the last year and through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure as 95% of projects either by company or by value have been won by Territory companies through DPI. That is already happening, however, we want to look at the wider picture.
We are a government which is about supporting Territory business. I have mentioned the local industry participation plans at the waterfront. We have also talked with the Defence Housing Authority regarding the Lee Point development, the new suburb of Lyons, ensuring that Territory business is well represented at every level within these developments.
As part of our procurement reform, we established a complaints hotline and complaints lodgement process in September 2002. Effective on 15 August, a new complaints handling mechanism has been established based on the following principles:
- procurement complaints registered, tracked and reported by DBERD;
principle responsibility for procurement complaints to be investigated and resolved by agencies;
escalation process for unresolved complaints involving independent review; and;
introduction of an independent facilitator to arbitrate complex procurement complaints.
A simple tender process for procurement between $10 000 and $50 000 was introduced from 1 January 2005. The new process includes a simplified and standardised tender document process, tender processes, response schedules, and contract conditions.
In closing, I was interested to read in Mr Shane Stone’s review of the 2005 Territory general election that the CLP’s research showed there was a strong sense amongst voters that the Territory was heading in the right direction. Mr Stone writes, and I quote:
This was largely due to the excitement about projects that the Territory had won and the boom and knock-on effect to
other areas expected shortly. Continued job and career opportunities were expected to be strong.
Earlier, the minister described his vision of a strong vibrant, growing and sustainable Northern Territory economy …
Mrs Miller: Must have changed his mind.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I will pick up on the interjection opposite. When I was a candidate in 2001, the Territory economy was flat; there was zero growth. From the people in the construction industry whose doors I knocked, all I heard was that people were suffering; their families were suffering because of the lack of work. In fact, in some quarters under the last CLP administration, there was negative growth.
This government has led the way forward with vision and by engaging with industry. This is a government that is moving the Territory ahead, and it has been recognised today by the NT News editorial, and certainly recognised by Mr Shane Stone.
The government agencies for which I have a responsibility look forward to playing an integral part in this future. Madam Speaker, I commend the minister’s statement to this House.
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Economic Development): Madam Speaker, it is always great to follow my colleague, the Minster for Infrastructure and Transport, as he is very enthusiastic about all aspects of his job. In running through members’ contributions to the statement, contrasting - and it is a pity because it should not be a political thing - the acknowledgement of everybody on this side of the House, people who are out and about in their electorates and it does not matter if you have a bush, regional, or capital city electorate, we are all engaged in the economy in certain ways, and everybody recognises we have hit some good times at the moment and a bit of a purple patch - and contrast that, unfortunately, with the member for Blain who is still doom and gloom about certain issues.
If we look at how an economy works, then, certainly, the economy of the Territory is only going to continue to steam ahead if the private sector has confidence to invest. At the end of the day, the private sector can invest anywhere it likes in the world and to invest in the Territory it has to have confidence. The confidence in what is happening at the moment with the member for Blain and his view of the world - the timidity of government and the disappointments in the statement - contrasts with what is actually happening out there in the marketplace as money follows money. It does so when money makes money, and that is what is happening here in the Territory at the moment.
We have looked at the Access Economic forecasts which were in the paper today. Members should actually get the September quarter Access Economics Business Outlook page. It makes very interesting reading; about five pages of confidence in regards to the Territory’s economy out to 2009-10. That is an independent forecast. That is not government’s spin, and certainly shows that we are heading in the right direction. The Housing Industry Association Northern Territory State Outlook September 2005 - I commend the Housing Industry Association - this is a very detailed look at not only the housing sector here and the construction industry in the Territory but the Territory economy. For an industry association to be able to compile such a detailed analysis of the Northern Territory economy on a quarter by quarter basis they are to be commended. I would urge members to subscribe to this particular publication because it is a very good look at the economy. A big quarter for the NT economy, it says on page 8: ‘The Northern Territory economy enjoyed near record growth in the June quarter’. We can certainly see that people are being confident in terms of investment.
I would like to touch on the member for Blain’s obsession, I suppose, in regards to energy prices and the cost of energy. That was an obsession that the opposition ran during the election campaign, and also the rewriting the history that the member for Blain is trying to do. He seems to forget that coming into government many of the public servants who worked with the previous and the last CLP administration are the same people working on the same projects who are working for this administration. So there is continuity in regards to how the government has engaged these major players who are investing in the Territory. The story and the methodology that the member for Blain is trying to put in regard to how close the previous government were in negotiating an equity deal with ConocoPhillips to purchase equity in the pipeline and deliver gas onshore for Territorians at $2 a kilowatt is absolute fanciful nonsense.
I challenge the member for Blain to bring anything into this parliament to substantiate the mistruth that he is perpetrating that somehow Territorians were on the brink of getting gas at $2 a kilowatt an hour. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you actually look at the history, the then Chief Minister of the day, one Denis Burke, almost single-handedly scuttled the entire deal, given his high-handed attitude and his megaphone diplomacy, such as it was, trying to tell the then East Timorese, not the formal administration but the caretaker administration of the day, how they should be doing business with ConocoPhillips.
Who can forget that the then Prime Minister in waiting, Prime Minister Alkatiri, refused to invite the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory to East Timor for a signing ceremony, essentially black banned him, and in the history of that whole sorry saga, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory nearly wrecked the whole deal.
So for the member for Blain to come in here and somehow say that they were on the verge of delivering gas to Territorians and Territory business at $2 a kilowatt an hour is absolute fanciful nonsense. History will stand that the then Chief Minister of the day, in his own arrogance and high-handed fashion, nearly sank the whole deal.
He then went back to talk about the previous administrations and Chief Ministers and ministers swanning around Asia, and what a great job they did promoting the Northern Territory. Again, let us look at the history. Let us look at what was actually achieved. Shane Stone, yes, did spend a lot of time with Richard Court in China. However, let us look at the history of that; it was all about train two and train three for the North-West Shelf. It had nothing to do with gas from the Northern Territory; it was all about Western Australia. If you then follow Shane Stone’s career in the private sector and who he actually has ended up having major consultancy contracts with, and look at the operators on the North-West Shelf, you can certainly see who benefited from all of that travel to China. It certainly was not the Northern Territory. It was one Shane Stone QC who benefited very nicely on his retirement from Territory politics from all of that travel to China.
There is a saying in terms of ministerial travel in Asia: ‘What goes on tour stays on tour’, and I am not going to again mention any particular or specific incidences. However, since the member for Blain mentioned Mick Palmer being ensconced in the Philippines, the member for Blain seems to forget that some of those public servants who travelled with the previous administration have now travelled with this administration. If you really want to have a debate, member for Blain, about the activities of certain ministers in Asia and the great work that they did, well bring it on. Some of those ministers did more harm than good. There was a particular incidence in regard to mangoes that nearly wrecked our live cattle industry here in the Northern Territory and across Australia. That was down to one Mick Palmer and his antics in the Philippines.
When I travelled to Indonesia as the first Asian Relations and Trade Minister for the new Territory government, they said: ‘Here comes the Territory again’. The previous administration had been given a nickname by Indonesian officials and that nickname was NATO. That acronym stood for No Action Talking Only. That was what the previous government had been referred to in their constant trips to Indonesia and other places. It was nothing to do with action. It was all about talking and there was a degree of derision and contempt held for the constant delegations from the Territory which never actually delivered anything but had a wonderful time whilst they were there and did a lot of talking.
So if the member for Blain wants to have a debate about what was actually achieved during those years, well, bring it on. There was even one laudable case and I know my colleague, the member for Casuarina, will laugh. I am not going to name names here, however, there was one previous minister in the Territory government who went up to a certain part in Asia - I won’t say which particular part because it might draw the threads a bit closer - and tried to pass himself off as the Prime Minister of Australia, and he was caught out. I will not talk about the particular establishment and the particular people he was dealing with at the time, however, he had very high aspirations of his position on the pecking chart and was passing himself off as Prime Minister of Australia rather than as a minister in the Northern Territory government. However, member for Blain, if you want to bring it on, bring it on. History is not going to show some of those ministers in very good light.
The member for Blain talked about a timid government. It is a timid government that has delivered record levels of growth in the Territory, record levels of private sector investment. Again, if you looked at the history of the Territory economy it was built on government expenditure. We had the Sheratons, the Yularas, this Parliament House building, Housing Commission construction, roads, bridges, the public service expenditure in wages and salaries and supported retail and the service sector. You had the Commonwealth relocating large numbers of Defence Forces up here. Nothing happens in the Territory without government spending money apart from the mining sector, the live cattle industry and the tourism sector to some degree.
What we are seeing is a real shift for the first time where the private sector is coming in investing in a whole range of diverse opportunities and those opportunities are in the tourism, mining, the industrial sector, the commercial sector, and the residential sector. This government is looking for the first time, significantly, at a public private partnership for the Darwin City Waterfront and Convention Centre Project. There is a change in the nature of the NT economy and the opposition should be welcoming the fact that the private sector is a much larger part of the economy than it was 20 years ago and, for our economy to sustain its growth, that is the way forward.
I can let the member for Blain know that there is a lot of work going on in securing a final gas contract for Power and Water. He well knows that. The opposition has been well briefed in what is happening there. However, to run the line that somehow the CLP was going to deliver gas at $2 a kilowatt for the Territory is nothing short of absolutely fanciful. I do not know where he got that information from.
Member for Katherine, it is disappointing to hear that there are some businesses closing in Katherine, although other businesses will open. I met with a member of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce from Katherine recently and his view was that the Katherine economy was doing very nicely, thank you very much, the best that it had been doing for quite some time, and said that Katherine was going really well. It is disappointing to hear individual enterprises closing, however, there can be all sorts of reasons for that and nothing is more certain than other enterprises will step up and take their place.
I disagree with the member for Katherine: the call from people from Central Australia that one way to stimulate the economy is to send more bureaucrats there. I do not believe that that is the case at all. This government did make the Katherine Research Centre the home of the pastoral division of the department of primary industry. The potential for growth is going to come from private sector investment, not sending more public servants into the region. There is good reason to see more public servants in the region to get better, more autonomous, decision making occurring. However, is that going to lead to increased investment from the private sector? I do not see the leap in logic there. What we have to do is to promote the regions of the Northern Territory, the opportunities for investment, and where the private sector can get that return - not plonk more bureaucrats in to the region.
Other members made solid contributions. I thank the member for Port Darwin. I am looking forward to working with her over the next four years, particularly with the experience she brings having worked in the private sector and being at the heart of the Territory’s economy here in the CBD. The member for Port Darwin is going to provide me with great advice over the next four years. The Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and I are going to continue to work very closely together. It was very good to hear the ongoing contribution that that department is going to make in regional development and indigenous economic development. It is absolutely essential we move ahead in those areas and I will be working with my colleague very closely over the next few years.
The member for Goyder, again somebody from the private sector, has joined us in this term of government. He is a friend of mine - I have known the member for Goyder going back to 1993 - and I am well aware of his long experience of consulting and engineering in the private sector. I have enjoyed many discussions over the years with the member for Goyder and he is going to make a big contribution in providing advice to me over time.
It is good that the team, the dynamic duo from Palmerston, the member for Drysdale and the member for Brennan, are very keen to work with me to promote opportunities in the defence sector for business. As one of the two fitters in this House, I share a background with the member for Drysdale and we will continue to work together on issues relating to business opportunities in Defence.
The member for Brennan talked about all the activity in the Palmerston/Yarrawonga areas. It is fantastic to see great investment heading out to the Darwin Business Park, in particular the biodiesel plant and the helium plant. I would just like to pick up on one little note from the member for Brennan when he talked about HomeNorth Extra and the 175, I think it was, first home buyers in Palmerston. I was taken with a story in the NT News just a couple of weeks ago about a young woman, 19 years of age, purchasing and building her first home in Palmerston. That is what we are in this game for: creating opportunities for individuals to get ahead. What a great story: a 19-year-old woman having the confidence to get out, get a loan, and build her own house in Palmerston. To whoever that young lady is, good luck, and I hope you enjoy your new home – it is a great story.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, it is a big responsibility on your shoulders. However, I know you will carry it well in view of the local industry participation plan for the Darwin waterfront. All of us who were in the Cabinet room made an absolute commitment that, if the Territory government was going to put money into this public/private partnership, we wanted to see in contracts a real commitment to supporting local industry. That has been achieved. I know my colleague will manage that and diligently oversight that over the years to come, along with procurement reform. I am really looking forward, as Business minister, to working with my colleague regarding the election commitments we made in reforming the procurement system to further support Territory business, and better support investment here in the Territory.
I thank all honourable members for their contributions. We certainly have come a long way in four years from how the economy was performing four to five years ago to how it is performing now. On the basis of that is private sector investment. Business confidence is a very fragile thing, and I will be doing all I can to work with business to see that confidence to invest maintained over the next few years. Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank everybody for their contribution and support for the economy in the private sector here in the Territory.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
NTPS Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy
NTPS Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Mr Deputy Speaker, my ministerial statement is on the Northern Territory Public Service Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. For the benefit of members, I table the tool kit. I will be speaking about that later on in my statement. There will also be CDs to be distributed to members.
Turning to the statement: today, I would like to share with my parliamentary colleagues a good news story about what the Northern Territory public sector has achieved in indigenous employment. Since the Martin Labor government won office in 2001, the number of indigenous men and women employed in the Northern Territory Public Service has increased significantly, and agencies are breaking new ground in establishing best practice indigenous employment initiatives.
The government has a vision for a future Northern Territory public sector that reflects the diversity of the community it serves. I am pleased to say that initiatives being implemented across agencies are gaining momentum and we are beginning to see this vision realised.
We are constantly reminded of the link between social and economic wellbeing. The statistics on indigenous issues speak for themselves – low socioeconomic status, lowest rates of employment, higher mortality and morbidity, and lowest level of education. If these facts were not compelling enough there are now further critical drivers in the need to address indigenous employment in the Northern Territory.
First, although the Territory has a growing indigenous population and relatively young population compared to other jurisdictions, we also have a declining non-indigenous birth rate and we are experiencing labour market shortages similar to other jurisdictions. Most commentators agree that the supply of labour in Australia is in decline and that will continue over the next 10 years. The Australian workplace will face a baby boom exodus between 2005 and 2020 and, at the same time, experience a continual decline in youth as a percentage of the population.
Like most of the rest of the Western world, the Northern Territory public sector must deal with these recruitment and retention challenges. As a former health professional and academic, I know how long it takes to affect change. Therefore, the positive outcomes I wish to discuss today bode well for the future. Despite these trends, we cannot be complacent. We cannot afford to leave this issue unaddressed for the next generation to deal with. The Northern Territory has the highest population of indigenous people, and the youngest population when compared to other jurisdictions.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28% of Territorians identify as indigenous compared with an average of 2.2% for all Australians. Forty percent of the indigenous population in the Northern Territory were under the age of 14 in 2001. Over the next decade, these young people will be at an age where they should be entering the work force. However, if these young people do not achieve improved educational outcomes and have access to employment and training, it may mean that well over a third of young Territorians will end up living on welfare in future years. The social and economic costs that go hand in hand with this cannot be underestimated, particularly if we want to capitalise on our current economic growth and continue to have a vibrant future. Quoting a study from Hunter, Kinfu and Taylor from CAEPR, 2003:
- …the current fiscal cost of the failure to eradicate indigenous employment disparity is massive - in 2001, it was estimated to
be around 0.5% of Australian GDP.
In describing the important purpose that work and employment has in our live, Stiglitz, in his article on ‘Employment, social justice and societal wellbeing’, in 2002, states:
- Unemployment is associated with a variety of pathologies from … [and these are the ones that he mentions] … higher suicide
rates to higher incidences of alcoholism.
And the relationship is not just a correlation: there is a causal connection.
We implicitly know that having a meaningful job, contributing and being valued for what we each do has a tremendous impact on our belief systems and in our ability to function in a full sense. It is difficult enough where someone loses a job, however, the circumstances are far worse when someone has never had a job.
In the Northern Territory, indigenous people are an untapped resource. Although our work force is shrinking, the Territory’s indigenous population is growing and this government’s vision for a future Northern Territory public sector is one where significant numbers of indigenous Territorians are employed as zoologists, medical practitioners, teachers, accountants and policy makers.
Another driver for addressing indigenous employment in the Northern Territory is that indigenous people comprise the largest cultural group and are proportionately the greatest users of government services. With over 15 850 staff, the Northern Territory public sector is the single largest employer in the Northern Territory and has a significant impact on the Territory community and, proportionately, on indigenous Territorians. This provides a clear business case for why the Northern Territory must ensure it has a work force that reflects its composition and one that is able to meet the needs of the community now and in the future.
Given our relatively small economy, the Northern Territory cannot afford to have one third of our potential work force unemployable through lack of education and job skills. There are volumes of research about indigenous labour force participation and the consequences of communities not addressing these problems. While it is not possible to put a dollar value on less tangible social costs of low employment and higher unemployment, research has shown that the indigenous unemployed, especially the long term unemployed, fare worse than the employed on a range of social indicators. Once again, the source for that information comes from the article by Hunter et al in 2003 through CAEPR. I should point out that, along with my statement, a bibliography has also been circulated to honourable members.
Within the Northern Territory context, the public sector is a major employer and, as such, must play a crucial role in addressing indigenous employment. There is a significant opportunity for the Northern Territory public sector to build a pool of labour market participants and, at the same time, improve employment opportunities for indigenous people. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also shows a stark contrast between the unemployment rate of indigenous people to non-indigenous people. In 2001, only 6.6% of non-indigenous people in the Northern Territory were unemployed compared to 17.6% of indigenous Territorians. If CDEP participation rates were excluded from this data, it would rise again to a staggering 57%.
Unless young indigenous people are able to access employment and training, well over a third of young Territorians will end up living on welfare in future years. This paints a grim picture for those young indigenous people and the Northern Territory community. The Northern Territory government must address this dire socioeconomic situation now.
According to Access Economics, in 2001, the Northern Territory will be the only jurisdiction to experience a working age population growth over the next 50 years. However, unless we act to increase the work force participation rates amongst indigenous Territorians we will not enjoy the benefits that can potentially flow from this growth. The stark reality is that to bring the level of unemployment of indigenous people equal to that of non-indigenous people we would need to almost double the number of indigenous people in work over the next 10 years.
The issues around indigenous employment have been in the public arena for decades. For instance, many of you may recall when the Aboriginal Employment Development Plan was developed after the Miller Report in 1986. At that time it was estimated that the Northern Territory would have to create 800 new indigenous jobs a year over 10 years to achieve parity with mainstream Territorians. To highlight the enormity of the challenge ahead, the Chief Minister announced 2000 new jobs each year would need to be created to address the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous employment. It is apparent that indigenous employment is a greater priority for this government than it had been for previous CLP governments. We are hopeful of bipartisan support for the initiatives of the Martin government regarding indigenous employment, however, are unsure of the position of the current Leader of the Opposition or her party.
A previous CLP government attempted to address indigenous employment with the then Chief Minister in 1983 setting the targets that 20% of the Northern Territory Public Service would be indigenous by 1990. However, there is no accurate data to measure whether this target was ever met and whatever gains may have been made were certainly not sustained.
The current situation is that 6.6% of the Northern Territory public sector employed are indigenous people; 45% of these are aged over 40 with the average age being 39 years. While this in itself may not appear to be of concern, viewed in the context that on average indigenous people die 20 years younger than non-indigenous people this presents a significant challenge for the Northern Territory public sector.
So, what is the Northern Territory government doing? A review of the original Northern Territory Public Sector Aboriginal Employment and Career Development Strategy 1995 to 2000 was undertaken in 2001. Key findings from this review were that there had been limited progress in addressing indigenous employment and that its implementation across agencies had been varied. After winning office, this government developed and launched its Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006 in November 2002. The aim of the strategy is to address the disproportionately low representation of indigenous people within the Northern Territory public sector by providing a range of appropriate recruitment, career development and retention initiatives. The outcomes sought under this strategy are, firstly, an increased number of indigenous men and women recruited to the public sector; second, representation of indigenous people at all levels within the Northern Territory public sector to ensure representative and effective policy development and service delivery; third, effective evaluation and reporting system; and lastly, increased cultural diversity through the Northern Territory public sector.
Before sharing some of the successes we are now achieving in indigenous employment I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector should not be viewed as peripheral to agencies’ core business. Indigenous employment is a key issue and core business. To address the lack of empirical data on indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector and to monitor the implementation of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy a comprehensive reporting framework has been developed. Progress reports are submitted to Cabinet every six months.
For the first time the Northern Territory government has a clear picture of where indigenous people are in the Northern Territory public sector and can monitor trends across the sector. Clearly, having this data on indigenous employment trends is critical to successful policy implementation. To strengthen the implementation of the strategy, the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment, over a 12-month period, met with every Chief Executive and their executive team throughout the Territory. This highlighted that this was a key policy and high priority of this government, and clarified the roles and expectations of agencies in implementing the strategy. During the initial implementation phase, agencies were encouraged to: firstly, improve the collection of EEO data and renew their data systems; second, develop clear reporting systems on indigenous employment; third, develop agency implementation plans; and, lastly, review recruitment and retention practices to ensure they were inclusive of, and targeted, indigenous people.
I am pleased to announce that since launching the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy, the Northern Territory public sector has seen the number of indigenous people employed in the Northern Territory public sector increase from 4.6%, or 725 people, to 6.6%, or 1124 people as of July 2005, representing a 44% increase.
Following extensive implementation of the strategy in agencies across the Territory there are a growing number of innovative and best practice examples of the Northern Territory public sector now taking the lead and breaking new ground in addressing indigenous employment. Some of these best practice examples include the southern parks region which has recently developed flexible employment program for local indigenous people which offers short-term casual employment. It targets traditional owners of the jointly managed parks and is aimed at allowing people to gain an understanding of ranger work and conditions of employment within the Northern Territory public sector.
The indigenous employment program at the Alice Springs Desert Park has 10 identified positions for indigenous people from the Alice Springs region, and has established special arrangements to increase the advertising period from two weeks to six weeks to increase the potential pool of indigenous applicants. The Alice Springs Desert Park now enjoys having a significant number of local indigenous recruits working for the park which is crucial for the sustainability of the local environment and culture. This model acknowledges the cultural obligations of the local indigenous staff and, as such, positions are not advertised between December and January as many local indigenous people are involved in traditional ceremonies during this time. Interview coaching and role-plays are also offered to indigenous applicants prior to attending interviews. Temporary and permanent indigenous employees are encouraged to attend the two day staff selection and recruitment coaching course at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
Traditional owners are also consulted on job descriptions for positions within parks and the Alice Springs Desert Park. These are written in plain English. New apprenticeship job descriptions within the Alice Springs Desert Park are advertised by way of a pro-forma which can be filled out and submitted without the need to have access to a computer. This is particularly important for the local indigenous people who may not be computer literate, let alone own a computer or have access to broadband at home. These case studies provide an excellent example of how the Alice Springs Desert Park is engaging with and recruiting indigenous people in a pragmatic and effective manner.
Moving on to other examples, the Department of Health and Community Services has recently recruited their first indigenous pharmacy cadet at Royal Darwin Hospital. In January 2003, the Department of Health and Community Services also successfully implemented Medicare bulk billing into 50 remote communities across the Northern Territory. The revenue generated has been committed to employing much needed administrative staff in remote community health centres, and has created 23 community based positions for indigenous people. These positions are advertised locally to target indigenous applicants from the communities. The advertisements are displayed in prominent places around the community. The interview process for local indigenous applicants is conducted in a culturally appropriate manner, and the regional team provides training and ongoing support to these remote employees. Flexibility and job design has allowed full-time and part-time, and job-share arrangements, to suit the indigenous employee and the health centre needs. The 23 remote Medicare clerk positions have become an integral part of the health centre system.
Additional good news associated with the Medicare bulk billing is that the experience working as Medicare clerks in the health centres has also led to further interest by local indigenous people in the role of Aboriginal Health Workers. There are now two clerks who will commence training to become Aboriginal Health Workers and another two who are considering becoming Aboriginal Health Workers.
We are also starting to see some examples of best practice within the Northern Territory Police. They are involved in providing training for the Aboriginal Community Police Officer (ACPO) supervisors in order to assist them with completing tertiary studies, as well as providing coaching and support in the workplace. Many of the ACPO supervisors undertake the Diploma of Business (Frontline Management), with two ACPO supervisors this year graduating with this qualification.
Police continue to address the literacy and numeracy of their indigenous employees with a partnership arrangement developed with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, with the Aboriginal Community Police Officers attending block training to increase their skills. This is critical to increasing the number of indigenous men and women entering mainstream policing, where they can continue to play a significant role in the community. Police, Fire and Emergency Services has also entered a partnership agreement with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and the Aboriginal Community Police Officers. This is a significant move as it encourages the Aboriginal Community Police Officers to increase their literacy and numeracy skills to enter mainstream policing.
In addressing indigenous employment, the Northern Territory government cannot afford to view this solely from within our western labour market framework. For this reason, our approach to indigenous employment sits within a community engagement framework.
Another good example of establishing best practice models in Indigenous employment involves extensive work undertaken by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment. In partnership with the Institute of Public Administration of Australia (IPAA) NT Division, the OCPE established a series of indigenous employment forums as a comprehensive community engagement initiative that culminated in the Northern Territory public sector indigenous employment tool kit, which I tabled earlier, for the Northern Territory public sector management - a first for the Northern Territory public sector and, perhaps, Australia.
The indigenous employment forums were founded on the principles of community engagement, continuous improvement, and local capacity development. The emphasis of which, throughout the forum process, reflect the increasing importance of working in partnerships with indigenous people to find sustainable solutions. The importance of engaging effectively with the community when developing public policy is being recognised internationally, as well as our own government through its community engagement framework.
As stated by Mr Jim Cavaye, a man who has a PhD in Community Development and has worked with the Queensland government in developing a community engagement framework – he says:
Social and economic changes are transforming rural and regional communities. Government has sought to respond by emphasisingservice delivery, supporting infrastructure, increasing training opportunities and altering policy. An additional response is needed where government agencies develop a greater role in helpingcommunities build their capacity.
The forums help regional communities to utilise and build local networks and skills. The organisation of the forums involve participation of local indigenous people and resulted in increased confidence, capacity and skills development for the indigenous people who had volunteered their time to be part of the process. Through the series of indigenous employment forums, the Northern Territory government was the key driver in the community engagement process and help build local frameworks and skills throughout the region.
Key findings from the series of Indigenous Employment Forums included participants identifying:
- that jobs needed to be real, meaningful and have career pathways and permanency;
the need for improved articulation pathways for students in schools through VET, and into employment
through local partnerships that included businesses, employers, support agencies, schools and communities;
the need for support for employees, including training, peer group interaction and networks, mentoring opportunities,
flexibility in job design and meeting the needs of individuals;
the need to break down barriers, address issues of bullying and harassment, and improve cultural awareness in the
workplace, particularly that of managers;
the need to recognise and value indigenous knowledge as an important component of the employee’s skills base;
the need for government to advertise vacancies in indigenous media;
a failure to include indigenous members on selection panels;
unnecessarily complex selection criteria in job descriptions;
limited or ad hoc planning strategies in recruiting indigenous people;
lack of access to entry level programs by mature aged and indigenous people, for example, parents wishing to
enter or return to the work force;
lack of career development programs to assist indigenous employees in progressing through the Northern Territory
Public Sector and,
lack of effective performance management and succession planning in agencies.
There are three things I am proud of … these are that I am an indigenous woman, a mother of four beautiful children, and that I
have a job and can support myself and my children, and sometimes the extended family …. as we all know in our culture it is share
and share alike.
My decision to come to Tennant Creek was a good choice and a good risk to take … it enabled me to have the opportunity
to …. experience working at three different organisations within the government …
… at the end of the work experience I was offered jobs at all of the agencies, but chose to accept the job with the Department of Health
as a Level 1, Administration Officer. During my time with the Department of Health, I made a lot of friends … most of whom
were non-indigenous people. These friendships carry on through to today ...
As an indigenous person, I feel that having made these friendships it has made my workplace fun and easy to be in and also people
who know me have a lot of respect for me as an Indigenous person who is reliable, honest, hardworking and loyal.
I feel like I can be and want to be used as an example/role model to follow, for those of my people who wish to join the government or
any other organisation.
In concluding her presentation, Debbie encouraged her indigenous colleagues to:
Get over the fear of the unknown and grasp any opportunities with both hands. I urge those of you who are looking for employment
within organisations and government departments to go forth … after all, our peoples are always talking about equal rights
and opportunities, and the more of us in the work force, the more we will gain these rights and opportunities for us now and for
those who follow on after us …
The contribution of Debbie Simpson and that of hundreds of others throughout the Northern Territory has culminated in the development of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, a practical resource for managers in recruiting and retaining indigenous people. The purpose of the tool kit is to provide a reference guide for employers and managers on recruiting and retaining indigenous people within the Northern Territory public sector work force.
The Indigenous Employment Tool Kit has been heralded as a significant achievement for the Northern Territory public sector and is an exciting addition to the increasing number of initiatives occurring right across government. This excellent initiative, the first for the Northern Territory public sector, gives managers and employers the tools and practical information on developing indigenous recruitment and retention strategies. I already tabled the tool kit which has been distributed to members.
Other successful initiatives are the Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program, or Kigaruk, which was developed in 2003 and more recently the equivalent indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program, or Lookrukin. Kigaruk is a Kungarakan word meaning adult male and similarly Lookrukin is the Kungarakan word meaning adult female.
The Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program is designed to provide a higher level significant learning experience for indigenous men employed in the Northern Territory public sector. Objectives of the program are to address the lack of representation of indigenous men in senior management and executive officer position within the Northern Territory public sector and to provide an opportunity for indigenous men to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to compete on merit for senior positions.
Kigaruk was developed in close consultation with a reference group of indigenous men drawn from across a range of Northern Territory public sector agencies. The pilot program commenced in June 2003 with 25 participants from Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and the Cobourg Peninsula. In May 2004, all 25 participants graduated from Charles Darwin University with the Diploma of Business Frontline Management. I quote a Kigaruk participant who has successfully completed the program:
The confidence I have in dealing with my managers and work colleagues has grown immensely. Professionally speaking, I believe that the person I am now is a different person than I was 12 months ago … I feel more confident and competent to take on the challenges in the field of leadership and management, something I had not aspired to in my past has now become a reality.
Following the pilot program, Charles Darwin University conducted an independent evaluation in June 2004. Findings revealed that the pilot program was overall an outstanding success. Feedback about the program from stakeholders during the evaluation phase included comments such as:
- increased the pride and motivation of the indigenous men involved;
ideas, and in general facilitated communication and learning across the members of the pilot Kigaruk group;
allowed the participants to consider their career options more purposely;
Similar to Kigaruk, the Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program will be accredited as a Diploma of Business Frontline Management through Charles Darwin University. The academic component of the program has been conducted at CDU from August 2005 to December 2005. Both the Kigaruk and Lookrukin programs are being conducted concurrently with 53 participants in total. Formal graduation at CDU is anticipated for mid to late May 2006.
All of these innovative programs and initiatives have contributed to the impressive increase of 44% in the proportion of Aboriginal people employed in the public sector, since this government launched the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy in November 2002. Examples of best practice as I have outlined are proving successful in addressing indigenous employment. However, we are not only developing best practice initiatives through the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. Inextricably linked to this is a responsibility to encourage and support our existing indigenous employees to upgrade their various professions.
We are doing this through a scholarship program for remote employees, an initiative of the Remote Workforce Development Strategy. To date, eight remote indigenous employees have been awarded individual scholarships to undertake a range of professional development activities including VET, undergraduate study, and to attend sector specific conferences and workshops.
Further, through an innovative grants scheme another initiative of the Remote Workforce Development Strategy many remote indigenous Northern Territory public sector employees have participated in professional development programs that are being delivered through their agencies, and others will be attending conferences and workshops specific to their jobs. One example of this is that a significant number of remote indigenous teaching assistants from the Katherine and central regions will be attending and presenting at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in New Zealand next month.
While we can quantify the effects of these programs in terms of individuals gaining skills and qualifications, it is not so easy to measure the good will, confidence and ongoing positive impact that this type of support fosters within indigenous communities. It is perhaps enough to share the following quote with you:
I work in a remote indigenous school … with a very dedicated team of indigenous women who take their roles as community
teachers very seriously and professionally. We will be attending and presenting at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference
on Education in New Zealand later this year.
For the indigenous women I work with it will be their first opportunity to go overseas, more importantly it will provide them with
the opportunity to meet and share with indigenous educators from all over the world.
It would have been impossible for us to attend the conference as a teaching team without this grant. It has offered us a once in a
lifetime opportunity and has made the entire community, students and parents alike proud of the efforts of their teachers. Who
knows what great things will grow out of this opportunity?
In closing, I would like to reiterate that 6.6% of Northern Territory public sector employees now identify as indigenous or are indigenous employees. While this figure may not seem significant in itself it reflects a considerable commitment by the government to address indigenous employment. The evidence clearly shows that through the ongoing monitoring of the strategies Northern Territory public sector agencies are progressing more effectively than ever before.
It would seem timely that I take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the Chief Executives of agencies and to the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment for maintaining a concerted effort in monitoring and implementing this government’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy.
The recent innovations demonstrated by agencies in addressing indigenous employment is a major step forward and heralds a new and exciting era for the Northern Territory public sector. Feedback from the Northern Territory community acknowledges that there are no easy or silver bullet solutions to achieving successful indigenous employment outcomes; that putting in the hard yards and being persistent is required for sustainable indigenous employment outcomes to be achieved. This will require our ongoing commitment and attention if we want to build on the momentum in attracting and retaining indigenous people.
Indigenous people today can become tomorrow’s leaders, health practitioners, engineers, lawyers and teachers. Put simply, failing is not an option as the consequences are too grim. However, the good news is that we have raised the bar through the ongoing monitoring of the strategy and the innovative practices we are seeing rolled out across agencies. The Northern Territory Public Sector is now leading the way on indigenous employment.
Initiatives such as the Territory-wide series of indigenous employment forums, the Northern Territory Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, the flexible employment models such as those developed by the Alice Springs Desert Park, and the indigenous leadership development programs will help the Northern Territory public sector to continue to improve employment outcomes for indigenous people, and obvious social and economic benefits this will mean to the Territory. I look forward to the ongoing work by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and the Northern Territory public sector agencies in continuing to implement the Northern Territory public sector indigenous employment and career development strategy.
The way forward will be through creating pathways for young indigenous people making the transition from school to the work force, such as the graduate employment cadetships and new apprenticeships. This will help to build the skilled work force we need. Valuing the skills indigenous people bring to the work force will be integral to building our work force. The Northern Territory public sector recognises the need to grow its own leaders and is committed to building attraction and retention strategies for indigenous people; providing access to greater mobility and mentoring between the public sector, community-based organisations and the private sector; strengthening career development strategies which include vertical and horizontal pathways in and across agencies; and providing support for managers in recruiting and retaining indigenous employees.
The development of a Northern Territory public sector specific career mapping tool will also enhance the ability of existing indigenous employees and young people entering the work force to identify opportunities within a flexible work environment. This initiative acknowledges the reality that, for generations to come, multiple career paths will be the norm. The mapping tool will assist in the development of a highly-skilled mobile work force able to meet the changing demands of a dynamic and innovative public sector.
While we have made some impressive inroads, we still have a long way to go. When, then, will we know we are successful? We will know we are successful when there is no longer a need to have an explicit indigenous employment policy within the Northern Territory public sector, as this will be incorporated in the agency’s overall diversity planning. We will know when we are successful when the children of today’s indigenous employees seek jobs in the Northern Territory public sector because their mothers, fathers, friends, uncles and aunties have also worked in the Northern Territory public sector and consider it a good place to work.
We will know when we are successful when it is no longer considered extraordinary or unusual to have indigenous people developing public policy and delivering government services. We will know we are successful when indigenous people are employed as teachers in our classrooms, medical officers and nurses in our clinics, rangers in our parks, and as chief executives in our agencies.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, as spokesman for the opposition, we welcome the statement. Rest assured, minister, the answer to your question early on in the report as to whether the opposition supports the direction the government has taken is yes. We start our parliament each morning by saying ‘to advance, and prosper the best interests of all Territorians’. I stand by that. I represent an electorate comprised of indigenous and non-indigenous, and they are all Territorians. We want to see the best interests of all Territorians advanced and for them to prosper.
I will pass no specific comment on the strategies that have been outlined because in order to address this issue we need to look at structural reform of a more significant nature than the programs that have been outlined in the Northern Territory Public Service. They are welcomed – do not think otherwise. However, the question first and foremost is with the increased population and the increased proportion of indigenous Territorians is whether the global figure of indigenous employment is actually increasing? I am not sure if it is. We need to consider that, if there are an increasing number of young indigenous Territorians, we have to make significant gains to keep ahead and to grow employment in the indigenous sector.
In your reply, I would ask if, in the global sense, that figure is improving or not. I trust you have recorded that. That tells us whether we need to attend to more structural change and reform, such as is being spoken of by the federal government at this time. If we are dealing specifically with the Northern Territory Public Service, yes, it appears that there has been a gain. However, the Northern Territory Public Service sits within the broader context of the entire Territory community, with the economic drivers which underline it, the economic and social, and land tenure reforms which are required to make significant, sustained long-term change.
I would like to pitch my comments in that broader context, as I, for one, are more interested in sustained and ongoing reform and change than to maintain political position. They are, I believe, what really satisfies the interests of families right across the Northern Territory, whether they are in the central desert or in Arnhem Land, or in Ports Keats, it does not matter. They all want the same thing. They want structural change as there is not a lot to encourage.
It is pleasing to hear reference in a couple of places to a reassurance that the core purpose of the Northern Territory Public Service will not be compromised. That is critical as there is a great danger for anyone who is a student of such development and initiatives in altering the culture to serve a social end, and that comes in with tokenism. No-one is a winner whatsoever if we entertain, or court, or feed, the notion of tokenism. We have all seen that occur in our social networks. In a broader context, in running corporations and bureaucracies, the hint of tokenism is death. It does not produce any long-term life. It might sustain a short-term gain. You might be able to get a statement in a year’s time which says that there has been some increase in numbers, although, if we increase the negative aspects that are associated with tokenism, we lose in the long-term.
I acknowledge the comments the minister has made, and they are critical if we are to sustain long-term change. There is a very serious issue related to balance within achieving these objectives in a real and long-term way. The policy to advantage the disadvantaged has been discussed in many forums and places. At one time it was gender – we are talking about race here – and if we are talking about a policy to advantage the disadvantaged, we have to be so careful of the culture that we create in endeavouring to achieve this. A human being as an individual is a complex creature, emotionally complex. Extrapolate that into an organisation or bureaucracy, immensely complex, if we want to change the culture of an organisation. How difficult is it to change the attitude of an individual, to change the way they think and feel? To change a view that was once a racist view to a more inclusive view? It is not an easy thing to do and you cannot do that by policy. It is a very difficult thing to get someone, even in your own family, or a friend to change their view.
That is an indication of how difficult it is to change the culture of an organisation. That is what we are talking about and it has to be taken in that context. Otherwise, we enter into the domain of tokenism and we make superficial change, but in our hearts we know that we have made no real change of an ongoing nature.
There needs to be - and I did not hear it and I am sure it was implied in the statement - cross-cultural work and education within the public sector of the non-indigenous sector so that they understand the other culture. There is nothing more eye opening than when a person recognises that another culture thinks differently to them: judge things differently, respond differently, body language is different, world view is different. Those types of things need to be attended to very carefully in the culture of the organisation, the mainstream or the dominant culture, that we are endeavouring to bring that change into. Otherwise we will have once again that problem that I talked about of the negative aspects of what could be called tokenism.
In the workplace it would be difficult to stand in a position and have some confidence if the word around the workplace is that the person was only put in that position because of a explicit policy of government, particularly when that person is quite eligible to hold that position and able to stand in that position legitimately. Yet, if you have a culture where that person is being undermined in their confidence which is the key, having the confidence to stand in another place, we enter very dangerous territory. I am sure you have enough expertise around you, and enough sensitivity and learning in the around you, minister, to recognise those things and know that what I am saying is, I believe, in merit.
What I was referring to at the beginning is how do we change the situation that you described well at the beginning of the statement. We must change. Skills shortage alone is sufficient argument to require a will to be found to change. Anyone who has an interest just in the economy knows that we must find better ways of dealing with the problems that are before us. An economist will enter this argument and require creative solutions. An economist will find the will. Anyone interested in social development and looking at the health problems and the education problems and all that flows from there will find the will when we see poor education outcomes. When we see appalling health outcomes, a will needs to be found to bring in the change. So there is a will being found which brings us to the word that some may find offensive, and that is ‘mainstream’.
The word ‘mainstream’ is an important one to reconsider. There may need to be a better word if people have difficulty accepting what the word mainstream may mean. However, what I understand it to mean is at the beginning of each parliamentary session when we say ‘our purpose is to advance and prosper the best interests of all Territorians’. That is my interest and that is everyone else’s interest; we are mainstreaming these interests. We want all of us, all Territorians, to see improvements in these areas. I represent indigenous and non-indigenous so anything that starts to separate and create exclusive attention has an inherent danger.
We find within the Education department, from what I am understand, a mainstreaming of that will to find solutions. We find within different agencies, there is starting to come into the Territory psyche a mainstream will; an expression of will to see a change. Once that will is cultivated then we are able to find solutions. That is the important part of it. We all want to see success here. It only takes someone from the Territory who has been thinking about these things and having discussions about them to go to another place, to another state, and to have similar discussions. It is surprising to find how advanced the Territory is in discussing and thinking about such matters.
I sometimes mix in the circles I came from many years ago and I am shocked to learn there has been little change in attitudes back in the wheat belt in Western Australia. They are still saying and believing in the same things that I had forgotten about it. It seems like a lifetime ago. However, racist attitudes are just extraordinary. In the Territory there is an emerging will to apply creative solutions to a clear problem which is all our responsibility. Not the ALP, not the CLP; we are the elected representatives of this community to find solutions.
The core of this is the want, the will, the motivation. That is why reform is so important. Economic reform and welfare reform is important as it then creates the need to change. It is going to be difficult, just as it is difficult to someone who is addicted to tobacco to change and decide not to smoke anymore. I know some smokers, devout smokers and it is not an easy thing to change. There is an addiction involved. I believe in a similar way there is an addiction to welfare. There are the ensuing health problems attached to that addiction and there has to be some tough decisions made. They must be made and this community is starting to recognise that.
Unfortunately, it is developing across the racial divide, if I may use such a term, to make tough decisions such as linking attendance at school to Centrelink payments. In one way or another there has to be a connection between some obligation as a parent to send their children to school and the receipt of benefits. Otherwise, the very sense of the benefit loses its meaning. It is a benefit to assist, to encourage a mutual obligation.
We are going there, we have to go there. Otherwise, all of this tokenism is icing on some foul cake. If we think that all of this rhetoric and a few figures tossed around will make a difference, we have to change the core of these things and make some of those tough decisions. If we do not start introducing some of those concepts, such as consequence for inaction, the workplace will have very little meaning. Turning up to work is an obligation, as is the obligation of the workplace to provide a safe environment and to pay you for doing your work. There is that obvious connection. There is no escaping it. We cannot change the economic model so that it will completely accommodate another world for you and another experience.
Therefore, the welfare system has to also change so that there is a link between consequence and action, effort and reward. Send your kids to the school, you get rewarded; you receive a benefit for assisting in your part of that equation. It seems harsh, however, we are going to have to go there. The new concept of mutual obligation has to be very soundly and sensibly considered if we are going to change culture. The question I asked at the beginning was: ‘Is employment actually increasing in our indigenous communities globally’, as it would have to be at a mighty rate. I am sure I would have heard it trumpeted again and again if it had, because we recognise the extraordinary growth in the young demographic, in particular, indigenous communities. I would suspect because we are dealing with small numbers that statistically we would probably be going backwards.
This links to education through learning, attendance at school, basic literacy and numeracy. It is disturbing to look at the statement and recognise that the Northern Territory Public Service is having to provide courses in basic literacy and numeracy to those wanting to work when we have great institutions and dedicated teachers fully resourced all over the place. Yet, you can get through to adult life and there is no literacy and numeracy. That is why we must have those kids going to school today so that we can reduce this problem and that expenditure in that sector and increase it in other places at a later stage.
I am sure the minister and the members of government will recognise the dangers of tokenism. That is why the CLP traditionally holds that view, very strongly, that any appointment must be on merit - providing all sorts of assistance and priming the pump as far as possible. Ultimately, the appointment must be on merit otherwise we corrupt the very good intention that we are seeking to initiate. Fundamentally, it must be on merit, and the purpose of the public sector must never be compromised. What is the purpose of the public sector? We have to be careful about that otherwise we can quickly get ourselves consumed with another agenda and think that the purpose of the public sector is an agent to bring in social change. No, that is not the primary purpose of the public sector; it is to serve the executive arm of government. Whilst doing that, you can bring about social change, however, that is not the objective; that is another issue. If we are going to attend to that explicit policy of government it must always be subordinate to the purpose of the public sector, otherwise we corrupt that process as well.
I notice also that there has been a significant increase in the public sector in the last couple of years under this Labor government. That brings in issues of cost and raises that issue of reminding ourselves and government about the purpose of the public sector. Is it efficient? Is it attending to its core business and is the core business to bring about social change? There has been quite a large increase in the public sector; that issue needs to be watched.
Generally speaking, we recognise that there needs to be fairly significant reform within the Northern Territory - land tenure, welfare reform and the way that we deal with education - if we are going to sustain change in the way that the minister has set up and recounted the structures that are in place.
The opposition welcomes the statement and commends the strategies, and all those people who represent all of us in the public service who are trying to bring about change. We want to see the change; we are aware of the problems. We know that the best is yet to come for the Territory and all of our endeavours are critically important. However, I urge the government to keep their hand on the tiller and ensure that we are actually heading to achieve that core objective which is to advance and to prosper all our best interests in an economic and social sense without being diverted. It has to be sustainable and real. May we, ultimately, affect the motivation of people to want to apply for work in their own right, irrespective of their race. I commend the minister on the statement.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing forward this statement. I thank the member for Blain for his, on balance, very positive and constructive comments in relation to indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector.
It is my firm belief that the member for Blain ought consider his position in relation to the leadership on the other side because he is at least able to stand on his feet and articulate a view according to himself - and I would expect it to be a view of the CLP - and has the ability to be gracious enough to say, ‘Good job government, I want to see this, I want to see that, I am not sure about this, however, on balance a good job’. That seems to me a skill that is eluding other members opposite. If not leader, he should at least be putting his hand up for deputy leader to support the current leader and bring some integrity and credibility, which is sadly missing from the current leadership team over there.
Notwithstanding those comments, it was interesting to hear his views, that he had been in the wheat belt of Western Australia, and been confronted, perhaps, with some of the things of the past, in relation to attitudes that do not change. That, I believe, would occur from time to time to many of us who return to a place from whence we came after many years in the Territory.
A situation springs to mind: at the weekend when I was in Central Victoria, I met a young woman prison officer. My brother was standing quite close. I was only down there for 48 hours. She said: ‘You would find it funny being down here. You go two days without seeing a coon’. And my mouth and jaw dropped. My brother stepped back quickly and thought he did not want to see what was going to come with this. However, I actually tried to work it through with her and she said: ‘We lock them up down here’. We do too, of course, in the Northern Territory - that is no surprise. However, I tried to work through some of those unfortunate attitudes. Now, that is a person who has not been outside Victoria, not exposed to the daily interaction that we have with indigenous people across the length and breadth of the Territory. It just hit me when the member for Blain was saying that he has experienced that situation. I certainly do not get that much of it, certainly not in that direct ignorant type of tone that I was confronted with on the weekend. I rarely see that in the Northern Territory, and not very often in that very direct and blunt, ignorant tone that was put to me on the weekend.
The member for Blain’s comments in relation to whether the numbers are increasing in regard to the increase in the indigenous population overall are relevant. However, I point out to him that at least we have a benchmark of where we are now, we know where we are going into the future, and we are building those numbers. Without being too condemning of the previous government, it is a bit rich to ask, ‘Are you really on track?’ considering they would not have even known how many indigenous employees they had let alone a strategy to increase it. They simply did not care about having a public sector that was representative of the community it serves.
That was something that the Australian Public Service did with its equal employment opportunity strategies and others from the early 1980s where they brought forward these strategies and said, ‘The Australian Public Service is there to serve this population of Australians that we have and it ought be representative, in broadly percentage terms, right across its face, right across all of the levels, right across all of the agencies, in terms of the ethnic make up of Australia’. We are some almost 20 years behind the APS in coming to the realisation that we need to act here.
I will not be too hard on the member for Blain because I thought his contribution was very positive on balance, however, it is a little churlish to suggest that we are not making ground here when, to make ground on anything, the most important thing is to make a start. Once you have a start, once you have that benchmark material and evidence behind you, then you can move forward. I believe that has dealt with the member for Blain’s comments. I do thank him. I do seriously suggest that he should look at his position, as I believe he has a bit more than what is there at the moment.
We are committed to achieving meaningful and sustainable improvement in indigenous employment levels in the broader community and, most importantly, in the public sectors, specifically where we can bring about change. During my time as minister for the public sector, I made it one of my priority tasks for the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment, and I am pleased that minister Burns, having taken over that responsibility, is continuing this policy. It is imperative that our public sector does increase its indigenous employment, not just to improve the statistics. It is important knowing where we are, because we need a representative public sector, and people in government who understand the Territory and all its people.
Government decision makers need to be able to make balanced and informed decisions about the future of the Territory that reflect its cultural diversity and need. Indigenous people in the Territory represent almost 30% of the population yet just 6.6% of Territory government staff. That is an enormous imbalance and it has to be rectified if we are to continue to build the Territory and ensure its ongoing prosperity. This should not only occur in those traditional areas of indigenous career paths of health, education and police but all agencies which provide crucial services to Territorians.
I want to advise the House of the work of one particular agency that has already taken the important steps towards increasing indigenous employment opportunities, and that is Northern Territory Treasury. Treasury is a key agency. It is a central agency within government providing essential advice to government on issues affecting the whole of the Northern Territory, government revenue and spending, economic and financial analysis, and regulation for liquor and gambling industries. As well as dealing with the fiscal side it also has a key role to play in social development. Increasing indigenous employment in Treasury is critical to our ongoing ability to develop effective economic and social policy for the whole of the Northern Territory.
Treasury has recognised this; it has developed its own Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy which I had the pleasure to launch in November last year. It forms the backbone of Treasury’s efforts to achieve greater indigenous representation with the agency, however, it is much more than just boosting indigenous numbers in the public sector. It is also increasing Treasury’s ability to support government and the community it serves whilst improving the advancement of indigenous people in the Territory. It is a multifaceted strategy aimed at a range of stakeholders from high school students to existing employees in both public and private sectors.
Some of its key goals include promoting:
- Treasury as an employer of indigenous people;
providing entry level employment opportunities to indigenous people;
providing professional development opportunities to indigenous staff so they have a greater understanding
of government structure and process and Treasury’s role as a central agency;
building policy development and decision making skills of indigenous staff;
increasing the participation of indigenous staff at middle and senior level in Treasury;
ensuring indigenous representation on Treasury committees to provide input into policy and decision making;
incorporating indigenous employment outcomes into Treasury’s corporate plans; and
increasing Treasury’s staff understanding of indigenous culture and heritage.
- visiting high schools;
developing links with schools career advisers to promote employment opportunities within Treasury;
more staff development training and education for Treasury staff;
enhancing work exchange programs with other agencies and non-government organisations to give indigenous
people in the public and private sector a better understanding of the workings of Treasury; and
encouraging Treasury staff to undertake cross cultural training - a valid point made by the member for Blain and
being picked up, not just by Treasury, but by agencies across the board.
Treasury currently has nine indigenous staff including the Senior Research Officer, and Licensing Inspector Chief Steward with Racing Gaming and Licensing, Superannuation Officers, Executive Assistant to the Licensing Commission and two national indigenous cadetship project cadets. In the past 12 months, almost half of Treasury’s indigenous employees have been acting in or promoted to higher positions. Two indigenous employees are currently undertaking the Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program. One of them, Alissa Richards, is currently seconded to my office as a Ministerial Liaison Officer. Regular meetings are held between indigenous staff and Treasury so they can strengthen their networks, raise work related issues and provide feedback on various Treasury policies and strategies.
Indigenous staff have been consulted on the best way to promote Treasury careers to school students. As well as advancing the cause of indigenous Territorians, having more indigenous employees in Treasury also has enormous benefits for the agency. The Territory and Treasury, in particular, has always experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled and experienced staff. Treasury, generally, has had the best success in this regard to local recruits. This combined with our ageing work force means that indigenous people represent a largely untapped source of potential employees who will assist Treasury to effectively conduct those work force issues.
My agency of DEET has a sound track record of employing indigenous people. In fact, DEET employs more indigenous people than any other agency. I have worked with my agency to ensure that there are proper career paths for indigenous employees, working on proposals to increase the number of indigenous teachers.
There is a set of statistics which I quote reasonably often: in 2004, Australia produced around 170 000 new entrants into the work force. From 2020 until 2030 it is likely that Australia will produce in total about 200 000 new work force entrants for that whole 10-year period. Only one jurisdiction will have an increase in cohort of 15 to 19-year-olds, and that will be the Northern Territory. Around 80% of those young people will be indigenous. It is imperative that we urgently get on top of indigenous education and employment issues for the sake of the Northern Territory’s future and, indeed, Australia’s future. It is only appropriate that the Northern Territory public sector by its sheer size in the work force in the Northern Territory leads the way by example.
I thank the Minister for Public Employment for his statement. It is encouraging for me to know that my successor in this job is continuing an emphasis and a spotlight on this work. There is only so much the OCPE can do; it does rely on individual ministers and their chief executive officers in each of those agencies. However, by bringing forward a statement such as the minister has today, he is again putting on the record this government’s continued commitment to this strategy, and we want to see results across the board. We have some, we are on the board, and we need to strengthen and sustain those and build on the early successes we have had to carry us into the future. I thank the minister, and I commend him for this statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I also thank the minister for his statement on public employment. It is great to see that there are more indigenous people taking the opportunities offered to them than before. The demand for employment in regional and remote communities especially in the areas of health and education opens up many opportunities for employment and training for indigenous people well into the future. It makes sense to train people who are living in these communities to be workers in those communities, as that is where they have their family structure, as well as important support.
Indigenous issues across the Northern Territory have been discussed, debated, and argued over for many years. It is well known and recognised that low socioeconomic status equals a low level of education, unemployment, esteem, poor community structure and indigenous support. This equals despair, despondency, no hope and expectation for the future.
This sad story gets repeated over and over, generation after generation. To stop this cycle, and it is something I have long talked and argued about, is that communities need economic support, and I am mainly going to talk briefly about regional and remote communities. What better way to introduce self esteem and employment, with the opportunity to improve oneself and having the needs of the community being addressed by those who live there, than employing and training locals. Education is the beginning of breaking this cycle followed by employment issues. In the first instance, regional and remote communities have priorities no different than any suburban community. Their priorities are health, education and training, and being well paid for the work they do. I have not as yet had the opportunity to read the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Tool Kit, however, I am looking forward to doing so.
In Katherine, Burridj Aboriginal Group Training, which is next door to my office, is very active in promoting and supporting indigenous employment in the public and private sectors. They work very closely with Katherine High School through the VET program and school-based apprenticeships, and have some notable achievements and success. In addition, Nitmiluk Park has a high proportion of indigenous employees, especially as park rangers, who do a fantastic job. These employees are well trained and take great pride in their jobs. The park rangers have a huge responsibility in looking after the safety of the tens of thousands of visitors to Nitmiluk Park each year, and to also give accurate information to those visitors. The visitors always speak highly of an indigenous ranger as their guide, and appreciate the cultural experience they share.
In addition, indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public sector in the Katherine region appears to me to be going reasonably well. I am very supportive of any person who wants to improve their situation in life, and hope that any indigenous person who wants the opportunity for their own advancement in whatever area they choose, be given that opportunity. I also want to reiterate the member for Blain’s comments that these people do have to earn their role on their own merit the same as everybody else.
I congratulate the remote indigenous teaching assistants from the Katherine and central regions who will be attending and presenting at the World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education in New Zealand next month. This will give those assistants the opportunity to network and to increase their knowledge and skills which will, in turn, increase their enthusiasm when delivering education programs in NT schools. Participation in conferences and workshops is to be encouraged for upskilling. It is also an extremely encouraging sign to see that these people will come back to their communities and set an example for their families to follow.
Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement and look forward to assessing the outcomes of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy over the coming years.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the minister’s statement on the NTPS Indigenous Employment Career Development Strategy. I have long had an interest in recruitment and retention strategies for indigenous employees in the public sector. From memory, I participated in the development of a recruitment and retention strategy for my employer, the then Department of Social Security, and had input into a national strategy for the Department of Social Security’s Employment and Retention Strategies.
In the NTPS, I was one of a number of officers in the Education Department who worked to develop a departmental indigenous employment strategy in about 1998. I must admit I was surprised to find that the strategy we were working on had been around in draft form for quite some time, and there was little accurate hard data or organisational information on how the department was performing in its employment and retention of indigenous staff. I was very surprised at this, given the information that my previous federal employer had amassed on its indigenous work force participation rate. I naively thought that this was how it would be in all government agencies whether federal, state or Territory. However, I was wrong; it was not the case in the NTPS of that time.
This problem was not unique to the Department of Education. Across the NTPS in the 1990s, there was little concerted effort to capture employee personal details in relation to whether they identified themselves as indigenous or not. This lack of data, I feel, marks the inability and lack of political will of the CLP government to achieve its publicly-stated objective in 1983 to achieve indigenous work force participation in the sector to 20% of the total work force by 1990. It should have come as no surprise to anyone that a review of the CLP’s NTPS Aboriginal Employment Career Development Strategy 1995-2000, found that there had been limited progress in addressing indigenous employment and that the strategies implementation across agencies had varied. I would like to place on record that this review was conducted prior to the change of government in 2001; however, the report itself was not presented until after August 2001.
One must really question how it was that the CLP, in 1983, had identified indigenous employment as such a critical social issue that they set a work force participation rate of 20% and, yet, some 18 years later under their stewardship they could only achieve a work force participation rate of less than 5%. I do not mean to infer that there was some sort of CLP government conspiracy undertaken to not employ indigenous public servants, however, I will make the point to my colleagues that over this time we saw a comparative decline in the overall living standards of our countrymen in areas of health, education and social amenity. We did, however, see in most or our countrymen’s community an increase in crime against the person, in lifestyle-related diseases, and in substance abuse and misuse.
It should come as no surprise then that the available employment pool of potential individual indigenous citizens, who had the standard of education to enter either the professional or clerical streams of the NTPS, was very limited. I also make the observation this lack of job ready skills was also likely to be one of the underlying inhibitors for the individual to have the opportunity to access employment options in the private sector as well.
I would hazard a guess that all members of the Assembly are well aware that around 20% of our Territory population identifies themselves as indigenous Australians and that, in an ideal and equitable world, we should be seeing this type of representation in both our public and private sector work force participation rates. However, I believe that until we improve our economic and social base in the bush will we not be able to see anything like that figure in our work force participation rates.
The majority of our public sector jobs are to be found in either Darwin or Alice Springs, approximately three quarters of the work force are to be found in these two centres. In contrast, approximately 65% of our indigenous citizens are to be found in the remote areas of the Northern Territory, in areas that have historically suffered from the lowest standards of health, education and housing of all of our citizens. They live in places that were set up as administrative centres rather than for economic reasons, so that proximity to job opportunities or economic activity is a coincidence, with the end result being high levels of welfare dependency. These factors make the task of trying to make our current public sector employment base emulate our population base impracticable under current structures. However, it is highly unlikely that these structures will change in the immediate to near future. For this reason, I do not think it is neither practical nor wise to set up arbitrary human resource employment targets.
The minister mentioned earlier in his statement that indigenous Territorians do account for about 28% of our population and, of this number, some 40% in 2001 were under the age of 14. We know that a great number of these kids’ parents are welfare-dependant for a number of reasons, however, high amongst those reasons would be lack of education and job skills, and lack of access to any employment market. We also know that, historically, educational outcomes in our remote areas over the last three decades have been, to say the least, unsatisfactory, both individual and the community.
That disadvantage is being addressed by the targeted policies of this government and the hard work of our teachers in the bush is recognised. However, realistically, we will not turn around the decades of neglect overnight. We have, right now, probably between 35% to 45% of our indigenous population who, if given the opportunity by way of training, flexible working conditions and, of course, a job market, would be able to participate in full-time employment. These are local recruits. If we can get them into the labour market, savings to the greater community and the economic benefit they would generate overall would be massive. People may scoff at this picture, however, if we do not believe such outcomes are achievable, then we might as well shelve any employment retention plans for indigenous workers, because what these plans are, in fact, are gateways for a better future for the entire sector. These types of plans should be formulated with the idea that they will become redundant over time, that they will no longer be needed because individuals are able to compete, on merit, for positions, and each and every one of us has the some chance of a good job on an equal playing field, which, I might say, is not the case at this time in our society.
Given that we have an ageing work force and we are competing for new labour market entrants, it makes good business sense to put in the additional effort to recruit, develop and retain our own locals. These are born and bred Territorians. They are not going to wake up one morning, smell the roses and feel the need to return to their home states. They are home: their parents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends are here. Sure, as is the right of the individual, they might move from job to job, from the public sector to the private or NGO, however, overall, their skills and knowledge will be used for the benefit of the Territory in the Territory.
This strategy was developed with the aim to address the critical under-representation of indigenous people within the NTPS. As I stated earlier, in 2001, as an employer we really did not have a good handle on what exactly the completion of our work force was, and a lot of the work had to be undertaken to identify the baseline data. I was very pleased to be advised that, since 2001, when only two agencies, both of which, I might add, have a strong human resource management focus and really positive workplace culture - I am referring to the Commissioner for Public Employment and Department of Corporate and Information Services - had credible equal employment opportunity data.
I understand that, following a lot of hard work and hard sell by staff of OCPE, we have seen an attitudinal shift in the NTPS whereby staff are now more willingly reporting the EEO data to the extent that, from 2002 when 60% of entries on the government personal database had their indigenous status recorded as unknown, the current level of reporting has dropped to 38% unknown. There is still quite some work to be done to reduce this reporting figure, however, it is heartening to see that both the individual and the departmental response to providing this data has improved over time and there is every likelihood, with improved awareness and better capturing of data at the commencing phase of employment, that we will finally be able to have an accurate picture of the true penetration of indigenous participation rates in our public sector.
We require this information so that we can better target personal and organisational development programs to maximise the potential of the individual to the public sector. I have had a look at some of our recent NTPS employment statistics and it will come as little surprise to see that the main areas of employment for our indigenous workers are in the Education department as assistant teachers, the Health Department as health workers, or the Police as community police. It is heartening, however, to see that we have approximately 317 indigenous officers in the clerical stream. However, our joy at this statistics needs to be tempered with the knowledge that most of those jobs can be found at the lower end of the pay and responsibility scale.
There are indications that change is on foot. We are now starting to identify indigenous individuals working in the nursing stream, working as police officers, and working as teachers. We also see a small number of individuals employed at the Executive Officer level of the NTPS. These examples highlight the need for us as an employer to identify what are the barriers for the vast majority of indigenous employees from progressing at the same rate in percentage terms as their colleagues in similar positions in the NTPS.
The answer has already been given earlier. It is the lack of access to adequate employment skills to make them competitive on merit with others in the workplace. This is where the strength of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Career and Development Strategy lies. These statistics inform us as to where the development needs are most required and allow us to create programs to meet that need. An example of such a program - and everyone is going to this because it is a fabulous program - is Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program and the Kiguruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program. Both these programs have the same structure and modules and have an end result for the individuals in that they graduate with Diploma in Business. Unlike other NTPS development courses, such as the PSMC and EDS, the Lookrukin and Kiguruk courses are sex specific and so are delivered in a culturally appropriate forum. Participants are expected to complete 11 written assessments based on core units such as manage your personal work priorities and professional development; manage effective workplace relationships; manage quality customer services; and ensure term effectiveness.
As I indicated, there are many more units, however, those I have mentioned give you an understanding that this course is not easy. Given appropriate support, indigenous employees who may not otherwise have the opportunity to progress within the NTPS are now able to compete on merit; full promotion leading to improve employment satisfaction. I have been fortunate to view some course feedback. I am pleased to say that one individual advised that after completing the course, they had successfully competed for a high administrative position in the NTPS. The valuation of the Kigaruk program also indicated that the individual participants learnt how to study and were now prepared to undertake other courses and programs which may translate in the more indigenous employees acquiring skills and abilities to enable them to operate at the executive level of the NTPS.
I believe the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment Career Development Strategy 2002 – 2006 is a focus strategy that is achieving and will continue to achieve a marked increase in the indigenous work force participation rates right across the public sector and internally across all levels. The strategies set sound foundations to further build on creating a job market that will provide greater opportunity for indigenous employees, particularly those who may have suffered some disadvantage to accessing quality education and skills training through no real contributing fault of their own, however, more likely through the happenstance of life. This strategy has the potential if implemented with conviction, compassion and understanding of improving the social wellbeing of both the individual employee and their dependants.
We Territorians must not allow ourselves to be misled by some who would have us believe such employment strategies are in the province of the bleeding hearts and the wrist-wringers. Government-led indigenous recruitment and retention strategies make good economic and social sense. We have for too long as a society and for too long as an employer not provided our indigenous employees with a level playing field on which to enter and compete in the public sector work force. I consider this strategy to be just one, but a critical one, of the stepping stones to achieving a better and more effective NTPS for all Territorians. I commend the minister for his statement. I commend the public servants, each and every one of them, for getting behind and supporting the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Strategy 2002 – 2006.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I support the statement on the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. I welcome the vision of this government to have a future public service in the Northern Territory that reflects the diversity of the community it serves. I particularly welcome the vision that sees indigenous Territorians taking their place amongst the professions. I have long argued the need for career paths that would encourage indigenous workers to undertake further studies and training to become professionals and para-professionals. I welcome hearing from the minister the commitment to achieve this across the public sector.
The minister is totally correct. Indigenous people in the Northern Territory are an untapped resource. Investing and developing the capacities of the indigenous people is an urgent task and it is in the economic interest of the Northern Territory that this commences now.
The minister reflected on future population growth, and I would like to add to this by discussing the demographic picture of Central Australia. In 2001, the relative proportions of Central Australian resident population was 38% indigenous and 62% non-indigenous. Population projections showed that by 2021, the relative proportions in Central Australia would be 42% indigenous and 58% non-indigenous and, most importantly, the indigenous population is younger. As the minister said, if we invest now in developing the capacity in employment opportunities for indigenous people, we have the potential to avoid the labour market shortages as Australian work force numbers decline when the baby boomers retire from the work force and continual decline in youth as the percentage of the population.
For the indigenous population it is the lack of employment opportunities resulting in large numbers of Aboriginal people being unemployed or classified as not in the labour force that has the largest effect on wellbeing. In the 15 to 24-year-old age group, 65% of indigenous people in Alice Springs and 82% from remote communities were classified as unemployed or not in the labour force. The income of people in this age group is correspondingly low; almost 80% of people from remote communities had an income of less than $200 per week, with 12% of this age group having no income. When you compare New Start data for indigenous and non-indigenous people in the 15 to 25-year-old age group, you find young indigenous people receive substantially less income, compared to approximately one third of non-indigenous youth, even though they are on the same benefit.
Many indigenous people aged between 15 and 24 years also have young families and indeed the data records a 66% birth rate to indigenous mothers in this age group. The low levels of income have a strong bearing on the ability of parents to provide for their children and subsequently the health status, educational outcomes, and other indicators of wellbeing are brought down. These problems are compounded by CDEP. CDEP is the primary source of employment in the remote communities in Central Australia while market-based employment dominates in Alice Springs. There too, CDEP looms large as a buffer to unemployment. The problem with CDEP is that a significant number of CDEP participants earn less than $200 per week, which is less than they would receive if they were collecting welfare entitlements. Of the 1071 people participating in CDEP in Central Australia in August 2001, 123 people received zero dollars. Getting around this situation of appalling poverty by creating opportunities for employment is urgent.
As the minister said in his statement, there is a causal connection between unemployment and problems such as alcoholism and high suicide rates. If this continues into the future then the cost of social and health problems on the Northern Territory budget will multiply. In effect, the Northern Territory cannot afford not to invest in Aboriginal employment and I applaud this government’s foresight for making indigenous employment a priority. I also join with the minister in hoping for bipartisan support for these initiatives, as the future of the Northern Territory and its Aboriginal people are too important. As the minister said, we need to double the number of indigenous people in work over the next ten years and the Northern Territory public sector is one vehicle well placed to assist with this growth. I am very pleased that the government will be monitoring the implementation of the strategy and look forward to being able to scrutinise the implementation of the indigenous employment and career development strategy.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to the member for Macdonnell. I concur with a lot of things she said. One of the other areas that Aboriginal people are disadvantaged when they are on low wages is the very high cost of living, especially buying basic food items. I will probably come across that in my statement to some extent, however, I will still be interested in reading what she said in Hansard later, especially some of those statistics she gave us.
I might start off with what you finished at the end of your statement. You said: ‘We will know we are successful when indigenous people are employed as teachers in our classrooms, as medical officers and as nurses in our clinics, as rangers in our parks and as chief executives in our agencies’. I totally concur with that. Without trying to sound high and mighty, I made that statement 35 years ago when I went to Daly River. We are still along way from achieving that. There are some successes and, sometimes, you might say those successes are not quite where you have aimed at in your statement, because we certainly have a lot of sporting successes. Quite a number of Aboriginal people have succeeded there. However, if you were to compare that with the number of doctors we had, for instance, I suppose that would look fairly minute. I agree with what you said, minister. It certainly is what we have to keep aiming at. There are times when you can get a bit down about this whole thing.
I thought I would add a little of my own personal approach to it. Whilst I agree with what you have said, I could probably say that my family could also add to some of what you have said in your opening statement. My wife had quite a low education qualification; I would have thought she had Grade 6 in the days of grades. She became a nursing aide and was one of the first Aboriginal Health Workers in the Northern Territory. Afterwards, she was a teacher’s aide in Palmerston. My eldest daughter now works in Perth for the Department of Education, Science and Training. My other daughter is doing a cadetship with the Commonwealth Valuer-General. My third daughter is working at Batchelor College.
How many Aboriginal kids who live out bush could be as lucky? I had the advantage of leaving the bush, coming to the city, finding a job, and was able to put my children through a good education.
This paper tells of the programs the government has put in place to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed by the NT Public Service and the number of jobs required to address the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous people. As I will show later - and I congratulate the government on its strategies - it cannot take away the fact that employment for Aboriginal people overall is fairly appalling.
The Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002-06 is an important strategy in achievable goals. I will quote what you have said, minister:
- The outcomes sought under this strategy are an increased number of indigenous men and women recruited at the NT
public sector, representation of indigenous people at all levels within the NTPS to ensure representative and effective policy
development and service delivery, effective evaluation and reporting systems, and increased cultural diversity through the
NT public sector.
I hope that this strategy is careful not to achieve outcomes or political targets based on tokenism but, instead, on the qualification of merit and the filling of real jobs. We need to be able to make the opportunities available for indigenous applicants, and allowances for a sometimes foreign and frightening environment, with the need to have the feeling they have achieved the position based on their educational skills and other appropriate qualifications. To not do so would not only be patronising, but also be seen as dropping people in the deep end without having swimming lessons. They would be out of their depth and, perhaps, a cause of resentment for those who had to get to the same place with hard work and study.
I should say that it is a difficult balance. Aboriginal people coming into a foreign environment working with the public service do need assistance. You are attempting to put them there on the same level as anyone else, however, the reality is, whether it is shyness, there are other factors that are difficult for people to measure if you just stand in front of a board and say: ‘Are you qualified?’ There are other factors that make it hard sometimes for Aboriginal people, and there needs to be a helping hand. However, at the same time, that does not extend to be a tokenistic approach.
Many Aboriginal people are well qualified for the jobs they are asked to do. The minister highlighted some of the examples with employment in the southern park region. Aboriginal people have in-built knowledge about the plants and animals, the weather and the landscape of their region, and we must not stop there. Hopefully, this is just the beginning, with more people going on to university to study and broaden their knowledge, and employing people with both traditional and scientific knowledge in our parks is certainly a great attribute for the Territory.
I notice the minister mentions the number of ACPOs in our police force. ACPOs are an important part of police in the Northern Territory, and it was good to see the government recently overturned one of its policies which required local government to help fund ACPOs in their community and now fund it through the normal police budget. ACPOs are an integral part of the police and should be recognised through the budget as just that. One of the greatest problems is the retention of ACPOs. It would be interesting to hear whether the minister has any figures on the retention of ACPOs with an analysis of how long they have stayed in the force, the reasons for leaving, and what can be done to reduce the turnover.
With our prison population about 80% indigenous, I would be interested in how many indigenous correctional service officers are employed in the NTPS? Does it compare with ACPO numbers in the police force, and how does it compare with the overall numbers in the NTPS? Surely, with so many Aboriginal people in gaol, the numbers of indigenous correctional officers is an issue worth considering.
There are two areas you have not touched on - and I understand the debate, if you take it strictly according to the statement about Indigenous Employment in the Northern Territory Public Service - and the member for Macdonnell touched on one in her statement. One is CDEP, and the other is non-government employment. There is one place where there should be full Aboriginal employment and that is on the communities. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and this fact is hidden by the CDEP programs which mean if they were removed from the unemployed data, then about 57% of Aboriginal people would be unemployed. Whilst CDEP has been run with good intentions, it has had a hit and miss history of success, and has been used to fund programs, especially local government programs, where they should have been funded from normal sources. CDEP is, on its own, worthy of discussion in this parliament as it has been part of Aboriginal employment, or unemployment, strategies for years in the Northern Territory. Although it is not a Northern Territory Public Service employment strategy, it cannot be isolated from this discussion today.
According to the Building on Success CDEP Discussion Paper 2005, a submission by the NT Council of Social Service (NTCOSS), CDEP employs about 50% of Aboriginal people who are registered by the ABS as being employed. They also say that 81.3% of the indigenous population live outside of Darwin, and 53% live outside regional centres in remote communities. There are more CDEP programs in the NT population than elsewhere in Australia. NTCOSS states that indigenous employment is declining. Statistics show that, over the last 10 years, the percentage of indigenous people in the labour force, including those working on CDEP, has declined by 1% as compared to a growth of over 12% for non-indigenous people. NTCOSS goes on to say that during the same period the number of CDEP places has increased, that is, there has been an even greater drop than 1% in employment when CDEP jobs are excluded.
Minister, whilst you may paint a rosy picture of indigenous employment in the public service, one has to ask, is most of this in the major centres, and is it the case that we are really hiding the appalling unemployment levels for indigenous people in the bush, and worse when you include CDEP? I would be interested if the government has done anything to pick up NTCOSS’ recommendation number 5 from their submission, and I will quote:
That the NT government in partnership with indigenous communities and their representatives as well as the Department
of Employment and Workplace Relations and other relevant Commonwealth government departments, review CDEP …
- … and develop a strategy which addresses the impact and use of the CDEP programs in the NT in terms of: pay and
employment conditions; use of CDEP by government services and funded services ie remove any exploitive employment
practices; potential avenues for transition into long term real jobs and for adequate resource levels for social and physical
infrastructure in line with the standard for other parts of Australia and for non-indigenous people in the NT, and develops a
policy which will ensure that where the government provides services or provides funding for the provision of services for
indigenous people, and for social and physical infrastructure in remote communities, that the resources provided are sufficient
to create real jobs, not just CDEP jobs, and that workers are paid award wages and conditions in accordance with the appropriate
industry awards.
I realise that the Commonwealth government has looked at the CDEP program, however, having a look at what they came up with I am not sure a great deal has changed, and whether there are opportunities for the Territory to renew a commitment to the reviewing the progress of the CDEP program. It is sad that many of our councils, which I know come under a lot of criticism, are not being used as the major employer in these communities, not CDEP. The councils have sufficient funds to employ people like any other council in Queensland or outback New South Wales because they are the obvious group that can run many of these employment programs.
I believe your statement has much merit and it is good for those Aboriginal people moving into the NT Public Service. However, it does seem to me that we are hiding the overall situation in indigenous employment in the Northern Territory. Minister, you quote a gentlemen called Stiglitz, on page 4 of your statement and I agree with what he says. I quote:
Unemployment is associated with a variety of pathologies from … higher suicide rates to higher incidences of alcoholism.
And the relationship is not just a correlation: there is a causal connection.
I do not want this taken the wrong way, however, when we talk about jobs in the Northern Territory Public Service for indigenous people, are we giving jobs, you might say, to urban Aboriginals and at the same time leaving remote Aboriginal people out of the equation? Statistically, we might have many urban Aboriginal people getting jobs in the Northern Territory Public service. Is that covering up the fact that many remote Aboriginal people cannot get a job with the Northern Territory Public Service? Maybe a few; many of them cannot. As I said before, the CDEP program should be a program where full wages are paid, where enough capital equipment is provided, where good honest managers are in place to make sure it is run correctly and that there is nobody rorting the system. Then you get a culture of work from which people can move up the scale. Until you get that going it is very hard to change that culture.
There are plenty of Aboriginal people working hard, however, in some other areas it is just window dressing. I have a couple of Aboriginal communities in my electorate and I really do wonder what the CDEP program does because each time I visit those places do not seem to be maintained. I know they have money to maintain them and if we have these programs they need to be properly audited. CDEP needs an overhaul.
The other area the minister did not mention was private employment. I know that strictly it is not an area of your concern, however, it is an area that offers the most scope and advancement for Aboriginal people. I have a friend, Lyn Jones, and her daughter who drive dump trucks out at Ranger Uranium. One does one shift and the other does the other shift and the only time they meet is when one gets out of the truck and the other one gets into the truck. I have to get out there and see these two ladies working. They work 12-hour shifts driving those great big dump trucks around Ranger Uranium. Here are two Aboriginal women out there with the rest showing them they can do the job.
There are plenty of other Aboriginal people working in the mining sector. It is an area that would be good to see the statistics on. How many indigenous people had jobs or training with Bechtel? How many jobs have Aboriginal people gained from the Darla subdivision at Palmerston? How many indigenous people are employed in the tourist industry?
A few years ago a common complaint was that people would go to Kakadu and not see one Aboriginal person. Has this changed? How many Aboriginal people are working in Coles or Woolworths Supermarkets around Darwin? I cannot recall any. Is there any program either by government of the big supermarket chains to employ more Aboriginal checkout chicks? How many indigenous people are employed in the cattle industry, once the backbone of Aboriginal employment? Real jobs are in mining, retail, agriculture, transport, tourism and Defence, and that is where our indigenous people will make their mark.
Until Aboriginal people are able to have full employment, until a culture of work not unemployment exists, a culture of learning and not skipping school and the disappearance of the tall poppy syndrome - which does not get mentioned; however, I do know in the communities that I have been in that sometimes when a person has achieved something and has gone back to their communities they find it very difficult to stay as leaders because the culture tends to be of the tall poppy syndrome. That is hard for some people and they need encouragement to get through that - until these things are done it is going to be hard.
Education in remote areas it is just woeful. I have said it time and time again, 9% of year 3 Aboriginal students in remote areas achieve the standards required and it is a very low figure. Until we can lift those figures up, as education is the key to employment, it is going to be hard to have indigenous doctors, nurses, teachers, fighter pilots or train drivers.
Your indigenous statement is good, although governments can feel good if they read statements like this without taking in the whole picture. Aboriginal people are moving forward, however, as I said before to the detriment job-wise of remote Aboriginal people. That is where we should be really putting our resources. We need to put our thinking caps on, create practical programs to create employment, widen the funding the role of councils so they can employ more people on real wages and forget the theory and do something.
If this parliament really wants to make a change for indigenous unemployment then it has to act decisively along with the Commonwealth. I do not believe that the Territory government should have to take this matter wholly and solely on its own plate. It needs the Commonwealth to act. I know they have talked about changing CDEP, however, I do not think they have taken it far enough. I think the member for Barkly has spoken before on CDEP saying ‘you really need full wages; people need to earn a proper wage under CDEP’. Until those radical things change we will not advance.
The minister’s statement is good. It is about getting more people into the Northern Territory Public Service. It would be interesting to know, and maybe the minister cannot tell us, what the Commonwealth Public Service policy is for encouraging indigenous people into the Commonwealth Public Service.
One of daughters works for the Department of Education, Science and Training. She started off working for Centrelink at Casuarina and Palmerston. She moved to Kununurra where she continued with Centrelink and then she was offered a job at the Department of Education, Science and Training. She now works out of Perth where she is working with Aboriginal groups associated with the schools to the south of Perth. She has found her way into the Commonwealth Public Service. My other daughter is doing a cadetship in the Valuer-General’s Office. I do not know whether there are parallels to what the NT government is doing with the Commonwealth, as that is the bigger picture: to see if there are as many indigenous people being employed in the Commonwealth.
I congratulate you on your statement. It is good from a Northern Territory Public Service point of view. The downside is that when you look at the big picture of Aboriginal employment it is not real good; we have to try a bit harder. It is going to be a long haul; we cannot give up. I am sure you will have some comments on it. I applaud you for the statement but there is a lot more to do yet.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I support the ministerial statement regarding the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. I said in my maiden speech that amongst the things I would like to achieve in my time as representative for Brennan in this Assembly are improvements in health, education, and job availability for Aboriginal people.
The Northern Territory is one of the largest employers doing business in the Territory. It, therefore, has a role in improving job availability for Aboriginal people. Picking up on what the member for Nelson said, it has a leadership role in showing to private practice what can be done for employment of Aboriginal people. I know there are initiatives that private enterprises have in place, however, as all speakers have noted, there is much more that can and needs to be done to improve employment rates for Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal people are increasing as a proportion of the total population in the Northern Territory. Approximately 30% of our population now identifies itself as Aboriginal. As I said in my maiden speech, if we can truly harness the power of this section of our community then the Territory will, inevitably, become an economic power house.
The government has a vision. The minister referred to some statistics reflecting the position of indigenous people in the Territory and elsewhere in Australia. They bear repeating: the lowest socioeconomic status, the lowest rates of employment, higher mortality and morbidity rates than the non-indigenous populations, and the lowest levels of education. There is a lot of hard work to be done and I look forward to the day these statistics read that Aboriginal people have at least the same levels of employment, mortality and morbidity, and education as non-Aboriginal people. I look forward to the day we can announce that Aboriginal people enjoy the same range of socioeconomic status as other groupings within our society. Along with that go the same prospects to look forward to.
In November 2002, this government launched the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006. This strategy made it clear to everyone, within and outside the public sector, that this government viewed indigenous employment as a key issue, core to the business of every government department and agency. In order to effect change, a direction must first be set. Direction is determined by the destination that is sought. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2002 to 2006 set the goals and the direction clearly. The minister’s statement referred to the fruits of this clarity: 44% increase in employment of indigenous people in the public sector. That is a significant figure, however, we all accept that there is a lot more work to do.
I touched on the importance of engaging more Aboriginal people and economic development. The minister also went into some detail, and there are some other aspects to mention as well. We are all aware that the Territory still experiences a considerable turnover in population. The Australian Bureau of Statistics states:
In 2002-03, the largest population turnover occurred in the two territories. The population turnover of the Northern Territory was
19% of its resident population.
To put this into even more stark relief, the ABS published turnover in population between 1996 and 2001 found the Northern Territory has the highest population turnover. The figure it came up with for this period was 89.2% of the Territory’s total population. That is an astounding figure. I thank those in the Parliamentary Library for locating the figures for me. These figures do not flesh out an accepted observation, that the turnover basically occurs in the same area of the population, that is, one part of our population remains in the Territory with very little turnover, however, there is another part of our population that is comprised of a transient population where short term residents regularly move into and out of the Northern Territory.
Our indigenous peoples, by and large, do not form part of that transient population moving out of the Territory. Our permanent indigenous population, which currently makes up around 30% of our total population and continues to increase as a proportion of that total population, is the bedrock of support for the Northern Territory. Investment in the Aboriginal population will return great dividends to Aboriginal people at an individual level, a community level and provide a return to the Northern Territory, because the Territory will not lose its investment. The Northern Territory Public Sector will gain, as will other industry sectors which employ Aboriginal people in greater numbers from a work force that remains in the Northern Territory. This contributes to the build-up of corporate knowledge within agencies, industry and companies.
If the public sector reflects the population it serves, it also has a greater ability to connect with that population. Let us not forget that the relationship between Aboriginal people and government, not just the Northern Territory government and those before the Northern Territory had self-government, and the federal government, but all governments, the interaction Aboriginal people had with those agencies, historically, was, by and large, bad from their perspective. We have the Stolen Generation who are a legacy of a lack of understanding. There are other aspects to that as well but it bears out the point that Aboriginal people have not had a great relationship with bureaucracy.
We heard from the member for Macdonnell, during the minister’s statement in relation to the interpreter service, that many Aboriginal people feel alienated from the public sector, and this can be traced back to what I have just said. This inhibits the use of government services, it even prevents the use of services that government attempts to make freely available. Getting more Aboriginal people into the public service will break down this feeling of alienation. This means that the public service will become more efficient at service delivery as more and more of those whom it attempts to contact feel more comfortable and confident in their dealings with it and with its objectives in relation to them.
The member for Macdonnell referred to the barrier that language poses for many Aboriginal people. This is something government agencies can overcome if they had employed in their agencies local Aboriginal people who speak Aboriginal languages and are available to deal with the indigenous people who seek the assistance of government. I am always amazed by the number of different dialects that many Aboriginal people speak. It is not a case of Aboriginal people speaking one different language or two. Often it is four or five and the member for Macdonnell is a perfect example of that.
An example of what can be done is provided by the Australian Army with its creation of Norforce. The army has successfully harnessed skills possessed by Aboriginal people to meet a need it was unable to address to its satisfaction previously to the use of Norforce. Norforce traverses land in which other units struggle. It engages with remote communities in a way the Defence Force previously had no success in doing. Such is the success of Norforce that it has become a vital defence unit with a vital role in the Top End. The minister referred to a variety of initiatives designed to encourage and support more Aboriginal people being employed in the public sector. This ought to be seen, as I said earlier, as an investment in the Territory economic future. It is an investment in individual Territorians, in Territory communities and it is an investment in providing better services and better service delivery by the public sector which addresses the concerns of a significant proportion of the community.
I commend the minister on the statement and with all members look forward to further improvement in Aboriginal employment within the Northern Territory Public Sector.
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, I welcome all contributions by all members here this evening. There have been some very thoughtful contributions and they have all been given in a very good spirit. Each speaker has added to the debate and there are some threads and themes that have run through the contribution of members. One of them is everything is moving along in the Northern Territory public sector, but what is happening outside that? What is happening in terms of remote Aboriginal communities? What is happening in terms of employment in private sectors and areas outside? What is directly influenced by the Northern Territory public sector? I will try to address some of those issues as I move through the contributions by individual members.
Of particular interest was the contribution by the member for Blain. He welcomed the statement and welcomed the initiative by government. However, he raised a wider question about significant reforms required to really push Aboriginal employment within the wider community. He talked about some of the welfare reforms that he believes in and that is a debate that has been had by the wider community. It is something that quite a number of members mentioned. This is a topical issue and some very high profile members of the Aboriginal community within the Territory and nationally are raising this very issue. It is a healthy debate that the community has to have and we need to move forward on those particular issues.
My particular statement focused on the Northern Territory Public Service. A number of speakers, including the member for Blain, warned against the whole issue of tokenism within the public service, that basically it is no good just offering indigenous people jobs if it is tokenism. A number of speakers have also mentioned that the Northern Territory public sector works on the merit based principle and that is not being pushed aside in this particular respect.
The member for Nelson showed a fair bit of wisdom there. He said: ‘We should be focused on outcomes not tokenism. It is a difficult balance. However, what is required is a helping hand’. That was very wise advice, member for Nelson, and underneath what we are talking about here is a merit principal, and a helping hand being extended to indigenous people to support them in gaining employment and reaching their goals and objectives within the Northern Territory Public Service. I agree it is a very important issue and we need to preserve that principle of merit. Then it becomes a very valuable thing to attain.
The member for Blain also raised the issue about things moving along within the Northern Territory Public Service. What about the community as a whole? What is happening with Aboriginal employment as a whole within both the private and public sector within the Northern Territory community? He raised some issues there and this government has been fairly active in trying to grow traineeships and apprenticeships within our community. Whilst there are no specific incentives for indigenous trainees or apprentices, there have been about 2500 young people in the Northern Territory taking up traineeships and apprenticeships per annum. Three thousand are currently in training and I am advised that 700 of those are indigenous. There is a natural take-up across all industry sectors and across all trades including what are known as the hard trades. This proportion that government is offering through traineeships and apprenticeships is close to the proportion of indigenous people within our wider Northern Territory community.
It is an important issue, member for Blain, however, government is endeavouring through these traineeships and apprenticeship programs to redress the imbalance and try to ensure that there is an increased uptake of employment within all sectors. We are interested in helping and supporting Aboriginal people, particularly young Aboriginal people, to benefit. It is a very important issue.
The member for Blain also mentioned that whilst it was important for organisational change to occur within the Northern Territory public sector and beyond, there is a balance where people also have to adapt to the work culture and the workplace. That is a very hard balance and it is one that I want to see in the Northern Territory public sector. I agree to a large extent with what the member for Blain has said there.
The member for Nhulunbuy has had a long history with education and working with Aboriginal people in that particular context. He made a fairly important statement where he said he is just not looking at the statistics but the quality of what has happened, of what is going on. What are the outcomes for people individually and collectively and the sort of positions that people might aspire to and the sort of support that might be offered for those people to gain employment within the public sector and reach their goals like everyone else in the public sector. He was very emphatic about that. He also went through a number of initiatives: Treasury, which is the main central agency. Some of us tend to think of Treasury as heartless bean counters, although they are out and about on the show circuit this year. They are certainly active as the Treasurer pointed out in terms of initiatives in this important area of indigenous employment.
The member for Katherine gave a very good perspective from a regional and remote focus. That was her focus and she emphasised the importance of employing and training local people. There was much wisdom in what the member for Katherine had to say. She pointed to the success of Nitmiluk in regard to Aboriginal employment and the work that people are doing in Nitmiluk. She also gave a bit of a report card from the Katherine regional perspective that, from what she could ascertain, there were positive initiatives within the Northern Territory Public Service to support the employment of indigenous people who want to be employed within the Northern Territory public sector. The member for Katherine, I thought, spoke very well from her perspective.
The member for Sanderson has also had a fairly long-term involvement through his jobs in the public sector, both within the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory. He pointed to what he saw as a lack of results under the previous government, particularly in data collection. This is an important aspect which has been picked up under the current initiatives. Like many other speakers, he talked about the importance of recruiting indigenous people locally within the public sector, and also pointed to the fact that the merit based principle worked very strongly within the indigenous leadership program where people were able to go on and get promotions within the public sector. To quote the member for Sanderson, he talked about this strategy, ‘making good economic and social sense’.
The member for Macdonnell spoke very eloquently about a vision of equality for people within Central Australia. She had a Central Australian focus, which is understandable. She also talked about the disadvantage of people having a low income and problems with CDEP. Quite a number of other speakers also mentioned CDEP, and I want to return to some comments about that as I know the member for Nelson also spoke at some length about it. Once again, the discussion became broader than the Northern Territory public sector, and it points a way for us to focus within this parliament and also within the Northern Territory, to look at the wider picture of Aboriginal employment.
The member for Macdonnell said that many people in CDEP positions earn less than $200 per week. She wants some equity. She is also looking for bipartisan support that we, as a parliament, as the Northern Territory as a whole, can address these very important issues which exist within her electorate and beyond. I thought the member for Macdonnell made an excellent contribution.
Coming to the member for Nelson, he agreed that there was a lot of success in the statement; there were highlights in it. He also talked about the closing quotes within the statement that we will know we have arrived when we can see that there is equality in Aboriginal people being nurses, doctors and teachers, and occupying a whole range of positions in equitable numbers across our public service. He said that is something he has believed for a long time, since he first came to the Northern Territory and worked at Daly River - that basically that was the aim; there would be equality in that way when people have equity and those positions. I thought that was pretty true; it held true then, member for Nelson, and it holds true today.
I particularly enjoyed the personal approach the member for Nelson took when he spoke. He talked about the achievements of his own children, and he has every reason to be proud of his daughters and what they have achieved. It is something he and his wife can be justly proud of. He also pointed to the fact that there are quite a number of indigenous people who have not achieved for a variety of reasons, and he started to explore that within his speech tonight. I want to try to follow through on some of the things which he said.
He said he wanted outcomes, not tokenism, and I dealt with that earlier in what I had to say. He emphasised the importance of having a helping hand rather than tokenism. I will say again that that is certainly something I agree with. He asked the question about the number of indigenous people within the Corrections Department. I do not have those figures at hand tonight, member for Nelson, however, I will endeavour to get those to you. I believe you made quite a valid point - given the number of indigenous people who are incarcerated – that we should be looking to have more indigenous people as correctional officers.
He highlighted two areas of concern for him, as the member for Macdonnell did and a number of other speakers, about the issue of CDEP and of indigenous employment in the non-government sector. Basically, he talked about an NTCOSS recommendation of some years ago that there be a review and overhaul of CDEP. I am advised, member for Nelson, that that review is currently being carried out. According to the study by Taylor from CAEPR, from 1996 to 2001, the major change in Aboriginal employment across the Northern Territory had been a slight increase in CDEP employment, and the proportion of employment for indigenous people in the mainstream falling from 20% to 16%. You have made some very valid points. There are concerns amongst members of this side, and concerns in the community in general, about CDEP - where it is now and where it is going to go to, because there is no doubt that people want real jobs. In some places, CDEP works well, and in other places it does not work well. It is no good having people on CDEP wages if they are doing the same job as someone else but the other person is getting a full wage and they are not. It is a very complex issue. We do not want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
If we make some sort of decree such as no one who is associated with Northern Territory government work or agencies is going to be on CDEP it could instantly throw a whole lot of people out of work. I know it is an important issue that Dennis Bree is working through. He is looking at indigenous economic development and also indigenous employment. It has been very interesting, in discussions with him and also to see the booklet that was launched earlier this year by the then minister, Jack Ah Kit, looking at indigenous economic development and giving some little picture snapshots of various enterprises across the Northern Territory in mining, in tourism, in beef production - all the things that the member for Nelson mentioned. There are some great success stories in there, and I know the member for Arnhem mentioned some initiatives in her electorate in terms of bakeries and training. So there are some positive things going on there with the private sector.
Employment is the key, not only to economic development, but to many of the problems that face particularly remote Aboriginal communities. I do not talk about it much in this place, but I actually did my PhD on Aboriginal petrol sniffing in the Top End and, apart from the scientific and medical side, it was a look also at strategies to combat petrol sniffing on our communities. I did one particular case study at Maningrida, and there are a number of strategies that were used by the community council, including Avgas, which I suppose has its parallel in the OPAL fuel. In my mind, the major success there was the whole spectrum of skills training and employment strategies that were implemented by the council, particularly with the young men who were at risk who were already interacting with the law because of their petrol sniffing and all the rest of it. Basically, the employment that was offered there was to do with building. They had different teams: they had a building team, they had a demolition team, they even had the ‘roach busters’ team as they used to call them, and they had the horticulture team. They had a whole range of teams of these young blokes who were very happy to be working and painting and whatever.
That was a major contributing factor to petrol sniffing vanishing in Maningrida. My advice is there is no significant amount of petrol sniffing out there at this stage although, unfortunately, a whole range of other drug use has replaced it. One of the tragedies that I could see was, basically, that there was a change of government federally and many of those education and training programs which were previously funded by the federal government were axed. Overnight many of these young blokes were thrown into unemployment and the whole cycle started again.
There is a message in there for governments to try to have some consistency in their programs and we also have to be careful of advocating economic growth just for its own sake. I know in Maningrida there have been some fantastic programs; economic development occurred there and quite large turnovers of money. However, if you look at some of the census statistics between 1996 and 2001 what you find is there has been a decrease in Aboriginal employment of about 15% to 20% and that is including CDEP. In the corresponding period there has been an increase in the number of non-Aboriginal people working in this place. So we have to be very careful and this is the work that Dennis Bree is doing: trying to target economic development, trying to build the skills, training and employment that actually supports Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities to have full participation rather than just introducing another layer of bureaucracy or outsiders in there. Our focus should be to grow our own.
You have raised some very important issues, member for Nelson. You also talked about urban versus remote employment and I have mentioned a few of the initiatives of government in relation to that. Also, in my statement I highlighted some things that are happening in the region and mentioned the work that Dennis Bree and others are doing there. That is an important issue.
I also compliment the member for Brennan for his offering. He points out that the Northern Territory public sector is the largest employer in the Territory. The stark statistics of unemployment …
Mr BONSON: Madam Speaker, I move that the member for Johnston be given an extension of time to complete his speech.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I will not be long in finishing now.
The major issue that the member for Brennan raised is about turning this stark statistic around and arriving at a point where Aboriginal people are equitably represented throughout the Northern Territory Public Service at every level, and sharing in the wealth and the good fortune of the Northern Territory, making their proper contribution. Like the member for Brennan, in my maiden speech I talked about the importance of unlocking the vast social, cultural, and economic potential in the Northern Territory and in a way we have had a sleeping giant in terms of what Aboriginal people can offer as time moves forward in the Northern Territory.
Culturally and historically, their contribution, their place, cannot be questioned. However, I think there is a place that is opening up there that we need to open up for them to fully participate as the Northern Territory moves forward in this new century. And young people are essential to that.
The member for Brennan also talked about the population turnover and how there was stability amongst the Aboriginal population. He rightly points out that indigenous people are the bedrock of support for the Territory and that the strategy that has been presented here today is an investment in indigenous people within the Northern Territory. He also talked about the sorry history of interaction between indigenous people and governments and government agencies, and the need to turn that around for Aboriginal people to be full participants and thereby the bureaucracy of the government agency will become more efficient.
He also raised the example of Norforce, which of course is not a Northern Territory government initiative. However, I have personally noticed Norforce is a great opportunity for young Aboriginal men to train, to get self-esteem, to be welcomed in a great organisation like the Australian Army. Aboriginal people right along the coastline of the Northern Territory have a great history of being part of the army and the defence of Australia. One only has to go out to Yirrkala and see some of the exhibits there of some of the other communities to know what great contributions Aboriginal people made in war time. That is just a continuation of something that has been happening for a long time and I commend it.
In closing, I thank all members for their contributions here tonight. It has all been very positive and there have been some very good offerings made tonight and there have been some positive suggestions from all sides.
I thank the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment and, in particular, Wendy Ah Chin who put together the statement and has been very helpful in furnishing some facts and figures to me. I thank Wendy for her commitment and indeed the Commissioner for Public Employment for their commitment to this very important initiative by government. I commend them for their work. I also thank John Martin from my office for assisting in this statement here tonight. I commend the statement to the House. I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
In early September, I had the pleasure of attending Moil Preschool disco which was held to raise funds for the preschool to complete their bike track. The track cost $6000 and the school needed to raise a few more dollars to equal the dollar for dollar funding. Steve Saint donated two barbeques to the preschool to help raise funds and these were raffled and the prize winners announced at the disco. The disco was well organised with lots of games and prizes for the kids and hip hop and rap dancing for the older kids. There were purple lights and glow sticks and the kids looked fantastic in their fancy dress.
I was delighted to help with the barbeque and chat with the parents and children during the night. Sharon Walker and the staff did a fantastic job as they always do. They dress up, put face make up on, and give the kids such an enjoyable night. I know the kids love it. It was great to see Gabby Willes and her mum, Michelle, there; also Manuel, Ian, Shaun and Dennis Talbot were there with their mum, Jennifer; Kaitechia and Deb Griffey; Deb and Neil Clifford with Ashleigh and David; Jessica and Emily Bartlett with mum and dad, Anne and Stephen; Chris Bollmann and Mathew Nathan with their kids, Kevin, Emma and Patrick; and Luke and Zoe Craze with their mum, Ruth. They were some of the crowd enjoying the festivities during the evening. Moil Preschool has some really great fun nights and I really look forward to the next one.
Tonight I would like to talk about the MASH Group from the Salvation Army. I had the privilege of entertaining the MASH Group from the Salvation Army for morning tea on Wednesday, 7 September. This group, started by Russell and Ruth Beazley back in the 1970s, is a multicultural mature age mix which meets every second Wednesday from 9.30 am to 11 am for various outings. Russell and Ruth, who are well known in Darwin for their community service, have just retired and moved to Howard Springs. MASH gives people over 50 an opportunity to get together for friendship, information sharing and going out and seeing places around Darwin. The Salvation Army Corp Church, its officers and administrators, Peter and Karina Wood are presently the organisers of the MASH Group and Karina is doing a great job. Peter and Karina live in Moil and are constituents. I commend them and the Salvation Army for the great community work that they do, not only with the seniors group, but also with young people and a whole range of people across the community.
Transport is provided for those in the MASH Group who are unable to get to the venues on their own. Stuart Eddy and Russell Beazley have been the bus drivers, however, now that Russell has retired from this, casual drivers are being used until a permanent driver is found. Events that have happened during the past six months include a visit to Charles Darwin National Park, morning tea on my balcony, and a visit to the museum is on the cards. There have been visits from guest speakers including Healthy Living NT, Cardiac Health, and Commissioners Doug and Bev Davis, who were formally leaders of the Salvation Army in South Australia. Doug and Bev spoke on their visit to Gallipoli.
On days when an excursion is not scheduled, the seniors look forward to games mornings and quiz competitions. MASH has members of varying abilities, with some in wheelchairs and some with limited vision; the oldest member is 92 years young. Peter and Karina, together with Coral Haynes who does the catering for the group, do a fantastic job giving our seniors something to look forward to every second Wednesday. I also commend Coral Haynes. She lives in Jingili. Coral is a very community-minded person and I always love having a word with Coral. She is having a great time supporting the seniors doing the catering and supporting the work of the Salvation Army who do such a fine job in our community.
It has been my pleasure this evening to speak about some people and events within my electorate of Johnston.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk tonight about a couple of events I have attended over the last few weeks and just to say a few words of recognition about one of my constituents who has retired.
First, I would like to mention that I had the opportunity of attending the Ngurratjuta Country Cup in Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago. I was representing the Minister for the Department of Sport and Recreation. Whether it was my football background that got me down there, I am not sure. I am pleased that I did go as it was just a great day.
The grand final was played between Yuendumu and Central Anmatjere. It was an outstanding game of football. Central Anmatjere were up all day until the final siren when everything was drawn. They had to go into extra time, and the game progressed for two five-minutes halves and Yuendumu ended up winning after being behind all day. It was a great game. There were some wonderful skills, and the game was very respectful in the way of behaviour. Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, as you are an umpire, the umpiring was done very well and it was an enjoyment for the crowd to see. Needless to say, the emotion of Yuendumu at the end of the game was ecstatic, and it was unfortunate to see poor old Central Anmatjere down in the dumps after being up all day and playing so well. They really can hold their heads high. They went in as the underdogs, however, played exceptionally well with confidence and displayed outstanding team work all day. The discipline from both sides was very good.
Congratulations should go to the AFLCA board and to the administration there. They ran the day exceptionally well, and everything went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the following week was a bit more disappointing. I did not go down there, however, the match ended up in disappointment with the crowd and players displaying poor sportsmanship to the opposition, officials and umpires. It is a shame that all the hard work that the board and the administration of the AFLCA had put in throughout the whole year came to an abrupt disappointment there that week.
The night before, I had the pleasure of attending a dinner which was run by the AFLCA, which was a fantastic event. It was the AFLCA’s Outback Team of Champions’ dinner. They had in excess of 100 people present at the dinner which was held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre. It was a wonderful night. It recognised all of the old players from over 58 years of football in Alice Springs. They all graced Traeger Park at some stage of their careers. This night recognised the greats in administration, umpiring and the coaches and players of over those 58 years. There was a poll done through a committee. That committee had a hard job to come up with the final team. I would like to recognise those people in a minute.
They had special guests including Wayne Johnston, commonly known as ‘the Dominator’ who used to play with Carlton Football Club; Peter Phelps, the actor, who has been involved with a number of series on television such as Sons and Daughters, Flying Doctors, and so on, and one of our Northern Territory greats, Michael Long, also attended. They made presentations throughout the evening. Before going into this any further, I would like to recognise the good work and the effort that the general manager, Gary Learmonth, put in over a time. Unfortunately, Gary has now left Alice Springs; however, he and his wife, Stasha, did an amazing job. They were there for 18 months, and put in a terrific amount of time and really turned the league around. They managed to get a lot of sponsorship and did a lot of hard work to recognise the league and the players.
It is a hard competition. It is a five team town competition. The country’s competition played on the Sunday is played between eight teams, and it takes a lot of administration and a lot of collective effort from everyone there to make sure it all happens. I would like to recognise Gary and Stasha’s efforts in their time they did spend there, and to finally put this night together is an outstanding accolade for both of them.
The team has some fantastic names here, and you might have to bear with me for a little while. I would like to mention the teams and the administrators that were involved. From the back lines and the back pockets were Michael Liddle Snr, who played for Pioneers; Noel Hayes, who played for Amoonguna and South. The fullback was Patrick Nandy from South. The halfback flanks were Steve Connelly from Wests and Alan Irwin from Rovers, and centre halfback is a name that has sort of stuck with me, Gerry Ebert, who played with the Rovers. I played with Gerry’s younger brother, Russell, who was an outstanding footballer in South Australia, winning four Magarey Medals and captained the team that I played with in South Australia for a number of years, and was just a sensational player. It was great to see Gerry being named as centre halfback in this representative team. Gerry has put a lot of time and effort into Alice Springs football over the years.
On the wings were Richard Kopp Snr, who played for Pioneers, and Brian Napier from Federals, and in the pivot position at centre was John Pepperill who played for Pioneers. The half-forward flankers were Henry Peckham Snr from Pioneers and Dennis Henschke from Rovers, and centre half forward was Bruce Simmonds from Federals. The forward pockets were Daniel Palmer from Larrapinta and Federals, and the other pocket was Phillip AhChee from Pioneers, Lance White was at full forward. The followers were Les Turner from Pioneers, Graeme Smith from Pioneers, and the rover was Darren De Brenni from Rovers. On the interchange bench was Don Blackmen, Federals; Lloyd Bray, Pioneers; Peter Buckham, Federals; George Cooke from West/South; Craig Davies from West, and Grant Jungala from Amoonguna and South. Kevin Tilmouth was also named on the bench as well from Federals, Amoonguna and South.
The coach was Richard Taylor from Pioneers, who has had an amazing career as coach for Pioneers. They have been a very strong side over the years. His assistant coaches were Reg Harris from Federals/Pioneers and Athol Mitchell who was involved in four of the teams there, Pioneers, Federals, Souths and West. The administrator was Cal Dean and many people would know Cal. He has been involved in Alice Springs football for years. In my time at the AFLNT, I had quite a bit to do with Cal who was just a fantastic administrator. He spends most of his days at the park and can do nothing but work hard and make sure that the football progresses there. He has been an amazing administrator over all those years.
Dave Perry was the field umpire, along with Dean Newman. Terry and John Bell were the boundary umpires, and the goal umpires were Max Juett and Chris Russack. I am pleased to say that all of these people I have just named have gone into the first Hall of Fame for the Central Australia AFL. As I said, it was a great night with many stories told as you can imagine.
I was lucky enough to be invited by the Chief Minister the other night to the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards held at the Holiday Inn. I must say I went there with a bit of trepidation thinking it was going to be one of those boring nights, however, it turned out to be a really good night. I want to thank Meriel Corbett-Weir, chair of the Management Excellence Awards Committee; she did a marvellous job with her committee to set up a wonderful night. It recognised some terrific achievements from some people throughout the business community of Darwin.
I want to announce a few of those and the winners: the Owner Manager of the Year was between two people: Julie Shugg, the Managing Director of AKS Welding & Fabrication, and Paul Lemesurier, Director and Operations Manager of NTess Fire Consultants. Julie Shugg was lucky enough to win. She is running a very good business and is very busy at the moment with all the construction business going on around town.
The Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector was between four people: Ross Bradford, whom I mentioned in my speech earlier and is the Chief of Staff of Headquarters 1st Brigade in the Department of Defence; Louise De Bomford, Director of Mitchell Street Childcare Centre; Stuart Fitch, the Chief Executive Officer of Arafura Timor Research Facility; and Margaret Broadbent, Business Manager of the Casuarina Senior College. As I mentioned earlier, Ross Bradford won the Professional Manager of the Year in the Public Sector.
The Professional Manager of the Year in the Private Sector was between seven people: Shane Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Top End Division of General Practice; Yvonne Lamotte, Northern Territory Manager of Great Southern Rail; Jane Lawton, Northern Territory Operations Manager for Mission Australia; Mike Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Group Training NT; Michael Maloney, Human Resources Manager of Tangentyere Council; Helder Santos, Manager of BOC Gas and Gear; and Vicki O’Halloran, Chief Executive Officer of Somerville, and Shane Dawson was lucky enough to win.
The Young Manager of the Year was between four people: Jennifer Anderson, the Manager of Coast Watch Darwin, Australian Customs Service; J Easterby-Wood, Manager Interactive Communications and Development for the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services; Anastasia Govan, Project Manager, Power and Water; and the winner was Russell Cahill who is the Director of Service and Contract in Power Corp Pty Limited. One other person in that group – it should have been five - was Lucio Cercarelli, the Director of Technical Services at Palmerston City Council who has done exceptionally well. I have had a bit to do with Lucio through the Palmerston City Council and he is a terrific operator and it was great to see him recognised in the Young Manager of the Year.
What set the night off was the guest speaker, a gentleman by the name of Tom O’Toole. He sat at our table and when I first meet him he seemed a demure, well presented gentleman, quietly spoken. I did not really know too much of him until I read the booklet which gave some background. Tom O’Toole is a charismatic and innovative inspirational baker from Beechworth in Victoria and he has built his bakery into one of Australia’s greatest retail success stories. To see Tom sitting down talking quietly with us and then get on stage, there was such a huge transition. At first I thought he was a lunatic on stage; he went beresk. His actions had to be seen to be believed; he was very vocal, his actions were excessive, and his expressions were amazing. He carried on like this for about 30 minutes, however, I could say after two or three minutes he had you enthralled with what he was talking about. His talk was outstanding, motivational and positive. He was extremely entertaining and probably one of the best speakers I have ever heard.
He has had his shares of ups and downs. He took over the bakery in the small town when it had a population of 3000 people, and those 3000 people were gradually dwindling away in the early 1970s. He had a staff of two, now he has a staff of 70 plus. When he first started he had an annual turnover of $100 000; now he has an annual turnover of $4m. He is serving well over 900 000 customers a year. It is an amazing story. He had some troubled experiences in his early adult life, which he explained throughout the evening. He owes a lot of his success today to a close friend, a solicitor, who took him to Lifeline and some counsellors to get him back on track and help him through his low points. His motivation and positive outlook on his life which has got him through and his business up to where it is today was explained exceptionally well and very captivating. If any of my fellow colleagues get a chance to see Tom O’Toole in action, do it. It is a very entertaining night.
The last one, I would like to …
Mr Acting DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, your time has expired.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to make some comments for the purposes of Hansard and also for the purposes of sending to a number of people, many of whom I have received telephone calls from today in relation to the minister for Police and what can only be described as his extraordinary outburst earlier today when we were debating the Domestic Violence Bill. It is appropriate that I put these on the record. I plan on sending my comments - and I have already sent the minister for Police’s comments as recorded in a parliamentary rush I received earlier this afternoon - to a number of people who work in the area of domestic violence. To say they were appalled is something of an understatement.
For the sake of completeness, and because of the seriousness with which I and others regard his comments, it is appropriate that I refer to various matters for the sake of the Hansard and for historical record. Not to put too fine a point on it, I wish to place my condemnation of the way the minister for Police conducted himself and the comments he made. Before addressing some of the matters he raised during his contribution to the debate, I would like to state in very clear terms my disappointment, and the extent of it, of the way he has politicised the issue of domestic violence.
It is a sad day, indeed. I have not seen, in the relatively short time that I have been in parliament, a minister of the Crown, nor for that matter, any other member of parliament behave so despicably. To politicise this issue is both shameful and unforgivable. As members will recall, we had what could be described as a reasoned and civilised debate about the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill today.
I made the point that the opposition was supportive of it, however, that a number of concerns expressed to me by well respected people who work in the area created a level of unease within me. I then went through and quoted from letters I had received, one of which had been sent to the Attorney-General. The letter was from the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit, the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service, Katherine Family Support Unit Aboriginal Corporation, Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service, NPY Women’s Council and Top End Legal Service. I went through and quoted much of the letter. I made it clear that they were the views of the authors of the letters, and I asked the Attorney-General to provide a response when he had the opportunity of replying to the issues raised.
It was a well-measured, reasoned range of points that were, it seemed to me and others, respected by the Attorney-General. I now, with some level of regret, turn to the comments of the minister for Police and in this regard I will quote some of the things he said. He said, at the outset:
- I am surprised at the level of concern that Independents and members opposite have in regard to this bill as it is a very simple
bill with very simple applications. Maybe I am just a simple man; I am not sure.
The answer to that is that the minister for Police need not have any reason to be uncertain. Yes, he is a simple man; certainly not a complex one. Nor did he display great levels of intellectual ability or agility when it came to discussions for a serious and sensitive piece of legislation. Secondly, the police minister said:
When you look at the numbers - and the Leader of the Opposition was on her soapbox talking about reservations …
Although the sentence is unfinished, I make the point that, to dismiss my interest in the violence that is perpetrated day in, day out, in the Northern Territory against women and children as a ‘soapbox’ is regrettable to say the least. I am very glad that I feel strongly about some issues that affect people in the Northern Territory. I do not know what the minister for Police feels strongly about; he has not given any indication either in or out of the parliament of his passion or his levels of concern in relation to anything. He may, indeed, make it up as he goes along, however, that is for others to judge.
If he was trying to say that he is tired of me talking about the issue, then I simply say ‘poor him’; he is to be pitied. I will not resile from using this parliament and other forums as a vehicle to effect a change. When all 25 of us were elected to this parliament, we had somewhere in our minds the willingness or the desire to contribute to making a difference. By describing my interests in these issues and, by implication, questioning my commitment to them, the Police minister diminishes the work that I and so many others have done over many years. People I know and respect, regardless of the politics, have devoted much of their working life to making a difference to women and children who are the victims of domestic violence. By referring to their desire to make a difference and to help others, he is relegating their passion to the realms of soapboxes. If caring about domestic violence is a soapbox, then I am very proud to be on it.
Third, the minister tried to make a comparison with the numbers of domestic violence orders under the CLP and Labor governments. There are a couple of points I wish to make in respect to that comment. First, there is no doubt that he has sought to politicise domestic violence - shame on him. I do have some regard to history. I never met Maggie Hickey, however, I am well aware that, as Labor leader, there was with her leadership a great deal of bipartisan support, application, and commitment to the issues of domestic violence. That was the case in Territory politics for many years. However, on the Labor side of politics, the example of Maggie Hickey is one that the Police minister have should reflect upon.
Second, he seems to proclaim - and this is very curious indeed - that an increase from 39 domestic violence applications under the CLP in 1999 up to 724 under the Labor government as a success. It is not a success. How dare the Police minister gain some sort of perverse pleasure from an increase in these figures? They are figures to him, however, I can assure him that they are more than just figures to the women and children who are the victims of domestic violence day in, day out, in the Northern Territory.
Third, the minister is in complete denial about the great work and education that all governments around this country, regardless of their political colour – state, territory and Commonwealth - have done over many years, as well as those who work in the sector, to heighten education about domestic violence. This is an issue about which there should be no politics.
The minister referred to the difference in the figures, from which he seemed to derive some pleasure, and made various remarks about policies of the CLP. He questioned where the policy commitment was and why the CLP did not do anything about it. Well, in the short time I have had, I have trawled some of the Parliamentary Records and am more than happy to personally deliver some of the them to the Police minister. The facts speak for themselves. In some of the debates that I have read, members from the Labor side who were in opposition at the time generally supported - particularly under the leadership of Maggie Hickey - some of the policies that were implemented by Shane Stone as CLP leader. Now, people will criticise Stone, they will criticise the CLP. The CLP did some things well and some things badly, but, by God, did the CLP under Shane Stone’s leadership do domestic violence well. In particular, I refer to a comment he made during a debate on 25 February 1998, where he referred to various programs, and said:
A coordinated model is viewed with some envy as a best practice response and many of our programs are being copied
in other jurisdictions. The Territory has also received prestigious national awards for specific programs.
He went on to talk about the Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy and other initiatives, as well as the Domestic Violence Strategy of the Northern Territory. So, to have a go at the CLP, which is the way the member for Wanguri, also Police minister works, is one thing, but by having a go and suggesting that under the CLP nothing or very little happened is, in fact, to have a go at those hardworking public servants, not to mention those who work in non-government organisations and all of the efforts they have done over many years. The work of the Office of Women’s Policy done over many years was commendable. My view is that the Office of Women’s Policy is a shadow of its former self when it comes to its initiatives on domestic violence.
The minister went on to refer somewhat dismissively and in a patronising, condescending and unconscionable way to my concern about this issue as, ‘the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing from the Leader of Opposition and the crocodile tears in this particular case’. As I said, I have e-mailed and faxed the Police minister’s comments to a number of people who work in the area of domestic violence. I will not quote all of it because I can assure you it is decidedly unparliamentary. One of the comments is as follows:
- What we have before us is a man who lacks intellect to have a serious debate and is something of a misogynist. How dare he trot
out the stock standard stereotypes of women and liken you to that [gnashing of teeth, crocodile tears and swanning]. It is such
offensive language, clearly used to undermine you as a woman.
The e-mail goes on to say, ‘Lack of genius; what is he saying? That you are lying, you made it up? What a …’, it is unparliamentary, the four letter word starts with a D and ends with a K, second part of the word is head.
That is just one of the responses I have received from people in the sector in relation to the very alarming comments made by the minister for Police. For reasons unknown, the minister saw fit in the context of a debate about domestic violence to refer to the issue of property crime. I am not sure why he did that. It is curious, to say the least. However, I can assure the minister, who patently has shown by his comments and his conduct, that he has no understanding whatsoever of the issues of domestic violence, that property crime is not high among the concerns of the women and children who are the victims of domestic violence.
The minister went on to say that I used theoretical reasons and interpretations or otherwise of legislation. I gather that he does not hold tertiary qualifications, not that that in itself is pivotal in anyone’s capacity to engage with the community or represent the community or, indeed, to participate in debates of a legislative nature, but for the Police minister to have a go at what he describes as theoretical reasons and interpretations of legislation, all I can say is, get a life. This is the forum where we do debate legislation; some aspects are theoretical. However, I simply make the point that when we are talking about domestic violence this is about the protection of women and children. There is nothing theoretical about it, minister for Police.
What was interesting, of course, was that he seemed to suggest that the Northern Territory parliament was not the appropriate forum to have this debate. Perhaps I am missing something but last time I looked it was a democracy in the Northern Territory. I know that riles members of the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Labor Party and they would like to put an end to it, however, this is the appropriate forum and any day of the week I will come into this parliament and debate any issue raised by government.
What was concerning was that he said, and I quote: ‘There is going to be a ton of legislation come through here. Some is going to be more important than others’. I do not know what the inference of that comment was. Is the Police minister suggesting that domestic violence legislation is not more important than other legislation? I do not know the answer to that. I guess that is for others to judge when they have a close look at Parliamentary Record.
He did suggest that rather than raising issues preferably and legitimately in the Northern Territory parliament that we should have had a briefing. I say to the member for Wanguri, who is also the minister for Police, that for people of the Northern Territory the only briefing they get is in this Chamber. I appreciate that the Attorney-General to his great and eternal credit respected the debate and made mention of not only the contents of the debate but our rights to debate this issue in his closing remarks.
I end on this note, the Attorney-General is a man of greater intellect and integrity than the police minister will ever be or indeed ten members for Wanguri. I am heartened that there is someone of intellect and integrity on the Labor side of politics because it sure is not the member for Wanguri who is also minister for Police.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this evening I speak of the happenings and achievements in the electorate of Port Darwin. Firstly, I must say that many of the children of Larrakeyah Primary School are keen Crusty Demon fans. As the member for Port Darwin, I donated four Crusty Demon tickets to my local school, Larrakeyah Primary. The principal, Jo Wynn, and deputy principal, Michael Calwell, decided to raffle the tickets. The two very excited winners were Josh Mills and Nathan Appleby. Congratulations to both boys.
Other news from Larrakeyah Primary is that the project to identify talented and gifted children is currently under way. Advice in the recent newsletter was that a number of children had been identified as being gifted in the arts. This program is being coordinated by Alison Walsh who has expertise in the visual arts and Belinda Hoult representing drama. Perhaps there are some future famous actors and directors amongst the students of Larrakeyah Primary. This is a splendid initiative.
I received a copy of the Larrakeyah News during the week. This newsletter is put together by the Larrakeyah branch of the National Trust. They are advising in this addition that the Myilly Point Heritage Precinct will hold an open day of all four houses and gardens on Sunday, 30 October during the hours of 1 pm to 5 pm. Tours of the houses and gardens will be conducted and afterwards you can enjoy Devonshire tea in a relaxing friendly historical atmosphere. The kids have not been forgotten. There will be activities and competitions with prizes during the day. Other news from the National Trust is that high tea is available every Sunday between 3.30 pm and 6 pm. You can enjoy some old world favourites such as lemon curd tarts, ribbon sandwiches and rich fruit cake in the ambience of historic Burnett House. This is a must for relatives and friends who brave the build up and come to Darwin in the green season.
Unfortunately, the Trust has had to cancel Heritage Week celebrations this year due to a shortage of resources to organise this major event. However, looking to the future, they are fortunate to have two new people to assist with the functions of the Trust and they are Jenny Milne and Jeanette Anictomatis. Both women will provide invaluable support to the Trust. Hopefully, with the addition of Jeanette and Jenny plus others who are interested in promoting and preserving our heritage, this event will be available next year.
The Larrakeyah branch committee for 2004–05 comprises Chris Bond, Lesley Mearns, Gaynor Maggs, Serena Milne, Vivien Morris, Alastair Shields, Lillian Smith and Pat Townsend. The Trust will be holding their AGM and awards night on Friday, 28 October at Burnett House. If there are people who are interested in the enjoyment and preservation of our historically significant buildings and traditions, this is a great way to meet people, learn about and contribute to and share our history.
On 28 September, I attended and participated in Clean Up Darwin Day. I was provided with pink gloves and a large bag to assist with cleaning up of the city area. Others involved were Red Cross volunteers, city traders, Lord Mayor Peter Adamson, Larrakia Rangers, and council staff, Christie Thatcher, Steven Joseph, Gene Robson and Mike Spencer. This was a very worthwhile day and it coincided with the launch of the new marketing strategy for Darwin City, Darwin Does It For Me, and Port Darwin does do it for me.
I enjoyed a very busy weekend, starting with my attendance, on behalf of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, at the Charles Darwin University graduation ceremony on Friday evening to witness the graduation ceremony of students who have completed their studies in a number of disciplines. Robert Chamberlain of the Department of Justice was awarded his Bachelor of Laws, and Wendy Raymond, who is Territory Housing’s Darwin Housing Manager, completed her Diploma of Frontline Management. Both of these recipients are long-term public servants who have studied while maintaining their employment. Congratulations to these and all graduands.
Later that evening, I attended the 50th Anniversary Dinner of the NT Minerals Council. This dinner was hosted by Ms Kezia Purick, who has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the last 15 years. The Minerals Council has been in operation in the Northern Territory for 50 years to the day of the ceremony. I enjoyed the company of Mr and Mrs Joe Fisher, who are residents of many years in the Port Darwin electorate. Mr Fisher was mentioned for his long contribution to the Northern Territory Minerals Council at the executive level.
Saturday was again very busy, starting with my attendance at the Defence Forces Freedom of Entry and Welcome to Darwin at Raintree Park. I was pleased to represent the Chief Minister and continue my relationship with the Defence personnel who are strongly represented in my electorate of Port Darwin. I was also very fortunate to be invited to Larrakeyah Barracks on Sunday afternoon for a sunset cocktail party to celebrate and mark the end of Navy Week. I was witness to the Ceremonial Sunset, which is traditionally maintained by Navies throughout the world to salute the lowering of the Ensign at the close of the day and also the Beat to Quarters which stems from the 17th Century when a drum roll or beating of drums was carried out in warships to signify a call to arms when an enemy ship had been sighted. These are perhaps the oldest and most significant of Naval ceremonies. Although steeped in Naval history, they now usually conclude days of special importance. This was the case being the finale to Navy Week 2005, and I feel very privileged to have been witness to this ceremony on Sunday evening. My thanks are extended to my gracious hosts, Commodore Campbell Darby DSC AM RAN, Captain Peter Marshall RAN, and Captain of HMAS Coonawarra, Mark Hill RAN.
On Saturday evening, I also, like the member for Drysdale, attended the Australian Institute of Management Excellence Awards. I would like to congratulate Alan Langworthy, Julie Shugg, Russell Cahill, Shane Dawson and Ross Bradford for their outstanding achievements. I also congratulate all of the finalists. The competition was very strong and I would not have liked the job of judging the winners.
As a final point, I would like to remind everyone that this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have spoken about this issue at every opportunity over the past two weeks, and by now members of our parliament may feel like calling a point of order for repetition in parliament. If this is the case, I am delighted, mission accomplished. Awareness and education are the keys until a cure is found. I am touched and proud that our Madam Speaker so quickly agreed to my suggestion of going pink in parliament. Madam Speaker has invited members and visitors to wear pink in parliament this coming Thursday during Question Time. I commend Madam Speaker and all members for supporting this important cause which is very close to my heart.
Concluding this adjournment, I must say congratulations and thank you to all the people I have met and who have hosted me over this fantastic weekend, and do not forget to buy a pink ribbon.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I have the privilege to place on the record the obituary relating to Mr Gil Court. Mr Gil Court was a member of the Minerals Council for many years and he passed away on 14 August. His funeral was held on Friday, 19 August, and was attended by around 200 people. I have been asked if I would place this on record, and it is my privilege to do so as the shadow minister for Mines and Energy.
- Gil died on Sunday, 14 August, and the funeral was on Friday, 19 August and attended by around 200 people.
He is survived by his wife Cherry - who is the CEO of the Royal Agricultural Society Northern Territory, daughter, Melanie and
husband, Tim and their child, Matilda; son Damien and his partner, and Damien’s child, Damon.
Until the time Gil died, he worked at the Major Industries Training Advisory Council - which is the training group for the resource
industry in the Northern Territory, formerly known as the ITAB for seven years, and before that he worked for many years at
Ranger, as did his wife, Cherry - he in the area of training and human resources, and Cherry in the area of public relations.
In addition to the MITAC work, Gil was associated with the Northern Territory Minerals Council Inc through his sitting on its health,
safety and training committee. Through this involvement with the Minerals Council, he provided considerable and timely advice
on a range of training and workplace competency issues.
Both Gil and Cherry love the Territory and have their own piece of paradise in Howard Springs with the ubiquitous chooks and dogs.
And like many rural dwellers, they suffered losses of their poultry pets to wild dog and dingo attack, but like most people, just
build stronger pens and higher fences. A practical man at heart. Gil’s poultry choice was Chinese Silkies, of which he had many
and did very well with at the Darwin Show. Hard to imagine a serious training person and mining man out washing and grooming
his chooks for a show, however, that was the enigma of this man.
Gil was a man of complete professionalism, a gentleman to the core who possessed a strong and wry sense of humour. Gil will
be remembered always in the Territory mining industry and by his long and established networks of friends and colleagues.
A man of dignity, Gil’s time on this earth was too short but his legacy will live on.
My condolences to Cherry and his family on the loss of a great spirit and a good husband, father and grandfather.
Those comments were from Kezia Purick, the CEO of the NT Minerals Foundation. The next obituary was read by Tim Schinkel, who is the Executive Officer for Major Industries Training Advisory Council:
- I have been asked by Gil’s family to say a few words, which is an honour.
I worked with Gil at MITAC in what turned out to be the last year of his life.
When I first met him I addressed him as ‘Sir’. I had no idea who he was, his history or reputation, it just seemed right. Within a
couple of months, and typical of Gil, he began subverting things by calling me ‘Sir’. But by that time I had found myself saying
‘indeed’ all the time.
We had very quickly developed what I must describe as one of the most significant and memorable relationships I have had.
We had our little routines and in-jokes - most of them terrible puns, which reflected our shared love of language. Gil made going
to work a joy.
He understood the importance of mentoring in the workplace and quickly become my mentor, the best mentor I could have had.
At times he was like a father.
Others would tell me about this rather fearsome, taciturn and gruff character, but I got to know a very thoughtful, eloquent
and compassionate man.
‘Stop it, I am getting wet pockets’, he would say at this point. Because if Gil had a weakness it was that he wouldn’t take a
compliment. He was grounded in humility; and he gave to others before himself.
He was passionate about his work, but taught me the importance of being able to leave work at work.
No fan of bureaucracy, Gil took great mischievous delight in donning his fearsome, gruff persona at meetings in order to get his
message across, as many government employees across Australia will testify.
Most of all, Gil pushed me and my thinking. He would come into my office late afternoon, sit himself down and ask me some of the
most difficult, left-field questions you can imagine. He had a grasp of issues, possessed an incredibly well-informed intellect and
the thinking skills to approach an issue from a variety of angles. He never claimed to have the answers; he simply stressed
the importance of asking the questions.
When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year, he shared the information in confidence, but with his usual
self-effacing and matter-of-fact way. His sense of duty and responsibility kept him at work almost to the end and it was an
honour to witness Gil’s courage and a privilege to share that time with him.
Gil’s bugbear was poor communication. So the Gil Court rule of thumb, ‘Say it briefly, say it accurately, say it once’. So, goodbye,
Sir, thank you for all the guidance, care and wisdom. Thank you for pushing me. I will never forget you.
Des Caulfield, the Executive Director of the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Skills Council, which is the National Training Advisory Council for the resource industry, read the main eulogy:
Vale, Gil Court
It is an honour and privilege to have been asked by Cherry to say some words on behalf of the family and industry colleagues.
Even for me, a friend of only 10 years, my heart cries out for my confidant, sounding board, rugby tragic and, yes, a dear friend.
I know I speak for the family when I say Gil epitomised the accolade of a wonderful husband, father and doting grandfather. The fact
that I am saying these words only heightens the level of love and emotion to which Gil reached and maintained with his immediate
family. I just hope I do the family justice to indicate their love and admiration for this great man.
While he had and dealt with his own career and responsibilities, he supported and took great interest and pride in Cherry’s and
the children’s careers and activities. As an educationalist, he saw the value and rewards of doing what ever had to be done, the
right way. In other words, no half measures.
I know from my own experience he never took shortcuts or the easy way out. It never ceased to amaze me how considerate he was
for others and always looked at life in a very positive way.
I also know from personal experience of his business ethics, honesty and honour of doing the right thing for those to which he gave
his time, effort, enthusiasm and phenomenal ability.
Many use the clich honourable, however, in Gil’s case a superlative is required to fully describe this extremely honourable man.
It is very hard for me to present Gil’s influence in the broader sense without sharing my individual and personal experiences of this
great character. I know he has acted as a mentor and coach to many and I include myself in the many. His genuine interest in
what those close and around him were doing, how well they were doing it and how could he help the process were second to none.
Again, I was a recipient of his concern and interest. In all our conversations by phone or face-to-face, he never finished the
conversation without asking about how I was doing with this or that project and always inquired about my health and gave advice
where necessary. There is no doubt that his concern for others permeated his family, business and circle of friends.
As already mentioned, I have only known Gil for about 10 years, but in that relatively short period of time, he made such an impact
on me as a person whom I could talk to, trust and laugh with. I found him to be a man with a great big handshake and a welcoming
smile.
Since last Sunday, I have travelled to Darwin twice and the loss of Gil really came home to me in these past five or six days.
The big man was not waiting for me as I came off the plane with his great smile and his hand outstretched in welcome. He never
failed to welcome me at Darwin no matter what the time of day it happened to be.
Last weekend also happened to be the first game of the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand All Blacks. Gil and I
always had our friendly bet ($20 scratchies) to the one who selected the winner of the game. What the bet also ensured was a
long conversation between the two of us on the Monday morning after the game. I do not think we ever discussed work.
Gil was a teacher and a man who so often used very few well chosen words, where I and many others would use dozens more and
not get the point across to the listener. I do hope I am performing better today and that he is not looking down on me saying:
‘Caulfield, get to the point’.
I know from my discussions with those colleagues from the industry associations, industry training advisory bodies, government
agencies and others lucky enough to have met and worked with Gil, he was a gentleman and did everything in his power to
promote education and training across those industry sectors for which he had responsibility.
Gil’s legacy will live on through those who operate in the major industry sectors of the Australian economy. He made a difference
and the difference is measurable. Gil was the epitome of the quiet achiever. He was a very private man, he was also generous
with his praise for others while on some occasions he had every right to voice his displeasure, but he didn’t.
I can recount numerous car trips to Kakadu, fishing on the South Alligator River, walks along the beach, and only a few months
ago getting a takeaway meal of his choice, sitting at a park bench looking out across the harbour and him saying: ‘Isn’t it great to
live in a place like this?’. ‘Yes, my friend, it is and being with you made it all the better and enjoyable’.
- Gil loved words and the English language. I would like to recite an excerpt from a Wordsworth ode Intimations of Immortality:
- Our Birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy.
I know I haven’t said all there is to be said about my friend, Gil, and I know as I travel back to Sydney on the plane I will have
a long discussion with myself on what I should have said about this or that.
Gil’s passing will leave a great gap in all of our lives - not only Cherry’s, Melanie and Damien, but the wider families on both sides.
There are many of them here today who have travelled long distances to pay their respects and say goodbyes.
May I finish here in this place: Dear Gil, on your meandering journey through your life, I’m glad you passed my way and had time
to stop for conversation and friendship. God bless, and I’m sure that you were in safe hands well before the devil found out
you were gone.
They were the other obituaries read for Gil Court at his funeral on Friday, 19 August 2005.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will be brief this evening, although I have a couple of important adjournments to recognise some significant people.
Firstly, congratulations to the Power and Water Corporation’s Nathan Heinrich who won this year’s prestigious Austin Asche Apprentice of the Year award at the annual Group Training Northern Territory Awards. As Minister for Essential Services I am very keen to see that we maintain and increase our effort in terms of providing young people with apprenticeships and traineeships. After completing his cable jointing apprenticeship, Nathan won a permanent position with Power and Water as a cable jointer with Power Networks in the underground section. After winning this award he was invited to attend the Australian Training Awards in Perth in November. Nathan also recently spent a week in Canberra rubbing shoulders with the Prime Minister as part of a development initiative through Group Training Australia. He was nominated to take part in this national leadership program for 21 group training apprentices and trainees held at the Australian Institute of Sports. This program aims to maximise leadership potential helping participants make better informed decisions about their work, life and the balance between the two.
Power and Water have good reason to be proud of their apprentices. Last year, three Power and Water apprentices won awards at the annual Group Training Northern Territory awards including Mark Stansil winning apprentice of the year, Christopher Moles winning stage three apprentice of the year, and Michael Turner winning an outstanding achievement award for trainees. This year, the Power and Water Corporation recruited a record intake of 12 apprentices up from eight in 2004. Undertaking an apprenticeship is a challenge for any young person, however, it requires a great deal of commitment and hard work although the skills gained last a lifetime.
Six of these new apprentices are based in Darwin, three in Alice Springs, two in Katherine and one in Tennant Creek. The apprenticeships, which will last up to four years, are for linesman working on the power networks, electricians working on networks and power station generators, mechanics working on power and water infrastructure, and plumbers. The apprentices are employed and managed by Group Training NT in partnership with the Power and Water Corporation. This initiative supports the Northern Territory government’s Jobs Plan and will help address the skills shortages in these traditional trade areas.
As long as I am minister for this particular organisation I will be making sure that we do keep our shoulder to the wheel in terms of training young people. It is the most important thing we can do.
I would also like to take time tonight to thank Daryl Trainor, Assistant Principal at Leanyer Primary School. Daryl has been Assistant Principal at Leanyer for 13 years, and that is a huge commitment to any school in the Northern Territory, and Daryl has provided 13 years of hard work and commitment for the students, teachers and families and the school’s programs. My experiences with Daryl have certainly been very inspiring. He heads the music school at Leanyer Primary, he has been passionate in ensuring that students have the opportunity to participate in various bands and ensembles, and have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. It was Daryl’s initiative to bring the Leawanala School Band to life, and that is a combination of the school bands at Leanyer Primary, Wanguri Primary and Alawa Primary - and they are a great bunch of young people with a huge amount of talent.
Daryl has also left behind at Leanyer the Leanyer Guitar Ensemble which has been a key music program within the school curriculum. I have always enjoyed talking to Daryl about all things musical as I have seen the results of his passion for it through these two initiatives. It was great to work with Daryl this year to ensure that Leanyer Primary students had an opportunity to participate in the Darwin Guitar Festival. I was sorry that I was not in town the night that the Leanyer Guitar Ensemble had the opportunity to play at that internationally-renowned guitar festival.
Daryl is going to be missed by the students, staff and parents at Leanyer. However, he has left a very strong legacy within the school with the school’s participation in, and love of, music. I wish Daryl all the best for his future career and life choices. Daryl, you will be sorely missed and thank you for 13 years of commitment to the students at Leanyer Primary School.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to raise an issue that was written to me by a person in Alice Springs. She wants me to address her issue in parliament. I will seek to table a letter that she wrote to me, the original letter, as I proceed to talk about the issue.
Leave granted.
Dr LIM: Thank you. I raised this matter with the minister responsible for the Territory Insurance Office earlier this year. It has been an issue that has been going for some four years. To date, in my opinion, it has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the family and I believe the family has been treated quite poorly.
It is a letter that Alice Frost wrote and addressed to the Northern Territory government, Parliament House, Darwin, Northern Territory, 7 September 2005.
Open Letter to the Northern Territory Government re: Work Health.
You have issued me with a challenge for the correct information and other information to be released from TIO Insurance.
I accept the challenge and will arise accordingly, to the effect that all the correct information has not been given to Mr Syd Stirling.
Let me say with respect and honesty that the ALP’s attitude, in my opinion, has been one of disrespect and could not care less
with regard to this matter.
My husband through no fault of his own was on Work Health. He was a coach/limo driver with VIP Tours travelling back in the rain
from Ayers Rock when he aquaplaned and crashed into the bush. He was then airlifted by the Flying Doctors back into Alice
Springs suffering a wedge fracture in the L3. He was advised by Dr Jackson that he would never work again due to the severity
of the injuries.
We had no knowledge of the Work Health regulations, but Kenneth abided by all the requirements requested of him. He went to
the specialist at least three times to be assessed and each time the same result was forthcoming: ‘Too damaged and unoperable’.
He also went to rehabilitation working at the Northern Territory Holiday Centre for 3 hours a day where the pain from sitting
was unbearable.
Other requirements: that he consult with ‘Bridges Finance’ so they could assist in budgeting his commutation of pay, also a
psychologist to assist with pain management - these were attended to. Kenneth attended all of these requirements with a
view that his commutation was finalised. In his opinion, all forms had been signed; he was awaiting settlement.
There were delays through no fault of Ken’s. But from TIO and his solicitor, but the most procrastination came from TIO.
Change of staff, and Kenneth was then sent for more X-rays and examinations, which were extremely painful. Kenneth’s medication
was extremely heavy to say the least. He was on 1000 mg of Capinol per day (morphine) and was addicted to them. He had
other medications too numerous for me to remember, other than Zoloff and sleeping tablets. These made him shaky and addicted
too, giving him the appearance of man who had too much to drink. Not good for a man who enjoyed his job of driving his tourists
around his beloved Northern Territory.
Ken went to the ensuite during the night of the 5 November 2001, where, due to the heavy sedation and other drug addictions, he
slipped over and broke his shoulder. Complications then set in and he passed away 10 November 2001. Had he not had his
car accident, he would not have been taking such strong medication causing dizziness and shaking. During this time, I found
it necessary to resign my position of a full-time job of 12 years to spend time with Kenneth, who needed a carer. It was stressful for
me to be away from Kenneth when he was also suffering from depression, something he had not experienced before. So we went
from a two-wage income to 75% of one pay.
We were then given the run around once again by TIO when we asked for assistance. Although I was considered, at that time, to
be an aged pensioner, I could not claim it as Kenneth was considered to be earning a wage. TIO then sent me to Centrelink for a
carer’s pay, who in turn sent me back to TIO, something that we should not have been put through. No assistance or
compassion forthcoming from TIO. (When I see the commercial on the television on TIO loans ‘TIO cares’ it makes me shudder.
They don’t care).
Then we come to holiday pay. Kenneth had accumulated his holiday entitlements. VIP Tourists said it TIO’s responsibility so,
once again, phone calls back and forth to each company, neither one accepting responsibilities. This part has been settled
through a solicitor in a huge whacking bill.
After Kenneth had passed away, this is where the nightmare continuous for me. Insurance companies have a lot to answer for.
Kenneth had been paying an accident and sickness policy with CML Insurance. He had payments taken out of our bank account
for at least 30 years. He also had been in negotiation of CML as they had sent and received his application for disabled
pension. Kenneth’s idea was to put his house in order before it got too much for him. Both TIO and CML seem to have taken
the easy way out with the untimely passing of Kenneth. Whereas, in my opinion, the negotiation should have continued
with me considering that, in our opinion, the claim should have been settled well before Ken’s demise.
I was then put in the unenviable position of trying survive with no husband, no financial income, and grieving. Once again, the
nightmare continues. TIO cut off all financial and other assistance with no notification to widow. So, along with organising
a funeral, handling my and my family’s grieving, financial assistance had to be sorted. Great.
I was then told by CML I had to prove it was an accident. I wrote to St John Ambulance and the Alice Springs Hospital for reports,
saying that if Kenneth had not fallen and broken a shoulder he would have not have been admitted to a hospital. At least six, but
closer to 12 months later, I was still waiting for the hospital reports. I have written to Dr Toyne, Mr Stirling, and Jane Aagaard
seeking assistance in these matters. Jane Aagaard’s office rang up after I had received the report. With the assistance of
Dr Richard Lim, I was able to get a report from Dr Charles Butcher in four days. My first letters went to the Northern
Territory government before contacting Dr Lim. I also had been in touch with Mr Peter Brook who was looking after Labor’s
central office in Alice Springs. At that stage, I did not realise TIO was government-owned. His advice was to get a solicitor.
Points of interest: Kenneth and I, along with our two sons, one born in Darwin, have lived and worked very hard in the Territory
as we considered it to be the best place in the world to live. We have lived in Alice Springs since 1972; prior to that, three years
in Darwin with the NT Fire Brigade. Both our sons were educated in Alice Springs and have worked and set up homes here
in Alice Springs. One son is now a coach driver promoting Alice Springs and the Territory to all national and international tourists.
Our other son has worked in the same position in Alice Springs for 20 years. We have a very good reputation and standing
in the community over the years, have held many voluntary positions in the community which I still continue to do. We have
many friends and are very respected here.
We are not trying to rip the government off, I am trying to survive with great difficulties. Once again, to remind you, Ken had
believed all negotiations had been finalised. I believe Bob Hawke, former Labor Prime Minister, once said, and I hopefully can
quote correctly: ‘In the year 2000, no family would live below the poverty line’. Wrong. TIO and CML have both made it possible
to live below the poverty line. Sure, I can now get an aged pension - big deal. My savings are now depleted. Of course, we all save
for a rainy day by taking out insurance, etc, we certainly did not expect the difficulties which I am experiencing now. I am 67-years
young and should not have to worry at this stage of my life about where my next dollar is coming from, and I certainly should not
be job hunting.
Kenneth’s plans were to be financially independent. His plans were to leave me set up so I did not have any worries. His aim was,
after the negotiation with TIO and CML, to just remain under the care of Dr Brent Pannell, whom he highly respected. His wish
was to stop all of the propaganda that TIO were putting him through and to live the rest of his life as peacefully as possible, knowing
that he would have to combat the pain, suffering and depression for the rest of his life. We were prepared to do this together.
I would like to see some changes to the Work Health procedures and welfare. I will seek some advice on this as I am aware that
the Work Health scheme is a huge policy. However I intend to make people aware that I am going to fight for better
recognition of genuine participants, not the hangers on. I intend to write to all I can, whether it can be national or federal, you can
say it is going to be my platform.
I am a very private person, but as I have stated, you have given me a challenge and, believe you me, I am now going to go very,
very public. This I promise you.
- Financial assistance given to persons left behind, particularly a grieving time to sort things out, and not to be cut off
all financial assistance straight away.
More compassion and understanding.
- When negotiations have taken place, honour them.
- Ex gratia payments.
In conclusion, in your acceptance speech on the night the Labor Party was re-elected, you committed yourself to working and being
fair to all Territorians. My family are all Territorians who have had a huge input into the Territory. The government, TIO and CML
are making it very difficult for me as a Territorian to survive; so do I consider that to be a slight error on your acceptance speech?
My heartfelt thanks go to MLA member Richard Lim, who assisted where the NT government should have done.
I did write to the minister responsible for the TIO, and commented that the TIO was quite dismissive of the way Mrs Frost has been negotiating with it for payment, or commutation, of Mr Kenneth Frost’s insurance claim. While, technically, TIO was correct; he died and that is the end of the case. However, the commutation process was well under way, and in fact it was quite close to a negotiated outcome. Though in principle the TIO has agreed to that, the fact that this man then had an accident consequent to his medication, and he died as a consequence of complications to his injury, I believe this is all part of the same worker’s compensation claim. To that, I believe there is some moral obligation on the government’s part.
The minister has the ability to provide an ex gratia payment to this widow, and I believe the government should do so.
Had the matter gone before the Work Health Court to settle on the agreed amount of commutation, the cost to TIO would be in the order of some $500 per week for several years in anticipation that Mr Kenneth Frost was going to live for the next 10, 15 or 20 years. When you commutate that based on $500 per week for 10, 15 or 20 years, that is a substantial amount of money.
The TIO has a windfall, essentially, as a result of Mr Kenneth Frost dying from complications which occurred following the fracture of his shoulder from the fall. There is room for the government to show compassion to this woman. To allow TIO and the government to deny liability on the part of TIO is contrary to the spirit of the legislation. The Work Health legislation is about providing rehabilitation and it is not possible to then allow an injured employee to have some level of financial support for the rest of his life which would then be passed on to his family. In this case nothing like that has happened.
Mr Kenneth Frost had anticipated that a commutated compensation would enable his then widow to be financially secure in her senior years: ‘I have worker’s compensation. You are going to pay me $500 a week for the rest of my life. Okay, let’s work out an agreed amount to commutate and then if and when I pass away, my widow will receive this commuted sum’. Because the government, the minister, and TIO are sticking strictly to the letter of the law, then all we can say is too bad, we are not going to support you on that.
The Country Liberal Party government under the Chief Minister, Denis Burke, in fact did provide an ex gratia payment once for a case that was under similar circumstances. It was to provide under a moral obligation to support the claimant through an ex gratia payment. It is something that can be done and I believe that the government should do that. By doing that it would show compassion to this lady, support a long term Territorian who has lived here for over 30 years, and she will be eternally grateful. Surely this widow does not have to fight every inch of the way for the remainder of her life to survive. She is going to be in difficulties and there is no reason why we should do that to her.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016