2002-02-28
Madam Speaker Braham took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr MALEY (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 307 petitioners praying that the power poles on Leonino Road and Reedbeds Road be relocated to their correct alignment. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of the Standing Orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s February 2002 Report to the Legislative Assembly. I would like to advise honourable members that this will be the last report to the Assembly by the Auditor-General, Iain Summers. An opportunity will be given at a later date for members to acknowledge his service to the parliament.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report and I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Madam SPEAKER: I have been approached by the member for Goyder to give a personal explanation and, in agreement with the established guidelines of the Assembly and by leave of the Chair, I have given him leave to provide his personal explanation. I remind him not to raise other issues than what was agreed and no debate is to be entered into on his personal explanation.
Mr MALEY (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, yesterday during Question Time, the Minister for Community Development quoted from an interview between myself and Fred McCue on ABC radio earlier in the day. As Hansard records, the minister said:
Madam Speaker, with your leave, I will table the actual transcript of this exchange between myself and Fred McCue, which reveals my answer to his question was:
Leave granted.
Mr MALEY: I believe the way this was portrayed in the minister’s answer gave the impression that I was agreeing with the interviewer and that I had not checked out anything whereas in the context of my full answer, it was the complete opposite. I was refuting any suggestion that I had not checked it out and was giving details of how I had checked it out. I believe I was misrepresented in that context. I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your indulgence in allowing me to make this personal explanation to clarify the situation.
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted to the member for Blain to attend to urgent family business.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Chief Minister, who has lost her voice this morning, to make an historic announcement.
For the first time since self-government, the Northern Territory parliament will sit outside Darwin. I have great pleasure in informing members, and the people of the Territory, that on 29 and 30 April and 1 May of next year, the Territory parliament will sit in Alice Springs.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: The venue will be the new Convention Centre in Alice Springs. I think I speak for all members when I say that this will not only be an historic event, it will be an important one as well. To many Territorians, the Berrimah Line is a fact of life and, despite all the efforts of past governments, they still believe that the decisions of government are primarily focussed on the city of Darwin. One of the many challenges facing this government is to break down that invisible barrier and show, by our actions not words, that we are a government for all Territorians.
Parliament is the people’s House; it is where Territorians’ elected representatives are expected to represent their interests and make decisions for their benefit. So in a place like the Territory, where the population is spread far and wide, it is only right that parliament not be stuck in one place. It is a fallacy that somehow the institution will be undermined if it leaves the safety of its normal home. In this day and age, there is no reason why parliament cannot travel. That is why I am pleased to announce that holding of parliament in Alice Springs will not be a one-off event. This government is committed to making it an annual event. The logistics of holding parliament outside Darwin will be immense, but we believe they will be worth the time and effort that will go into making it a success. I am confident that the people of Alice Springs will welcome the announcement, as I am sure they will welcome the opportunity to see their parliament and their elected representatives in action on their behalf.
After all, Alice Springs has produced many fine members of parliament. On this side, the man many of us consider to be one of the fathers of the Labor Party, Dick Ward, began his political career in Alice Springs. Another great man, Jock Nelson, former member of the Legislative Council, Member of the House of Representatives and Administrator also began his illustrious career in the Centre. These two men not only shaped the Labor Party, they shaped the Territory and they did so away from the capital city of Darwin; they did so from Alice Springs. Our colleagues on the opposition benches also claim a long political history outside of Darwin. The Country Liberal Party itself was born in Alice Springs in the 1970s. Politicians such as the highly respected former Senator, Bernie Kilgariff also began their careers in Alice Springs. So, it is fit and proper that a sittings of this parliament be held in that community. It is fitting and we think it is about time.
The announcement today is clear evidence that this government is committed to giving more people direct access to their political representatives, and it comes on top of the government’s Community Cabinet Program which will see at least 30 Cabinet meetings held outside Darwin in regional and remote areas across the Territory during Labor’s first term in office. Over the next 10 months we will hold a number of Cabinet meetings in Alice Springs as well as communities such as Tennant Creek, Yulara, Borroloola, Wadeye, Katherine, Kalkarindji and Groote Eylandt. We will also hold Darwin-based Cabinet meetings away from Parliament House in the suburbs with a meeting planned for Palmerston in June.
These will not be one-off for these smaller communities. We will return to as many as possible during our first term to maintain contact and ensure that we continue to listen and learn. We believe it is important for Cabinet ministers and their senior executives to get out of their offices and meet local business operators, community leaders, and members of the public in their home towns to get a better understanding and feel of what concerns them, and to listen to their ideas and proposals.
Madam Speaker, as the elected member for a Central Australian electorate yourself, and an enthusiastic supporter of this idea, I am sure you will welcome the government’s announcement today. Parliament being held in Alice Springs for the first time in the Territory’s history will be an historic event, and it deservers the support of all members of this House. I look forward to the residents of Central Australia joining with all of us in our parliamentary deliberations in late April next year.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, can I say that the opposition supports strongly the initiative of the new government. You have our full cooperation. We applaud that initiative; we think it’s very important that perceptions - as explained by the Deputy Chief Minister - that government in the Northern Territory at times is too Darwincentric need to be overcome. Certainly, moving our parliament to Alice Springs, whilst I am quite sure will be a costly initiative, will be well worthwhile and welcomed by the people of Central Australia. You have our full cooperation in that regard.
In any case, it benefits all of us to hold parliament and conduct other business at that time with our constituents in Alice Springs. In that regard, as the Deputy Chief Minister rightly said, the birthplace of the CLP was in Alice Springs. We have maintained strong support in Alice Springs continually from that time. Even during all of that time, we have been criticised by Centralians for not paying sufficient attention to their needs. This initiative is something that I hope will help to overcome those perceptions on behalf of us all.
With regards to Cabinet sitting right through the more remote areas in the Northern Territory: again, a good initiative. We have spent a lot of time in this parliament as government, with the opposition continually criticising the efforts of the CLP government over many, many years. It would seem through some of the utterances, including this one, that there are many things that the new government wants to learn as to why the CLP was so successful over so many years. One of those was that we visited, and held Cabinet, right around the Northern Territory. That was one of the lynchpins of our approach to government. I applaud the government for maintaining that initiative.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I strongly support the idea of taking the parliament to the people. It reminded me of the early days of Litchfield Shire when the member for Goyder’s father was the president. Meetings were taken right around the shire. Sadly, that’s lapsed, even though I still think it’s a good idea. Council decided it was safer to have their meetings at Bees Creek. It’s the same principle; you should take parliament out to the people, and I support it. People might ask why is the member for Nelson supporting this - because we happen to be in the same federal electorate of Lingiari. One thing we both fight for is that we are south of the now Solomon Line. I appreciate the move to take parliament into the Lingiari region.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, it’s not totally without precedent. I understand Premier Bracks took the Victorian government, I think, to Bendigo or Ballarat, although it was largely …
Ms Carney: Bendigo.
Madam SPEAKER: And Ballarat.
Mr STIRLING: I stand corrected. I think it was largely ceremonial. We want to do much more than that, quite clearly, but we do recognise there would be quite some work and preparation to go into this. From that point of view, we welcome the support from the Leader of the Opposition, and we look forward to continued cooperation with the planning arrangements, as we move toward that over the next 12 months. We take the spirit of cooperation on board. We note it, and we look forward to that continuing throughout the process until April next year.
Madam SPEAKER: I, too, would like to say that I’m delighted that we’re going to all go down to Alice Springs to hold sittings. I’m quite sure it’ll be not just an historic occasion but, certainly for the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia, it will be great.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mrs AAGAARD (Health and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I rise today to report on violence against health staff in communities, and this government’s aggression response policy.
No one should be subjected to aggression in the workplace. This is a matter which this government takes very seriously. The issue of violence against nurses and other health workers is of major concern. Sometimes assaults are perpetrated by patients and sometimes the threat comes from other community members. Most of the instances of threats to, or assaults on, health staff that are reported in the media occur in remote communities. The sad fact is that staff in urban areas in our hospitals may also be subject to these outrageous behaviours.
That said, I do not wish in any way to minimise the aggression which some staff have had to face in remote communities. The situation in remote communities is made worse, of course, because of the distance from help and support. Like all other employers, my department has a statutory responsibility to protect the health and safety of employees whilst at work. My department has responded to recent incidents and has implemented a new strategic approach to reducing incidence and effects of aggression in the workplace. My department has updated its policy and code of practice for management of aggression. The updated policy was developed in conjunction with the police, and involved input from a wide range of health staff, including workplace delegates from the Australian Nursing Federation. The policy focusses on three areas: aggressive incident prevention; aggressive incident management; and post-aggressive incident management.
The department is reviewing its workplaces and, where necessary, is undertaking appropriate modifications in consultation with remote staff and the police Crime Prevention Unit. The design principles will be in line with crime prevention through environmental design principles. These design principles will also carry over into any new health facilities, so as to ensure that they have appropriate security features. Local managers are responsible for ensuring that, as far as is practicable, workplaces under their control are safe. This includes reception and waiting areas, treatment rooms and staff accommodation. Where these areas do not comply with the agreed standards, then action will be taken as a priority to rectify the shortfall. Education and training in the management of aggression will be undertaken at induction or orientation, and on an ongoing basis.
The policy also covers issues such as how to attend to aggressive clients and ensuring safety during after hours callouts. Where there is a serious threat to the safety of staff, an assessment will need to be made as to whether staff should be withdrawn until the safety of staff can be assured. This is not a step that anyone will take lightly, but the safety of staff is a priority.
As well as attempting to limit the exposure of staff to aggressive behaviour, it is important to ensure that those staff who have been affected have access to peer debriefing, critical incident debriefing and employee assistance services. To achieve this, the department will ensure that staff are trained in peer debriefing techniques, and that there are adequate numbers of staff trained to provide crisis intervention and critical incident debriefing.
The policy will be monitored on a six-monthly basis by the department, in consultation with the police. Operational guidelines are also being developed which will be tailored to specific regions. The policy demonstrates a commitment to develop strategies, plans and policies to provide a safe and healthy work environment. The policy is a significant step in providing the framework to bring all relevant players together to reduce and manage aggressive behaviour directed towards health staff. A complete response to the question lies not only with my department. Service agreements between my department and communities will clearly set out the responsibilities incumbent on both the department and the community to prevent, minimise and control aggression.
The long-term solution to the management of aggression lies in resolving the root causes of violent behaviour. This problem is not confined to the Northern Territory; and should be addressed at local and national levels by communities and relevant state and Commonwealth agencies. My department will work to bring these agencies and communities together to address and resolve the core issues.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I’m glad that the minister has finally realised that this is an important issue. It was raised in the media over the Christmas break while the minister was having R and R, and it was one of those issues on which it that was very difficult to find the minister.
It was interesting that a couple of nurses actually spoke in the media about this …
Mr Henderson: It was raised with you for years. What did you do about it?
Mr DUNHAM: There was a shameful attempt to gag one of the nurses who spoke about this matter notwithstanding that they were speaking in a capacity other than as an employee of the department. It is something that has to be dragged out of the cupboard with this current government. We don’t believe that you will ever eradicate the incidences of violence against nurses. As the husband of a nurse, I would like to see this as a very, very important issue. While we may not be able to eliminate it, we should never, ever tolerate it. There seems to have been a disposition, early on in the life of this government, that the withdrawal of nurses was something that you would look at as a last resort. I don’t believe that. I think that if a workplace of nurses who are in a remote area is unsafe, they should be withdrawn forthwith.
It’s at that point that I’ll pick up the interjection of the previous opposition spokesperson who said: ‘What did you do about it?’ We withdrew nurses from communities and we were criticised by those opposite …
Mr Henderson: Rubbish! Never.
Mr DUNHAM: Never criticised? On the occasions of the withdrawal of nurses from Port Keats in the time of my predecessor, we were criticised.
This is a very important issue, and I am glad the minister has got beyond her statement of only a couple of days ago where she said:
We know how foolhardy that word was, and it was changed overnight to ‘leadership’. We now have some more words and, unfortunately, in the cold and calculated manner that the minister read them out, I’m not sure her heart is in it. I would hope that the minister exhibits some genuine compassion for this issue and some leadership because it has been devoid of it thus far.
Mrs AAGAARD (Health and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member. I assume that, from his comments, he’s actually offering us bipartisan support for this policy. I certainly hope so. I would be very much welcoming any kind of contribution that he might have in assisting our department with this policy. It is a very good policy; it has been accepted well by my department and by staff in remote communities. I thank the honourable member, particularly if he’s willing to provide me with any future comments.
Mr AH KIT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to speak today about an exciting new development in local government for the Northern Territory.
On 30 January 2002, the Mayor of Palmerston and I, as Minister for Local Government, signed a document setting out protocol arrangements between the Northern Territory government and the Palmerston City Council; the first step towards the creation of a partnership agreement with the council. This event marks the start of a new era in relationships between the Territory government and local government councils. This government recognises the value of local government in the development and advancement of the Territory, and we intend that partnership agreements will play a defining role in rebuilding strong relationships between the two tiers of government.
The agreements will provide a platform for improvements in service delivery through more cooperative and coordinated working relationships. The partnership agreement with the Palmerston City Council will address key issues including: the future of Goyder Hill; the development of the Palmerston CBD; a proposed recreation centre; employment and training opportunities; homelessness; and antisocial behaviour in the city.
A steering committee consisting of elected members and senior staff of the Palmerston City Council and the CEOs of lead agencies has been established to oversee this process. The committee is developing business plans and performance indicators for the agreement. The next steering committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8 May 2002. Three working groups, focussing respectively on economic and business development, social and cultural development, and land use and infrastructure development have been established.
The working groups are made up of elected members and senior staff of the council, Northern Territory government agency representatives, and other key players. The working groups have each developed business plans, and the steering committee has agreed that officers of the council and this department should develop terms of reference for a consultancy to advise on the integration of the business plans into an overarching document. The success of partnership agreements is largely dependent on both parties having a clear understanding of the issues and community concerns impacting within a council area.
The Palmerston City Council has completed an integrated local area planning exercise in conjunction with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and my Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. This planning process allowed the council to identify key areas of concern that needed to be addressed in the agreement.
Madam Speaker, I commend the partnership agreement process to all members, and also inform the House that I intend to begin discussions on a similar agreement with the Alice Springs Town Council in the very near future.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report on the partnership agreement with the Palmerston City Council. It was something that, under the CLP government, we’d been working on for quite some time to ensure that local government and the department, and the whole of the Northern Territory government, can work in partnership. It is something that I, in fact, discussed at length with the Mayor of Palmerston, Mrs Annette Burke, at a meeting that I had with her and her council members. When I was at that meeting, I gave her an undertaking that her council was going to be the first council to be involved with this partnership agreement. I am glad to see that the current government has undertaken to fulfil that promise, and I thank the minister for doing so.
I believe this is going to be a very positive step for local government and the way that all government agencies will now be able to work in cooperation with the issues of local government will be a great step forward. Congratulations, minister, for doing so, and I look forward to other partnership agreements with the major councils across the Territory. Again, another CLP initiative that has come to fruition.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to congratulate Palmerston City Council and the government for coming together for a partnership agreement.
I remember a Local Government Association meeting at Tennant Creek last year where a representative from the Devonport City Council described how, in Tasmania, these types of agreements are now quite common and they are very effective.
The one thing, I suppose, that is different between Tasmania and the Northern Territory, of course, is that councils do not have planning powers. I would, therefore, hope that the government will report back to this parliament, telling us how effective these partnership agreements are. I hope the partnership agreements will give people in local government far more say than they’ve had previously bearing in mind that, even though I still think that planning should be a local government matter, I don’t think that’s going to occur. If this can go some way to achieving that, I will support it, and I congratulate the government and Palmerston City Council.
Mr AH KIT (Local Government): I welcome the comments, both from the shadow minister and the member for Goyder.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr AH KIT: Certainly, in regards to the comments from the member for Goyder …
Members: Nelson!
Mr AH KIT: I’m sorry, the member for Nelson. My apologies. The manner in which the partnership agreement comes together, and the way that we will grow in the relationship - if it was a recommendation or a request by councils to look at the planning stuff - then that’s obviously something that our Cabinet will address when that time comes.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the support now provided by the opposition and the shadow minister; it is more than welcome. But, I really would like to think now, by that little statement of support, that the Memorandum of Understanding that was entered into with LGANT has gone out the window. At the Constitutional Convention, it was something that the late Lord Mayor was threatening to take out onto the steps and burn. I certainly hope that we can work together in some bipartisan way, and with the independents, to move the partnership agreements forward.
Mr VATSKALIS (Ethnic Affairs): Madam Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to inform the Assembly about Harmony Day celebrations.
Harmony Day falls on 21 March this year and coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Harmony Day celebrations began in 1999, and provide us all with an annual opportunity to think about our community’s success as a multicultural society; to recommit to continuing tolerance, goodwill and understanding amongst all people; and say ‘no’ to racism.
The Northern Territory is a beacon of light to the rest of Australia. Our multicultural harmony was proved beyond doubt - with the events of 11 September last year. Despite the worldwide strains on racial and religious grounds, in the Northern Territory Muslims, Christians and others live together, work together, and remain tolerant and supportive of each other. This also means that Harmony Day is not just a once-a-year issue, but a concept of living in harmony that is practised throughout out daily lives. Harmony Day is a time when we focus on what multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and living in harmony means to us, to encourage people to say ‘no’ to racism, reaffirm our shared values as a community and to celebrate the Territory’s achievements as a multicultural society.
Although Harmony Day is celebrated on 21 March, this year’s events in the Territory will be a week-long celebration commencing on 15 March and finishing on 21 March. This is the one place in Australia where these events have been turned into a full week of celebration. Territorians will be treated to a variety of activities that will enhance community harmony.
The theme for this year is: You + Me = Us, and I urge you all to support Harmony Week. The government invited local government organisations, community organisations, schools, and other organisations to celebrate our cultural diversity across the Territory. The interest from the community has exceeded expectations, with the Northern Territory government providing financial assistance totalling $23 000 to 26 organisations. Harmony Day will be celebrated across the Northern Territory with activities taking place in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Jabiru, Batchelor and Darwin. Some of the events to be held in Darwin over Harmony Day celebrations are:
I also know that many of the Northern Territory schools are planning activities to celebrate Harmony Day.
The celebration of Harmony Week does not need to be an expensive exercise for you but, of course, you can demonstrate your support by attending community events; by wearing an orange ribbon; getting together and discussing what multiculturalism means to you; sharing a meal with people from different cultures; or having a multicultural morning tea. I call on all members during Harmony Week to wear an orange ribbon as a sign of our commitment to living in harmony and saying ‘no’ to racism.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the Minister for Ethnic Affairs’ report on Harmony Day. It is significant to understand that the Northern Territory has well over 120 formalised ethnic groups from Darwin right through to Alice Springs.
The CLP has always supported ethnic groups, and we have nurtured and funded ethnic communities in the Territory to ensure that they have the facilities to celebrate their culture. Yesterday’s Chinese New Year Lion Dance blessing of this Parliament House is a strong indication of commitment that we, the former CLP government, had for supporting ethnic groups in the Territory.
I welcome what the minister has said about Harmony Day. It is a very significant event. I was involved in it myself last year, as the Minister, in Central Australia and we had a great gathering of well over 80 to 100 people, celebrating the oneness that we are as Territorians.
I look forward to the minister continuing to promote multiculturalism in the Northern Territory, comparing what we have in the Territory with other states and territories. We, indeed, have a unique society that we must continue to preserve.
Mr VATSKALIS (Ethnic Affairs): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his constructive comments, and I am very pleased to see bipartisan support for the Harmony Day celebrations.
One thing that attracted me to the Territory and continues to attract me is the level of racial harmony. It is the only place you will see Greek, Aboriginal people, Chinese sitting together, enjoying themselves together, forming life long friendships. Look around you in this House. You will see at least four or five people of non-English speaking background or ethnic background. I believe we are the only parliament in Australia to have such a proportion of people of ethnic background or non-English speaking background.
Members: Hear, hear!
Reports noted pursuant to sessional order.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, before I begin my second reading speech, I want to make the statement that, although the Leader of the Opposition had absolutely every right to use parliamentary rules last night, it did deny 24 hours of scrutiny of this bill to his shadow, and that is ultimately going to hold back the scrutiny of this bill.
I move that the bill be now read a second time. At the outset, I would like to raise with members of the House the need for passage of this bill on urgency. Members will be aware that passage of bills on urgency is not my preference, and it is a practice which I will use only when absolutely necessary.
This classification amendment bill is consequential to an amendment to the Commonwealth classification act. The Commonwealth act was assented to on 27 March 2001 and is due to commence on 22 March 2002. The Northern Territory amendment bill is based on model legislation developed by the Victorian Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Under the previous administration of the Attorney-General’s Department, now Department of Justice, it was proposed that the amendments contained in the current bill would be combined with the comprehensive review of the Northern Territory classification legislation, which was due for completion later in 2002. However, to ensure the consistent operation of the national scheme between all jurisdictions and, so that the Northern Territory bill commences at the same time as the Commonwealth legislation, it was necessary for the bill to be passed on urgency in these sittings.
As the amendments contained are technical and uncontentious, timely passage of the bill should be possible. I have already made arrangements for both the opposition and independent members to receive a briefing. I understand that’s today, so please make full use of that. Members have already been invited by my staff to attend a briefing, as I have just said, and we will certainly provide all help on our side.
The purpose of this bill is to make amendments to the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act, the NT classification act, consequential to the Classification Publications, Films and Computer Games Act 1995 of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth’s classification act. The states, territories and Commonwealth have joint responsibility for the National Classification Scheme. The Commonwealth is responsible for the classification of all publications, films and computer games. Classification is undertaken by the National Classification Board in the Commonwealth Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). The enforcement of the scheme is the responsibility of each state and territory.
The NT classifications act regulates what and how films, publications and computer games can be sold, displayed, exhibited, and so on in the Territory. The act contains the offence and penalty provisions as well as police powers of investigations, search and seizure. While each state and territory has similar laws, there are various differences. For example, the penalties for selling R-rated material to a minor differs amongst the jurisdictions, and only the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory allow for the sale of X-rated material.
Censorship ministers from all jurisdictions meet on a regular basis in relation to the National Classification Scheme. In July 1999, ministers approved changes to improve the operation of the national scheme. Accordingly, an amendment was made to the Commonwealth classification act to provide the National Classification Board and the Director of the OFLC with new powers. This act was assented to on 22 March 2001. The amendments include provision giving the board the power to require that publications classified unrestricted, or category 1, be contained in packaging, and/or to specify consumer advice. The board can also specify the consumer advice, giving information about the content of a publication classified unrestricted, or a film or computer game classified G.
Under the amendments to the Commonwealth classification act, the national director has also been given the power to call in contentious unclassified films and computer games for classification. Furthermore, the amendment requires that computer games in amusement arcades must bear the relevant determined markings and consumer advice.
Another important amendment to the Commonwealth classification act is to provide for exempt films and computer games. This amendment provides that the board can issue certificates of exemption. Exemptions can be given for business, scientific, educational, current affairs, sporting and live performance films, amongst others; and for business, accounting, professional, scientific, and educational computer games. However, films and computer games likely to be classified M or M(15+) or higher, will not be able to be exempted. They will also not be exempt if they contain an advertisement for an unclassified film or computer game, or one with a classification higher than M or M(15+).
The amended Commonwealth act also gives the classification board the ability to issue serial classifications for certain publications; that is, so that a classification can be applied to subsequent issues of the same magazine. The amended Commonwealth classification act then provides for certain powers for the classification board to reclassify already classified publications, films or computer games. This power may be used, for example, where a publication has a serial classification but a subsequent edition of the publication is likely to have a higher classification. In these cases, the board can force the reclassification by calling in the publication. The board can also reclassify if a publication or film was classified differently by a former board, under the law of the state or territory. Under the amended Commonwealth classification act, the director can also call in certain films and computer games for classification. For example, where he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that an unclassified film or computer game is not an exempt film or game.
As a result of the Commonwealth amendments, it was necessary to make complementary amendments to the NT classification act, and indeed, to the corresponding legislation in all states and territories. A model state and territory bill was developed, and the bill being debated today is based on that model bill. The bill inserts new definitions of ‘exempt computer game’ and ‘exempt film’, that refer to the new definitions and provisions in the Commonwealth classification act. The definition of ‘a place’ has also been amended so that it does not apply to a vessel on an international voyage or aircraft on an international flight.
The bill also amends the application provision to provide that the NT classification act does not apply to exempt films or computer games. This reflects the new provisions in the Commonwealth classification act dealing with this issue. The bill also provides for changes to the Commonwealth classification act allowing for a wider range of reclassification and review powers. For example, section 47, in relation to films; section 50E and 50F, both related to publications with restricted classifications; section 50R in relation to computer games; and section 50ZH in relation to advertisements have all been amended to allow for the changing of the determined markings and consumer advice and so forth where a reclassification has taken place.
The bill inserts new offences in section 50FA and section 50FB of the NT act. Section 50FA creates the offence of selling or delivering certain publications contrary to conditions. This offence is necessary to provide for a new section 13A of the Commonwealth classification act which allows the classification board to specify certain packaging requirements for unrestricted and category 1 publications. Section 50FB creates the new offence of selling a publication classified Unrestricted without the determined consumer advice. This offence is necessary to provide for a new section 20(2) of the Commonwealth classification act which allows the classification board to determine consumer information that must be attached to Unrestricted publications. As section 20(2) of the Commonwealth act also allows the classification board to determine consumer information that must be attached to G-rated films and computer games, similar amendments are also being made to the sections 47 and 50R(3A) of the NT classification act.
Further amendments are being made to the NT classification act to complement new sections 23A and 24(1A) of the Commonwealth classification act, allowing the national director to call in films and computer games for classification. Similarly, new sections 50ZPA and 50ZPB are being inserted into the NT classification act. Section 50ZPA provides for the national director to call in publications, films or computer games for reclassification. Section 50ZPB provides for the director to obtain copies of the relevant publication, film or computer game from the original applicant where the applicant for reclassification is not the original applicant. These two provisions complement new sections 39(5) and 44A of the Commonwealth classification act.
The Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Bill 2002 is being introduced and passed on urgency in the one sittings. As already mentioned, this bill complements the recent Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Act (No 1) 2001 of the Commonwealth which was assented to on 22 March 2001. The commencement clause of the Commonwealth bill provides that it is to commence one year from the time of assent; that is 22 March 2002. It is necessary then to ensure that this complementary Territory bill commences before or on that date. The commencement clause of the bill therefore provides specifically that it will commence on 22 March 2002.
The changes to the Commonwealth classification act improve and tighten up the National Classification Scheme. The complementary amendments contained in the Territory bill will ensure that the national scheme operates clearly, effectively and consistently throughout the nation.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, just before I adjourn debate on this bill, I would like to raise a point of order with regards to the Attorney-General’s opening comments in the second reading speech when he referred to the fact that actions last night in this Chamber prevented this bill from being discussed for 24 hours. I remind him that, first, it was eight hours ago and secondly, there was nothing that happened in this Chamber last night that was resolved or not resolved - initiated by me or otherwise - that prevented the Attorney-General from doing, at 2 o’clock in the morning what he has just done now. What he has exhibited once again is a lack of understanding of standing orders of this House. If the government wishes to bring in a motion to suspend standing orders in this House, it is the government’s responsibility to have an absolute majority. That was the government’s responsibility, the Attorney-General’s responsibility. He sought to do that. It was the Leader of Government Business’ responsibility to advise him on that. I would like to emphasise that nothing that happened last night would have stopped you from doing, at 2 o’clock in the morning, what you just did now and that was to warn the House that, in due course, you would seek a suspension of standing orders.
I move the debate be adjourned. I would be comforted by your confirmation of my comments.
Debate adjourned.
Madam SPEAKER: I would like to reinforce that for passage of bills, the first step is to give notice. The next step is to present the bill. Then the third step is the passage, and it is at that stage, Attorney-General, that you would be seeking a suspension of standing orders if you wish to put it through on urgency. You had not presented the bill to parliament. That was the error that occurred last night.
As regards to the standing order the Leader of the Opposition actually raised, he was quite correct. You did need an absolute majority. The only way we can determine that is by a head count and, in future, I will need to call a division. That was probably an error on my part, that I didn’t make sure we had that head count done to determine whether there was an absolute majority or not.
We have all learnt a lesson from last night. Ministers, make sure you get your procedures right, and absolute majority means the 13 members on that side of the House.
Mr STIRLING (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent bills entitled Witness Protection (Northern Territory) Bill 2002 (Serial 37) and Police Administration Amendment Bill 2002 (Serial 38): (a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively, the second readings, the committee’s report stage and the third reading of the bills together; and (b) the consideration of the bills separately in the committee of the whole.
Motion agreed to.
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The purpose of the Witness Protection (Northern Territory) Bill 2001 is to provide the Northern Territory with legislation complementary to the Commonwealth Witness Protection Act to enable participation in the National Witness Protection Scheme. This scheme is designed to help combat organised crime and to solve major crimes. Police rely heavily on information from people who, by agreeing to give evidence, may place themselves and their families at risk of threats and injury, both before and after giving information to police or evidence in a trial. Police already provide protection for witnesses prior to giving evidence by ensuring that he or she is located in secure accommodation.
Under the new legislation, a witness will have an opportunity to change identity and begin a new life in another location after giving evidence or information. The process has, until now, been carried out through interstate agencies. However, the Territory is obliged to carry its own weight in the national scheme and, under the Commonwealth act, is required to enact complementary legislation.
A change of identity involves the adoption of a new name and the provision of a range of documents in the new name. The most important of these is a new birth certificate which will enable the witness and his or her family to begin a new life. The legislation provides for police to apply to the Supreme Court for an order authorising the Registrar to make new entries in the register and issue the appropriate certificates. The new entries are then accessible by the public in the normal way. Police and the witness, and family members who are participating in the scheme, will be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding prior to this, so that the obligations of both parties are fully understood and agreed to.
As all other jurisdictions already have witness protection legislation, the Northern Territory legislation finalises the legislative framework for the scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage witnesses to come forward and give evidence, with the knowledge of the offer of full protection from the criminals they have helped to convict. This can only assist in the fight against serious crime in the Northern Territory and nationally.
The purpose of the Police Administration Bill 2001 is to expressly enable the Police Commissioner to make general orders relating to the administration of the Territory Witness Protection Program. The amendment is necessary to ensure the practical operation of the Northern Territory Witness Protection Program. I commend the bills to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill now be read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is to remove the exclusion of liability afforded to the Crown in respect of matters arising under the Workmen’s Liens Act. This bill seeks to remove the unnecessary distinction between the liability of the Crown and the liability that the act imposes on other contractors, subcontractors, land owners or occupiers of land.
The principal act allows workers and subcontractors to enforce a lien over land for whose benefit work has been done with the assent of the owner of the land; the assent may be expressed or implied. Under the act, workers may also place charges on monies payable under contracts. However, these options are not available where the contractor or land owner or occupier is the Crown in the right of the Northern Territory. Liens may be registered against the land in order to secure the payment of any outstanding amounts.
The bill provides for the repeal of section 48 of the act. Such a repeal will mean that the Crown will be liable in specified circumstances to pay workers for work done or materials supplied or manufactured where the Crown has contracted or subcontracted the work or where the work was done on land owned or occupied by the Crown. The specified circumstances are those where the Crown owes money to the head contractor and is given an appropriate notice by the subcontractor or worker. If no money is owing, the Crown is under no liability to make any payment. The bill does not provide for the registration of liens over land that is owned by the Crown. The Crown can pay its debts without the need for a lien against any particular asset of the Crown.
The amendments made by this bill are of an interim nature. It has long been recognised that there are significant operational problems within the principal act. It has been the subject of severe judicial criticism over the past 20 years. The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory has described the act as ‘chaotic’, ‘notoriously difficult’, ‘manifestly obscure’, ‘poorly drafted’ and ‘antiquated’ - but apart from that, it is great. One of the act’s provisions has even been described as being ‘enshrouded in fuliginous obscurity typical of the act’. There is one for you!
In addition to these operational problems, there are issues about what should be in the objectives of the act. The current objective of the act is to protect persons at all levels of the building industry so that even the worker or subcontractor is given statutory rights not only against the owner of the land, but also against the person who employs the worker. However, the act no longer reflects the needs or operation of the building and construction industry. If the act is to undergo reform, legislation enacted in New South Wales in 1997 may provide the basis of a suitable model.
In New South Wales, the Contractors Debt Act 1997 allows an unpaid worker to obtain payment of the debt for monies owed to the defaulting contractor by the principal. The process allows the unpaid worker to sue the defaulting contractor for the money owed. The court may then issue a debt certificate served on the principal as part of the notice of claim. Some options for longer term reforms include: allowing the owner of the land to directly pay the subcontractor by contract; statutorily imposing implied conditions in contracts to provide that contractors are not paid monies by the owner unless all subcontractors have been paid; the use of a statute-based stop notice issued by a subcontractor that requires the owner to withhold payment of monies to a contractor until the subcontractor has been paid; requiring a subcontractor to take out insurance against a contractor becoming insolvent; paying monies owed to the head contractor to a covenanting agency which distributes the money appropriately; holding back part of the money owed to contractors even after a contract has been completed to ensure that subcontractors are paid; strict and close monitoring of financial reporting requirements for builders licences; establishing a statutory trust scheme; and, finally, requiring the owner or contractor to obtain a bond from an insurance company or bank guaranteeing the payment of the contractors’ and all subcontractors’ employees.
The government has asked that the Department of Justice prepare a discussion paper. This will build on an excellent discussion paper provided to my predecessor in 1999 by the Northern Territory Law Reform Committee. That paper raised all the issues. However, I expect that the department’s discussion paper will contain options, and that it will also canvass the national competition policy issues that are raised by legislation that seeks to affect private rights and responsibilities. Until submissions from both government agencies and the community have been received following the release and circulation of the discussion paper, the government intends to give the community the benefit that this bill provides as an interim measure.
The bill also makes amendments of a statute law revision nature. It provides for the consolidation of the Workmen’s Liens Act 1893, and the Workmen’s Liens Amending Act 1896. This is to be done by the repeal of the Workmen’s Liens Act 1896, and replacing it with the new sections 9A and 9B. These changes don’t change the law; they simply make these provisions more accessible.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 28 November 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, the opposition has now an opportunity to closely examine the draft bills. The amendment which was recently supplied – I’ve only had a brief glance at it; I’m not sure whether I received a copy of that yesterday. There are some documents, I understand, that have been slipped under my door in my office upstairs. In any event, I would appreciate a little more notice of these type of amendments. But, having regard to the amendment, this isn’t substantial in any event.
The main purpose of these bills is to implement the reforms identified as a consequence of the National Competition Policy review of both the Public Trustee Act and the Public Trustee Amendment Act 1988. There were a number of areas identified as possibly containing anti-competitive provisions and these bills aim to address those concerns. Consequently, the bills provide, as the Attorney-General stated in his second reading speech, for the repeal of a number of sections of the Public Trustee Act and the re-enactment of the provisions in the Administration and Probate Act. The primary effect is that all professional personal representatives will operate on a level playing field in respect of the administration of estates and trusts.
I’m not going to go through the minutiae of the changes, but the opposition supports the legislation and commend both the bills to honourable members. We will support the amendment as tabled in the committee stage.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, just one very quick question. I had the clause 8, the new section 110D placed in front of me. That’s the amendment.
Dr Toyne: Sorry, could you speak up?
Mr ELFERINK: The new amendment that the minister brought forward, I’m not raising any issues with it. Suffice to say if he can just explain, considering that this is an amendment in relation to National Competition Policy, how does the capping of fees relate to that?
Dr Toyne: Can we leave that for committee?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister will answer that in his reply.
Mr Elferink: In your closing remarks, yes. I’m not making an issue of it.
Dr Toyne: Yes, okay.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Madam Speaker, as has been foreshadowed by the Attorney-General in his second reading speech, amendments to these acts were made necessary by a National Competition Policy review of the Public Trustee Act. The need to amend the Public Trustee Act came about through the need to revise some of the anti-competitive provisions within the act, as the member for Goyder has pointed out. Similarly, the need to revise the Administration and Probate Act came about through the need to extend some business advantages currently enjoyed by the Public Trustee to the private sector.
Before I speak to some of the amendments, I would like to emphasise this government’s commitment to ensuring that bereaved families receive the best possible support in finalising the estate of a family member who has passed away. Such support should be both professional and economical, and I believe these amendments give many residents of the Northern Territory a greater choice as to who should handle their estate; whether it be the Public Trustee or another qualified professional in this area.
Like many other Australian families, my own family has used Public Trustees for a number of generations. So notwithstanding the amendments designed to enable private providers to compete on a level playing field, I was very heartened to hear the Attorney-General endorse the valued role of the Public Trustee in his second reading speech. He said:
We …
meaning the government,
I believe that’s very important because many of us roll on through life, we don’t really think about our estates but as we get a little older, it becomes more important. So, it’s a very important aspect.
Beginning with the major amendments to the Public Trustee Act, proposed section 4(a) clearly sets out the objectives of the act as follows:
I believe these objectives set a commendable framework for the work of the Public Trustee. The amendments to the Public Trustee Act also streamline the membership of the Public Trustee Investment Board. That was foreshadowed a number of years ago during the term of the former government.
Importantly, proposed amendments to section 20 ensure that appropriate information is provided by the Public Trustee regarding the estate to beneficiaries and other interested parties with a bona fide interest in the estate.
There have also been amendments proposed for section 28 in relation to levies against the common fund. This is to ensure that the Public Trustee must levy fair, realistic and competitive administrative charge on estates.
The final major proposed amendment to the Public Trustee Act is in section 97 and relates to liabilities, indemnities and guarantees. These amendments clarify the liabilities and indemnities associated with the Public Trustee and its officers, particularly in relation to acts taken in good faith. It also clarifies the remedies available to those who may have suffered damage as a result of acts or omissions by any officer of the Public Trustee.
I turn now to the proposed amendments to the Administration and Probate Act. The main effect of these amendments is to allow suitably qualified professionals or personal representatives, such as lawyers and officers of non-government trustee companies, to more easily and economically administer small estates, previously the exclusive province of the Public Trustee. The thrust of these amendments is to make a level playing field and to afford those in private practice, let’s say, the same rights and privileges as the Public Trustee office formerly enjoyed by itself.
These changes are found in the proposed Division 2, sections 110A to 110C, in essence, for estates valued under $20 000, representatives other than the Public Trustee. Under this section, personal representatives must lodge a copy of the Will with the Registrar of Probates as well as advertise the estate in a suitable newspaper. Similarly, for estates under $85 000, professional personal representatives can elect to administer such an estate after application to the Registrar of Probates and advertising the estate in a suitable newspaper. Proposed section 110D that was circulated this morning sets fees. I’ll leave that to the Attorney-General to explain during the committee stage.
Amendments introducing proposed section 103 of the Administration and Probate Act allow for professional personal representatives to institute inquiries and take court action in respect of claims by potential creditors and beneficiaries against an estate. Similarly, proposed section 104 now allows for representatives other than the Public Trustee to reject small claims against an estate. These amendments are all about streamlining estates and the administration of estates by suitably qualified personnel other than the Public Trustee.
Proposed section 105 now enables professional personal representatives to obtain the same range of information as the Public Trustee in regards to property, business relationships, etcetera related to a deceased estate. Other amendments have been made to the Administration and Probate Act to allow estates to be vested in the Public Trustee until such time as an Administrator is elected. They also allow the Public Trustee to act in the very best interests of an estate during this period.
In conclusion, I believe that these amendments to the Public Trustee Act and the Administration and Probate Act fulfil the requirements under the National Competition Policy review to make a level playing field in this sector. Nevertheless, they also preserve the integrity and esteemed position of the Public Trustee within the Northern Territory. Madam Speaker, I commend these bills to honourable members.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, first, I welcome the support for the bill and the committee stage amendment which has been indicated from the opposition. It will certainly make this process a lot more truncated. I must say that the contribution of my colleague, the member for Johnston, was both welcome and very erudite. I think it was almost of the status of a second second reading speech, and well done. It shows that what I’ve been saying here in recent times, that this is a process for the whole of parliament; every member of parliament should be actively engaged in the formation of law in this House. It’s great to see, on both sides of the House, people engaging in the process. It can only help to bring up stronger and better laws. I very much appreciate the input that we are getting. I now propose we move to the committee stage to take on the amendment.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIRMAN: Could I perhaps say that I wish the member for Johnston might come to one of the briefings; I might have had a better understanding of this act because it is a fairly complex act. Thank you for that.
Administration and Probate Amendment Bill (Serial 26):
Clauses 1 to 3, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 4 agreed to.
Clause 5 agreed to.
Clause 6 agreed to.
Clause 7 agreed to.
Clause 8:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move an amendment to clause 8. The amendment has been circulated to members so if I could just provide the explanation as to the reason for the amendment, it might make it clearer in the light of the member for Macdonnell’s question as well.
Clause 8 is amended by inserting a new section 110D to the Administration and Probate Act. The new section 110D(1) makes it clear that fees can be charged for the administration by professional personal representatives of small estates, in accordance with the new Division 2 of Part IV of the act.
New section 110D(2) provides that the regulations may be made prescribing the maximum fees that may be charged in respect of the administration of estates under the new Division 2 of Part IV of the act.
New section 110D(3) provides that the fee scale currently contained in the Public Trustee Regulations is to apply pending the making of any regulations under new section 110D(2). Currently, the Public Trustee is the only professional personal representative entitled to administer small estates in the ways contemplated by the proposed Division 2 of Part IV of the act. The fees that may be charged by the Public Trustee are regulated by the Public Trustee Act.
Additionally, the fees that may be imposed by trustee companies providing the services permitted by the Companies (Trustees and Personal Representatives) Act are regulated by that act. The purpose of the amendment is to apply the same level of fee controls concerning the simplified administration of small estates as they apply under the Public Trustee Act, as enforced prior to the amendments being made to the Public Trustee Amendment Bill 2001.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 8, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of the bill taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported with amendment.
Public Trustee Amendment Bill (Serial 27):
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
Continued from 28 November 2001.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, firstly, I thank the Attorney-General and his staff for providing a briefing to me by telephone some time ago. I might just take this opportunity of assuring the Attorney-General that it is unlikely that I will be requiring separate briefings from the shadow Attorney-General, but they may occur from time to time. We do appreciate the flexibility you have provided to us on those occasions.
I was given to understand in my briefing that the whole act, the Juvenile Justices Act, may be reviewed in the next 12 months. I welcome a review of that legislation and suggest that when that review occurs, it might be an opportune time to assess how this particular amendment has fared. Giving courts the absolute discretion to decide whether or not to order a report on the circumstances of a juvenile before imposing the sentence of detention or imprisonment may well speed up the administration of justice, as the Attorney-General said in his second reading speech. But the information the court receives wholly depends upon submissions being made by lawyers from the Bar Table in the absence of any other independent information. With respect - and I mean that very sincerely - the Attorney-General should appreciate, or needs to appreciate, that on occasions, submissions from the Bar Table may not be as accurate as they should be for a variety of reasons. It is important that the court does have accurate and independent information before it in order to determine sentences and there is a risk, slight though it might be, that unless the court is obliged to obtain a report from Correctional Services, the court will not have that independent information and is simply left to rely upon the submissions of counsel.
Certainly, the bill does not preclude a court requesting an independent report from Correctional Services but on a worse case scenario: on a bad day in a busy court, dealing with a juvenile whose English might be poor, giving instructions to an inexperienced lawyer, it is possible - and I don’t put it any higher than that - it is possible that the court may not have been presented with all of the information necessary, or that the information it receives may not be accurate. I simply speak from my own observations in court rooms in Alice Springs for a period of over a decade.
In short, the opposition supports this amendment but simply raises a cautionary note and suggests that this aspect of the act be reviewed to see how it is working when the entire act is reviewed at some stage in the future. I would be grateful to receive an affirmative indication from the Attorney-General on that score.
Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the bill and will support it in committee stage.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their comments and their support for the bill. To put this in some context and perhaps to - I will certainly give you an assurance that we will be watching closely, as we do with any new amendments to the law that go out of this House, as to what impact they do have.
This amendment was actually brought to us by the Chief Magistrate who had identified this problem soon after the repeal of the mandatory sentencing laws last year. He found cases coming through the magistrates court where the time taken to prepare a pre-sentence report actually took the offender past the period of incarceration that they could potentially get in the sentencing. So it was quite unjust to have someone in prison awaiting a pre-sentence report being prepared over maybe six weeks. It is to clear up that anomaly that we brought forward this amendment.
I guess also, without appearing to quote directly the Chief Magistrate as an opinion, the conversation really was about well-known repeat offenders where there were earlier pre-sentence reports prepared on that individual.
Ms Carney: Where they have a pile that high.
Dr TOYNE: That’s right. So we weren’t looking at someone of whom the court would have scant knowledge and therefore would be highly dependent upon submissions in the actual hearing. It is all a matter of judgment, I know, and we will monitor it. In my regular meetings with the Chief Magistrate, I will certainly be asking how this is operating as we go through.
Thank you for your comments, and we will certainly take the issues that you raised on board. We will, as with all these areas of law, continue to monitor them and bring them back for further amendment if something is not quite right with them. The Chief Magistrate is pretty comfortable that this is going to improve matters, so I really believe we are making an improvement to this act. Madam Speaker, with that, I will conclude my remarks.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, as there are no amendments, I would move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I rise to make a statement on indigenous education. I do so in the knowledge that the shadow minister for education is not able to be here this morning because someone sought leave. I understand there are very strong personal grounds for the shadow minister not to be here. When I raised this matter with the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, he was very blunt in advising me to bring it on today and that he would have appropriate speakers to deal with it. I am a bit saddened by that because I would have thought that the Leader of the Opposition would want his shadow to speak.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I was optimistically allowing the Deputy Chief Minister a bit of latitude in the hope that he might refer to the reason why it is that the shadow minister for education is not here. However, since he has surprisingly …
Mr Stirling: There are strong grounds, there are strong personal grounds.
Ms CARNEY: … not referred to the personal reasons that take him away from the Chamber, I ask that you take the appropriate action with …
Madam SPEAKER: We do not normally refer to members …
Ms CARNEY: … the Deputy Chief Minister, who should know much better.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, it has been announced that the member for Blain has very personal reasons for not attending today and perhaps your remarks should take that into consideration.
Mr STIRLING: Absolutely.
Ms Carney: Well, why didn’t you say it? What’s the point in this? It’s not cricket, Syd, and you know it.
Mr STIRLING: Please, clear your ears out! Madam Speaker, I did say I understand there are very strong personal grounds …
Ms Carney: You did not say that.
Members: He did.
Mr STIRLING: … for the reason the shadow minister for education is not here. I am saddened by that fact. and I sincerely offer my condolences to he and his family …
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: … for the reasons that he can’t be here. The point I was making is this: I would have thought the Leader of the Opposition would have shown some leadership on this matter and worked with us, that this statement could have been brought back later. Such is his attitude that he wanted the statement brought on because he had appropriate speakers arranged to speak to it.
In our election campaign …
Ms CARTER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! For the record, my understanding is that the shadow minister for education did speak to the minister and did ask for this to be put back to next week, and it has been refused.
Mr STIRLING: Well, let’s clear this up, Madam Speaker. It gets better! He did speak to me and, when I raised it with the Leader of the Opposition, it was quite apparent that he hadn’t raised it with his own Leader. I talked about a little spirit of cooperation in this House and we would be happy to rearrange and work towards rearranging business if there was a cooperative attitude from the Leader of the Opposition. I won’t repeat what he said but, suffice to say, there was no cooperation and there was an urging from the Leader of the Opposition that: ‘You do what you like, you bring on the statement and I will have appropriate speakers to deal with it’. There was no sense of cooperation that he wanted his shadow minister to speak to that. I am sorry that has been dragged out of me because I think it is a sad reflection on the team work and the leadership displayed by the man who sits in this chair - not for all that much longer, I would suggest, Madam Speaker, but there it is.
In our election campaign, we outlined our policies for education. We said Labor’s plan for the Territory is based on four key priorities: jobs for Territorians; good education services; a decent health system; and a safe community. Our vision for education was explicit. Labor believes that education equals employment and prosperity. Lack of education is the single most important factor in the poor employment record of indigenous people.
In 2001, 84% of non-indigenous and 28% of indigenous Year 3 students in the Northern Territory were assessed as achieving the national Year 3 reading benchmark. For the same period, 89% of non-indigenous and 35% of indigenous Year 5 students were assessed as achieving the national Year 5 reading benchmark. In remote areas this is worse, with 5% of indigenous students achieving Year 3 and 10% achieving Year 5 reading benchmark.
A further indication of the gulf between the education outcomes of indigenous and non-indigenous students is that only 40 indigenous students across the Northern Territory completed their Northern Territory Certificate of Education in 2001. There are hundreds more indigenous 17-year-olds who did not. This data is not news, Madam Speaker, you would have heard it yourself in the past. We have all heard similar statistics before in this Assembly. Many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We have been through this before with several ministers so far. The ministers circulate a ministerial statement the night before and we allow a little bit of latitude, but there is a certain amount of deviation away from that ministerial statement, and I would ask that you ask the minister to confine his comments to within the boundaries of that statement.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you implying that what the minister is reading is not what was circulated?
Mr ELFERINK: It’s not what I have in front of me.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I don’t care what he says; I have a ministerial statement to deliver and I will deliver it and he will respond to what I say in this House, not what he has in front of him. He will respond to what Hansard records.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, but minister, let me just say we have had this before. I just hope whatever is delivered to all members is the statement the ministers are delivering. We have been through all this before.
Mr STIRLING: It is a very simple rule, Madam Speaker, we don’t give them pre-copies. I am happy not to give them copies.
Madam SPEAKER: I am not sure why there is a difference.
Mr STIRLING: If that is the rule, I will speak to the Leader of the Opposition, there will be no advance copies sent across so there will be no complaints, okay?
Madam SPEAKER: Well, standing orders, I think, require them.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities in the Territory, leave our school system …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Well, look I will just pick that up. We do it out of courtesy; we do it out of a courtesy that we circulate the speech the evening before. If you don’t want us to do it, tell us. If you don’t want the speech circulated and given to you the evening before, do tell us and we will cease doing so.
Many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities in the Territory, leave our school system with very limited English literacy and numeracy skills. In many cases, these students have only reached the level of academic ability of six or seven-year-old mainstream students. I don’t need to spell out how devastating a picture this paints for the future of these children, their communities, and the social and economic wellbeing of the Northern Territory community as a whole. The economic cost of poor educational outcomes among indigenous citizens of the Territory is immense, both in direct and opportunity costs.
The government is about providing responsible government, committed to generating economic and social opportunities for everyone in the Territory. Responsible government will not see one section of the community disenfranchised through lack of education because we regard education as one of the keys to achieving economic and social outcomes for indigenous Territorians.
This ministerial statement outlines this government’s agenda for indigenous education and the Learning Lessons review provides the blueprint. Over two years ago, the Learning Lessons report was released. It sought to establish a comprehensive picture of indigenous education in the Northern Territory through reporting the aspirations of indigenous parents and communities in relation to their children’s schooling; identifying the issues that impact on educational outcomes; and recommending actions for government and the community to address these issues. This report gave us the true picture of indigenous education in the Territory. There is, and I quote:
The government was in opposition when the Learning Lessons report was released. At the time, we continuously challenged the then government, through the then shadow minister for education, the member for Stuart, to address the recommendations. There wasn’t a parliamentary sitting went by when the member for Stuart wasn’t on his feet asking questions of the government in relation to implementation. We challenged the government to improve the educational outcomes and hence the opportunities of our indigenous students and communities. We took on this challenge in our policy platform, and now that we are in government, we have made the commitment to undertake a serious and comprehensive response to the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report.
Cabinet recently endorsed the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan. We endorsed the plan because it sets out a framework within which the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report can be comprehensively addressed. But that strategic plan is now two years old. The shelves of public servants, schools and community organisations are littered with plans for indigenous education. Planning is important but, as we said in opposition, the focus of government must be to move from planning to implementation. To this end, I have established the Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee. It is to meet for the first time on 14 March. It will be responsible for overseeing the development and management of an implementation program.
This steering committee is to be co-chaired by Bob Collins, author of Learning Lessons, and Esther Djayhgurrnga. Esther is the principal of Gunbalunya Community Education Centre. Most of the steering committee members are indigenous and have backgrounds in teaching, indigenous health organisations, ATSIC, land councils, local government and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. I will be announcing the membership of that committee when it is launched on 14 March. This committee has the right membership to drive the implementation of the Learning Lessons review recommendations and these include student attendance and retention; health and education; early childhood; secondary education; literacy and numeracy; staff recruitment and retention; reporting and accountability; and partnerships.
The terms of reference for the committee include: overseeing the evaluation, prioritisation and implementation of recommendations from Learning Lessons and the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan; endorsing action plans for implementing the recommendations; monitoring Commonwealth-funded initiatives to ensure they contribute to implementing the recommendations; considering and commenting on reports provided by the Department of Employment, Education and Training and other education providers, and recommending appropriate action; and identifying and seeking additional funding required for implementing the review recommendations. Many of the organisations represented do not have education within their charter. I acknowledge this and I wish to thank these organisations and all members for agreeing to participate in the partnership. I look forward to working closely with this committee to benefit from their perspectives.
I want to talk about the detail of this government’s partnership strategy. Indigenous education has a history in the Territory of being shrouded in political rhetoric and we have heard words like ‘partnership’ many times, yet we have seen little evidence of real and sustainable partnerships in education. This government is clear that we will only succeed in turning around low outcomes in indigenous education if we work in real partnership with indigenous parents, communities, service providers and industry. We need indigenous people to be involved in decision-making processes at the school and Territory levels. We want to make sure that the system does not operate to alienate people; we want to make sure that people view the school in their community as a place they can be a part of, a place where they can be involved. Parents and community leaders must also be given the opportunity to take responsibility for attendance and educational outcomes.
The Martin Labor government does not back away from the concept of indigenous involvement in the decision making and control of school operations. Quite the opposite; we encourage it and we will work to make sure that a range of options are available. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is currently consulting with a number of communities to develop these partnership models. With the implementation committee’s endorsement, we will trial the concept of local education advisory boards in at least four communities. This will give community leaders, parents, key agencies and local businesses the opportunity to work with principals. These advisory boards will develop community education and training plans to test various initiatives to improve attendance and education outcomes. They will work to build a cross-agency approach and greater involvement of parents and community leaders in decision making at the school. Governance is a key issue for community controlled organisations. Training for advisory board members will be an important aspect of this initiative.
I want to outline some of the initiatives this government has already put in place to achieve our goal of turning around the appallingly low educational outcomes for indigenous students. First, linking education to employment. This government has brought employment, education and training together into the one department. Indigenous education stands to gain enormously from this. The department now encompasses life long learning from preschool right through to higher education and workplace training. Education and training can now be structured around community and workforce training needs to build social and economic growth. For many remote communities, building the economic base and job opportunities for people may be critical to their social and economic survival. Young people are more likely to take advantage of education and training if they can see opportunities and a chance for a job.
The capacity to plan and target education and training is of profound significance for indigenous people in remote communities. While the new department now has the capacity to plan and target education and training, one element is still lacking: the Territory has not had an employment strategy backed by regular, accurate, up-to-date labour market analyses. For years when we were in opposition, we pressed the then government about the urgent requirement for the Northern Territory to have an employment strategy - to no avail. Local industry cannot seize investment opportunities unless the local workforce has the appropriate skills mix. The alternative is to rely on a fly-in, fly-out work force and then, of course, people in the Territory miss out on those jobs.
So I have asked the department to examine how best to develop an employment strategy which is practical. We need to make sure the employment strategy delivers solutions that work for business, employees and the very diverse communities across the Northern Territory. Planning for remote communities will need to recognise unique local conditions and opportunities, and I expect to be able to detail the government’s approach to this in the May sittings.
The department’s new structure provides better opportunity to link education for secondary students with employment and training, giving them alternative secondary pathways and the incentive to stay at school. To this end, the government has already endorsed an additional $1m per year for the extension of Vocational Education and Training down to Year 9, and to make sure that there are more vocational education and training places available in remote areas. This will allow us to provide between 700 to 900 VET places to urban, rural and remote areas. Approximately 370 places will be in remote schools. The VET program’s emphasis will be on developing programs in partnership with the community and targeting the particular employment skills required by that community.
Government is working to develop strong partnerships with industry. We will assist communities and the school to come together with industry to maximise education and employment opportunities. One example: as Minister for Employment, Education and Training, I am about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with representatives of the Borroloola Community Government Council, the Mabunji Association, the Borroloola Community Education Centre and the McArthur River Mine. This MOU gives the community and the mine a role in determining aspects of the Borroloola Community Education Centre programs, including teaching, curriculum materials and adult education programs. It will also enable joint training programs to assist students moving from school to work.
The Learning Lessons review has identified a significant under-enrolment of indigenous students in secondary education across the Northern Territory. Estimates vary, but there may be as many as 3500 indigenous secondary aged young people not enrolled and not attending school. In 2000, the apparent retention of indigenous students from Year 8 to Year 12 was 27%, or just one in four of the 77% for non-indigenous students. Add to this the poor attendance rates of many enrolled indigenous students; potential higher education and TAFE students are being lost to unskilled jobs or welfare-supported unemployment. At present, the availability of secondary education for students from remote areas is limited to boarding school or correspondence courses. As Bob Collins indicated, there are large numbers of secondary school aged children in indigenous communities simply not being provided with effective secondary education. What is in place is haphazard and ad hoc, driven by teachers and principals desperate to provide a service with few options or resources.
Already this year, this government has put in place initiatives to address attendance and retention in urban secondary schools. This is where the fastest improvements ought to be possible. The initial phase involves 17 secondary schools. The project will build on the work currently being done in schools to retain indigenous students. Schools will actively encourage participation of students, families, teachers, support staff, school councils, and ASPA committees in developing a structured program for the transition of students from primary to secondary, and from junior secondary to senior secondary. Principals will develop links with their feeder primary schools to establish student support teams to encourage retention of students from junior to senior secondary. Individual attention and mentoring will be available for Year 11 and 12 indigenous students to help them complete their secondary schooling. As for remote schools, work has commenced to trial provision of the senior secondary curriculum on site in selected remote pilot schools.
The work must be done carefully. Indigenous parents want their children to have local secondary schooling, but they were emphatic in insisting to Bob Collins that they don’t want their children to get a second-rate curriculum offering. To complement these initiatives, I will be asking the implementation committee to provide advice on the best approach to a campaign focussed on school attendance. I want the campaign to attract the attention of students, families and community leaders. I want clear and appropriate messages to be relayed to students about the importance of school. The campaign will reach students and families across the Territory and will provide positive messages on school and community.
In opposition, Labor said we would work to improve coordination between the Commonwealth and Territory agencies to maximise outcomes in health, education, training and housing to avoid duplication, administrative waste and confusion for program managers and communities. On taking office, I came to agreement with the then Commonwealth Minister for Education, Dr David Kemp, over targets for indigenous education outcomes. This allows the Northern Territory to receive $10m per year under the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Program, and an additional $8.6m over four years under the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy - funds which have been withheld for 12 months while the targets were debated by the previous government.
If the previous government stands condemned for any one single action, it is this: it is their refusal to take on board a commitment to improving the outcomes of education in indigenous schools. Such was their resistance to this, they denied indigenous education funds to the extent of $20m on offer from the Commonwealth because they could not bring themselves to sign off on a commitment to improve educational outcomes for indigenous students. That says it all. It is a shameful indictment on those members opposite, that they had a grub of a minister up here in the former minister for education. Thank God he no longer sits in this House. But it is a shameful episode in Northern Territory politics. The shame and the smell of that hangs around those people today.
We agreed, without opposition, to targets of 20% improvement for urban indigenous students and 26% improvement for remote indigenous students in reaching literacy and numeracy benchmarks over four years ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have already raised this once, and we have had tirade from the minister opposite in relation to sticking to the statement. Yes, I would like copies of statements the night before because we can then prepare a reasonable debate. The point is that introducing new aspects and digressing from the statement detracts from that debate.
Madam SPEAKER: I point out that Standing Order 258 provides that a minister may make a statement on government policy at any time provided that copies of the statements are made available for distribution to members when the minister commences his statement. I know in the past members have received copies prior to the delivery of the statement, but perhaps we can make sure that what people have in front of them when the minister commences his statement is what he is delivering. I will allow the minister to finish his statement.
Mr STIRLING: There is a simple rule here, Madam Speaker, and I will pick it up with the Leader of the Opposition at the first opportunity. The rule is this: they get the statement the night before provided there are no frivolous interjections and whingeing about what the minister has to say. In fact, I enhance the speech when I add to it, you idiot!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of Government Business.
Mr STIRLING: And here he is now. Perhaps he can answer it when he gets up on his feet.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I ask you to withdraw that comment.
Mr STIRLING: I withdraw. I withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Now would you please resume presenting your statement.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell, let’s get back to it.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, we agreed, without hesitation, to targets of 20% improvement for urban indigenous students and 26% improvement for remote indigenous students in reaching the literacy and numeracy benchmarks over four years. We acknowledge that they set the bar very high, but we believe that that is the opportunity that gives us a better chance of getting there.
Our government’s commitment is to turn around the decline in indigenous education outcomes. This is the basis on which I signed. It is worth noting, in addition to that, that Commonwealth legislation allows for negotiation between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory rather than financial penalty where those targets are not fully achieved. Now, what do these targets mean for each school? If every remote school was able to get just one more child to reach the MAP benchmark, the Northern Territory would exceed our targets. That is all the ask was on our predecessors, and they could not bring themselves to sign off on that. I will be asking each of our principals to make sure that more than one child in each school gets to the MAP benchmark and we will have doubled our targets.
Indigenous parents made it clear in the Collins review that they want to know how their children are going. We can’t have meaningful partnerships with parents, or effective involvement of families in decision making, without giving parents accurate information about the educational progress of their children. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is well underway in improving the assessment and reporting of indigenous students’ progress. We now have all of our schools undertaking the national standardised testing process with their students. We have access to improved data. The Multilevel Assessment Program - the MAP testing - allows us to compare the Northern Territory’s performance to national benchmarks.
The Learning Lessons report indicates that in the past, these comparative results for indigenous students were often not gathered in the first place or were buried. This year, for the first time, the government’s ensured that all parents have access to MAP results for their children; it’s a crucial step. MAP offers a transparent and factual record used by other people to make judgments and decisions about children’s education. Surely, parents have a right to that information. Having said that, MAP by itself is a crude instrument: it is one measure at one point in time. I am also confident that through the new curriculum framework, we will have assessment procedures in place to report to parents on the progress of all students, across all subject areas and all years of schooling.
Government is keen to support methods of teaching literacy and numeracy which will make a measurable impact on outcomes. We have expanded, for example, the trial of the Accelerated Literacy Program – formerly known as Scaffolding Literacy. This program aims to assist teachers to achieve measurable improvements in student learning outcomes. The program’s been developed by the University of Canberra, and has been piloted for two years in six Northern Territory schools. Gillen Primary and Anzac Hill High have been trialling the program for one semester, and I did have a brief look at it at Anzac Hill High. Ludmilla Primary, Nightcliff and Dripstone High commenced this term and Ngukurr will come on line next term. We are interested to see how this program translates to the Northern Territory setting. It’s planned to compare this program to other literacy programs operating in the Territory.
What about teachers and other staff who work with our students? We know that high staff turnover is a key contributor to poor educational outcomes. I believe we have some of the best teachers in this country working in our schools. This government wants to make sure that we keep those teachers who have demonstrated their commitment, and that we attract more teachers who have the skills necessary for teaching in the Territory. I want to indicate some of the initiatives this government has put in place towards this end. Government’s introduced a bursary scheme to increase the number of Territorians entering the teaching profession. A bursary of $12 000 will be awarded to 20 students to attend Northern Territory University or Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education for teacher training. Priority will be given to those applicants willing to teach in remote Territory schools and/or who are willing to undergo training in special education, English as a second language, information and communications technology, maths or science. The awardees will be announced at a scholarships ceremony to be held on 13 March.
Northern Territory teachers need high-level skills specifically in the areas of English as a second language, hearing and information technology. We are currently negotiating with NTU and Batchelor Institute to ensure their teacher education courses include these skill areas as a major component. It’s about saying what we want, in terms of pre-service training, and not simply taking what we can get. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is currently working on an initiative with the University of Sydney to encourage and equip masters graduates to accept teaching positions in remote Northern Territory schools. The initiative will fund and support a number of Masters of Teaching students to undertake an internship of one term in a remote Territory school. These newly-qualified teachers will then be offered positions in remote schools. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is also working with NTU to arrange remote practical placements for Northern Territory undergraduate teacher trainees.
Recruiting, retaining and developing indigenous staff, principals, teachers, teacher assistants, Aboriginal and Islander education workers, and Aboriginal resource officers is critical to making indigenous education work for indigenous students. The government will continue programs already in place to achieve these such as the indigenous teacher education salary scheme and the cadetship program. The department will consult with the implementation committee on how to strengthen the professional development and mentoring programs for indigenous staff.
Across the Northern Territory, indigenous students represent 38% of students in our schools; in the Top End, around one in three indigenous students in the classroom. The figure is higher in Central Australia where indigenous students make up almost 50% of student enrolments; one in two in the classroom. This government has moved quickly to improve the capacity in Central Australia. Under this government, the department’s recently appointed a manager and a team of five officers to the Alice Springs Education Office who will work in the area of fostering partnerships with indigenous people; mentoring indigenous staff; improving secondary education provision; and supporting indigenous language and culture.
Indigenous education is everybody’s business. One-third of our student population cannot be left to a few specialist areas. Effort will now be directed to ensure that all of the department’s programs incorporate the work required to improve outcomes in indigenous education. This is a significant change to how business was carried out by our predecessors. This is about ensuring that the issues in indigenous education are addressed as part of core business …
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: … by everybody! And it’s not solely the responsibility of one designated indigenous education branch. It’s not solely the responsibility of some senior and respected indigenous people sitting on a committee to advise the minister. It’s everybody’s responsibility, and it will be built into every aspect of the department’s program. I hammer the responsibility of DEET as my portfolio but, equally, the responsibility rests with others: other Northern Territory departments, the Commonwealth, the private sector, leaders in communities and parents. I am confident that, in partnership with the implementation committee, we can halt the declining education outcomes. As Bob Collins says: ‘The solutions are not rocket science’. Initial analysis of the latest MAP data indicate a slight - and I emphasise slight - improvement. It does provide us with a more realistic baseline so that we can now accurately measure performance and improving outcomes for our students.
This government accepts its responsibility to be accountable for the money we spend. We are, as a government, faced with severe budgetary constraints. We must ensure that available resources are applied sensibly and responsibly to maximise impact. This is of profound importance in indigenous education. That is why, as minister, I am interested in measurable results. I intend to support programs where there is measurable evidence that they make a difference. In indigenous education, the more we succeed with improving attendance and retention, the more demand there will be for resources. Over the longer term, there is no question that we will need to commit to additional resourcing. I want to make sure that we get the most out of every dollar we allocate.
In summary, we will implement our indigenous programs through: partnership; collaboration across agencies and levels of government; accountability; good planning supported by expert input from the implementation committee; explicit project management of implementation with initiative clearly targeted, and with reporting against those targets; unit costing, measurement, and evaluation to give us evidence on which to base policy; financial responsibility, making every effort to make sure that every dollar hits the mark; and transparent reporting of outcomes. I will provide regular reports to this parliament, indigenous Territorians, students, schools, parents, and communities on progress in indigenous education.
Finally, I want to restate this government’s commitment to indigenous education. I want to restate that our focus is on the immediate implementation of key programs and initiatives. Our commitment, our message to the community and to the system, is that this government aims to arrest the decline in indigenous outcomes and to work in partnership with indigenous Territorians and with our schools, principals, teachers, parents and communities, to turn this around. I add a further one there – I add the Commonwealth government, because I have been enormously encouraged.
I am beginning to have a great deal of respect and admiration for the man who now fills the position of Minister for Education at the federal level, one Dr Brendan Nelson. I could not have been more pleased when I attended a press conference with him at the Northern Territory University about a month ago and he went before the cameras and he said: ‘I don’t care whatever happens in education across Australia. In my time as Minister for Education; unless there has been a turnaround – a significant turnaround – in outcomes for indigenous students, I will regard myself as having failed’. They mirrored the words that I proffered on becoming minister here. I am enormously encouraged and have a very positive view of this man’s role at the federal government level because I believe he will be there standing beside this government as we tackle this endemic problem of appallingly low outcomes in indigenous education. I also believe that he will be there as we build the schools; as we get students going back to schools and that resourcing question becomes clearer, he will be there to assist with that. That is certainly the impression I get, and I look forward to working with him.
His stance on indigenous education stands in stark contrast to that of the members opposite when they were in government, when they were willing to forgo $18m and $20m worth of federal funding simply because they could not bring themselves to commit to improving outcomes in indigenous education. As I said before, that is a shameful indictment and it hangs over their heads forever.
Madam Speaker, working together, this government aims to ensure indigenous education contributes to a social and economic base where indigenous Territorians are able to take their place as full participants in building the Territory’s future.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I read the minister’s statement with regard to the indigenous education. When I read it, I felt very positive about it and I was looking forward to coming in here to discuss it. However, I found his ad lib comments at the start of it very disappointing. I believe he has sullied the intent of this statement, and I am very disappointed in the way that he behaved in his effort to slur our leader to a large extent, and to a lesser extent, the member for Blain.
This issue with regard to the presence of the shadow education minister was discussed by our leader with us here in the opposition. We have speakers on the topic and we will be speaking on it. But I ask why? Why did the minister for education introduce his statement in such a nasty way? The reason, of course, is the issue of pairing. This is what lies at the heart of this discontent at the moment. Well, we here on the opposition cannot support your desire for pairing. This Assembly sits for 33 days of the year. It’s not a big ask, and we expect everybody to be here for that time. I know it’s difficult for you; you are flat out over there, you want to go swanning off interstate and overseas when it suits. Well, we are not going to be here to assist you in doing that by having members of the opposition toddling off into the lobby when it suits you and keeping our mouths shut. It will not happen.
Yesterday, just for the record, the Deputy Chief Minister met with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss the issue of this education statement, and he put it to the Leader of the Opposition: ‘Yes we can defer raising this statement until the shadow minister for education is here in the Assembly. But we will only do that if you pair with us’. So, there was an attempt to coerce us into that activity …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARTER: … and we will not do it.
Mr Stirling: Coerce? It’s called cooperation; it’s called a bit of give and take. It’s called quid pro quo.
Ms CARTER: I think it is grossly unfair to do that to our shadow minister for education. You know full well that you could have deferred this for a week. I know that the shadow minister for education is disappointed to not have this opportunity to respond to your statement.
So, I ask you: if you want to pair, have you approached the member for Nelson? There’s an opportunity for you that you might like to explore. We will be here, we expect you to be here just as Territorians expect all of us to be here.
Now, I will go on to this statement that you’ve given us today. I believe it’s a good statement, and I look forward to seeing it have positive results because none of us here could disagree with the sentiment of the statement and the issues that are facing people, particularly Aboriginal people, at the moment with regard to education. You’ve outlined the reading age statistics, and they are very disappointing. They’re not surprising, but they are certainly disappointing particularly for the people from remote areas.
You’ve been screaming for our blood occasionally during the statement, making snide references to the CLP’s management of this situation over the last 20-odd years. Well, I ask you: is the situation in Queensland different? Are the reading ages for Aboriginal children on remote communities markedly better? We all know that Queensland has been under a Labor government for quite a few years now so I’d be interested to hear what stark difference is there between the young students in Queensland outback communities and our students here in the Northern Territory. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s not any great difference …
Dr Burns: Why not do the research? Because you’re lazy. There’s a library there. Why didn’t you do it?
Ms CARTER: Well, I’m asking you. You’re in government, you have the resources …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I know that the member for Johnston had a late night last night, but he should find other ways to stay awake.
Madam SPEAKER: I don’t think there’s a point of order, but I would like the member for Johnston to quieten down a bit. We’d all appreciate, I am sure, a little bit of quietness today.
Ms CARTER: As we all know, the results of this poor educational attainment, which we’ve certainly heard about again in the minister’s statement. The results of that are difficulties with regard to employment and, particularly, for Aboriginal people living in remote areas. We all know that, as young people, we need to develop skills and, even as we get older in life, we need to maintain skills and perhaps develop some new skills, skills that are going to be saleable in the marketplace. That’s the reality of life: you have to bring into the marketplace skills that employers are going to want to purchase from you.
For many of us, as we go through life, developing those skills can be very tough. I know that going to school was not something that I looked forward to, but you stick it out. Making the decision to go nursing was a tough decision because I knew it was a tough area to work in, but I knew it was a job where you could always get work and get out there, travel the world or travel the country and have a job. Tough decisions have to be made by the individual as to what they’re going to do with their training and their education in life.
For those of us who have been born into families that set a role model example - and I can see that I’ve been very lucky to have that sort of upbringing - families provide role models, they discipline you, they get you through the process. For those of us who have been lucky enough to have parents with role model skills like reading - and young children mirror those skills as they learn in life. I concede that it’s been very difficult and it is difficult in families which don’t have that role model situation. I suspect that may be the case in many Aboriginal families living in remote areas. This is a difficult situation which we, as a community, find ourselves in.
The Learning Lessons report is an excellent document. When I read it I was touched by its frankness and its honesty. There’s been no effort at all to adopt politically correct attitudes and it’s very blunt in many of the things that it says. I appreciate that and I know as a community, we have benefitted and we are going to benefit further from this report.
I noticed from the report - and the minister has reflected on it in his statement - the use of MAP testing. This is going to be a great way of doing it because MAP testing is a process of things like reading age that is done throughout Australia. It means that we are going to be able to measure a child in Darwin - as we do now in the electorate that I live in - and we’re going to be able to use the same form of testing on that child as happens to a child, say, in New South Wales, and it will happen - and I’m sure it happens from time to time, as I know it does, actually - in remote communities of the Northern Territory. So, we’re going to see this uniform standard of testing which means that you can measure apples with apples and not anything different. The evaluation of programs such as this is absolutely vital. We need to know where we are now, and I know that information is available, but we need to know how we’re progressing over the years as things go and, of course, to be able to refine the approach and to change it in order to maximise its benefit.
One of the things that came out in the Learning Lessons report was the need to advise parents of the reality; how their children are really going. This may, in many cases, be difficult for the children and for the parents as well. I know many of us who were not brilliant scholars at school would also know, in a way, what it’s like to not be a high achiever. But I think it’s vital that young people and their parents, and their community, get the feedback - honest feedback - as to how they’re going because that will be able to assist the school, the family and the children in motivating them to gain higher scores and to achieve better.
The steps the minister has outlined of the way the program is going to be implemented look fine. However, there is a lot of consultation going to occur and I can see that that’s probably going to be necessary. I do hope, too, that the program kicks off in a practical sense as soon as possible. Community consultation involvement and, I guess, one of the key words that was in the report ‘responsibility’ - that’s shared responsibility, but the responsibility there as well - is also vital and very welcome.
The plan to increase students’ access to VET is great, particularly by increasing the remote area placements, and dropping the level at which students can start VET to Year 9 is to be applauded. It’s really vital, I’m sure many of us would concede, particularly in high school, to know that you’re actually learning something that’s useful and not some sort of strange thing. I can recall slide rulers and algebra as a vague concept which I struggled over for hours and obviously pointlessly because it’s of no use whatsoever to me now. Extrapolating from that, I think programs such as VET being made more widely available to remote area students, just as it is here in the urban area, is an excellent proposal. I hope that the VET program out in the more remote areas will lead on to more apprenticeships being available to young people. There is a very strange situation in our society at the moment across the board where there is such an emphasis on young people having to attend tertiary education and university in an effort to be able to prove that they’ve been a success when in fact what our community and what remote area communities, I would argue, are screaming out for are people with practical skills. I certainly hope that apprenticeships will come into things as time goes on.
The minister applauds the federal government for assisting with funding and I, too, welcome and support his approach there. The setting of evaluation standards by which funding is going to be available is also a good thing to do. The level at which the statement outlines is going to be the standard to be set on first appearance looks very high but, as the minister explained, it would only take a few students reaching the MAP goals to attain that level. I certainly think it’s good to set your bar high as to what you hope to achieve in the hope that, at the same time, you will be pulling up as many students as possible with you as you all work towards that goal.
To my mind, the key skills are English literacy, and numeracy. The reality is that English is the dominant language in our society and I believe that students from a very early age must be immersed in English and numeracy if they’re to be given any hope of being able to have a choice later in life of joining mainstream economic activities.
Teachers get a mention as well, and that’s a good thing. When I was a student teacher here in Darwin, doing primary school teacher education, I had an opportunity to experience teaching. It was very rewarding, concentrating on the primary school area. Then, when I concluded that training and was doing my bachelor year, I worked as a relief teacher, and that gave me a very real insight into the stresses and the weight put upon teachers here in the urban community. I do not have any remote area primary school teaching experience, but I would suspect that those stresses are even greater for remote area teachers. If a nurse is telling you that teaching is stressful then I can guarantee you that it is; and I take my hat off to the remote area teachers and the work that they are doing. I think the idea of a bursary to assist teachers to further their studies is an excellent idea and I congratulate you for it.
In closing, I was wondering whether or not the evaluation of this program will pick up on the students who do not actually attend school. How will it pick those students up? Because the reality is - and I have friends who are teaching out bush. I am told that in schools - say, you have a school that is set up for 200 students, you might get during the year an average of about 50 students attending on any day and it deteriorates even further in that of those 50 students, you will have different students coming in the morning from those who come after lunch. So, it really compounds the issue for teachers when trying to teach a program. There is that difficulty but I suspect there are also Aboriginal children who don’t go into the schools at all, and I am wondering how they are going to be picked up by the study that will be done; the evaluation programs that you’ll have.
The biggest challenge to my mind is getting the students to go to school and not just to turn up at 8 o’clock in the morning, but to turn up well; to turn up with a full tummy; to turn up with their ear drums intact so they can hear; and to turn up after having a good night’s sleep so that they are rested. In other words, to be in the condition that I suspect all of us enjoyed when we went to school. This is a real challenge for our community and for our society, to be able to assist communities in having such a system in place and a community in place that enables their students to turn up in peak levels of ability to face the day at school.
I know that this is going to be a costly program. My concern is, of course, where will the money come from? Will urban education suffer as a result of this program? I certainly hope that it does not. In conclusion …
Mr Stirling: No. Your government used to send money back, see, because you didn’t spend it.
Ms CARTER: Right. Well, that’s good to hear. I wish your government all the very best with this program and I look forward to seeing how it goes over the next few years.
Dr TOYNE (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I can’t tell you how much pleasure it gives me to stand here today as a member of the Labor government with a real chance of finally delivering on all the issues that I have been bringing to this House for the last five years. It is a pleasure. I can only look forward to the next three or four years of implementing our policies and the provisions of Learning Lessons with absolute anticipation as being a member of our team to support this. You can fairly say that the last chances we were ever going to have to positively intercede on the outcomes in remote education were slipping away and we have got here just in time to repair the situation.
What has been missing all these years? There has been an enormous amount of rhetoric, and rhetoric might sound a very innocuous term. It is something that fills the air with warm air, but you don’t normally think of rhetoric as being something that is actively destructive. Having worked in remote education for so long and seeing, time after time, the expectations - the hopes of Aboriginal parents; the non-Aboriginal educators who are involved in indigenous education and, most of all, the students and their extended families - raised by yet another round of consultation, of strategic planning, only to find that there was nothing delivered. Why wasn’t it delivered? It was because there was no basic commitment to this area of education in a consistent and informed way.
We are going to change that and, as the minister has outlined in his statement, we are going to pick up this report, Learning Lessons, and we are going to take this very seriously. This is going to be implemented and it is going to be implemented in detail with resources and with consistent support not only from the minister for education, but from the entire Cabinet and the entire government. So, we are really going to take this and make it fly.
The minister alluded to the rather sorry history of the previous government and particularly its relationship to the indigenous education funding programs within the Commonwealth system. In fact, beyond the $20m that has been held up by the refusal to commit to the outcomes within the indigenous education agreements, we had a damning report came out - actually on the same day as this report was tabled in the House - an absolutely damning internal report on the use of the IESIP money within the NT Education system: $90m over 10 years went west. It was being supposedly – supposedly - applied to indigenous education programs. Where was it going? It was going into functions that had more to do with exporting educational products overseas from here in Darwin; it was supporting, I think in the end, 50 or more reasonably high-level public service jobs here in Darwin; it was being applied to programs that had nothing whatsoever to do with indigenous education. And yet on the books there was $9m going out nicely every year. There was just enough hitting the coalface to say that some money was being spent out there, but it was just enough to create the smokescreen.
So, we have some real catching up to do to win back the trust of the federal government. This does not mean we have to abandon our sense of autonomy; it does not mean that we have to follow the tune of Canberra to the letter. What they have been asking for within the indigenous education agreements has nothing to do with someone in Canberra dictating what detail goes into our school programs or what detail goes into the administrative arrangements with Aboriginal people other than saying that there has to be strong Aboriginal involvement in the management structures of our education programs. Well, what’s wrong with that? We should have been doing it years ago.
The minister reports that we have now committed - and I am absolutely thrilled to see that we have - to some real change in the outcomes for our literacy and numeracy benchmarks over the next four years. Now, 20% improvement in urban indigenous students sounds fairly impressive until you realise that it is coming off the base; if we’re talking about all urban students, 36% at the moment at Year 5, and 54% at Year 3. We are still well below the overall average in the non-indigenous average for those two year levels, even once that 20% has been achieved. That’s in the urban centre where we actually have a less extreme situation.
In the non-urban schools, we are coming off a base of 4% for male students at Year 5; 5% achieve these benchmarks. Now, even with 26% we’re still getting up into the low 30s. There is still a huge way to go, even if we achieve that in the next four years. But at least we will get it going in the right direction. If we can up to a defendable figure when we go to forums of various education systems around Australia, we don’t have to creep through the back door and sit there in the corner feeling very ashamed of being not only the worst in Australia, but light years behind the pack. We have to get up to at least around somewhere near the average outcomes around our country.
There has always been this mythology around our system here: ‘Yes, it’s all that much harder in the Territory’. Well, it is hard here; there’s no question about that. We have the highest proportion of remote communities in the country. We have the highest proportion of indigenous students in the country. We have particular challenges and I think, under this government, they will finally be called challenges and not problems. We have put these away as being too hard; it’s all been a problem, it’s all just beyond help, and let’s just concentrate on something else.
Well, we are not going to do that. We are going to take these on as being the ultimate challenge of this government to improve not only education parameters in these areas in the Territory, but also alongside them health, employment and economic development. If we can do that together, then we are not only going to improve the lot of a very important part of the Northern Territory population, but we’re going to do the Territory as a whole a huge favour in that we’re going to reduce the current polarisation between a marginalised, impoverished group that has been increasingly left right out of the mainstream development of this place and is increasingly placing a burden on the overall budget and the general social demands of supporting the Territory population.
Looking at the area of recruitment and retention of teachers which the Collins report also gives a high focus, we are going to have to turn what has been a disincentive into a virtue. We are going to have to learn how to support our bush teachers a lot better than we have in the past. It’s not about having vast increases in salaries; it is about having good access to study leave at more frequent intervals than perhaps their urban counterparts. In fact, the scheme by which you can accumulate study credits with bush service has been incredibly successful and it’s actually starting to impact on the retention rates in our bush schools. We have to hang on to that because it’s working, but we have to build other things into it such as using the new Desert Knowledge developments once they are underway to provide a very specialised service within education for our bush schools. Bush teachers have to be trained to be bush teachers. They are not just like teachers in an urban secondary school or in a city somewhere else interstate, if they have been trained interstate. They are a very specialised arm of the teaching service; they’re taking on the toughest roles that a teacher can take on anywhere in the world. These are the most difficult conditions that a teacher - other than being shot at in a country with a civil war raging - this is about as tough as it gets if you want to take on an educational challenge as a teacher.
We have to consolidate the training and placement of our Aboriginal teachers so that they become not just as good as white teachers or just like white teachers. There is a whole pedagogy that’s been developing out of places like the Batchelor teaching courses, out of the bilingual schools in the earlier era when they were a leading edge in primary education. They are finding not only how best an Aboriginal teacher can enter the profession, but also how best an Aboriginal teacher can function as a teacher in their own or another community alongside non-Aboriginal teachers.
There are specialised roles and you have to understand, as a professional, how you fit into that team with other teachers beside you. Each teacher, within a two-way learning program at least, has a very specialised role. Non-Aboriginal teachers should teach what non-Aboriginal teachers know best; Aboriginal teachers should teach what Aboriginal teachers know best. But beyond that, they have to understand each other’s domains enough so that they form a strong team. It is very good that they specialise in that way because you are going to enrich their work enormously if they concentrate on what they do well and on their strength, and learn to combine effectively between the two ways they are approaching the job.
We know all that because over many years, the old bilingual programs - which were the subject of such an acrimonious battle in the Northern Territory when they were shamelessly, I still believe, attacked by the previous government. They weren’t attacked in their own right. I mean, the bilingual model that was being espoused here in this House by the minister for education at the time and was being argued in the public debate was not what was going on in those schools then and is not what is going on in those schools today. The old assumptions that the only reason that you introduce vernacular languages into a school program is to underwrite the subsequent learning of English - that probably went out the door, by any respectable linguistic opinion, about 15 years ago.
Things have moved on into a much more complex bicultural model which you could call two-way learning; you could call it bicultural education. It doesn’t matter. It’s the same as Greek School in Darwin; it’s the same as any school that’s trying to combine two cultures into one education program. It’s not just a case of what you do with the languages or what sequence that you use the languages in; it’s a case of taking the two cultural outlooks and combining them into a really rich context for education. That’s what’s happening now in the current bilingual schools and, thankfully, our government came to power in time to save the enormous richness that are in some of those schools and now continue the development in a secure environment.
I have said before in the House that it’s not just a case of producing some level of education in those students; it is a case that the outputs of those schools is amazing. There have been things like Yothu Yindi come out of it; the entire acrylic art movement in Central Australia which is bringing in tens of millions of dollars per year in income into that region and enriching our tourist offerings immeasurably came out of the bilingual programs. It came out of two-way education. We are now moving into more and more expressions of that contemporary culture: CD-ROM production; we are looking at video and film production at a very high level. I’d point to the Bush Mechanics series as being one of the outputs of a tiny media association at Yuendumu. It fits into a building that used to be a three-bedroom house yet they are producing a product that is picking up national and international awards for the new areas that it is exploring in the medium of film and video.
The member for Port Darwin mentioned the problem of keeping kids at school. Yes, we know that; any teacher who taught out bush knows that there are a lot of things that are going to impact on the ability of a school to keep a viable attendance of their students. One thing to realise is that you can’t really think of it as a school in the community; you have to think of it as a point within a circulation of those families. The Collins report calls for a clustering of enrolments and a clustering of education programs between schools and related communities. That would be a much more effective way of keeping kids regularly engaged in education because you can pick up a kid who has moved with their family from one school to another and continue their education with minimum disruption. That type of cluster arrangements will become very common, I would expect, as we move into these implementations.
On the question of the infrastructure resources, there is money needed to implement the Collins report. There will be significant money needed to renew school facilities and teacher accommodation, and other resources that we need out in these schools. A lot of that money, as the minister has stated, will come from more effective relationships with the Commonwealth government. We are very lucky, and I absolutely agree that Dr Brendan Nelson - I have met him about three times in my travels - is an absolute boon for us coming into this exercise. If you have someone like Brendan Nelson there at the helm …
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: I have to say the Collins reports also calls for the Griffith Service Access Frame to be used to distribute funding around to these remote communities. The service access frame gives a very accurate measure of the effect of isolation on educational outcomes. It can predict with 95% certainty what sort of English and numeracy outcomes will come out of a particular school based on the distance of that community and school from the local service centre; the cost of getting there; the type of economic activities going on in that community. It’s a very good indicator of the difficulty or otherwise of operating a school program in that area and, therefore, of where you need the resources most.
I will finish in this rather broad overview of what’s going to be involved in our rollout of policy. Community partnerships - I could virtually say go back to Hansard on what I said about health yesterday, and that’s exactly what I want to say about education: that we are going to have to work through and with indigenous organisations, indigenous education boards or other bodies to act as a mediator of what the programs that we’re funding are going to look like in that area.
Around Central Australia, we have a number of proposals that will be coming into the Collins report implementation committee, the most advanced one of which is the Warlpiri triangle schools where five community schools are involved in that proposal. They want to run a single education approach to their programs within that cluster of schools; very good idea. They all speak the same language. They’ve all run two-way learning programs for 25 years. They’ve all had a very rich history of the parents in those communities taking a very active involvement in education, everything through to going off and training themselves as teachers so they can work directly in the schools. They’ve been moving towards this over the last 12 months. They now have an advanced proposal to take to the implementation committee to say: ‘Yes, let’s look at the Warlpiri area, and let’s set up a modified education program that can take advantage of the similarities between those school programs and the communities; that can build on the earlier work that’s gone on at places like Willowra, Lajamanu, Yuendumu, Nyirripi, and move this on in a contract with the government that will guarantee the outcomes - that we’ve now committed to with the Commonwealth government - will be reflected in that cluster of schools’.
If we have to get 26% improvement in the numeracy/literacy outcomes for those schools, that’s the target that that group have to take on as their challenge. They can deliver it in the style and the manner that they choose, but they’ve got to deliver it. That’s the relationship that they’ll have with our government. We are going to hold to those disciplines because we can’t let this slip. There’s no time left, things have become extreme out there. We’ve got to turn this around; we have to do it quickly. I can’t wait, and I commend the minister for education for bringing this forward. Let’s get into it; let’s do some good; and let’s see the whole House support this.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of the former federal Senator, the Honourable Bob Collins. On behalf of all members I extend a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I rise to share in this debate. I thank the former Senator for doing us this very great honour of blessing us with his presence and listening to this debate because, obviously, it’s a matter that he has had great interest in over the years.
I don’t believe the former government can ever claim - and ever did try to claim - that they were getting it perfectly right and everything was sweet and wonderful and the land of roses because it was the former government who turned to the good former Senator, and former Leader of the Opposition here in the Northern Territory, and said: ‘Can you help us with this? We need you to look into this.’ He produced a report, the Learning Lessons review which, in my opinion, was an extraordinary report. It contained many good things. Certainly, it accords with many of things that Mr Trudgeon had to say in Why Warriors Lay Down and Die. I know that Ralph Folds from Kintore, a teacher of some 12 years experience, who also gives some indication, recently published a book. I’d like to quote from Mr Collins briefly from his press conference when the report was released. This was part of a statement by Mr Adamson, the former education minister, to this House, and he quoted Mr Collins saying:
And that’s correct, Madam Speaker. It’s correct …
Dr Toyne: Didn’t do a thing!
Mr ELFERINK: … absolutely on the money! We can sit here and take onto our shoulders the burdens of the past. I pick up on the interjection by the member for Stuart. I’m glad you’re doing it.
Dr Toyne: No, no, I said that the former minister is not going down in history as having done a huge amount.
Mr ELFERINK: Well, I’m glad you’re doing it, this is what I’m up here saying. And, frankly, I think it needs to be done. This is not entirely different from the policy statement that I made yesterday here in this House when we were talking about violence against Aboriginal women. What Mr Collins has done to a very large degree and what this policy statement from the minister for education has done, has gone to a degree of capturing what I was talking about in terms of making sure that you have a standard yardstick by which to measure the policy - not the outcomes, but the policy itself. We are starting to see that and we are starting to see that in the way that this government is preparing to deliver its services into the bush. There’s nothing contentious about that. I’m acknowledging that the government, in my opinion, is doing it right.
We all know that the outcomes in the bush have been poor over the years. The former minister for education, Mr Lugg, had made several statements to this House in relation to indigenous education. Then we proceeded to the election and the new government was returned. The only concern that I have is that the new government is starting to make fairly wide and broad sweeping promises, and they’re building huge expectations out there. I certainly hope that those expectations can be met.
I know that the then minister for education has spoken to Brendan Nelson, and I congratulate them on the closeness of their relationship that seems to have formed. I hope that they do get those outcomes. But there is one aspect of what happens in the bush that does concern me a little, and that is still the system under which welfare payments are directed and paid in the bush. I know that in the Learning Lessons report Senator Collins - or the former Senator - turned his attention to a suggestion which was made to him, of making welfare payments - specifically in the form of child endowments - tied to some sort of performance in schools and performance by the parents. I know that he rejected that idea in the report. However, I am not entirely sure that that is worth rejecting out of hand; I think it deserves further exploration.
I agree with the sentiment behind the ministerial statement where the control of the school rests largely with the community themselves, giving the directions and making the policy which is appropriate in the environment in which that service is being delivered. Good! I’m wondering if there is some mechanism by which a welfare payment could be policed by that community themselves to enable them - or to give them an extra tool - to make parents more accountable for how often the children arrive at school and in what condition they arrive at school. There is no harm, there is no shame, in trying to give that sort of power to a policy body in the school in an effort to give them an extra tool by which they can make certain things happen. Now, I know that in Learning Lessons the idea was rejected, but I would ask the minister to revisit the idea so that a consistent policy approach can be delivered inside the community, consistent with community desires and wants. So, if the school council wants all kids to go to school - and there are parents out there who are errant in the way that they look after their children - I hope to see an extra tool given to the school council in that community, or the governing body, to be able to bring some pressure to bear on those parents. I would look forward to the minister’s comments in relation to that. Indeed, I would look forward to Bob Collins’ comments in relation to that, because I would like to hear if any approaches have been made to the federal government through Centrelink in relation to building up a framework in which this could occur.
I notice that the minister has worked with DEET in relation to the way that these programs are put together. Once again, I congratulate the minister in relation to that because it does show a propensity or a preparedness to deal with the federal government. Indeed, he has spoken to Brendan Nelson and shows a preparedness and a propensity to deal with the federal government.
Mr Stirling: He is a good man.
Mr ELFERINK: I agree. I turn to other issues in the minister’s statement. I notice that there is proposed - on page 14 of the one that was dished out last night - labour market programs. Once again, I have no major problem with the idea of a labour market programs but it does take me to one aspect of the minister’s statement in which he says: ‘Education equals employment and prosperity’. The thinking behind that is probably a little shy of the truth. I don’t deny for one second that education is important – indeed, vital - to a meaningful life, but it is one of the tools in the toolbox. Yesterday I was talking about a much wider approach - not only in education, but how services are delivered in the bush in their entirety - so that when the kid walks out of the schoolroom, there is an environment where there is a job. I believe that there is room for the land councils to be involved in this to make sure that education can equal employment because, when they leave school, there’s a job to go to in the community where that kid belongs. It’s not a radical idea, it’s not rocket science, but it is a process by which there has to be a broader approach.
I often get the feeling that the members opposite think that they have a monopoly on caring. I don’t think that that is entirely …
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: … which is a shame because it doesn’t auger well for a unified approach that they claim so desperately to want to be able to work on, with this side. I have said nothing so far which is in any way excessively critical of the minister for education and what he’s brought before this House at the moment. I have said nothing so far which is nothing other than an attempt to suggest something to the minister - something that he may want to explore.
It’s not a requirement for your integrity as members opposite to be abusive just for the sake of proving up that integrity. Listen to what’s being said in here from time to time and you may be surprised that members on this side of the House are actually trying to make suggestions that the government can consider, take away - and if there’s anything in it - apply it. And so I am making suggestions, and that is the only thing I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to inspire any sort of venom in the members opposite. It’s not, automatically, a job for you guys to get noisy just for the sake of making noise.
As I was saying, I don’t believe that, to create an education system without having product at the end, is entirely a useful thing. I believe there should be a product at the other end because I’m a great believer that, at the end of the day, I would like to see all of these policies start to fall away because they are redundant, because they are no longer necessary, because the people who are subject to these policies no longer need them. That is my light on the hill, and I believe that I share that light on the hill with members opposite. It’s not an outrageous suggestion. To suggest that education alone equals employment and prosperity is not true. It is part of the process that takes us to employment and prosperity, and you need to draw in other players further afield. However, these are broad brush suggestions that I’m making. I know that the real world is a different place, but it doesn’t prevent us from aspiring to very real outcomes for people who live in the bush.
I approve of the minister’s comments in relation to VET training. I think vocational training is very, very important in these communities. All too often, I wonder about the appropriateness of some of the education services being delivered. In my experience, communities need carpenters before they need philosophers; they need plumbers before they need lawyers. So, I think that the introduction of VET programs are indeed a good idea.
I also congratulate the government on the Memorandum of Understanding which they’ve signed with the Borroloola Community Government Council, the Mabunji Association, the Borroloola Community Education Centre, and the McArthur River Mine. It is exactly the type of thing I’m talking about; it’s the type of thing that will provide jobs, hopefully, for the people who go through that training process. I look forward to the government coming back into this House and saying that jobs have been created and people’s lives have improved because they’ve got more options as a result.
I also draw members’ attention to the comments made by the minister for education in relation to measuring the work. The only note of caution that I cast out there into the ether for the minister to hear is that I hope that you succeed. But if the measurements say otherwise, then I hope that you have the courage to stand up and say: ‘That’s not working; we’ll try something else’. I think that the approach in these kind of circumstances has to be such that if you are presented with a set of statistics and the politics of the day do not suit the publication of those statistics, then I would urge the government of the day to show courage and say: ‘We have been working on this and we are not succeeding in these areas. We want to try something new’. Then by all means, come and talk to us and see if we can create a situation where there is real support for government initiatives because I’m not going to stand here and say this is the CLP’s fault, the federal government’s fault, your fault, the international community’s fault, or history’s fault. The fact is we can sit here and blame people until we’re blue in the face, but it don’t make one iota of difference. It don’t make one iota of difference to the people sitting in Docker River and Kintore. I can tell you that right now. It’s well and good for us to stand in here and make long speeches about it, but something that I am fully aware of is that this standing around here talking does not improve the lives of people in the bush.
I do note, however, that the minister’s statement does not revisit the issues of bilingual education. I notice that the member for Stuart had to say some more generic things about bilingual education. Once again, not that I disagree with him; however it’s a different thing to what he was saying at the time when the former minister for education made his decisions.
The other issue is the issue of high schools in the bush. I know that the minister has made comments about the secondary level education in terms of preparing people for secondary education. However, once again, we are stuck in the situation, with the exception of Yulara where there is an independent secondary school, there is not a secondary school more than 2 km from the bitumen of the Stuart Highway other than Nhulunbuy as far as I am aware. That’s something that I hope the government turns its attention to: different ways of delivering those secondary services into the bush with a view to creating a secondary school in the bush in several places.
I spoke briefly to the shadow minister for education before he went interstate. He wanted to raise a couple of issues in relation to this statement. The issues or questions he wanted me to put to the minister for education were: first, what process is being used to determine the need for an extra 100 teachers in the Northern Territory? The second is: staffing in the areas of special education and indigenous students where identified by your party, Labor, as being inadequately staffed. Of the 100 extra teachers, how many will be directed into these areas? What provision is there in the costings contained in the mini-budget for an automatic, indexed annual pay rise for teachers, as announced by Labor during the election campaign? What student to teacher ratio does a Labor government expect once the 100 extra teachers have been recruited? Will any student to teacher ratio calculations be limited to the actual numbers of teachers in the classrooms? I would ask the minister for education to turn his attention, specifically, to the shadow minister’s questions in relation to that.
The shadow minister also asked me to raise another issue while I was speaking today. That is the Australian Education Union Northern Territory Branch Executive prioritised areas of support for students with special needs more than a year ago:
This is dated 10 September 2001:
I am reading from an Australian Education Union Newsflash. I can provide a copy to the minister for education, and I’m sure he will get the thrust of it. The shadow minister has basically asked me to raise these issues with the minister, and I am happy to do so on his behalf.
Finally, the Labor government has taken a bold step forward in this case. The education minister has come into this Chamber and placed his hand on his heart and said: ‘These are the outcomes that I want to deliver’. I congratulate his courage on that because it is not an easy area to move in to. The former government struggled with it; it is the reason they went to Bob Collins and said: ‘Give us a report, a review; give us something that works’. The former government continued to struggle with it up until the last election. Now the struggle has fallen into the current government’s lap. They have the will of the people in terms of being the representative government and the responsible government of the Northern Territory and, if they succeed, good luck to them because this issue is above politics; this issue is about life and death.
Madam Speaker, I would like to wish them every success and I do hope the minister, in a few years time, can come back into this Chamber and say: ‘We have succeeded’. It would make me a happier person.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, I rise to support the ministerial statement on indigenous education presented today by my colleague the minister for education.
What a breath of fresh air! For the first time in the history of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, we have a minister for education who is taking education seriously and, in particular, the vital area of indigenous education. Allelujah! After 26 years of malign neglect, a period in which the levels of indigenous education have declined while the rest of the nation’s education has improved, we have a Northern Territory minister for education who knows what he is talking about. Not only that, he is committed to the fundamental change required.
A couple of years ago, I was chatting to a couple of young Aboriginal blokes, maybe 15 or 16 years of age. I asked them what they wanted to do for work when they were older. They didn’t know. Neither could read or write much beyond their own names. Mathematics was beyond them. Why? Because the education system had completely failed them.
A survey carried out in rural and remote communities around Katherine seven years ago found that the effective adult literacy rate among the 500 or so people to whom a test was delivered was 7%. This meant that 93 people in 100 could not read at or above a Year 10 standard. Although the sample in this literacy testing was too small to tell, there were strong indications that literacy levels were declining even below that figure of 7%. That is, the grandparents could read better than their kids who, in turn, could read better than the grandchildren. Indeed, as the Chief Minister reminded us, unequivocal evidence of deteriorating outcomes from an already unacceptably low base.
What this leads to, Madam Speaker - as I am sure you would know given your knowledge of remote area education - is poverty. First, there is poverty in the material sense. As the Deputy Chief Minister has pointed out, there is a direct link between literacy and employment. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out how low the chances of getting a job are when more than nine out of 10 of your countrymen and women cannot read and write. In an increasingly complex world, the need for literacy is more important than ever. To ignore the crisis in indigenous literacy any longer is to countenance the creation of a permanent underclass within Territory society.
Second, there is poverty in health. There is ample evidence from throughout the world that makes a direct link between literacy and numeracy and poor health. As is well known, indigenous health in Australia - and in particular in the Northern Territory - is worse than that in many third world countries. Indeed, in delivering packages to the third world, most aid agencies emphasise literacy as the single most important tool for escaping poverty and achieving economic advancement. More importantly, enhancing literacy, especially among women, is of greater benefit to primary health care than just about any other public health measure.
Third, there is spiritual poverty. In the context of declining use of traditional languages in many areas, this woeful and dangerous lack of literacy is leading to spiritual poverty; to what I call a poverty of imagination. These two young lads I spoke of earlier did not know what they wanted to do or be when they got older simply because they had not been equipped by the education system to imagine what might be possible. Is it any wonder that kids in their situation start sniffing petrol, or hitting the grog or breaking into the community store? The worst thing about this is that what we are witnessing is inter-generational poverty and this inter-generational poverty in material, health and spiritual terms can be laid squarely at the feet of those former governments that deliberately starved the indigenous education sector for so long.
I emphasise the word ‘deliberately’ because there can be no other conclusion that this is the case from even a cursory examination of the Collins report, Learning Lessons. That report showed that, even when the former government could be bothered accessing special Commonwealth funds for indigenous education, it stripped 46 cents of every dollar of that funding and diverted it elsewhere. It was a government of educational vandals.
What I am particularly pleased to hear from the Deputy Chief Minister is the stress he has placed on parental responsibility in the education of indigenous children. As I mentioned, we are witnessing an inter-generational problem, therefore the biggest battle for all of us will be to convince the parents of Aboriginal kids, especially out bush, of the benefits of education because it is an education system that has so abjectly failed them.
One of the biggest problems identified by the Collins report was the poor levels of school attendance. The Deputy Chief Minister quite rightly points to the necessity of a parental role in turning this around but we also need to look at reasons beyond this, as well. We need to look at a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach. Many bush kids don’t go to school simply because they are too hungry; some because they are deaf and cannot hear what is going on; some because they are too tired, having been kept awake half the night by drunkenness and fighting; some bush kids don’t go because their lessons are in a foreign language. All of this - the hunger, the deafness, the lack of sleep and alienation - are the products of poverty and maligned neglect.
It is also the product of parents who have given up trying. It is the product of parents who don’t see the point of an education for their kids. These parents must be given the incentives to start caring. Our bush communities must be given ownership of what goes on in the schools so that schools become part of the community. The educational vandals I mentioned before did not just neglect the kids; they ignored the teachers. They didn’t give a damn. In fact, in one community in my electorate, for example, there were five different principals and acting principals of a school within 18 months. Our bush teachers, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, must be given support so that they can do their jobs well and stay in these locations for longer periods.
It will be the business of every relevant agency within the Martin Labor government to work towards improving the education of all Territorians. There is an acute need, as the Deputy Chief Minister has pointed out, towards dramatically improving the education of indigenous citizens of the Northern Territory. It is for this reason I particularly welcome the appointment of the members of the Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee. The provision of adequate education to all citizens of the Territory is a simple matter of social justice. It has been denied to a quarter of our population for a quarter of a century. Because the neglect has gone on for so long - not just in education, but health and community development as well - it will take a long time to turn things around.
Madam Speaker, nevertheless, the Martin Labor government is committed to working on a whole-of-government basis, in partnership with communities, to improve the educational outcomes of all citizens.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I rise to support the honourable Minister for Employment, Education and Training. As the minister has outlined, Labor went to the last election with a plan to build a better Territory. That plan is based on four key priorities: jobs for Territorians; good education and services; a decent health system; and a safe community.
Labor’s plans were different from our opponents’ plans. Whilst acknowledging the importance of the Territory economy to the development of our society, for Labor the Territory is a society and not an economy alone. As my colleague on this side of the House has outlined for us, education equals employment and prosperity not just for the economy alone, but for the society that interacts with that economy.
I will not mention the appalling statistics that apply to indigenous people’s education outcomes because we all know that I could go on forever. But I will say that education outcomes for indigenous students in the Northern Territory are not acceptable to our society. The fact is that most indigenous students - particularly in remote regions of the Territory - are leaving school with limited English, literacy and numeracy. It is not only a burden that indigenous students carry, but it is a burden the community and society must carry in many different forms.
This is supported by the federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson’s comments at 1 pm today on 8DDD:
He is quoted as saying:
The minister has stated that this government is about providing responsible government, committed to generating economic and social opportunities for all Territorians. After all, nearly one-third of Territorians are not operating at their full capacity - they are Territorians of the present but, more importantly, they are Territorians of the future. It is in the interest of all Territorians if real economic and social outcomes are achieved by indigenous Territorians.
I put on record my congratulations to Bob Collins and his team for their excellent Learning Lessons review. They have provided this government with a blueprint for the first serious attempt to engage Aboriginal people, on the larger scale, in improving their educational outcomes. The previous CLP government would not bite the bullet on this critical issue affecting our society and our economy. The Labor government has shown its commitment. The Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee is made up of indigenous people with strong backgrounds in Aboriginal community life and organisations including education, health, ATSIC, the land councils, local government and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. This is another sign of this government’s determination to encourage partnerships, for communities to work with government - both walking together towards the future.
Contrast their approach with the divide and rule position of the previous government: divisive and destructive. The minister has outlined our plans for real partnerships with indigenous parents, communities, service providers and industry. I concur entirely.
I believe three types of partnerships are critical. First and foremost, we need a partnership with Aboriginal people, their organisations and their leaders. Second, a collaborative partnership with the Commonwealth government. This government, unlike our discredited predecessors, will not play politics with indigenous education. Their need is too great and the long-term costs too high. Third, this government will grow the links between business, industry, employers and Aboriginal people. These partnerships are a key to all our people being productive members of our society and our economy.
In conclusion, I welcome the introduction of the implementation of the Learning Lessons report and I look forward to an important change to indigenous participation in education, indigenous decision making in education and, most importantly, successful outcomes for indigenous students. Then, and only then, will we have an economy that supports us all as a society that we all have a vested interested in supporting and maintaining.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to welcome Mr Bob Collins, as one ex-market gardener to another. I wish I had the same oratory skills as Bob Collins.
I remember his time in this House – it wasn’t exactly this House - but when he was Leader of the Opposition and I think Mr Paul Everingham was Chief Minister. Well, it was worth coming to parliament in those days because the standard of debate was great. I hope I can learn some of his skills in my time here.
I certainly do not come here as an expert on this issue; I am not a teacher. I make some observations only. I appreciate some of the comments that have been made by people like the Attorney-General who certainly has a lot of experience. It’s sad that the member for Blain is not here because I think he also has a lot of experience. Oops!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, oops.
Mr WOOD: I’m sorry, I wasn’t putting that in a derogatory way; I was actually using that to say that he has a lot of experience in education, so I don’t think that would count.
Reading the report, I think the figures are of great concern, especially when you see the low percentage of literacy for Aboriginal people in remote areas, it really is a terrible, terrible figure. I just wonder whether, with all the new fandangled so-called modern, scientifically-based - perhaps even use what Mr Bob Collins has said - ‘rocket-science methods’ that have been used over the last number of years, why have things failed, and has anyone looked at why things have failed? I say that in the context of my personal knowledge of my wife, who has very limited education. She was born in the bush; she was born at Channel Point. She would have had some education at what was then Delissaville and the rest of her education was at Daly River Mission as it was called then. As far as I know, she got up to grade 6 - even in those days I think you repeated grade 6 until you got too old to stay in school because there was no other future for you.
She and her sisters can write and read competently with a mission-based education. Yes, they did the times tables like I did, they did the spelling like I did, and they did the writing like I did. It was an old-fashioned system but, regardless, it worked. I’d be interested to know whether literacy for Aboriginal people - and I possibly think it was - was higher in the 1950s and 1960s than it is today. One would have to ask: why can’t we go back to a system like that? Is there something wrong with it because it was old-fashioned? Perhaps it’s far more culturally appropriate in some ways, to sing the times table - you get them drummed into your head, and you never forget them. I just ask that.
Mr Stirling: Give us a rendition, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Eh? The academics of education might frown, but you look at what the facts are - older Aboriginal people seem to me to have far better literary skills than the present generation.
Mr Stirling: [inaudible] missionary.
Mr WOOD: Well, why can’t we do it? Why can’t government schools do it?
Mr Stirling: We will.
Mr WOOD: Yes. My wife advanced her education, as well, by reading and reading and reading. She only got as far as grade 6. She became an Aboriginal health worker before they were Aboriginal health workers - she was actually a nursing aide. She now teaches at a school at Palmerston where she’s the Aboriginal assistant teacher.
I just note, too, that in those days, of course, it wasn’t bilingual, you learned your language as it went, your own language, and English was the main language spoken. I spent quite a bit of time on Bathurst Island. One of those areas was the garden and I used to also look after the parks and gardens. I have always felt that, whilst learning one’s own language is extremely important - if one has to keep one’s culture, one has to keep the language otherwise it dies. But, in this day and age, when the video directions come in English; when the lawnmower directions come in English; when the tractor manual comes in English; when the computer screen is written in English; if one is to survive and one is to move ahead economically, then you have to have a good knowledge of the English language. I think it is important to make sure that that is a high priority in education.
I checked with my wife before I wrote this next section. My wife, as I said, works as an indigenous assistant teacher in Palmerston and she has seen quite a few Aboriginal children move through school - she’s been there eight years. When children are struggling to write their lunch order, you have to wonder: ‘Are things working?’ - and this is in Year 7. There may be various reasons for that, and these are some of the issues I believe the government has to look at - it’s not just an isolated package of reading, writing and arithmetic. I think the member for Port Darwin mentioned some of these things.
We need to reinforce parental responsibility, to make sure that children do attend school; to make sure they’ve had breakfast. I know it’s been mentioned in this House before, but I did have an infamous business called The Poultry Farm which operated for about seven years. We sold lots of eggs to Darwin, but all the cracked eggs were used to make breakfast for Aboriginal children at the school who turned up at school without a meal. We did that for quite a long time. It still happens, but I haven’t got the eggs to supply them with a meal any more - not because I was a failed egg farmer.
They also need a suitable environment at home not only to do homework, but an environment in which they are encouraged to learn. That is difficult because of some of the social problems that indigenous people have. Look, they’re not the only people with those problems, but this matter we’re talking about today is indigenous education, so I’ll restrict my comments there.
One of the other big issues - I don’t know how you will overcome it - we call it the tall poppy syndrome; Aboriginal people call it the shame job. That is, when I’ve got this high and I go back to my community with a nice set of new clothes that I’ve bought with the money I’ve earned - I’ve become a teacher or something – there is a general feeling that you will be pulled down; it’s a shame job to be that way.
I had a nephew who was an Aboriginal Police Auxiliary, and he didn’t like to wear his uniform back to the community he lived near because he said it was a shame job. He stood out of the community and got a good job but still felt a bit shamed going back wearing that uniform. That’s a difficult issue to overcome. I don’t know, and I agree with the Attorney-General, these are challenges - I don’t put them down as problems - these are challenges, and we have to work our way around them.
The other question which must be always hard for people, especially in remote communities: why bother to be educated? I remember at Bathurst Island when I was there, there’s a technical school - I presume it’s still going, the technical school, I haven’t been there for a while – they would turn out perhaps 20 young people, boys, and they just about got their welding certificate. What do you do with 20 welders in a place with about 1500 people? There is a limit to what you can do. So, you have this problem that if there are no real jobs, why bother to get educated? It’s easier to get on to social security - you do not need an education to be on social security. That is a huge challenge. It’s one of these challenges that we could sit here for the rest of the millennium, I reckon, but it’s a challenge that we’re going to have to come to grips with - good jobs, and meaningful jobs. CDEP is a type of answer, but it’s not the answer.
I also have a problem with some communities which, I believe, are losing their ability to have jobs. I recently heard of a gentlemen who said he was at a community about 20 years ago and there were X number of non-Aboriginal people who had the managerial jobs, you might say. He goes back today and finds there are far more non-Aboriginal people in charge. The member for Arafura may be interested in this: one of the problems I see with the amalgamation of the councils on the Tiwi Islands - and I’m not making any comment about the pluses and minuses of other aspects - that one can make in that situation a more complex system where people are required to have greater qualification, more advanced skills in computers, etcetera, and take away the chances of local people filling those positions.
One of the reasons I left Bathurst Island was because, at that time, there was a lot of pressure on people like myself to move away and give Tiwis a chance to take over the job. Now, I believe I ran a successful market garden at that stage. That market garden, sadly, has been through I don’t know how many managers, ups and downs, all sorts, since then, and possibly not even going. I imagine the chook shed’s not going, that’s for sure. So, we don’t have people to manage situations that occurred 20 years ago and now we’re making more complex systems which I think are taking away the opportunity for Aboriginal people to take control of their own places. We need to make sure that we are creating jobs for people on these communities, not taking them away.
The government has promised to improve indigenous education and I hope it does because we will never overcome some of the major issues that confront Aboriginal people today. On a positive side, I do congratulate both the previous government and the present government - because they would have supported it - on the establishment of the Batchelor Institute. I was one of those who had doubts about it when it was first established. I would be on record as saying that I am not the keenest supporter of schools that are specifically set out for one group of people as against another - and that is what Batchelor College does. But, as time has gone on - and I have been to, over the last few years, many of the graduation ceremonies - I have become a great supporter.
Since then, I have seen the pride that Aboriginal people, from all over Australia, have as they receive their certificates. There is one group of people that stand out, if you ever go to a ceremony at Batchelor, and they are the Tiwis because they do it the best. They dance everyone up to the dais and make sure everyone knows about it. Anytime they dance, I must admit, I get goose pimples because only the Tiwi Islanders have that style of dance.
Mr Ah Kit: Kuwa matani kuwa [Yes, friend, yes].
Mr WOOD: That’s it!
Mr Ah Kit: Kuluwarri [Don’t worry about it!].
Mr WOOD: I’ll tell all the kakirijuwi [little kids].
Mr Ah Kit: Pupuni! [Good!]
Mr WOOD: What it does is show that there are indigenous people who see the importance of education. They are proud of that and you see it in the faces of the people who graduate; the way they dress up in their gowns and the support they get from their own community. Sadly, that does not occur everywhere, and I think that is one of the big problems. You haven’t got, you might say, this – call it family or community peer group pressure - to say: ‘Education is the in thing; it’s cool to be educated’. We haven’t got that type of philosophy in Aboriginal communities yet. Some may - I shouldn’t generalise that; that is wrong. But I know the communities that I have associated with in some places, it isn’t cool to be educated. ‘The pub’s down the road; I have got a girlfriend’, that is it; there is nothing to move on to. We need Aboriginal doctors; we need Aboriginal gardeners; we need Aboriginal horticulturists; ones with real qualifications who study like anyone else. I get worried, sometimes, about the number of certificates we give people. Sometimes we give certificates to people for changing wheels. That is great, but sometimes I think it is a bit shallow. Aboriginal people need to get solid education if we are to advance, and I just hope that can happen.
The government has a huge task and it has made a number of platitudes, but it needs to turn those platitudes into something real. To make real changes in literacy and numeracy - and I won’t stand back from saying if the old fashioned system works, use it. I think if you have a good grounding in literacy, numeracy and you can write so I can understand it, and you know what a sentence looks like and it has a subject and a predicate - no one would know what a subject and a predicate is today.
Mr Stirling: You’re starting to lose me, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Sorry about that, Syd! I sometimes wonder, if we went back to the basics, I think we might advance from there. We also need to make sure there are real jobs for indigenous people. That gives people a real reason to be educated. I support the government in its endeavour, but I will only congratulate it when it shows that it has achieved what it is promising to achieve. Both sides of government need to be positive and work together if we are going to have any hope of changing the situation around.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I speak today in support of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training’s statement on indigenous education. To most of us, the statistics quoted by the minister are not new, and all of us should be outraged that this situation has been allowed to develop. As Bob Collins said at the conference in Darwin last year, when espousing similar statistics: ‘If the figures go any lower, we won’t be able to measure them’. To quote the minister: ‘Lack of education is the single most important factor in the poor employment record of indigenous people’.
We have something of a chicken and egg problem with indigenous education and indigenous employment. On the one hand, increasing the skills and education levels of Aboriginal people living in remote communities will not of itself create the economic enterprises and opportunities that could translate into jobs. On the other, economic opportunities that arrive suddenly in or near remote Aboriginal communities and demand quick exploitation will exclude participation by the great majority of Aboriginal people because they would not have had the education and skills to satisfy threshold recruitment criteria.
Economic opportunities will usually be generated by factors that will include the environmental and geographical circumstances in which the community finds itself. However, the determining factors will have their source far away. For example, the existence of a strong demand in urban population for a particular kind of fish, animal or local art style; or the decision by a large mining company based down south or overseas to seek exploration licences in a particular area. The likelihood of local Aboriginal people being able to translate a new economic opportunity, triggered by outside interest in their land, into long-term real jobs is extremely low unless a solid core percentage of the community’s population has the education and skills to effectively compete for jobs against non-locals keen to snap up such jobs as may be on offer. Therefore, wherever possible, we need to coordinate the government’s indigenous education policy with its policy for fostering and encouraging the development of economic enterprises in remote communities.
The generation of diverse and challenging local jobs paying reasonable money, as opposed to CDEP and Work for the Dole schemes, should greatly increase the incentive for students to complete secondary school and to undertake targeted ongoing vocational training. Having to leave home and community to pursue a higher education, however, can be daunting, but necessary for many. We need to catch our children while they are still very young, instil in them the habits and disciplines of learning that are the necessary building blocks for developing modern vocational skills later in life.
Picking up on the member for Nelson’s comments about the gap in education - and I will use the Tiwis as an example. In a recent meeting, I sat around the table with members of the Tiwi Land Council. A lot of those men and leaders who sit on the land council at the moment - and they have set up a subcommittee to look at education, even though there is this output, and a number of people from the Tiwi Islands are attending Batchelor College and graduating with certificates - those elders find themselves in a real dilemma in terms of the gap; the gap in the education knowledge of those elders and their children.
The Learning Lessons recommendations are summarised in the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan which the minister referred to in his statement. The key elements are: that our children go to school regularly; our children are fit and able to learn; our children have good schooling; our children are tracked and their educational outcomes are measured; the Indigenous Education Program is managed with full accountability; and indigenous families, communities and governments share responsibility for education outcomes - a pretty straightforward summary of what has to be put in place if Aboriginal children are to get a good education.
As the minister pointed out, though, this plan is two years old. It had to await the election of this government before it got government support. The plan was there, but this government has the will and the drive to implement the recommendations of the Collins review. I believe that one of the key challenges for government as regards indigenous education - not just in my electorate but across the Territory - is to remove the barriers identified in the Collins report that are preventing our school-age children from obtaining an effective education. One of those barriers is endemic poor health. An alarmingly high number of Aboriginal children suffer in varying degrees with impaired hearing, for example. Put simply, if you can’t hear properly, you can’t learn. Another major barrier is poor nutrition. This is where we need a whole-of-government approach in partnership with Aboriginal people.
It is pleasing that the minister is able to tell us that he has established a productive relationship with the Commonwealth on indigenous education. It is my genuine hope that the proposed strategies for the implementation of the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report that are spelt out in the minister’s statement, will receive support from both sides of this Chamber. For, as I mentioned on a previous occasion in this House, the most important stakeholders in our collective future are our children.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise to support the ministerial statement on indigenous education. The improvement of indigenous education outcomes is of prime importance to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. Certainly, in my maiden speech in this place, that was an issue that I identified as being very important. I believe that the Territory has untold wealth not only potential for economic development, but also social and cultural development.
Some of the arts and cultural festivals that are held in the Top End and in Central Australia are already attracting interest from all over the world because they are unique. There is unique culture; there is unique music; there is unique knowledge. We should respect that knowledge because when we talk about education, we tend to think about what’s called mainstream education - the philosophies and thoughts and sciences and literature and ways of doing things that have grown out of western civilisation. But, we need to recognise the incredible wealth that Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory have through 40 000 years of culture and knowledge, and we need to respect that.
However, we do live in an age where it is important to read and write; there is no doubt about it. It is important to understand the social and political systems that we live in, and it is very important, I believe, for Aboriginal people - who comprise a third of our population - to participate fully in enjoying the economic potential that this great Northern Territory holds. Indeed, the issue of indigenous or Aboriginal economic development was certainly identified during the Economic Development Summit which was held in this place not so long ago. It came as a recurring theme, again and again, for the development of the Territory. People from all sides, from all sorts of businesses, from all sorts of economic pursuits, from the educational sector; from government, from government departments, all recognise the importance of Aboriginal economic development. It is a high priority for Territorians and it is certainly a high priority for this government.
Arrears in indigenous education have been a major issue for a long time, and I take the caution of members opposite that we should be very careful not to overly raise expectations because, for many, many years Aboriginal people have been promised all sorts of things in terms of health developments, economic developments, their participation in the democratic processes and having control over their own lives.
It is my personal belief that there was a period, the so-called welfare period that went to about 1972; and then there was the era of self-determination. Certainly there were many Aboriginal organisations that seized upon self-determination and have prospered and flourished under that mantle. But there have also been other Aboriginal organisations that, I believe, under the thin veneer of what is called Aboriginal self-determination, that Aboriginal people don’t really participate fully in the decision making. Many of them are quite upset, and when you talk to them, they feel cheated in a way, and frustrated sometimes, about their lack of control. However, these are very important issues, and the arrears in indigenous education are certainly an important element, I believe, in Aboriginal self-determination.
To their credit, the previous government here in the Northern Territory engaged Bob Collins to examine this issue and report with recommendations on how to redress this situation. I would suggest there is no one better than Bob Collins to do it. Obviously, he is someone very experienced in government and how government and funding works, but also someone with a deep and abiding commitment, demonstrated over many, many years, for the well-being and advancement of Aboriginal people. The dedication in the beginning of Learning Lessons says it all. He is humble, he calls it a ‘small contribution to indigenous education in the Northern Territory’ and says it is dedicated to the memory of two outstanding Territorians: Wes Lanhupuy, MLA former member for Arnhem, and Stan Tipiloura, MLA former member for Arafura. He goes on to say:
This report, Learning Lessons, as is well known, comprised some 151 recommendations which were comprehensive and, I believe, very practical in nature. Sadly, implementation of the Collins report has been lacking since it was produced in 1999. I believe the former government must take appropriate responsibility for this.
We heard, particularly during this session: ‘It’s time to move on and it’s time to look forward’. I think we have to pause and look and say: ‘Okay, if there were two years there, what actually happened in those two years?’ I report to the House that in November 2000, I attended the Learning Lessons conference in Darwin. I won’t hold this up because it is my only copy of the report. I hope most members here would have copies of the report. It cost me $25, so I don’t want to part with it - I’d have to fork out again. I’m sure most people in this Chamber …
A member interjecting.
Dr BURNS: I learned that some time ago during the first sittings, with a health report that I tabled. It’s gone, and I’m still searching for another one. So, I am very careful about what I table here, particularly if I believe that other members have copies.
Most people would have read at least the executive summary of Learning Lessons; it is a very comprehensive report. The Learning Lessons conference that I was talking about was held in Darwin. It was hosted by the AMA and I know that the Acting Deputy Speaker was present. I know also that the Attorney-General was present there. This whole business of the Bob Collins report and improving indigenous education and actually implementing the Learning Lessons report has been a passion of the Attorney-General for a long, long time. It showed here today that he is also committed. Not only do we have Bob Collins as co-chair of the implementation committee, not only have we got members on both sides of the this House who are committed to it, but I believe we have pivotal members of the Martin Cabinet who I know are very committed to this, and recognise the importance of this report. Most of them have spoken here today. There is a lot of commitment and a lot of experience there.
The Learning Lessons conference in November 2000 was not just hosted by the AMA. They were the main host, but there were also various Northern Territory government agencies involved in hosting the Learning Lessons conference. Territory Housing and, of course, Territory Health Services were involved and, essentially, the Northern Territory Department of Education was also involved. Also, there were Aboriginal organisations represented including NACHO, the National Aboriginal Community Health Organisations, the Commonwealth and, very important, the private sector, amongst them ERA and Nabalco. There was a lot of support for the Learning Lessons conference.
Essentially, the Learning Lessons conference was all about the link between health and education, that very tight inter-relationship that the member for Arafura just spoke about. There was a great array of speakers at the Learning Lessons conference covering nearly every aspect of indigenous education, particularly the very close inter-relationship between education and health. I’ll return to that inter-relationship very soon.
What really struck me during the conference, which included an address by the former education minister, Mr Lugg, was the almost complete lack - from what I could find out - of any effective plan to implement the Collins report. Now, I might stand corrected on this - and I’d be interested if there are any further comments about this - but during one of the concurrent sessions, I questioned senior departmental officers about the implementation of the Collins report and, sadly, it appeared to me that there was no coordinated plan of action for implementation, but rather a very loose set of inter-departmental meetings. That was about the level - that I could discern, anyway - of implementation of the Collins report. Now, as I say, I might stand corrected about that.
The Collins report comprised, as most people would be aware, 151 recommendations. Towards the end of the conference I was sitting next to a person I’ve known for some years who I believe is very experienced in indigenous education, training and employment, particularly at a remote community level. This person is involved in a very practical way with that nexus between education, training and employment. They’ve been doing it for many years in a number of Aboriginal communities in the Top End. Her comment was simple: ‘Perhaps there should have been a 152nd recommendation which was: just do it’.
As the minister has clearly set out in his statement, this government has developed and endorsed the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan. We are a government of action and commitment, and we will stand judged on the action, the commitment and the outputs from our strategic plan for indigenous education.
I will return to the plan of action to implement the Collins report and improve indigenous education shortly, but before doing so, I’d like to outline some additional and extremely significant benefits of improving indigenous education outcomes in the Northern Territory. Many of these were outlined during the AMA Learning Lessons conference in Darwin in November 2000, and they relate to the close inter-relationship between education and health.
At a local level, the Territory level, the experienced but simple perspective put forward by Professor Allan Walker at the Learning Lessons conference is well worth considering. Most people would be aware that Professor Walker has given meritorious decades of service to the Territory community as a paediatrician. He said, and I quote from his paper:
Professor Walker, a very experienced paediatrician, is highlighting the link between education and health. In one short statement, he has underlined the importance of implementing the Collins report in order to improve the health and economic outlook for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and that, in turn, as I’ve said before, has the tremendous potential to unlock the boundless economic, social and cultural potential of the Northern Territory.
I’ve had the privilege of hearing Professor Walker speak a number of times. I think his experience in the Territory goes back some 30 or 40 years as a paediatrician and, like the member for Nelson, he also laments the fact that older Aboriginal Territorians appear to have a much better education than some of the younger people coming through. This is an important thing because many of those people are leaders; people of the calibre of Lanhupuy and Tipiloura who I mentioned before. I know the Yunupingus and Gatjil Djerrkura are very highly educated people and many people in Central Australia. It is also an important issue of leadership for Aboriginal people, the link between education and political leadership.
I’d now like to turn to the minister’s statement and the strategies that he has outlined to effectively improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal Territorians. The establishment of the implementation steering committee to be co-chaired by Bob Collins and Esther Djayhgurrnga is pivotal to success. The committee, which will comprise a majority of Aboriginal people, ensures that Aboriginal experience and understanding will, to a large degree, ensure that they have control over the process. As I said previously, I know that Bob Collins’ vast experience in government will also ensure that the implementation process will be practical and cost-effective.
Partnerships with Aboriginal community is a term that is often used and is probably more conceptual than real. I believe it has been often abused. At an Aboriginal community level, I’ve often seen some great examples of schools involving communities and working very well with the local community. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen some poor examples where, for a variety of reasons, the community becomes alienated from the school. That is why the proposal to set up local education advisory boards is such a positive initiative.
The issue of low attendance of indigenous children in our schools is one that must be addressed in a cooperative fashion. I believe there is also a pivotal role for the local education advisory boards to make such a contribution.
If I could digress here, as I told the House in my maiden speech, some 20 years ago I was a YMCA worker at Maningrida in the Arafura electorate. I used to make the activities for the kids so attractive that they’d like to come to the YMCA hall rather than go to school. So it became a bit of a pitched battle between myself and the kids to get them to school. Many years later, probably in the last three or four years, one of those - he’s a grown man now - came up to me and he said: ‘You always used to say: “Go to school, boys, go to school”.’ And he did go to school; he is a very well educated man. His name is Tim Wilson; he’s the singer in the Leatherstick Band. Unfortunately, to some degree, Tim’s experience has been soured because he has found a lack of employment opportunities in his own community, and I’ll touch on that soon, because it is a very important issue. He has always expressed to me his satisfaction in getting a good education and his thanks for me for encouraging him to do so. I know that his father, who is deceased, was also a big influence on Tim going to school.
I come to the need to link education and employment. Over the years, I have witnessed many bright, young Aboriginal people who have completed their schooling and become very disillusioned over the lack of employment opportunities. I’ve illustrated that with the story of Tim Wilson, although Tim, obviously, has a lot of musical talent with the Leatherstick Band, and they’re getting a name both nationally and internationally. But, he has had trouble getting employment in his local community despite being trained as a mechanic, or getting a lot of training as a mechanic when he was a bit younger.
Similarly, many young Aboriginal people have expressed a lack of enthusiasm for school since they felt it would not provide them with future employment. The issue of employment is a pivotal one. Like Tim, many of these people have expressed disillusionment at seeing many jobs in their communities being filled by non-Aboriginal people, and feeling that these jobs …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker! I seek an extension of time of one minute for the member for Johnston.
Leave granted.
Dr BURNS: I’m going to need more than a minute, I think.
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have one minute; you can’t extend because of the motion.
Dr BURNS: I can’t extend? In conclusion, I welcome the minister’s statement on indigenous education. It comprehensively sets out how this government intends to improve indigenous education outcomes through the implementation of the Collins report. As I stated previously, that result in itself has tremendous potential to unlock the boundless economic, social and cultural potential of the Northern Territory.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker. I thank all members for their contribution in this debate today.
I go to the first member to speak after myself, the member for Port Darwin. She was generally very positive about the initiative and of the ministerial statement today - once we got past the earlier quirky comments, I suppose, but let’s leave it at that. She showed an understanding, particularly in relation to health, housing and nutrition, and showed that understanding of the situation that some indigenous children are in, of course through no fault of their own, when they arrive at school. Certainly, it was something picked up also by the member for Arafura and the member for Johnston where you have extraordinarily high levels of quite dramatic hearing loss. It’s all a bit moot, I guess, as to what actually can be achieved in the classroom situation where so much of what is being said is being missed by those youngsters who have suffered hearing loss at such a young age, that it’s not picked up. I thank her for her contribution.
I was pleased that the member for Stuart was able to contribute because in the many years that he was shadow minister for education and the time after the Collins report was written and handed down, it was the member for Stuart who kept the dream alive after the government appeared, from our perspective, to walk away from the Collins report. I tell you, it wasn’t always that easy. He came in to Caucus - we’d be sitting there planning Question Time, and he’d say: ‘We have to ask a question on Collins. We haven’t asked a question of Collins this sittings’. We’d say: ‘What for, Peter? Where is it going? Who picks it up? Where’s the media interest in this?’ But, the member for Stuart is not one - and those of us who have worked with him for a few years well know this - to be brushed aside so lightly. It was easier - it was always easier in the end - to say: ‘Yes, the Collins question is number four today’, rather than have interminable argument around the table about whether we’d have the Collins question or not. So, credit to him - and there is no member more chuffed on this side than him to see the Collins report being rolled out and implemented. Of course, he comes with a great deal of personal experience to the whole question of education, having been a bush teacher and a bush principal for many years. I like to see him happy; I like to see him relaxed and seeing something of what he knew and what he holds so dear to his heart, being implemented. I think that goes for probably for all members.
The member for Macdonnell was, again, supportive in his comments and I thank him for that. I didn’t get all of the questions across the floor in relation to what the shadow minister had left to ask. In relation to the 100 extra teachers - and I did pick this up earlier in these sittings - in consultation with the AEU, the balances between the need for English as a second language teachers against special needs, the majority is likely to be special needs teachers, recognising the great need that’s out there. There is a follow-on question in relation to that - going to students services, inclusion support funding - that was part of the document that the member for Macdonnell passed to me. I’m certainly aware of concerns in relation to this, simply by visiting schools myself as the minister for education. The difficulty seems to be, as more students are included under the umbrella and categorised as students with special needs, the less funding - it gets spread thinner. Of course, that’s a recipe for going backwards.
I have a couple of notes here that I can put on the record for the shadow minister for education and the member for Macdonnell. $2 384 790 was allocated for inclusion support in 2002, an increase of $50 000 from the previous year and that supports 454 special needs students in our schools. The number of students identified with a high level of disability has increased each year and, where schools and parents have a concern that the amount allocated to employ the ISA - that is the Inclusion Support Assistance - to work with an individual student is insufficient, they can appeal. These appeals are being dealt with on a case-by-case basis and involve parents, schools, and student services. Although funding is generated on individual student level, principals have flexibility in how they use this funding and other resources in their schools to provide support for students. I have requested that the department examine the level of funding in this program with a view to increasing the funding allocation to deal with the increasing demands. As I pointed out, we’ve put in an extra $50 000, but that doesn’t keep pace with the number of students that have been categorised as special need. So, we are still catching up with the tail and the department is looking at that one. I am aware there are other questions there, and I will have to try to pick them up because I didn’t get them all across the floor.
I thank the member for Arnhem for his contribution. He is, of course, familiar with many of the difficulties in indigenous education on a personal level, with his background and his relationship with his electorate. I also thank the member for Millner for his comments. He is a young indigenous man who has had the benefit of a quality education unlike many thousands of indigenous students for whose benefit we are pushing this initiative forward. He certainly is adamant that the Collins report must go forward. He believes that it has the potential to bring about the change and to turn around the situation that we currently have.
I always enjoy the member for Nelson’s contributions because he speaks from the heart, and always has that deep, personal experience and reflection. You can’t tell a lie when you are doing that; that’s the reality. It’s from the heart and it’s absolutely genuine personal experience, and I appreciate, from that level of experience, what he had to say. I share his view: I have many Yolngu friends in their 30s and 40s who write, I’ve got to admit, handwriting better than mine; read as well as myself; and were subject to the missionary style of education in those days long gone. But the standards have dropped; the standards have fallen away dramatically in that 30 years since that influence was there. So, that’s not anecdotal. I tell the member for Nelson, he is right on. But what does it tell you? It can be achieved; it’s been done before and it will be done again. But we are not going to achieve this turnaround overnight. We are not naive enough to believe that. We know that the falling away, if you like, has been over a long period of time and it will take us time to get back. But it’s an interesting point that the member raised.
The member for Arafura gave a clear view of the difficulties from experience in her own electorate as well. The member for Johnston raised the question of expectations and whether we ought not be careful of raising expectations in indigenous communities to an unrealistic level only for disappointment later on when that’s not delivered. Well, there are two sides to expectations and the way I see expectation is that I think we have built a culture of failure in our education system where the expectation is for the student to fail. And, of course, they will meet that expectation; they’ll meet the expectation that is placed upon them. If we were to raise the expectations of standards and outcomes in our indigenous schools that would be a first and vital step in breaking what has been a culture of failure that’s become endemic over the years.
I said that we don’t expect to turn around the results overnight, but we certainly believe it’s a solid start and it will provide a solid base on which we can move forward to build for better outcomes in the future. I bumped into the big fella, Bob Collins, the author of Learning Lessons and co-chair of the implementation committee. I have to say that he was as chuffed as the member for Stuart - absolutely delighted, a big smile on his face when he made an appearance earlier in the gallery.
The other point I would like to make - I’ve made it a couple of times this week - I do believe that we have found in the new federal Minister for Education, Dr Brendan Nelson, a friend of the Territory and a friend to indigenous education who recognises the great need; who has put his own name behind it in terms of turning it around. We deeply appreciate the fact that he shares our vision that it can be turned around. He has committed to work with us in order to get the Collins implementation on the ground, to the extent that he has allowed one Peter Buckskin, who is a very senior public servant within the old DETYA - now DEST, I think it is called; they change the name from time to time. But Peter Buckskin has never changed his name, nor his attitudes, nor his skills. He is highly regarded around Australia, also a frequent visitor to the Territory over many years. I was so pleased - I raised the matter first with Dr Kemp, but it was confirmed by Dr Nelson - that Peter Buckskin would sit on our implementation committee. That gives the Commonwealth a seat at the table, so they know not only which direction it’s headed, we expect them to have input, particularly from someone with the expertise and experience of one Peter Buckskin. We thank the federal government and the federal minister for that and we thank and welcome Peter Buckskin to that committee. We look forward to getting it bedded down.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to bring to the attention of the Assembly the innovative, constructive and helpful work of the mining industry and the government in developing the decision-making and employment skills in our indigenous communities. Members of this Assembly will be aware that employment and business initiatives in many remote indigenous communities are limited. Jobs are hard to come by and the success rate of new, innovative small business is limited. The success of CDEP schemes in many communities is well recognised and is providing limited employment. CDEP is supporting the maintenance of communities, but the employment that is most valuable is employment in commercial business enterprise.
The mining sector is one of the few activities which, in some areas, provides an opportunity for indigenous people to participate in mainstream commercial enterprise. All the agreements entered into by mining companies on Aboriginal land include commitments to local employment. These are commitments that are given in good faith by the mining companies. However, to obtain work in the mining industry, potential participants require adequate education and training. Basic numeracy and literacy skills are vital to understand workplace safety and operating instructions. Again, very much a reflection - just to digress for a moment - on the absolute importance of getting this Bob Collins’ Learning Lessons implementation to take full effect and actually lift those numeracy and literacy educational skills on our communities.
In some communities, companies struggle to find sufficient suitable indigenous applicants who are adequately skilled and available for employment. Those with appropriate skills are quickly employed by local councils, schools and health clinics. In the past, many mining companies working in remote localities took the view that provision of such basic education was the role of educators and the government, not the miners. They expressed the view that while they were happy to employ local people, they expected those potential employees to come to them ready for the more advanced mining training.
In recent years, however, companies faced with lack of adequately prepared local employees and anxious to meet the commitments they had entered into have embarked on a range of initiatives designed to address these hurdles. These initiatives are built on a solid foundation of corporate commitment to building community relationships and respecting the culture and aspirations of indigenous people.
These statements of corporate intent are openly and proudly placed on company’s Internet sites. A couple of examples:
A significant statement of corporate intent. From the Normandy site comes the following quote:
Visits to web sites for other companies such as Rio Tinto, GEMCO, Nabalco and MIM will find similar statements of corporate intent. These aren’t empty statements; they are genuine statements of corporate intent and, as I will go on to show, this corporate intent is actually being put into practice here in the Northern Territory. Let me outline some of the innovative solutions which have been developed in the Territory to assist indigenous people to gain experience, and to become involved in the mining industry.
The approach of mining companies and associated mining services is being assisted by their involvement in the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, which held its most recent meeting in this very building just last week. IMETF - I’ll call it IMETF from here on in - was established in 1996 in recognition of the potential of the mining industry to improve the skill base and employment opportunities in remote areas of the Territory. The task force includes representatives from indigenous groups, the mining industry, land councils, training providers and government departments. This task force has no parallel in any other state in Australia and is in fact the envy of our neighbours who see the cooperation between all of those stakeholders in developing and participating in an indigenous employment strategy as a significant step forward.
I had great pleasure in inviting IMETF to hold their latest meeting in Parliament House late last week. It was the first time that they had been invited to Parliament House and they are welcome back any time. I had a very enjoyable function with people on the task force and addressed the opening session of one of their meetings. I’ll certainly be following the progress of this group with a lot of interest.
The Mining Services Division of my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development acts as the secretariat to IMETF. This group of people also seek to improve awareness of mining industry issues and opportunities in remote communities through their innovative school and community education activities. I table the 2000-01 annual report - it was called AMETF then, but it’s changed its name. The report highlights numerous proactive approaches to the issues of indigenous employment being developed and successfully implemented by mining companies and indigenous communities right throughout the Territory - a great secret, and something that hasn’t had a wide degree of publicity. I’m really proud to make this statement tonight, and to highlight the corporate intent turning into action and the willingness of indigenous communities and the land councils to participate in this particular venture.
Let me highlight some of the key activities described in the report, to give this House an idea of the range of activities being implemented to deal with the challenges that I have referred to. One major program is the establishment of the Yirrkala Business Enterprise and Nabalco Operator Training School, the Y-NOTS program, which I’m absolutely certain that the member for Nhulunbuy supports wholly. The program is providing the training and skills for indigenous recruits to enter the work force in their local area. Innovative joint venture agreements between Alcan and Yirrkala Business Enterprises for mining and civil construction projects are providing continuity of involvement and employment for the Yolgnu people and their business enterprises in north-east Arnhem Land. This program will also ensure that Yolgnu workers are skilled up to take advantage of employment opportunities when construction of the Mataranka to Gove gas pipeline commences.
From the 30 trainees to enter this 30 week training program in 2001, 18 recently graduated with nationally recognised qualifications as plant operators - a magnificent success story. The majority of these were immediately placed into local employment with Yirrkala Business Enterprises and Gulf Freight, who provide contract to mining services Nabalco.
Allow me to outline some other innovative initiatives which encourage indigenous participation in the mining industry here in the Northern Territory. Energy Resources of Australia is providing opportunities through its Ranger Mine. The Ingannar Training Centre has conducted a broad range of courses and training programs - from literacy and numeracy, first aid and computer courses through to structured training and employment initiatives - to prepare trainees for careers in horticulture, heavy equipment, operating, environmental and administrative roles. The company also provides opportunities through its apprenticeships program and it sponsors a range of other career developments and tertiary training options for its employees.
I had the great privilege of actually visiting the site out there at Ranger and being taken through this training centre, talking to the trainees. People came from all over the Northern Territory, and the company is doing an absolutely magnificent job - a lot of very happy indigenous trainees who can see their way to the future and a way forward as a result of this investment by ERA.
Another leader in indigenous employment and development is GEMCO, the Groote Eylandt Mining Company. On Groote Eylandt - in my colleague, the member for Arnhem’s electorate - innovative employment strategies have provided certified training and permanent employment opportunities for indigenous people. This is achieved through a successful partnership with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Northern Territory University. GEMCO recently advertised for a new local employment intake into its trainee program. This recruitment drive was necessary as a result of five previous trainees gaining permanent positions with the companies. Such was the success and interest in their program that they have received 30 applications from the small community of Angurugu for just six vacancies in their program.
I remember - it must have been about 18 months ago, the member for Arnhem would recollect - we had a Caucus meeting out on Groote Eylandt in the electorate, and we actually went through the training program and were absolutely impressed to see the commitment of GEMCO to take young indigenous people without the literacy and numeracy skills - taking on that corporate responsibility that really, I suppose, in the broader scheme of things, shouldn’t be theirs. But so committed are they to this that they brought those trainees up to I think about a Year 10 education level and then put them in to full-on apprenticeship programs and in to the mine where these young Aboriginal people were earning the $60 000 to $70 000 a year salaries that were previously absolutely unattainable on that community. Those people have now obviously gone on to be great role models. As we can see, six jobs available and 30 young people to say: ‘Hey, other people can do this; I can do this’. It is all about positive role models and positive attitude, and that is what is happening on Groote Eylandt. It really was quite inspirational to visit that particular project on Groote Eylandt and see the success that they have achieved. Again, a success that isn’t trumpeted by the company. It is not out there in terms of the good news story, and I certainly believe it should be.
Normandy Mining has adopted a national indigenous employment strategy which has resulted in a significant increase in involvement in indigenous people in projects in the Tanami region. Through several employment and contracting initiatives, indigenous employment at The Granites mine reached an all-time high of 70 indigenous employees last year. The Normandy program is a good example of the current level of cooperation and commitment between mining companies, land councils and indigenous communities. The CLC has worked closely with Normandy at The Granites mine to assist with the provision of skilled employees to fill vacancies that have occurred at the site. In this cooperative approach, the CLC’s Mining Employment Unit has identified potential recruits, conducted pre-selection functions such as medicals, police checks etcetera, and provided them with the essential pre-employment training through a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations funded project.
At last week’s IMETF meeting the CLC reported on the success of this program. This program has successfully placed some 35 indigenous employees last year, most of whom were recruited to Normandy’s Granites gold mine.
In a more recent initiative, another great success story: McArthur River Mining’s community education partnership will bring secondary education into the Borroloola community in the member for Barkly’s electorate. McArthur River Mining has worked closely with both the Borroloola community and the Department of Employment, Education and Training to enter into a community education partnership. Until now, as is the case in most remote indigenous communities, students have had to travel to boarding schools in Darwin or Alice Springs or study by correspondence to be able to access secondary education. Through this innovative partnership, students will now be able to access secondary curriculum without having to leave the support of their families and the community. At last week’s IMETF meeting, McArthur River Mining announced that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between McArthur River Mining, DEET and the Borroloola community and is hoped to be finalised and signed in the coming weeks. I certainly wish the community and McArthur River Mining every success in that proposal.
We can also add to this impressive list of achievements the recent agreement between Rio Tinto and the Northern Land Council. This agreement provides for the facilitation of the grant of Rio Tinto’s exploration licences in the north of the Territory. The agreement takes the form of an MOU whereby the Northern Land Council will seek the approval of local Aboriginal groups to the expedited grant of Rio Tinto exploration licences. In the agreement, which would be entered into by Rio Tinto and local Aboriginal groups, Rio Tinto commits itself and its contractors to maximising local Aboriginal employment, providing training and giving preference to local tenders if of equal merit to other tenders. This is a major commitment by the company and a proactive initiative that will, over time, assist in bringing to indigenous people an improved standard of living. Rio Tinto is a major tenement applicant and holder in the Territory and this MOU will facilitate the grant of their tenure.
I table a map showing the distribution of exploration licences impacted upon by this agreement. Again I congratulate, as I said in Question Time this morning, both Rio Tinto and the NLC in reaching this MOU. I can add to this the tenure grants that I announced in October last year of 62 exploration licences in the CLC region, and we can see that progress is being made. Again, I table a map I used to show the CLC grants at that time.
At last we have movement. We have broken the log jam and grants for exploration licences are starting to flow and that is magnificent news to the mining industry in the Northern Territory. I am very confident - it has been a great part of the job as being minister for mining in the Northern Territory to keep meeting explorers coming through, briefing me on their hopes and dreams and aspirations, and it really is addictive. Certainly, working in the mining industry in Tasmania many years ago - I digress for a few moments - I know how addictive prospecting is, getting out into the bush with the gold pans and panning for gold on weekends and finding little traces is absolutely addictive. The mining industry is now starting to move in the Northern Territory.
I would like to return to the role played in the program by the Mining Services Division of my department. While it has been spoken of in this place before, it is worthwhile repeating in the context of this statement, the excellent work being done by this team - it hasn’t been shouted from the rooftops, but it really should be - which has contributed enormously to the capacity of indigenous people to make decisions about mining and other use of their land. This team visits communities throughout the Territory at the invitation of the local schools and community councils to teach children and adults about the role that mining and the products of mining play in the life of the community. I haven’t actually had the opportunity to get out on one of these visits yet. I just missed one late last year due to other commitments. I am very keen to get out as soon as I can with this team onto a community and see them in action because they certainly have delivered the goods. A great bunch of people and a fantastic initiative.
I am sure that even many of us in this place fail to grasp the extent to which the products of mining are used in our everyday life. Every building is almost 100% made of mining products: bricks, cement, roofing iron, paint, power cables and electricity itself are the end product of a mineral or a petroleum development. Let’s hope that we can get that gas onshore and really see the product of that investment in terms of reduced electricity prices here in the Northern Territory.
We eat food cooked on stoves powered by electricity or gas, off plates made of clay or plastic, and with utensils from the same source. We play sport using equipment made of metal or plastics, fish in aluminium boats and fly and drive in machines made from products of mining. Australia is the world’s major supplier of many of the raw materials used to sustain the technologies that affect our lives to this extent. The Territory contributes, on a per capita basis, well above the national average to this score and to maintain our good record, we need to maintain an active exploration effort. This means that exploration for the elusive oil resources is required over the length and breadth of the Territory and on all land, including pastoral leases and Aboriginal land.
We recognise the rights of land owners to decide how their land is used. In making decisions on these matters, land owners should be aware of the big picture and the impact of the decision. The manager of the Mining Services Division recounts how, when talking to Aboriginal traditional owners in one community, they said to him: ‘We don’t know what we don’t know, so how can we ask questions about these things?’
The division’s program is designed to redress this problem for communities and to give them the knowledge to make their decisions on mining and mineral and petroleum developments with much more confidence, and from a basis of knowledge as opposed to ignorance and fear. Again, the work through the department - and through the mining companies who have taken on and embraced this social responsibility to actually get out there and explain to indigenous people, traditional owners, the impact and the consequences of mining, the benefits, the environmental issues, so that people can make an informed decision. My belief is when all the facts are put in front of people, an informed decision will be made in the best interests of the community, and we will see mining. Once we discover those new ore bodies, new mines will come into play in the Northern Territory.
So effective are the educational gains, the three dimensional models and the demonstrations the team use, they are regularly asked to return to communities to speak with the key decision makers who seek the best outcomes for their people. Indeed, at the request of the NLC, this team has also been delivering gas pipeline awareness programs in tandem with the NLC to key traditional owners along the proposed pipeline route. Again, they are out there with the foresight that these pipelines are a certainty, and I commend them for their optimism; I share in their optimism. It is great to see them being proactive in this process.
The initiatives I’ve outline here today are being carried out within a climate of mutual respect and cooperation between all the stakeholders. Cooperation and partnership are the way forward between traditional owners, mining companies, explorers and government. The mining sector in the Territory has taken a very progressive view in acknowledging the absolute necessity to develop these partnerships and, as I have outlined here today, have taken this corporate view and turned words into action on the ground through these training and employment programs. Real gains are being made and I look forward, as Resource Development Minister, to working proactively with explorers to get them onto the ground, developing new mines, providing jobs for both indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians. I commend this statement to honourable members.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I note the minister’s statement and I take pleasure in providing a response, a response that will be brief because it is a brief statement. I don’t say that as a matter of criticism; I say it as a matter of fact. That is, that it is a concise record of the efforts of IMETF and the efforts of the mining companies in the Northern Territory as they move through with proactive programs in developing opportunities for Aboriginal employment in the mining industry, particularly in the Northern Territory. It is also a report on the good work that is being done through the Mining Tribunal and also through the efforts of the new government - the new minister - to get further exploration licenses granted in the Northern Territory.
It is a pleasing report and, in the context of the reports that have been delivered in this parliament so far, it is very pleasing to see a ministerial statement that doesn’t indulge in name calling and blaming. It is a statement that lays out the facts and fairly congratulates those who have been involved. Significant congratulations need to be given, particularly to those many officers in the department of mines and other public service officers who have worked with industry to progress these sorts of issues.
There is no doubt, as the minister said, that within the mining sector in the past, there was an attitude to indigenous employment that was probably quite demanding. I would disagree slightly with the statement that the mining industry expected Aborigines to be ready for advanced mining skills, or essentially ready for employment for various facets of the industry. In a general sense, I would suggest that their demands were far fewer than that; they probably centred more on basic numeracy and literacy and basic OH and S knowledge so that they could take up some of the lowest jobs within the industry. Not feeling confident in that regard, obviously there was a lack of confidence in employing them in other areas or a lack of confidence in seeing them progress to other areas.
That, to my mind, is the great focus of IMETF, and the focus that the new government has applied to support that organisation, the mining industry itself, and also the many Aboriginal organisations including private enterprise such as Yirrkala Business Enterprises, that are working very hard with the industry itself to try and get great advancement for their own people.
For the record, I would like to state - and I’m sure there is no objection - I looked at Foundations for our Future which I do in most things, go back to see what happened in Foundations for our Future to get a reference point for some of these things. If you look at Foundation No 2, Building on a Successful Resource-Based Economy, the objectives in Foundation 2, in one area:
If you reference to Foundation No 4 – Foster Partnerships in Aboriginal Development, the aim, in Economic Development, is:
When you look at mining development, for the record, it says:
In that regard, this is essentially a ministerial statement that reports on the activities of IMETF and I look forward to reading this report. This annual report, at first glance, seems very good. I’m particularly pleased to see the modules for Groote Eylandt laid out. I, too, was briefed when I visited there, about the success of that program and I’m very pleased from the statement to see that - I understand, from recollection, 18 students have progressed successfully through that program already - and this report lays out the Employment Development Module as the students can move through to greater level skills in the industry.
The thing that seems to come through with a lot of these successful programs, not only in the mining industry but others, seems to me to be: small group; intensive effort. That seems to be a factor that is bearing a great deal of success in preparing Aboriginal people, in whatever industry, not only to be successful in that industry, but to be future leaders in their own communities. So it seems to me this Groote Eylandt model works off that: small group instruction, very intensive instruction, and very strong support base to ensure the individual goes through. Just as an aside, that’s the structure that many organisations have moved to in skills training.
A good report; thank you for the information that’s in that statement. I don’t want to labour the efforts of the various mining companies that are involved or the strategies they are employing. They are all laid out in the minister’s statement and certainly available to anyone to read in the annual report.
The second thing I’d mention is that - and it is worth emphasising - the minister made reference to the officers who are involved. We play politics a lot in this Chamber; we are pretty good at saying the Labor Party is all for Aboriginal people and the CLP’s not and that seems to be a consistent fact of life. The reality is that at that level, we can play those games and point score but underneath that level, whether it has been a CLP government - actually it has been a CLP government - underneath that level, there have been a range of public officers working diligently with the best of intentions, irrespective of politics, for the betterment of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and doing it extremely well. I am very pleased to see the congratulations to those officers is there in the minister’s statement, because it should be there.
Secondly, there is a message for all of us as we move into the future: we need to work together, as far as possible, to take the blame out of Aboriginal issues in the Northern Territory and try, where possible, to work cooperatively, recognising that on some issues we will invariably differ - and differ quite markedly - and that is the way it should be. That’s the way people differ in their own opinions and each of us can only respect those points of view and, in some ways, represent those points of view to the best of our ability.
The other point I’d make is - and, again, I believe credit goes to the minister and his department in this regard - the good work that has been made in granting further exploration licences in the Northern Territory. Also, it seems to me - and I may stand corrected - that the Mining Tribunal is extremely active and, to a large extent, the tribunal itself has helped, by forceful decision, to stop a lot of this log jam and telling people to get out of the way with claims that are designed to delay. Bring in some substantive issues and they will deal with them; if you don’t have a set of substantive issues, let low impact exploration occur. That is very pleasing to see.
I would also remind members that when it comes to the future of mining in the Northern Territory and, therefore, the future of Aboriginal employment in the Northern Territory, in a large context it is really up to the stakeholders and the mining companies themselves now because, from a government perspective, a legislative perspective, the Native Title Act rules supreme. The most we can do is do our very best to make sure the tribunals operate within the act as best as possible. I would hope where there are changes to the act that are necessary, we should work together to achieve them. When it comes to the Native Title Act that operates in the Northern Territory - which is national legislation - it is worth reminding ourselves that the subordinate legislation that was framed in this House for Territorians to use, as the Native Title subordinate legislation in the Northern Territory, was supported unanimously in this Chamber by both sides of parliament.
It was stopped in Canberra by the efforts of the Democrats and the Greens who were essentially lobbied by vested interests, and that situation is the status quo. I believe that where that act is found wanting in the future, certainly from this side of the House you will get our strong support in getting mechanisms in that act changed where necessary that will assist Aboriginal people and mining enterprises to achieve their objectives.
It is also worth noting that changes have been made in jurisdictions like Queensland where a Labor government was in power, and the federal Labor Party found themselves able to support it. I think it’s a great opportunity and challenge for this Labor government to achieve sensible changes in the Northern Territory. I can tell the minister that I will be the first to stand in this Chamber and applaud him if he can achieve those changes legislatively, where they can be achieved.
Having said that, without being overly repetitive, I thank the minister for his statement; I thank the officers involved; I congratulate IMETF for their efforts and I look forward to further progress in the future.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, let me first say I welcome the encouraging support of the Leader of the Opposition. In my six years here - just over six years - we’ve had, when we were in opposition, our arguments with the government and the previous ministers for resource development about the log jam and all of that. It is really good to see that a change has come over the opposition now, and I am hopeful that we can work together in a bipartisan way to get economic development happening across the Territory. But I say that in the knowledge of ensuring that we also understand native title holders’ and traditional owners’ rights and respect those legislative rights. I am sure, as we continue, we will gradually develop more economic enterprises on and off Aboriginal land. It is certainly a challenge that this government is looking forward to.
I am pleased to take the opportunity to speak in support of the statement by my colleague, the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development. Before I comment on the specific benefits that are available to indigenous people through employment in the mining industry, I will take a moment to expand on the issue of indigenous economic development in a much broader sense.
The importance of employment options for indigenous people living in remote areas cannot be overestimated. We have long recognised that, while CDEP, that is the Community Development Employment Program, is important to many communities, it is also critical to the ongoing development of communities and regions that other forms of economic sustainability are pursued as well. The sustainability of remote communities can be strengthened by involvement in the big dollar projects such as mines, and it can be achieved by the development of local and regional small business. It can also be achieved by a combination of these types of economic activities in a sustainable approach. The Territory, over the years, has continued to develop its extensive natural resources on initiatives in the pastoral industry, agriculture and mining.
Many of the industries conduct their activities on Aboriginal land, but the potential positive impacts have not always been seen on the ground. Many towns and communities have developments occurring on their front doorstep but continue to confront social and economic problems that often seem to be beyond their control. Many Aboriginal people continue to find themselves at the lower end of the scale on every social and economic indicator. This government is convinced that, for this situation to improve, they must develop a better understanding of the needs of various groups. This better understanding must then be utilised in the development of a coordinated approach to achieve results in areas of identified need. It doesn’t matter whether those needs are to do with education, health, small business, local government or whatever. A coordinated approach should aim to achieve cooperation at all levels of government, among the numerous agencies involved and, most importantly, with the communities and regions that will be immediately affected.
Only through such an inclusive approach where indigenous people are actually involved in the decision making about programs and priorities, will it be possible to generate enhancement of individual and community self-esteem. The coordinated approach, we believe, can be achieved by the negotiation of framework agreements, regional agreements and partnerships. My colleague emphasised the importance of mining to employment opportunities for indigenous people. Mining provides many different forms of employment from driving a truck, landscaping and land rehabilitation, management, trades, through to working in a laboratory analysing rock samples. The employment options are generally only available when people are able to first find suitably targetted training programs. The training required to provide the option of employment in the various fields in which employment might be available in a particular mine is highly varied.
Innovative approaches to education and training are necessary to ensure that the maximum range of employment options for indigenous people are available in the mining industry,. The development of effective partnerships is one path by which we will be able to focus the efforts of the many stakeholders on the provision of education, targetted training, and the creation of employment options for indigenous people - particularly those living in the more remote areas. There are many stakeholders in this area: mining companies, schools, training institutions such as the Northern Territory University are obviously key stakeholders. So, too, are unions, land councils, ATSIC, regional councils, local government councils and CDEP coordinators.
One current method of developing innovative approaches and coordinating activity is the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force. This is an initiative that should be commended. The task force is chaired by Ralph Blyth, an indigenous employee of ERA at Jabiru. He is a born and bred Territorian, as is his family. Ralph is well aware of the challenges that face indigenous people. The task force came about following a discussion some years ago between Gatjil Djerrkura and Kirk Whelan, when he was then an employee of the Department of Mines and Energy. The task force is now supported by almost every mining company active in the Territory, as well as government agencies, land councils and other parties.
I believe that the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force is having a direct influence on the employment of indigenous people in the mining industry. It also gives the mining companies a forum to show their successes in this area, or to air some of the issues and challenges that are confronting them. The meetings are held regularly around the Territory, and it encourages local indigenous groups to attend and actively participate. I know, for example, that their meetings have been held at places such as Borroloola, the Argyle Mine outside of Kununurra, Tennant Creek, Jabiru and elsewhere.
What my colleague has outlined to the Assembly is all about the sharing of knowledge, issues, cooperation, and then setting in place agreements. To the staff of the minister’s department who have been involved in providing support to the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, let me say: well done, keep up the good work. I commend and support the minister’s statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Speaker, I rise early this evening to congratulate and support our minister for resource development for his ministerial statement today on indigenous mining in the Territory, and the relationship between mining and the opportunities it provides to indigenous Territorians. I’m pleased to recognise that our government will leave no stone unturned in supporting the mining industry in its growth which provides crucial regional economic opportunities in the Territory. Might I say that I’m an avid fan of the results of mining and, indeed, I believe that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. In my speech, I will be focussing on the diamond potential that the Territory has which, I have to say - in a world context - is extraordinarily exciting.
Previous diamond exploration in the Northern Territory goes back to the mid-1970s with discoveries of a great swathe of micro diamonds across central Northern Territory. There’s also a number of macro diamonds; that is, diamonds that you find in jewellery of quite substantial gem and carat quality. These macro diamonds - the diamonds that companies like De Beers, Rio Tinto, and BHP Billiton search the world for - exist in what’s called kimberlite indicator minerals. Indeed, there has been a large discovery of kimberlite indicator minerals around a micro diamond envelope cutting right through deposits throughout the Territory. Specifically, the occurrences of kimberlite in the Northern Territory occur around Timber Creek; Pack Saddle; Merlin, where there is an existing operating diamond mine; and Coanjula in the Calvert Hills area.
Just for a moment, I’ll talk about Merlin, the open pit mine that Rio Tinto is currently operating. There is a series of diamondiferous kimberlite pipes that are producing high quality diamonds. These are selling in the world through two sales agencies: one is found in Antwerp in Belgium, and the other is through the De Beers central selling organisation. The average price is currently fetching $US130 a carat. This mine is producing about 180 000 carats a year, which equates to AUD45m. As you can tell by those impressive figures, this is a substantial mining venture in the Northern Territory.
From the diamond exploration surveys that have been conducted through the Geological Survey Division of the Mines Division, it can be reasonably inferred that there are many more undiscovered kimberlite pipes that should, indeed, contain macro quality diamonds. This government is very supportive of the work undertaken by the Geological Survey Division and, indeed, congratulate them for their terrific efforts. These efforts have come about because this division has provided major diamond exploration companies with high-resolution aero-magnetic geophysical surveys. These surveys have been undertaken through the hard work of DBIRD, and it is access to this crucial information that is attracting mining companies to the Northern Territory.
Apart from the three major global diamond players who are showing a stake and interest in the Northern Territory at the moment - that is De Beers, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton - we also have four active junior explorers out there, who are exploring on their own tenements. The most notable is Elkedra Diamonds NL which has just floated on the Australian Stock Exchange purely on the basis of a diamond exploration find in the Northern Territory. This is very exciting news for the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory, clearly, is becoming very attractive to large mining companies, and there is a reason for that. Essentially, the reason is the change of government. Not to put too fine a point on it, the change in government has brought into the Territory a new regime of trust, and when we are talking about the massive amount of money that companies pour into exploration activities, trust in business is essential. This regime of trust is borne out of the partnership, the cooperative approach, that our government is taking in terms of mining in the Territory. We are bringing the key players together: indigenous traditional owners, explorers, Minerals Council, the peak bodies, experts in the field, and government. They are all coming together properly for the first time, arguably, in the history of the Territory. This industry is now ready to really move ahead. It is exciting in its developments. It will bring the long awaited, long hoped for sustainable regional economic development in the Territory. I really do congratulate the minister for his efforts; he is showing great strength, great leadership and is working with everyone in the sector.
I would also like to congratulate, again, the staff of the Mines Division and specifically, I am a big fan of the Geological Survey Division; I think they are doing a terrific job. I have shown my interest in mining from the outset. I have attended a variety of mining functions. I am a supporter of the Minerals Council and I want to take this opportunity to say that in January I attended a Minerals Council function and, on behalf of the minister, farewelled a man who devoted well over a decade of his life to pursuing the advancement of mining in the Territory, and that man is Grant Watt. The Northern Territory government provided him with a gift. Unfortunately, he has retired to Gosford. But, I know that Grant will come back to the Territory periodically because, like most of us who have spent a substantial amount of our lives here, the place is certainly in his blood. I am convinced that the changes he will see in each return to the Territory will really give him a tremendous sense of achievement because what our government is about to deliver in the mining sector in the Territory is what this man has spent his entire professional life in the Territory working towards. I congratulate Grant for the hard years, the hard work, the big effort he has put in.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Minerals Council, specifically Kezia Purick. She is highly regarded in the mining sector and by government. I look forward to attending many more functions with the Minerals Council and seeing the development and the progression of mining in the Territory.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development’s statement on indigenous mining initiatives. I am pleased to advise the House of the very constructive relationship forged over the last few years between the indigenous organisations, communities, and the mining interests in my electorate. I can recall visiting Borroloola in the early 1990s when the McArthur River mine was in its infancy. At that point, discussions were commencing between themselves and Rrumburriya Malandarri, a local indigenous housing association, in regards to employment, training, and small business opportunities for the local community. At that point in time, expectations were high for both sides, and numerous small business possibilities were bandied about, ranging from the provision of laundry services, transport or bus services from Borroloola to the mine site, and the establishment of large workshops to retail fuel and to service and/or lease small vehicles for the mine’s operation. But nothing much really eventuated. I don’t mean that in a negative sense; purely as an indication of the progress and the maturing of relationships between the mining industry and the indigenous sector.
To the Borroloola community and the McArthur River mine’s credit, they soldiered on and small gains were made, particularly in the area of training and employment opportunities. MRM were able to eventually link with training providers to recruit local indigenous people to undertake appropriate skills and training for employment in the mine. Today, there are approximately six indigenous people employed. Perhaps not enough, but it’s a start.
The resources minister refers to an agreement negotiated between McArthur River mine and the Department of Employment, Education and Training to enter into a community education partnership enabling students to access secondary education locally, without necessarily having to attend schools or boarding schools in places like Alice Springs and Darwin. This is a brave innovation and I applaud Kevin Hendry, the Mine Manager of McArthur River mine, Herman Rudmiller and Bill Baird for their perseverance.
I also pay tribute to Paul Newman, an ex-principal of Borroloola School, Greg Towers and Denis Wickham who are there today, for bringing this initiative to fruition. I understand the Minister for Employment, Education and Training will be travelling to Borroloola to sign this agreement in the next few weeks. The fact that the Minister for Employment, Education and Training will be signing on behalf of the Martin government emphasises our commitment, and I applaud the minister. I have a good feeling that McArthur River mine will be around for a long time to come, certainly in excess of the existing mine’s life of approximately 20 years. I believe that this initiative will be a good long-term investment in the region.
Merlin mine is also involved in a development and, again, I think this has long-term potential employment opportunities for locals - very much in its early stages, but I am certain that outcomes will be achieved between Rio Tinto and the local indigenous people.
My electorate of Barkly has a unlimited mining potential, as evidenced by the large number of exploration leases pending and it augers well for the future if we get it right, regardless of our political persuasions. A couple of years ago, the Central Land Council signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement on behalf of traditional owners of Parttagroup with Giants Reef guaranteeing exploration rights for 25 years, ensuring the protection of sites of importance, and employment and training opportunities. Also, as part of this negotiated outcome was that should an ore body be found and become mineable, obviously there would be further discussions in respect of extra dollars flowing into the indigenous community.
As indicated by the minister for resources, a similar agreement has been brokered by the Northern Land Council with Rio Tinto in respect to traditional owners in the north of this Territory. I applaud both land councils in respect of these initiatives.
Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in Tennant Creek, arguably one the Territory’s foremost indigenous organisations, has a proud record of initiating innovative partnerships with the mining industry and in particular with Normandy Gold. Although Normandy Gold no longer operates a mine in the region, these initiatives were the catalyst for many of today’s models that exist throughout the Territory. I can recall an initiative in the mid-1990s when Julalikari Skill Share and Normandy jointly entered into an arrangement whereby trainees where recruited into accredited courses to get them job-ready for jobs in the mines.
It was unique, in a way, as approximately 20 to 25 hopefuls accepted into the course would start at 8 am and complete their training by 12 pm. As the course progressed, their hours of attendance would reflect their real job requirements; that is starting at 6.30 am and knocking off at 5 pm. The 30-odd trainees over three years went on to secure jobs with Normandy in various capacities. Some of these people, in fact, are still with Normandy in their operations in Western Australia, Queensland and The Granites.
When I accompanied the Chief Minister for the commissioning of the sleeper factory in Tennant Creek recently, I was pleased to note that a large number of employees who graduated from this joint initiative between Julalikari Council and Normandy Gold were in fact working at the sleeper factory. Some have been employed by Roche Mining who is also associated with the rail project.
Willowra, a small community on the Barkly Highway about 300 km to the east, has also been able to secure short-term work with Rio Tinto in respect to their exploration searches for superphosphate. Subject to market forces and other infrastructure support, over time some real jobs could materialise.
Giants Reef Mining, who are also developing the Edna Beryl and Chariot deposits, have a real commitment to the community of Tennant Creek and, indeed, the Barkly. When these projects come on line, they could provide up to 80 jobs locally. Giants Reef is also committed to a non fly-in fly-out arrangement. I am certain that many of the jobs will go to local people and I am confident that Nick Byrne, the manager of Giants Reef, will be looking to join forces with Julalikari Job Place to get potential employees job-ready for their operations.
I have also met with members of the Peko Rehab project and referred them to Julalikari Job Place and Employment National in respect of employment opportunities should they commence their operations which I was advised not too long back hopefully would kick in at around about Christmas time. I sincerely hope that it willl.
I am also familiar with the good work of the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, having attended one of their meetings in Tennant Creek not so long ago. I applaud them and their approach in promoting job opportunities for indigenous people. I also commend them for promoting professional links between the indigenous community and the mining sector.
At this time, I would also like to acknowledge the previous government’s role in promoting this excellent initiative. In respect to the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development, Mr Paul Henderson, the member for Wanguri, I am certain that the minister will utilise the task force in the future in a very constructive way. In conclusion, I wish the minister well. I know he will be fair but aggressive in promoting and developing the already excellent relationships between the indigenous people, the indigenous land councils and the mining industry.
Finally, I took note today of the member for Macdonnell basically saying that he would like to be part of the solution to become involved in growing the Territory. I also refer to the member for Daly yesterday who, when we were talking about the Barrumundi issue in respect to the McArthur River closure - I think that what he basically said was that the Territory has the potential to become the Barrumundi capital of the world. On that occasion, we certainly gave him our full support, and I think that it is fair to say that he reciprocated by indicating his support in respect of that. Again, I ask both those members; the member for Daly and the member for Macdonnell and all the opposition, to join in this process in the interests of the Northern Territory.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I rise to support my honourable colleague the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development. Let me say at the outset that I applaud sectors of the mining industry for their concrete efforts to provide opportunities for indigenous people to participate in this critical Northern Territory industry.
I also thank indigenous traditional owners for showing patience while the CLP played politics. Now, though, both mining and indigenous interests can work together for mutual benefits. It is well known that most of the major mining projects in the Territory are on Aboriginal land. As the honourable minister has outlined, mining companies on Aboriginal land include some committed to local employment and training for indigenous people.
The poor state of Aboriginal education has been a huge impediment to greater indigenous employment in mining. The Labor government, as outlined tonight by the honourable minister for education, will be taking a holistic approach to indigenous issues.
I would also like to give credit to some of the more forward thinking mining companies’ innovative approaches that have been developed by the industry and training providers like the Northern Territory University to get Aboriginal people job-ready for employment. I would particularly like to mention the work of GEMCO; that is the Groote Eylandt Mining Company. Mention should be made to the very effective work done by Mr Rick Peters of GEMCO …
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Mr BONSON: Thank you, member for Johnston for that ‘hear, hear’ at this late stage of the afternoon. It woke me up.
… and Groote Eylandt’s on-site NTU lecturer, Mr Grant Burgoyne. These gentlemen, among others, have developed an Aboriginal employment strategy that combines training and employment in conjunction with the Northern Territory University in remote area training needs. The program involves practical training with a solid core of literacy and numeracy. The training progresses through three stages of training, with an incremental wage increase with the completion of each stage.
This last point is an important one. Indigenous people, like of all us, want recognition and reward for their achievements. The GEMCO program provides this and is an excellent model for the future development of indigenous participation in the mining industry. The efforts of Normandy Mining and its progressive boss, Mr Robert de Crespigny to increase the involvement of indigenous people in projects in the Tanami Desert are well known to members of this House.
As my colleague the minister stated, there was an all-time high of 70 indigenous employees at Normandy’s Granites mine last year. What Normandy demonstrates to all with an interest in developing meaningful Aboriginal employment outcomes in mining, or in any industry for that matter, is the importance of will. Normandy had the will to go out and get indigenous involvement in The Granites project. They understand that for Normandy to benefit, long-lasting relationships needed to be developed with traditional owners. Long-term relationships are important because they will help invest traditional owners with direct benefits on mining on their land. I mention these two large companies not to denigrate other mining companies’ efforts in the area of generating Aboriginal employment, but to note two key elements for success in what historically has not been a happy industry for indigenous Territorians.
The GEMCO experience is that indigenous employees, like non-indigenous employees, want to be appropriately rewarded for their efforts in both a monetary and recognition sense. The Normandy experience shows us that there is no substitute for will. An earnest desire to build partnerships and long-lasting relationships will win out, despite the doomsayers and sceptics. Aboriginal people are keen to get involved but they don’t want second-rate training and second-rate wages. They want to develop a long-term relationship with industry so as to develop a vested interest of their own in the success of any mining projects on their land.
Madam Speaker, Normandy at The Granites and GEMCO on Groote Eylandt show us all the way forward. I am sure that we are a government that will learn from these experiences and that indigenous employment outcomes in the mining industry will be beneficial.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all honourable members for participating in the debate here tonight. I will run through and comment on issues raised by the members who have contributed.
Tonight, it was great to hear the Opposition Leader’s support for the statement, to hear him being positive in regard to the outcomes that have been achieved over the last few years - and certainly, within the period of his time as Chief Minister – and acknowledging that we, as the new government in the Northern Territory, are totally committed to building on those achievements and to supporting the initiatives of the mining industry and Aboriginal people, in terms of seeking those relationships which will lead to mutual benefits for all of us here in the Northern Territory.
The Leader of the Opposition mentioned that, it seemed to him, through having considered the annual report from IMETF, that it was small groups and intensive efforts - were the notes that I made - and I concur. There is an old adage about acorns and oak trees and I think what has been shown by all of the companies here is that you need to make a start; you don’t need to have a whole-of-Northern-Territory approach, but if each individual makes a start, you’ll certainly get the ball rolling. The great thing that is coming through these initiatives from the mining companies and Aboriginal people who are getting involved - as I’ve said before, from my first hand experience at GEMCO - is we are creating, through these partnerships, role models. We are giving people somebody to look up to on communities, aspirations are being developed that say: ‘Hey, we can do it, we can be part of that, we can have meaningful employment with good wages and incomes’.
The member for Millner talked about that and, if we put our mind to it, it’s not that difficult; it really is not that difficult. What it needs as, again, the member for Millner said, is the importance of will; to get in there and have a go, and start from the ground up. I think that really is what is most important here; small groups and intensive efforts, maybe that is a paradigm we might need to take into other areas of not only economic activity, but in terms of improvements in indigenous health and education. At least with those small groups and that intensive effort, you do see the reward for that investment and you do develop role models that other people can aspire to.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about the Native Title Act, and yes, that’s right, I’m glad that the Leader of the Opposition has recognised that the Native Title Act is now the arena that we’re playing in. Certainly, from this government’s point of view, we take the stance at the inception of our term of government that we will work with all parties within the framework of the Native Title Act as it stands today. As issues become evident - in terms of the unworkability of that act for one or any or all of the major parties - certainly I, as the new minister, want to create a climate where, as issues do arise as a result of that act and potential unworkability of that act, that we can sit around the table; that we can nut out any amendments or changes to that federal legislation that may be required to expedite the opportunities that we are all looking for here; and then, in a united manner, take that to the Commonwealth parliament. If we do achieve those agreements and those partnerships and get a deal stitched up that we can all sign and take it to the Commonwealth parliament, it will get through. The only reason changes and amendments will not get through the Commonwealth parliament is if one of the key stakeholders - whether it be the traditional owners, the Northern Territory government or the mining companies - don’t agree with it. You’re on a futile mission to nowhere to try and ram legislation through the Commonwealth parliament when there isn’t uniform agreement here in the Northern Territory.
So we will work with all parties and if amendments to legislation or changes to that act are deemed to be required, then we will sit around the table, try and negotiate a position that we can all commit to, and take that to Canberra. But, at this point in time, we’re starting from a position where we have a piece of legislation in place, we have a process in place, we have a framework in place. Let’s work within that and see if we can achieve those outcomes. As we have shown in Question Time and this statement today, the log jam has been broken and people are getting access to land, and that is a big step forward.
In terms of my colleague, the member for Arnhem, he has a big job to do as Minister for Community Development. In Cabinet, I, as Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development, look forward to working with him to develop those framework agreements, indigenous agreements and partnerships that he talked about because, again, this is the only way that we are going to move forward in terms of getting that economic activity occurring off Aboriginal land that Aboriginal people are partners in, are stakeholders in, who are owners of, and who are going to benefit from. Really, that is, I believe, a large part of the initial challenge of this government that we’ll be judged on at the end of the four years - as well as on health and education - as to how far we have progressed in terms of starting the march of economic progress of Aboriginal land. I look forward to working with my colleague, the member for Arnhem, towards that outcome.
The member for Karama made a very passionate input into the debate. Maybe it is the sparkle of the rocks - diamonds are a girl’s best friends - but certainly, right since the first day that my caucus colleagues gave me the great privilege of electing me into Cabinet and the leader made me the minister for the mining industry here in the Northern Territory, she has been very keen to get on board, to understand what we are doing, and the opportunities that are in front of us. She has been a great support and is very keen to understand the industry and promote the industry, and support me in my role as minister in that regard.
Certainly, the potential for a diamond-led mining recovery in the Northern Territory, as I said a couple of weeks ago, is really there. The department is absolutely passionate about the prospectivity of the Elkedra leases, the potential around the existing Merlin deposit up there near Borroloola and, certainly, that aerial geophysical survey she talked about really had demonstrated the potential prospectivity in those regions. People are very excited - and I know, having met with the major players with Elkedra just recently, they can’t wait to get out on the ground in the Dry Season and start drilling those initial bores. I will be watching those developments with great interest.
The member for Karama did talk about Grant Watt, and I’ll be mentioning Grant during the adjournment debate in these sittings. He is an absolutely fantastic character who is passionate about the mining industry here in the Northern Territory and, as he said, he will be back because he will be back to see that gas pipeline hit the beach in Darwin and will be there to celebrate with the rest of us.
The member for Barkly, again, absolutely passionate about regional economic development. I think that is one of the things - if I’m not verballing the member for Barkly - that has really driven him to put his hand up for politics and is driving his political career because he so passionately believes that we can do so much better in terms of getting economic activity happening on Aboriginal land that are going to benefit Aboriginal people and all Territorians. He is, again, an absolute pleasure to work with, in terms of his electorate which really - I suppose if you were to do an assessment in terms of prospectivity electorate by electorate - is probably the most prospective electorate of all. He currently has a massive base metal mine up there at McArthur River: gold, diamonds and enormous potential. Really, the member for Barkly is the man with gold dust and diamond dust on his shoes and I really look forward to progressing those with him.
Giants Reef: just quickly, I had the pleasure of making Nick Byrne the chair of the Mining Board, a man who has been involved in the industry in the Northern Territory for many, many years. He is on the hunt for gold again and we are absolutely certain that he is going to be successful in that region.
The member for Millner talked about the importance of will. I think that really was a key phrase in the debate tonight: all it takes is will. Put aside the political baggage and just get in there and negotiate; cut the deal that is going to benefit everybody in the Northern Territory. He talked about long-lasting relationships, and that is what all this is about. Any significant deposit that is going to be economically viable is going to be mined for 15, 20 years, and you do need to develop those long-lasting relationships and the trust that he talked about to ensure that the financial investment is committed and pays off for everybody concerned.
In summing up, what we had here tonight - it is a pity, I just make the comment that there was only one member opposite who contributed to the debate tonight, the Leader of the Opposition. It would have been nice to have seen at least one other put their hand up. The tone of the debate tonight, I hope, has changed in terms of getting people out onto the land and exploring. Let’s stop playing politics with the mining industry. We all here, on both sides of this parliament, are pro-development. It was good to see the Leader of the Opposition supporting this statement. Let’s stop playing politics with the mining industry. Let’s recognise that Aboriginal people are stakeholders in the industry and work with them. I am sure if we take the politics out of it and we all work together, we will get people out onto the land. We are a very highly prospective region. We will find those deposits and, within the next five to 10 years, we will see significant new mining operations open up here in the Northern Territory that are going to benefit all Territorians.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, further to a question in the House today by the member for Daly about mosquito spraying in the Katherine area, I wish to advise the House that helicopter spraying was carried out last week following detection of high numbers of breeding mosquitoes. Follow-up, ground-based spraying has also commenced, and another helicopter spray will be undertaken tomorrow.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to draw attention to an event that I attended in Alice Springs on the 19 December last year which was a significant event for everyone in Alice Springs and in particular members of the Afghan community. It was the renaming of the Colacag Park in Alice Springs. It was renamed the Nishaan-e-Afghan Park. This important change was brought about by the Alice Springs Town Council; the former Minister for Lands and Planning in the CLP government, having approved the renaming of the park some time ago; and the Alice Springs Islamic Society. The renaming honoured and acknowledged the role of the Afghan pioneering cameleers in the development of Alice Springs.
The Afghan cameleers served the Alice Springs outback and the new settlement of Alice Springs with distinction. The park is of historical significance as it was the largest Afghan community settlement in Alice Springs and where the original mosque, built by the Afghans cameleers, rests. The change of name recognises the vital role played by the Afghan cameleers in the early settlement of Alice Springs and the park is now a permanent and fitting tribute to the cameleers and their immense contribution to the development of Central Australia and Alice Springs.
The cameleers were first brought to Australia in the 1860s to accompany a new mode of transport considered suited to the harsh desert terrain. Since horses and bullock teams proved unsuccessful, camels, which needed experienced handlers, were introduced. The men who accompanied them were hardy, strong, and independent. They and their camels were able to make inroads into the very heart of Australia where others had failed so often. The early days of the cameleers were not easy and I understand that they were feared and regarded with suspicion and their unique communities were isolated. They brought with them a new religion and culture, and it was due to this - their distinct Asian culture and Islamic religion - that they were excluded from society and beyond the Ghan town boundaries and often subjected to economic exploitation. At the same time, the cameleers adapted to the new communities of the European and Aboriginal Australians by marrying people of these cultures, the enriching effects of which we see today.
Examples of the broad contribution of the early Afghan cameleers include: Mohammed Street, named after Peter Mohammed; Sadadeen Secondary College named after Charlie Sadadeen; and the famous Ghan train linking Adelaide to Alice Springs since 1929. On 3 October 1993, a new mosque was officially opened in Lyndavale Drive and named Afghan Mosque to acknowledge the Afghan cameleers. The Alice Springs Cemetery is the final resting place for many Afghan cameleers.
The Australian economy, particularly pastoralism and mining, owe an immense historical debt to the cameleers and their camels. Indeed, Alice Springs owes a debt to the cameleers as well, and the re-naming of the Colacag Park was a fitting tribute to the Afghan cameleers, and wholeheartedly supported by all people in Alice Springs.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise today to make some remarks about local government issues in the electorate of Stuart. I had the pleasure, a couple of weeks ago, to attend a meeting of LGANT down in Alice Springs to present some awards from our NTsafe Award program. During that meeting, I took questions from those in attendance about this government’s approach to local government reform. In the context of that meeting, I was able to say that the Martin government is certainly not going to compulsorily aggregate councils along the lines of the earlier government’s master plan. Having said that, there was no intrinsic reason to us why councils couldn’t choose to bring themselves together or combine on certain aspects of their work if that was the wish of the relevant communities.
In that context, I’d like to talk about two areas of the electorate, one in which a community has struggled to maintain its viability - and I think probably most of the members from Central Australia would immediately know the one I’m going to talk about, which is Willowra - the other is the central Anmatjere communities, Laramba and Yuelamu, and Pulardi outstation community, which is midway between the two. Perhaps if I talk about those first.
Laramba is currently a member of the Anmatjere Council which is based in Ti Tree and has about nine member communities, from memory. Some two or three years ago, it became fairly unhappy about the type of support it was getting from the Anmatjere Council and subsequently conducted a large community meeting that I attended, along with land council and other representatives from local government. It was made very clear at the meeting, both by the speakers and by the petition that went round subsequent to the discussion, that the community was very keen to break away at that stage from the Anmatjere Council. That request was put in to the then Minister for Local Government, who informed them that, while he couldn’t prevent them, physically, from breaking away from the council, there was no possibility that there’d be separate funding offered to that community. In effect, he was saying: ‘Yes, you can go but you can’t take any money with you’.
Laramba went back into its relationship with Anmatjere Council - very reluctantly, I might say - and had an agreement with them to basically take out their proportion of the overall funding going into the Anmatjere Council, and a high degree of autonomy in how they chose to use it. Clarrie Robinya is – as I think most people know - a very powerful community leader, with his partner Pamela Lynch who, together, have run the Laramba community core activities for many years now. They’ve continued to build up the capacity of their community, the pride in that community, and they have continued to speak out against the amalgamated arrangement with the Anmatjere Council.
More recently, the Laramba community has gone into a series of negotiations with Yuelamu community, or Mt Allen, as it was called in the days when it was a cattle station. Yuelamu is also a very vibrant community. One of its most noticeable features is that, where Larumba was running a nutrition program that I mentioned in the health debate yesterday, Yuelamu has an excellent men’s night patrol program which is really making inroads on the level of disruption and crime in the community to the point where it is a very stable place to go now and enjoys a very successful school program and clinic and other management structures there as a result of the stability that they have achieved.
Ron Hagan, Isabelle Hagan, John Hayes are a very effective group in continuing to manage the affairs of that community. In between, you have Teddy Briscoe and his family at Pulardi outstation. Teddy is the main traditional owner for the Laramba community and a very powerful old man. He was a ringer in his days in the cattle industry and, I can imagine, he would have been terrifying as a younger man because he is terrifying as an older man, despite the fact that he has had a stroke and is a bit impaired in his ability to walk now. It hasn’t affected the rest of him. He has wonderful stories about both traditional country and about the cattle industry. In fact, we facilitated a video archiving exercise with Teddy about 18 months ago now, where a program was made and was subsequently shown on Imparja Television about his life in the cattle industry where he actually demonstrated some of the traditional skills like making rawhide whips and breaking yards they built out of bush materials. It was quite an exciting little project.
The three communities, Laramba, Yuelamu and Pulardi, along with some other outstation offshoots of Yuelamu, are now quite advanced in their negotiations to try to bring together a central Anmatjere grouping of those three places. They base the emerging proposal on the fact that they speak the same language, that they live in very close proximity to each other, that they share lots of traditional matters, but also that they’re both well resourced and well run and very committed communities - the two big communities - and Pulardi has also been a very stable outstation-style community for many years. They have a very high degree of stability to take into a new arrangement.
I think the next step that will be taken with it in March will be to have a formal meeting, probably at Yuelamu and make sure that everyone is happy to proceed into some detailed drawing together of a plan. I will then be talking with the Minister for Local Government to see if we can facilitate perhaps someone to come in and help them prepare a formal proposal as to exactly how that arrangement might work. If that proposal is then put to government I can see no reason under our policies why it wouldn’t be given very serious consideration, even though it would mean taking one of those communities out of the Anmatjere Council arrangement and putting the three of them into a new grouping. But it has the scale, the common sense, the community motivation, to give it a very good start. When you put two strengths together you are going to get more than just double the strength of each. They will feed off each other’s energy and ideas, and copy each other’s successful ideas within the one working arrangement. It certainly has my full support to see if we can progress it together and I think it could be a very successful arrangement.
The other case I will talk about is Willowra. I think everyone knows the difficulties that Willowra found itself in following a long period where the council was being run by a very dishonest operator who managed to take a huge amount of the resources out of that community. That matter is still in hand, and I certainly won’t go any further with the detail of what happened during that era. What we were left with, though, was a community where both the council and CDEP programs had become totally dysfunctional; where basic services such as the repair and maintenance of houses, essential services, any kind of support with the welfare arrangements in that community, had completely fallen apart. I was quite shocked at the time. I drove out there and found that most of the community was living in the river bed adjacent to the built-up community. They were there for two reasons: one was that there was a sorry camp there; but the bulk of the people who were there were there because their houses had become uninhabitable. There were bare wires poking out of what used to be power points, ceilings were down, there were taps leaking everywhere - or what was left of the pipes that led to taps - and so the place was clearly close to the brink of extinction as a physical dwelling place for people.
At the time, the Minister for Local Government of the day, the member for Greatorex, made a decision - somewhat unilaterally - that he was going to provide rescue and support from the Anmatjere Council. Now, anyone who had gone out there and talked for five minutes to those people would know that the Anmatjere Council, whatever its capabilities, was not a suitable partner to get that community out of the mess it was in. There were subsequent community meetings, initially to get rid of the administrator who had been causing all the damage out there and, subsequently, to broker an arrangement with the Yuendumu community which - like Willowra, is a Warlpiri speaking community and has very strong family ties to Willowra - to take on the support role that was previously going to be the Anmatjere Council. That arrangement was then run for six months until about two months ago, and that had the effect of restoring most of the community infrastructure back to workability - although there are still remaining problems with the coverage of things like the maintenance of the airstrip under the ESO arrangements.
With those deficiencies, we are now at a point of saying: ‘Well, where to from here?’ To answer that question, I asked my electoral officer and one of the ex-administrators - one of the honest ones who is very committed to the community - to go out on a field trip and door knock and go round to every single house in that community and ask every single family how things were running for them and what they wanted to see happen next. What we found from that was that the issue there wasn’t the political issue of ‘where do you want to be combined with? do you want to reincorporate your own community?’. That was certainly there as a background, but what people wanted was the presence of an administrator there who they could go to for support with their administrative processes, and they wanted to see the further restoration of services, particularly CDEP. We will take that message very strongly back to the relevant people in our own government and in ATSIC to see if we can at least get the place working fully again before we take up the next step, which would be to not just simply restore a council there but to build up a sense of the processes of governance, so it’s less vulnerable to the type of rape and pillage that went on in that earlier episode.
People there need to understand financial processes, they need to understand the role and responsibilities of the councillors - if there is a council there. They need to have the options very clearly put in front of them, with full knowledge of what the proposal actually involves. At that point, Willowra may be able to then emerge out of this very unhappy period in its history and resume as the vibrant and creative community that I knew it as in the early 1980s and through to the start of the 1990s.
We have a lot of work to do out there, but it shows how ephemeral, sometimes, the look of stability can be in remote communities. You can be right at the edge of a cliff that leads nowhere and not even know you’re there. It just shows you the diversity of what is out there, and I think that this government will certainly be trying to respond to that diversity, rather than to force everyone in to some sort of a model.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will be very quick for my colleagues in the Chamber. I rise today to pay tribute to Roger Rooney. Roger Rooney was a Territory entrepreneur extraordinaire, a far-sighted man who saw opportunities, grasped them and developed them. He was a risk taker, intuitive and brave. He started his tug and barge operation from Darwin in the early 1980s shipping from East Arm, after working with Perkins in the 1970s as Operations Manager. In the early 1990s, he talked with a friend in Singapore about opportunities in shipping live cattle to Southeast Asia. In 1992-93 BT Tan of Labroy converted two cattle ships for Rooney Shipping & Trading Pty Ltd to operate in the growing live shipping trade. This has now grown to seven ships that operate from Hudson Creek. The first ship took cattle to Indonesia and the Philippines; the second was for the Brunei shipping trade, the Carabao.
Over the last 10 years, Rooney Shipping & Trading Pty Ltd has shipped cattle from Darwin to Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. It even shipped to the Middle East, Africa and Mexico, although its main trade is with Southeast Asia. He pioneered the use of cattle ships for other purposes. He was the only trader with ships able to return from Southeast Asia with freight: cement, steel and pavers. The two industries complemented each other so that the trading arm grew to be as large as his cattle shipping arm and this can best be seen in his yard. In fact, during the Asian currency crash in 1997, when the cattle boats stood empty for months in Darwin Harbour, I am told that Rooney’s was the only line not to charge demurrage; others charged full tote odds which were as much as AUD6000 to AUD10 000 a day. The need to pay, along with the rest of the trouble, sent many shippers to the wall. Roger recognised that there was no point having no customers, so he suffered along with them on that side but used the opportunity to import the resulting low-priced goods from Indonesia and keep his company going.
Roger’s primary industry inputs were not restricted to the cattle industry. Roger, and his brother Chris, were pioneers of the horticultural industry in the Northern Territory with their mango growing interests. In the 1980s he headed the NT Horticultural Association and was a member of the government’s Horticultural Advisory Committee, contributing to its strategic direction. He was instrumental in getting Mirant registered for the use in the NT for Mastotermes control in orchards.
Roger Rooney was a board member of the NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry for many years. He was a strong advocate of Territory business; he was chairman of NT ISO. Rooney Shipping & Trading won an NT Export Award in 2000 and I had the pleasure of inducting Roger in to the NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.
Roger was a notable risk taker and exhibited cool business judgment with some speculative ventures. He is reputed to have purchased a very large quantity of Indonesian rupiah at the depth of the Asian financial crisis, only to sell them for double his cost within months. Not one to spend the proceeds on riotous living, he and his wife then went dog sledding in Alaska to celebrate the highly original payoff, in keeping with the imagination of the man.
In his personal life and his business life, he was the same: honourable, tough, likeable, what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Territory business and the Territory community will miss Roger Rooney.
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just before I acknowledge the next speaker, I also wish to add my condolences to the family of Roger, and thank the minister for his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I concur with the words that the member for Wanguri has just spoken about Roger Rooney. For members who may not have seen, the funeral is tomorrow at 9.30 am at St Mary’s. I will be attending that. My secretary is a very close friend of the family; it has been a sad time. I would like to adjourn on the subject of Mr Rooney next week.
I would like to talk this evening about a special person who lives in Howard Springs. This lady has just won a volunteer award from NAPCAN - which is an acronym for National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect - NT Branch. Her name is Mrs Marjorie George, a long-term resident who, with her husband Ashley, has lived in the rural area for many years. She has belonged to the Howard Springs Land Owners Association, the Litchfield Bowls Club and the Garden Club. She has always been a strong community person, but just when you think she might deserve to put her feet up, what does she do? She spends the last 10 years volunteering her services at the Howard Springs school. This is what was said about Marjorie when she received her award:
I had much pleasure in presenting Marjorie with the award at my Howard Springs electorate office. So there we have it: Marjorie George is one of our Territory’s treasures along with her husband and chauffeur Ashley, who might not like to be called a treasure. I’m sure that the children of Howard Springs also think she’s a treasure and I hope we will all continue to value her work.
I would also like to speak on a new sporting club in the rural area. It is called the Litchfield Soccer Club and its season is just about to get underway. The main driver behind the club is Mr Paul Scott, who is one of the leading referees in the Darwin league. Paul has been working tirelessly to get this club up and running, writing to all the schools looking for a venue, obtaining funds, purchasing equipment and organising meetings. The club now has its colours - red, white and black, the colours of other sporting clubs in the rural area. The club now also has a home: it’s at Fred’s Pass on the second oval, big enough to have one full-sized field, one mid-size and two junior fields. The Fred’s Pass Management Board will this year construct toilets and change rooms at the oval, thanks to a grant from the Litchfield Shire Council. This will give the club the beginning of facilities which will be expanded in the next few years. So by April, this club should be up and running. I believe it will make a great contribution to the variety of sports available for both youth and adults in the rural area.
There is one special thing about this club that perhaps some other sporting clubs may be interested in. The Northern Territory Police has approved this club as part of a Juvenile Diversion Scheme. This is a scheme which has programs which contribute to the task of changing the behaviour of those individuals. By working through the club, it is hoped that a juvenile will develop and achieve self-confidence and self-esteem through working in, and being part of, a sporting environment, involving promotion of health and fitness through soccer activities and positive role modelling and mentoring. This will lead to a greater sense of belonging, responsibility, teamwork and community involvement. Anyone who comes to this club through this diversionary program will assist in the following: pitch set-up, pitch maintenance, junior or senior training, junior matches on Saturdays or Sundays, and participation in coaching and referee courses. Of course, the club does get some financial gain for each person it accepts under this course, and that is appropriate. It shows the innovation and lateral thinking of this club. I wish to acknowledge the work that Paul Scott and his small band of helpers have done in getting the club off the ground, and hope they have a successful new soccer season.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise today to brief parliament on a trip that I did to Alice Springs; and a constituent that I met down there and who I represented. One of the roles of backbench members of the Martin government is to proxy for ministers at events when they cannot make it. On two occasions now, I have had the honour and pleasure to travel to Alice Springs on behalf of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training and the Minister for Health and Community Services.
On the first occasion, when I went for the Minister for Health and Community Services, I attended a function of the Eisteddfod and, while there in amongst quite a happy crowd of people who were planning their next major event - and they were having their AGM, I believe - I met a good Alice Springs business woman by the name of Bev Ellis. In talking to Bev, she told me about some difficulty she was having with the tax regime for her business which is Dymocks Book Store. Bev mentioned to me that she had made representations to the member for Braitling, the Chief Minister, the member for Macdonnell, the member for Stuart, and, I daresay, the member for Araluen.
I was quite interested to hear her story. Mrs Ellis is a single business woman. In 1993, I believe it was, she and her late husband opened up the store in the Todd Plaza in the Alice Springs Mall. She has made quite a good show of the business; she has hired two people. She is a really good, strong Central Australian business woman, interested in getting along, making her small business work, contributing her part to the Territory. She has raised her kids in the Territory; one child I believe is in Adelaide and the other is a resident in Alice Springs.
I would like to report that after listening to Mrs Ellis, I came back and arranged a briefing from taxation officials in regard to the issues she had raised. In the company of the member for Braitling, Mrs Loraine Braham, we both received a briefing from the Taxation Commissioner and the Assistant Taxation Commissioner in regard to the issues that Mrs Ellis raised with us. I was fortunate then, the next day, to be travelling to Alice Springs to represent the Minister for Employment, Education and Training at an apprenticeship awards night. While I was there, I took the opportunity to visit Mrs Ellis. I sat down and had a cup of coffee with her and told her about the briefing session that I had, and what the current state of play was in regard to her representations.
Mrs Ellis is a good business woman; she understands the complexities of the taxation base. She was happy that a member of the government - particularly a member of the government from the Top End - should be prepared to go in and represent her and, what’s more, to report back to her on that representation. I would like to say that that was nothing special that I did. I would like to say that that is indicative of what the Martin government is all about. The Martin government is not about just looking in Darwin. It is not about the northern suburbs, as is tried to be painted by some members of the Centralian CLP. What the Martin government is about is representing all Territorians. I give you this undertaking right here and now, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I give the undertaking to the people of Alice Springs, to the people of Tennant Creek and to people all over the Territory: the Martin government, their ministers, their backbenchers are here to represent all of them. I look forward to carrying out these duties over the term of this government.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wasn’t going to rise to speak tonight. However, I listened with great interest to what the member opposite had to say. The problem that Mrs Ellis had, when she spoke to me about it and wrote me a letter about the issue, as well as the Chief Minister, was that she, as a small business operator, suffered a tax bill for stamp duty - an annual tax bill - of $16 000 for her stamp duty. I know that she made some approaches to the authorities about that and, indeed, that tax bill was lessened to a mere $10 000. Bearing in mind that we are one of the few jurisdictions that deal in this sort of stamp duty, and that in many other jurisdictions you don’t carry that sort of stamp duty component in your small business, I think that a $10 000 tax bill alone was staggering, to say the least.
I listened to what the member for Sanderson had to say and I thank him for his …
Mr Kiely: Make sure you tell the right story, Johan.
Mr ELFERINK: The member for Sanderson interjects: ‘Make sure you’ve got the right story’. I am going on what I was told by Mrs Ellis. What I would like to know from the member for Sanderson is: has the problem been fixed? Has her problem been fixed? You say she is satisfied, but has the tax bill issue been fixed?
Mr Kiely: If I may, if I have been invited, I don’t know the protocol, am I allowed …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will just ask the …
Mr ELFERINK: I am sure that if he …
Mr Kiely: I am more than willing to answer that.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes or no? Interject. I can pick up the interjection.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Would you like to speak?
Mr Kiely: It’s not an interjection, I don’t want it recorded as an interjection. Mr Deputy Speaker, when I met with the Commissioner for Taxation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member had an opportunity to say what he had to say. You do not get a second bite in the adjournment debates.
Now if the fact of the matter is that he is incapable of expressing himself clearly and telling us exactly what he has done, then the fault lies not with me.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Macdonnell. I have a ruling. You can only interject. That’s all you can do, and then you have to sit down.
Mr Kiely: I will interject then. This is the tax base that was created - it is a compliance, a conveyancing tax that came in back in 1990 which was put in by the CLP government. It is a conveyancing tax.
Mr ELFERINK: All right. I pick up on the interjection from the member opposite. I heard that interjection, brief as it was, and he is right. It may well have been a conveyancing tax from the CLP government in the past. But the question is: what is this government going to do about it? I accept that the CLP government has raised taxes in the past. I have major problems with these sorts of taxes personally. I am not a member of the CLP government, I never have been. I have been a member of the CLP, which has major problems with things like these sorts of stamp duty charges on small businesses and, quite frankly, there is another tax which I think is utterly absurd in the western world, and that is payroll tax. Absolutely absurd! But anyway, we inflict these taxes and charges.
I expect the member for Sanderson, if he is going to talk about these things, to be complete. He singularly comes down and resolves the problem. The fact of the matter is that the Chief Minister has received representations, not only from him, as he claims, but from me and from the members for Araluen, Greatorex, and Braitling. The Chief Minister knew she had a problem. So, she organises a convenient meeting between the members for Sanderson and Braitling and Mrs Ellis.
Mr Kiely: Where were you? Where were you, Johan? Why were you representing …
Mr ELFERINK: Well, the Chief Minister didn’t tell me that the briefing was on! If I had been invited when I’d written to her, you rude buggers would have had me there. But this is the point, you’re trying to be a little bit more deceptive.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Sanderson, you must sit down, please, if you’re interjecting unless you have got a point of order. Thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: The fact is that they are trying to be deceptive here, Mr Deputy Speaker. They are trying to deceive the people of the Northern Territory into saying: ‘Oh, those CLP blokes aren’t chasing stuff up’. Well, the fact is that I spoke with Mrs Ellis and she is fully aware of what I have done. The fact of the matter is that I think she will be very interested to find out that you have come in here and said: ‘Oh well, I fixed it up’, when she knows full well that representations were made by any number of members on this issue, any number of members.
I think she will also be interested to find out how the Labor Party members are using their government position to excise those representations and say: ‘Oh well, we’re fixing it for you’, without telling anybody else. I have not received a letter back from the Chief Minister; I have received no invitations in relation to this issue; and you guys are being a little bit cute, coming in here and saying: ‘Oh, we fixed it’. The fact is that you guys were responding to pressure, and you thought you would use the back door – a deceptive back door - to try and fix it.
To give you another example, we heard the Minister for Central Australia in here talking about the Willowra community. I find it very curious that he comes in and says: ‘Oh yes, well, we’re doing the right things in the Willowra community’. I certainly hope so. But the fact of the matter is that when he was in the opposition, there were two applicants for a vacancy that occurred at Willowra: the fellow who was attached to his office, the fellow that he mentioned, or a fellow by the name of Bill South, who used to work at Aputula. Bill South has all the prerequisite qualifications. Bill South had all of the prerequisite history in working in remote communities and, much as people may or may not like him, Bill South had a history of getting things done. Aputula was a changed community under his tutelage. The other fellow had none of those prerequisite qualifications or experience. I find it very interesting that he comes in here and he glosses over those facts, those issues.
If he’s going to come in here and say these sorts of things, then he has to go and recount the whole story about his interference - the interference that he admitted in here today - and say: ‘Well, that’s what happened and because of my interference, these things happened’. We talked about meritocracies in this very sittings, and discriminatory practices. I’m wondering what practices occurred that a person who had all the qualifications and experience and credentials required was passed over for somebody who was unqualified. A curious thing.
When the member for Stuart was last in the Chamber, I pressed him on this issue. We talked about the gentleman who got the job and I said: ‘What relationship is that person to you?’ and he muttered under his breath here: ‘Oh, it’s my Electorate Officer’s spouse’ or words to that effect. I don’t mind these guys getting up to this sort of stuff, but for pity’s sake, all they have to do is be honest about it. If we are going to go interfering in an internal process, then do it. There’s nothing illegal in the process, with possibly some question marks over discriminatory practices, but for God’s sake just be open about it. If the member for Sanderson wants to try and lead the parliament up the garden path in relation to what he’s done for Mrs Bev Ellis, that’s fine, but for God’s sake be honest about it in terms of how he’s dealing with the people out there.
I sometimes think that the members opposite think that this Chamber is a place to have a game. We hear the explosions of passion from the members opposite, but the fact is that we’re dealing with people’s lives out there on an intimate and everyday level. Every piece of legislation we pass, every word we utter affects people’s lives. The member for Sanderson hasn’t grasped that yet. He drags the names of public servants through this Chamber, during debates and doesn’t realise the angst that that can cause people. He sits in here and he thinks that it’s going to be very cute and clever that he says: ‘Look what I’ve done for Mrs Ellis’, but what he’s not doing is painting a real picture. The reputation of politicians in this community is already poor enough. Why on earth are we engaging, as politicians - not as members of the Labor Party or members of the CLP – why are we insisting on engaging in behaviour which raises these question marks again and again and again?
This House has, hopefully, some sort of element of dignity built into it. I urge the member for Sanderson, as I urge all the members of this House, to think about that dignity. Unfortunately, the approach has been that it seems that the members opposite, particularly, have to find some vindication in their position by holding the other side of the House in contempt. The issues are so complex in these places that I actually think that the party system is often a major problem in these Houses because of the herd mentality that that, unfortunately, has caused. I’m not going to go into a dissertation as to why I think the party system is a problem and why I think it has some good aspects but, at the end of the day, it does not prevent members in this House actually speaking and moving over issues in a very broad fashion. It doesn’t prevent us sitting here and agreeing with members on the other side of the House.
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK: I have no problem in agreeing with good ideas when they come from government, and I think that I have a reasonable track record of it. I also have a track record of standing up and opposing certain attitudes of government, even when I was part of the party that was in power: specifically, the situation around Aboriginal interpreters. It is possible to do all of this. Although we are members of parties, we are not bound up so tightly that our primary and only function as members of parliament is to walk in here and say: ‘You mongrels, you bastards, you wallies’ and then waddle out again. We have a much broader job to do, much broader. It contains a great gravity and weight attached to it. All of this paraphernalia is tinsel compared with the matters of substance that we deal with, the lives that we deal with every day. Sometimes I feel that members of parliament forget those very important aspects. We are dealing with people’s lives. We have a duty to be honest.
I was elected as a member of the CLP so I will continue working for the CLP in the same way that the members opposite were elected for their parties as you, Mr Deputy Speaker, were elected as an Independent. Independence is expected from you. The CLP position is expected from me, as is the ALP position over there. But for pity’s sake, let’s start to appreciate what this building is here for, what it actually does, and let’s stop using it as an appendage to government. It’s happened too often in the past, and I think it’s time that this parliament started thinking internally like a parliament. I take great heart from members like the member for Johnston when he interjects ‘Hear, hear!’ on these sorts of things because I know that he believes in many of the same ideas. But it would be interesting to see if the members in this parliament had the courage of those convictions.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to report to parliament on two trips undertaken under my RTD entitlement. I believe my report will ably demonstrate the way in which such trips can constructively contribute to the life of the Northern Territory and to our work as members of the Assembly.
On Friday, 7 December, I flew to Nhulunbuy and on to Gapuwiyak and Numbulwar to make local presentations to these two communities who were awarded prestigious national prizes under the Kellogg National Heart Foundation Local Government Awards. In essence, these are national awards to give recognition to local governments and organisations working with their communities to promote healthier lifestyles. I thank the Deputy Chief Minister and the member for Arnhem in allowing me to present these awards to communities within their respective electorates; that’s Gapuwiyak and Numbulwar.
Gapuwiyak was awarded the overall Australian winner for their heart disease education project. This project was a collaboration between Dr Stephen Bryce, the community doctor, and Mr Terrence Guyula who is the Senior Aboriginal Health Worker. I commend the dedicated work of Stephen Bryce, who has been the community doctor at Gapuwiyak since 1998. I would especially like the opportunity to praise the work of Terrence Guyula over his 16 year career as an Aboriginal Health Worker. Terrence is a national leader in many of the things that he has done in that community, including sexual health programs and now, a heart health education program.
The starting point for this particular project was in 1998. It started with the acknowledgement that the East Arnhem region has coronary heart disease as a leading cause of death for Aboriginal people, particularly males. Terrence and Stephen developed a large scale health screen for all men in the community. Not only does this screen involve medical assessments but, more importantly, it also involves a very innovative education program using culturally and language-based materials. These include teaching illustrations, and multimedia materials in Yolgnu language as well as English language. Similarly, a healthy food pamphlet and community health newsletter were also developed. One of the very tangible results of this education program was a 50% reduction in cigarette consumption over that measured in 1995. In future, the community aims to use the $1000 prize money for a bush medicine and bush food project.
Numbulwar was awarded the overall national winner of all categories for the community nutrition project. I would ask the Assembly to bear in mind that they were overall winners against some pretty stiff competition from local governments, large and small, regional and urban, from every state and territory in Australia.
The Numbulwar project received great support from Jenny Freeman, who is the NT Health Services Nutritionist for the East Arnhem region. We spoke to Samuel Numamurdirdi, Council President, who told us about the council’s support for the project and his vision for the future of his community. Numbulwar is to be congratulated for opening their new store ensuring the availability of, and affordability of, healthy food through the store and take-away - no mean feat for such an isolated community. Healthy alternatives to high fat and high sugar foods are now provided. There are also weekly cooking demonstrations through the women’s centre. There are also long-term plans to develop community gardens to improve the quality of fresh produce in the community.
On the 12 December, I flew to Canberra to meet with federal parliamentary Public Accounts Committee staff, Labor parliamentary colleagues, and various accounting firms involved in government auditing. My meeting with staff from the federal parliament Public Accounts Committee was very helpful to my work as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. Matters we discussed included the preparation of reports and conduct of inquiries, particularly relating to the collection of information from government departments. Similarly, my meeting with Mr Geoff Applebee, who is a principal of Ernst and Young, was very helpful to my work with the Public Accounts Committee. His large firm undertakes a great deal of public auditing for the federal government, including some quite complex matters such as the Collins class submarine contracts.
Mr Applebee also has extremely valuable experience relating to the implementation of accrual accounting by governments. His suggestions will be invaluable as the Territory government departments move towards implementing accrual accounting. I also took the opportunity to meet with Ms Caroline Fitzwarryne, who is CEO of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia. I had the privilege of being invited to become a member of that council. This is a peak body that represents health professionals working in the area of alcohol and other drugs. We had a wide-ranging discussion on policy matters related to effectively addressing the causes of substance abuse, as well as prevention and treatment programs. We also discussed the federal parliamentary inquiry into substance abuse - all matters which will assist me as a member of our own select committee on substance abuse in the community.
It was also my great pleasure to meet Sir William Deane, a great Australian who served with greatest distinction as our Governor-General. Sir William is still making a magnificent contribution to many important community organisations within the Australian Capital Territory, and also nationally. He is very committed to addressing homeless issues and is involved with the Matthew Talbot Hostel in Canberra and the Youth Off the Streets Support Scheme. Sir William is a man of great faith and is also a member of an ecumenical group, the Australian Centre for Christianity and Cultures.
As many members would be aware, Sir William has also recently succeeded Malcolm Fraser as the Chairman of CARE Australia. He is still very committed to reconciliation and remains patron of Reconciliation Australia. I would like from quote Sir William’s speech on this topic on awarding the Sydney Peace Prize for 2001 at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on the 8 November 2001. He said:
An unambiguous national apology to Australia’s indigenous people for all the injustices of the past,
including the involuntary removal of children will, of itself, be a significant step along the road towards
true national reconciliation. More important, it will help create an environment in which it should be
possible to take a more difficult and significant step; namely, reaching and implementation of a broad
consensus encompassing indigenous and non-indigenous Australians about what must be done and set
in train to address the terrible problems of indigenous disadvantage which are, to a large extent, the
present consequences of past oppression, injustice and imported disease.
Lastly, but not least, I was privileged to meet with Professor John Mathews and Coralie Mathews. John Mathews, former Director of the Menzies School, is, in my opinion, a researcher who is without peer in understanding the big picture of Aboriginal health, both in terms of the medical and social aspects. He now holds a senior position within the population and health section of the Commonwealth health department. Coralie Mathews also made a great contribution to Aboriginal education while she was in the Territory, and continues to do so in Canberra. It was great to meet them again and experience their great hospitality.
Mr Deputy Speaker, once again, I am grateful for the opportunity to present these reports to the House.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
PETITIONS
Realignment of Power Poles – Leonino and Reedbeds Roads
Realignment of Power Poles – Leonino and Reedbeds Roads
Mr MALEY (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 307 petitioners praying that the power poles on Leonino Road and Reedbeds Road be relocated to their correct alignment. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of the Standing Orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly,
We the undersigned citizens of the Northern Territory do respectfully request that the power poles
on Leonino Road and Reedbeds Road be relocated to their correct alignment as a matter of utmost
urgency. This urgency is driven by the number of citizens that have actually crashed into wrongly
placed power poles on these two roads, the number of near misses the school bus has had (reported
to parents by their children), and the fact that the power poles on these roads have reached the end
of their safe life.
An your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
TABLED PAPER
Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s February 2002 Report to the Legislative Assembly. I would like to advise honourable members that this will be the last report to the Assembly by the Auditor-General, Iain Summers. An opportunity will be given at a later date for members to acknowledge his service to the parliament.
MOTION
Print Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Print Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper – Auditor-General’s Report
to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Note Paper – Auditor-General’s Report
to the Legislative Assembly, February 2002
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report and I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Member for Goyder
Member for Goyder
Madam SPEAKER: I have been approached by the member for Goyder to give a personal explanation and, in agreement with the established guidelines of the Assembly and by leave of the Chair, I have given him leave to provide his personal explanation. I remind him not to raise other issues than what was agreed and no debate is to be entered into on his personal explanation.
Mr MALEY (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, yesterday during Question Time, the Minister for Community Development quoted from an interview between myself and Fred McCue on ABC radio earlier in the day. As Hansard records, the minister said:
- Fred McCue asked the next question: ‘What are you saying in relation to this, because the material you
promoted yesterday was obviously … You should have checked it out by the sound of it. You obviously
had something there but you didn’t quite check it out, did you?’ ‘No, not at all’ Oh my goodness!
Madam Speaker, with your leave, I will table the actual transcript of this exchange between myself and Fred McCue, which reveals my answer to his question was:
- Well, no, not at all. There is a document I provided that is headed ‘Ministerial Meeting dated
23 January 2002 …
Leave granted.
Mr MALEY: I believe the way this was portrayed in the minister’s answer gave the impression that I was agreeing with the interviewer and that I had not checked out anything whereas in the context of my full answer, it was the complete opposite. I was refuting any suggestion that I had not checked it out and was giving details of how I had checked it out. I believe I was misrepresented in that context. I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your indulgence in allowing me to make this personal explanation to clarify the situation.
MOTION
Leave of Absence, Member for Blain
Leave of Absence, Member for Blain
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted to the member for Blain to attend to urgent family business.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Parliamentary Sittings in Alice Springs in 2003
Parliamentary Sittings in Alice Springs in 2003
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Chief Minister, who has lost her voice this morning, to make an historic announcement.
For the first time since self-government, the Northern Territory parliament will sit outside Darwin. I have great pleasure in informing members, and the people of the Territory, that on 29 and 30 April and 1 May of next year, the Territory parliament will sit in Alice Springs.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: The venue will be the new Convention Centre in Alice Springs. I think I speak for all members when I say that this will not only be an historic event, it will be an important one as well. To many Territorians, the Berrimah Line is a fact of life and, despite all the efforts of past governments, they still believe that the decisions of government are primarily focussed on the city of Darwin. One of the many challenges facing this government is to break down that invisible barrier and show, by our actions not words, that we are a government for all Territorians.
Parliament is the people’s House; it is where Territorians’ elected representatives are expected to represent their interests and make decisions for their benefit. So in a place like the Territory, where the population is spread far and wide, it is only right that parliament not be stuck in one place. It is a fallacy that somehow the institution will be undermined if it leaves the safety of its normal home. In this day and age, there is no reason why parliament cannot travel. That is why I am pleased to announce that holding of parliament in Alice Springs will not be a one-off event. This government is committed to making it an annual event. The logistics of holding parliament outside Darwin will be immense, but we believe they will be worth the time and effort that will go into making it a success. I am confident that the people of Alice Springs will welcome the announcement, as I am sure they will welcome the opportunity to see their parliament and their elected representatives in action on their behalf.
After all, Alice Springs has produced many fine members of parliament. On this side, the man many of us consider to be one of the fathers of the Labor Party, Dick Ward, began his political career in Alice Springs. Another great man, Jock Nelson, former member of the Legislative Council, Member of the House of Representatives and Administrator also began his illustrious career in the Centre. These two men not only shaped the Labor Party, they shaped the Territory and they did so away from the capital city of Darwin; they did so from Alice Springs. Our colleagues on the opposition benches also claim a long political history outside of Darwin. The Country Liberal Party itself was born in Alice Springs in the 1970s. Politicians such as the highly respected former Senator, Bernie Kilgariff also began their careers in Alice Springs. So, it is fit and proper that a sittings of this parliament be held in that community. It is fitting and we think it is about time.
The announcement today is clear evidence that this government is committed to giving more people direct access to their political representatives, and it comes on top of the government’s Community Cabinet Program which will see at least 30 Cabinet meetings held outside Darwin in regional and remote areas across the Territory during Labor’s first term in office. Over the next 10 months we will hold a number of Cabinet meetings in Alice Springs as well as communities such as Tennant Creek, Yulara, Borroloola, Wadeye, Katherine, Kalkarindji and Groote Eylandt. We will also hold Darwin-based Cabinet meetings away from Parliament House in the suburbs with a meeting planned for Palmerston in June.
These will not be one-off for these smaller communities. We will return to as many as possible during our first term to maintain contact and ensure that we continue to listen and learn. We believe it is important for Cabinet ministers and their senior executives to get out of their offices and meet local business operators, community leaders, and members of the public in their home towns to get a better understanding and feel of what concerns them, and to listen to their ideas and proposals.
Madam Speaker, as the elected member for a Central Australian electorate yourself, and an enthusiastic supporter of this idea, I am sure you will welcome the government’s announcement today. Parliament being held in Alice Springs for the first time in the Territory’s history will be an historic event, and it deservers the support of all members of this House. I look forward to the residents of Central Australia joining with all of us in our parliamentary deliberations in late April next year.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, can I say that the opposition supports strongly the initiative of the new government. You have our full cooperation. We applaud that initiative; we think it’s very important that perceptions - as explained by the Deputy Chief Minister - that government in the Northern Territory at times is too Darwincentric need to be overcome. Certainly, moving our parliament to Alice Springs, whilst I am quite sure will be a costly initiative, will be well worthwhile and welcomed by the people of Central Australia. You have our full cooperation in that regard.
In any case, it benefits all of us to hold parliament and conduct other business at that time with our constituents in Alice Springs. In that regard, as the Deputy Chief Minister rightly said, the birthplace of the CLP was in Alice Springs. We have maintained strong support in Alice Springs continually from that time. Even during all of that time, we have been criticised by Centralians for not paying sufficient attention to their needs. This initiative is something that I hope will help to overcome those perceptions on behalf of us all.
With regards to Cabinet sitting right through the more remote areas in the Northern Territory: again, a good initiative. We have spent a lot of time in this parliament as government, with the opposition continually criticising the efforts of the CLP government over many, many years. It would seem through some of the utterances, including this one, that there are many things that the new government wants to learn as to why the CLP was so successful over so many years. One of those was that we visited, and held Cabinet, right around the Northern Territory. That was one of the lynchpins of our approach to government. I applaud the government for maintaining that initiative.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I strongly support the idea of taking the parliament to the people. It reminded me of the early days of Litchfield Shire when the member for Goyder’s father was the president. Meetings were taken right around the shire. Sadly, that’s lapsed, even though I still think it’s a good idea. Council decided it was safer to have their meetings at Bees Creek. It’s the same principle; you should take parliament out to the people, and I support it. People might ask why is the member for Nelson supporting this - because we happen to be in the same federal electorate of Lingiari. One thing we both fight for is that we are south of the now Solomon Line. I appreciate the move to take parliament into the Lingiari region.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, it’s not totally without precedent. I understand Premier Bracks took the Victorian government, I think, to Bendigo or Ballarat, although it was largely …
Ms Carney: Bendigo.
Madam SPEAKER: And Ballarat.
Mr STIRLING: I stand corrected. I think it was largely ceremonial. We want to do much more than that, quite clearly, but we do recognise there would be quite some work and preparation to go into this. From that point of view, we welcome the support from the Leader of the Opposition, and we look forward to continued cooperation with the planning arrangements, as we move toward that over the next 12 months. We take the spirit of cooperation on board. We note it, and we look forward to that continuing throughout the process until April next year.
Madam SPEAKER: I, too, would like to say that I’m delighted that we’re going to all go down to Alice Springs to hold sittings. I’m quite sure it’ll be not just an historic occasion but, certainly for the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia, it will be great.
Members: Hear, hear!
Violence Against Health Staff
Mrs AAGAARD (Health and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I rise today to report on violence against health staff in communities, and this government’s aggression response policy.
No one should be subjected to aggression in the workplace. This is a matter which this government takes very seriously. The issue of violence against nurses and other health workers is of major concern. Sometimes assaults are perpetrated by patients and sometimes the threat comes from other community members. Most of the instances of threats to, or assaults on, health staff that are reported in the media occur in remote communities. The sad fact is that staff in urban areas in our hospitals may also be subject to these outrageous behaviours.
That said, I do not wish in any way to minimise the aggression which some staff have had to face in remote communities. The situation in remote communities is made worse, of course, because of the distance from help and support. Like all other employers, my department has a statutory responsibility to protect the health and safety of employees whilst at work. My department has responded to recent incidents and has implemented a new strategic approach to reducing incidence and effects of aggression in the workplace. My department has updated its policy and code of practice for management of aggression. The updated policy was developed in conjunction with the police, and involved input from a wide range of health staff, including workplace delegates from the Australian Nursing Federation. The policy focusses on three areas: aggressive incident prevention; aggressive incident management; and post-aggressive incident management.
The department is reviewing its workplaces and, where necessary, is undertaking appropriate modifications in consultation with remote staff and the police Crime Prevention Unit. The design principles will be in line with crime prevention through environmental design principles. These design principles will also carry over into any new health facilities, so as to ensure that they have appropriate security features. Local managers are responsible for ensuring that, as far as is practicable, workplaces under their control are safe. This includes reception and waiting areas, treatment rooms and staff accommodation. Where these areas do not comply with the agreed standards, then action will be taken as a priority to rectify the shortfall. Education and training in the management of aggression will be undertaken at induction or orientation, and on an ongoing basis.
The policy also covers issues such as how to attend to aggressive clients and ensuring safety during after hours callouts. Where there is a serious threat to the safety of staff, an assessment will need to be made as to whether staff should be withdrawn until the safety of staff can be assured. This is not a step that anyone will take lightly, but the safety of staff is a priority.
As well as attempting to limit the exposure of staff to aggressive behaviour, it is important to ensure that those staff who have been affected have access to peer debriefing, critical incident debriefing and employee assistance services. To achieve this, the department will ensure that staff are trained in peer debriefing techniques, and that there are adequate numbers of staff trained to provide crisis intervention and critical incident debriefing.
The policy will be monitored on a six-monthly basis by the department, in consultation with the police. Operational guidelines are also being developed which will be tailored to specific regions. The policy demonstrates a commitment to develop strategies, plans and policies to provide a safe and healthy work environment. The policy is a significant step in providing the framework to bring all relevant players together to reduce and manage aggressive behaviour directed towards health staff. A complete response to the question lies not only with my department. Service agreements between my department and communities will clearly set out the responsibilities incumbent on both the department and the community to prevent, minimise and control aggression.
The long-term solution to the management of aggression lies in resolving the root causes of violent behaviour. This problem is not confined to the Northern Territory; and should be addressed at local and national levels by communities and relevant state and Commonwealth agencies. My department will work to bring these agencies and communities together to address and resolve the core issues.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I’m glad that the minister has finally realised that this is an important issue. It was raised in the media over the Christmas break while the minister was having R and R, and it was one of those issues on which it that was very difficult to find the minister.
It was interesting that a couple of nurses actually spoke in the media about this …
Mr Henderson: It was raised with you for years. What did you do about it?
Mr DUNHAM: There was a shameful attempt to gag one of the nurses who spoke about this matter notwithstanding that they were speaking in a capacity other than as an employee of the department. It is something that has to be dragged out of the cupboard with this current government. We don’t believe that you will ever eradicate the incidences of violence against nurses. As the husband of a nurse, I would like to see this as a very, very important issue. While we may not be able to eliminate it, we should never, ever tolerate it. There seems to have been a disposition, early on in the life of this government, that the withdrawal of nurses was something that you would look at as a last resort. I don’t believe that. I think that if a workplace of nurses who are in a remote area is unsafe, they should be withdrawn forthwith.
It’s at that point that I’ll pick up the interjection of the previous opposition spokesperson who said: ‘What did you do about it?’ We withdrew nurses from communities and we were criticised by those opposite …
Mr Henderson: Rubbish! Never.
Mr DUNHAM: Never criticised? On the occasions of the withdrawal of nurses from Port Keats in the time of my predecessor, we were criticised.
This is a very important issue, and I am glad the minister has got beyond her statement of only a couple of days ago where she said:
- We also need to attend the real problem of violence against nurses. This is a complex issue for which there
is no quick fix. But, again, with stewardship, real improvements can be made.
We know how foolhardy that word was, and it was changed overnight to ‘leadership’. We now have some more words and, unfortunately, in the cold and calculated manner that the minister read them out, I’m not sure her heart is in it. I would hope that the minister exhibits some genuine compassion for this issue and some leadership because it has been devoid of it thus far.
Mrs AAGAARD (Health and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member. I assume that, from his comments, he’s actually offering us bipartisan support for this policy. I certainly hope so. I would be very much welcoming any kind of contribution that he might have in assisting our department with this policy. It is a very good policy; it has been accepted well by my department and by staff in remote communities. I thank the honourable member, particularly if he’s willing to provide me with any future comments.
Local Government Partnership Agreements
Mr AH KIT (Local Government): Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to speak today about an exciting new development in local government for the Northern Territory.
On 30 January 2002, the Mayor of Palmerston and I, as Minister for Local Government, signed a document setting out protocol arrangements between the Northern Territory government and the Palmerston City Council; the first step towards the creation of a partnership agreement with the council. This event marks the start of a new era in relationships between the Territory government and local government councils. This government recognises the value of local government in the development and advancement of the Territory, and we intend that partnership agreements will play a defining role in rebuilding strong relationships between the two tiers of government.
The agreements will provide a platform for improvements in service delivery through more cooperative and coordinated working relationships. The partnership agreement with the Palmerston City Council will address key issues including: the future of Goyder Hill; the development of the Palmerston CBD; a proposed recreation centre; employment and training opportunities; homelessness; and antisocial behaviour in the city.
A steering committee consisting of elected members and senior staff of the Palmerston City Council and the CEOs of lead agencies has been established to oversee this process. The committee is developing business plans and performance indicators for the agreement. The next steering committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8 May 2002. Three working groups, focussing respectively on economic and business development, social and cultural development, and land use and infrastructure development have been established.
The working groups are made up of elected members and senior staff of the council, Northern Territory government agency representatives, and other key players. The working groups have each developed business plans, and the steering committee has agreed that officers of the council and this department should develop terms of reference for a consultancy to advise on the integration of the business plans into an overarching document. The success of partnership agreements is largely dependent on both parties having a clear understanding of the issues and community concerns impacting within a council area.
The Palmerston City Council has completed an integrated local area planning exercise in conjunction with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and my Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. This planning process allowed the council to identify key areas of concern that needed to be addressed in the agreement.
Madam Speaker, I commend the partnership agreement process to all members, and also inform the House that I intend to begin discussions on a similar agreement with the Alice Springs Town Council in the very near future.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report on the partnership agreement with the Palmerston City Council. It was something that, under the CLP government, we’d been working on for quite some time to ensure that local government and the department, and the whole of the Northern Territory government, can work in partnership. It is something that I, in fact, discussed at length with the Mayor of Palmerston, Mrs Annette Burke, at a meeting that I had with her and her council members. When I was at that meeting, I gave her an undertaking that her council was going to be the first council to be involved with this partnership agreement. I am glad to see that the current government has undertaken to fulfil that promise, and I thank the minister for doing so.
I believe this is going to be a very positive step for local government and the way that all government agencies will now be able to work in cooperation with the issues of local government will be a great step forward. Congratulations, minister, for doing so, and I look forward to other partnership agreements with the major councils across the Territory. Again, another CLP initiative that has come to fruition.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to congratulate Palmerston City Council and the government for coming together for a partnership agreement.
I remember a Local Government Association meeting at Tennant Creek last year where a representative from the Devonport City Council described how, in Tasmania, these types of agreements are now quite common and they are very effective.
The one thing, I suppose, that is different between Tasmania and the Northern Territory, of course, is that councils do not have planning powers. I would, therefore, hope that the government will report back to this parliament, telling us how effective these partnership agreements are. I hope the partnership agreements will give people in local government far more say than they’ve had previously bearing in mind that, even though I still think that planning should be a local government matter, I don’t think that’s going to occur. If this can go some way to achieving that, I will support it, and I congratulate the government and Palmerston City Council.
Mr AH KIT (Local Government): I welcome the comments, both from the shadow minister and the member for Goyder.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr AH KIT: Certainly, in regards to the comments from the member for Goyder …
Members: Nelson!
Mr AH KIT: I’m sorry, the member for Nelson. My apologies. The manner in which the partnership agreement comes together, and the way that we will grow in the relationship - if it was a recommendation or a request by councils to look at the planning stuff - then that’s obviously something that our Cabinet will address when that time comes.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the support now provided by the opposition and the shadow minister; it is more than welcome. But, I really would like to think now, by that little statement of support, that the Memorandum of Understanding that was entered into with LGANT has gone out the window. At the Constitutional Convention, it was something that the late Lord Mayor was threatening to take out onto the steps and burn. I certainly hope that we can work together in some bipartisan way, and with the independents, to move the partnership agreements forward.
Harmony Day Celebrations
Mr VATSKALIS (Ethnic Affairs): Madam Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to inform the Assembly about Harmony Day celebrations.
Harmony Day falls on 21 March this year and coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Harmony Day celebrations began in 1999, and provide us all with an annual opportunity to think about our community’s success as a multicultural society; to recommit to continuing tolerance, goodwill and understanding amongst all people; and say ‘no’ to racism.
The Northern Territory is a beacon of light to the rest of Australia. Our multicultural harmony was proved beyond doubt - with the events of 11 September last year. Despite the worldwide strains on racial and religious grounds, in the Northern Territory Muslims, Christians and others live together, work together, and remain tolerant and supportive of each other. This also means that Harmony Day is not just a once-a-year issue, but a concept of living in harmony that is practised throughout out daily lives. Harmony Day is a time when we focus on what multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and living in harmony means to us, to encourage people to say ‘no’ to racism, reaffirm our shared values as a community and to celebrate the Territory’s achievements as a multicultural society.
Although Harmony Day is celebrated on 21 March, this year’s events in the Territory will be a week-long celebration commencing on 15 March and finishing on 21 March. This is the one place in Australia where these events have been turned into a full week of celebration. Territorians will be treated to a variety of activities that will enhance community harmony.
The theme for this year is: You + Me = Us, and I urge you all to support Harmony Week. The government invited local government organisations, community organisations, schools, and other organisations to celebrate our cultural diversity across the Territory. The interest from the community has exceeded expectations, with the Northern Territory government providing financial assistance totalling $23 000 to 26 organisations. Harmony Day will be celebrated across the Northern Territory with activities taking place in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Jabiru, Batchelor and Darwin. Some of the events to be held in Darwin over Harmony Day celebrations are:
- the Northern Territory government will host a community function here in Parliament House
on 15 March;
the Police Ethnic Advisory Group will hold a Families in Harmony fun activities and sausage
sizzle to be held on 17 March at NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services’ sports oval in Berrimah;
the Greek community organised a cultural festival on 17 March for the presentation of the works of
famous Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis and Stavros Xarhakos, at the
Darwin Entertainment Centre;
the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory have organised a two-day training workshop titled
Beyond Tolerance, Tackling Racism presented by Chris Sidoti, the former Human Rights Commissioner
on 20 and 21 March at Mirambeena Tourist Resort;
the Darwin City Council and Anglicare Top End will host a fun day at Mindil Beach on 24 March to celebrate
National Family Day and Harmony Day.
I also know that many of the Northern Territory schools are planning activities to celebrate Harmony Day.
The celebration of Harmony Week does not need to be an expensive exercise for you but, of course, you can demonstrate your support by attending community events; by wearing an orange ribbon; getting together and discussing what multiculturalism means to you; sharing a meal with people from different cultures; or having a multicultural morning tea. I call on all members during Harmony Week to wear an orange ribbon as a sign of our commitment to living in harmony and saying ‘no’ to racism.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I welcome the Minister for Ethnic Affairs’ report on Harmony Day. It is significant to understand that the Northern Territory has well over 120 formalised ethnic groups from Darwin right through to Alice Springs.
The CLP has always supported ethnic groups, and we have nurtured and funded ethnic communities in the Territory to ensure that they have the facilities to celebrate their culture. Yesterday’s Chinese New Year Lion Dance blessing of this Parliament House is a strong indication of commitment that we, the former CLP government, had for supporting ethnic groups in the Territory.
I welcome what the minister has said about Harmony Day. It is a very significant event. I was involved in it myself last year, as the Minister, in Central Australia and we had a great gathering of well over 80 to 100 people, celebrating the oneness that we are as Territorians.
I look forward to the minister continuing to promote multiculturalism in the Northern Territory, comparing what we have in the Territory with other states and territories. We, indeed, have a unique society that we must continue to preserve.
Mr VATSKALIS (Ethnic Affairs): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his constructive comments, and I am very pleased to see bipartisan support for the Harmony Day celebrations.
One thing that attracted me to the Territory and continues to attract me is the level of racial harmony. It is the only place you will see Greek, Aboriginal people, Chinese sitting together, enjoying themselves together, forming life long friendships. Look around you in this House. You will see at least four or five people of non-English speaking background or ethnic background. I believe we are the only parliament in Australia to have such a proportion of people of ethnic background or non-English speaking background.
Members: Hear, hear!
Reports noted pursuant to sessional order.
CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLICATIONS, FILMS AND COMPUTER GAMES BILL
(Serial 34)
(Serial 34)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, before I begin my second reading speech, I want to make the statement that, although the Leader of the Opposition had absolutely every right to use parliamentary rules last night, it did deny 24 hours of scrutiny of this bill to his shadow, and that is ultimately going to hold back the scrutiny of this bill.
I move that the bill be now read a second time. At the outset, I would like to raise with members of the House the need for passage of this bill on urgency. Members will be aware that passage of bills on urgency is not my preference, and it is a practice which I will use only when absolutely necessary.
This classification amendment bill is consequential to an amendment to the Commonwealth classification act. The Commonwealth act was assented to on 27 March 2001 and is due to commence on 22 March 2002. The Northern Territory amendment bill is based on model legislation developed by the Victorian Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Under the previous administration of the Attorney-General’s Department, now Department of Justice, it was proposed that the amendments contained in the current bill would be combined with the comprehensive review of the Northern Territory classification legislation, which was due for completion later in 2002. However, to ensure the consistent operation of the national scheme between all jurisdictions and, so that the Northern Territory bill commences at the same time as the Commonwealth legislation, it was necessary for the bill to be passed on urgency in these sittings.
As the amendments contained are technical and uncontentious, timely passage of the bill should be possible. I have already made arrangements for both the opposition and independent members to receive a briefing. I understand that’s today, so please make full use of that. Members have already been invited by my staff to attend a briefing, as I have just said, and we will certainly provide all help on our side.
The purpose of this bill is to make amendments to the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act, the NT classification act, consequential to the Classification Publications, Films and Computer Games Act 1995 of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth’s classification act. The states, territories and Commonwealth have joint responsibility for the National Classification Scheme. The Commonwealth is responsible for the classification of all publications, films and computer games. Classification is undertaken by the National Classification Board in the Commonwealth Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). The enforcement of the scheme is the responsibility of each state and territory.
The NT classifications act regulates what and how films, publications and computer games can be sold, displayed, exhibited, and so on in the Territory. The act contains the offence and penalty provisions as well as police powers of investigations, search and seizure. While each state and territory has similar laws, there are various differences. For example, the penalties for selling R-rated material to a minor differs amongst the jurisdictions, and only the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory allow for the sale of X-rated material.
Censorship ministers from all jurisdictions meet on a regular basis in relation to the National Classification Scheme. In July 1999, ministers approved changes to improve the operation of the national scheme. Accordingly, an amendment was made to the Commonwealth classification act to provide the National Classification Board and the Director of the OFLC with new powers. This act was assented to on 22 March 2001. The amendments include provision giving the board the power to require that publications classified unrestricted, or category 1, be contained in packaging, and/or to specify consumer advice. The board can also specify the consumer advice, giving information about the content of a publication classified unrestricted, or a film or computer game classified G.
Under the amendments to the Commonwealth classification act, the national director has also been given the power to call in contentious unclassified films and computer games for classification. Furthermore, the amendment requires that computer games in amusement arcades must bear the relevant determined markings and consumer advice.
Another important amendment to the Commonwealth classification act is to provide for exempt films and computer games. This amendment provides that the board can issue certificates of exemption. Exemptions can be given for business, scientific, educational, current affairs, sporting and live performance films, amongst others; and for business, accounting, professional, scientific, and educational computer games. However, films and computer games likely to be classified M or M(15+) or higher, will not be able to be exempted. They will also not be exempt if they contain an advertisement for an unclassified film or computer game, or one with a classification higher than M or M(15+).
The amended Commonwealth act also gives the classification board the ability to issue serial classifications for certain publications; that is, so that a classification can be applied to subsequent issues of the same magazine. The amended Commonwealth classification act then provides for certain powers for the classification board to reclassify already classified publications, films or computer games. This power may be used, for example, where a publication has a serial classification but a subsequent edition of the publication is likely to have a higher classification. In these cases, the board can force the reclassification by calling in the publication. The board can also reclassify if a publication or film was classified differently by a former board, under the law of the state or territory. Under the amended Commonwealth classification act, the director can also call in certain films and computer games for classification. For example, where he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that an unclassified film or computer game is not an exempt film or game.
As a result of the Commonwealth amendments, it was necessary to make complementary amendments to the NT classification act, and indeed, to the corresponding legislation in all states and territories. A model state and territory bill was developed, and the bill being debated today is based on that model bill. The bill inserts new definitions of ‘exempt computer game’ and ‘exempt film’, that refer to the new definitions and provisions in the Commonwealth classification act. The definition of ‘a place’ has also been amended so that it does not apply to a vessel on an international voyage or aircraft on an international flight.
The bill also amends the application provision to provide that the NT classification act does not apply to exempt films or computer games. This reflects the new provisions in the Commonwealth classification act dealing with this issue. The bill also provides for changes to the Commonwealth classification act allowing for a wider range of reclassification and review powers. For example, section 47, in relation to films; section 50E and 50F, both related to publications with restricted classifications; section 50R in relation to computer games; and section 50ZH in relation to advertisements have all been amended to allow for the changing of the determined markings and consumer advice and so forth where a reclassification has taken place.
The bill inserts new offences in section 50FA and section 50FB of the NT act. Section 50FA creates the offence of selling or delivering certain publications contrary to conditions. This offence is necessary to provide for a new section 13A of the Commonwealth classification act which allows the classification board to specify certain packaging requirements for unrestricted and category 1 publications. Section 50FB creates the new offence of selling a publication classified Unrestricted without the determined consumer advice. This offence is necessary to provide for a new section 20(2) of the Commonwealth classification act which allows the classification board to determine consumer information that must be attached to Unrestricted publications. As section 20(2) of the Commonwealth act also allows the classification board to determine consumer information that must be attached to G-rated films and computer games, similar amendments are also being made to the sections 47 and 50R(3A) of the NT classification act.
Further amendments are being made to the NT classification act to complement new sections 23A and 24(1A) of the Commonwealth classification act, allowing the national director to call in films and computer games for classification. Similarly, new sections 50ZPA and 50ZPB are being inserted into the NT classification act. Section 50ZPA provides for the national director to call in publications, films or computer games for reclassification. Section 50ZPB provides for the director to obtain copies of the relevant publication, film or computer game from the original applicant where the applicant for reclassification is not the original applicant. These two provisions complement new sections 39(5) and 44A of the Commonwealth classification act.
The Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Bill 2002 is being introduced and passed on urgency in the one sittings. As already mentioned, this bill complements the recent Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Act (No 1) 2001 of the Commonwealth which was assented to on 22 March 2001. The commencement clause of the Commonwealth bill provides that it is to commence one year from the time of assent; that is 22 March 2002. It is necessary then to ensure that this complementary Territory bill commences before or on that date. The commencement clause of the bill therefore provides specifically that it will commence on 22 March 2002.
The changes to the Commonwealth classification act improve and tighten up the National Classification Scheme. The complementary amendments contained in the Territory bill will ensure that the national scheme operates clearly, effectively and consistently throughout the nation.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, just before I adjourn debate on this bill, I would like to raise a point of order with regards to the Attorney-General’s opening comments in the second reading speech when he referred to the fact that actions last night in this Chamber prevented this bill from being discussed for 24 hours. I remind him that, first, it was eight hours ago and secondly, there was nothing that happened in this Chamber last night that was resolved or not resolved - initiated by me or otherwise - that prevented the Attorney-General from doing, at 2 o’clock in the morning what he has just done now. What he has exhibited once again is a lack of understanding of standing orders of this House. If the government wishes to bring in a motion to suspend standing orders in this House, it is the government’s responsibility to have an absolute majority. That was the government’s responsibility, the Attorney-General’s responsibility. He sought to do that. It was the Leader of Government Business’ responsibility to advise him on that. I would like to emphasise that nothing that happened last night would have stopped you from doing, at 2 o’clock in the morning, what you just did now and that was to warn the House that, in due course, you would seek a suspension of standing orders.
I move the debate be adjourned. I would be comforted by your confirmation of my comments.
Debate adjourned.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Requirement for Absolute Majority for Suspension of Standing Orders
Requirement for Absolute Majority for Suspension of Standing Orders
Madam SPEAKER: I would like to reinforce that for passage of bills, the first step is to give notice. The next step is to present the bill. Then the third step is the passage, and it is at that stage, Attorney-General, that you would be seeking a suspension of standing orders if you wish to put it through on urgency. You had not presented the bill to parliament. That was the error that occurred last night.
As regards to the standing order the Leader of the Opposition actually raised, he was quite correct. You did need an absolute majority. The only way we can determine that is by a head count and, in future, I will need to call a division. That was probably an error on my part, that I didn’t make sure we had that head count done to determine whether there was an absolute majority or not.
We have all learnt a lesson from last night. Ministers, make sure you get your procedures right, and absolute majority means the 13 members on that side of the House.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Take two bills together
Take two bills together
Mr STIRLING (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent bills entitled Witness Protection (Northern Territory) Bill 2002 (Serial 37) and Police Administration Amendment Bill 2002 (Serial 38): (a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively, the second readings, the committee’s report stage and the third reading of the bills together; and (b) the consideration of the bills separately in the committee of the whole.
Motion agreed to.
WITNESS PROTECTION (NORTHERN TERRITORY) BILL
(Serial 37)
POLICE ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 38)
(Serial 37)
POLICE ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 38)
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The purpose of the Witness Protection (Northern Territory) Bill 2001 is to provide the Northern Territory with legislation complementary to the Commonwealth Witness Protection Act to enable participation in the National Witness Protection Scheme. This scheme is designed to help combat organised crime and to solve major crimes. Police rely heavily on information from people who, by agreeing to give evidence, may place themselves and their families at risk of threats and injury, both before and after giving information to police or evidence in a trial. Police already provide protection for witnesses prior to giving evidence by ensuring that he or she is located in secure accommodation.
Under the new legislation, a witness will have an opportunity to change identity and begin a new life in another location after giving evidence or information. The process has, until now, been carried out through interstate agencies. However, the Territory is obliged to carry its own weight in the national scheme and, under the Commonwealth act, is required to enact complementary legislation.
A change of identity involves the adoption of a new name and the provision of a range of documents in the new name. The most important of these is a new birth certificate which will enable the witness and his or her family to begin a new life. The legislation provides for police to apply to the Supreme Court for an order authorising the Registrar to make new entries in the register and issue the appropriate certificates. The new entries are then accessible by the public in the normal way. Police and the witness, and family members who are participating in the scheme, will be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding prior to this, so that the obligations of both parties are fully understood and agreed to.
As all other jurisdictions already have witness protection legislation, the Northern Territory legislation finalises the legislative framework for the scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage witnesses to come forward and give evidence, with the knowledge of the offer of full protection from the criminals they have helped to convict. This can only assist in the fight against serious crime in the Northern Territory and nationally.
The purpose of the Police Administration Bill 2001 is to expressly enable the Police Commissioner to make general orders relating to the administration of the Territory Witness Protection Program. The amendment is necessary to ensure the practical operation of the Northern Territory Witness Protection Program. I commend the bills to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
WORKMEN’S LIENS AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 33)
(Serial 33)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill now be read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is to remove the exclusion of liability afforded to the Crown in respect of matters arising under the Workmen’s Liens Act. This bill seeks to remove the unnecessary distinction between the liability of the Crown and the liability that the act imposes on other contractors, subcontractors, land owners or occupiers of land.
The principal act allows workers and subcontractors to enforce a lien over land for whose benefit work has been done with the assent of the owner of the land; the assent may be expressed or implied. Under the act, workers may also place charges on monies payable under contracts. However, these options are not available where the contractor or land owner or occupier is the Crown in the right of the Northern Territory. Liens may be registered against the land in order to secure the payment of any outstanding amounts.
The bill provides for the repeal of section 48 of the act. Such a repeal will mean that the Crown will be liable in specified circumstances to pay workers for work done or materials supplied or manufactured where the Crown has contracted or subcontracted the work or where the work was done on land owned or occupied by the Crown. The specified circumstances are those where the Crown owes money to the head contractor and is given an appropriate notice by the subcontractor or worker. If no money is owing, the Crown is under no liability to make any payment. The bill does not provide for the registration of liens over land that is owned by the Crown. The Crown can pay its debts without the need for a lien against any particular asset of the Crown.
The amendments made by this bill are of an interim nature. It has long been recognised that there are significant operational problems within the principal act. It has been the subject of severe judicial criticism over the past 20 years. The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory has described the act as ‘chaotic’, ‘notoriously difficult’, ‘manifestly obscure’, ‘poorly drafted’ and ‘antiquated’ - but apart from that, it is great. One of the act’s provisions has even been described as being ‘enshrouded in fuliginous obscurity typical of the act’. There is one for you!
In addition to these operational problems, there are issues about what should be in the objectives of the act. The current objective of the act is to protect persons at all levels of the building industry so that even the worker or subcontractor is given statutory rights not only against the owner of the land, but also against the person who employs the worker. However, the act no longer reflects the needs or operation of the building and construction industry. If the act is to undergo reform, legislation enacted in New South Wales in 1997 may provide the basis of a suitable model.
In New South Wales, the Contractors Debt Act 1997 allows an unpaid worker to obtain payment of the debt for monies owed to the defaulting contractor by the principal. The process allows the unpaid worker to sue the defaulting contractor for the money owed. The court may then issue a debt certificate served on the principal as part of the notice of claim. Some options for longer term reforms include: allowing the owner of the land to directly pay the subcontractor by contract; statutorily imposing implied conditions in contracts to provide that contractors are not paid monies by the owner unless all subcontractors have been paid; the use of a statute-based stop notice issued by a subcontractor that requires the owner to withhold payment of monies to a contractor until the subcontractor has been paid; requiring a subcontractor to take out insurance against a contractor becoming insolvent; paying monies owed to the head contractor to a covenanting agency which distributes the money appropriately; holding back part of the money owed to contractors even after a contract has been completed to ensure that subcontractors are paid; strict and close monitoring of financial reporting requirements for builders licences; establishing a statutory trust scheme; and, finally, requiring the owner or contractor to obtain a bond from an insurance company or bank guaranteeing the payment of the contractors’ and all subcontractors’ employees.
The government has asked that the Department of Justice prepare a discussion paper. This will build on an excellent discussion paper provided to my predecessor in 1999 by the Northern Territory Law Reform Committee. That paper raised all the issues. However, I expect that the department’s discussion paper will contain options, and that it will also canvass the national competition policy issues that are raised by legislation that seeks to affect private rights and responsibilities. Until submissions from both government agencies and the community have been received following the release and circulation of the discussion paper, the government intends to give the community the benefit that this bill provides as an interim measure.
The bill also makes amendments of a statute law revision nature. It provides for the consolidation of the Workmen’s Liens Act 1893, and the Workmen’s Liens Amending Act 1896. This is to be done by the repeal of the Workmen’s Liens Act 1896, and replacing it with the new sections 9A and 9B. These changes don’t change the law; they simply make these provisions more accessible.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
ADMINISTRATION AND PROBATE AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 26)
PUBLIC TRUSTEE AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 27)
(Serial 26)
PUBLIC TRUSTEE AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 27)
Continued from 28 November 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, the opposition has now an opportunity to closely examine the draft bills. The amendment which was recently supplied – I’ve only had a brief glance at it; I’m not sure whether I received a copy of that yesterday. There are some documents, I understand, that have been slipped under my door in my office upstairs. In any event, I would appreciate a little more notice of these type of amendments. But, having regard to the amendment, this isn’t substantial in any event.
The main purpose of these bills is to implement the reforms identified as a consequence of the National Competition Policy review of both the Public Trustee Act and the Public Trustee Amendment Act 1988. There were a number of areas identified as possibly containing anti-competitive provisions and these bills aim to address those concerns. Consequently, the bills provide, as the Attorney-General stated in his second reading speech, for the repeal of a number of sections of the Public Trustee Act and the re-enactment of the provisions in the Administration and Probate Act. The primary effect is that all professional personal representatives will operate on a level playing field in respect of the administration of estates and trusts.
I’m not going to go through the minutiae of the changes, but the opposition supports the legislation and commend both the bills to honourable members. We will support the amendment as tabled in the committee stage.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, just one very quick question. I had the clause 8, the new section 110D placed in front of me. That’s the amendment.
Dr Toyne: Sorry, could you speak up?
Mr ELFERINK: The new amendment that the minister brought forward, I’m not raising any issues with it. Suffice to say if he can just explain, considering that this is an amendment in relation to National Competition Policy, how does the capping of fees relate to that?
Dr Toyne: Can we leave that for committee?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister will answer that in his reply.
Mr Elferink: In your closing remarks, yes. I’m not making an issue of it.
Dr Toyne: Yes, okay.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Madam Speaker, as has been foreshadowed by the Attorney-General in his second reading speech, amendments to these acts were made necessary by a National Competition Policy review of the Public Trustee Act. The need to amend the Public Trustee Act came about through the need to revise some of the anti-competitive provisions within the act, as the member for Goyder has pointed out. Similarly, the need to revise the Administration and Probate Act came about through the need to extend some business advantages currently enjoyed by the Public Trustee to the private sector.
Before I speak to some of the amendments, I would like to emphasise this government’s commitment to ensuring that bereaved families receive the best possible support in finalising the estate of a family member who has passed away. Such support should be both professional and economical, and I believe these amendments give many residents of the Northern Territory a greater choice as to who should handle their estate; whether it be the Public Trustee or another qualified professional in this area.
Like many other Australian families, my own family has used Public Trustees for a number of generations. So notwithstanding the amendments designed to enable private providers to compete on a level playing field, I was very heartened to hear the Attorney-General endorse the valued role of the Public Trustee in his second reading speech. He said:
We …
meaning the government,
- … are committed to a strong Office of the Public Trustee that is committed to ensuring that there is a
competent trustee and executor service available to all citizens of the Northern Territory.
I believe that’s very important because many of us roll on through life, we don’t really think about our estates but as we get a little older, it becomes more important. So, it’s a very important aspect.
Beginning with the major amendments to the Public Trustee Act, proposed section 4(a) clearly sets out the objectives of the act as follows:
- (a) to provide for a manager, administrator, executor or trustee of last resort;
provided by the private sector; and
I believe these objectives set a commendable framework for the work of the Public Trustee. The amendments to the Public Trustee Act also streamline the membership of the Public Trustee Investment Board. That was foreshadowed a number of years ago during the term of the former government.
Importantly, proposed amendments to section 20 ensure that appropriate information is provided by the Public Trustee regarding the estate to beneficiaries and other interested parties with a bona fide interest in the estate.
There have also been amendments proposed for section 28 in relation to levies against the common fund. This is to ensure that the Public Trustee must levy fair, realistic and competitive administrative charge on estates.
The final major proposed amendment to the Public Trustee Act is in section 97 and relates to liabilities, indemnities and guarantees. These amendments clarify the liabilities and indemnities associated with the Public Trustee and its officers, particularly in relation to acts taken in good faith. It also clarifies the remedies available to those who may have suffered damage as a result of acts or omissions by any officer of the Public Trustee.
I turn now to the proposed amendments to the Administration and Probate Act. The main effect of these amendments is to allow suitably qualified professionals or personal representatives, such as lawyers and officers of non-government trustee companies, to more easily and economically administer small estates, previously the exclusive province of the Public Trustee. The thrust of these amendments is to make a level playing field and to afford those in private practice, let’s say, the same rights and privileges as the Public Trustee office formerly enjoyed by itself.
These changes are found in the proposed Division 2, sections 110A to 110C, in essence, for estates valued under $20 000, representatives other than the Public Trustee. Under this section, personal representatives must lodge a copy of the Will with the Registrar of Probates as well as advertise the estate in a suitable newspaper. Similarly, for estates under $85 000, professional personal representatives can elect to administer such an estate after application to the Registrar of Probates and advertising the estate in a suitable newspaper. Proposed section 110D that was circulated this morning sets fees. I’ll leave that to the Attorney-General to explain during the committee stage.
Amendments introducing proposed section 103 of the Administration and Probate Act allow for professional personal representatives to institute inquiries and take court action in respect of claims by potential creditors and beneficiaries against an estate. Similarly, proposed section 104 now allows for representatives other than the Public Trustee to reject small claims against an estate. These amendments are all about streamlining estates and the administration of estates by suitably qualified personnel other than the Public Trustee.
Proposed section 105 now enables professional personal representatives to obtain the same range of information as the Public Trustee in regards to property, business relationships, etcetera related to a deceased estate. Other amendments have been made to the Administration and Probate Act to allow estates to be vested in the Public Trustee until such time as an Administrator is elected. They also allow the Public Trustee to act in the very best interests of an estate during this period.
In conclusion, I believe that these amendments to the Public Trustee Act and the Administration and Probate Act fulfil the requirements under the National Competition Policy review to make a level playing field in this sector. Nevertheless, they also preserve the integrity and esteemed position of the Public Trustee within the Northern Territory. Madam Speaker, I commend these bills to honourable members.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, first, I welcome the support for the bill and the committee stage amendment which has been indicated from the opposition. It will certainly make this process a lot more truncated. I must say that the contribution of my colleague, the member for Johnston, was both welcome and very erudite. I think it was almost of the status of a second second reading speech, and well done. It shows that what I’ve been saying here in recent times, that this is a process for the whole of parliament; every member of parliament should be actively engaged in the formation of law in this House. It’s great to see, on both sides of the House, people engaging in the process. It can only help to bring up stronger and better laws. I very much appreciate the input that we are getting. I now propose we move to the committee stage to take on the amendment.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIRMAN: Could I perhaps say that I wish the member for Johnston might come to one of the briefings; I might have had a better understanding of this act because it is a fairly complex act. Thank you for that.
Administration and Probate Amendment Bill (Serial 26):
Clauses 1 to 3, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 4 agreed to.
Clause 5 agreed to.
Clause 6 agreed to.
Clause 7 agreed to.
Clause 8:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move an amendment to clause 8. The amendment has been circulated to members so if I could just provide the explanation as to the reason for the amendment, it might make it clearer in the light of the member for Macdonnell’s question as well.
Clause 8 is amended by inserting a new section 110D to the Administration and Probate Act. The new section 110D(1) makes it clear that fees can be charged for the administration by professional personal representatives of small estates, in accordance with the new Division 2 of Part IV of the act.
New section 110D(2) provides that the regulations may be made prescribing the maximum fees that may be charged in respect of the administration of estates under the new Division 2 of Part IV of the act.
New section 110D(3) provides that the fee scale currently contained in the Public Trustee Regulations is to apply pending the making of any regulations under new section 110D(2). Currently, the Public Trustee is the only professional personal representative entitled to administer small estates in the ways contemplated by the proposed Division 2 of Part IV of the act. The fees that may be charged by the Public Trustee are regulated by the Public Trustee Act.
Additionally, the fees that may be imposed by trustee companies providing the services permitted by the Companies (Trustees and Personal Representatives) Act are regulated by that act. The purpose of the amendment is to apply the same level of fee controls concerning the simplified administration of small estates as they apply under the Public Trustee Act, as enforced prior to the amendments being made to the Public Trustee Amendment Bill 2001.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 8, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of the bill taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported with amendment.
Public Trustee Amendment Bill (Serial 27):
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
JUVENILE JUSTICE AMENDMENT BILL (No 3)
(Serial 31)
(Serial 31)
Continued from 28 November 2001.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, firstly, I thank the Attorney-General and his staff for providing a briefing to me by telephone some time ago. I might just take this opportunity of assuring the Attorney-General that it is unlikely that I will be requiring separate briefings from the shadow Attorney-General, but they may occur from time to time. We do appreciate the flexibility you have provided to us on those occasions.
I was given to understand in my briefing that the whole act, the Juvenile Justices Act, may be reviewed in the next 12 months. I welcome a review of that legislation and suggest that when that review occurs, it might be an opportune time to assess how this particular amendment has fared. Giving courts the absolute discretion to decide whether or not to order a report on the circumstances of a juvenile before imposing the sentence of detention or imprisonment may well speed up the administration of justice, as the Attorney-General said in his second reading speech. But the information the court receives wholly depends upon submissions being made by lawyers from the Bar Table in the absence of any other independent information. With respect - and I mean that very sincerely - the Attorney-General should appreciate, or needs to appreciate, that on occasions, submissions from the Bar Table may not be as accurate as they should be for a variety of reasons. It is important that the court does have accurate and independent information before it in order to determine sentences and there is a risk, slight though it might be, that unless the court is obliged to obtain a report from Correctional Services, the court will not have that independent information and is simply left to rely upon the submissions of counsel.
Certainly, the bill does not preclude a court requesting an independent report from Correctional Services but on a worse case scenario: on a bad day in a busy court, dealing with a juvenile whose English might be poor, giving instructions to an inexperienced lawyer, it is possible - and I don’t put it any higher than that - it is possible that the court may not have been presented with all of the information necessary, or that the information it receives may not be accurate. I simply speak from my own observations in court rooms in Alice Springs for a period of over a decade.
In short, the opposition supports this amendment but simply raises a cautionary note and suggests that this aspect of the act be reviewed to see how it is working when the entire act is reviewed at some stage in the future. I would be grateful to receive an affirmative indication from the Attorney-General on that score.
Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the bill and will support it in committee stage.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their comments and their support for the bill. To put this in some context and perhaps to - I will certainly give you an assurance that we will be watching closely, as we do with any new amendments to the law that go out of this House, as to what impact they do have.
This amendment was actually brought to us by the Chief Magistrate who had identified this problem soon after the repeal of the mandatory sentencing laws last year. He found cases coming through the magistrates court where the time taken to prepare a pre-sentence report actually took the offender past the period of incarceration that they could potentially get in the sentencing. So it was quite unjust to have someone in prison awaiting a pre-sentence report being prepared over maybe six weeks. It is to clear up that anomaly that we brought forward this amendment.
I guess also, without appearing to quote directly the Chief Magistrate as an opinion, the conversation really was about well-known repeat offenders where there were earlier pre-sentence reports prepared on that individual.
Ms Carney: Where they have a pile that high.
Dr TOYNE: That’s right. So we weren’t looking at someone of whom the court would have scant knowledge and therefore would be highly dependent upon submissions in the actual hearing. It is all a matter of judgment, I know, and we will monitor it. In my regular meetings with the Chief Magistrate, I will certainly be asking how this is operating as we go through.
Thank you for your comments, and we will certainly take the issues that you raised on board. We will, as with all these areas of law, continue to monitor them and bring them back for further amendment if something is not quite right with them. The Chief Magistrate is pretty comfortable that this is going to improve matters, so I really believe we are making an improvement to this act. Madam Speaker, with that, I will conclude my remarks.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, as there are no amendments, I would move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Indigenous Education
Indigenous Education
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I rise to make a statement on indigenous education. I do so in the knowledge that the shadow minister for education is not able to be here this morning because someone sought leave. I understand there are very strong personal grounds for the shadow minister not to be here. When I raised this matter with the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, he was very blunt in advising me to bring it on today and that he would have appropriate speakers to deal with it. I am a bit saddened by that because I would have thought that the Leader of the Opposition would want his shadow to speak.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I was optimistically allowing the Deputy Chief Minister a bit of latitude in the hope that he might refer to the reason why it is that the shadow minister for education is not here. However, since he has surprisingly …
Mr Stirling: There are strong grounds, there are strong personal grounds.
Ms CARNEY: … not referred to the personal reasons that take him away from the Chamber, I ask that you take the appropriate action with …
Madam SPEAKER: We do not normally refer to members …
Ms CARNEY: … the Deputy Chief Minister, who should know much better.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, it has been announced that the member for Blain has very personal reasons for not attending today and perhaps your remarks should take that into consideration.
Mr STIRLING: Absolutely.
Ms Carney: Well, why didn’t you say it? What’s the point in this? It’s not cricket, Syd, and you know it.
Mr STIRLING: Please, clear your ears out! Madam Speaker, I did say I understand there are very strong personal grounds …
Ms Carney: You did not say that.
Members: He did.
Mr STIRLING: … for the reason the shadow minister for education is not here. I am saddened by that fact. and I sincerely offer my condolences to he and his family …
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: … for the reasons that he can’t be here. The point I was making is this: I would have thought the Leader of the Opposition would have shown some leadership on this matter and worked with us, that this statement could have been brought back later. Such is his attitude that he wanted the statement brought on because he had appropriate speakers arranged to speak to it.
In our election campaign …
Ms CARTER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! For the record, my understanding is that the shadow minister for education did speak to the minister and did ask for this to be put back to next week, and it has been refused.
Mr STIRLING: Well, let’s clear this up, Madam Speaker. It gets better! He did speak to me and, when I raised it with the Leader of the Opposition, it was quite apparent that he hadn’t raised it with his own Leader. I talked about a little spirit of cooperation in this House and we would be happy to rearrange and work towards rearranging business if there was a cooperative attitude from the Leader of the Opposition. I won’t repeat what he said but, suffice to say, there was no cooperation and there was an urging from the Leader of the Opposition that: ‘You do what you like, you bring on the statement and I will have appropriate speakers to deal with it’. There was no sense of cooperation that he wanted his shadow minister to speak to that. I am sorry that has been dragged out of me because I think it is a sad reflection on the team work and the leadership displayed by the man who sits in this chair - not for all that much longer, I would suggest, Madam Speaker, but there it is.
In our election campaign, we outlined our policies for education. We said Labor’s plan for the Territory is based on four key priorities: jobs for Territorians; good education services; a decent health system; and a safe community. Our vision for education was explicit. Labor believes that education equals employment and prosperity. Lack of education is the single most important factor in the poor employment record of indigenous people.
In 2001, 84% of non-indigenous and 28% of indigenous Year 3 students in the Northern Territory were assessed as achieving the national Year 3 reading benchmark. For the same period, 89% of non-indigenous and 35% of indigenous Year 5 students were assessed as achieving the national Year 5 reading benchmark. In remote areas this is worse, with 5% of indigenous students achieving Year 3 and 10% achieving Year 5 reading benchmark.
A further indication of the gulf between the education outcomes of indigenous and non-indigenous students is that only 40 indigenous students across the Northern Territory completed their Northern Territory Certificate of Education in 2001. There are hundreds more indigenous 17-year-olds who did not. This data is not news, Madam Speaker, you would have heard it yourself in the past. We have all heard similar statistics before in this Assembly. Many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We have been through this before with several ministers so far. The ministers circulate a ministerial statement the night before and we allow a little bit of latitude, but there is a certain amount of deviation away from that ministerial statement, and I would ask that you ask the minister to confine his comments to within the boundaries of that statement.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you implying that what the minister is reading is not what was circulated?
Mr ELFERINK: It’s not what I have in front of me.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I don’t care what he says; I have a ministerial statement to deliver and I will deliver it and he will respond to what I say in this House, not what he has in front of him. He will respond to what Hansard records.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, but minister, let me just say we have had this before. I just hope whatever is delivered to all members is the statement the ministers are delivering. We have been through all this before.
Mr STIRLING: It is a very simple rule, Madam Speaker, we don’t give them pre-copies. I am happy not to give them copies.
Madam SPEAKER: I am not sure why there is a difference.
Mr STIRLING: If that is the rule, I will speak to the Leader of the Opposition, there will be no advance copies sent across so there will be no complaints, okay?
Madam SPEAKER: Well, standing orders, I think, require them.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities in the Territory, leave our school system …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Well, look I will just pick that up. We do it out of courtesy; we do it out of a courtesy that we circulate the speech the evening before. If you don’t want us to do it, tell us. If you don’t want the speech circulated and given to you the evening before, do tell us and we will cease doing so.
Many indigenous students, particularly in remote communities in the Territory, leave our school system with very limited English literacy and numeracy skills. In many cases, these students have only reached the level of academic ability of six or seven-year-old mainstream students. I don’t need to spell out how devastating a picture this paints for the future of these children, their communities, and the social and economic wellbeing of the Northern Territory community as a whole. The economic cost of poor educational outcomes among indigenous citizens of the Territory is immense, both in direct and opportunity costs.
The government is about providing responsible government, committed to generating economic and social opportunities for everyone in the Territory. Responsible government will not see one section of the community disenfranchised through lack of education because we regard education as one of the keys to achieving economic and social outcomes for indigenous Territorians.
This ministerial statement outlines this government’s agenda for indigenous education and the Learning Lessons review provides the blueprint. Over two years ago, the Learning Lessons report was released. It sought to establish a comprehensive picture of indigenous education in the Northern Territory through reporting the aspirations of indigenous parents and communities in relation to their children’s schooling; identifying the issues that impact on educational outcomes; and recommending actions for government and the community to address these issues. This report gave us the true picture of indigenous education in the Territory. There is, and I quote:
- … unequivocal evidence of deteriorating outcomes from an already unacceptably low base …
The government was in opposition when the Learning Lessons report was released. At the time, we continuously challenged the then government, through the then shadow minister for education, the member for Stuart, to address the recommendations. There wasn’t a parliamentary sitting went by when the member for Stuart wasn’t on his feet asking questions of the government in relation to implementation. We challenged the government to improve the educational outcomes and hence the opportunities of our indigenous students and communities. We took on this challenge in our policy platform, and now that we are in government, we have made the commitment to undertake a serious and comprehensive response to the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report.
Cabinet recently endorsed the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan. We endorsed the plan because it sets out a framework within which the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report can be comprehensively addressed. But that strategic plan is now two years old. The shelves of public servants, schools and community organisations are littered with plans for indigenous education. Planning is important but, as we said in opposition, the focus of government must be to move from planning to implementation. To this end, I have established the Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee. It is to meet for the first time on 14 March. It will be responsible for overseeing the development and management of an implementation program.
This steering committee is to be co-chaired by Bob Collins, author of Learning Lessons, and Esther Djayhgurrnga. Esther is the principal of Gunbalunya Community Education Centre. Most of the steering committee members are indigenous and have backgrounds in teaching, indigenous health organisations, ATSIC, land councils, local government and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. I will be announcing the membership of that committee when it is launched on 14 March. This committee has the right membership to drive the implementation of the Learning Lessons review recommendations and these include student attendance and retention; health and education; early childhood; secondary education; literacy and numeracy; staff recruitment and retention; reporting and accountability; and partnerships.
The terms of reference for the committee include: overseeing the evaluation, prioritisation and implementation of recommendations from Learning Lessons and the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan; endorsing action plans for implementing the recommendations; monitoring Commonwealth-funded initiatives to ensure they contribute to implementing the recommendations; considering and commenting on reports provided by the Department of Employment, Education and Training and other education providers, and recommending appropriate action; and identifying and seeking additional funding required for implementing the review recommendations. Many of the organisations represented do not have education within their charter. I acknowledge this and I wish to thank these organisations and all members for agreeing to participate in the partnership. I look forward to working closely with this committee to benefit from their perspectives.
I want to talk about the detail of this government’s partnership strategy. Indigenous education has a history in the Territory of being shrouded in political rhetoric and we have heard words like ‘partnership’ many times, yet we have seen little evidence of real and sustainable partnerships in education. This government is clear that we will only succeed in turning around low outcomes in indigenous education if we work in real partnership with indigenous parents, communities, service providers and industry. We need indigenous people to be involved in decision-making processes at the school and Territory levels. We want to make sure that the system does not operate to alienate people; we want to make sure that people view the school in their community as a place they can be a part of, a place where they can be involved. Parents and community leaders must also be given the opportunity to take responsibility for attendance and educational outcomes.
The Martin Labor government does not back away from the concept of indigenous involvement in the decision making and control of school operations. Quite the opposite; we encourage it and we will work to make sure that a range of options are available. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is currently consulting with a number of communities to develop these partnership models. With the implementation committee’s endorsement, we will trial the concept of local education advisory boards in at least four communities. This will give community leaders, parents, key agencies and local businesses the opportunity to work with principals. These advisory boards will develop community education and training plans to test various initiatives to improve attendance and education outcomes. They will work to build a cross-agency approach and greater involvement of parents and community leaders in decision making at the school. Governance is a key issue for community controlled organisations. Training for advisory board members will be an important aspect of this initiative.
I want to outline some of the initiatives this government has already put in place to achieve our goal of turning around the appallingly low educational outcomes for indigenous students. First, linking education to employment. This government has brought employment, education and training together into the one department. Indigenous education stands to gain enormously from this. The department now encompasses life long learning from preschool right through to higher education and workplace training. Education and training can now be structured around community and workforce training needs to build social and economic growth. For many remote communities, building the economic base and job opportunities for people may be critical to their social and economic survival. Young people are more likely to take advantage of education and training if they can see opportunities and a chance for a job.
The capacity to plan and target education and training is of profound significance for indigenous people in remote communities. While the new department now has the capacity to plan and target education and training, one element is still lacking: the Territory has not had an employment strategy backed by regular, accurate, up-to-date labour market analyses. For years when we were in opposition, we pressed the then government about the urgent requirement for the Northern Territory to have an employment strategy - to no avail. Local industry cannot seize investment opportunities unless the local workforce has the appropriate skills mix. The alternative is to rely on a fly-in, fly-out work force and then, of course, people in the Territory miss out on those jobs.
So I have asked the department to examine how best to develop an employment strategy which is practical. We need to make sure the employment strategy delivers solutions that work for business, employees and the very diverse communities across the Northern Territory. Planning for remote communities will need to recognise unique local conditions and opportunities, and I expect to be able to detail the government’s approach to this in the May sittings.
The department’s new structure provides better opportunity to link education for secondary students with employment and training, giving them alternative secondary pathways and the incentive to stay at school. To this end, the government has already endorsed an additional $1m per year for the extension of Vocational Education and Training down to Year 9, and to make sure that there are more vocational education and training places available in remote areas. This will allow us to provide between 700 to 900 VET places to urban, rural and remote areas. Approximately 370 places will be in remote schools. The VET program’s emphasis will be on developing programs in partnership with the community and targeting the particular employment skills required by that community.
Government is working to develop strong partnerships with industry. We will assist communities and the school to come together with industry to maximise education and employment opportunities. One example: as Minister for Employment, Education and Training, I am about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with representatives of the Borroloola Community Government Council, the Mabunji Association, the Borroloola Community Education Centre and the McArthur River Mine. This MOU gives the community and the mine a role in determining aspects of the Borroloola Community Education Centre programs, including teaching, curriculum materials and adult education programs. It will also enable joint training programs to assist students moving from school to work.
The Learning Lessons review has identified a significant under-enrolment of indigenous students in secondary education across the Northern Territory. Estimates vary, but there may be as many as 3500 indigenous secondary aged young people not enrolled and not attending school. In 2000, the apparent retention of indigenous students from Year 8 to Year 12 was 27%, or just one in four of the 77% for non-indigenous students. Add to this the poor attendance rates of many enrolled indigenous students; potential higher education and TAFE students are being lost to unskilled jobs or welfare-supported unemployment. At present, the availability of secondary education for students from remote areas is limited to boarding school or correspondence courses. As Bob Collins indicated, there are large numbers of secondary school aged children in indigenous communities simply not being provided with effective secondary education. What is in place is haphazard and ad hoc, driven by teachers and principals desperate to provide a service with few options or resources.
Already this year, this government has put in place initiatives to address attendance and retention in urban secondary schools. This is where the fastest improvements ought to be possible. The initial phase involves 17 secondary schools. The project will build on the work currently being done in schools to retain indigenous students. Schools will actively encourage participation of students, families, teachers, support staff, school councils, and ASPA committees in developing a structured program for the transition of students from primary to secondary, and from junior secondary to senior secondary. Principals will develop links with their feeder primary schools to establish student support teams to encourage retention of students from junior to senior secondary. Individual attention and mentoring will be available for Year 11 and 12 indigenous students to help them complete their secondary schooling. As for remote schools, work has commenced to trial provision of the senior secondary curriculum on site in selected remote pilot schools.
The work must be done carefully. Indigenous parents want their children to have local secondary schooling, but they were emphatic in insisting to Bob Collins that they don’t want their children to get a second-rate curriculum offering. To complement these initiatives, I will be asking the implementation committee to provide advice on the best approach to a campaign focussed on school attendance. I want the campaign to attract the attention of students, families and community leaders. I want clear and appropriate messages to be relayed to students about the importance of school. The campaign will reach students and families across the Territory and will provide positive messages on school and community.
In opposition, Labor said we would work to improve coordination between the Commonwealth and Territory agencies to maximise outcomes in health, education, training and housing to avoid duplication, administrative waste and confusion for program managers and communities. On taking office, I came to agreement with the then Commonwealth Minister for Education, Dr David Kemp, over targets for indigenous education outcomes. This allows the Northern Territory to receive $10m per year under the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Program, and an additional $8.6m over four years under the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy - funds which have been withheld for 12 months while the targets were debated by the previous government.
If the previous government stands condemned for any one single action, it is this: it is their refusal to take on board a commitment to improving the outcomes of education in indigenous schools. Such was their resistance to this, they denied indigenous education funds to the extent of $20m on offer from the Commonwealth because they could not bring themselves to sign off on a commitment to improve educational outcomes for indigenous students. That says it all. It is a shameful indictment on those members opposite, that they had a grub of a minister up here in the former minister for education. Thank God he no longer sits in this House. But it is a shameful episode in Northern Territory politics. The shame and the smell of that hangs around those people today.
We agreed, without opposition, to targets of 20% improvement for urban indigenous students and 26% improvement for remote indigenous students in reaching literacy and numeracy benchmarks over four years ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have already raised this once, and we have had tirade from the minister opposite in relation to sticking to the statement. Yes, I would like copies of statements the night before because we can then prepare a reasonable debate. The point is that introducing new aspects and digressing from the statement detracts from that debate.
Madam SPEAKER: I point out that Standing Order 258 provides that a minister may make a statement on government policy at any time provided that copies of the statements are made available for distribution to members when the minister commences his statement. I know in the past members have received copies prior to the delivery of the statement, but perhaps we can make sure that what people have in front of them when the minister commences his statement is what he is delivering. I will allow the minister to finish his statement.
Mr STIRLING: There is a simple rule here, Madam Speaker, and I will pick it up with the Leader of the Opposition at the first opportunity. The rule is this: they get the statement the night before provided there are no frivolous interjections and whingeing about what the minister has to say. In fact, I enhance the speech when I add to it, you idiot!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of Government Business.
Mr STIRLING: And here he is now. Perhaps he can answer it when he gets up on his feet.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I ask you to withdraw that comment.
Mr STIRLING: I withdraw. I withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Now would you please resume presenting your statement.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell, let’s get back to it.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, we agreed, without hesitation, to targets of 20% improvement for urban indigenous students and 26% improvement for remote indigenous students in reaching the literacy and numeracy benchmarks over four years. We acknowledge that they set the bar very high, but we believe that that is the opportunity that gives us a better chance of getting there.
Our government’s commitment is to turn around the decline in indigenous education outcomes. This is the basis on which I signed. It is worth noting, in addition to that, that Commonwealth legislation allows for negotiation between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory rather than financial penalty where those targets are not fully achieved. Now, what do these targets mean for each school? If every remote school was able to get just one more child to reach the MAP benchmark, the Northern Territory would exceed our targets. That is all the ask was on our predecessors, and they could not bring themselves to sign off on that. I will be asking each of our principals to make sure that more than one child in each school gets to the MAP benchmark and we will have doubled our targets.
Indigenous parents made it clear in the Collins review that they want to know how their children are going. We can’t have meaningful partnerships with parents, or effective involvement of families in decision making, without giving parents accurate information about the educational progress of their children. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is well underway in improving the assessment and reporting of indigenous students’ progress. We now have all of our schools undertaking the national standardised testing process with their students. We have access to improved data. The Multilevel Assessment Program - the MAP testing - allows us to compare the Northern Territory’s performance to national benchmarks.
The Learning Lessons report indicates that in the past, these comparative results for indigenous students were often not gathered in the first place or were buried. This year, for the first time, the government’s ensured that all parents have access to MAP results for their children; it’s a crucial step. MAP offers a transparent and factual record used by other people to make judgments and decisions about children’s education. Surely, parents have a right to that information. Having said that, MAP by itself is a crude instrument: it is one measure at one point in time. I am also confident that through the new curriculum framework, we will have assessment procedures in place to report to parents on the progress of all students, across all subject areas and all years of schooling.
Government is keen to support methods of teaching literacy and numeracy which will make a measurable impact on outcomes. We have expanded, for example, the trial of the Accelerated Literacy Program – formerly known as Scaffolding Literacy. This program aims to assist teachers to achieve measurable improvements in student learning outcomes. The program’s been developed by the University of Canberra, and has been piloted for two years in six Northern Territory schools. Gillen Primary and Anzac Hill High have been trialling the program for one semester, and I did have a brief look at it at Anzac Hill High. Ludmilla Primary, Nightcliff and Dripstone High commenced this term and Ngukurr will come on line next term. We are interested to see how this program translates to the Northern Territory setting. It’s planned to compare this program to other literacy programs operating in the Territory.
What about teachers and other staff who work with our students? We know that high staff turnover is a key contributor to poor educational outcomes. I believe we have some of the best teachers in this country working in our schools. This government wants to make sure that we keep those teachers who have demonstrated their commitment, and that we attract more teachers who have the skills necessary for teaching in the Territory. I want to indicate some of the initiatives this government has put in place towards this end. Government’s introduced a bursary scheme to increase the number of Territorians entering the teaching profession. A bursary of $12 000 will be awarded to 20 students to attend Northern Territory University or Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education for teacher training. Priority will be given to those applicants willing to teach in remote Territory schools and/or who are willing to undergo training in special education, English as a second language, information and communications technology, maths or science. The awardees will be announced at a scholarships ceremony to be held on 13 March.
Northern Territory teachers need high-level skills specifically in the areas of English as a second language, hearing and information technology. We are currently negotiating with NTU and Batchelor Institute to ensure their teacher education courses include these skill areas as a major component. It’s about saying what we want, in terms of pre-service training, and not simply taking what we can get. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is currently working on an initiative with the University of Sydney to encourage and equip masters graduates to accept teaching positions in remote Northern Territory schools. The initiative will fund and support a number of Masters of Teaching students to undertake an internship of one term in a remote Territory school. These newly-qualified teachers will then be offered positions in remote schools. The Department of Employment, Education and Training is also working with NTU to arrange remote practical placements for Northern Territory undergraduate teacher trainees.
Recruiting, retaining and developing indigenous staff, principals, teachers, teacher assistants, Aboriginal and Islander education workers, and Aboriginal resource officers is critical to making indigenous education work for indigenous students. The government will continue programs already in place to achieve these such as the indigenous teacher education salary scheme and the cadetship program. The department will consult with the implementation committee on how to strengthen the professional development and mentoring programs for indigenous staff.
Across the Northern Territory, indigenous students represent 38% of students in our schools; in the Top End, around one in three indigenous students in the classroom. The figure is higher in Central Australia where indigenous students make up almost 50% of student enrolments; one in two in the classroom. This government has moved quickly to improve the capacity in Central Australia. Under this government, the department’s recently appointed a manager and a team of five officers to the Alice Springs Education Office who will work in the area of fostering partnerships with indigenous people; mentoring indigenous staff; improving secondary education provision; and supporting indigenous language and culture.
Indigenous education is everybody’s business. One-third of our student population cannot be left to a few specialist areas. Effort will now be directed to ensure that all of the department’s programs incorporate the work required to improve outcomes in indigenous education. This is a significant change to how business was carried out by our predecessors. This is about ensuring that the issues in indigenous education are addressed as part of core business …
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING: … by everybody! And it’s not solely the responsibility of one designated indigenous education branch. It’s not solely the responsibility of some senior and respected indigenous people sitting on a committee to advise the minister. It’s everybody’s responsibility, and it will be built into every aspect of the department’s program. I hammer the responsibility of DEET as my portfolio but, equally, the responsibility rests with others: other Northern Territory departments, the Commonwealth, the private sector, leaders in communities and parents. I am confident that, in partnership with the implementation committee, we can halt the declining education outcomes. As Bob Collins says: ‘The solutions are not rocket science’. Initial analysis of the latest MAP data indicate a slight - and I emphasise slight - improvement. It does provide us with a more realistic baseline so that we can now accurately measure performance and improving outcomes for our students.
This government accepts its responsibility to be accountable for the money we spend. We are, as a government, faced with severe budgetary constraints. We must ensure that available resources are applied sensibly and responsibly to maximise impact. This is of profound importance in indigenous education. That is why, as minister, I am interested in measurable results. I intend to support programs where there is measurable evidence that they make a difference. In indigenous education, the more we succeed with improving attendance and retention, the more demand there will be for resources. Over the longer term, there is no question that we will need to commit to additional resourcing. I want to make sure that we get the most out of every dollar we allocate.
In summary, we will implement our indigenous programs through: partnership; collaboration across agencies and levels of government; accountability; good planning supported by expert input from the implementation committee; explicit project management of implementation with initiative clearly targeted, and with reporting against those targets; unit costing, measurement, and evaluation to give us evidence on which to base policy; financial responsibility, making every effort to make sure that every dollar hits the mark; and transparent reporting of outcomes. I will provide regular reports to this parliament, indigenous Territorians, students, schools, parents, and communities on progress in indigenous education.
Finally, I want to restate this government’s commitment to indigenous education. I want to restate that our focus is on the immediate implementation of key programs and initiatives. Our commitment, our message to the community and to the system, is that this government aims to arrest the decline in indigenous outcomes and to work in partnership with indigenous Territorians and with our schools, principals, teachers, parents and communities, to turn this around. I add a further one there – I add the Commonwealth government, because I have been enormously encouraged.
I am beginning to have a great deal of respect and admiration for the man who now fills the position of Minister for Education at the federal level, one Dr Brendan Nelson. I could not have been more pleased when I attended a press conference with him at the Northern Territory University about a month ago and he went before the cameras and he said: ‘I don’t care whatever happens in education across Australia. In my time as Minister for Education; unless there has been a turnaround – a significant turnaround – in outcomes for indigenous students, I will regard myself as having failed’. They mirrored the words that I proffered on becoming minister here. I am enormously encouraged and have a very positive view of this man’s role at the federal government level because I believe he will be there standing beside this government as we tackle this endemic problem of appallingly low outcomes in indigenous education. I also believe that he will be there as we build the schools; as we get students going back to schools and that resourcing question becomes clearer, he will be there to assist with that. That is certainly the impression I get, and I look forward to working with him.
His stance on indigenous education stands in stark contrast to that of the members opposite when they were in government, when they were willing to forgo $18m and $20m worth of federal funding simply because they could not bring themselves to commit to improving outcomes in indigenous education. As I said before, that is a shameful indictment and it hangs over their heads forever.
Madam Speaker, working together, this government aims to ensure indigenous education contributes to a social and economic base where indigenous Territorians are able to take their place as full participants in building the Territory’s future.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I read the minister’s statement with regard to the indigenous education. When I read it, I felt very positive about it and I was looking forward to coming in here to discuss it. However, I found his ad lib comments at the start of it very disappointing. I believe he has sullied the intent of this statement, and I am very disappointed in the way that he behaved in his effort to slur our leader to a large extent, and to a lesser extent, the member for Blain.
This issue with regard to the presence of the shadow education minister was discussed by our leader with us here in the opposition. We have speakers on the topic and we will be speaking on it. But I ask why? Why did the minister for education introduce his statement in such a nasty way? The reason, of course, is the issue of pairing. This is what lies at the heart of this discontent at the moment. Well, we here on the opposition cannot support your desire for pairing. This Assembly sits for 33 days of the year. It’s not a big ask, and we expect everybody to be here for that time. I know it’s difficult for you; you are flat out over there, you want to go swanning off interstate and overseas when it suits. Well, we are not going to be here to assist you in doing that by having members of the opposition toddling off into the lobby when it suits you and keeping our mouths shut. It will not happen.
Yesterday, just for the record, the Deputy Chief Minister met with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss the issue of this education statement, and he put it to the Leader of the Opposition: ‘Yes we can defer raising this statement until the shadow minister for education is here in the Assembly. But we will only do that if you pair with us’. So, there was an attempt to coerce us into that activity …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARTER: … and we will not do it.
Mr Stirling: Coerce? It’s called cooperation; it’s called a bit of give and take. It’s called quid pro quo.
Ms CARTER: I think it is grossly unfair to do that to our shadow minister for education. You know full well that you could have deferred this for a week. I know that the shadow minister for education is disappointed to not have this opportunity to respond to your statement.
So, I ask you: if you want to pair, have you approached the member for Nelson? There’s an opportunity for you that you might like to explore. We will be here, we expect you to be here just as Territorians expect all of us to be here.
Now, I will go on to this statement that you’ve given us today. I believe it’s a good statement, and I look forward to seeing it have positive results because none of us here could disagree with the sentiment of the statement and the issues that are facing people, particularly Aboriginal people, at the moment with regard to education. You’ve outlined the reading age statistics, and they are very disappointing. They’re not surprising, but they are certainly disappointing particularly for the people from remote areas.
You’ve been screaming for our blood occasionally during the statement, making snide references to the CLP’s management of this situation over the last 20-odd years. Well, I ask you: is the situation in Queensland different? Are the reading ages for Aboriginal children on remote communities markedly better? We all know that Queensland has been under a Labor government for quite a few years now so I’d be interested to hear what stark difference is there between the young students in Queensland outback communities and our students here in the Northern Territory. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s not any great difference …
Dr Burns: Why not do the research? Because you’re lazy. There’s a library there. Why didn’t you do it?
Ms CARTER: Well, I’m asking you. You’re in government, you have the resources …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I know that the member for Johnston had a late night last night, but he should find other ways to stay awake.
Madam SPEAKER: I don’t think there’s a point of order, but I would like the member for Johnston to quieten down a bit. We’d all appreciate, I am sure, a little bit of quietness today.
Ms CARTER: As we all know, the results of this poor educational attainment, which we’ve certainly heard about again in the minister’s statement. The results of that are difficulties with regard to employment and, particularly, for Aboriginal people living in remote areas. We all know that, as young people, we need to develop skills and, even as we get older in life, we need to maintain skills and perhaps develop some new skills, skills that are going to be saleable in the marketplace. That’s the reality of life: you have to bring into the marketplace skills that employers are going to want to purchase from you.
For many of us, as we go through life, developing those skills can be very tough. I know that going to school was not something that I looked forward to, but you stick it out. Making the decision to go nursing was a tough decision because I knew it was a tough area to work in, but I knew it was a job where you could always get work and get out there, travel the world or travel the country and have a job. Tough decisions have to be made by the individual as to what they’re going to do with their training and their education in life.
For those of us who have been born into families that set a role model example - and I can see that I’ve been very lucky to have that sort of upbringing - families provide role models, they discipline you, they get you through the process. For those of us who have been lucky enough to have parents with role model skills like reading - and young children mirror those skills as they learn in life. I concede that it’s been very difficult and it is difficult in families which don’t have that role model situation. I suspect that may be the case in many Aboriginal families living in remote areas. This is a difficult situation which we, as a community, find ourselves in.
The Learning Lessons report is an excellent document. When I read it I was touched by its frankness and its honesty. There’s been no effort at all to adopt politically correct attitudes and it’s very blunt in many of the things that it says. I appreciate that and I know as a community, we have benefitted and we are going to benefit further from this report.
I noticed from the report - and the minister has reflected on it in his statement - the use of MAP testing. This is going to be a great way of doing it because MAP testing is a process of things like reading age that is done throughout Australia. It means that we are going to be able to measure a child in Darwin - as we do now in the electorate that I live in - and we’re going to be able to use the same form of testing on that child as happens to a child, say, in New South Wales, and it will happen - and I’m sure it happens from time to time, as I know it does, actually - in remote communities of the Northern Territory. So, we’re going to see this uniform standard of testing which means that you can measure apples with apples and not anything different. The evaluation of programs such as this is absolutely vital. We need to know where we are now, and I know that information is available, but we need to know how we’re progressing over the years as things go and, of course, to be able to refine the approach and to change it in order to maximise its benefit.
One of the things that came out in the Learning Lessons report was the need to advise parents of the reality; how their children are really going. This may, in many cases, be difficult for the children and for the parents as well. I know many of us who were not brilliant scholars at school would also know, in a way, what it’s like to not be a high achiever. But I think it’s vital that young people and their parents, and their community, get the feedback - honest feedback - as to how they’re going because that will be able to assist the school, the family and the children in motivating them to gain higher scores and to achieve better.
The steps the minister has outlined of the way the program is going to be implemented look fine. However, there is a lot of consultation going to occur and I can see that that’s probably going to be necessary. I do hope, too, that the program kicks off in a practical sense as soon as possible. Community consultation involvement and, I guess, one of the key words that was in the report ‘responsibility’ - that’s shared responsibility, but the responsibility there as well - is also vital and very welcome.
The plan to increase students’ access to VET is great, particularly by increasing the remote area placements, and dropping the level at which students can start VET to Year 9 is to be applauded. It’s really vital, I’m sure many of us would concede, particularly in high school, to know that you’re actually learning something that’s useful and not some sort of strange thing. I can recall slide rulers and algebra as a vague concept which I struggled over for hours and obviously pointlessly because it’s of no use whatsoever to me now. Extrapolating from that, I think programs such as VET being made more widely available to remote area students, just as it is here in the urban area, is an excellent proposal. I hope that the VET program out in the more remote areas will lead on to more apprenticeships being available to young people. There is a very strange situation in our society at the moment across the board where there is such an emphasis on young people having to attend tertiary education and university in an effort to be able to prove that they’ve been a success when in fact what our community and what remote area communities, I would argue, are screaming out for are people with practical skills. I certainly hope that apprenticeships will come into things as time goes on.
The minister applauds the federal government for assisting with funding and I, too, welcome and support his approach there. The setting of evaluation standards by which funding is going to be available is also a good thing to do. The level at which the statement outlines is going to be the standard to be set on first appearance looks very high but, as the minister explained, it would only take a few students reaching the MAP goals to attain that level. I certainly think it’s good to set your bar high as to what you hope to achieve in the hope that, at the same time, you will be pulling up as many students as possible with you as you all work towards that goal.
To my mind, the key skills are English literacy, and numeracy. The reality is that English is the dominant language in our society and I believe that students from a very early age must be immersed in English and numeracy if they’re to be given any hope of being able to have a choice later in life of joining mainstream economic activities.
Teachers get a mention as well, and that’s a good thing. When I was a student teacher here in Darwin, doing primary school teacher education, I had an opportunity to experience teaching. It was very rewarding, concentrating on the primary school area. Then, when I concluded that training and was doing my bachelor year, I worked as a relief teacher, and that gave me a very real insight into the stresses and the weight put upon teachers here in the urban community. I do not have any remote area primary school teaching experience, but I would suspect that those stresses are even greater for remote area teachers. If a nurse is telling you that teaching is stressful then I can guarantee you that it is; and I take my hat off to the remote area teachers and the work that they are doing. I think the idea of a bursary to assist teachers to further their studies is an excellent idea and I congratulate you for it.
In closing, I was wondering whether or not the evaluation of this program will pick up on the students who do not actually attend school. How will it pick those students up? Because the reality is - and I have friends who are teaching out bush. I am told that in schools - say, you have a school that is set up for 200 students, you might get during the year an average of about 50 students attending on any day and it deteriorates even further in that of those 50 students, you will have different students coming in the morning from those who come after lunch. So, it really compounds the issue for teachers when trying to teach a program. There is that difficulty but I suspect there are also Aboriginal children who don’t go into the schools at all, and I am wondering how they are going to be picked up by the study that will be done; the evaluation programs that you’ll have.
The biggest challenge to my mind is getting the students to go to school and not just to turn up at 8 o’clock in the morning, but to turn up well; to turn up with a full tummy; to turn up with their ear drums intact so they can hear; and to turn up after having a good night’s sleep so that they are rested. In other words, to be in the condition that I suspect all of us enjoyed when we went to school. This is a real challenge for our community and for our society, to be able to assist communities in having such a system in place and a community in place that enables their students to turn up in peak levels of ability to face the day at school.
I know that this is going to be a costly program. My concern is, of course, where will the money come from? Will urban education suffer as a result of this program? I certainly hope that it does not. In conclusion …
Mr Stirling: No. Your government used to send money back, see, because you didn’t spend it.
Ms CARTER: Right. Well, that’s good to hear. I wish your government all the very best with this program and I look forward to seeing how it goes over the next few years.
Dr TOYNE (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I can’t tell you how much pleasure it gives me to stand here today as a member of the Labor government with a real chance of finally delivering on all the issues that I have been bringing to this House for the last five years. It is a pleasure. I can only look forward to the next three or four years of implementing our policies and the provisions of Learning Lessons with absolute anticipation as being a member of our team to support this. You can fairly say that the last chances we were ever going to have to positively intercede on the outcomes in remote education were slipping away and we have got here just in time to repair the situation.
What has been missing all these years? There has been an enormous amount of rhetoric, and rhetoric might sound a very innocuous term. It is something that fills the air with warm air, but you don’t normally think of rhetoric as being something that is actively destructive. Having worked in remote education for so long and seeing, time after time, the expectations - the hopes of Aboriginal parents; the non-Aboriginal educators who are involved in indigenous education and, most of all, the students and their extended families - raised by yet another round of consultation, of strategic planning, only to find that there was nothing delivered. Why wasn’t it delivered? It was because there was no basic commitment to this area of education in a consistent and informed way.
We are going to change that and, as the minister has outlined in his statement, we are going to pick up this report, Learning Lessons, and we are going to take this very seriously. This is going to be implemented and it is going to be implemented in detail with resources and with consistent support not only from the minister for education, but from the entire Cabinet and the entire government. So, we are really going to take this and make it fly.
The minister alluded to the rather sorry history of the previous government and particularly its relationship to the indigenous education funding programs within the Commonwealth system. In fact, beyond the $20m that has been held up by the refusal to commit to the outcomes within the indigenous education agreements, we had a damning report came out - actually on the same day as this report was tabled in the House - an absolutely damning internal report on the use of the IESIP money within the NT Education system: $90m over 10 years went west. It was being supposedly – supposedly - applied to indigenous education programs. Where was it going? It was going into functions that had more to do with exporting educational products overseas from here in Darwin; it was supporting, I think in the end, 50 or more reasonably high-level public service jobs here in Darwin; it was being applied to programs that had nothing whatsoever to do with indigenous education. And yet on the books there was $9m going out nicely every year. There was just enough hitting the coalface to say that some money was being spent out there, but it was just enough to create the smokescreen.
So, we have some real catching up to do to win back the trust of the federal government. This does not mean we have to abandon our sense of autonomy; it does not mean that we have to follow the tune of Canberra to the letter. What they have been asking for within the indigenous education agreements has nothing to do with someone in Canberra dictating what detail goes into our school programs or what detail goes into the administrative arrangements with Aboriginal people other than saying that there has to be strong Aboriginal involvement in the management structures of our education programs. Well, what’s wrong with that? We should have been doing it years ago.
The minister reports that we have now committed - and I am absolutely thrilled to see that we have - to some real change in the outcomes for our literacy and numeracy benchmarks over the next four years. Now, 20% improvement in urban indigenous students sounds fairly impressive until you realise that it is coming off the base; if we’re talking about all urban students, 36% at the moment at Year 5, and 54% at Year 3. We are still well below the overall average in the non-indigenous average for those two year levels, even once that 20% has been achieved. That’s in the urban centre where we actually have a less extreme situation.
In the non-urban schools, we are coming off a base of 4% for male students at Year 5; 5% achieve these benchmarks. Now, even with 26% we’re still getting up into the low 30s. There is still a huge way to go, even if we achieve that in the next four years. But at least we will get it going in the right direction. If we can up to a defendable figure when we go to forums of various education systems around Australia, we don’t have to creep through the back door and sit there in the corner feeling very ashamed of being not only the worst in Australia, but light years behind the pack. We have to get up to at least around somewhere near the average outcomes around our country.
There has always been this mythology around our system here: ‘Yes, it’s all that much harder in the Territory’. Well, it is hard here; there’s no question about that. We have the highest proportion of remote communities in the country. We have the highest proportion of indigenous students in the country. We have particular challenges and I think, under this government, they will finally be called challenges and not problems. We have put these away as being too hard; it’s all been a problem, it’s all just beyond help, and let’s just concentrate on something else.
Well, we are not going to do that. We are going to take these on as being the ultimate challenge of this government to improve not only education parameters in these areas in the Territory, but also alongside them health, employment and economic development. If we can do that together, then we are not only going to improve the lot of a very important part of the Northern Territory population, but we’re going to do the Territory as a whole a huge favour in that we’re going to reduce the current polarisation between a marginalised, impoverished group that has been increasingly left right out of the mainstream development of this place and is increasingly placing a burden on the overall budget and the general social demands of supporting the Territory population.
Looking at the area of recruitment and retention of teachers which the Collins report also gives a high focus, we are going to have to turn what has been a disincentive into a virtue. We are going to have to learn how to support our bush teachers a lot better than we have in the past. It’s not about having vast increases in salaries; it is about having good access to study leave at more frequent intervals than perhaps their urban counterparts. In fact, the scheme by which you can accumulate study credits with bush service has been incredibly successful and it’s actually starting to impact on the retention rates in our bush schools. We have to hang on to that because it’s working, but we have to build other things into it such as using the new Desert Knowledge developments once they are underway to provide a very specialised service within education for our bush schools. Bush teachers have to be trained to be bush teachers. They are not just like teachers in an urban secondary school or in a city somewhere else interstate, if they have been trained interstate. They are a very specialised arm of the teaching service; they’re taking on the toughest roles that a teacher can take on anywhere in the world. These are the most difficult conditions that a teacher - other than being shot at in a country with a civil war raging - this is about as tough as it gets if you want to take on an educational challenge as a teacher.
We have to consolidate the training and placement of our Aboriginal teachers so that they become not just as good as white teachers or just like white teachers. There is a whole pedagogy that’s been developing out of places like the Batchelor teaching courses, out of the bilingual schools in the earlier era when they were a leading edge in primary education. They are finding not only how best an Aboriginal teacher can enter the profession, but also how best an Aboriginal teacher can function as a teacher in their own or another community alongside non-Aboriginal teachers.
There are specialised roles and you have to understand, as a professional, how you fit into that team with other teachers beside you. Each teacher, within a two-way learning program at least, has a very specialised role. Non-Aboriginal teachers should teach what non-Aboriginal teachers know best; Aboriginal teachers should teach what Aboriginal teachers know best. But beyond that, they have to understand each other’s domains enough so that they form a strong team. It is very good that they specialise in that way because you are going to enrich their work enormously if they concentrate on what they do well and on their strength, and learn to combine effectively between the two ways they are approaching the job.
We know all that because over many years, the old bilingual programs - which were the subject of such an acrimonious battle in the Northern Territory when they were shamelessly, I still believe, attacked by the previous government. They weren’t attacked in their own right. I mean, the bilingual model that was being espoused here in this House by the minister for education at the time and was being argued in the public debate was not what was going on in those schools then and is not what is going on in those schools today. The old assumptions that the only reason that you introduce vernacular languages into a school program is to underwrite the subsequent learning of English - that probably went out the door, by any respectable linguistic opinion, about 15 years ago.
Things have moved on into a much more complex bicultural model which you could call two-way learning; you could call it bicultural education. It doesn’t matter. It’s the same as Greek School in Darwin; it’s the same as any school that’s trying to combine two cultures into one education program. It’s not just a case of what you do with the languages or what sequence that you use the languages in; it’s a case of taking the two cultural outlooks and combining them into a really rich context for education. That’s what’s happening now in the current bilingual schools and, thankfully, our government came to power in time to save the enormous richness that are in some of those schools and now continue the development in a secure environment.
I have said before in the House that it’s not just a case of producing some level of education in those students; it is a case that the outputs of those schools is amazing. There have been things like Yothu Yindi come out of it; the entire acrylic art movement in Central Australia which is bringing in tens of millions of dollars per year in income into that region and enriching our tourist offerings immeasurably came out of the bilingual programs. It came out of two-way education. We are now moving into more and more expressions of that contemporary culture: CD-ROM production; we are looking at video and film production at a very high level. I’d point to the Bush Mechanics series as being one of the outputs of a tiny media association at Yuendumu. It fits into a building that used to be a three-bedroom house yet they are producing a product that is picking up national and international awards for the new areas that it is exploring in the medium of film and video.
The member for Port Darwin mentioned the problem of keeping kids at school. Yes, we know that; any teacher who taught out bush knows that there are a lot of things that are going to impact on the ability of a school to keep a viable attendance of their students. One thing to realise is that you can’t really think of it as a school in the community; you have to think of it as a point within a circulation of those families. The Collins report calls for a clustering of enrolments and a clustering of education programs between schools and related communities. That would be a much more effective way of keeping kids regularly engaged in education because you can pick up a kid who has moved with their family from one school to another and continue their education with minimum disruption. That type of cluster arrangements will become very common, I would expect, as we move into these implementations.
On the question of the infrastructure resources, there is money needed to implement the Collins report. There will be significant money needed to renew school facilities and teacher accommodation, and other resources that we need out in these schools. A lot of that money, as the minister has stated, will come from more effective relationships with the Commonwealth government. We are very lucky, and I absolutely agree that Dr Brendan Nelson - I have met him about three times in my travels - is an absolute boon for us coming into this exercise. If you have someone like Brendan Nelson there at the helm …
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: I have to say the Collins reports also calls for the Griffith Service Access Frame to be used to distribute funding around to these remote communities. The service access frame gives a very accurate measure of the effect of isolation on educational outcomes. It can predict with 95% certainty what sort of English and numeracy outcomes will come out of a particular school based on the distance of that community and school from the local service centre; the cost of getting there; the type of economic activities going on in that community. It’s a very good indicator of the difficulty or otherwise of operating a school program in that area and, therefore, of where you need the resources most.
I will finish in this rather broad overview of what’s going to be involved in our rollout of policy. Community partnerships - I could virtually say go back to Hansard on what I said about health yesterday, and that’s exactly what I want to say about education: that we are going to have to work through and with indigenous organisations, indigenous education boards or other bodies to act as a mediator of what the programs that we’re funding are going to look like in that area.
Around Central Australia, we have a number of proposals that will be coming into the Collins report implementation committee, the most advanced one of which is the Warlpiri triangle schools where five community schools are involved in that proposal. They want to run a single education approach to their programs within that cluster of schools; very good idea. They all speak the same language. They’ve all run two-way learning programs for 25 years. They’ve all had a very rich history of the parents in those communities taking a very active involvement in education, everything through to going off and training themselves as teachers so they can work directly in the schools. They’ve been moving towards this over the last 12 months. They now have an advanced proposal to take to the implementation committee to say: ‘Yes, let’s look at the Warlpiri area, and let’s set up a modified education program that can take advantage of the similarities between those school programs and the communities; that can build on the earlier work that’s gone on at places like Willowra, Lajamanu, Yuendumu, Nyirripi, and move this on in a contract with the government that will guarantee the outcomes - that we’ve now committed to with the Commonwealth government - will be reflected in that cluster of schools’.
If we have to get 26% improvement in the numeracy/literacy outcomes for those schools, that’s the target that that group have to take on as their challenge. They can deliver it in the style and the manner that they choose, but they’ve got to deliver it. That’s the relationship that they’ll have with our government. We are going to hold to those disciplines because we can’t let this slip. There’s no time left, things have become extreme out there. We’ve got to turn this around; we have to do it quickly. I can’t wait, and I commend the minister for education for bringing this forward. Let’s get into it; let’s do some good; and let’s see the whole House support this.
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Distinguished Visitor
Distinguished Visitor
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of the former federal Senator, the Honourable Bob Collins. On behalf of all members I extend a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I rise to share in this debate. I thank the former Senator for doing us this very great honour of blessing us with his presence and listening to this debate because, obviously, it’s a matter that he has had great interest in over the years.
I don’t believe the former government can ever claim - and ever did try to claim - that they were getting it perfectly right and everything was sweet and wonderful and the land of roses because it was the former government who turned to the good former Senator, and former Leader of the Opposition here in the Northern Territory, and said: ‘Can you help us with this? We need you to look into this.’ He produced a report, the Learning Lessons review which, in my opinion, was an extraordinary report. It contained many good things. Certainly, it accords with many of things that Mr Trudgeon had to say in Why Warriors Lay Down and Die. I know that Ralph Folds from Kintore, a teacher of some 12 years experience, who also gives some indication, recently published a book. I’d like to quote from Mr Collins briefly from his press conference when the report was released. This was part of a statement by Mr Adamson, the former education minister, to this House, and he quoted Mr Collins saying:
- You can’t fit out the government, any government, the sole blame for this. Everybody’s to blame about what’s
currently the problem. What needs to be done is to acknowledge that, as we’ve done, to draw a line in the sand,
and then move on and do it rapidly.
And that’s correct, Madam Speaker. It’s correct …
Dr Toyne: Didn’t do a thing!
Mr ELFERINK: … absolutely on the money! We can sit here and take onto our shoulders the burdens of the past. I pick up on the interjection by the member for Stuart. I’m glad you’re doing it.
Dr Toyne: No, no, I said that the former minister is not going down in history as having done a huge amount.
Mr ELFERINK: Well, I’m glad you’re doing it, this is what I’m up here saying. And, frankly, I think it needs to be done. This is not entirely different from the policy statement that I made yesterday here in this House when we were talking about violence against Aboriginal women. What Mr Collins has done to a very large degree and what this policy statement from the minister for education has done, has gone to a degree of capturing what I was talking about in terms of making sure that you have a standard yardstick by which to measure the policy - not the outcomes, but the policy itself. We are starting to see that and we are starting to see that in the way that this government is preparing to deliver its services into the bush. There’s nothing contentious about that. I’m acknowledging that the government, in my opinion, is doing it right.
We all know that the outcomes in the bush have been poor over the years. The former minister for education, Mr Lugg, had made several statements to this House in relation to indigenous education. Then we proceeded to the election and the new government was returned. The only concern that I have is that the new government is starting to make fairly wide and broad sweeping promises, and they’re building huge expectations out there. I certainly hope that those expectations can be met.
I know that the then minister for education has spoken to Brendan Nelson, and I congratulate them on the closeness of their relationship that seems to have formed. I hope that they do get those outcomes. But there is one aspect of what happens in the bush that does concern me a little, and that is still the system under which welfare payments are directed and paid in the bush. I know that in the Learning Lessons report Senator Collins - or the former Senator - turned his attention to a suggestion which was made to him, of making welfare payments - specifically in the form of child endowments - tied to some sort of performance in schools and performance by the parents. I know that he rejected that idea in the report. However, I am not entirely sure that that is worth rejecting out of hand; I think it deserves further exploration.
I agree with the sentiment behind the ministerial statement where the control of the school rests largely with the community themselves, giving the directions and making the policy which is appropriate in the environment in which that service is being delivered. Good! I’m wondering if there is some mechanism by which a welfare payment could be policed by that community themselves to enable them - or to give them an extra tool - to make parents more accountable for how often the children arrive at school and in what condition they arrive at school. There is no harm, there is no shame, in trying to give that sort of power to a policy body in the school in an effort to give them an extra tool by which they can make certain things happen. Now, I know that in Learning Lessons the idea was rejected, but I would ask the minister to revisit the idea so that a consistent policy approach can be delivered inside the community, consistent with community desires and wants. So, if the school council wants all kids to go to school - and there are parents out there who are errant in the way that they look after their children - I hope to see an extra tool given to the school council in that community, or the governing body, to be able to bring some pressure to bear on those parents. I would look forward to the minister’s comments in relation to that. Indeed, I would look forward to Bob Collins’ comments in relation to that, because I would like to hear if any approaches have been made to the federal government through Centrelink in relation to building up a framework in which this could occur.
I notice that the minister has worked with DEET in relation to the way that these programs are put together. Once again, I congratulate the minister in relation to that because it does show a propensity or a preparedness to deal with the federal government. Indeed, he has spoken to Brendan Nelson and shows a preparedness and a propensity to deal with the federal government.
Mr Stirling: He is a good man.
Mr ELFERINK: I agree. I turn to other issues in the minister’s statement. I notice that there is proposed - on page 14 of the one that was dished out last night - labour market programs. Once again, I have no major problem with the idea of a labour market programs but it does take me to one aspect of the minister’s statement in which he says: ‘Education equals employment and prosperity’. The thinking behind that is probably a little shy of the truth. I don’t deny for one second that education is important – indeed, vital - to a meaningful life, but it is one of the tools in the toolbox. Yesterday I was talking about a much wider approach - not only in education, but how services are delivered in the bush in their entirety - so that when the kid walks out of the schoolroom, there is an environment where there is a job. I believe that there is room for the land councils to be involved in this to make sure that education can equal employment because, when they leave school, there’s a job to go to in the community where that kid belongs. It’s not a radical idea, it’s not rocket science, but it is a process by which there has to be a broader approach.
I often get the feeling that the members opposite think that they have a monopoly on caring. I don’t think that that is entirely …
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: … which is a shame because it doesn’t auger well for a unified approach that they claim so desperately to want to be able to work on, with this side. I have said nothing so far which is in any way excessively critical of the minister for education and what he’s brought before this House at the moment. I have said nothing so far which is nothing other than an attempt to suggest something to the minister - something that he may want to explore.
It’s not a requirement for your integrity as members opposite to be abusive just for the sake of proving up that integrity. Listen to what’s being said in here from time to time and you may be surprised that members on this side of the House are actually trying to make suggestions that the government can consider, take away - and if there’s anything in it - apply it. And so I am making suggestions, and that is the only thing I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to inspire any sort of venom in the members opposite. It’s not, automatically, a job for you guys to get noisy just for the sake of making noise.
As I was saying, I don’t believe that, to create an education system without having product at the end, is entirely a useful thing. I believe there should be a product at the other end because I’m a great believer that, at the end of the day, I would like to see all of these policies start to fall away because they are redundant, because they are no longer necessary, because the people who are subject to these policies no longer need them. That is my light on the hill, and I believe that I share that light on the hill with members opposite. It’s not an outrageous suggestion. To suggest that education alone equals employment and prosperity is not true. It is part of the process that takes us to employment and prosperity, and you need to draw in other players further afield. However, these are broad brush suggestions that I’m making. I know that the real world is a different place, but it doesn’t prevent us from aspiring to very real outcomes for people who live in the bush.
I approve of the minister’s comments in relation to VET training. I think vocational training is very, very important in these communities. All too often, I wonder about the appropriateness of some of the education services being delivered. In my experience, communities need carpenters before they need philosophers; they need plumbers before they need lawyers. So, I think that the introduction of VET programs are indeed a good idea.
I also congratulate the government on the Memorandum of Understanding which they’ve signed with the Borroloola Community Government Council, the Mabunji Association, the Borroloola Community Education Centre, and the McArthur River Mine. It is exactly the type of thing I’m talking about; it’s the type of thing that will provide jobs, hopefully, for the people who go through that training process. I look forward to the government coming back into this House and saying that jobs have been created and people’s lives have improved because they’ve got more options as a result.
I also draw members’ attention to the comments made by the minister for education in relation to measuring the work. The only note of caution that I cast out there into the ether for the minister to hear is that I hope that you succeed. But if the measurements say otherwise, then I hope that you have the courage to stand up and say: ‘That’s not working; we’ll try something else’. I think that the approach in these kind of circumstances has to be such that if you are presented with a set of statistics and the politics of the day do not suit the publication of those statistics, then I would urge the government of the day to show courage and say: ‘We have been working on this and we are not succeeding in these areas. We want to try something new’. Then by all means, come and talk to us and see if we can create a situation where there is real support for government initiatives because I’m not going to stand here and say this is the CLP’s fault, the federal government’s fault, your fault, the international community’s fault, or history’s fault. The fact is we can sit here and blame people until we’re blue in the face, but it don’t make one iota of difference. It don’t make one iota of difference to the people sitting in Docker River and Kintore. I can tell you that right now. It’s well and good for us to stand in here and make long speeches about it, but something that I am fully aware of is that this standing around here talking does not improve the lives of people in the bush.
I do note, however, that the minister’s statement does not revisit the issues of bilingual education. I notice that the member for Stuart had to say some more generic things about bilingual education. Once again, not that I disagree with him; however it’s a different thing to what he was saying at the time when the former minister for education made his decisions.
The other issue is the issue of high schools in the bush. I know that the minister has made comments about the secondary level education in terms of preparing people for secondary education. However, once again, we are stuck in the situation, with the exception of Yulara where there is an independent secondary school, there is not a secondary school more than 2 km from the bitumen of the Stuart Highway other than Nhulunbuy as far as I am aware. That’s something that I hope the government turns its attention to: different ways of delivering those secondary services into the bush with a view to creating a secondary school in the bush in several places.
I spoke briefly to the shadow minister for education before he went interstate. He wanted to raise a couple of issues in relation to this statement. The issues or questions he wanted me to put to the minister for education were: first, what process is being used to determine the need for an extra 100 teachers in the Northern Territory? The second is: staffing in the areas of special education and indigenous students where identified by your party, Labor, as being inadequately staffed. Of the 100 extra teachers, how many will be directed into these areas? What provision is there in the costings contained in the mini-budget for an automatic, indexed annual pay rise for teachers, as announced by Labor during the election campaign? What student to teacher ratio does a Labor government expect once the 100 extra teachers have been recruited? Will any student to teacher ratio calculations be limited to the actual numbers of teachers in the classrooms? I would ask the minister for education to turn his attention, specifically, to the shadow minister’s questions in relation to that.
The shadow minister also asked me to raise another issue while I was speaking today. That is the Australian Education Union Northern Territory Branch Executive prioritised areas of support for students with special needs more than a year ago:
- Successive agreements from 1996 onwards, and administration has promised to discuss the issue but nothing
seems to have come of it. The present administration …
This is dated 10 September 2001:
- … the present administration conducted a review of student services (the area of the Department of Education
charged with support for this area) last year. Allegedly it has been implementing it during this year. There is
no evidence of any improvement of assistance to students with special needs. Indeed, many of our members
have raised questions about the hurried survey undertaken at the end of second term.
I am reading from an Australian Education Union Newsflash. I can provide a copy to the minister for education, and I’m sure he will get the thrust of it. The shadow minister has basically asked me to raise these issues with the minister, and I am happy to do so on his behalf.
Finally, the Labor government has taken a bold step forward in this case. The education minister has come into this Chamber and placed his hand on his heart and said: ‘These are the outcomes that I want to deliver’. I congratulate his courage on that because it is not an easy area to move in to. The former government struggled with it; it is the reason they went to Bob Collins and said: ‘Give us a report, a review; give us something that works’. The former government continued to struggle with it up until the last election. Now the struggle has fallen into the current government’s lap. They have the will of the people in terms of being the representative government and the responsible government of the Northern Territory and, if they succeed, good luck to them because this issue is above politics; this issue is about life and death.
Madam Speaker, I would like to wish them every success and I do hope the minister, in a few years time, can come back into this Chamber and say: ‘We have succeeded’. It would make me a happier person.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, I rise to support the ministerial statement on indigenous education presented today by my colleague the minister for education.
What a breath of fresh air! For the first time in the history of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, we have a minister for education who is taking education seriously and, in particular, the vital area of indigenous education. Allelujah! After 26 years of malign neglect, a period in which the levels of indigenous education have declined while the rest of the nation’s education has improved, we have a Northern Territory minister for education who knows what he is talking about. Not only that, he is committed to the fundamental change required.
A couple of years ago, I was chatting to a couple of young Aboriginal blokes, maybe 15 or 16 years of age. I asked them what they wanted to do for work when they were older. They didn’t know. Neither could read or write much beyond their own names. Mathematics was beyond them. Why? Because the education system had completely failed them.
A survey carried out in rural and remote communities around Katherine seven years ago found that the effective adult literacy rate among the 500 or so people to whom a test was delivered was 7%. This meant that 93 people in 100 could not read at or above a Year 10 standard. Although the sample in this literacy testing was too small to tell, there were strong indications that literacy levels were declining even below that figure of 7%. That is, the grandparents could read better than their kids who, in turn, could read better than the grandchildren. Indeed, as the Chief Minister reminded us, unequivocal evidence of deteriorating outcomes from an already unacceptably low base.
What this leads to, Madam Speaker - as I am sure you would know given your knowledge of remote area education - is poverty. First, there is poverty in the material sense. As the Deputy Chief Minister has pointed out, there is a direct link between literacy and employment. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out how low the chances of getting a job are when more than nine out of 10 of your countrymen and women cannot read and write. In an increasingly complex world, the need for literacy is more important than ever. To ignore the crisis in indigenous literacy any longer is to countenance the creation of a permanent underclass within Territory society.
Second, there is poverty in health. There is ample evidence from throughout the world that makes a direct link between literacy and numeracy and poor health. As is well known, indigenous health in Australia - and in particular in the Northern Territory - is worse than that in many third world countries. Indeed, in delivering packages to the third world, most aid agencies emphasise literacy as the single most important tool for escaping poverty and achieving economic advancement. More importantly, enhancing literacy, especially among women, is of greater benefit to primary health care than just about any other public health measure.
Third, there is spiritual poverty. In the context of declining use of traditional languages in many areas, this woeful and dangerous lack of literacy is leading to spiritual poverty; to what I call a poverty of imagination. These two young lads I spoke of earlier did not know what they wanted to do or be when they got older simply because they had not been equipped by the education system to imagine what might be possible. Is it any wonder that kids in their situation start sniffing petrol, or hitting the grog or breaking into the community store? The worst thing about this is that what we are witnessing is inter-generational poverty and this inter-generational poverty in material, health and spiritual terms can be laid squarely at the feet of those former governments that deliberately starved the indigenous education sector for so long.
I emphasise the word ‘deliberately’ because there can be no other conclusion that this is the case from even a cursory examination of the Collins report, Learning Lessons. That report showed that, even when the former government could be bothered accessing special Commonwealth funds for indigenous education, it stripped 46 cents of every dollar of that funding and diverted it elsewhere. It was a government of educational vandals.
What I am particularly pleased to hear from the Deputy Chief Minister is the stress he has placed on parental responsibility in the education of indigenous children. As I mentioned, we are witnessing an inter-generational problem, therefore the biggest battle for all of us will be to convince the parents of Aboriginal kids, especially out bush, of the benefits of education because it is an education system that has so abjectly failed them.
One of the biggest problems identified by the Collins report was the poor levels of school attendance. The Deputy Chief Minister quite rightly points to the necessity of a parental role in turning this around but we also need to look at reasons beyond this, as well. We need to look at a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach. Many bush kids don’t go to school simply because they are too hungry; some because they are deaf and cannot hear what is going on; some because they are too tired, having been kept awake half the night by drunkenness and fighting; some bush kids don’t go because their lessons are in a foreign language. All of this - the hunger, the deafness, the lack of sleep and alienation - are the products of poverty and maligned neglect.
It is also the product of parents who have given up trying. It is the product of parents who don’t see the point of an education for their kids. These parents must be given the incentives to start caring. Our bush communities must be given ownership of what goes on in the schools so that schools become part of the community. The educational vandals I mentioned before did not just neglect the kids; they ignored the teachers. They didn’t give a damn. In fact, in one community in my electorate, for example, there were five different principals and acting principals of a school within 18 months. Our bush teachers, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, must be given support so that they can do their jobs well and stay in these locations for longer periods.
It will be the business of every relevant agency within the Martin Labor government to work towards improving the education of all Territorians. There is an acute need, as the Deputy Chief Minister has pointed out, towards dramatically improving the education of indigenous citizens of the Northern Territory. It is for this reason I particularly welcome the appointment of the members of the Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee. The provision of adequate education to all citizens of the Territory is a simple matter of social justice. It has been denied to a quarter of our population for a quarter of a century. Because the neglect has gone on for so long - not just in education, but health and community development as well - it will take a long time to turn things around.
Madam Speaker, nevertheless, the Martin Labor government is committed to working on a whole-of-government basis, in partnership with communities, to improve the educational outcomes of all citizens.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I rise to support the honourable Minister for Employment, Education and Training. As the minister has outlined, Labor went to the last election with a plan to build a better Territory. That plan is based on four key priorities: jobs for Territorians; good education and services; a decent health system; and a safe community.
Labor’s plans were different from our opponents’ plans. Whilst acknowledging the importance of the Territory economy to the development of our society, for Labor the Territory is a society and not an economy alone. As my colleague on this side of the House has outlined for us, education equals employment and prosperity not just for the economy alone, but for the society that interacts with that economy.
I will not mention the appalling statistics that apply to indigenous people’s education outcomes because we all know that I could go on forever. But I will say that education outcomes for indigenous students in the Northern Territory are not acceptable to our society. The fact is that most indigenous students - particularly in remote regions of the Territory - are leaving school with limited English, literacy and numeracy. It is not only a burden that indigenous students carry, but it is a burden the community and society must carry in many different forms.
This is supported by the federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson’s comments at 1 pm today on 8DDD:
- The Federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson says the Territory Year 12 retention rate for indigenous
students of 18.9% is appalling. The latest Bureau of Statistics report on schools shows that student rate is
still the lowest in Australia and well below the national average. Dr Nelson says while there are a number
of programs aimed at increasing the rate, it is time we came up with some new ideas.
He is quoted as saying:
- When you’ve got, for example, only 16 out of 369 Aboriginal children passing a basic Year 3 reading test,
and only 23 passing a Year 5 reading test, I see this as a major priority.
The minister has stated that this government is about providing responsible government, committed to generating economic and social opportunities for all Territorians. After all, nearly one-third of Territorians are not operating at their full capacity - they are Territorians of the present but, more importantly, they are Territorians of the future. It is in the interest of all Territorians if real economic and social outcomes are achieved by indigenous Territorians.
I put on record my congratulations to Bob Collins and his team for their excellent Learning Lessons review. They have provided this government with a blueprint for the first serious attempt to engage Aboriginal people, on the larger scale, in improving their educational outcomes. The previous CLP government would not bite the bullet on this critical issue affecting our society and our economy. The Labor government has shown its commitment. The Learning Lessons Implementation Steering Committee is made up of indigenous people with strong backgrounds in Aboriginal community life and organisations including education, health, ATSIC, the land councils, local government and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. This is another sign of this government’s determination to encourage partnerships, for communities to work with government - both walking together towards the future.
Contrast their approach with the divide and rule position of the previous government: divisive and destructive. The minister has outlined our plans for real partnerships with indigenous parents, communities, service providers and industry. I concur entirely.
I believe three types of partnerships are critical. First and foremost, we need a partnership with Aboriginal people, their organisations and their leaders. Second, a collaborative partnership with the Commonwealth government. This government, unlike our discredited predecessors, will not play politics with indigenous education. Their need is too great and the long-term costs too high. Third, this government will grow the links between business, industry, employers and Aboriginal people. These partnerships are a key to all our people being productive members of our society and our economy.
In conclusion, I welcome the introduction of the implementation of the Learning Lessons report and I look forward to an important change to indigenous participation in education, indigenous decision making in education and, most importantly, successful outcomes for indigenous students. Then, and only then, will we have an economy that supports us all as a society that we all have a vested interested in supporting and maintaining.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to welcome Mr Bob Collins, as one ex-market gardener to another. I wish I had the same oratory skills as Bob Collins.
I remember his time in this House – it wasn’t exactly this House - but when he was Leader of the Opposition and I think Mr Paul Everingham was Chief Minister. Well, it was worth coming to parliament in those days because the standard of debate was great. I hope I can learn some of his skills in my time here.
I certainly do not come here as an expert on this issue; I am not a teacher. I make some observations only. I appreciate some of the comments that have been made by people like the Attorney-General who certainly has a lot of experience. It’s sad that the member for Blain is not here because I think he also has a lot of experience. Oops!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, oops.
Mr WOOD: I’m sorry, I wasn’t putting that in a derogatory way; I was actually using that to say that he has a lot of experience in education, so I don’t think that would count.
Reading the report, I think the figures are of great concern, especially when you see the low percentage of literacy for Aboriginal people in remote areas, it really is a terrible, terrible figure. I just wonder whether, with all the new fandangled so-called modern, scientifically-based - perhaps even use what Mr Bob Collins has said - ‘rocket-science methods’ that have been used over the last number of years, why have things failed, and has anyone looked at why things have failed? I say that in the context of my personal knowledge of my wife, who has very limited education. She was born in the bush; she was born at Channel Point. She would have had some education at what was then Delissaville and the rest of her education was at Daly River Mission as it was called then. As far as I know, she got up to grade 6 - even in those days I think you repeated grade 6 until you got too old to stay in school because there was no other future for you.
She and her sisters can write and read competently with a mission-based education. Yes, they did the times tables like I did, they did the spelling like I did, and they did the writing like I did. It was an old-fashioned system but, regardless, it worked. I’d be interested to know whether literacy for Aboriginal people - and I possibly think it was - was higher in the 1950s and 1960s than it is today. One would have to ask: why can’t we go back to a system like that? Is there something wrong with it because it was old-fashioned? Perhaps it’s far more culturally appropriate in some ways, to sing the times table - you get them drummed into your head, and you never forget them. I just ask that.
Mr Stirling: Give us a rendition, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Eh? The academics of education might frown, but you look at what the facts are - older Aboriginal people seem to me to have far better literary skills than the present generation.
Mr Stirling: [inaudible] missionary.
Mr WOOD: Well, why can’t we do it? Why can’t government schools do it?
Mr Stirling: We will.
Mr WOOD: Yes. My wife advanced her education, as well, by reading and reading and reading. She only got as far as grade 6. She became an Aboriginal health worker before they were Aboriginal health workers - she was actually a nursing aide. She now teaches at a school at Palmerston where she’s the Aboriginal assistant teacher.
I just note, too, that in those days, of course, it wasn’t bilingual, you learned your language as it went, your own language, and English was the main language spoken. I spent quite a bit of time on Bathurst Island. One of those areas was the garden and I used to also look after the parks and gardens. I have always felt that, whilst learning one’s own language is extremely important - if one has to keep one’s culture, one has to keep the language otherwise it dies. But, in this day and age, when the video directions come in English; when the lawnmower directions come in English; when the tractor manual comes in English; when the computer screen is written in English; if one is to survive and one is to move ahead economically, then you have to have a good knowledge of the English language. I think it is important to make sure that that is a high priority in education.
I checked with my wife before I wrote this next section. My wife, as I said, works as an indigenous assistant teacher in Palmerston and she has seen quite a few Aboriginal children move through school - she’s been there eight years. When children are struggling to write their lunch order, you have to wonder: ‘Are things working?’ - and this is in Year 7. There may be various reasons for that, and these are some of the issues I believe the government has to look at - it’s not just an isolated package of reading, writing and arithmetic. I think the member for Port Darwin mentioned some of these things.
We need to reinforce parental responsibility, to make sure that children do attend school; to make sure they’ve had breakfast. I know it’s been mentioned in this House before, but I did have an infamous business called The Poultry Farm which operated for about seven years. We sold lots of eggs to Darwin, but all the cracked eggs were used to make breakfast for Aboriginal children at the school who turned up at school without a meal. We did that for quite a long time. It still happens, but I haven’t got the eggs to supply them with a meal any more - not because I was a failed egg farmer.
They also need a suitable environment at home not only to do homework, but an environment in which they are encouraged to learn. That is difficult because of some of the social problems that indigenous people have. Look, they’re not the only people with those problems, but this matter we’re talking about today is indigenous education, so I’ll restrict my comments there.
One of the other big issues - I don’t know how you will overcome it - we call it the tall poppy syndrome; Aboriginal people call it the shame job. That is, when I’ve got this high and I go back to my community with a nice set of new clothes that I’ve bought with the money I’ve earned - I’ve become a teacher or something – there is a general feeling that you will be pulled down; it’s a shame job to be that way.
I had a nephew who was an Aboriginal Police Auxiliary, and he didn’t like to wear his uniform back to the community he lived near because he said it was a shame job. He stood out of the community and got a good job but still felt a bit shamed going back wearing that uniform. That’s a difficult issue to overcome. I don’t know, and I agree with the Attorney-General, these are challenges - I don’t put them down as problems - these are challenges, and we have to work our way around them.
The other question which must be always hard for people, especially in remote communities: why bother to be educated? I remember at Bathurst Island when I was there, there’s a technical school - I presume it’s still going, the technical school, I haven’t been there for a while – they would turn out perhaps 20 young people, boys, and they just about got their welding certificate. What do you do with 20 welders in a place with about 1500 people? There is a limit to what you can do. So, you have this problem that if there are no real jobs, why bother to get educated? It’s easier to get on to social security - you do not need an education to be on social security. That is a huge challenge. It’s one of these challenges that we could sit here for the rest of the millennium, I reckon, but it’s a challenge that we’re going to have to come to grips with - good jobs, and meaningful jobs. CDEP is a type of answer, but it’s not the answer.
I also have a problem with some communities which, I believe, are losing their ability to have jobs. I recently heard of a gentlemen who said he was at a community about 20 years ago and there were X number of non-Aboriginal people who had the managerial jobs, you might say. He goes back today and finds there are far more non-Aboriginal people in charge. The member for Arafura may be interested in this: one of the problems I see with the amalgamation of the councils on the Tiwi Islands - and I’m not making any comment about the pluses and minuses of other aspects - that one can make in that situation a more complex system where people are required to have greater qualification, more advanced skills in computers, etcetera, and take away the chances of local people filling those positions.
One of the reasons I left Bathurst Island was because, at that time, there was a lot of pressure on people like myself to move away and give Tiwis a chance to take over the job. Now, I believe I ran a successful market garden at that stage. That market garden, sadly, has been through I don’t know how many managers, ups and downs, all sorts, since then, and possibly not even going. I imagine the chook shed’s not going, that’s for sure. So, we don’t have people to manage situations that occurred 20 years ago and now we’re making more complex systems which I think are taking away the opportunity for Aboriginal people to take control of their own places. We need to make sure that we are creating jobs for people on these communities, not taking them away.
The government has promised to improve indigenous education and I hope it does because we will never overcome some of the major issues that confront Aboriginal people today. On a positive side, I do congratulate both the previous government and the present government - because they would have supported it - on the establishment of the Batchelor Institute. I was one of those who had doubts about it when it was first established. I would be on record as saying that I am not the keenest supporter of schools that are specifically set out for one group of people as against another - and that is what Batchelor College does. But, as time has gone on - and I have been to, over the last few years, many of the graduation ceremonies - I have become a great supporter.
Since then, I have seen the pride that Aboriginal people, from all over Australia, have as they receive their certificates. There is one group of people that stand out, if you ever go to a ceremony at Batchelor, and they are the Tiwis because they do it the best. They dance everyone up to the dais and make sure everyone knows about it. Anytime they dance, I must admit, I get goose pimples because only the Tiwi Islanders have that style of dance.
Mr Ah Kit: Kuwa matani kuwa [Yes, friend, yes].
Mr WOOD: That’s it!
Mr Ah Kit: Kuluwarri [Don’t worry about it!].
Mr WOOD: I’ll tell all the kakirijuwi [little kids].
Mr Ah Kit: Pupuni! [Good!]
Mr WOOD: What it does is show that there are indigenous people who see the importance of education. They are proud of that and you see it in the faces of the people who graduate; the way they dress up in their gowns and the support they get from their own community. Sadly, that does not occur everywhere, and I think that is one of the big problems. You haven’t got, you might say, this – call it family or community peer group pressure - to say: ‘Education is the in thing; it’s cool to be educated’. We haven’t got that type of philosophy in Aboriginal communities yet. Some may - I shouldn’t generalise that; that is wrong. But I know the communities that I have associated with in some places, it isn’t cool to be educated. ‘The pub’s down the road; I have got a girlfriend’, that is it; there is nothing to move on to. We need Aboriginal doctors; we need Aboriginal gardeners; we need Aboriginal horticulturists; ones with real qualifications who study like anyone else. I get worried, sometimes, about the number of certificates we give people. Sometimes we give certificates to people for changing wheels. That is great, but sometimes I think it is a bit shallow. Aboriginal people need to get solid education if we are to advance, and I just hope that can happen.
The government has a huge task and it has made a number of platitudes, but it needs to turn those platitudes into something real. To make real changes in literacy and numeracy - and I won’t stand back from saying if the old fashioned system works, use it. I think if you have a good grounding in literacy, numeracy and you can write so I can understand it, and you know what a sentence looks like and it has a subject and a predicate - no one would know what a subject and a predicate is today.
Mr Stirling: You’re starting to lose me, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Sorry about that, Syd! I sometimes wonder, if we went back to the basics, I think we might advance from there. We also need to make sure there are real jobs for indigenous people. That gives people a real reason to be educated. I support the government in its endeavour, but I will only congratulate it when it shows that it has achieved what it is promising to achieve. Both sides of government need to be positive and work together if we are going to have any hope of changing the situation around.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I speak today in support of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training’s statement on indigenous education. To most of us, the statistics quoted by the minister are not new, and all of us should be outraged that this situation has been allowed to develop. As Bob Collins said at the conference in Darwin last year, when espousing similar statistics: ‘If the figures go any lower, we won’t be able to measure them’. To quote the minister: ‘Lack of education is the single most important factor in the poor employment record of indigenous people’.
We have something of a chicken and egg problem with indigenous education and indigenous employment. On the one hand, increasing the skills and education levels of Aboriginal people living in remote communities will not of itself create the economic enterprises and opportunities that could translate into jobs. On the other, economic opportunities that arrive suddenly in or near remote Aboriginal communities and demand quick exploitation will exclude participation by the great majority of Aboriginal people because they would not have had the education and skills to satisfy threshold recruitment criteria.
Economic opportunities will usually be generated by factors that will include the environmental and geographical circumstances in which the community finds itself. However, the determining factors will have their source far away. For example, the existence of a strong demand in urban population for a particular kind of fish, animal or local art style; or the decision by a large mining company based down south or overseas to seek exploration licences in a particular area. The likelihood of local Aboriginal people being able to translate a new economic opportunity, triggered by outside interest in their land, into long-term real jobs is extremely low unless a solid core percentage of the community’s population has the education and skills to effectively compete for jobs against non-locals keen to snap up such jobs as may be on offer. Therefore, wherever possible, we need to coordinate the government’s indigenous education policy with its policy for fostering and encouraging the development of economic enterprises in remote communities.
The generation of diverse and challenging local jobs paying reasonable money, as opposed to CDEP and Work for the Dole schemes, should greatly increase the incentive for students to complete secondary school and to undertake targeted ongoing vocational training. Having to leave home and community to pursue a higher education, however, can be daunting, but necessary for many. We need to catch our children while they are still very young, instil in them the habits and disciplines of learning that are the necessary building blocks for developing modern vocational skills later in life.
Picking up on the member for Nelson’s comments about the gap in education - and I will use the Tiwis as an example. In a recent meeting, I sat around the table with members of the Tiwi Land Council. A lot of those men and leaders who sit on the land council at the moment - and they have set up a subcommittee to look at education, even though there is this output, and a number of people from the Tiwi Islands are attending Batchelor College and graduating with certificates - those elders find themselves in a real dilemma in terms of the gap; the gap in the education knowledge of those elders and their children.
The Learning Lessons recommendations are summarised in the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan which the minister referred to in his statement. The key elements are: that our children go to school regularly; our children are fit and able to learn; our children have good schooling; our children are tracked and their educational outcomes are measured; the Indigenous Education Program is managed with full accountability; and indigenous families, communities and governments share responsibility for education outcomes - a pretty straightforward summary of what has to be put in place if Aboriginal children are to get a good education.
As the minister pointed out, though, this plan is two years old. It had to await the election of this government before it got government support. The plan was there, but this government has the will and the drive to implement the recommendations of the Collins review. I believe that one of the key challenges for government as regards indigenous education - not just in my electorate but across the Territory - is to remove the barriers identified in the Collins report that are preventing our school-age children from obtaining an effective education. One of those barriers is endemic poor health. An alarmingly high number of Aboriginal children suffer in varying degrees with impaired hearing, for example. Put simply, if you can’t hear properly, you can’t learn. Another major barrier is poor nutrition. This is where we need a whole-of-government approach in partnership with Aboriginal people.
It is pleasing that the minister is able to tell us that he has established a productive relationship with the Commonwealth on indigenous education. It is my genuine hope that the proposed strategies for the implementation of the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report that are spelt out in the minister’s statement, will receive support from both sides of this Chamber. For, as I mentioned on a previous occasion in this House, the most important stakeholders in our collective future are our children.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise to support the ministerial statement on indigenous education. The improvement of indigenous education outcomes is of prime importance to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. Certainly, in my maiden speech in this place, that was an issue that I identified as being very important. I believe that the Territory has untold wealth not only potential for economic development, but also social and cultural development.
Some of the arts and cultural festivals that are held in the Top End and in Central Australia are already attracting interest from all over the world because they are unique. There is unique culture; there is unique music; there is unique knowledge. We should respect that knowledge because when we talk about education, we tend to think about what’s called mainstream education - the philosophies and thoughts and sciences and literature and ways of doing things that have grown out of western civilisation. But, we need to recognise the incredible wealth that Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory have through 40 000 years of culture and knowledge, and we need to respect that.
However, we do live in an age where it is important to read and write; there is no doubt about it. It is important to understand the social and political systems that we live in, and it is very important, I believe, for Aboriginal people - who comprise a third of our population - to participate fully in enjoying the economic potential that this great Northern Territory holds. Indeed, the issue of indigenous or Aboriginal economic development was certainly identified during the Economic Development Summit which was held in this place not so long ago. It came as a recurring theme, again and again, for the development of the Territory. People from all sides, from all sorts of businesses, from all sorts of economic pursuits, from the educational sector; from government, from government departments, all recognise the importance of Aboriginal economic development. It is a high priority for Territorians and it is certainly a high priority for this government.
Arrears in indigenous education have been a major issue for a long time, and I take the caution of members opposite that we should be very careful not to overly raise expectations because, for many, many years Aboriginal people have been promised all sorts of things in terms of health developments, economic developments, their participation in the democratic processes and having control over their own lives.
It is my personal belief that there was a period, the so-called welfare period that went to about 1972; and then there was the era of self-determination. Certainly there were many Aboriginal organisations that seized upon self-determination and have prospered and flourished under that mantle. But there have also been other Aboriginal organisations that, I believe, under the thin veneer of what is called Aboriginal self-determination, that Aboriginal people don’t really participate fully in the decision making. Many of them are quite upset, and when you talk to them, they feel cheated in a way, and frustrated sometimes, about their lack of control. However, these are very important issues, and the arrears in indigenous education are certainly an important element, I believe, in Aboriginal self-determination.
To their credit, the previous government here in the Northern Territory engaged Bob Collins to examine this issue and report with recommendations on how to redress this situation. I would suggest there is no one better than Bob Collins to do it. Obviously, he is someone very experienced in government and how government and funding works, but also someone with a deep and abiding commitment, demonstrated over many, many years, for the well-being and advancement of Aboriginal people. The dedication in the beginning of Learning Lessons says it all. He is humble, he calls it a ‘small contribution to indigenous education in the Northern Territory’ and says it is dedicated to the memory of two outstanding Territorians: Wes Lanhupuy, MLA former member for Arnhem, and Stan Tipiloura, MLA former member for Arafura. He goes on to say:
- Both were leaders in their own communities. Both valued and used their school-based education for the
benefit of their own people and the wider community. Their lives enriched the lives of all who had the
privilege of knowing them.
This report, Learning Lessons, as is well known, comprised some 151 recommendations which were comprehensive and, I believe, very practical in nature. Sadly, implementation of the Collins report has been lacking since it was produced in 1999. I believe the former government must take appropriate responsibility for this.
We heard, particularly during this session: ‘It’s time to move on and it’s time to look forward’. I think we have to pause and look and say: ‘Okay, if there were two years there, what actually happened in those two years?’ I report to the House that in November 2000, I attended the Learning Lessons conference in Darwin. I won’t hold this up because it is my only copy of the report. I hope most members here would have copies of the report. It cost me $25, so I don’t want to part with it - I’d have to fork out again. I’m sure most people in this Chamber …
A member interjecting.
Dr BURNS: I learned that some time ago during the first sittings, with a health report that I tabled. It’s gone, and I’m still searching for another one. So, I am very careful about what I table here, particularly if I believe that other members have copies.
Most people would have read at least the executive summary of Learning Lessons; it is a very comprehensive report. The Learning Lessons conference that I was talking about was held in Darwin. It was hosted by the AMA and I know that the Acting Deputy Speaker was present. I know also that the Attorney-General was present there. This whole business of the Bob Collins report and improving indigenous education and actually implementing the Learning Lessons report has been a passion of the Attorney-General for a long, long time. It showed here today that he is also committed. Not only do we have Bob Collins as co-chair of the implementation committee, not only have we got members on both sides of the this House who are committed to it, but I believe we have pivotal members of the Martin Cabinet who I know are very committed to this, and recognise the importance of this report. Most of them have spoken here today. There is a lot of commitment and a lot of experience there.
The Learning Lessons conference in November 2000 was not just hosted by the AMA. They were the main host, but there were also various Northern Territory government agencies involved in hosting the Learning Lessons conference. Territory Housing and, of course, Territory Health Services were involved and, essentially, the Northern Territory Department of Education was also involved. Also, there were Aboriginal organisations represented including NACHO, the National Aboriginal Community Health Organisations, the Commonwealth and, very important, the private sector, amongst them ERA and Nabalco. There was a lot of support for the Learning Lessons conference.
Essentially, the Learning Lessons conference was all about the link between health and education, that very tight inter-relationship that the member for Arafura just spoke about. There was a great array of speakers at the Learning Lessons conference covering nearly every aspect of indigenous education, particularly the very close inter-relationship between education and health. I’ll return to that inter-relationship very soon.
What really struck me during the conference, which included an address by the former education minister, Mr Lugg, was the almost complete lack - from what I could find out - of any effective plan to implement the Collins report. Now, I might stand corrected on this - and I’d be interested if there are any further comments about this - but during one of the concurrent sessions, I questioned senior departmental officers about the implementation of the Collins report and, sadly, it appeared to me that there was no coordinated plan of action for implementation, but rather a very loose set of inter-departmental meetings. That was about the level - that I could discern, anyway - of implementation of the Collins report. Now, as I say, I might stand corrected about that.
The Collins report comprised, as most people would be aware, 151 recommendations. Towards the end of the conference I was sitting next to a person I’ve known for some years who I believe is very experienced in indigenous education, training and employment, particularly at a remote community level. This person is involved in a very practical way with that nexus between education, training and employment. They’ve been doing it for many years in a number of Aboriginal communities in the Top End. Her comment was simple: ‘Perhaps there should have been a 152nd recommendation which was: just do it’.
As the minister has clearly set out in his statement, this government has developed and endorsed the Indigenous Education Strategic Plan. We are a government of action and commitment, and we will stand judged on the action, the commitment and the outputs from our strategic plan for indigenous education.
I will return to the plan of action to implement the Collins report and improve indigenous education shortly, but before doing so, I’d like to outline some additional and extremely significant benefits of improving indigenous education outcomes in the Northern Territory. Many of these were outlined during the AMA Learning Lessons conference in Darwin in November 2000, and they relate to the close inter-relationship between education and health.
At a local level, the Territory level, the experienced but simple perspective put forward by Professor Allan Walker at the Learning Lessons conference is well worth considering. Most people would be aware that Professor Walker has given meritorious decades of service to the Territory community as a paediatrician. He said, and I quote from his paper:
- When Aboriginal families in remote Australia achieve a socioeconomic level similar to other Australians,
most of the health problems of children will resolve. Better health will resolve educational outcomes and
better education will diminish health problems.
Professor Walker, a very experienced paediatrician, is highlighting the link between education and health. In one short statement, he has underlined the importance of implementing the Collins report in order to improve the health and economic outlook for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and that, in turn, as I’ve said before, has the tremendous potential to unlock the boundless economic, social and cultural potential of the Northern Territory.
I’ve had the privilege of hearing Professor Walker speak a number of times. I think his experience in the Territory goes back some 30 or 40 years as a paediatrician and, like the member for Nelson, he also laments the fact that older Aboriginal Territorians appear to have a much better education than some of the younger people coming through. This is an important thing because many of those people are leaders; people of the calibre of Lanhupuy and Tipiloura who I mentioned before. I know the Yunupingus and Gatjil Djerrkura are very highly educated people and many people in Central Australia. It is also an important issue of leadership for Aboriginal people, the link between education and political leadership.
I’d now like to turn to the minister’s statement and the strategies that he has outlined to effectively improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal Territorians. The establishment of the implementation steering committee to be co-chaired by Bob Collins and Esther Djayhgurrnga is pivotal to success. The committee, which will comprise a majority of Aboriginal people, ensures that Aboriginal experience and understanding will, to a large degree, ensure that they have control over the process. As I said previously, I know that Bob Collins’ vast experience in government will also ensure that the implementation process will be practical and cost-effective.
Partnerships with Aboriginal community is a term that is often used and is probably more conceptual than real. I believe it has been often abused. At an Aboriginal community level, I’ve often seen some great examples of schools involving communities and working very well with the local community. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen some poor examples where, for a variety of reasons, the community becomes alienated from the school. That is why the proposal to set up local education advisory boards is such a positive initiative.
The issue of low attendance of indigenous children in our schools is one that must be addressed in a cooperative fashion. I believe there is also a pivotal role for the local education advisory boards to make such a contribution.
If I could digress here, as I told the House in my maiden speech, some 20 years ago I was a YMCA worker at Maningrida in the Arafura electorate. I used to make the activities for the kids so attractive that they’d like to come to the YMCA hall rather than go to school. So it became a bit of a pitched battle between myself and the kids to get them to school. Many years later, probably in the last three or four years, one of those - he’s a grown man now - came up to me and he said: ‘You always used to say: “Go to school, boys, go to school”.’ And he did go to school; he is a very well educated man. His name is Tim Wilson; he’s the singer in the Leatherstick Band. Unfortunately, to some degree, Tim’s experience has been soured because he has found a lack of employment opportunities in his own community, and I’ll touch on that soon, because it is a very important issue. He has always expressed to me his satisfaction in getting a good education and his thanks for me for encouraging him to do so. I know that his father, who is deceased, was also a big influence on Tim going to school.
I come to the need to link education and employment. Over the years, I have witnessed many bright, young Aboriginal people who have completed their schooling and become very disillusioned over the lack of employment opportunities. I’ve illustrated that with the story of Tim Wilson, although Tim, obviously, has a lot of musical talent with the Leatherstick Band, and they’re getting a name both nationally and internationally. But, he has had trouble getting employment in his local community despite being trained as a mechanic, or getting a lot of training as a mechanic when he was a bit younger.
Similarly, many young Aboriginal people have expressed a lack of enthusiasm for school since they felt it would not provide them with future employment. The issue of employment is a pivotal one. Like Tim, many of these people have expressed disillusionment at seeing many jobs in their communities being filled by non-Aboriginal people, and feeling that these jobs …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker! I seek an extension of time of one minute for the member for Johnston.
Leave granted.
Dr BURNS: I’m going to need more than a minute, I think.
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have one minute; you can’t extend because of the motion.
Dr BURNS: I can’t extend? In conclusion, I welcome the minister’s statement on indigenous education. It comprehensively sets out how this government intends to improve indigenous education outcomes through the implementation of the Collins report. As I stated previously, that result in itself has tremendous potential to unlock the boundless economic, social and cultural potential of the Northern Territory.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker. I thank all members for their contribution in this debate today.
I go to the first member to speak after myself, the member for Port Darwin. She was generally very positive about the initiative and of the ministerial statement today - once we got past the earlier quirky comments, I suppose, but let’s leave it at that. She showed an understanding, particularly in relation to health, housing and nutrition, and showed that understanding of the situation that some indigenous children are in, of course through no fault of their own, when they arrive at school. Certainly, it was something picked up also by the member for Arafura and the member for Johnston where you have extraordinarily high levels of quite dramatic hearing loss. It’s all a bit moot, I guess, as to what actually can be achieved in the classroom situation where so much of what is being said is being missed by those youngsters who have suffered hearing loss at such a young age, that it’s not picked up. I thank her for her contribution.
I was pleased that the member for Stuart was able to contribute because in the many years that he was shadow minister for education and the time after the Collins report was written and handed down, it was the member for Stuart who kept the dream alive after the government appeared, from our perspective, to walk away from the Collins report. I tell you, it wasn’t always that easy. He came in to Caucus - we’d be sitting there planning Question Time, and he’d say: ‘We have to ask a question on Collins. We haven’t asked a question of Collins this sittings’. We’d say: ‘What for, Peter? Where is it going? Who picks it up? Where’s the media interest in this?’ But, the member for Stuart is not one - and those of us who have worked with him for a few years well know this - to be brushed aside so lightly. It was easier - it was always easier in the end - to say: ‘Yes, the Collins question is number four today’, rather than have interminable argument around the table about whether we’d have the Collins question or not. So, credit to him - and there is no member more chuffed on this side than him to see the Collins report being rolled out and implemented. Of course, he comes with a great deal of personal experience to the whole question of education, having been a bush teacher and a bush principal for many years. I like to see him happy; I like to see him relaxed and seeing something of what he knew and what he holds so dear to his heart, being implemented. I think that goes for probably for all members.
The member for Macdonnell was, again, supportive in his comments and I thank him for that. I didn’t get all of the questions across the floor in relation to what the shadow minister had left to ask. In relation to the 100 extra teachers - and I did pick this up earlier in these sittings - in consultation with the AEU, the balances between the need for English as a second language teachers against special needs, the majority is likely to be special needs teachers, recognising the great need that’s out there. There is a follow-on question in relation to that - going to students services, inclusion support funding - that was part of the document that the member for Macdonnell passed to me. I’m certainly aware of concerns in relation to this, simply by visiting schools myself as the minister for education. The difficulty seems to be, as more students are included under the umbrella and categorised as students with special needs, the less funding - it gets spread thinner. Of course, that’s a recipe for going backwards.
I have a couple of notes here that I can put on the record for the shadow minister for education and the member for Macdonnell. $2 384 790 was allocated for inclusion support in 2002, an increase of $50 000 from the previous year and that supports 454 special needs students in our schools. The number of students identified with a high level of disability has increased each year and, where schools and parents have a concern that the amount allocated to employ the ISA - that is the Inclusion Support Assistance - to work with an individual student is insufficient, they can appeal. These appeals are being dealt with on a case-by-case basis and involve parents, schools, and student services. Although funding is generated on individual student level, principals have flexibility in how they use this funding and other resources in their schools to provide support for students. I have requested that the department examine the level of funding in this program with a view to increasing the funding allocation to deal with the increasing demands. As I pointed out, we’ve put in an extra $50 000, but that doesn’t keep pace with the number of students that have been categorised as special need. So, we are still catching up with the tail and the department is looking at that one. I am aware there are other questions there, and I will have to try to pick them up because I didn’t get them all across the floor.
I thank the member for Arnhem for his contribution. He is, of course, familiar with many of the difficulties in indigenous education on a personal level, with his background and his relationship with his electorate. I also thank the member for Millner for his comments. He is a young indigenous man who has had the benefit of a quality education unlike many thousands of indigenous students for whose benefit we are pushing this initiative forward. He certainly is adamant that the Collins report must go forward. He believes that it has the potential to bring about the change and to turn around the situation that we currently have.
I always enjoy the member for Nelson’s contributions because he speaks from the heart, and always has that deep, personal experience and reflection. You can’t tell a lie when you are doing that; that’s the reality. It’s from the heart and it’s absolutely genuine personal experience, and I appreciate, from that level of experience, what he had to say. I share his view: I have many Yolngu friends in their 30s and 40s who write, I’ve got to admit, handwriting better than mine; read as well as myself; and were subject to the missionary style of education in those days long gone. But the standards have dropped; the standards have fallen away dramatically in that 30 years since that influence was there. So, that’s not anecdotal. I tell the member for Nelson, he is right on. But what does it tell you? It can be achieved; it’s been done before and it will be done again. But we are not going to achieve this turnaround overnight. We are not naive enough to believe that. We know that the falling away, if you like, has been over a long period of time and it will take us time to get back. But it’s an interesting point that the member raised.
The member for Arafura gave a clear view of the difficulties from experience in her own electorate as well. The member for Johnston raised the question of expectations and whether we ought not be careful of raising expectations in indigenous communities to an unrealistic level only for disappointment later on when that’s not delivered. Well, there are two sides to expectations and the way I see expectation is that I think we have built a culture of failure in our education system where the expectation is for the student to fail. And, of course, they will meet that expectation; they’ll meet the expectation that is placed upon them. If we were to raise the expectations of standards and outcomes in our indigenous schools that would be a first and vital step in breaking what has been a culture of failure that’s become endemic over the years.
I said that we don’t expect to turn around the results overnight, but we certainly believe it’s a solid start and it will provide a solid base on which we can move forward to build for better outcomes in the future. I bumped into the big fella, Bob Collins, the author of Learning Lessons and co-chair of the implementation committee. I have to say that he was as chuffed as the member for Stuart - absolutely delighted, a big smile on his face when he made an appearance earlier in the gallery.
The other point I would like to make - I’ve made it a couple of times this week - I do believe that we have found in the new federal Minister for Education, Dr Brendan Nelson, a friend of the Territory and a friend to indigenous education who recognises the great need; who has put his own name behind it in terms of turning it around. We deeply appreciate the fact that he shares our vision that it can be turned around. He has committed to work with us in order to get the Collins implementation on the ground, to the extent that he has allowed one Peter Buckskin, who is a very senior public servant within the old DETYA - now DEST, I think it is called; they change the name from time to time. But Peter Buckskin has never changed his name, nor his attitudes, nor his skills. He is highly regarded around Australia, also a frequent visitor to the Territory over many years. I was so pleased - I raised the matter first with Dr Kemp, but it was confirmed by Dr Nelson - that Peter Buckskin would sit on our implementation committee. That gives the Commonwealth a seat at the table, so they know not only which direction it’s headed, we expect them to have input, particularly from someone with the expertise and experience of one Peter Buckskin. We thank the federal government and the federal minister for that and we thank and welcome Peter Buckskin to that committee. We look forward to getting it bedded down.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Indigenous Initiatives in the Mining Sector
Indigenous Initiatives in the Mining Sector
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to bring to the attention of the Assembly the innovative, constructive and helpful work of the mining industry and the government in developing the decision-making and employment skills in our indigenous communities. Members of this Assembly will be aware that employment and business initiatives in many remote indigenous communities are limited. Jobs are hard to come by and the success rate of new, innovative small business is limited. The success of CDEP schemes in many communities is well recognised and is providing limited employment. CDEP is supporting the maintenance of communities, but the employment that is most valuable is employment in commercial business enterprise.
The mining sector is one of the few activities which, in some areas, provides an opportunity for indigenous people to participate in mainstream commercial enterprise. All the agreements entered into by mining companies on Aboriginal land include commitments to local employment. These are commitments that are given in good faith by the mining companies. However, to obtain work in the mining industry, potential participants require adequate education and training. Basic numeracy and literacy skills are vital to understand workplace safety and operating instructions. Again, very much a reflection - just to digress for a moment - on the absolute importance of getting this Bob Collins’ Learning Lessons implementation to take full effect and actually lift those numeracy and literacy educational skills on our communities.
In some communities, companies struggle to find sufficient suitable indigenous applicants who are adequately skilled and available for employment. Those with appropriate skills are quickly employed by local councils, schools and health clinics. In the past, many mining companies working in remote localities took the view that provision of such basic education was the role of educators and the government, not the miners. They expressed the view that while they were happy to employ local people, they expected those potential employees to come to them ready for the more advanced mining training.
In recent years, however, companies faced with lack of adequately prepared local employees and anxious to meet the commitments they had entered into have embarked on a range of initiatives designed to address these hurdles. These initiatives are built on a solid foundation of corporate commitment to building community relationships and respecting the culture and aspirations of indigenous people.
These statements of corporate intent are openly and proudly placed on company’s Internet sites. A couple of examples:
- ERA’s Aboriginal Issues Policy is built on four founding principles:
- 1. Respect for Aboriginal culture and connection to the land;
Aboriginal land.
A significant statement of corporate intent. From the Normandy site comes the following quote:
- Normandy has made a priority of building long-term relationships with indigenous people based on
mutual respect and trust. The company actively promotes an understanding of indigenous cultures
amongst its employees.
Visits to web sites for other companies such as Rio Tinto, GEMCO, Nabalco and MIM will find similar statements of corporate intent. These aren’t empty statements; they are genuine statements of corporate intent and, as I will go on to show, this corporate intent is actually being put into practice here in the Northern Territory. Let me outline some of the innovative solutions which have been developed in the Territory to assist indigenous people to gain experience, and to become involved in the mining industry.
The approach of mining companies and associated mining services is being assisted by their involvement in the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, which held its most recent meeting in this very building just last week. IMETF - I’ll call it IMETF from here on in - was established in 1996 in recognition of the potential of the mining industry to improve the skill base and employment opportunities in remote areas of the Territory. The task force includes representatives from indigenous groups, the mining industry, land councils, training providers and government departments. This task force has no parallel in any other state in Australia and is in fact the envy of our neighbours who see the cooperation between all of those stakeholders in developing and participating in an indigenous employment strategy as a significant step forward.
I had great pleasure in inviting IMETF to hold their latest meeting in Parliament House late last week. It was the first time that they had been invited to Parliament House and they are welcome back any time. I had a very enjoyable function with people on the task force and addressed the opening session of one of their meetings. I’ll certainly be following the progress of this group with a lot of interest.
The Mining Services Division of my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development acts as the secretariat to IMETF. This group of people also seek to improve awareness of mining industry issues and opportunities in remote communities through their innovative school and community education activities. I table the 2000-01 annual report - it was called AMETF then, but it’s changed its name. The report highlights numerous proactive approaches to the issues of indigenous employment being developed and successfully implemented by mining companies and indigenous communities right throughout the Territory - a great secret, and something that hasn’t had a wide degree of publicity. I’m really proud to make this statement tonight, and to highlight the corporate intent turning into action and the willingness of indigenous communities and the land councils to participate in this particular venture.
Let me highlight some of the key activities described in the report, to give this House an idea of the range of activities being implemented to deal with the challenges that I have referred to. One major program is the establishment of the Yirrkala Business Enterprise and Nabalco Operator Training School, the Y-NOTS program, which I’m absolutely certain that the member for Nhulunbuy supports wholly. The program is providing the training and skills for indigenous recruits to enter the work force in their local area. Innovative joint venture agreements between Alcan and Yirrkala Business Enterprises for mining and civil construction projects are providing continuity of involvement and employment for the Yolgnu people and their business enterprises in north-east Arnhem Land. This program will also ensure that Yolgnu workers are skilled up to take advantage of employment opportunities when construction of the Mataranka to Gove gas pipeline commences.
From the 30 trainees to enter this 30 week training program in 2001, 18 recently graduated with nationally recognised qualifications as plant operators - a magnificent success story. The majority of these were immediately placed into local employment with Yirrkala Business Enterprises and Gulf Freight, who provide contract to mining services Nabalco.
Allow me to outline some other innovative initiatives which encourage indigenous participation in the mining industry here in the Northern Territory. Energy Resources of Australia is providing opportunities through its Ranger Mine. The Ingannar Training Centre has conducted a broad range of courses and training programs - from literacy and numeracy, first aid and computer courses through to structured training and employment initiatives - to prepare trainees for careers in horticulture, heavy equipment, operating, environmental and administrative roles. The company also provides opportunities through its apprenticeships program and it sponsors a range of other career developments and tertiary training options for its employees.
I had the great privilege of actually visiting the site out there at Ranger and being taken through this training centre, talking to the trainees. People came from all over the Northern Territory, and the company is doing an absolutely magnificent job - a lot of very happy indigenous trainees who can see their way to the future and a way forward as a result of this investment by ERA.
Another leader in indigenous employment and development is GEMCO, the Groote Eylandt Mining Company. On Groote Eylandt - in my colleague, the member for Arnhem’s electorate - innovative employment strategies have provided certified training and permanent employment opportunities for indigenous people. This is achieved through a successful partnership with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Northern Territory University. GEMCO recently advertised for a new local employment intake into its trainee program. This recruitment drive was necessary as a result of five previous trainees gaining permanent positions with the companies. Such was the success and interest in their program that they have received 30 applications from the small community of Angurugu for just six vacancies in their program.
I remember - it must have been about 18 months ago, the member for Arnhem would recollect - we had a Caucus meeting out on Groote Eylandt in the electorate, and we actually went through the training program and were absolutely impressed to see the commitment of GEMCO to take young indigenous people without the literacy and numeracy skills - taking on that corporate responsibility that really, I suppose, in the broader scheme of things, shouldn’t be theirs. But so committed are they to this that they brought those trainees up to I think about a Year 10 education level and then put them in to full-on apprenticeship programs and in to the mine where these young Aboriginal people were earning the $60 000 to $70 000 a year salaries that were previously absolutely unattainable on that community. Those people have now obviously gone on to be great role models. As we can see, six jobs available and 30 young people to say: ‘Hey, other people can do this; I can do this’. It is all about positive role models and positive attitude, and that is what is happening on Groote Eylandt. It really was quite inspirational to visit that particular project on Groote Eylandt and see the success that they have achieved. Again, a success that isn’t trumpeted by the company. It is not out there in terms of the good news story, and I certainly believe it should be.
Normandy Mining has adopted a national indigenous employment strategy which has resulted in a significant increase in involvement in indigenous people in projects in the Tanami region. Through several employment and contracting initiatives, indigenous employment at The Granites mine reached an all-time high of 70 indigenous employees last year. The Normandy program is a good example of the current level of cooperation and commitment between mining companies, land councils and indigenous communities. The CLC has worked closely with Normandy at The Granites mine to assist with the provision of skilled employees to fill vacancies that have occurred at the site. In this cooperative approach, the CLC’s Mining Employment Unit has identified potential recruits, conducted pre-selection functions such as medicals, police checks etcetera, and provided them with the essential pre-employment training through a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations funded project.
At last week’s IMETF meeting the CLC reported on the success of this program. This program has successfully placed some 35 indigenous employees last year, most of whom were recruited to Normandy’s Granites gold mine.
In a more recent initiative, another great success story: McArthur River Mining’s community education partnership will bring secondary education into the Borroloola community in the member for Barkly’s electorate. McArthur River Mining has worked closely with both the Borroloola community and the Department of Employment, Education and Training to enter into a community education partnership. Until now, as is the case in most remote indigenous communities, students have had to travel to boarding schools in Darwin or Alice Springs or study by correspondence to be able to access secondary education. Through this innovative partnership, students will now be able to access secondary curriculum without having to leave the support of their families and the community. At last week’s IMETF meeting, McArthur River Mining announced that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between McArthur River Mining, DEET and the Borroloola community and is hoped to be finalised and signed in the coming weeks. I certainly wish the community and McArthur River Mining every success in that proposal.
We can also add to this impressive list of achievements the recent agreement between Rio Tinto and the Northern Land Council. This agreement provides for the facilitation of the grant of Rio Tinto’s exploration licences in the north of the Territory. The agreement takes the form of an MOU whereby the Northern Land Council will seek the approval of local Aboriginal groups to the expedited grant of Rio Tinto exploration licences. In the agreement, which would be entered into by Rio Tinto and local Aboriginal groups, Rio Tinto commits itself and its contractors to maximising local Aboriginal employment, providing training and giving preference to local tenders if of equal merit to other tenders. This is a major commitment by the company and a proactive initiative that will, over time, assist in bringing to indigenous people an improved standard of living. Rio Tinto is a major tenement applicant and holder in the Territory and this MOU will facilitate the grant of their tenure.
I table a map showing the distribution of exploration licences impacted upon by this agreement. Again I congratulate, as I said in Question Time this morning, both Rio Tinto and the NLC in reaching this MOU. I can add to this the tenure grants that I announced in October last year of 62 exploration licences in the CLC region, and we can see that progress is being made. Again, I table a map I used to show the CLC grants at that time.
At last we have movement. We have broken the log jam and grants for exploration licences are starting to flow and that is magnificent news to the mining industry in the Northern Territory. I am very confident - it has been a great part of the job as being minister for mining in the Northern Territory to keep meeting explorers coming through, briefing me on their hopes and dreams and aspirations, and it really is addictive. Certainly, working in the mining industry in Tasmania many years ago - I digress for a few moments - I know how addictive prospecting is, getting out into the bush with the gold pans and panning for gold on weekends and finding little traces is absolutely addictive. The mining industry is now starting to move in the Northern Territory.
I would like to return to the role played in the program by the Mining Services Division of my department. While it has been spoken of in this place before, it is worthwhile repeating in the context of this statement, the excellent work being done by this team - it hasn’t been shouted from the rooftops, but it really should be - which has contributed enormously to the capacity of indigenous people to make decisions about mining and other use of their land. This team visits communities throughout the Territory at the invitation of the local schools and community councils to teach children and adults about the role that mining and the products of mining play in the life of the community. I haven’t actually had the opportunity to get out on one of these visits yet. I just missed one late last year due to other commitments. I am very keen to get out as soon as I can with this team onto a community and see them in action because they certainly have delivered the goods. A great bunch of people and a fantastic initiative.
I am sure that even many of us in this place fail to grasp the extent to which the products of mining are used in our everyday life. Every building is almost 100% made of mining products: bricks, cement, roofing iron, paint, power cables and electricity itself are the end product of a mineral or a petroleum development. Let’s hope that we can get that gas onshore and really see the product of that investment in terms of reduced electricity prices here in the Northern Territory.
We eat food cooked on stoves powered by electricity or gas, off plates made of clay or plastic, and with utensils from the same source. We play sport using equipment made of metal or plastics, fish in aluminium boats and fly and drive in machines made from products of mining. Australia is the world’s major supplier of many of the raw materials used to sustain the technologies that affect our lives to this extent. The Territory contributes, on a per capita basis, well above the national average to this score and to maintain our good record, we need to maintain an active exploration effort. This means that exploration for the elusive oil resources is required over the length and breadth of the Territory and on all land, including pastoral leases and Aboriginal land.
We recognise the rights of land owners to decide how their land is used. In making decisions on these matters, land owners should be aware of the big picture and the impact of the decision. The manager of the Mining Services Division recounts how, when talking to Aboriginal traditional owners in one community, they said to him: ‘We don’t know what we don’t know, so how can we ask questions about these things?’
The division’s program is designed to redress this problem for communities and to give them the knowledge to make their decisions on mining and mineral and petroleum developments with much more confidence, and from a basis of knowledge as opposed to ignorance and fear. Again, the work through the department - and through the mining companies who have taken on and embraced this social responsibility to actually get out there and explain to indigenous people, traditional owners, the impact and the consequences of mining, the benefits, the environmental issues, so that people can make an informed decision. My belief is when all the facts are put in front of people, an informed decision will be made in the best interests of the community, and we will see mining. Once we discover those new ore bodies, new mines will come into play in the Northern Territory.
So effective are the educational gains, the three dimensional models and the demonstrations the team use, they are regularly asked to return to communities to speak with the key decision makers who seek the best outcomes for their people. Indeed, at the request of the NLC, this team has also been delivering gas pipeline awareness programs in tandem with the NLC to key traditional owners along the proposed pipeline route. Again, they are out there with the foresight that these pipelines are a certainty, and I commend them for their optimism; I share in their optimism. It is great to see them being proactive in this process.
The initiatives I’ve outline here today are being carried out within a climate of mutual respect and cooperation between all the stakeholders. Cooperation and partnership are the way forward between traditional owners, mining companies, explorers and government. The mining sector in the Territory has taken a very progressive view in acknowledging the absolute necessity to develop these partnerships and, as I have outlined here today, have taken this corporate view and turned words into action on the ground through these training and employment programs. Real gains are being made and I look forward, as Resource Development Minister, to working proactively with explorers to get them onto the ground, developing new mines, providing jobs for both indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians. I commend this statement to honourable members.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I note the minister’s statement and I take pleasure in providing a response, a response that will be brief because it is a brief statement. I don’t say that as a matter of criticism; I say it as a matter of fact. That is, that it is a concise record of the efforts of IMETF and the efforts of the mining companies in the Northern Territory as they move through with proactive programs in developing opportunities for Aboriginal employment in the mining industry, particularly in the Northern Territory. It is also a report on the good work that is being done through the Mining Tribunal and also through the efforts of the new government - the new minister - to get further exploration licenses granted in the Northern Territory.
It is a pleasing report and, in the context of the reports that have been delivered in this parliament so far, it is very pleasing to see a ministerial statement that doesn’t indulge in name calling and blaming. It is a statement that lays out the facts and fairly congratulates those who have been involved. Significant congratulations need to be given, particularly to those many officers in the department of mines and other public service officers who have worked with industry to progress these sorts of issues.
There is no doubt, as the minister said, that within the mining sector in the past, there was an attitude to indigenous employment that was probably quite demanding. I would disagree slightly with the statement that the mining industry expected Aborigines to be ready for advanced mining skills, or essentially ready for employment for various facets of the industry. In a general sense, I would suggest that their demands were far fewer than that; they probably centred more on basic numeracy and literacy and basic OH and S knowledge so that they could take up some of the lowest jobs within the industry. Not feeling confident in that regard, obviously there was a lack of confidence in employing them in other areas or a lack of confidence in seeing them progress to other areas.
That, to my mind, is the great focus of IMETF, and the focus that the new government has applied to support that organisation, the mining industry itself, and also the many Aboriginal organisations including private enterprise such as Yirrkala Business Enterprises, that are working very hard with the industry itself to try and get great advancement for their own people.
For the record, I would like to state - and I’m sure there is no objection - I looked at Foundations for our Future which I do in most things, go back to see what happened in Foundations for our Future to get a reference point for some of these things. If you look at Foundation No 2, Building on a Successful Resource-Based Economy, the objectives in Foundation 2, in one area:
- … building a strong, long-term mining industry through growing mineral exploration to provide for the
discovery and proving-up of resources from the expanded mining industry of the future, and establishing
mineral developments and downstream processing projects to build on existing and future discoveries.
- … to continue community education programs to improve the understanding of exploration and mining, and
the benefits to the community …
- … to participate in programs aimed at improving Aboriginal involvement and employment in the mining
industry.
If you reference to Foundation No 4 – Foster Partnerships in Aboriginal Development, the aim, in Economic Development, is:
- … increase Aboriginal economic development through a series of objectives …
When you look at mining development, for the record, it says:
- … participate in programs aimed at improving Aboriginal involvement and employment in the mining industry,
including pursuing strategies to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for indigenous students; encourage
mining companies to identify and implement initiatives that provide Aboriginal people with fair access to
employment and business opportunities associated with their operations; undertake Aboriginal liaison
programs to help Aboriginal people understand mining issues; and further support the Aboriginal Mining
Enterprise Task Force to improve Aboriginal employment and business opportunities for Aboriginal people
and the industry.
In that regard, this is essentially a ministerial statement that reports on the activities of IMETF and I look forward to reading this report. This annual report, at first glance, seems very good. I’m particularly pleased to see the modules for Groote Eylandt laid out. I, too, was briefed when I visited there, about the success of that program and I’m very pleased from the statement to see that - I understand, from recollection, 18 students have progressed successfully through that program already - and this report lays out the Employment Development Module as the students can move through to greater level skills in the industry.
The thing that seems to come through with a lot of these successful programs, not only in the mining industry but others, seems to me to be: small group; intensive effort. That seems to be a factor that is bearing a great deal of success in preparing Aboriginal people, in whatever industry, not only to be successful in that industry, but to be future leaders in their own communities. So it seems to me this Groote Eylandt model works off that: small group instruction, very intensive instruction, and very strong support base to ensure the individual goes through. Just as an aside, that’s the structure that many organisations have moved to in skills training.
A good report; thank you for the information that’s in that statement. I don’t want to labour the efforts of the various mining companies that are involved or the strategies they are employing. They are all laid out in the minister’s statement and certainly available to anyone to read in the annual report.
The second thing I’d mention is that - and it is worth emphasising - the minister made reference to the officers who are involved. We play politics a lot in this Chamber; we are pretty good at saying the Labor Party is all for Aboriginal people and the CLP’s not and that seems to be a consistent fact of life. The reality is that at that level, we can play those games and point score but underneath that level, whether it has been a CLP government - actually it has been a CLP government - underneath that level, there have been a range of public officers working diligently with the best of intentions, irrespective of politics, for the betterment of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and doing it extremely well. I am very pleased to see the congratulations to those officers is there in the minister’s statement, because it should be there.
Secondly, there is a message for all of us as we move into the future: we need to work together, as far as possible, to take the blame out of Aboriginal issues in the Northern Territory and try, where possible, to work cooperatively, recognising that on some issues we will invariably differ - and differ quite markedly - and that is the way it should be. That’s the way people differ in their own opinions and each of us can only respect those points of view and, in some ways, represent those points of view to the best of our ability.
The other point I’d make is - and, again, I believe credit goes to the minister and his department in this regard - the good work that has been made in granting further exploration licences in the Northern Territory. Also, it seems to me - and I may stand corrected - that the Mining Tribunal is extremely active and, to a large extent, the tribunal itself has helped, by forceful decision, to stop a lot of this log jam and telling people to get out of the way with claims that are designed to delay. Bring in some substantive issues and they will deal with them; if you don’t have a set of substantive issues, let low impact exploration occur. That is very pleasing to see.
I would also remind members that when it comes to the future of mining in the Northern Territory and, therefore, the future of Aboriginal employment in the Northern Territory, in a large context it is really up to the stakeholders and the mining companies themselves now because, from a government perspective, a legislative perspective, the Native Title Act rules supreme. The most we can do is do our very best to make sure the tribunals operate within the act as best as possible. I would hope where there are changes to the act that are necessary, we should work together to achieve them. When it comes to the Native Title Act that operates in the Northern Territory - which is national legislation - it is worth reminding ourselves that the subordinate legislation that was framed in this House for Territorians to use, as the Native Title subordinate legislation in the Northern Territory, was supported unanimously in this Chamber by both sides of parliament.
It was stopped in Canberra by the efforts of the Democrats and the Greens who were essentially lobbied by vested interests, and that situation is the status quo. I believe that where that act is found wanting in the future, certainly from this side of the House you will get our strong support in getting mechanisms in that act changed where necessary that will assist Aboriginal people and mining enterprises to achieve their objectives.
It is also worth noting that changes have been made in jurisdictions like Queensland where a Labor government was in power, and the federal Labor Party found themselves able to support it. I think it’s a great opportunity and challenge for this Labor government to achieve sensible changes in the Northern Territory. I can tell the minister that I will be the first to stand in this Chamber and applaud him if he can achieve those changes legislatively, where they can be achieved.
Having said that, without being overly repetitive, I thank the minister for his statement; I thank the officers involved; I congratulate IMETF for their efforts and I look forward to further progress in the future.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, let me first say I welcome the encouraging support of the Leader of the Opposition. In my six years here - just over six years - we’ve had, when we were in opposition, our arguments with the government and the previous ministers for resource development about the log jam and all of that. It is really good to see that a change has come over the opposition now, and I am hopeful that we can work together in a bipartisan way to get economic development happening across the Territory. But I say that in the knowledge of ensuring that we also understand native title holders’ and traditional owners’ rights and respect those legislative rights. I am sure, as we continue, we will gradually develop more economic enterprises on and off Aboriginal land. It is certainly a challenge that this government is looking forward to.
I am pleased to take the opportunity to speak in support of the statement by my colleague, the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development. Before I comment on the specific benefits that are available to indigenous people through employment in the mining industry, I will take a moment to expand on the issue of indigenous economic development in a much broader sense.
The importance of employment options for indigenous people living in remote areas cannot be overestimated. We have long recognised that, while CDEP, that is the Community Development Employment Program, is important to many communities, it is also critical to the ongoing development of communities and regions that other forms of economic sustainability are pursued as well. The sustainability of remote communities can be strengthened by involvement in the big dollar projects such as mines, and it can be achieved by the development of local and regional small business. It can also be achieved by a combination of these types of economic activities in a sustainable approach. The Territory, over the years, has continued to develop its extensive natural resources on initiatives in the pastoral industry, agriculture and mining.
Many of the industries conduct their activities on Aboriginal land, but the potential positive impacts have not always been seen on the ground. Many towns and communities have developments occurring on their front doorstep but continue to confront social and economic problems that often seem to be beyond their control. Many Aboriginal people continue to find themselves at the lower end of the scale on every social and economic indicator. This government is convinced that, for this situation to improve, they must develop a better understanding of the needs of various groups. This better understanding must then be utilised in the development of a coordinated approach to achieve results in areas of identified need. It doesn’t matter whether those needs are to do with education, health, small business, local government or whatever. A coordinated approach should aim to achieve cooperation at all levels of government, among the numerous agencies involved and, most importantly, with the communities and regions that will be immediately affected.
Only through such an inclusive approach where indigenous people are actually involved in the decision making about programs and priorities, will it be possible to generate enhancement of individual and community self-esteem. The coordinated approach, we believe, can be achieved by the negotiation of framework agreements, regional agreements and partnerships. My colleague emphasised the importance of mining to employment opportunities for indigenous people. Mining provides many different forms of employment from driving a truck, landscaping and land rehabilitation, management, trades, through to working in a laboratory analysing rock samples. The employment options are generally only available when people are able to first find suitably targetted training programs. The training required to provide the option of employment in the various fields in which employment might be available in a particular mine is highly varied.
Innovative approaches to education and training are necessary to ensure that the maximum range of employment options for indigenous people are available in the mining industry,. The development of effective partnerships is one path by which we will be able to focus the efforts of the many stakeholders on the provision of education, targetted training, and the creation of employment options for indigenous people - particularly those living in the more remote areas. There are many stakeholders in this area: mining companies, schools, training institutions such as the Northern Territory University are obviously key stakeholders. So, too, are unions, land councils, ATSIC, regional councils, local government councils and CDEP coordinators.
One current method of developing innovative approaches and coordinating activity is the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force. This is an initiative that should be commended. The task force is chaired by Ralph Blyth, an indigenous employee of ERA at Jabiru. He is a born and bred Territorian, as is his family. Ralph is well aware of the challenges that face indigenous people. The task force came about following a discussion some years ago between Gatjil Djerrkura and Kirk Whelan, when he was then an employee of the Department of Mines and Energy. The task force is now supported by almost every mining company active in the Territory, as well as government agencies, land councils and other parties.
I believe that the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force is having a direct influence on the employment of indigenous people in the mining industry. It also gives the mining companies a forum to show their successes in this area, or to air some of the issues and challenges that are confronting them. The meetings are held regularly around the Territory, and it encourages local indigenous groups to attend and actively participate. I know, for example, that their meetings have been held at places such as Borroloola, the Argyle Mine outside of Kununurra, Tennant Creek, Jabiru and elsewhere.
What my colleague has outlined to the Assembly is all about the sharing of knowledge, issues, cooperation, and then setting in place agreements. To the staff of the minister’s department who have been involved in providing support to the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, let me say: well done, keep up the good work. I commend and support the minister’s statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Speaker, I rise early this evening to congratulate and support our minister for resource development for his ministerial statement today on indigenous mining in the Territory, and the relationship between mining and the opportunities it provides to indigenous Territorians. I’m pleased to recognise that our government will leave no stone unturned in supporting the mining industry in its growth which provides crucial regional economic opportunities in the Territory. Might I say that I’m an avid fan of the results of mining and, indeed, I believe that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. In my speech, I will be focussing on the diamond potential that the Territory has which, I have to say - in a world context - is extraordinarily exciting.
Previous diamond exploration in the Northern Territory goes back to the mid-1970s with discoveries of a great swathe of micro diamonds across central Northern Territory. There’s also a number of macro diamonds; that is, diamonds that you find in jewellery of quite substantial gem and carat quality. These macro diamonds - the diamonds that companies like De Beers, Rio Tinto, and BHP Billiton search the world for - exist in what’s called kimberlite indicator minerals. Indeed, there has been a large discovery of kimberlite indicator minerals around a micro diamond envelope cutting right through deposits throughout the Territory. Specifically, the occurrences of kimberlite in the Northern Territory occur around Timber Creek; Pack Saddle; Merlin, where there is an existing operating diamond mine; and Coanjula in the Calvert Hills area.
Just for a moment, I’ll talk about Merlin, the open pit mine that Rio Tinto is currently operating. There is a series of diamondiferous kimberlite pipes that are producing high quality diamonds. These are selling in the world through two sales agencies: one is found in Antwerp in Belgium, and the other is through the De Beers central selling organisation. The average price is currently fetching $US130 a carat. This mine is producing about 180 000 carats a year, which equates to AUD45m. As you can tell by those impressive figures, this is a substantial mining venture in the Northern Territory.
From the diamond exploration surveys that have been conducted through the Geological Survey Division of the Mines Division, it can be reasonably inferred that there are many more undiscovered kimberlite pipes that should, indeed, contain macro quality diamonds. This government is very supportive of the work undertaken by the Geological Survey Division and, indeed, congratulate them for their terrific efforts. These efforts have come about because this division has provided major diamond exploration companies with high-resolution aero-magnetic geophysical surveys. These surveys have been undertaken through the hard work of DBIRD, and it is access to this crucial information that is attracting mining companies to the Northern Territory.
Apart from the three major global diamond players who are showing a stake and interest in the Northern Territory at the moment - that is De Beers, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton - we also have four active junior explorers out there, who are exploring on their own tenements. The most notable is Elkedra Diamonds NL which has just floated on the Australian Stock Exchange purely on the basis of a diamond exploration find in the Northern Territory. This is very exciting news for the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory, clearly, is becoming very attractive to large mining companies, and there is a reason for that. Essentially, the reason is the change of government. Not to put too fine a point on it, the change in government has brought into the Territory a new regime of trust, and when we are talking about the massive amount of money that companies pour into exploration activities, trust in business is essential. This regime of trust is borne out of the partnership, the cooperative approach, that our government is taking in terms of mining in the Territory. We are bringing the key players together: indigenous traditional owners, explorers, Minerals Council, the peak bodies, experts in the field, and government. They are all coming together properly for the first time, arguably, in the history of the Territory. This industry is now ready to really move ahead. It is exciting in its developments. It will bring the long awaited, long hoped for sustainable regional economic development in the Territory. I really do congratulate the minister for his efforts; he is showing great strength, great leadership and is working with everyone in the sector.
I would also like to congratulate, again, the staff of the Mines Division and specifically, I am a big fan of the Geological Survey Division; I think they are doing a terrific job. I have shown my interest in mining from the outset. I have attended a variety of mining functions. I am a supporter of the Minerals Council and I want to take this opportunity to say that in January I attended a Minerals Council function and, on behalf of the minister, farewelled a man who devoted well over a decade of his life to pursuing the advancement of mining in the Territory, and that man is Grant Watt. The Northern Territory government provided him with a gift. Unfortunately, he has retired to Gosford. But, I know that Grant will come back to the Territory periodically because, like most of us who have spent a substantial amount of our lives here, the place is certainly in his blood. I am convinced that the changes he will see in each return to the Territory will really give him a tremendous sense of achievement because what our government is about to deliver in the mining sector in the Territory is what this man has spent his entire professional life in the Territory working towards. I congratulate Grant for the hard years, the hard work, the big effort he has put in.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Minerals Council, specifically Kezia Purick. She is highly regarded in the mining sector and by government. I look forward to attending many more functions with the Minerals Council and seeing the development and the progression of mining in the Territory.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development’s statement on indigenous mining initiatives. I am pleased to advise the House of the very constructive relationship forged over the last few years between the indigenous organisations, communities, and the mining interests in my electorate. I can recall visiting Borroloola in the early 1990s when the McArthur River mine was in its infancy. At that point, discussions were commencing between themselves and Rrumburriya Malandarri, a local indigenous housing association, in regards to employment, training, and small business opportunities for the local community. At that point in time, expectations were high for both sides, and numerous small business possibilities were bandied about, ranging from the provision of laundry services, transport or bus services from Borroloola to the mine site, and the establishment of large workshops to retail fuel and to service and/or lease small vehicles for the mine’s operation. But nothing much really eventuated. I don’t mean that in a negative sense; purely as an indication of the progress and the maturing of relationships between the mining industry and the indigenous sector.
To the Borroloola community and the McArthur River mine’s credit, they soldiered on and small gains were made, particularly in the area of training and employment opportunities. MRM were able to eventually link with training providers to recruit local indigenous people to undertake appropriate skills and training for employment in the mine. Today, there are approximately six indigenous people employed. Perhaps not enough, but it’s a start.
The resources minister refers to an agreement negotiated between McArthur River mine and the Department of Employment, Education and Training to enter into a community education partnership enabling students to access secondary education locally, without necessarily having to attend schools or boarding schools in places like Alice Springs and Darwin. This is a brave innovation and I applaud Kevin Hendry, the Mine Manager of McArthur River mine, Herman Rudmiller and Bill Baird for their perseverance.
I also pay tribute to Paul Newman, an ex-principal of Borroloola School, Greg Towers and Denis Wickham who are there today, for bringing this initiative to fruition. I understand the Minister for Employment, Education and Training will be travelling to Borroloola to sign this agreement in the next few weeks. The fact that the Minister for Employment, Education and Training will be signing on behalf of the Martin government emphasises our commitment, and I applaud the minister. I have a good feeling that McArthur River mine will be around for a long time to come, certainly in excess of the existing mine’s life of approximately 20 years. I believe that this initiative will be a good long-term investment in the region.
Merlin mine is also involved in a development and, again, I think this has long-term potential employment opportunities for locals - very much in its early stages, but I am certain that outcomes will be achieved between Rio Tinto and the local indigenous people.
My electorate of Barkly has a unlimited mining potential, as evidenced by the large number of exploration leases pending and it augers well for the future if we get it right, regardless of our political persuasions. A couple of years ago, the Central Land Council signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement on behalf of traditional owners of Parttagroup with Giants Reef guaranteeing exploration rights for 25 years, ensuring the protection of sites of importance, and employment and training opportunities. Also, as part of this negotiated outcome was that should an ore body be found and become mineable, obviously there would be further discussions in respect of extra dollars flowing into the indigenous community.
As indicated by the minister for resources, a similar agreement has been brokered by the Northern Land Council with Rio Tinto in respect to traditional owners in the north of this Territory. I applaud both land councils in respect of these initiatives.
Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in Tennant Creek, arguably one the Territory’s foremost indigenous organisations, has a proud record of initiating innovative partnerships with the mining industry and in particular with Normandy Gold. Although Normandy Gold no longer operates a mine in the region, these initiatives were the catalyst for many of today’s models that exist throughout the Territory. I can recall an initiative in the mid-1990s when Julalikari Skill Share and Normandy jointly entered into an arrangement whereby trainees where recruited into accredited courses to get them job-ready for jobs in the mines.
It was unique, in a way, as approximately 20 to 25 hopefuls accepted into the course would start at 8 am and complete their training by 12 pm. As the course progressed, their hours of attendance would reflect their real job requirements; that is starting at 6.30 am and knocking off at 5 pm. The 30-odd trainees over three years went on to secure jobs with Normandy in various capacities. Some of these people, in fact, are still with Normandy in their operations in Western Australia, Queensland and The Granites.
When I accompanied the Chief Minister for the commissioning of the sleeper factory in Tennant Creek recently, I was pleased to note that a large number of employees who graduated from this joint initiative between Julalikari Council and Normandy Gold were in fact working at the sleeper factory. Some have been employed by Roche Mining who is also associated with the rail project.
Willowra, a small community on the Barkly Highway about 300 km to the east, has also been able to secure short-term work with Rio Tinto in respect to their exploration searches for superphosphate. Subject to market forces and other infrastructure support, over time some real jobs could materialise.
Giants Reef Mining, who are also developing the Edna Beryl and Chariot deposits, have a real commitment to the community of Tennant Creek and, indeed, the Barkly. When these projects come on line, they could provide up to 80 jobs locally. Giants Reef is also committed to a non fly-in fly-out arrangement. I am certain that many of the jobs will go to local people and I am confident that Nick Byrne, the manager of Giants Reef, will be looking to join forces with Julalikari Job Place to get potential employees job-ready for their operations.
I have also met with members of the Peko Rehab project and referred them to Julalikari Job Place and Employment National in respect of employment opportunities should they commence their operations which I was advised not too long back hopefully would kick in at around about Christmas time. I sincerely hope that it willl.
I am also familiar with the good work of the Indigenous Mining and Enterprise Task Force, having attended one of their meetings in Tennant Creek not so long ago. I applaud them and their approach in promoting job opportunities for indigenous people. I also commend them for promoting professional links between the indigenous community and the mining sector.
At this time, I would also like to acknowledge the previous government’s role in promoting this excellent initiative. In respect to the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development, Mr Paul Henderson, the member for Wanguri, I am certain that the minister will utilise the task force in the future in a very constructive way. In conclusion, I wish the minister well. I know he will be fair but aggressive in promoting and developing the already excellent relationships between the indigenous people, the indigenous land councils and the mining industry.
Finally, I took note today of the member for Macdonnell basically saying that he would like to be part of the solution to become involved in growing the Territory. I also refer to the member for Daly yesterday who, when we were talking about the Barrumundi issue in respect to the McArthur River closure - I think that what he basically said was that the Territory has the potential to become the Barrumundi capital of the world. On that occasion, we certainly gave him our full support, and I think that it is fair to say that he reciprocated by indicating his support in respect of that. Again, I ask both those members; the member for Daly and the member for Macdonnell and all the opposition, to join in this process in the interests of the Northern Territory.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I rise to support my honourable colleague the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development. Let me say at the outset that I applaud sectors of the mining industry for their concrete efforts to provide opportunities for indigenous people to participate in this critical Northern Territory industry.
I also thank indigenous traditional owners for showing patience while the CLP played politics. Now, though, both mining and indigenous interests can work together for mutual benefits. It is well known that most of the major mining projects in the Territory are on Aboriginal land. As the honourable minister has outlined, mining companies on Aboriginal land include some committed to local employment and training for indigenous people.
The poor state of Aboriginal education has been a huge impediment to greater indigenous employment in mining. The Labor government, as outlined tonight by the honourable minister for education, will be taking a holistic approach to indigenous issues.
I would also like to give credit to some of the more forward thinking mining companies’ innovative approaches that have been developed by the industry and training providers like the Northern Territory University to get Aboriginal people job-ready for employment. I would particularly like to mention the work of GEMCO; that is the Groote Eylandt Mining Company. Mention should be made to the very effective work done by Mr Rick Peters of GEMCO …
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Mr BONSON: Thank you, member for Johnston for that ‘hear, hear’ at this late stage of the afternoon. It woke me up.
… and Groote Eylandt’s on-site NTU lecturer, Mr Grant Burgoyne. These gentlemen, among others, have developed an Aboriginal employment strategy that combines training and employment in conjunction with the Northern Territory University in remote area training needs. The program involves practical training with a solid core of literacy and numeracy. The training progresses through three stages of training, with an incremental wage increase with the completion of each stage.
This last point is an important one. Indigenous people, like of all us, want recognition and reward for their achievements. The GEMCO program provides this and is an excellent model for the future development of indigenous participation in the mining industry. The efforts of Normandy Mining and its progressive boss, Mr Robert de Crespigny to increase the involvement of indigenous people in projects in the Tanami Desert are well known to members of this House.
As my colleague the minister stated, there was an all-time high of 70 indigenous employees at Normandy’s Granites mine last year. What Normandy demonstrates to all with an interest in developing meaningful Aboriginal employment outcomes in mining, or in any industry for that matter, is the importance of will. Normandy had the will to go out and get indigenous involvement in The Granites project. They understand that for Normandy to benefit, long-lasting relationships needed to be developed with traditional owners. Long-term relationships are important because they will help invest traditional owners with direct benefits on mining on their land. I mention these two large companies not to denigrate other mining companies’ efforts in the area of generating Aboriginal employment, but to note two key elements for success in what historically has not been a happy industry for indigenous Territorians.
The GEMCO experience is that indigenous employees, like non-indigenous employees, want to be appropriately rewarded for their efforts in both a monetary and recognition sense. The Normandy experience shows us that there is no substitute for will. An earnest desire to build partnerships and long-lasting relationships will win out, despite the doomsayers and sceptics. Aboriginal people are keen to get involved but they don’t want second-rate training and second-rate wages. They want to develop a long-term relationship with industry so as to develop a vested interest of their own in the success of any mining projects on their land.
Madam Speaker, Normandy at The Granites and GEMCO on Groote Eylandt show us all the way forward. I am sure that we are a government that will learn from these experiences and that indigenous employment outcomes in the mining industry will be beneficial.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all honourable members for participating in the debate here tonight. I will run through and comment on issues raised by the members who have contributed.
Tonight, it was great to hear the Opposition Leader’s support for the statement, to hear him being positive in regard to the outcomes that have been achieved over the last few years - and certainly, within the period of his time as Chief Minister – and acknowledging that we, as the new government in the Northern Territory, are totally committed to building on those achievements and to supporting the initiatives of the mining industry and Aboriginal people, in terms of seeking those relationships which will lead to mutual benefits for all of us here in the Northern Territory.
The Leader of the Opposition mentioned that, it seemed to him, through having considered the annual report from IMETF, that it was small groups and intensive efforts - were the notes that I made - and I concur. There is an old adage about acorns and oak trees and I think what has been shown by all of the companies here is that you need to make a start; you don’t need to have a whole-of-Northern-Territory approach, but if each individual makes a start, you’ll certainly get the ball rolling. The great thing that is coming through these initiatives from the mining companies and Aboriginal people who are getting involved - as I’ve said before, from my first hand experience at GEMCO - is we are creating, through these partnerships, role models. We are giving people somebody to look up to on communities, aspirations are being developed that say: ‘Hey, we can do it, we can be part of that, we can have meaningful employment with good wages and incomes’.
The member for Millner talked about that and, if we put our mind to it, it’s not that difficult; it really is not that difficult. What it needs as, again, the member for Millner said, is the importance of will; to get in there and have a go, and start from the ground up. I think that really is what is most important here; small groups and intensive efforts, maybe that is a paradigm we might need to take into other areas of not only economic activity, but in terms of improvements in indigenous health and education. At least with those small groups and that intensive effort, you do see the reward for that investment and you do develop role models that other people can aspire to.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about the Native Title Act, and yes, that’s right, I’m glad that the Leader of the Opposition has recognised that the Native Title Act is now the arena that we’re playing in. Certainly, from this government’s point of view, we take the stance at the inception of our term of government that we will work with all parties within the framework of the Native Title Act as it stands today. As issues become evident - in terms of the unworkability of that act for one or any or all of the major parties - certainly I, as the new minister, want to create a climate where, as issues do arise as a result of that act and potential unworkability of that act, that we can sit around the table; that we can nut out any amendments or changes to that federal legislation that may be required to expedite the opportunities that we are all looking for here; and then, in a united manner, take that to the Commonwealth parliament. If we do achieve those agreements and those partnerships and get a deal stitched up that we can all sign and take it to the Commonwealth parliament, it will get through. The only reason changes and amendments will not get through the Commonwealth parliament is if one of the key stakeholders - whether it be the traditional owners, the Northern Territory government or the mining companies - don’t agree with it. You’re on a futile mission to nowhere to try and ram legislation through the Commonwealth parliament when there isn’t uniform agreement here in the Northern Territory.
So we will work with all parties and if amendments to legislation or changes to that act are deemed to be required, then we will sit around the table, try and negotiate a position that we can all commit to, and take that to Canberra. But, at this point in time, we’re starting from a position where we have a piece of legislation in place, we have a process in place, we have a framework in place. Let’s work within that and see if we can achieve those outcomes. As we have shown in Question Time and this statement today, the log jam has been broken and people are getting access to land, and that is a big step forward.
In terms of my colleague, the member for Arnhem, he has a big job to do as Minister for Community Development. In Cabinet, I, as Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development, look forward to working with him to develop those framework agreements, indigenous agreements and partnerships that he talked about because, again, this is the only way that we are going to move forward in terms of getting that economic activity occurring off Aboriginal land that Aboriginal people are partners in, are stakeholders in, who are owners of, and who are going to benefit from. Really, that is, I believe, a large part of the initial challenge of this government that we’ll be judged on at the end of the four years - as well as on health and education - as to how far we have progressed in terms of starting the march of economic progress of Aboriginal land. I look forward to working with my colleague, the member for Arnhem, towards that outcome.
The member for Karama made a very passionate input into the debate. Maybe it is the sparkle of the rocks - diamonds are a girl’s best friends - but certainly, right since the first day that my caucus colleagues gave me the great privilege of electing me into Cabinet and the leader made me the minister for the mining industry here in the Northern Territory, she has been very keen to get on board, to understand what we are doing, and the opportunities that are in front of us. She has been a great support and is very keen to understand the industry and promote the industry, and support me in my role as minister in that regard.
Certainly, the potential for a diamond-led mining recovery in the Northern Territory, as I said a couple of weeks ago, is really there. The department is absolutely passionate about the prospectivity of the Elkedra leases, the potential around the existing Merlin deposit up there near Borroloola and, certainly, that aerial geophysical survey she talked about really had demonstrated the potential prospectivity in those regions. People are very excited - and I know, having met with the major players with Elkedra just recently, they can’t wait to get out on the ground in the Dry Season and start drilling those initial bores. I will be watching those developments with great interest.
The member for Karama did talk about Grant Watt, and I’ll be mentioning Grant during the adjournment debate in these sittings. He is an absolutely fantastic character who is passionate about the mining industry here in the Northern Territory and, as he said, he will be back because he will be back to see that gas pipeline hit the beach in Darwin and will be there to celebrate with the rest of us.
The member for Barkly, again, absolutely passionate about regional economic development. I think that is one of the things - if I’m not verballing the member for Barkly - that has really driven him to put his hand up for politics and is driving his political career because he so passionately believes that we can do so much better in terms of getting economic activity happening on Aboriginal land that are going to benefit Aboriginal people and all Territorians. He is, again, an absolute pleasure to work with, in terms of his electorate which really - I suppose if you were to do an assessment in terms of prospectivity electorate by electorate - is probably the most prospective electorate of all. He currently has a massive base metal mine up there at McArthur River: gold, diamonds and enormous potential. Really, the member for Barkly is the man with gold dust and diamond dust on his shoes and I really look forward to progressing those with him.
Giants Reef: just quickly, I had the pleasure of making Nick Byrne the chair of the Mining Board, a man who has been involved in the industry in the Northern Territory for many, many years. He is on the hunt for gold again and we are absolutely certain that he is going to be successful in that region.
The member for Millner talked about the importance of will. I think that really was a key phrase in the debate tonight: all it takes is will. Put aside the political baggage and just get in there and negotiate; cut the deal that is going to benefit everybody in the Northern Territory. He talked about long-lasting relationships, and that is what all this is about. Any significant deposit that is going to be economically viable is going to be mined for 15, 20 years, and you do need to develop those long-lasting relationships and the trust that he talked about to ensure that the financial investment is committed and pays off for everybody concerned.
In summing up, what we had here tonight - it is a pity, I just make the comment that there was only one member opposite who contributed to the debate tonight, the Leader of the Opposition. It would have been nice to have seen at least one other put their hand up. The tone of the debate tonight, I hope, has changed in terms of getting people out onto the land and exploring. Let’s stop playing politics with the mining industry. We all here, on both sides of this parliament, are pro-development. It was good to see the Leader of the Opposition supporting this statement. Let’s stop playing politics with the mining industry. Let’s recognise that Aboriginal people are stakeholders in the industry and work with them. I am sure if we take the politics out of it and we all work together, we will get people out onto the land. We are a very highly prospective region. We will find those deposits and, within the next five to 10 years, we will see significant new mining operations open up here in the Northern Territory that are going to benefit all Territorians.
- Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, further to a question in the House today by the member for Daly about mosquito spraying in the Katherine area, I wish to advise the House that helicopter spraying was carried out last week following detection of high numbers of breeding mosquitoes. Follow-up, ground-based spraying has also commenced, and another helicopter spray will be undertaken tomorrow.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to draw attention to an event that I attended in Alice Springs on the 19 December last year which was a significant event for everyone in Alice Springs and in particular members of the Afghan community. It was the renaming of the Colacag Park in Alice Springs. It was renamed the Nishaan-e-Afghan Park. This important change was brought about by the Alice Springs Town Council; the former Minister for Lands and Planning in the CLP government, having approved the renaming of the park some time ago; and the Alice Springs Islamic Society. The renaming honoured and acknowledged the role of the Afghan pioneering cameleers in the development of Alice Springs.
The Afghan cameleers served the Alice Springs outback and the new settlement of Alice Springs with distinction. The park is of historical significance as it was the largest Afghan community settlement in Alice Springs and where the original mosque, built by the Afghans cameleers, rests. The change of name recognises the vital role played by the Afghan cameleers in the early settlement of Alice Springs and the park is now a permanent and fitting tribute to the cameleers and their immense contribution to the development of Central Australia and Alice Springs.
The cameleers were first brought to Australia in the 1860s to accompany a new mode of transport considered suited to the harsh desert terrain. Since horses and bullock teams proved unsuccessful, camels, which needed experienced handlers, were introduced. The men who accompanied them were hardy, strong, and independent. They and their camels were able to make inroads into the very heart of Australia where others had failed so often. The early days of the cameleers were not easy and I understand that they were feared and regarded with suspicion and their unique communities were isolated. They brought with them a new religion and culture, and it was due to this - their distinct Asian culture and Islamic religion - that they were excluded from society and beyond the Ghan town boundaries and often subjected to economic exploitation. At the same time, the cameleers adapted to the new communities of the European and Aboriginal Australians by marrying people of these cultures, the enriching effects of which we see today.
Examples of the broad contribution of the early Afghan cameleers include: Mohammed Street, named after Peter Mohammed; Sadadeen Secondary College named after Charlie Sadadeen; and the famous Ghan train linking Adelaide to Alice Springs since 1929. On 3 October 1993, a new mosque was officially opened in Lyndavale Drive and named Afghan Mosque to acknowledge the Afghan cameleers. The Alice Springs Cemetery is the final resting place for many Afghan cameleers.
The Australian economy, particularly pastoralism and mining, owe an immense historical debt to the cameleers and their camels. Indeed, Alice Springs owes a debt to the cameleers as well, and the re-naming of the Colacag Park was a fitting tribute to the Afghan cameleers, and wholeheartedly supported by all people in Alice Springs.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise today to make some remarks about local government issues in the electorate of Stuart. I had the pleasure, a couple of weeks ago, to attend a meeting of LGANT down in Alice Springs to present some awards from our NTsafe Award program. During that meeting, I took questions from those in attendance about this government’s approach to local government reform. In the context of that meeting, I was able to say that the Martin government is certainly not going to compulsorily aggregate councils along the lines of the earlier government’s master plan. Having said that, there was no intrinsic reason to us why councils couldn’t choose to bring themselves together or combine on certain aspects of their work if that was the wish of the relevant communities.
In that context, I’d like to talk about two areas of the electorate, one in which a community has struggled to maintain its viability - and I think probably most of the members from Central Australia would immediately know the one I’m going to talk about, which is Willowra - the other is the central Anmatjere communities, Laramba and Yuelamu, and Pulardi outstation community, which is midway between the two. Perhaps if I talk about those first.
Laramba is currently a member of the Anmatjere Council which is based in Ti Tree and has about nine member communities, from memory. Some two or three years ago, it became fairly unhappy about the type of support it was getting from the Anmatjere Council and subsequently conducted a large community meeting that I attended, along with land council and other representatives from local government. It was made very clear at the meeting, both by the speakers and by the petition that went round subsequent to the discussion, that the community was very keen to break away at that stage from the Anmatjere Council. That request was put in to the then Minister for Local Government, who informed them that, while he couldn’t prevent them, physically, from breaking away from the council, there was no possibility that there’d be separate funding offered to that community. In effect, he was saying: ‘Yes, you can go but you can’t take any money with you’.
Laramba went back into its relationship with Anmatjere Council - very reluctantly, I might say - and had an agreement with them to basically take out their proportion of the overall funding going into the Anmatjere Council, and a high degree of autonomy in how they chose to use it. Clarrie Robinya is – as I think most people know - a very powerful community leader, with his partner Pamela Lynch who, together, have run the Laramba community core activities for many years now. They’ve continued to build up the capacity of their community, the pride in that community, and they have continued to speak out against the amalgamated arrangement with the Anmatjere Council.
More recently, the Laramba community has gone into a series of negotiations with Yuelamu community, or Mt Allen, as it was called in the days when it was a cattle station. Yuelamu is also a very vibrant community. One of its most noticeable features is that, where Larumba was running a nutrition program that I mentioned in the health debate yesterday, Yuelamu has an excellent men’s night patrol program which is really making inroads on the level of disruption and crime in the community to the point where it is a very stable place to go now and enjoys a very successful school program and clinic and other management structures there as a result of the stability that they have achieved.
Ron Hagan, Isabelle Hagan, John Hayes are a very effective group in continuing to manage the affairs of that community. In between, you have Teddy Briscoe and his family at Pulardi outstation. Teddy is the main traditional owner for the Laramba community and a very powerful old man. He was a ringer in his days in the cattle industry and, I can imagine, he would have been terrifying as a younger man because he is terrifying as an older man, despite the fact that he has had a stroke and is a bit impaired in his ability to walk now. It hasn’t affected the rest of him. He has wonderful stories about both traditional country and about the cattle industry. In fact, we facilitated a video archiving exercise with Teddy about 18 months ago now, where a program was made and was subsequently shown on Imparja Television about his life in the cattle industry where he actually demonstrated some of the traditional skills like making rawhide whips and breaking yards they built out of bush materials. It was quite an exciting little project.
The three communities, Laramba, Yuelamu and Pulardi, along with some other outstation offshoots of Yuelamu, are now quite advanced in their negotiations to try to bring together a central Anmatjere grouping of those three places. They base the emerging proposal on the fact that they speak the same language, that they live in very close proximity to each other, that they share lots of traditional matters, but also that they’re both well resourced and well run and very committed communities - the two big communities - and Pulardi has also been a very stable outstation-style community for many years. They have a very high degree of stability to take into a new arrangement.
I think the next step that will be taken with it in March will be to have a formal meeting, probably at Yuelamu and make sure that everyone is happy to proceed into some detailed drawing together of a plan. I will then be talking with the Minister for Local Government to see if we can facilitate perhaps someone to come in and help them prepare a formal proposal as to exactly how that arrangement might work. If that proposal is then put to government I can see no reason under our policies why it wouldn’t be given very serious consideration, even though it would mean taking one of those communities out of the Anmatjere Council arrangement and putting the three of them into a new grouping. But it has the scale, the common sense, the community motivation, to give it a very good start. When you put two strengths together you are going to get more than just double the strength of each. They will feed off each other’s energy and ideas, and copy each other’s successful ideas within the one working arrangement. It certainly has my full support to see if we can progress it together and I think it could be a very successful arrangement.
The other case I will talk about is Willowra. I think everyone knows the difficulties that Willowra found itself in following a long period where the council was being run by a very dishonest operator who managed to take a huge amount of the resources out of that community. That matter is still in hand, and I certainly won’t go any further with the detail of what happened during that era. What we were left with, though, was a community where both the council and CDEP programs had become totally dysfunctional; where basic services such as the repair and maintenance of houses, essential services, any kind of support with the welfare arrangements in that community, had completely fallen apart. I was quite shocked at the time. I drove out there and found that most of the community was living in the river bed adjacent to the built-up community. They were there for two reasons: one was that there was a sorry camp there; but the bulk of the people who were there were there because their houses had become uninhabitable. There were bare wires poking out of what used to be power points, ceilings were down, there were taps leaking everywhere - or what was left of the pipes that led to taps - and so the place was clearly close to the brink of extinction as a physical dwelling place for people.
At the time, the Minister for Local Government of the day, the member for Greatorex, made a decision - somewhat unilaterally - that he was going to provide rescue and support from the Anmatjere Council. Now, anyone who had gone out there and talked for five minutes to those people would know that the Anmatjere Council, whatever its capabilities, was not a suitable partner to get that community out of the mess it was in. There were subsequent community meetings, initially to get rid of the administrator who had been causing all the damage out there and, subsequently, to broker an arrangement with the Yuendumu community which - like Willowra, is a Warlpiri speaking community and has very strong family ties to Willowra - to take on the support role that was previously going to be the Anmatjere Council. That arrangement was then run for six months until about two months ago, and that had the effect of restoring most of the community infrastructure back to workability - although there are still remaining problems with the coverage of things like the maintenance of the airstrip under the ESO arrangements.
With those deficiencies, we are now at a point of saying: ‘Well, where to from here?’ To answer that question, I asked my electoral officer and one of the ex-administrators - one of the honest ones who is very committed to the community - to go out on a field trip and door knock and go round to every single house in that community and ask every single family how things were running for them and what they wanted to see happen next. What we found from that was that the issue there wasn’t the political issue of ‘where do you want to be combined with? do you want to reincorporate your own community?’. That was certainly there as a background, but what people wanted was the presence of an administrator there who they could go to for support with their administrative processes, and they wanted to see the further restoration of services, particularly CDEP. We will take that message very strongly back to the relevant people in our own government and in ATSIC to see if we can at least get the place working fully again before we take up the next step, which would be to not just simply restore a council there but to build up a sense of the processes of governance, so it’s less vulnerable to the type of rape and pillage that went on in that earlier episode.
People there need to understand financial processes, they need to understand the role and responsibilities of the councillors - if there is a council there. They need to have the options very clearly put in front of them, with full knowledge of what the proposal actually involves. At that point, Willowra may be able to then emerge out of this very unhappy period in its history and resume as the vibrant and creative community that I knew it as in the early 1980s and through to the start of the 1990s.
We have a lot of work to do out there, but it shows how ephemeral, sometimes, the look of stability can be in remote communities. You can be right at the edge of a cliff that leads nowhere and not even know you’re there. It just shows you the diversity of what is out there, and I think that this government will certainly be trying to respond to that diversity, rather than to force everyone in to some sort of a model.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will be very quick for my colleagues in the Chamber. I rise today to pay tribute to Roger Rooney. Roger Rooney was a Territory entrepreneur extraordinaire, a far-sighted man who saw opportunities, grasped them and developed them. He was a risk taker, intuitive and brave. He started his tug and barge operation from Darwin in the early 1980s shipping from East Arm, after working with Perkins in the 1970s as Operations Manager. In the early 1990s, he talked with a friend in Singapore about opportunities in shipping live cattle to Southeast Asia. In 1992-93 BT Tan of Labroy converted two cattle ships for Rooney Shipping & Trading Pty Ltd to operate in the growing live shipping trade. This has now grown to seven ships that operate from Hudson Creek. The first ship took cattle to Indonesia and the Philippines; the second was for the Brunei shipping trade, the Carabao.
Over the last 10 years, Rooney Shipping & Trading Pty Ltd has shipped cattle from Darwin to Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. It even shipped to the Middle East, Africa and Mexico, although its main trade is with Southeast Asia. He pioneered the use of cattle ships for other purposes. He was the only trader with ships able to return from Southeast Asia with freight: cement, steel and pavers. The two industries complemented each other so that the trading arm grew to be as large as his cattle shipping arm and this can best be seen in his yard. In fact, during the Asian currency crash in 1997, when the cattle boats stood empty for months in Darwin Harbour, I am told that Rooney’s was the only line not to charge demurrage; others charged full tote odds which were as much as AUD6000 to AUD10 000 a day. The need to pay, along with the rest of the trouble, sent many shippers to the wall. Roger recognised that there was no point having no customers, so he suffered along with them on that side but used the opportunity to import the resulting low-priced goods from Indonesia and keep his company going.
Roger’s primary industry inputs were not restricted to the cattle industry. Roger, and his brother Chris, were pioneers of the horticultural industry in the Northern Territory with their mango growing interests. In the 1980s he headed the NT Horticultural Association and was a member of the government’s Horticultural Advisory Committee, contributing to its strategic direction. He was instrumental in getting Mirant registered for the use in the NT for Mastotermes control in orchards.
Roger Rooney was a board member of the NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry for many years. He was a strong advocate of Territory business; he was chairman of NT ISO. Rooney Shipping & Trading won an NT Export Award in 2000 and I had the pleasure of inducting Roger in to the NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.
Roger was a notable risk taker and exhibited cool business judgment with some speculative ventures. He is reputed to have purchased a very large quantity of Indonesian rupiah at the depth of the Asian financial crisis, only to sell them for double his cost within months. Not one to spend the proceeds on riotous living, he and his wife then went dog sledding in Alaska to celebrate the highly original payoff, in keeping with the imagination of the man.
In his personal life and his business life, he was the same: honourable, tough, likeable, what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Territory business and the Territory community will miss Roger Rooney.
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just before I acknowledge the next speaker, I also wish to add my condolences to the family of Roger, and thank the minister for his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I concur with the words that the member for Wanguri has just spoken about Roger Rooney. For members who may not have seen, the funeral is tomorrow at 9.30 am at St Mary’s. I will be attending that. My secretary is a very close friend of the family; it has been a sad time. I would like to adjourn on the subject of Mr Rooney next week.
I would like to talk this evening about a special person who lives in Howard Springs. This lady has just won a volunteer award from NAPCAN - which is an acronym for National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect - NT Branch. Her name is Mrs Marjorie George, a long-term resident who, with her husband Ashley, has lived in the rural area for many years. She has belonged to the Howard Springs Land Owners Association, the Litchfield Bowls Club and the Garden Club. She has always been a strong community person, but just when you think she might deserve to put her feet up, what does she do? She spends the last 10 years volunteering her services at the Howard Springs school. This is what was said about Marjorie when she received her award:
- Mrs Marjorie George: Marjorie is regarded by the entire school community of Howard Springs as an
extraordinary person whose volunteer work has provided hundreds of children with literacy skills,
self-esteem and a sense f being valued and respected. She has maintained a positive approach to her
work with children throughout this time. Senior students at the school say that Mrs George taught them
how to read. The impact of Marjorie’s commitment to children is incalculable. The opportunity to spend
individual time with Marjorie is highly valued by the children. They look forward to their reading lessons,
and are disappointed if they miss out. The children do very well in other aspects of their schooling as a result
of the positive attention they receive in these sessions.
Marjorie provides a loving, nurturing environment with her undivided attention, providing some children with
their only experience of feeling special and safe. As a role model, we can all learn from Marjorie’s positive
attitude to teaching children, and firm but fair approach. Her understanding of children’s needs enables her
to reach sometimes very difficult children and provide them with a sense of being special. Marjorie is not only
a valuable member of the school, she is a valuable member of our entire community and we commend her
commitment to providing a better and brighter future for our children.
I had much pleasure in presenting Marjorie with the award at my Howard Springs electorate office. So there we have it: Marjorie George is one of our Territory’s treasures along with her husband and chauffeur Ashley, who might not like to be called a treasure. I’m sure that the children of Howard Springs also think she’s a treasure and I hope we will all continue to value her work.
I would also like to speak on a new sporting club in the rural area. It is called the Litchfield Soccer Club and its season is just about to get underway. The main driver behind the club is Mr Paul Scott, who is one of the leading referees in the Darwin league. Paul has been working tirelessly to get this club up and running, writing to all the schools looking for a venue, obtaining funds, purchasing equipment and organising meetings. The club now has its colours - red, white and black, the colours of other sporting clubs in the rural area. The club now also has a home: it’s at Fred’s Pass on the second oval, big enough to have one full-sized field, one mid-size and two junior fields. The Fred’s Pass Management Board will this year construct toilets and change rooms at the oval, thanks to a grant from the Litchfield Shire Council. This will give the club the beginning of facilities which will be expanded in the next few years. So by April, this club should be up and running. I believe it will make a great contribution to the variety of sports available for both youth and adults in the rural area.
There is one special thing about this club that perhaps some other sporting clubs may be interested in. The Northern Territory Police has approved this club as part of a Juvenile Diversion Scheme. This is a scheme which has programs which contribute to the task of changing the behaviour of those individuals. By working through the club, it is hoped that a juvenile will develop and achieve self-confidence and self-esteem through working in, and being part of, a sporting environment, involving promotion of health and fitness through soccer activities and positive role modelling and mentoring. This will lead to a greater sense of belonging, responsibility, teamwork and community involvement. Anyone who comes to this club through this diversionary program will assist in the following: pitch set-up, pitch maintenance, junior or senior training, junior matches on Saturdays or Sundays, and participation in coaching and referee courses. Of course, the club does get some financial gain for each person it accepts under this course, and that is appropriate. It shows the innovation and lateral thinking of this club. I wish to acknowledge the work that Paul Scott and his small band of helpers have done in getting the club off the ground, and hope they have a successful new soccer season.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise today to brief parliament on a trip that I did to Alice Springs; and a constituent that I met down there and who I represented. One of the roles of backbench members of the Martin government is to proxy for ministers at events when they cannot make it. On two occasions now, I have had the honour and pleasure to travel to Alice Springs on behalf of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training and the Minister for Health and Community Services.
On the first occasion, when I went for the Minister for Health and Community Services, I attended a function of the Eisteddfod and, while there in amongst quite a happy crowd of people who were planning their next major event - and they were having their AGM, I believe - I met a good Alice Springs business woman by the name of Bev Ellis. In talking to Bev, she told me about some difficulty she was having with the tax regime for her business which is Dymocks Book Store. Bev mentioned to me that she had made representations to the member for Braitling, the Chief Minister, the member for Macdonnell, the member for Stuart, and, I daresay, the member for Araluen.
I was quite interested to hear her story. Mrs Ellis is a single business woman. In 1993, I believe it was, she and her late husband opened up the store in the Todd Plaza in the Alice Springs Mall. She has made quite a good show of the business; she has hired two people. She is a really good, strong Central Australian business woman, interested in getting along, making her small business work, contributing her part to the Territory. She has raised her kids in the Territory; one child I believe is in Adelaide and the other is a resident in Alice Springs.
I would like to report that after listening to Mrs Ellis, I came back and arranged a briefing from taxation officials in regard to the issues she had raised. In the company of the member for Braitling, Mrs Loraine Braham, we both received a briefing from the Taxation Commissioner and the Assistant Taxation Commissioner in regard to the issues that Mrs Ellis raised with us. I was fortunate then, the next day, to be travelling to Alice Springs to represent the Minister for Employment, Education and Training at an apprenticeship awards night. While I was there, I took the opportunity to visit Mrs Ellis. I sat down and had a cup of coffee with her and told her about the briefing session that I had, and what the current state of play was in regard to her representations.
Mrs Ellis is a good business woman; she understands the complexities of the taxation base. She was happy that a member of the government - particularly a member of the government from the Top End - should be prepared to go in and represent her and, what’s more, to report back to her on that representation. I would like to say that that was nothing special that I did. I would like to say that that is indicative of what the Martin government is all about. The Martin government is not about just looking in Darwin. It is not about the northern suburbs, as is tried to be painted by some members of the Centralian CLP. What the Martin government is about is representing all Territorians. I give you this undertaking right here and now, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I give the undertaking to the people of Alice Springs, to the people of Tennant Creek and to people all over the Territory: the Martin government, their ministers, their backbenchers are here to represent all of them. I look forward to carrying out these duties over the term of this government.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wasn’t going to rise to speak tonight. However, I listened with great interest to what the member opposite had to say. The problem that Mrs Ellis had, when she spoke to me about it and wrote me a letter about the issue, as well as the Chief Minister, was that she, as a small business operator, suffered a tax bill for stamp duty - an annual tax bill - of $16 000 for her stamp duty. I know that she made some approaches to the authorities about that and, indeed, that tax bill was lessened to a mere $10 000. Bearing in mind that we are one of the few jurisdictions that deal in this sort of stamp duty, and that in many other jurisdictions you don’t carry that sort of stamp duty component in your small business, I think that a $10 000 tax bill alone was staggering, to say the least.
I listened to what the member for Sanderson had to say and I thank him for his …
Mr Kiely: Make sure you tell the right story, Johan.
Mr ELFERINK: The member for Sanderson interjects: ‘Make sure you’ve got the right story’. I am going on what I was told by Mrs Ellis. What I would like to know from the member for Sanderson is: has the problem been fixed? Has her problem been fixed? You say she is satisfied, but has the tax bill issue been fixed?
Mr Kiely: If I may, if I have been invited, I don’t know the protocol, am I allowed …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will just ask the …
Mr ELFERINK: I am sure that if he …
Mr Kiely: I am more than willing to answer that.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes or no? Interject. I can pick up the interjection.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Would you like to speak?
Mr Kiely: It’s not an interjection, I don’t want it recorded as an interjection. Mr Deputy Speaker, when I met with the Commissioner for Taxation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member had an opportunity to say what he had to say. You do not get a second bite in the adjournment debates.
Now if the fact of the matter is that he is incapable of expressing himself clearly and telling us exactly what he has done, then the fault lies not with me.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Macdonnell. I have a ruling. You can only interject. That’s all you can do, and then you have to sit down.
Mr Kiely: I will interject then. This is the tax base that was created - it is a compliance, a conveyancing tax that came in back in 1990 which was put in by the CLP government. It is a conveyancing tax.
Mr ELFERINK: All right. I pick up on the interjection from the member opposite. I heard that interjection, brief as it was, and he is right. It may well have been a conveyancing tax from the CLP government in the past. But the question is: what is this government going to do about it? I accept that the CLP government has raised taxes in the past. I have major problems with these sorts of taxes personally. I am not a member of the CLP government, I never have been. I have been a member of the CLP, which has major problems with things like these sorts of stamp duty charges on small businesses and, quite frankly, there is another tax which I think is utterly absurd in the western world, and that is payroll tax. Absolutely absurd! But anyway, we inflict these taxes and charges.
I expect the member for Sanderson, if he is going to talk about these things, to be complete. He singularly comes down and resolves the problem. The fact of the matter is that the Chief Minister has received representations, not only from him, as he claims, but from me and from the members for Araluen, Greatorex, and Braitling. The Chief Minister knew she had a problem. So, she organises a convenient meeting between the members for Sanderson and Braitling and Mrs Ellis.
Mr Kiely: Where were you? Where were you, Johan? Why were you representing …
Mr ELFERINK: Well, the Chief Minister didn’t tell me that the briefing was on! If I had been invited when I’d written to her, you rude buggers would have had me there. But this is the point, you’re trying to be a little bit more deceptive.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Sanderson, you must sit down, please, if you’re interjecting unless you have got a point of order. Thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: The fact is that they are trying to be deceptive here, Mr Deputy Speaker. They are trying to deceive the people of the Northern Territory into saying: ‘Oh, those CLP blokes aren’t chasing stuff up’. Well, the fact is that I spoke with Mrs Ellis and she is fully aware of what I have done. The fact of the matter is that I think she will be very interested to find out that you have come in here and said: ‘Oh well, I fixed it up’, when she knows full well that representations were made by any number of members on this issue, any number of members.
I think she will also be interested to find out how the Labor Party members are using their government position to excise those representations and say: ‘Oh well, we’re fixing it for you’, without telling anybody else. I have not received a letter back from the Chief Minister; I have received no invitations in relation to this issue; and you guys are being a little bit cute, coming in here and saying: ‘Oh, we fixed it’. The fact is that you guys were responding to pressure, and you thought you would use the back door – a deceptive back door - to try and fix it.
To give you another example, we heard the Minister for Central Australia in here talking about the Willowra community. I find it very curious that he comes in and says: ‘Oh yes, well, we’re doing the right things in the Willowra community’. I certainly hope so. But the fact of the matter is that when he was in the opposition, there were two applicants for a vacancy that occurred at Willowra: the fellow who was attached to his office, the fellow that he mentioned, or a fellow by the name of Bill South, who used to work at Aputula. Bill South has all the prerequisite qualifications. Bill South had all of the prerequisite history in working in remote communities and, much as people may or may not like him, Bill South had a history of getting things done. Aputula was a changed community under his tutelage. The other fellow had none of those prerequisite qualifications or experience. I find it very interesting that he comes in here and he glosses over those facts, those issues.
If he’s going to come in here and say these sorts of things, then he has to go and recount the whole story about his interference - the interference that he admitted in here today - and say: ‘Well, that’s what happened and because of my interference, these things happened’. We talked about meritocracies in this very sittings, and discriminatory practices. I’m wondering what practices occurred that a person who had all the qualifications and experience and credentials required was passed over for somebody who was unqualified. A curious thing.
When the member for Stuart was last in the Chamber, I pressed him on this issue. We talked about the gentleman who got the job and I said: ‘What relationship is that person to you?’ and he muttered under his breath here: ‘Oh, it’s my Electorate Officer’s spouse’ or words to that effect. I don’t mind these guys getting up to this sort of stuff, but for pity’s sake, all they have to do is be honest about it. If we are going to go interfering in an internal process, then do it. There’s nothing illegal in the process, with possibly some question marks over discriminatory practices, but for God’s sake just be open about it. If the member for Sanderson wants to try and lead the parliament up the garden path in relation to what he’s done for Mrs Bev Ellis, that’s fine, but for God’s sake be honest about it in terms of how he’s dealing with the people out there.
I sometimes think that the members opposite think that this Chamber is a place to have a game. We hear the explosions of passion from the members opposite, but the fact is that we’re dealing with people’s lives out there on an intimate and everyday level. Every piece of legislation we pass, every word we utter affects people’s lives. The member for Sanderson hasn’t grasped that yet. He drags the names of public servants through this Chamber, during debates and doesn’t realise the angst that that can cause people. He sits in here and he thinks that it’s going to be very cute and clever that he says: ‘Look what I’ve done for Mrs Ellis’, but what he’s not doing is painting a real picture. The reputation of politicians in this community is already poor enough. Why on earth are we engaging, as politicians - not as members of the Labor Party or members of the CLP – why are we insisting on engaging in behaviour which raises these question marks again and again and again?
This House has, hopefully, some sort of element of dignity built into it. I urge the member for Sanderson, as I urge all the members of this House, to think about that dignity. Unfortunately, the approach has been that it seems that the members opposite, particularly, have to find some vindication in their position by holding the other side of the House in contempt. The issues are so complex in these places that I actually think that the party system is often a major problem in these Houses because of the herd mentality that that, unfortunately, has caused. I’m not going to go into a dissertation as to why I think the party system is a problem and why I think it has some good aspects but, at the end of the day, it does not prevent members in this House actually speaking and moving over issues in a very broad fashion. It doesn’t prevent us sitting here and agreeing with members on the other side of the House.
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK: I have no problem in agreeing with good ideas when they come from government, and I think that I have a reasonable track record of it. I also have a track record of standing up and opposing certain attitudes of government, even when I was part of the party that was in power: specifically, the situation around Aboriginal interpreters. It is possible to do all of this. Although we are members of parties, we are not bound up so tightly that our primary and only function as members of parliament is to walk in here and say: ‘You mongrels, you bastards, you wallies’ and then waddle out again. We have a much broader job to do, much broader. It contains a great gravity and weight attached to it. All of this paraphernalia is tinsel compared with the matters of substance that we deal with, the lives that we deal with every day. Sometimes I feel that members of parliament forget those very important aspects. We are dealing with people’s lives. We have a duty to be honest.
I was elected as a member of the CLP so I will continue working for the CLP in the same way that the members opposite were elected for their parties as you, Mr Deputy Speaker, were elected as an Independent. Independence is expected from you. The CLP position is expected from me, as is the ALP position over there. But for pity’s sake, let’s start to appreciate what this building is here for, what it actually does, and let’s stop using it as an appendage to government. It’s happened too often in the past, and I think it’s time that this parliament started thinking internally like a parliament. I take great heart from members like the member for Johnston when he interjects ‘Hear, hear!’ on these sorts of things because I know that he believes in many of the same ideas. But it would be interesting to see if the members in this parliament had the courage of those convictions.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to report to parliament on two trips undertaken under my RTD entitlement. I believe my report will ably demonstrate the way in which such trips can constructively contribute to the life of the Northern Territory and to our work as members of the Assembly.
On Friday, 7 December, I flew to Nhulunbuy and on to Gapuwiyak and Numbulwar to make local presentations to these two communities who were awarded prestigious national prizes under the Kellogg National Heart Foundation Local Government Awards. In essence, these are national awards to give recognition to local governments and organisations working with their communities to promote healthier lifestyles. I thank the Deputy Chief Minister and the member for Arnhem in allowing me to present these awards to communities within their respective electorates; that’s Gapuwiyak and Numbulwar.
Gapuwiyak was awarded the overall Australian winner for their heart disease education project. This project was a collaboration between Dr Stephen Bryce, the community doctor, and Mr Terrence Guyula who is the Senior Aboriginal Health Worker. I commend the dedicated work of Stephen Bryce, who has been the community doctor at Gapuwiyak since 1998. I would especially like the opportunity to praise the work of Terrence Guyula over his 16 year career as an Aboriginal Health Worker. Terrence is a national leader in many of the things that he has done in that community, including sexual health programs and now, a heart health education program.
The starting point for this particular project was in 1998. It started with the acknowledgement that the East Arnhem region has coronary heart disease as a leading cause of death for Aboriginal people, particularly males. Terrence and Stephen developed a large scale health screen for all men in the community. Not only does this screen involve medical assessments but, more importantly, it also involves a very innovative education program using culturally and language-based materials. These include teaching illustrations, and multimedia materials in Yolgnu language as well as English language. Similarly, a healthy food pamphlet and community health newsletter were also developed. One of the very tangible results of this education program was a 50% reduction in cigarette consumption over that measured in 1995. In future, the community aims to use the $1000 prize money for a bush medicine and bush food project.
Numbulwar was awarded the overall national winner of all categories for the community nutrition project. I would ask the Assembly to bear in mind that they were overall winners against some pretty stiff competition from local governments, large and small, regional and urban, from every state and territory in Australia.
The Numbulwar project received great support from Jenny Freeman, who is the NT Health Services Nutritionist for the East Arnhem region. We spoke to Samuel Numamurdirdi, Council President, who told us about the council’s support for the project and his vision for the future of his community. Numbulwar is to be congratulated for opening their new store ensuring the availability of, and affordability of, healthy food through the store and take-away - no mean feat for such an isolated community. Healthy alternatives to high fat and high sugar foods are now provided. There are also weekly cooking demonstrations through the women’s centre. There are also long-term plans to develop community gardens to improve the quality of fresh produce in the community.
On the 12 December, I flew to Canberra to meet with federal parliamentary Public Accounts Committee staff, Labor parliamentary colleagues, and various accounting firms involved in government auditing. My meeting with staff from the federal parliament Public Accounts Committee was very helpful to my work as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. Matters we discussed included the preparation of reports and conduct of inquiries, particularly relating to the collection of information from government departments. Similarly, my meeting with Mr Geoff Applebee, who is a principal of Ernst and Young, was very helpful to my work with the Public Accounts Committee. His large firm undertakes a great deal of public auditing for the federal government, including some quite complex matters such as the Collins class submarine contracts.
Mr Applebee also has extremely valuable experience relating to the implementation of accrual accounting by governments. His suggestions will be invaluable as the Territory government departments move towards implementing accrual accounting. I also took the opportunity to meet with Ms Caroline Fitzwarryne, who is CEO of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia. I had the privilege of being invited to become a member of that council. This is a peak body that represents health professionals working in the area of alcohol and other drugs. We had a wide-ranging discussion on policy matters related to effectively addressing the causes of substance abuse, as well as prevention and treatment programs. We also discussed the federal parliamentary inquiry into substance abuse - all matters which will assist me as a member of our own select committee on substance abuse in the community.
It was also my great pleasure to meet Sir William Deane, a great Australian who served with greatest distinction as our Governor-General. Sir William is still making a magnificent contribution to many important community organisations within the Australian Capital Territory, and also nationally. He is very committed to addressing homeless issues and is involved with the Matthew Talbot Hostel in Canberra and the Youth Off the Streets Support Scheme. Sir William is a man of great faith and is also a member of an ecumenical group, the Australian Centre for Christianity and Cultures.
As many members would be aware, Sir William has also recently succeeded Malcolm Fraser as the Chairman of CARE Australia. He is still very committed to reconciliation and remains patron of Reconciliation Australia. I would like from quote Sir William’s speech on this topic on awarding the Sydney Peace Prize for 2001 at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on the 8 November 2001. He said:
An unambiguous national apology to Australia’s indigenous people for all the injustices of the past,
including the involuntary removal of children will, of itself, be a significant step along the road towards
true national reconciliation. More important, it will help create an environment in which it should be
possible to take a more difficult and significant step; namely, reaching and implementation of a broad
consensus encompassing indigenous and non-indigenous Australians about what must be done and set
in train to address the terrible problems of indigenous disadvantage which are, to a large extent, the
present consequences of past oppression, injustice and imported disease.
Lastly, but not least, I was privileged to meet with Professor John Mathews and Coralie Mathews. John Mathews, former Director of the Menzies School, is, in my opinion, a researcher who is without peer in understanding the big picture of Aboriginal health, both in terms of the medical and social aspects. He now holds a senior position within the population and health section of the Commonwealth health department. Coralie Mathews also made a great contribution to Aboriginal education while she was in the Territory, and continues to do so in Canberra. It was great to meet them again and experience their great hospitality.
Mr Deputy Speaker, once again, I am grateful for the opportunity to present these reports to the House.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016