DOES the Territory deserve an equal constitution to the other states?
This was one of the questions posed at the Palmerston Information Roadshow on statehood and the future of the Territory.
My thought is that equality is a must and the very foundation which underpins the Territory as a future state.
Otherwise what’s the point?
I mean, to unpack a little further, the thrust of becoming a state is to be equal with the Australian states, and not impaired by population, distance or any other factor. _Ana Abbott, a Territorian who attended the roadshow, didn’t think there was any need to become a state.
She said the Commonwealth had treated the Territory and Territorians well.
Great debating point.
I disagree.
But that’s what’s so important about this process to making the debate accessible to each and every Territorian.
The importance of the opinions and ideas of Territorians – all of us – being documented in this process cannot be played down.
The roadshows are teaching me that once you can cut through the tangle of issues affecting Territorians each and every day, there is no end to the wonderful ideas about the NT’s future.
As well as discussing what could and should be in a constitution, there is more happening here.
For me, I am getting to hear what Territorians of all backgrounds think is important – about life, their future, governance, family and society.
And that’s something special.

Daniel Bourchier is a member of the Statehood Steering Committee.
He works as a reporter for the Northern Territory News.

VIDEO INTERVIEWS:

• Jaimi Johnson
• Ana Abbott

GUARANTEED and protected federal representation, the terms and conditions of admitting a new state, frustration over past moves to statehood, and the important of education were some of the key themes of the Statehood Information Roadshow held in Darwin.
The willingness of the Commonwealth to admit a new state was also raised and a debate about the constitutional convention took place.
A crowd of some 50 gathered to share their thoughts on what a future state could look like.
There was even a broader discussion about the Senate and whether there is still a need for a states’ house.
This certainly was an interesting – albeit brief – discussion.
But something tells me the 70-odd members of the house of review wouldn’t be too keen on relinquishing their jobs.
But then you just never can tell.
Daryl Manzies, surely an authority on governance as a result of his lengthy term in Territory Parliament, spoke at the forum.
He hit the nail on the head of the representation debate when he said: ‘‘I think we have to go for the best deal we can.’’
It made me wonder about models for federal representation that the Territory could adopt – but such is the uniqueness (in Australia anyway) of creating a new state, that we really would be setting the benchmark.
As has been my experience when visiting different places across the Territory and talking about what could be in a future constitution – the Darwin roadshow was no less exciting.
The validity of our unicameral parliament (of one house of assembly and not two like some other states) was questioned, as was the need for a senate. One forum attendee said: ‘‘Maybe we can show some leadership,’’ during the discussion about the very fundamental bits that would be a constitution.
Fran Kilgariff, the chair of the non-political community advisory group on statehood to parliament was at the roadshow and spoke about her family’s long-term involvement in Territory politics and her desire to ensure future generations were given the gift of true self-determination.

Daniel Bourchier is a member of the Statehood Steering Committee.
He works as a reporter for the Northern Territory News.

VIDEO INTERVIEWS:

• Kendall Trudgen
• Tim Cross
• Dr Ted Dunstan
• Daryl Manzies

PALMERSTONIANS gathered to chat about the Territory’s future ahead of the town’s Information Roadshow this month. A handful of local movers and shakers gathered for the luncheon at the Gray Community Hall. Mayor Robert MacLeod, aldermen Geoff Carter and Graeme Chin, Palmerston Regional Business Association president Wayne Zerbe, local MLA Ross Bohlin, and a number of other local identities gathered.

It renews my interest in statehood and the future of the Territory every time I meet someone new who wants to talk about these topics. I’m use to people telling me that statehood’s not sexy, or a barbecue burner topic, or even exciting. But anywhere in the Territory I go – people have a deep desire to talk about their future. This very clearly came out of the luncheon affair. There was a great discussion about different ways to communicate messages about statehood and constitutional development.

Mayor MacLeod gave verbal support for the roadshows and was keen to get more involved. The Information Roadshows – I believe – are a chance for all Territorians to have a chat about what is important to us. An aside to that conversation is gaining a really clear idea of what it means to be a Territorian. And that gets me excited. Don’t miss your chance to come along and have a chat about the future of the Territory on March 24 at the Recreation Centre at 5.00pm.

Daniel Bourchier is a member of the Statehood Steering Committee.
He works as a reporter for the Northern Territory News.

THE Information Roadshow in my home Tennant Creek may have been small, but that didn’t stop the cross-section of the town from making the most of the discussion. The geographic impairment of being so far form the Territory’s two main population centres was a recurring issue, which was at the base of many of the issues.

Funding and accountability, the effect Statehood would have on the relationship between the Federal Government and Local Government, what would happen to federal representation, the need to address geographical and population issues, Colin Hardakre suggested a new constitution should include recognition that if a member of parliament quits a party which they won the seat for, the seat should be up for by-election. He also said the member who left it vacant should foot the bill for the by-election.

Meg Iles said it was unfortunate that the debate about the validity of government becomes an issue mixed with Statehood.

“I think it’s rather sad that we think our leaders aren’t good enough,” she said.
“ Maybe that’s what we need to take on board.
“That shouldn’t be an impairment to our Statehood.”

The discussion about what could be included in a new constitution had everyone talking. David Curtis was an attendee at the last NT constitutional convention in the 1990s. He said the process the last time around was a ‘complete farce’.

“I see there is a lot of work going in to developing a new constitution,” he said.
“There needs to be a lot more participation. Indigenous law was pretty much dismissed last time – there needs to be recognition of indigenous law.”

Other attendees raised the concern about the flippancy in which the names of government departments are so frequently changed, recognition of Christianity as the fundamental belief system, Aboriginal representation and recognition of Local Government. The process of the proposed Constitutional Convention was also raised, specifically delegates and how they would be selected, and the need to have spots available for specific experts.

There was some concern from attendees towards the end of the event that only 15 people had attended – but I disagreed. Each of the people who gathered were leaders in their own right and spoke passionately about a range of issues. These were people held in high stead locally – and people who will communicate with their peers. It was wonderful to go back home – even if it was only very briefly – and I am rapt with the discussions about constitutional development and Statehood that I had the opportunity to witness.

Daniel Bourchier is a member of the Statehood Steering Committee.
He works as a reporter for the Northern Territory News.

IF the first Information Roadshow event in Elliott was anything to go on, Territorians are keen to talk about what is important for the future and what could be included in a new constitution. More than 100 people gathered for the open-air event at the basketball courts in the town. That’s about 1 in 6 of all locals. It was important that it was a family affair with children running around as their parents, older siblings, aunties, uncles, grandparents and friends got down to business.

The event was like the ones I remembered growing up in Tennant – filled with passionate debate, broken up with laughs before heading further in to deep discussion. Elliott as a future capital for the Territory – because of it’s central location in the middle of Alice Springs and Darwin – was raised half-heartedly by an attendee.

But it received more than a few nods. The status of the Racial Discrimination Act, Land Rights, why the Territory wasn’t made a state at Federation, the situation of federal funding, welfare quarantining, does the name need to change, and what are the real benefits were some of the topics raised. But the debate about what could be in a new Territory constitution – the first written in the country in more than 100 years – was when the discussion got really passionate.

Set seats for Aboriginal people in a future NT Parliament, similar to the New Zealand model, was raised. Local Barkly identity Mary Napangardi James told the Roadshow it was important the new constitution ensured no-one felt like second-class citizens. She said this was the case at the moment.

“(We need) the right to dismiss our politicians,” she said.
“We need to look to our future.
“Statehood, for me, is to looking toward the future.
“We need to change our ways of thinking too. We can’t just blame the Government, we need to find a solution.”

Amy Lauder-Dixon, a former ATSIC Regional Councillor, said it was the first time anyone had come to speak to her about constitutional development.

Daniel Bourchier is a member of the Statehood Steering Committee.
He works as a reporter for the Northern Territory News.