LAST week Chief Minister Paul Henderson said: “The Government maintains a working majority on the floor of Parliament and we’ll be getting on with the job,” and that’s exactly what is happening in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
As the Member for Barkly I took my seat on the first day of the June sittings to pay respect to the recently deceased Mr Tungatalum and Brother Pye as condolence motions reflected their incredible lives as Territorians.
A robust question time followed the lunch break before Ministerial reports, the passage of important finance management legislation through the house and as Minister for Transport and Corrections delivered my Budget 2009 replies to cap a very busy morning session of Parliament.
The planned NT Container Deposit Legislation debate should be of interest to all Territorians as both Parliamentary reference group members and government members continue to develop the legislation that will have far reaching social and environmental benefits for the Northern Territory.
In relation to our important Working Future and Homelands Policy development, the NT Government will not take services away from any communities or towns but the Government wants to build 20 strong towns across the Territory which can provide good services to people living in those areas.
The Government will continue to study the economic potential of homelands and outstations and how best to deliver services including through economic modelling and our policy focus has to be on ensuring better health and education decisions by all Aboriginal people whether they live in towns or outstations.
While attending the opening of the Bootu Creek manganese mine on the Banka Banka pastoral lease north of Tennant Creek last week, I stood among our traditional owners and a multi-national mining company witnessing the sophisticated infrastructure that supports the open cut mining operation.
When talking to management and staff it became apparent that visionary traditional owners, the NT Government including the previous MLA Elliot McAdam and a mining company had got it right in the development of a project that would benefit both the Barkly region and the Northern Territory.
Then talking to an ex-student from Robinson River who was participating in a training program at the Bootu Creek Mine it all came together when he spoke proudly about the interesting work he undertakes, the fascinating people he meets and his new ute that he drives home to Robinson on his weeks off to check in on family and friends!
I was so proud of this young man and then ‘blown away’ when he confidently told me about not going home all the time because with a good car and a real job he can go wherever he likes, like “living in the mainstream!”
Growth towns in the Northern Territory will provide a choice as will homelands and outstations provide well being, respite and cultural maintenance yet having a real job will provide the catalyst to make the most out of ones choices.
And finally in response to another negative national journalistic comment about Territorians only being employed in mining I would like to respond with, this young man at Bootu Creek is part of disciplined industry learning about the real world of work in a supportive life-work environment.
After he is ‘skilled up’ he may choose a construction job on a gas plant or take a management pathway mentoring other young Territorians into training to employment or he may use his hard earned cash to invest in his grandfather’s homeland and build a safari camp for international tourists.
I hope he chooses the latter as I want to be the first booking and the first tourist to be dining on mud crab and salmon under the stars on the last frontier.