I don’t understand why we spend another million dollars on forums and blogs on statehood education. In 1996 The Northern Territory Sessional Committee on constitutional development issued an excellent final Draft Constitution. Wouldn’t this million dollars be better spent on improving our existing constitution to the benefit of our local citizens particularly the Indigenous people. If its toward another referendum that people have in mind remember that Australia wide referendums have overwhelmingly resulted in a no vote time and time again ever since our nations Federation. 20% at most of our referendums have resulted in Yes. This is all at a time when the Federal government is reducing powers of the states and implementing section 96 of the Australian constitution whereby states are given money only on specific conditions anyway, as we have done since the Whitlam government.

The NT particularly Darwins recent Development appears to be largely on the back of borrowed capital – Particularly the Knuckey Street and the Smith Street Development. Meanwhile our very young indigenous Males (20yo’s) are being incarcerated for participating in community riots at Wadeye, even for incidents as minor as banging a steel pole on a fence. What does this tell you about injustice and difference within our community? What has corporate Thatcherism done at all for our current and future young indigenous citizens, the very people we should be most concerned about?

Our cattle stations have a history of employing very very few indigenous people and of mostly ripping the land away from indigenous people, razing and destroying traditional hunting grounds and denying aboriginal people the right to eat the alternative introduced species. The tracts of land opened to cattle grazing are literally irradicating the already exiting and subsistent native species. Cattle appear to be a very hungry and wasteful meat source, compared to chicken and white meats but we don’t invest any money in either piggeries or chicken farming in the NT. What does this tell you about our inconsistency in farming direction?

I don’t believe we need a state, we need a well directed and useful constitution, not the junk that appears to be currently causing so much injustice and hurt to the powerless in our midst.

It doesn’t answer the question, it merely states that Territorians will decide, not why we can’t stay as a Territory.
These fact sheets are provided for information, but it is obvious that statehood.nt.gov is biased on the matter, and it would be helpful for all Territorians to know the disadvantages with no contradictions, to let Territorians form their own opinions without persuasion of this website.

Personally I am not against the statehood movement, but after reading several fact sheets, I still feel uninformed, as if I’ve only heard one of the arguments. Please consider this and the Territory when answering more enquiries from people who are simply curious .
regards, A.

Thank you for your query on the adoption of a Bill of Rights Query associated with Statehood.

It is clear that there is some community interest in a Bill of Rights being included in the NT constitution that the topic needs to be included in constitutional consultations.

However, there is also the argument that the Statehood Steering Committee examines the issues of adopting a Bill of Rights, prior to and separate to a constitution of a new state.

The arguments have been considered by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (LCAC) of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, and it has been agreed that further research is needed in to the surrounding issues of a possible Bill of Rights.

An issues paper is being prepared by the LCAC for the Standing Committee (the SSC reports to Parliament through this Committee) on the Territory’s possible adoption of a Bill of Rights. This will assist the Statehood Steering Committee in gauging community opinion on a Bill of Rigths during its consultation with the community.

We will be sure to keep you informed on this matter.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in Statehood’s on-line forum to voice your concerns. In particular, concerns about the implications of the financial arrangements between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory should we become a state.

You sound very passionate about the Northern Territory and you will be glad to know that Statehood will not impact on the current financial arrangements we have with the Commonwealth. This is because the Northern Territory is already funded as a state. We receive Commonwealth revenue in the same way as the states and have been doing so since the 1980s.

The Commonwealth provides grants to the States and Territories in the form of tied grants called Specific Purpose Payments and untied grants called General Purpose Payments which mainly come from GST revenue. The General Purpose Payments can be spent in the way a State or Territory wishes and Specific Purpose Payments can only be spent as set by the Commonwealth - generally on Health and Education.

Calculations seek to ensure that each state and territory has the capacity to provide services at national average levels of efficiency. According to these, the jurisdictions with smaller populations, such as the NT, receive more than their per capita share of GST revenue.

Despite moves by some of the larger states to change the way GST revenue is allocated, the Commonwealth is unlikely to make any changes without agreement of all states.

Statehood will not jeopardise the current formula. Instead, it will preserve the right of the NT to receive Specific Purpose Payments under the Australian Constitution and will entrench the right of the NT to be treated fairly for the purposes of the allocation of GST revenue.

Would you be interested in attending one of Statehood’s Workshops later in the year? All Territorians are invited to come and have their say. Watch this space for more information on dates and locations. In the mean time, don’t hesitate to write to us on any other concerns. We love hearing your views.