Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, there is certainly a lot happening this morning. I've
already just received a message from a friend of mine
whose daughter was at the show on the weekend. She
said that she'd asked to be picked up early by
a dad because of fights. They got stuck in those
fights and they couldn't actually get out to safety. They
eventually did, but yet it sounds like it was pretty
(00:20):
wild by the time Saturday night came round. But look,
there is a lot happening this morning, and the Prime
Minister's new look cabinet is set to be sworn in
the Northern Territories. Melanderry McCarthy is going to be replacing
the retiring Linda Bernie Chief Minister. Evil Laula joins me
on the line from Alice Springs. Good morning to your
Chief Minister. Morning Katie, Chief Minister. Do you think having
(00:43):
a Northern Territory based Indigenous Affairs Minister is going to
be beneficial for the Northern Territory?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I think one hundred percent it would be fantastic for
the Northern Territory. Melanderri knows the territory so very very
well to spend a lifetime here, understands the issues around
India US people and having a minister, having a territory
person in the minister in the cabinet will make a
big difference for the territory. And Valandar is one that
(01:10):
will speak up loudly and clearly for the territory. So
well done to Malary. Were very excited.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, look, I hope that it does mean that there
is more of a focus on the Northern Territory and
particularly you know when we talk about some of the
really serious issues that we've got here, and I know
that she understands those very well, So I really do
hope so, Chief Minister, we know the latest Concept State
of the State report has been released. It's once again
pretty bad reading for the Northern Territory. We sit last
(01:37):
in six of the eighth benchmark categories and showing a
sharp decline in economic activity. Now the Concept State of
the State's economic performance, it showed our economic growth in
the territory in the March quarter was down seven point
seven percent on its long run average, well with next
worse w way showing a three point three percent to increase.
(01:58):
What do you make of the report?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And I've just heard you Katie as well, and I
think we all know that com SEC is that decade average,
so the methodology they use and so it takes that
period twenty twelve to twenty eighteen when we had impacts,
so we had that economic boom during impacts. All of
that said, though, Katie, I'm very much focused on diversifying
our economy chasing the federal government. We saw that eight
(02:23):
hundred and forty million investment by the federal government in
our fewer resources. So for our rare earth, that's the
work that we need to keep doing. The investment eighteen
extra million dollars in tourism about two weeks ago I announced.
So yes, those details when you look at an average,
we're behind because you're looking at that and com sext
(02:43):
says that we're disadvantage. We've got a small, open economy.
We know that the highs and lows can be high
and very low in the territory. And I'll continue to
make sure we diverse fire economy. It's why I continue
to push gas. We just signed an agreement with Empire
on the weekend. We've literally announced today that we signed
a gas agreement with the Marinian Palm Valley joint Venture
(03:05):
as well.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
At what point do you reckon we stop blaming impects
and sort of look at these numbers and go, all right,
this is not good. And I'd certainly take on board
what you're saying there in terms of the diversifying the economy,
and I'll get to those gas agreements very shortly. But
at what point do we stop blaming impects and look
at this and go this is not good enough.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
No, it's not blaming no, Katie, it's not blaming impacts.
This is the pure mathematics of an average. So by
twenty twenty six because so we know the impact spoon
was twenty twenty twelve to about twenty twenty sixteen, twenty
twelve to twenty sixteen, so that ten year average, that's
what comsect uses. So by the end of that those
things will flush through. But o Katie, we'll continue to
(03:45):
drive the economy in the Northern Territory. We know that
one of the biggest issues we actually faced is finding workers.
At the moment with there are plenty of jobs. There's
really good stories around the investment. We've got defense, big
defense investment in the Northern Territory six point two billion dollars.
We've got the Barossa Project, our government has about four
billion dollars into the Ford estimates around infrastructure as well.
(04:07):
There are a lot of solid things that'll underpin our
economy that do underpin our economy.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Now I want to ask you late on Friday, of course,
the government confirmed your commitment to getting the gas industries moving,
signing up to buy more gas from the Beaterloo basin.
We also know that there's another announcement coming through this morning.
There is no doubt that there is some movement when
it comes to work to gas. Can you just talk
us through exactly what this morning's announcement means and also Fridays.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, So it is about making sure that we have
gas for the Northern Territory. So I think territories that
have been around for a while no that our power
is that we generate our payer through gas. In the
Northern Territory, we have relied on A and I and
for the Dar and Catherine Electricity grid. Iani's gas at
the Black Tip has been diminishing and has caught you
(04:54):
great concern for our government. So we've worked really hard
and I thank the public servant in the Passport that's
led this work. We signed an agreement with Tambourine. Recently,
we've now signed a gas agreement with Empire and then
today there's an announcement around the Marinian Palm Valley joint venture.
There's a six year agreement for gas from them as well.
(05:14):
So we will have gas first and foremost for the territory,
so to keep our lights on gas for manufacturing as well,
and also the opportunity for us to sell gas. And
we currently sell gas to Southern Cross Fertilizer and also
to Newmont at the Granite. So this is making sure
that we have gas for the territory and so really
(05:36):
good news story for Look.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Some would say, and I said it myself in the open,
this is a pretty ballsy move this close to an election.
I mean, there are some members of your own team
who this agreement might negatively impact seats like Nightcliff and Johnson.
Is the whole team in agreement on gas.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, absolutely, the whole teams that I'm in agreement around gas. Absolutely.
We all understand that the vittle importance of grat gas
as a transition, we need to be able to have gas, yes,
but we can do things that you know, two things
at the same time. We can continue to do the
work around renewables, and late last week Kate Warden and
I we stood there and did the two hundred and
(06:15):
fifty million dollar agreement with the federal government around making
sure we have renewables and that we keep our grid stable,
that we have money front transmission lines for renewables. So
you can do both things at the same time, Katie.
You can do renewables and you can do gas. And
you see that with me as the Chief Minister. To me,
it is common sense to be able to say you
(06:36):
need to continue to have gas to keep the grid stable.
We need to continue to have gas. That's the reality
in the territory. So we will make sure that we
have those agreements so that the gas, the first gas
from the bedloo is coming to the territory for territory
in all.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Right, Chief Minister, let's move along. You are indeed in
Alice Springs today. Just last week another shoka in Central Australia.
Northern Territory police calling for infoe after another home invasion
and in decent assault incident. It happened last Thursday about
six twenty in the evening. So according to police, the
female victim had been inside her residence when she observed
a male unknown to her looking through a windows. The
(07:14):
male offender then allegedly proceeded to unlawfully enter the residence
by breaking through the front door and indecently assaulting the victim.
He's fled the scene, as I understand it, at this
point in time, that person is still outstanding. Look, there
is no doubt, you know, it's not only that incident.
(07:34):
There was a string of home invasions in Alice Springs
last weekend as well. We also know that there's been
some in Catherine. I mean, what do you say to
territorians who are scared in their own homes right now?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yeah, absolutely shocking. It's terrible. You know, there's something that
none of us want to see. None of us want
to feel unsafe in our homes. Yeah, it's a shocking
behavior that we've seen across the territory in Catherine and
in Alice Springs particularly. But I heard you talking about
the show and as well, so terrible behaviors. But that's
(08:07):
why I've invested five hundred and seventeen million dollars into
police over the over the next five years. So it
is about more police, having more police out and out
in the territory and the last recruit course, I think
there was something like nearly seventy recruits that have come
out over the month of July. So there will be
more police actually out and about high visibility policing. But
(08:30):
also what we've done is around the Territory Safety Division
and I know you often speak to Brent Potter about this.
So you have then a really well trained group of
people in the Territory Safety Division, which is your high
visibility police that can address anti social behavior, address those
social aud issues as well, and then you've got those
new recruits as well. So it is about having more
(08:53):
police out there. That's the immediacy, that's the work that
needs to be done, that's the work that's happening. But
it's also that coordination cross agencies, across government agency, so
working with territory families, particularly around youth crime. So you know,
it is it is complex working the work that we
will continue to have to do, Katie, And you know,
one crime is one crime too many, and it's as
(09:13):
I said, just makes me so cross and angry when
I hear about break and enters, when people are feeling
unsafe in their homes, absolutely shocking and it's.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
A whole other level, right, I mean, like it's a
whole other level when you're being indecently assaulted in your
own home by an unknown offender, Like.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
It's clarrance behavior.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
It absolutely is. Hey on the show, I mean, have
you been briefed by the Northern Territory Police were there?
Like we're being told that there was a number of fights,
that there had to be a number of arrests. I'm
told that there was groups who didn't want to pay
to get in, and we're then throwing rocks at cars.
What have you been told?
Speaker 2 (09:48):
So I got briefed by Brent rather than police. So
Brent Potter gave me an update around it. So on
Saturday night, so relatively, I think generally the show on
the Fridays was actually reasonably well behaved. But Sat Day night,
and that's the night when they have fireworks and things
like that, that there were groups of people that were fighting.
I think they were fighting near the bar area there
(10:10):
and police and security. Then we're evicting people. Then they
also there were police there throughout the show and they
were obviously I saw the police there. They were keeping
an eye on things, and there were you know, people
that they evicted at different times, but there were I
think some arrests that were made on Saturday night around
(10:31):
the hate people's behavior, and I presume those investigations are continuing.
But again, you know it does Mark because I was
at the show on Friday. It was great, a beauty yeah, great,
great event, you know, I mean I was there during
daylight hours, I must admit, but it was a beautiful
atmosphere and everybody having a good time. And then you
have you know, as I said, so I call them dickheads,
(10:52):
but some real idiots just make you know, make make it.
That's the story. Then we're talking about things that went
on Saturday night. I mean I was a teenager one
to believe, I know, but used to go to the
show where you catch up with your friends and ride
the ride all the rides and have a great time
at the show. That's what you want people to be
able to do, to feel safe, so that they can
go to show, meet up with their friends and have
(11:14):
a good time. And as they said, hearing about these
things on Sunday night just makes me so cross.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Well, I guess that's where you've got a real issue
at the moment. The government's got a real issue because
I mean even like in the Northern Territory News today
they've interviewed a business owner who's spoken of an assault
which happened outside his workplace, a man assaulting a woman
in a sustained attack, you know, like that in conjunction
with things like you know, from what I'm being told
(11:40):
by people who are at the show on the weekend,
there was people being knocked to the ground and kicked
and robbed, you know, that kind of behavior. And to
the point that you just made about when you're a teenager,
you want to be able to go to those events
and enjoy them. There's a lot of discussions happening around
dinner tables at the moment where kids are not able
to do those things in the like they maybe once could.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah, on the Herding Street one I saw that on
social media that looked like a DV incident that was
shocking as well. Yeah, terrible incident where you know, a
male was chasing well presumably somebody he knew partner around
a car.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
It looks just like palling.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
A shocking behavior, Yeah, palling behavior. But yeah, I agree
with I absolutely agree with you, Kadien. You know exactly.
Since I've become Chief Minister, I'll continue to push the
police really hard around the work that they do, continue
to resource the police around what they are doing. But
it is there's a long term stuff and we could
talk all day and so you know my stories around
(12:40):
these things, but it is around giving the police those
extra resources to get on top of those issues. But
it is also that long term work that we have
to continue to do with young people really so that
they understand what's right and what's wrong, and if their
parents aren't teaching them that we need them to be
in school so that schools can be really strong around
you know, what it's accept and what's unacceptable behavior.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Well, I mean even when you look at that story
from that business owner in the Northern Territory News and
he's saying that, you know, despite that sustained twenty minute attack,
they've called the police. Then he's gone back to the CCTV.
The police haven't attended for several hours. Now. I know
that the police would want to attempt and I know
that we've got additional police that we're certainly trying to
(13:23):
get on the beat. But this is where the system
seems to be quite broken. At the moment as well,
is that when incidents are occurring that territory and seas
being absolutely serious. I mean that woman, We've actually had
DV incidents in the city that have resulted in in death.
Heaven forbid, you know, like this is such a serious
(13:44):
thing and we're just floundering.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Yeah, well, as I said, I mean I talked about
you know, fifty seventy police officers. We need two hundred
more police officers, Okatie, So we'll continue to have to
recruit more police officers, have more CCTV operators, more cour
center operate We've invested in that, but yes, we need
to continue to invest in the police, which you know
that is a focus of our government, but it is
(14:08):
all those other agencies as well. And I did make
announcements and will continue to talk about this around domestic
violence and more money going into domestic family and sexual
violence in the Northern territory as well. You know, those
messages obviously struggled to get heard by territories around DV.
You know, I think sixty five percent of people in
(14:29):
our jails are there because of violence incidences, which is
just shocking behavior really.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
So finister a very quick listener question because I know
you've got to go to a media event from Grumpy
and Catherine. Hi, Katie, there is one thing I'm interested
in knowing with regards to the new gas deals, meaning
the deal already in place with Tambourne and the new
one with Empire, has the current Northern Territory government insisted
on a gas reserve being kept in storage for use
in the territory when and if necessary.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah, so this is what these are. These agreement agreements
are literally are reserve and reserving gas for the Northern Territory.
So these three that we've done, so Tambourine, Empire as
well as the Marini Palm Valley joint venture, that is
making sure that we have gas for the Northern Territory.
So that's exactly what it's about. Making sure that we've
got gas to keep our lights on, but also gas
(15:19):
for manufacturing in the Northern Territory for the future. But
also we know there are a number of minds that
want have they want their energy generated from the Northern Territory.
So again this is this will provide energy into the future.
But it's also you know, the renewable energy hub at
a Middle Arm as well, that's about one hundred megawatts
(15:40):
of energy that will that's there's an expression of interest
out with Jacana at the moment. So, like I've said,
and to tell Grumpy, yes, absolutely, it's about making sure
we have gas for the territory, but it's also making
sure that we have renewable energy for use, for example
around green hydrogen.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
All right, Chief Minister, we better leave it there. I
know you've got a media event to get to appreciate
your time, and I think we're about twenty nine days
away from the election now, so not long to go.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
No, No, we're going to caretaker this week.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, on Thursday, Thursday, is it?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yes, it is?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Yeah, awesome, Thank you very much, Chief Minister. We'll talk
to you soon. Thank you.