Final Report & Recommendations
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Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee Final Report & Recommendations To the Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs 6 December 2010 ZZZQWVWDWHFRPDX 1RUWKHUQ7HUULWRU\6WDWHKRRG6WHHULQJ&RPPLWWHH 7ROO)UHH(PDLOVWDWHKRRG#QWJRYDX 3KRQH )D[ *32%R['DUZLQ17 NT 2011 Towards State 7 Final Report Contents Part 1 Report Overview and Summary of Recommendations .................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 History and operation of the Statehood Steering Committee.........................................1 Reporting Milestones .....................................................................................................2 2010 in Summary...........................................................................................................3 Recommendations .........................................................................................................3 Part 2 Achievements of the SSC Phases 1 to 4 ......................................................5 Phase 1 Establishing the Statehood Steering Committee ......................................5 Phases 2 & 3 Community Education and Consultation ..........................................5 Starting the Engagement Process ....................................................................... 5 Community visits .................................................................................................. 5 Surveys ................................................................................................................ 7 Website ................................................................................................................ 8 Fact sheets........................................................................................................... 8 Parliament & Government.................................................................................... 8 Charles Darwin Symposia.................................................................................... 9 Friends of Statehood............................................................................................ 9 Mock Referendum................................................................................................ 9 Constitutional Paths to Statehood........................................................................ 10 Walking Together Towards Statehood................................................................. 10 Phase 4 Information Roadshow Forums ................................................................. 10 Part 3 Reports on Information Roadshow Forums.................................................. 13 Part 4 Looking Forward.............................................................................................. 115 Part 5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 118 Annexures ................................................................................................................... 121 A Members of the Statehood Steering Committee B Minutes of Meetings 18-27 C NT State 7 Campaign Letter D Information Roadshow Forums List E Key Committee Publications F Consultant’s Report on Facilitation of Forums G Statehood Steering Committee Activity Report 2006 - 2008 Part 1 Report Overview and Summary of Recommendations Introduction Then Chief Minister, the Hon Clare Martin MLA said on the 21st of May 2003: Although the Northern Territory is regarded as an intrinsic part of the nation, we still do not enjoy many of the political rights of other Australians. … Today I announce my Government will work with the community on a new campaign to achieve Statehood, based on a Territory constitution we develop ourselves. This time we will get it right. We will do this with careful community consultation and community involvement from the start1. The Statehood Steering Committee has laid the groundwork for that community consultation and involvement. Initially formed in 2005 from 14 community based representatives, it began a process of community engagement to create a dialogue with the people of the Territory about how the Territory might be governed. In the last year, this has culminated in a series of 50 community forums, leading the SSC to recommend a constitutional convention in 2011 with delegates elected by the people of the Northern Territory. This Convention will draft a constitution for Territorians to consider over the following year and a second convention would be held in 2012 or early 2013 to agree on a constitution to be considered by the people ahead of a referendum. This report outlines the results of the Statehood Program over 2010, the feedback received from the 50 forums the SSC has held, and recommends the next steps towards Statehood. History and Operation of the Statehood Steering Committee In 1998, 51.3% of voting Territorians rejected the Statehood model proposed at a referendum. The LCAC looked at the causes of this result and produced a Report into Appropriate Measures to Facilitate Statehood in April 1999 that recommended a fresh approach with greater community involvement. In response to that report, the Legislative Assembly established the Statehood Steering Committee on 17 August 2004.2 The LCAC initially selected 14 community based representatives who took up their roles as members at the first meeting of the SSC in Alice Springs on 20 April 2005. That first meeting considered and endorsed a program of work aimed at engaging Territorians about the constitutional development of the Northern Territory and promoting Statehood as the logical outcome. The Statehood Steering Committee (SSC) was an Advisory Committee to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (LCAC) and consisted of a Committee Chair (also the chair of the LCAC), a Co-Chair and, at the time of the preparation of this Report, 20 other members. Three of the members, including the Chair, are also members of the LCAC. The SSC reported formally to the LCAC on a quarterly basis for the first three years of operation and on an ad-hoc basis through the Executive Group meetings thereafter. 1 Address to the Charles Darwin Symposium at Charles Darwin University. 2 Terms of reference amended 24 March 2005, 30 November 2006 and most recently by a Motion of the Minister for Statehood Hon Malarndirri McCarthy MLA on 12 February 2009. 1 The community representative members represented a range of Territorians’ views either as individuals or representatives of organisations. However, each member was appointed by the LCAC as an individual member and remained so notwithstanding their membership of other organisations. This Report is the third consolidated report to the LCAC since the operation of the first year of the Statehood Steering Committee was reported to the LCAC and subsequently tabled in the Legislative Assembly during February 2006. The second consolidated report on the activities of 2006-2008 was reported to the LCAC at their meeting of 6 May 2009 where the LCAC resolved to table the Report in the Assembly. The Minutes of SSC meetings provide a valuable public record of the work undertaken as well as an insight into the decision making process. In accordance with previous practice where the Minutes of Meetings one to five were attached to the First Report and the Minutes of Meetings six to 17 were attached as annexures to the Second Report to the LCAC (which is Annexure G to this Report), the Minutes of Meetings 18 to 27 are attached to this Report at Annexure B. The reader of all three Reports will therefore have a complete record of the proceeding of the SSC over the life of the Committee. While this Final Report to the LCAC reflects the will and views of the SSC at the time of the final meeting held on 6 December 2010, the SSC Members publish this Report in good faith in the hope that to some extent it also reflects the views of all the previous members as well. During the life of the Statehood Steering Committee the SSC conducted 27 formal meetings, and the Statehood Executive Group met on 23 occasions. The Committee deliberately chose to convene in different locations around the Territory in order to reflect the diversity of the Territory and the Committee membership, and to provide the opportunity to meet local individuals and groups and discuss Statehood at a community level. The Committee had a total of 33 members including three Chairs and two Co-Chairs all of whom interacted with thousands of Territorians. The Foundation Chair was the then Member for Barkly Mr Elliot McAdam MLA and the foundation Co Chair was Mrs Sue Bradley AM. A complete list of all of the members of the Statehood Steering Committee is attached to this report as Annexure A. Reporting Milestones In its first year, the SSC determined seven reporting milestones: 1. Establishing the Statehood Steering Committee; 2. Community Education; 3. Community Consultation; 4. Public Meetings and Hearings; 5. Legal Requirements; 6. Constitutional Convention; 7. Referendum. During 2009 and 2010, the LCAC and SSC came to an understanding that the SSC could and should complete the delivery of phases one to four, which focused on community engagement. However, phases five to seven, which address technical issues and the implementation of the recommendations arising from the first four phases, that is Constitutional Convention