Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
There is so much happening, and yesterday, as we know,
there was some good news with the announcement of Bonza
entering the airways in the Northern Territory. Joining me on
the line right now is the Chief Minister Attasha Files.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning to you.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Good morning Katie, Good morning listener.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Now Chief Minister Bonza have announced that they're going to
be entering the airline market in the Northern Territory. Have
they been offered any subsidies to start here?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
So super exciting news for territorians, Katie. The announcement yesterday
was a direct result of the recently launched Territory Aviation
Attraction Scheme. So we've spoken about this previously. This scheme
was designed to help get the cost down per ticket
by people passengers coming into the territory. We partnered with
the Airport Development Group to achieve this. So yes, we
(00:47):
have worked with them to get them into the territory
so that Territorians can have access to cheaf affairs and
hopefully also more broadly drive that cost of air trouble
down in the territory.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So what financial cost, So.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Katie, that scheme is a ten million dollar scheme from
US in ten million dollars from the Airport Development Group
the actual details of commercial and confidence. But to get
these people into the market, we need to be out
there aggressively pursuing them and we've done that and we
hope once they're established in the market they see the
benefit and can continue. We chose this scheme over others
in the past, rather than supporting a base here and
(01:22):
more sort of overall funding, because we felt it would
benefit and get the cost of per ticket down which
would get them into the market.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Is there any commitment or expectation in terms of how
long they have to operate in the Northern Territory when
you take into account that scheme.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
So, Katie, the scheme we put in ten million dollars,
we're not saying into the future. We wouldn't put more
into that scheme if it's hugely successful. But as I
just said, getting people into the market, getting them established
is really expensive and.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
It doesn't want But I guess what I'm asking It
doesn't mean that they have to operate for a year
in the Northern Territory or anything like that. I guess
what people are concerned about is that it might just
be a flash in the pan moment.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Okay, we're working as hard as we can, so it
isn't we anticipate it for at least three years and
that scheme. If we need to have a similar scheme
or keep that scheme going, we're absolutely open to it
because we know the cost of their trouble is huge
for visitors and getting tourists to the territory.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
All right, Chief Minister, I want to move along because
crime has once again dominated discussion this week. Police have
charged a man with murder following the stabbing death of
a thirty six year old man in the city in
the early hours of Saturday morning. The alleged defender was
reminded to appear in court yesterday. Now, the alleged murder
adds to a list of terrible incidents that we've seen
(02:40):
in Darwin this year. A woman killed in a domestic
violence incident outside a hotel where the Minister for Indigenous
Affairs was staying, the death of international student Seafat, the
death of bottle shop worker Decklan Lavity, and a man
assaulted and killed near the Rapid Creek shops. People are
fed up and they want the government to take action.
(03:03):
Now I know that the government's made a number of
announcements in recent months, but are there any immediate steps
that you're going to implement since this most recent death.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Katie, a tragedy on the weekend in our thoughts with
that individual's family and friends. Police are investigating the matter
and as you've just pointed to, made in arrest indence
before the court, if there is feedback from our police
that we need to make changes, we will absolutely do So.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
What about the feedback from the public saying that they've
had enough.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Katie, I've had enough. I'm frustrated, and that's why you've
seen us strength and bail laws for violent offenders. We've
put in place a range of measures around education, prevention
and harm reduction, giving police more resources, plus reviewing those resources.
So there has been a huge amount of changes and
if there needs to be more, absolutely will do it.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Well, that's what the community is saying to you. They
want there to be more, they want there to be
more action. I will play for you just a bit
of what we've heard over the last few days.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Take a listen.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I was leaving the store and I had just walked
past Slash and then walked over towards Austin Lane and
these girls just came from nowhere. They grabbed me from
behind with my hair and threw me to the ground
and I tried to sort of get up, but I couldn't,
and then they.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Did it again.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
It was very savage for young girls.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
They had a lot of power. Just seemed to be
escalating and things are just getting worse. People are dying,
they're getting severely hurt. It's gotten to a point where
something has to change drastically. People are too scared to.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Walk the street, to walk to their cars.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
I do plead to the leaders because nothing has to
change now. They had to change last year when I'm
owned to you about this. We've now got to a
stage now where sadly, this is a type of terrorism.
We're scared to go out of our houses and businesses
because of people on the street.
Speaker 6 (04:52):
What we need we need leadership, and we need the
leaders to come from the government. Okay, let's cut the
bullshit and talk it straight, all right, Tip menus I
used to come up and make some dishes. Stuff is
election time. If people feel like that, the diction later happen.
I'll be really forward. Sid Minister be worried about the
political future of my government.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Chief Minister, what do you say to those territories, one
of whom is obviously the mayor of Darwin, people saying
that they've absolutely had enough.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Katie, we hear the concerns from the community, the frustration.
Speaker 6 (05:20):
We feel it.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
We're a part of our communities and what I can
say is across a wide range from whether it is
making sure that we strengthen bail laws, giving police more resources,
through to having security working within our communities. All of
those measures we are actively pursuing them, investing in them.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
The thing is, though, it's not stopping the behavior.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So even yesterday, Channel nine was reporting that an eighteen
year old woman fronted the court yesterday and was given
a suspended sentence after getting into an altercation with another
woman at the Casuarina bus exchange, where she produced a
twenty seven centimeter knife and was swinging and shouting with it.
The judge said that the weapon could easily have killed someone.
(06:04):
This is what's happening on our streets right now. You
are the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and people
are saying to you, help us.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And Katie, that's why we've undertaken the bail and weapons
defenses with you to understand what.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Since then, and since then, these incidents have continued to occur.
So that's what the community's saying that what you're doing
isn't enough.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
So, Katie, we've provided police with stop and search powers
to help combat that knife crime. We've widened the scope
of what is deemed a controlled weapon. So we absolutely
are investing in public order and community safety so that
we can tackle these issues.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So can you just confirm that right now, is the
government considering anything new, seriously considering anything in this space
or do people just have to languish as they are?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Absolutely not, Katie. As I just said, we are a
part of our community. We are frustrated, and we are
working across government agencies so that we can ensure that
we have everything possible in place to stop this behavior.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
We know a lot. Is your government capable of fixing.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
This, absolutely, Katie, we know the factors that drives this.
We have that evidence based approach, and we are investing
right across government to reduce We know a large part
of it is domestic and family violent. We know, Katie,
it's about resourcing those frontline services, not just our hard
working police, but providing them with support with security. So
(07:32):
we're tackling it from a range of perspectives.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I'm going to be really blunt though. You know some
of what you've just said then, you've been saying to
us since the loss of Decklan Lavity earlier this year,
and unfortunately and very bloody sadly, we have seen more
people die since then. So what you're doing isn't it enough?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
So, Katie, and that's why we continue to work in
this space, to continue to invest, to continue to legislation,
give resources, and will continue to do so whilst we
are the government, because we understand the complexities to these issues.
We understand the urgency that the community wants in a response,
and that's what we're delivering.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Well, I know, look, we are just getting in undated
with messages. People are not happy with what you're saying,
They're not happy with the action that you're taking. They
don't feel as though it's enough. But I'm going to
have to move along because I know you're very pressed
for time. People were divided last week on your ninety
two thousand dollars travel costs to head to the US
with two staffers for defense meetings. They were also pretty
(08:37):
upset that it had not been disclosed that three public
servants had also traveled on that delegation, one of whom
I know is based over in the US.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Why didn't you disclose that from the start?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
So, Katie, that cost I acknowledge that it's a huge
amount of money, that it was expensive.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
It's astronomical one hundred and fifty grand in the end.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
But Katie, I have to make a decision about whether
it was worth it, and it wasn't decision that was
made lightly. I thought long and hard about it. Takes
a lot for me to leave my community to head
over there, but it was so important with the amount
of investment, hundreds of millions of dollars, billions of dollars
that have the opportunity to come into the territory, and
how can I make sure that territory businesses that territory
(09:22):
and get the jobs from that investment.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
So you feel as though that one hundred do you
feel as though that money has absolutely been well spent.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
The months ahead will see the scope of the investment
from the troop, Katie, there was key conversations in the
Pentagon that you cannot do over the telephone or zoom,
and it's a decision I had to make, but it
was a decision that was not made lightly.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Chief Finister, are you going to commit to publishing those
costs not only for yourself and your staff, but also
for public servants that travel overseas on these delegations in future?
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So, Katie, those trips are booked separately, so happy to
pro I had the costs for those public.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Servants as well before you go.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
In terms of yes, and in terms of the costs
from my trip, I had asked for those to be
published because I knew it was in significant cost. I'd
thought long and hard about whether the trip was necessary,
and I came to the decision that with the scope
of investment that is faced for Northern Australia, it was
key to get over to the United States, both with
(10:23):
defense and also critical mineral, two key priority areas where
there is a huge opportunity for the territory to the
dollars in jobs.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
So from this point on, you're going to commit to
publishing those travel costs before minister's travel, I e. In
those pressure releases that are sent out.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
So Katie, that was the policy, and I apologize that
that wasn't published on that press release. When I became
aware of that, I said, hang on, these costs should
have been out there before I left.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I asked for that to happen very quickly.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
A question from our listeners wondering, is Chancey Paig on
personal leave at the moment or work travel?
Speaker 3 (10:58):
No? Chance, he has taken so personal leave. So most
of us take our leave at Christmas because we've got
children and school holidays. But considering Central Australia, Chance he
asked if he could stay in Central Australia through that
Christmas New Year period but take some leave now, and
as Chief Minister I accepted that.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Is Kate Warden also on leave as well as Brent Potter.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
No, so Kate Warden is at work. Brent Potter took
some time off last week to go and participate in
the Kokota fundraising trek, which he was very open about.
He's been working towards that fundraising for a defense veterans
organization and he's publicly shared that all right now.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The reason I ask is because we have had a
few people get in contact with us saying how many
of the caucus are on leave currently?
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So Katie, we make decisions, and I just articulated to
you for Chancey, for example, on what's best for the
electorate the ministerial portfolios. But I'll back my team just
as i'd back every member of the Parliament that from
time to time people need a break, they need to refresh.
My team only take within four weeks over the year,
unless there's medical reasons that they may need to take
(12:05):
more leave than that. So we've been very open and
transparent about our leave. I always have been as Chief Minister.
School holidays coming up, I'll be taking a couple of
days to head camping with the family, and I will
also back independent Opposition members when they say they need
to take a break and spend some time with their family.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Chief Minister will leave it there. I know you only
had ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
We appreciate you speaking to us this morning, and no
doubt we'll speak to you again soon.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Speak soon, Take care, Thank you,