Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now. Eva Laula yesterday delivered her first budget as the
Chief Minister, saying that it is a budget that's going
to deliver a common sense plan to lower crime and
get more Territorians into work. Now, the Chief Minister joins
me on the line. Right now, Good morning to your
chief Let's try that again. Good morning to your Chief Minister.
(00:21):
Good morning Katie, thanks for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yet really good now, Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
The budget delivers massive spends on police and corrections, something
that a lot of Territorians are really going to be
quite pleased about, especially.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Those who've been victims of crime.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
But many are questioning why it's taken so long for
the government to take the issue as seriously as what
you are right now.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, yeah, Katie, I'm the new Chief Minister, obviously, I
am my Electric's Parmeston. I hear loudly and clearly about crime.
I hear the issues that territory around Territorians. I've been
here for a long time. I have a very wide
friendship base. I have a very wide number of people
that know me, Katie, so we're wherever I go, people
come and talk to me about the issue of crime.
(01:03):
So when you're doing the budget and that's a good
thing about being Chief Minister as well as being Treasurer
when we're sitting down doing the budget. And that work
started actually late last year December January. We did the
hard slog around the budget and we knew we had
to do something about crime. So a record spend for
police five hundred and seventy million dollars over five years,
(01:25):
their largest budget ever. The ball now is in the
court of Michael Murphy, and I know he's got some
really clear plans because he's got the review document also
that will drive where they need to go. But two
hundred extra police is a great news story for the territory.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
The Northern Territory Police Association President Nathan Finn said the
increase to the operational budget compared with the twenty twenty
three twenty four revised budget is twenty three point four
million dollars and the department anticipates a deficit of twenty
two point two million dollars in the twenty three twenty
four financial year and nineteen point six in the twenty
(02:03):
twenty four to twenty five financial year. I mean, is
this the case We actually in a situation where it's
a big headline, but it's not actually going to mean
much on an operational perspective.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So no, that's not correct. So the budget will be
spread over the five years, so there will be an
increase of a specific amount in the first year. That
will increase because two hundred officers. They need to be
able to obviously have a plan on how they're going
to deliver on those two hundred officers, so there will
be budget increase, and overall there will be five hundred
(02:36):
and seventy over five years. And that money also does
include one hundred and twenty five million dollars for police housing,
a police new upgrades to police stations, to watch houses,
the work that needs to be done with police. So
overall the whole package is five hundred and seventy million
dollars over five years. Treasury will work with police to
(02:57):
make sure that that money's rolled out.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So I'm keen to find out from you because, as
I said, we've been talking about crime so extensively over
recent years. You know, honestly, everywhere I go, it's all
that people want to talk to me about, like sometimes
to the point where you know, it makes you feel
really quite down on the place. So I'm keen to
know from you, like what was the turning point for you,
because some people are going, well, the government's just announced
(03:21):
this because there's an election three months away.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
No, nothing to do that with that, Katie. I'm the
new Chief Minister. As I say, I was born here,
I'll die here, Katie. I've got children and grandchildren in
the Northern Territory. I've got five brothers and sisters. I
want the territory and it's not just about me personally,
but you know, I want the territory to be a
(03:44):
great place. As I said, I grew up where you
didn't lock your car. Literally our house, my first house
that I grew up in, we didn't even have any
fly screens. We didn't have any doors on our place.
I grew up in Barrimar, out in the bush where
you wouldn't even dream of any crime all. So of
course I want to and I know we'll never get
back to that, but I do want to see all
(04:07):
of us, me included, but everybody feeling safe in the
Northern Territory. I love the territory, as I said, it's
a beautiful place. People who come to the territory I
always say, there's people that come and go instantly. I
love this place. I'll never leave. My husband was one
of them, and that's what you want. You want people
to come here and go. This is paradise. I want
(04:29):
to stay. And one of the issues, just like you, Katie,
you're in the same situation as me. Lots of people
come up to you and say around crime. So of
course that's going to be the focus for me if
I can do anything as Chief Minister. That's absolutely my
focus on how we can reduce crime. The other side
of that leder is around education, and everybody knows my
(04:50):
background in education. We've got to start with those kids
when they're very young and get them on a pathway
to work. I am not going to have another generation
of kids, particularly Aboriginal kids, that have no future. I
want all kids to get a good education and get
on a pathway to jobs. And that's particularly around our
(05:10):
remote schools. That money that gained big money, an extra
hundred million funding for our schools has to be around
vocational education trade. Yes, there can be the academic pathways,
but there also has to be pathways to jobs. What
are the jobs in those communities, What can those kids
aspire to and get a job. That also, to me
(05:31):
is the solution around crime as well. If you have
a good education, you're in a job, then you're not
going to be getting up to mischief creating crime. So
I know, the education stuff is aspirational. The police stuff
is immediate. But it has to be done, Katie, somebody
has to bite the bullet. I'm the locals. I'm the
new Chief Minister. Absolutely, that is my focus and that's
(05:52):
where the big dollars are in the budget.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Does the rest of your cabinet and caucus agree though,
because up until you were the Chief Minister, we had
the Deputy Chief Minister or the Attorney General of the time,
Chancey Paig saying that jailing is failing and that you
can't police your.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Way out of these issues.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We've heard Minister Kate Warden, you know, say that you
can't police your way or you can't arrest your way out.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Of these issues.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So I mean, have you got the rest of the
cabinet and the rest of the caucus on board because
your budget last last year was a very different one
where crime wasn't even mentioned.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, one hundred percent, I've got them. They're backing, you know,
that's what you get with a strong leader. Katie. I'm
not young. I've been around a long time. I've been
in leadership roles for probably about thirty years of my career,
and people do want direction and people want boundaries, whether
they're kids in a classroom, whether it's your community, we
(06:49):
all want to make sure that we're very clear around
where government's heading and what we're doing. I have got
one hundred percent backing of all my cabinet colleagues, all
of my core because you know, Katie, one of the clear,
clear turning points also was around the curfew, and I
think that is also given the community and understanding is
that you can do these things because it actually made
(07:13):
a big difference to the whole community in our springs
and will continue to do that. I've always been a
firm believe if are in clear messages, strong boundaries, and
I've seen that in workplaces everywhere and in classrooms and
across the territory. People want to know and territories need
to know that their government is addressing the issue of crime.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Jamnis, what do you think though, of some of the
decisions of your predecessors that led to this increase in crime?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So as I said Katie, I'm hoping somebody is going
to do a PhD around this increase in crime. I
don't think it's just one thing. We have seen increases
in crime across Australia. A large amount of that's after COVID,
and I do not know why lots of people come
up to me again and have those discussions. Crime was
(08:05):
actually in a reasonable place in those years around sixteen seventeen,
eighteen nineteen, and then obviously during COVID we saw less
crime because people were all locked locked in their houses
or whatever else it was. But we have seen everywhere
a steep increase, whether it's to do with money, more money,
more access, people access their superannuation. But most I mean
(08:28):
our huge issues around domestic violence. Sixty five percent of
people in our jails are there because of domestic violence
is shocking statistics. So but why is that? Why have
we seen such a huge increase in those statistics. So again,
that's why we have departments. They are the people who
are doing the work around that. We need to continue
(08:49):
to make sure then that the money that we have
hits the mark and addresses the issues. And that's what
you've see in this budget. A real focus on those things.
The other one is cost of living, of course, Katie, Well,
that's another one that I get asked about, particularly with
younger Territorians. You know, I've paid off my house, but
for younger Territorians around the cost of living. So a
(09:11):
good announcement from the federal governor around the three hundred
dollars last night.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, and look we'll get to that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
We're going to We're going to catch up with Jim
Charmers this morning at about nine forty five.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But look, I do want to ask charms I do
want to ask that how old tell him.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
When it came to town. He was just charmed befo. All
I can tell you, I'll tell him.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I'll tell him now the hospital upgrade, when will that
be delivered? And how are these modulars going to sort
of look, I mean, I don't know what they mean
when it says that they're going to be modulus.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
So that's actually that works underway right now. I think
they're doing the clearing and the headworks and so. And
what it is is a like transportable transportable units that
can be built quickly and will go in place, so
it will be up to health then to workout which
and I presume it will be a certain category of people,
(10:04):
whether it's leg broken legs or I don't know that
we'll go into that, but it will be modular facilities
that will be built because it can be built very quickly.
So we'll reduce the well hopefully reduce the issue around
the code yellows. The other thing in the budget, Katie
will just up, we say, because it's a palmest one
that work around getting another age care facility that is
(10:28):
really important. There's about fifty five geriatric, poor old people
who are stuck in our hospital system where they shouldn't be.
But we have struggled to get anybody to put their
hand up to build a new age care facility, even
at Southern Cross, the one out at peerl we've given
them additional land. They still haven't gotten moving around extending there.
(10:49):
We've put out expressions of interest. So what we're doing
now is we're putting the money into the headworks, the
design work, and then we'll go back out to try
and get a developer to build and then also run
a new age care facility, because if you can clear
that large number of people, which is probably even growing
that will also improve the issues around Code yellow too.
(11:11):
So yeah, she's one thing.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
No it's not just one thing.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Do we have the staff though, I mean or where
are we going to get the staff to manage these
extra beds?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
And are they cost it with the budget?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
No, no, really a really important question, Katie, because that
is another issue, and that's I think one of the
inhibitors around age care is the age care facilities are
struggling to get staff, which gets back to that complex
question around migration. We want more migrants to come to
the Northern Territory to fill those jobs because we know
(11:42):
they're just you know, there's plenty of jobs, we just
don't have the workers, which is again why my focus
is on getting territories working. But yeah, that absolutely is
a concern because then you have to have agency nurses.
Then we see the budget start to blow out, which
was seen with health. So nothing straight to lend. There's
no y line in any of This is always one
(12:02):
thing and then the next.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And Chief Minister speaking of that budget and speaking of
things blowing out, there is record investment. We've gone through
those headlines and some of the good announcements that have
been made, but Territorians are going to be paying almost
twice as much interest on debt in coming years due
to that surge in net debt on the back of
that government spending. Now, the debt is forecast to hit
(12:26):
a historic high of eleven point zero four billion dollars
by the end of next financial year. Are you concerned
about this level of debt that we're in.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Yeah, of course I am. You know, a beautiful day
when we have no debt in the Northern Territory, but
even WA has debt. Every government has a certain amount
of debt, and you know some of that debt, but.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Eleven billion dollars, I mean it's massive.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Chief, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well as it still isn't the
worst when you look at the net debt ratio, there's
Victoria's worst nows. But that's why those that's why I
front the you know, the Middle Arm Senate inquiry, because
they're the things that we need to see happen. We
need to see Middle Arm get you get moving, because
that is a solution. That's also why our government has
(13:14):
said yes to an onshore oil and gas industry. You know,
that was a tough decision.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Would have been.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Easy to say, oh, we won't frack easy easy decision,
but that's what we need. We need to see the royalties,
we need to see the revenue come through from that industry.
That's what we need to do. So we will get
we'll get to a surplus. Once you get to a surplus,
that's when you can pay down debts.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
But you're not even like, you're not even close to
being anywhere near a surplus.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And I mean the way that we're tracking at the moment.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We're literally in a situation where you know where we
are at record like, we're at record debt levels, and
there doesn't appear to be any measures from what you
announced yesterday to try and rain any of that spending in.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So, Katie, the first thing is in the budget. If
something reaches FID, it's not in the budget. So even
though Tambourine are very close to getting FID, probably by
the middle of the year, none of their none of
their income, none of their revenue, none of that, none
of the jobs, are all of the money, that revenue
that will flow, the royalties that will flow, none of
that's in the budget. None of There are a few
(14:18):
resources in the budget. Even our projects like Middle Arm
Arrows none of that's in the budget, So the budget
will look very different next year when we see some
of these projects get their FID.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
So are you saying that our I mean, are you
saying that our debt is going to are we like?
Are we Are we not going to blow out as
has been forecast next year? Are you saying that once
these projects get up and running, did our that we're
not going to be at that level?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Well, that's that's the aim, KDIE is to get these
projects up and running, to get FID. Once they're up
and you know, being having input into our economy, we
will see then, as the said, a change to where
we are fiscally, but at this stage they're not. So
if you, I mean, all those details are in the
budget books around which projects are at f IDE, in
(15:05):
which I mean we aren't included. So yeah, I'm always
optimistic about the territory and optimistic about our budget position.
I guess we don't want to see debt, but we
also you can't say you don't want you don't want debt,
but that you want me to address the issue of
crime or.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Now I totally agree, I absolutely agree. But the problem
that we're in at the moment is there doesn't seem
to be any ambition from the government to try to
rain in any of that spending.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
And I get what you're saying. You know, we can't.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
We can't sort of say we want additional police and
not expect that there's going to be a blowout to
the budget. But people do expect that you manage that
budget to a point where it's actually reasonable. And eleven
billion dollars it's hard to even wrap your head around.
But you know, the thinking from a lot of people
is that our children are going to be having to
pay that debt off, and our grandchildren are going to
(15:55):
be having to pay that debt off.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
But that's that's the reality of all of us. We
all have to pay debt. You know, if you want,
if we're ont a house, all of those sorts of things.
But what government does a.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
House worth that much money? I'd be buggeting no.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
No, But that mean relatively, it is around making sure
then that you have that you address issues around what
you can do to increase your the money coming in.
So that's the work that we're doing around diversifying the economy.
But you know, Katie, it's also the work that we
do with the federal government. So you know, my great
relationship with my labor colleagues federally has seen us get
(16:29):
a better deal than any other state around education, a
better deal than any others around remote housing, around homelessness,
So of course you'd work on those and a KTI.
Good news the gsp our GST went up seven hundred
and fifty million dollars from what they have twenty three
twenty four budget predictions, So well, that is good around GST.
There are good news in the budgete Kat. I actually
(16:51):
have to go because I've got to I've got to
head down because I've got to listen to Lia's budget.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Can I just ask you very quickly, why should we
vote for labor when a large number of your membership
don't support, including cabinet members don't support gas. I know
that you do, but some who are going to go
to the Poms in August, we'll be concerned.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Oh my, No, absolutely, We've been very clear around our
policy position since twenty eighteen, since the AHFI report came out.
All of my caucus colleagues all support nonchol and gas industry.
We know the importance of that for the future of
the territory.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if you guys get elected come August, you're not
going to have a situation where you've got some within
labor who are trying to oppose this happening.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
No, there's no way that decision's too far down the track.
Absolutely won't happen. And hey, federally, we've seen now alban
Easy and the federal government come out loudly in support
of a gas industry and I think I led the
charge around that, Katie chief Inness.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
So we'll let you go.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Thanks for your time this morning, much appreciated, Thank you
very much.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Thank you,
Now. Eva Laula yesterday delivered her first budget as the
Chief Minister, saying that it is a budget that's going
to deliver a common sense plan to lower crime and
get more Territorians into work. Now, the Chief Minister joins
me on the line. Right now, Good morning to your
chief Let's try that again. Good morning to your Chief Minister.
(00:21):
Good morning Katie, thanks for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yet really good now, Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
The budget delivers massive spends on police and corrections, something
that a lot of Territorians are really going to be
quite pleased about, especially.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Those who've been victims of crime.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
But many are questioning why it's taken so long for
the government to take the issue as seriously as what
you are right now.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, yeah, Katie, I'm the new Chief Minister, obviously, I
am my Electric's Parmeston. I hear loudly and clearly about crime.
I hear the issues that territory around Territorians. I've been
here for a long time. I have a very wide
friendship base. I have a very wide number of people
that know me, Katie, so we're wherever I go, people
come and talk to me about the issue of crime.
(01:03):
So when you're doing the budget and that's a good
thing about being Chief Minister as well as being Treasurer
when we're sitting down doing the budget. And that work
started actually late last year December January. We did the
hard slog around the budget and we knew we had
to do something about crime. So a record spend for
police five hundred and seventy million dollars over five years,
(01:25):
their largest budget ever. The ball now is in the
court of Michael Murphy, and I know he's got some
really clear plans because he's got the review document also
that will drive where they need to go. But two
hundred extra police is a great news story for the territory.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
The Northern Territory Police Association President Nathan Finn said the
increase to the operational budget compared with the twenty twenty
three twenty four revised budget is twenty three point four
million dollars and the department anticipates a deficit of twenty
two point two million dollars in the twenty three twenty
four financial year and nineteen point six in the twenty
(02:03):
twenty four to twenty five financial year. I mean, is
this the case We actually in a situation where it's
a big headline, but it's not actually going to mean
much on an operational perspective.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So no, that's not correct. So the budget will be
spread over the five years, so there will be an
increase of a specific amount in the first year. That
will increase because two hundred officers. They need to be
able to obviously have a plan on how they're going
to deliver on those two hundred officers, so there will
be budget increase, and overall there will be five hundred
(02:36):
and seventy over five years. And that money also does
include one hundred and twenty five million dollars for police housing,
a police new upgrades to police stations, to watch houses,
the work that needs to be done with police. So
overall the whole package is five hundred and seventy million
dollars over five years. Treasury will work with police to
(02:57):
make sure that that money's rolled out.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So I'm keen to find out from you because, as
I said, we've been talking about crime so extensively over
recent years. You know, honestly, everywhere I go, it's all
that people want to talk to me about, like sometimes
to the point where you know, it makes you feel
really quite down on the place. So I'm keen to
know from you, like what was the turning point for you,
because some people are going, well, the government's just announced
(03:21):
this because there's an election three months away.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
No, nothing to do that with that, Katie. I'm the
new Chief Minister. As I say, I was born here,
I'll die here, Katie. I've got children and grandchildren in
the Northern Territory. I've got five brothers and sisters. I
want the territory and it's not just about me personally,
but you know, I want the territory to be a
(03:44):
great place. As I said, I grew up where you
didn't lock your car. Literally our house, my first house
that I grew up in, we didn't even have any
fly screens. We didn't have any doors on our place.
I grew up in Barrimar, out in the bush where
you wouldn't even dream of any crime all. So of
course I want to and I know we'll never get
back to that, but I do want to see all
(04:07):
of us, me included, but everybody feeling safe in the
Northern Territory. I love the territory, as I said, it's
a beautiful place. People who come to the territory I
always say, there's people that come and go instantly. I
love this place. I'll never leave. My husband was one
of them, and that's what you want. You want people
to come here and go. This is paradise. I want
(04:29):
to stay. And one of the issues, just like you, Katie,
you're in the same situation as me. Lots of people
come up to you and say around crime. So of
course that's going to be the focus for me if
I can do anything as Chief Minister. That's absolutely my
focus on how we can reduce crime. The other side
of that leder is around education, and everybody knows my
(04:50):
background in education. We've got to start with those kids
when they're very young and get them on a pathway
to work. I am not going to have another generation
of kids, particularly Aboriginal kids, that have no future. I
want all kids to get a good education and get
on a pathway to jobs. And that's particularly around our
(05:10):
remote schools. That money that gained big money, an extra
hundred million funding for our schools has to be around
vocational education trade. Yes, there can be the academic pathways,
but there also has to be pathways to jobs. What
are the jobs in those communities, What can those kids
aspire to and get a job. That also, to me
(05:31):
is the solution around crime as well. If you have
a good education, you're in a job, then you're not
going to be getting up to mischief creating crime. So
I know, the education stuff is aspirational. The police stuff
is immediate. But it has to be done, Katie, somebody
has to bite the bullet. I'm the locals. I'm the
new Chief Minister. Absolutely, that is my focus and that's
(05:52):
where the big dollars are in the budget.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Does the rest of your cabinet and caucus agree though,
because up until you were the Chief Minister, we had
the Deputy Chief Minister or the Attorney General of the time,
Chancey Paig saying that jailing is failing and that you
can't police your.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Way out of these issues.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We've heard Minister Kate Warden, you know, say that you
can't police your way or you can't arrest your way out.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Of these issues.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So I mean, have you got the rest of the
cabinet and the rest of the caucus on board because
your budget last last year was a very different one
where crime wasn't even mentioned.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, one hundred percent, I've got them. They're backing, you know,
that's what you get with a strong leader. Katie. I'm
not young. I've been around a long time. I've been
in leadership roles for probably about thirty years of my career,
and people do want direction and people want boundaries, whether
they're kids in a classroom, whether it's your community, we
(06:49):
all want to make sure that we're very clear around
where government's heading and what we're doing. I have got
one hundred percent backing of all my cabinet colleagues, all
of my core because you know, Katie, one of the clear,
clear turning points also was around the curfew, and I
think that is also given the community and understanding is
that you can do these things because it actually made
(07:13):
a big difference to the whole community in our springs
and will continue to do that. I've always been a
firm believe if are in clear messages, strong boundaries, and
I've seen that in workplaces everywhere and in classrooms and
across the territory. People want to know and territories need
to know that their government is addressing the issue of crime.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Jamnis, what do you think though, of some of the
decisions of your predecessors that led to this increase in crime?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So as I said Katie, I'm hoping somebody is going
to do a PhD around this increase in crime. I
don't think it's just one thing. We have seen increases
in crime across Australia. A large amount of that's after COVID,
and I do not know why lots of people come
up to me again and have those discussions. Crime was
(08:05):
actually in a reasonable place in those years around sixteen seventeen,
eighteen nineteen, and then obviously during COVID we saw less
crime because people were all locked locked in their houses
or whatever else it was. But we have seen everywhere
a steep increase, whether it's to do with money, more money,
more access, people access their superannuation. But most I mean
(08:28):
our huge issues around domestic violence. Sixty five percent of
people in our jails are there because of domestic violence
is shocking statistics. So but why is that? Why have
we seen such a huge increase in those statistics. So again,
that's why we have departments. They are the people who
are doing the work around that. We need to continue
(08:49):
to make sure then that the money that we have
hits the mark and addresses the issues. And that's what
you've see in this budget. A real focus on those things.
The other one is cost of living, of course, Katie, Well,
that's another one that I get asked about, particularly with
younger Territorians. You know, I've paid off my house, but
for younger Territorians around the cost of living. So a
(09:11):
good announcement from the federal governor around the three hundred
dollars last night.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, and look we'll get to that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
We're going to We're going to catch up with Jim
Charmers this morning at about nine forty five.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But look, I do want to ask charms I do
want to ask that how old tell him.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
When it came to town. He was just charmed befo. All
I can tell you, I'll tell him.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I'll tell him now the hospital upgrade, when will that
be delivered? And how are these modulars going to sort
of look, I mean, I don't know what they mean
when it says that they're going to be modulus.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
So that's actually that works underway right now. I think
they're doing the clearing and the headworks and so. And
what it is is a like transportable transportable units that
can be built quickly and will go in place, so
it will be up to health then to workout which
and I presume it will be a certain category of people,
(10:04):
whether it's leg broken legs or I don't know that
we'll go into that, but it will be modular facilities
that will be built because it can be built very quickly.
So we'll reduce the well hopefully reduce the issue around
the code yellows. The other thing in the budget, Katie
will just up, we say, because it's a palmest one
that work around getting another age care facility that is
(10:28):
really important. There's about fifty five geriatric, poor old people
who are stuck in our hospital system where they shouldn't be.
But we have struggled to get anybody to put their
hand up to build a new age care facility, even
at Southern Cross, the one out at peerl we've given
them additional land. They still haven't gotten moving around extending there.
(10:49):
We've put out expressions of interest. So what we're doing
now is we're putting the money into the headworks, the
design work, and then we'll go back out to try
and get a developer to build and then also run
a new age care facility, because if you can clear
that large number of people, which is probably even growing
that will also improve the issues around Code yellow too.
(11:11):
So yeah, she's one thing.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
No it's not just one thing.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Do we have the staff though, I mean or where
are we going to get the staff to manage these
extra beds?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
And are they cost it with the budget?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
No, no, really a really important question, Katie, because that
is another issue, and that's I think one of the
inhibitors around age care is the age care facilities are
struggling to get staff, which gets back to that complex
question around migration. We want more migrants to come to
the Northern Territory to fill those jobs because we know
(11:42):
they're just you know, there's plenty of jobs, we just
don't have the workers, which is again why my focus
is on getting territories working. But yeah, that absolutely is
a concern because then you have to have agency nurses.
Then we see the budget start to blow out, which
was seen with health. So nothing straight to lend. There's
no y line in any of This is always one
(12:02):
thing and then the next.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And Chief Minister speaking of that budget and speaking of
things blowing out, there is record investment. We've gone through
those headlines and some of the good announcements that have
been made, but Territorians are going to be paying almost
twice as much interest on debt in coming years due
to that surge in net debt on the back of
that government spending. Now, the debt is forecast to hit
(12:26):
a historic high of eleven point zero four billion dollars
by the end of next financial year. Are you concerned
about this level of debt that we're in.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Yeah, of course I am. You know, a beautiful day
when we have no debt in the Northern Territory, but
even WA has debt. Every government has a certain amount
of debt, and you know some of that debt, but.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Eleven billion dollars, I mean it's massive.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Chief, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well as it still isn't the
worst when you look at the net debt ratio, there's
Victoria's worst nows. But that's why those that's why I
front the you know, the Middle Arm Senate inquiry, because
they're the things that we need to see happen. We
need to see Middle Arm get you get moving, because
that is a solution. That's also why our government has
(13:14):
said yes to an onshore oil and gas industry. You know,
that was a tough decision.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Would have been.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Easy to say, oh, we won't frack easy easy decision,
but that's what we need. We need to see the royalties,
we need to see the revenue come through from that industry.
That's what we need to do. So we will get
we'll get to a surplus. Once you get to a surplus,
that's when you can pay down debts.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
But you're not even like, you're not even close to
being anywhere near a surplus.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And I mean the way that we're tracking at the moment.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We're literally in a situation where you know where we
are at record like, we're at record debt levels, and
there doesn't appear to be any measures from what you
announced yesterday to try and rain any of that spending in.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So, Katie, the first thing is in the budget. If
something reaches FID, it's not in the budget. So even
though Tambourine are very close to getting FID, probably by
the middle of the year, none of their none of
their income, none of their revenue, none of that, none
of the jobs, are all of the money, that revenue
that will flow, the royalties that will flow, none of
that's in the budget. None of There are a few
(14:18):
resources in the budget. Even our projects like Middle Arm
Arrows none of that's in the budget, So the budget
will look very different next year when we see some
of these projects get their FID.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
So are you saying that our I mean, are you
saying that our debt is going to are we like?
Are we Are we not going to blow out as
has been forecast next year? Are you saying that once
these projects get up and running, did our that we're
not going to be at that level?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Well, that's that's the aim, KDIE is to get these
projects up and running, to get FID. Once they're up
and you know, being having input into our economy, we
will see then, as the said, a change to where
we are fiscally, but at this stage they're not. So
if you, I mean, all those details are in the
budget books around which projects are at f IDE, in
(15:05):
which I mean we aren't included. So yeah, I'm always
optimistic about the territory and optimistic about our budget position.
I guess we don't want to see debt, but we
also you can't say you don't want you don't want debt,
but that you want me to address the issue of
crime or.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Now I totally agree, I absolutely agree. But the problem
that we're in at the moment is there doesn't seem
to be any ambition from the government to try to
rain in any of that spending.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
And I get what you're saying. You know, we can't.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
We can't sort of say we want additional police and
not expect that there's going to be a blowout to
the budget. But people do expect that you manage that
budget to a point where it's actually reasonable. And eleven
billion dollars it's hard to even wrap your head around.
But you know, the thinking from a lot of people
is that our children are going to be having to
pay that debt off, and our grandchildren are going to
(15:55):
be having to pay that debt off.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
But that's that's the reality of all of us. We
all have to pay debt. You know, if you want,
if we're ont a house, all of those sorts of things.
But what government does a.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
House worth that much money? I'd be buggeting no.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
No, But that mean relatively, it is around making sure
then that you have that you address issues around what
you can do to increase your the money coming in.
So that's the work that we're doing around diversifying the economy.
But you know, Katie, it's also the work that we
do with the federal government. So you know, my great
relationship with my labor colleagues federally has seen us get
(16:29):
a better deal than any other state around education, a
better deal than any others around remote housing, around homelessness,
So of course you'd work on those and a KTI.
Good news the gsp our GST went up seven hundred
and fifty million dollars from what they have twenty three
twenty four budget predictions, So well, that is good around GST.
There are good news in the budgete Kat. I actually
(16:51):
have to go because I've got to I've got to
head down because I've got to listen to Lia's budget.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Can I just ask you very quickly, why should we
vote for labor when a large number of your membership
don't support, including cabinet members don't support gas. I know
that you do, but some who are going to go
to the Poms in August, we'll be concerned.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Oh my, No, absolutely, We've been very clear around our
policy position since twenty eighteen, since the AHFI report came out.
All of my caucus colleagues all support nonchol and gas industry.
We know the importance of that for the future of
the territory.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if you guys get elected come August, you're not
going to have a situation where you've got some within
labor who are trying to oppose this happening.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
No, there's no way that decision's too far down the track.
Absolutely won't happen. And hey, federally, we've seen now alban
Easy and the federal government come out loudly in support
of a gas industry and I think I led the
charge around that, Katie chief Inness.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
So we'll let you go.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Thanks for your time this morning, much appreciated, Thank you
very much.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Thank you,
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