This extract is taken from the Draft Daily Hansard of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, and will be subject to further edits by the Hansard Unit before incorporation into the Parliamentary Record.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I thank you and the parliament for this opportunity to introduce myself, for the first time, in the Chamber as the member for Drysdale during this the Twelfth Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
On 25 August, the voting public of Drysdale placed their faith in me to be their elected representative in this parliament for the next four years. I am humbled to stand here today having gained the confidence of the people of Drysdale. I must, in this first instance, thank the people of Drysdale for their patience and support during the 2012 general election campaign. I cannot emphasise enough my sense of service and duty to the electorate. By way of background, the electorate of Drysdale is made up of three residential suburbs – Gray, Durack and Driver – the industrial and commercial district of Yarrawonga, and the CBD of Palmerston. Gray and Driver are the two oldest suburbs in Palmerston, and Durack, which is newer, has a comparatively high Defence population.
I am proud to be a member of the Terry Mills Country Liberals government the composition of which is rich and diverse in age, race, religion and gender. I am proud of my Italian heritage. I am proud of being a born and bred Territorian. I am proud of being a young woman in the Northern Territory. I believe I am one of the youngest, if not the youngest, member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in history.
Madam Speaker, as a great advocate of gender equality, I know you would truly appreciate this moment as one that has been fought for by Australian women throughout the generations. I am also proud to stand here in this Chamber as the first female member for Drysdale. I take this opportunity to thank my family, especially those who have travelled from the other side of the country to be here today. I am forever indebted to my parents for giving me every opportunity to achieve my goals. It is with their love and support, guidance, discipline, expectations and moral compass that I am the woman I am today. I am thrilled to have my nonna Rita, my nonno Paulo, my nonna Anna, my auntie Sandra, and extended family and friends here today. I make special mention of my late grandfather, Joe, who would have loved to have been here with us. My sister, Jessica, is watching live stream over the Internet from Brisbane where she is frantically finishing her Masters in Organisational Psychology. If you can see us, Jessica, we say hello and wish you all the very best for the next couple of weeks. We miss you and are very proud of you.
To my partner, Sam, you have changed my life and empowered me to achieve my dreams. With your strength and support I have been able to undertake this challenging and exciting journey, which would be empty without you. You are my best friend, my sounding board and my staunchest supporter. I can never thank you enough for walking this road with me.
Of course, I would not be standing here today if it were not for the outstanding efforts of my campaign team. From the moment I was preselected we exploded onto the scene and did not look back. My motto was to work hard every minute of every day, then on 26 August, no matter what the result, when I woke up I would be comfortable knowing I did everything I could to earn the trust and respect of the people of Drysdale.
I must specifically thank my best friend, Samantha Giannini who came up from Adelaide to support me on election day. It was priceless having you here to share in this momentous occasion and you have shown, once again, what our friendship really means. Also, an enormous thank you to Syd, Ann, Lara and Rachael Deam, long-term family friends of ours who have lived in Melbourne for 20 years, but came to Darwin for the weekend just to hand out how-to-vote cards.
Out of respect for the wishes of my Darwin team, I will not individually name them, but for those of you who letterbox dropped, barbecued, barbecued, barbecued, waved, doorknocked, folded, stapled, paper-clipped – some of us better than others – handed out, put corflutes up and pulled them down, advised, stood at the markets, counselled, consoled, attended, donated, laughed and cried, volunteered and prayed, ate, drank and were merry, I am eternally grateful.
The Finocchiaro family has a long and proud history in the Territory. In fact, this will not be the first time their contribution to the Northern Territory will be recorded in the Parliamentary Record. I refer to the adjournment debate of Hon Shane Stone on 13 October 1994 in the Seventh Assembly. My nonno Joe, nonna Rita and great-grandmother migrated to Australia in 1957 following my nonno’s brothers who had immigrated here in the early 1950s.
At that time, Darwin was a harsh and dusty place, a far cry from the seaside town of Falcone where my nonno and his brothers came from, or the large port city of Genoa where my nonna came from. They came to Australia without speaking a word of English and, yet, it was here they established themselves as pioneers of our great Territory. My nonno’s brothers had also migrated to Darwin, and they all lived together with their wives in a house in Seale Street in Fannie Bay. Three of the brothers and their wives still live there today.
My nonno and nonna were married in Darwin and had their honeymoon at Nightcliff foreshore at the Seabreeze Hotel. At that time, Nightcliff foreshore was a good drive from Fannie Bay and had not much in the way of housing, but was as picturesque as ever. My nonno bought a small timber house next to the rail line in Stuart Park where they raised my father and uncle with very modest amenities. In time, my nonno moved the family to Parap where my nonna still lives today. The Finocchiaros, like so many immigrants of that era, left behind the old country to start a new life in a new country and I, for one, am grateful they chose Darwin and the Northern Territory to call their home. They have worked hard to not only improve the lives of their families, but have also contributed to the rich fabric of our Territory.
When I was first preselected as the Country Liberals candidate for Drysdale I faced the immediate challenge of overcoming any of the prejudices associated with being a young female political hopeful. Once I started doorknocking the electorate, I was overwhelmed with the support I received at the door, at schools, at sporting events, seniors clubs, and in the community. It became very clear to me that my work ethic, passion, and commitment for Drysdale did not go unnoticed.
I am sure members of this House are all too aware of the eye-opening experiences candidates and politicians alike face on a doorstep. As I navigated my way through the streets, I was met with varying reception. Most people were very surprised to see me and would tell me they had never been doorknocked before and were grateful for my efforts.
Perhaps the most memorable occasion was when I doorknocked a small unit in Gray. A lovely old lady came to the door so I introduced myself to her and handed her my flyer. She walked away from the door, back into the house and called out to someone saying, ‘There is a young lady at the door, is that your girlfriend?’ A gentleman’s voice replied, ‘What are you talking about? I do not have a girlfriend’. The woman continued to berate the man and make inquiries as to why else I would be standing there. At that point it occurred to me that I may have outstayed my welcome, so I began to back away. The man then came out of the house to see who this alleged scarlet was. I copped some heat from the gentleman for causing him so many problems with his wife, excused myself, and was on my way.
Some of you sitting in this House might wonder why a young, female, commercial litigation lawyer would decide to make this monumental change in her career to serve the people of Drysdale and Palmerston. Perhaps it can, in part, be attributed to both of my grandfathers who rather fancied themselves as political commentators. From a very early age I would listen curiously to their half English but mostly Italian debates about the state of the economy, the direction of the education system, and foreign engagement. I was like a sponge absorbing information everywhere I could. I was so eager to contribute to these conversations I was walking and talking at nine months old and, at two years, I was having what I thought were full-blown conversations at the adult dinner table when, perhaps, I should have been outside playing with other kids. With the wisdom of hindsight, I look back on those moments and am glad I was sitting at the table with my grandfathers, who taught me at a very early age to be interested in the world around you and to have an opinion.
I always knew when I grew up I was going to be a lawyer. Within my heart of hearts, I dared to hope one day I would be standing here in this honourable Chamber as a representative of the people of Palmerston.
I completed an International Baccalaureate Diploma at Kormilda College in 2002 and was successful in obtaining a position at the University of Adelaide for 2003 to study Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of International Studies. In 2003, I moved to Adelaide to undertake my studies and live with my grandparents, who are here today. On completion of my studies I returned to the Territory and undertook my graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. I was admitted to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in October 2008 and was also admitted to the High Court of Australia. I spent three years working at Clayton Utz on major commercial litigation before moving to Ward Keller Lawyers for experience in a Territory firm. I spent two years at Ward Keller until my resignation on 25 August 2012 to take up this most honourable position as member for Drysdale. I must extend my thanks to the partnership at Ward Keller for their support in allowing me to focus on my campaign.
I can assure Territorians I will be fighting to protect our unique Territory lifestyle. As a born and bred Territorian, I grew up enjoying our unique landscape and recreational opportunities children in our neighbouring states can only dream of. Our outdoor lifestyle ought to be protected and harnessed for future generations to enjoy. Our relative freedom should be celebrated and guarded by our parliament as we are, in many ways, the gatekeepers of our Territory culture and identity.
I remember the first time I went hunting for magpie geese with my father; I was just four years old. My sister, Jessica, was crying and crying because, at the age of two, she was not allowed to come with us. Mum was probably crying in disbelief that she was letting me go out with Dad as she put my pink jeans on and sent me off to Howard Swamp with salty plums and Barbie doll in hand, and Dad at the wheel of our clapped-out Daihatsu ute.
I remember a time when swimming at Wangi Falls was not a worry, skiing at Manton Dam was a favourite weekend activity, and the constraints on other Territory ways of life were minimal. Whilst times must always change, there are some things which do not have to.
Times in Darwin have changed, as many members in this House would know and have contributed to. We are no longer the sleepy backwater town of the 1950s and 1960s when my family arrived, but have rebuilt our town following Cyclone Tracy to become a dynamic light in the north of Australia. We have built a railway, a major port facility, a university, and we have brought gas onshore.
In the coming years, we will all be challenged to safeguard our Territory. I can promise Territorians I will be ever watchful that development and growth does not come at an irreversible cost to our lifestyle. I see this balance as being one of the greatest challenges successive Territory governments will face.
I am an avid supporter of our business community, and have been involved with many business organisations for some time, including Palmerston Regional Business Association, and Business and Professional Women.
In the Territory, business faces complex challenges different to our southern competitors. Territory businesses deal day in and day out with the tyranny of distance, our harsh and changing climate, and our remote and rural needs. However, one thing that has always been said is the Territory is a place of opportunity and a can-do place. It is the obligation of government to ensure this mantra forever remains and we have the foresight and wisdom to lead Territorians into the future.
Our government understands the needs of business and that business does best without our interference. We understand the Territory’s physical position in the world and the opportunity that brings with it. With that is also a responsibility to nurture our relationships with our neighbours and to maintain our place and influence in our immediate region.
We in this House must do everything in our power to ensure young Territorians, for future generations to come, do not have to leave because of lack of opportunity. We have to strive to continue to make the Northern Territory a place where young people can gain a good education, an exciting job, have a family, and afford a good home and, when they are in their senior years, they will be looked after with decent healthcare and excellent retirement facilities.
Gender equity and the advancement of women is an area I am passionate about. To me, it is truly astonishing that in 2012 the average gender pay gap in Australia is 17.5%. That translates to a gap of $250 per week. It translates to a woman’s male equivalent counterpart working 64 days less per year than her to accrue the same income.
In 1984, the year I was born, women were earning 22.3% less than men. It is far from a remarkable achievement to have closed the gap by only 4.8% in 28 years, and it is downright shameful the gap has increased in the healthcare and social assistance sectors to 32.6%.
It is not just equal pay for work of equal value woman continue to fight for. The battle for flexible working arrangements such as job sharing, quality part-time, and working from home, continue to be little more than pipe dreams in most workplaces.
Certainly, incentive for employers to offer maternity leave is far from on the horizon. Government should be an industry leader and adopt best practice policies which allow women who choose to have children to return to the workforce. Too many of our highly talented women exit the workforce, denying all of us the diversity and quality leadership we so urgently need. Too often, women’s’ need for flexibility sees them in lower paid and more casual work which has severe long-term consequences for their economic wellbeing. We know this is increasingly threatening their housing security, and it most certainly threatens their superannuation and retirement opportunities. By 2019, it is estimated woman will have accumulated only half the superannuation of men.
Woman still provide the majority of care, both paid and unpaid. In the Territory, we have 30 000 people working selflessly as carers – 70% of those unpaid carers are women. We as a government cannot ignore the fact that carers are twice as likely to suffer depression and have the lowest levels of wellbeing in our community. I hope to make some difference to these statistics during my time in office.
As you may have guessed, I am fiercely passionate about Palmerston. It is a place of great significance to me and my family, and it always has been and will be where I call home.
When doorknocking in my electorate, the No 1 concern of Territorians, next to the ever-increasing cost of living and housing crisis, was law and order. Our government is determined to bring crime rates down and return a community standard of behaviour to our streets.
In 2011-12, there were 4428 female victims of assault in the Northern Territory, which is almost twice the assault rate for males. In the same year, Indigenous women made up over half of all assault victims. Territory women can be sure I will be a strong voice in this parliament and in our community.
Palmerston residents and Territorians deserve to feel safe in their homes, on their streets, and in our community. They should be able to live an outdoor lifestyle free from the constraints of antisocial behaviour, vandalism and nuisance.
Looking to the June 2012 crime statistics, domestic violence assaults in Palmerston are up 62% compared with five years ago. Alcohol[1]fuelled assaults in Palmerston are up 76% compared to five years ago. House break-ins, commercial break-ins, motor vehicle thefts, property damage, and other theft are up 16%, 4%, 15%, 31% and 33% respectively. These trends have to be turned around and I am looking forward to engaging with our local community, the City of Palmerston, and government agencies to make our community a safer place.
Palmerston residents deserve a properly planned city and infrastructure that will stand the test of time and sustain our great city for the growth we will see in the future. I will be fighting to deliver dual lanes on Tiger Brennan Drive all the way into the city and dual lanes on Wishart Road. I want to see the delivery of low-cost housing to Palmerston and ease the cost of living to Territorians.
I would like to be critically involved in the development of Palmerston health services, and will work hard to maintain the emotional and moral health of our city by fostering our community organisations and empowering the individual. Madam Speaker, I will serve Territorians diligently and with the utmost integrity. I will do my best to make a positive difference in the lives of my constituents and restore the community’s faith in its elected members and our political system. I will fight for our Territory, our way of life, and our future with unwavering vigour. I will speak up and be heard in this parliament. I will do this by treating constituents with respect and humility. My door will always be open and my phone always on. I will be honest and frank with constituents. I will be visible, accessible, and genuinely available. I will be accountable. Above all, I will not be afraid to stand here and fight for the right decisions for our Territory