Today celebrates the annual honouring of all women on the planet. To our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, grandaughters, friends, colleagues and neighbours. It’s important to value to immense contributions you each make to our lives. Alice Springs boasts some pretty phenomenal women – enjoy your celebrations today in the Alice Springs Plaza.

A very busy few days with some fantastic events happening in and around The Alice. Attended the monthly Chamber of Commerce ‘Business At Sunset’ event last night at Desert Knowledge and caught up with much admired Ifor Ffwoks-Williams from Cluster Navigations who has taught me so much over the years about making the ‘net – work’. Attended an Outback Business Network breakfast with him as presenter in the Chamber offices this morning. From there to the Desert Park for the launching of the Red Centre Way campaign with a $500K boost from the Federal government. Launched by the federal tourism Minister, Martin Ferguson, it was a another great(orex) addition to the thriving tourism industry in and through Central Australia. I was introduced to the Minister and we engaged in some good discussion around tourism.

My Phil Phooty’s arrived today – cute little blue and orange (of course) ‘breath balls’ for people to use and for kids to come up with rules for. I’ll start a competition in the primary and secondary schools for students to come up with some ‘rules of play’ which have to NOT include pain!!

Helped launch an Alzheimer’s Australia and NT AIDS & Hepatitis Council (NTAHC) project on Lesbians, Gay Men and Dementia on Tuesday by facilitating the hypotheticals session where ‘care studies’ were discussed in an open forum of around 30 people who attended. Our very own former Alice-ite, Dr. Jo Harrison – gerontologist extraordinaire – gave a great(orex) presentation highlighting the work of Heather Birch.

Also attended part of a workshop today presented by the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities Inc. (qahc – pronounced ‘kwack’) outreach training workers on promoting the positive health of the LGBT communities. Auspiced by our local NTAHC, the workers presented some great(orex) information to a variety of workers around Alice Springs. Great job Daniel, Merryn and Natalie in putting it all together.

So……..it’s all happening in The Alice – as usual!!

A reminder that this Sunday is Clean Up Australia day – so if you want to come and help me clean up Frances Smith Memorial Park on Kurrajong Drive from 7am – 9am followed by breakfast at our place, please do so.

Returned home to Alice on Friday following my two week ‘reconnaissance mission’ in Darwin at Parliament House to a very wet and delightfully green oasis. The weekend continued with its wild weather – water-logged bigger trees crashing all over – roads, fences and some people’s homes. The Todd River is flowing strongly and higher than I’ve seen it for years. Some comments from people suggest they’re ‘over’ the rain and looking forward to the sunshine returning.

The team from Fountainhead Retreat were also in town over the weekend outreaching the Fountainhead model (see home page link) so a series of presentations held on Saturday morning had over 20 local professionals, providers and consumers in attendance. Many thanks to Carol and Wayne for being here, making new connections and bring the model into Central Australia.

Alice Springs Mardi Gras dance party on Saturday night was a fantastic event attended by many older and newer residents and visitors. Congratulations to the organisers including NTAHC who braved the conditions and hosted a grand event.

Back into the working week – very busy with private practice and headspace, meetings, facilitating a session at the launch tomorrow of the Gay Men, Lesbians and Dementia paper with guest speaker former Alice Springs activist and resident Dr. Jo Harrison, Business At Sunset with the local Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday at Desert Knowledge, early morning presentation with Ifor Ffwoks-Williams on Thursday….and the week just gets busier.

I was particularly impressed by the ‘performance’ of a number of Assembly members over the past two weeks and particularly unimpressed by at least two. Unfortunately, the Member for Araluen, the very competent Jodeen Carney, was unable to be present due to illness. She consistently adds colour to the debate on the floor. Whilst I may not support her political affiliation, I certainly admire the effort she contributes to her constituents and the Central Australian community.

It’s heartening to know that there are some very genuine members who are truely committed to serving their constituents and the general community. Others are merely ‘party animals’ who literally perform like circus clowns. It’s a shame that good taxpayer money is spent on providing them with an income.

Well………parliament is all over for these sittings. So…..a brief summary of my impressions.

The four senior Ministerial collegiate of the incumbent government has really ‘bunkered down’. They fought off several attempts over the past 2 weeks of Opposition and Independent member motions to get them to be transparent, open, honest and ‘up-front’ with Territorians. The backbench and junior Ministers were each very loyal and supportive of their ‘bosses’. Alison Anderson’s attempts to have a committee formed to essentially oversee the expenditure on money allocated expressly for Indigenous housing etc. was voted down around party lines. The Hansard speeches are very passionate around these issues. It seems like a real issue for the indigenous members of the Assembly who are left to struggle with ‘the party position’ versus their own cultural perspectives. Independent member, Gerry Wood, is also committed to the transparency of funding expenditure and is seeking to have it incorporated as part of the Council for Territory Co-operation (CTC).

I’m so glad I’m standing as an Independent in the process of gaining entry into the next Legislative Assembly. I wouldn’t want to be ’selling my soul’ to the party machine (like Peter Garrett in the Federal sphere). Even when it’s all patently obvious that ’smoke and mirrors’ are a favoured tactic of both sides, the reality remains that most are more interested in staying in or winning government than they are about delivering open and honest government to the people of the NT.

Despite the ‘emphasis’ of the players, I was impressed by several performances of sitting members, most especially the Independents (Gerry Wood and Alison Anderson), Peter Chandler (CL) and Gerry McCarthy (ALP). The ‘party affiliated’ really do, however, need to spend less time trying to win points against each other and more time on delivering good governance to Territorians. The over-riding of Territory laws by the Federal government around the nuclear waste dump (and moving nuclear waste through the NT) is an issue that will add fuel to the Statehood debate.

More to come over the next several months, I’m sure. This is all a very interesting journey.

Tonight’s session was very good. Great(orex) to have this opportunuity to observe the mechanics in action. Some members impress more that others. Excellent deliberations around the nuclear dump issue and the incumbent government’s resolve to object to their federal counterpart’s insistence that it not be imposed on the NT without due regard for alternative sites based on scientific evidence. Great(orex) to observe robust debate that differs between party positions. Politics in action. Also interesting to hear from various members of activity within their respective electorates and that they actively advocate on behalf of their respective constituents.

I’ve been advised that I should not name other assembly members by name but rather by the seat they represent. So, given that, I am impressed with the Member for Brennan’s performance and the integrity he displays within the House. The Members for Stuart, Barkly, Nelson and Johnson all spoke very well in support of their positions. I continue to be singularly unimpressed by the antics of the Member of Fong-Lim. His behaviour must be a huge embarassment to his party and his electorate.

Sincere thanks to the Executive Officer for the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly for her excellent assistance with my questions and her explanations of the Parliamentary processes.

Ther are some interesting notices to be debated at tomorrow’s session. Stay tuned.

Another interesting ‘day in The House’ with debate around new legislation pertaining to caravan parks, some robust ‘discussion’ around the NT Child Protection inquiry (currently seeking submissions until 12 March, 2010 at www.childprotectioninquiry.nt.gov.au) and questions pertaining to the proposed nuclear dump envisaged for Muckaty Station north of Tennant Creek. More tonight – just waiting to see the headspace creator, Prof. McGorry’s presentation on the SBS ‘Insight’ program around young people and mental health compromise.

Thanks to those of you who have voted on the homepage poll around the Angela-Pamela uranium mine proposal near Alice Springs. The ‘no’ vote is ‘winning’ so far!!

Sincere thanks also to those 95 plus people who have thus far joined my Phil The Gap facebook group. Members who are constituents along with supporters interstate and internationally. Thanks for your faith in my ability to deliver what I’m setting out to.

Spending the weekend with Darryl and Graeme in their multi-award winning ‘Batchelor Pad’ in the town of Batchelor about an hour south of Darwin en route to Lichfield National Park. Lovey to catch up with them, their news, meet some of their friends (including dancin’ Dave who lives behind them), enjoy great food, company and some ‘time out’. Back to Darwin tomorrow and into the ‘bear pit’ on Tuesday. I really am learning lots.

Great(orex) news via facebook that my favourite young man on the planet, Alexander, arrived back in Hobart this morning. Home safe and sound!!

Just enjoyed a lovely breakfast with Sue and others at the Rum Jungle Bungalows. Getting ready for a lovely lunch with two other friends, Rex and Terry, and then cocktails on the deck with the delightful Christine Bond at 4pm. Nothing like an indulgent weekend!!

This observation experience continues to provide me with an excellent overview of how the Parlaiment operates, understand better the ‘run sheet’ for the day and observe the ‘action’. The antics are amusing if nothing else. One wonders how much more could be achieved if those in the Chamber spent more of the time available to deliver better outcome measures for Territorians. As ‘time marches on’, wasting it on petty interjections that are more ‘theatre’ than productive is the real shame here. The government ‘quartumvirate’ of it’s four most seasoned representatives continue to survive the tirade of abusive comments from those opposite. People tell me ‘that’s politics’………….that might be how is but it doesn’t mean that’s how it needs to be. I’m certainly really appreciating the ‘coaching’ tips from some members (of various persuasions) – their insights are invaluable in helping to understand the processes and the purpose of what is strategically designed.

The debate on Child Protection policy was particularly interesting. This issue is clearly a ‘whole-of-community’ responsibility inasmuch as it is, I believe, the responsibilty of all of the adults in our respective communities to look after and nurture all of the children in our care. If we all share the responsibility, we have a better chance of building the culture of care moving forward. Blaming, shaming and ‘buck-passsing’ is not particularly useful and is certainly not productive in protecting the next child from an abusive environment.

I availed myself of the opportunity to attend a community consultation around the government initiated inquiry into the relevant government, non-government and communty agency involvement in this process. Held in the gymnasium of Darwin High School late yesterday afternoon, it was attended by over 50 practitioners of various status who are all involved with child protection at some level. An excellent forum, this is the core of the community carers who can work together to make the environment safer for all. I made the comment that it’s not all about governments delivering – it’s the bulging bureaucracy that chews up valuable monetasry resources.

Interesting, too, to walk through the professional backgrounds of the current members of the Parliament. Check them out!! Remembering that it doesn’t cost a cent to change the way one thinks, the backgrounds of some of the incumbent members are interesting in understanding why they think the way they do.

Off to Batchelor today for the weekend with some friends. I’ll be back here next Monday to begin week 2 of the excercise.

My day began at 6.45am with a ‘phone call from Alice Brennan from ABC radio in Alice Springs requesting an interview around a facebook site that was being promoted as a ‘racist’ site.

Another very interesting day in ‘The House’. Attended morning and afternoon sessions. Good to see how bills are generated and question time is always intertesting. The processes are a real learning opportunity and experience. Great (orex) to see that members of the Assembly can actually agree with each other across the Chamber with some significant issues around education and health. Government members actually admitting to some departments are desperately under resourced (e.g. Children and Families). That particular department needs a total overhaul. It’s an issue across the country that so many of our children continue to be exposed to risk and that there are not enough people retained in the system to support them.

Chats with Karl Hampton (in the Gallery – a bit of a stategic move – The Universe provides!!), along with Adam Giles and Alison Anderson in the foyer. Interesting ‘games’ played with some members of the Opposition.

I continue to be so unimpressed by the antics of one particular member of the opposition who displays such arrogance and disrespect to the Assembly. The more he carries on, the more he continues to embarrass himself. He thinks he’s so funny. He’s just a clown!! He even spends his time ‘at work’ playing with his facebook site. Everyone else would be ‘in trouble’ if they were caught checking facebook while they’re being paid to be at work!!