Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Crossin spoke about estimates. We had a very good discussion on the Northern Territory intervention at estimates. I believe that the intervention team has consulted very well. The health checks have surely helped Northern Territory people and the children in these communities. In their update of 7 March 2008, the intervention team states that 65 remote communities have had child health checks undertaken. Eleven town camp regions have been visited by the child health check teams. Surely, this is all about consultation. As at 5 March 2008, there have been 7,622 Northern Territory child health checks completed, and a total number of child health checks—including medical benefits scheme checks—of approximately 9,300. This must be helping. There are seven child health check teams deployed, and the child health checks are being performed by local Aboriginal medical services in various regions.

We also have the general business managers in there helping the communities. As of this month, there are 52 general business managers employed. When all of them are employed, 72 communities will be serviced by a general business manager. This must help the population, including the children. With regard to welfare reform, there are currently 26 community employment brokers in place providing services to 45 communities. Income management is in place in 25 communities and associated outstations in four town camp regions. Six thousand, five hundred and forty-three people are currently being income managed. This must be an improvement for those families and for those children who have gone without. There are a total of 28 community stores licensed, with 20 stores operating under store-specific licences and eight stores operating under one Outback Stores corporate licence. A total of 636 Australian government jobs have been created to date. This is very good news and I believe consultation has helped to achieve this. We have a new police presence in 18 communities, and there are currently 35 new interstate and 18 new Northern Territory police deployed. There are also the community clean-ups. The clean-up program has commenced in 40 remote communities. One thousand, six hundred and sixteen properties have been surveyed and made safe, and 351 minor repairs have been completed. There are currently 32 project management and trade contractor teams engaged under the community clean-up program. In consultation, Northern Territory towns are really being looked after.

Through you, Mr Deputy President, I do have a concern about the permit system being reinstated. The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, said that restoring the system was important because it helped keep grog smugglers and paedophiles out of remote Indigenous communities. Well, they were there when the permit system was in use. Surely the system that we as a government had in place would have opened up the community so that other people could come in and ensure that these practices did not continue. I feel the permit system did not protect Indigenous communities, so why go back to it? Also, the ban on pay TV porn in remote Indigenous communities should not be voluntary, as Labor’s legislation intended. According to the Little children are sacred report, pay TV porn was readily accessed by kids and was a significant part of grooming kids for sexual activity. In conclusion, I do believe that we are going forwards and not backwards and I commend all those involved with the Northern Territory intervention team.