An all-male, all-Caucasian government cabinet deliberating on how to better handle women's issues.
Welcome to the Northern Territory in 1992, where until then, you could be discriminated upon for your sexuality, being a parent, or having an unrelated medical condition.
The vaults have been opened on this time in Australia's northern history, thanks to the customary release of previously confidential government cabinet documents on January 1.
The documents reveal the Country Liberal Party of the day, run by Chief Minister Marshall Perron, was forging the jurisdiction's first anti-discrimination legislation and women's policy documents.
The so-called "women's strategy" was championed by the Perron government, but behind the scenes was developed by women in the NT, to "identify their concerns and to ensure government planning adequately reflects the priorities identified by women in the community".
The cabinet was also tinkering on landmark anti-discrimination legislation – laws that were again updated in 2022 to better protect members of the LGBTQI+ community in the workforce.
"[Cabinet] discussed the areas of prohibition from unfair discrimination and providing remedies for persons who were discriminated against," according to the 1992 government documents.
"[The cabinet's] discussions related to the inclusion of parenthood, sexuality and irrelevant medical record as grounds for discrimination in the legislation."
Current NT Attorney General Chansey Paech – a proudly gay, Eastern Arrente and Gurindji man – said the NT had come a long way in 30 years.
"The government was made up of a male dominated cabinet, which is today somewhat different, with First Nations people being represented and women dominating today's NT cabinet," he said.
1992 was also a big year for gender equality in the law, with former Chief Magistrate Sally Thomas, being appointed as the NT's first-ever female Supreme Court justice in August.
Also, the first person to ever complete their entire legal training in the NT, Karen Christopher, was admitted to the Supreme Court in March.
47 cabinet decisions remain secret
While the 30-year-old secrets of the Northern Territory government have been opened to the public, some of the most intriguing titbits will remain off-limits for now.
Nearly 50 of the Perron government's cabinet decisions from 1992 have been kept "restricted" – either with large tracts redacted or fully closed off from public scrutiny.
Among those, deliberations surrounding a "proposed $4.5 million development at Fannie Bay Racecourse" will remain secret at least until 2038.
A spokesperson said the documents relating to a "commercial loan" between the NT government and the Darwin Turf Club will remain closed to the public for reasons of "commercial-in-confidence".
"No information can be provided for this decision as it has been closed in full due to commercial-in-confidence material in line with the Information Act 2002," the government spokesperson said.
The confidential racecourse discussions came decades prior to the NT Labor government controversially granting $12 million to the Darwin Turf Club for a new grandstand development.
The restricted 1992 cabinet documents also include negotiations around the establishment of sports betting offices in Alice Springs and Darwin and the expansion of the NT's crocodile industry.
Other documents, such a ruling to "give effect to drug and alcohol screening programs in prison" and decisions related to major mining projects near Nhulunbuy and Borroloola, will remain either partly or fully restricted under the explanation of "legal advice".
