Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me live in the studio is the Chief Minister
of the Northern Territory, Eva Lorla.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good morning to you morning, Katie. Chief Minister are the
Member for Solomon Luke Gosling.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
He's reportedly saying that he's in talks to try and
lure Aldi to the Northern Territory. I've heard this on
many occasions over my years. In the end, it doesn't
seem like it's commercially viable for them. But I mean,
do you know where he's at with those talks or
do you think it's something that's a possibility.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
There's always a possibility, Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I must say, though, I've never been to an Aldie
when I don't rarely travel nowadays anyway with his job,
but when I go down south, I don't actually put
Aldi on my number one list of places to go.
And being a Darwin person, I've never been to an Aldi.
But I mean hearing that Choice report about just how
cheaper they are, and I mean, obviously with costs of
(00:47):
living anything that we can do. Coles and Woolworths have
a duopoly. That's a fact in the Northern Territory or
particularly in our cities in towns. So yeah, good on Luke,
he's good at that stuff. Castle push them that that
would be great.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah. Well, and this is the thing, I mean, cost
of living. It is a huge issue. I don't know
about you, but every time I go to Coals or Willworths,
you think you're buying five items, you come out and
it's one hundred dollars later.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's a massive impulse for territory. It is.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
It's highly concerning for families. That's the issue around cost
of living. We're all trying to push them down. But
good on the federal government for calling out Woworths and
Coals who just continue to really almost rip off the
farmers and the people who are providing the suppliers and
then jack up the prices. So I think people are
tired of Coals and Willworths and what they're doing. So yeah,
(01:34):
people like aldi if they keep coming into if they
could come into the market in the territory, that would
be wonderful, particularly for dal n Alla Springs.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Look, it will be a good thing, but I suppose,
like I said earlier, it's got to stack up for
them commercially.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
But Chief, we know that.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
You announced a little bit earlier in the week that
a re elected Labour government is going to establish a
sixty thousand dollars first Home Build a grant for territory
residents who sign on to build a new first or
a first new home or buy an apartment or town house. Now,
I know that when the COLP made their announcement around
the budget time, you guys almost scoffed at them.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So what's the change of hearsh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So scoffed because there was a much broader and bigger
package than ours. Ours is very much focused for territory
and so you know, I won't make any excuses around
making sure that territory dollars are spent on territory and
so ours has very much focused on territory locals. It
is a one component that's sixty thousand for home builder.
(02:30):
It's a home builder boost for people who have never
owned a home previously in the Northern Territory and it's
their first build. So, Katie, one of the things I
probably should go back. So I think twelve months ago
we formed the Housing Alliance, which has representatives of HIA
Real Estate Institute UDIA, Alan McGill and a lot of
(02:50):
Territorians will know Alan. They've been working on this what
we need to do around housing in the Northern territory.
So we have those large numbers eleven thousand from the
federal governments. We need eleven thousand more houses in the
territory over the next five years. So we formed their
Housing Alliance and they have they provided me with report.
There are a number of recommendations, and the first recommendation
(03:12):
in that report is around incentives. So we'd been doing
government had been doing some work around incentives, but you
know how much. And I actually had the Housing Alliance
to provide me with details around what they saw. As
you know, so they reckoned sixty No they didn't. In
the end they said, no, we'll leave that to government.
And as I said in the introm, we saw the
(03:32):
CELP come out with theirs and so the timing of
ours was around me receiving the report from the Housing
Alliance and then as I said, making sure that we
had something that's measured, sensible and really targeted. It's targeted
in two ways, keeping people in the territory but also
stimulating our residential building industry, so very much around residential
(03:54):
only and as I said, very much around keeping territories here.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So I mean the fact is though when the CLP
made this announcement, you were quite critical. You questioned how
they are going to afford it.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Now, obviously you.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Say you are doing something that's targeting locals. I get
what you're saying, but it is still going to cost
a bucket load of money. You've also gone more than
what they announced, So.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How are you going to a four hours hours? Though?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Ours is costed at twenty two million, so which will
provide about three hundred and sixty five homes, So twenty
two million, and from memory, the CLPS is fifty seven million,
so there is still there's this way more expensive than ours.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Ours.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
It is very targeted. It's one focused on keeping people
in the territory, so ours all of us.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
See how people will be looking at this so and going. Look,
the CLP made this announcement in May. Now you know
over a month later, you guys are coming out making
a very similar announcement.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I know you said there's differences.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I get that, but it's almost a bit embarrassing that
the government's been in power for eight years and now
that we're fifty one days out from an election. You
know you've come forward with this announcement.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
No, no, not at all, Katie.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So first of all, we have had previously from twenty
eighteen till twenty twenty one, there was a substantial housing
so we had the build bonus and the home build
Federal and Northern Territory had substantial home build funding. So
those years. Then at the end of COVID, what we
saw was interest rates go high, high as we've had
(05:20):
for years, up to seven percent. We saw banks not loaning,
we saw supply chain issues, and we saw increases in
concrete and cement up to about thirty percent. So there
was no point and as I said, this is very
measured decisions, considered decisions. We work with Treasury, So there
was no point in those twenty two to twenty three
years putting in a home build scheme because the market
(05:43):
was so volatile around the costs of building homes.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's what's amning fust it. Like you called the.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Seal CPS was, as I said, throwing out money and
we can see that.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But this much different.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
This is very much around getting the report from Territory
Alliance very focused on one area, so one specific area,
but it was also around timing we're seeing interest rates
go down. I regularly meet with the banks. We as
I said, whatever it wants to six weeks or whatever
you think, well that timing is better.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's not related to an election coming up.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
So it is an election commitment. Of course, it is
an election commitment. And you know we're in government, so
you do have to be measured around your approach. But
this is an election commitment a re elected government. But
also Okatie, it's not a set and forget as well.
You know, if we're so fortunate to be in government
in this year, but then twenty twenty five, we will
(06:39):
need to keep an eye on the housing market. There are,
let's not forget eleven thousand more social, affordable and private
homes that need to be built. But we've also got
that four billion remote so there is a lot of
work still in the building industry, a lot of work
available in the building industry. It's residential builders that we
need to stimulate and get moving, but they have been
(07:03):
curtailed around interest rates. Nobody's going to build a home
or by or invest if you've got seven interest rates
of seven percent, we've seen them drop. Hopefully by the
end of the year we'll see them back in that
two to three percent band.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
All right, I want to move along the clp A
calling on you to release the second Eye CAAC report
into concerns that stuff is within Michael Gunner's office when
he was the Chief Minister engaged in political work for
labor during the twenty twenty election.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
When is that report you?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I have not been told at all.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Okay, so that's a question.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, no, No, have not got it at all. Have
not had a conversation, you know, I have not meant
since the Deputy ICA Commissioner. I sat beside her at
estimates and that's the last time that I've met with her.
As I said, that's probably a question for the not
deputy sorry, the acting KAQ Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Are you going to release it when it comes out? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
As soon as it comes Soon as I get it,
I'll release it. Well, sign up to me to release it.
Really it's up to the IKAK, the Acting IKAK Commissioner
to release So.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
But do you reckon it should be public?
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Of course it should be public. I mean you know
we've said that, and that was the previous report. We've
put in place really clear guidelines on what needs to
happen around parliamentary travel, and I have been upfront saying
that I will not travel at all during caretaker unless
there's you know, some sort of natural disaster or some reason.
As Chief Minister, I won't be traveling.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So you won't be going to Alis Springs anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
No, No, Well, as I said, this has been a
gray area and it is frustrating because you see federally,
you see alban Easy Source Go Mo, they travel the
whole countryside in government, you know, jets during their caretaker
periods criss cross crossing the countryside. But there is the
expectation that we don't And as I said, it was gray,
(08:49):
and I've made it clear that I won't.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
What day does caretaken mode kick in? Is it two
weeks prior.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
First of August? August?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So the writs will be issued on I think the
thirty first and or and we'll go into caretaker from
the first.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Now, one of the other points of contention over recent
days there's been the sixty four constables graduating sixty three okay,
sixty three constables graduating last.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Week hitting the beat.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Now in terms of those numbers, we're being told by
the Police Association that thirty three of them are still
at the college for the next few weeks.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Is that the case.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, so I believe that there's thirty three which were
the transitional school. So there were two schools that graduated.
So there was one group that were a full college
and then there was a second group which were the
Palis and they during part of their training, as you remember,
we had the curfew and Alice Springs, so they traveled
to Alice Springs to support the curfew. They've come back.
(09:44):
So my understanding is that they have one or two
units or something to complete, but that they will be
traveling to Alice Springs on the nineteenth of July.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So the nineteenth of July is when they're going to
hit the base. Yes, So why were we told that
they were hitting the beat last Friday?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Oh, look, you'd have to check with the Police ca
Missioner or the Minister for Police.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It's the Minister for Police suit Centers.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Well, yeah, so we I mean we had the graduating
graduation ceremony and I mean it was very clear there
there was that that group were wouldn't be finishing then,
I mean they had the graduation.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I think it was a bit disingenuous to play that
they were hitting the beat. And that we've got sixty
three hitting the beat when there's still a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Awong, nineteen days away. I don't so. I think it
was more about having one big ceremony so that they'd
both done their training together to be able to have
a ceremony, have that, you know, the pomp and ceremony
of the ceremony, and I.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Get the ceremony, but it was more I suppose, like
he'd literally said to us on the show that they
were going out. You know, there was X number going
here there and those different locations. So it was a
real sort of sense I think from the community that
sixty three officers we're going to be hitting the beat
as of last Friday.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
As I said, it's going to be the nineteenth of July.
Kty O the nineteenth, well nineteenth, I think it's really
such an issue. But thirty three of those will be
going to Tallas Springs. There'll be thirteen of them remaining
in Darwen and Palmerston. But yeah, there was a beautiful
graduation ceremony and lovely to see family members so proud
of their children.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Look, I think it's wonderful that we've got more police
officers hitting the beat, don't you know. I definitely make
no mistake. I think that that is a good thing.
But I know that there are some that feel it's
a bit disingenuous to say that there was sixty three
sort of starting if they're still not starting for another.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Few works start on the nineteenth of July, Katie, let's not,
you know, split hairs around this one.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
A few messages coming through from our listeners. One here
from Allen in Howard Springs. He said, Hey, Katie, what's
happening with the Barkley Highway in terms of the damage
out there.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
So my understanding is that their tenders have gone out
and that there will be that repair work being done.
So there is a panel contract and there are a
number of companies and we're at the Civil Contractors on
Friday night and F and J. Bitchman won a lot.
I think they won two or three awards. I know
they're one of the companies that have part of the
panel contract. So they will be doing they are already
(11:57):
I understand, already doing repairs on the bark the Stuart Highway,
the VIC Highway. So we've had substantial rains. We had
substantial rains. They'll continue to do the repair work that's
necessary and any further work.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Chief A couple of other listener questions this morning.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
There is one here, Hi Katie, can you please ask
the Chief Minister what's happening with the motor vehicle registry
in Casharina? Why are we operating out of the Casarina
post office? This is not good. A lot of people
are not happy. It's too small and always packed, says Dave.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So the motive vehicle Registry at Casuarina. I think it
closed twelve months ago, so quite a number. Well, I
think it's twelve months ago. May have been less than that,
but it closed. And as I said, you use the
Palmeston sorry the yet Parmesan or Darwin, or you can
use the post office at the most. More and more
of it's been done online.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Another one that has asked, can you please us the
Chief Minister? Where is Krispy Kreme?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Ah, Krispy Kreme one of my es favorites. It's probably
been beneficial to my weight that they haven't actually opened
as yet. So on that corner, So on the corner
where you turn into Gateway, there's going to be a
service station there. So they've done the preparation, they've done
the headworks, but there's going to be a service station
there and apparently Krispy Krem working out or having a
(13:19):
shop there but or a shop face there. But the
last the issues that were concerned, it's concerning the service station,
I'm going back in my memory, are around access. So
I think it was that they would have to turn
in and go around through the roundabout to get there,
and I think the service station was wanting people to
be able to turn off Roystonia straight into the service station.
(13:40):
So there were discussions and disagreements between the Development Consent
Authority Dippul I think as well as the service station
people around access. So for people in Parmesan who know
when you're turning down Roystonia, I think the traffic discussions
were that you would have to turn into gateway, go around,
turn left the roundabout and enter the service station there yep,
(14:02):
whereas they were wanting people to have access straight.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Off for something that's going to be able to get
sorted out.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
So I presume so ASA said, I haven't actually had
an update. When I was Dippul minister, I used to
get a regular sort of updates on that. I haven't
had an update lately on it, but yes, we would
love to see Krispy Krem there, but I think the
issue is around possibly the service station and Krispy Kreme
wanting access or improved access, and there's some discussions around that.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Another one, what was your reaction to the sentencing of
Keith KIIRANOA. We know that in the sentencing remarks the
judge certainly spoke about some of the prior offending, some
people really questioning how he was on bail when that
incident happened. That has been a point of contention on
numerous occasions. But I'm interested to know whether you listened
(14:54):
to or whether you had the opportunity to read some
of those sentencing remarks and what your reaction was.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yes, I did, obviously have been very much involved with
listening and seeing what was going on with that case,
and just by coincidence, I also ran into Samara Lavity
on the day before the sentence came down and had
a conversation with her around a number of issues, and
as I said, my part goes out to the Lavity family.
It was a terrible tragedy. Yes, as I said, the
(15:23):
judicial system. He was on bail, but what occurred was
a shocking It was shocking overall, but for both families
as well. Now we have a young person that's in
jail for twenty years, which is appropriate, but yeah, terrible situation.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I mean, has the system not only let declan down
but also let the young offender down in the sense
that had he not been on bail, this whole incident
would have wouldn't have happened, and you know, and we
may not have had the loss of life and also
a young person who is now going to be behind
bars for twenty.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah, these these issues are a terrible situation really, And
when you know, as I said, when you listen to
sentencing remarks around Karenua, he had had a he'd had
had a life where there were a number of incidences.
I think previously he'd had a reasonably a time where
(16:21):
he hadn't been in trouble as well, but then in
those in the last six months there there had been
some considerable red flags around that. It is it is,
it's it's a tragedy all around, Katie.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It's constitution.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Do you think having a relook at some of those
some of that legislation in terms of, like you said,
some of those red flags and how we can ensure
that something like this doesn't happen again.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, k of.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Course, anything like that you know, will trigger reviews and
you know through the attorney generals and justice, through police
around that. Yeah, it was a shocking incident all around, terrible,
but for the Lavity family, you know, a heart, that's
just one of those things that are yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You never recover, No, you never recover from it.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
But yes, of course we'll look at what needs to
be done and what if there is anything that could
have made things different.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Chief Andester one other quick one that somebody's message through
about this morning saying the NT news is reporting today
that a child sex offender has breached bail but has
been left free.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Can I ask you why now? I know you're obviously.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Not not the judge or not the person making that decision,
but I'm just having a look at it now. And
it says that a man who tried to rape a
little boy as he played in his front yard is
going to remain at liberty after breaching his suspended sentence,
despite corrections being unwilling to supervise him. The twenty four
year old was released on a three year suspended sentence
(17:47):
in October twenty twenty two after pleading guilty in the
Supreme Court to the attempted rape, following nineteen months time served.
At the time, the court heard the three year old
victim's mother was literally crying herself to sleep for weeks
after the sickening attack in Karama in March twenty twenty one. Now,
according to the report in the NT News on Monday,
Crown Prosecutor Kylie Smith told the court he'd breached the
(18:11):
conditions of his suspended sentence by returning to darw And
to visit his grandmother and corrections was unwilling to continue
to supervise him.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Just as Judith Kelly said.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
It was the second time that he'd breached his conditions
after earlier traveling to owen Pelly without permission, but the
court took no action on that occasion. I mean, do
you think that this decision reflects the expectations of the community.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
No, no, obviously it doesn't at all. Katie. I do
remember the case now, I vaguely remember what happened, you know,
abhorrent behavior. I will follow up with that one, as
I said with the attorney general around that because yeah,
it doesn't meet expectations. It'd be good to get to
find out what actually was going on with that one. Yeah,
terrible situation.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Can you see how when people read stuff like that,
they go, where is the cyst and failing us right now?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
But it often there needs to be there's like, we
don't get the full story, so we do I you know,
and when you ask, you do get more details around it.
So it's sometimes it is a bit more complicated than
what we hear. But yeah, it sounds on the surface,
it sounds terrible.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I will follow.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Goodness gracious, if you've got somebody who's already a convicted
offender who then tries to get into the yard of
a little person in Karama, it's not only shocking, it's
actually terrifying.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, we all apparrent behavior, absolutely apparent behavior. So I
will find out. As I said, I haven't read the article,
but I have, as I said, I do when you
read that out, I do remember the case in Karama.
So and yeah, let's get some details and let's find
out what's got you know, what's going on with this one.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Chief Minister. We better leave it there. Thank you, as
always for your time, Thank you
Joining me live in the studio is the Chief Minister
of the Northern Territory, Eva Lorla.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good morning to you morning, Katie. Chief Minister are the
Member for Solomon Luke Gosling.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
He's reportedly saying that he's in talks to try and
lure Aldi to the Northern Territory. I've heard this on
many occasions over my years. In the end, it doesn't
seem like it's commercially viable for them. But I mean,
do you know where he's at with those talks or
do you think it's something that's a possibility.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
There's always a possibility, Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I must say, though, I've never been to an Aldie
when I don't rarely travel nowadays anyway with his job,
but when I go down south, I don't actually put
Aldi on my number one list of places to go.
And being a Darwin person, I've never been to an Aldi.
But I mean hearing that Choice report about just how
cheaper they are, and I mean, obviously with costs of
(00:47):
living anything that we can do. Coles and Woolworths have
a duopoly. That's a fact in the Northern Territory or
particularly in our cities in towns. So yeah, good on Luke,
he's good at that stuff. Castle push them that that
would be great.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah. Well, and this is the thing, I mean, cost
of living. It is a huge issue. I don't know
about you, but every time I go to Coals or Willworths,
you think you're buying five items, you come out and
it's one hundred dollars later.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's a massive impulse for territory. It is.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
It's highly concerning for families. That's the issue around cost
of living. We're all trying to push them down. But
good on the federal government for calling out Woworths and
Coals who just continue to really almost rip off the
farmers and the people who are providing the suppliers and
then jack up the prices. So I think people are
tired of Coals and Willworths and what they're doing. So yeah,
(01:34):
people like aldi if they keep coming into if they
could come into the market in the territory, that would
be wonderful, particularly for dal n Alla Springs.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Look, it will be a good thing, but I suppose,
like I said earlier, it's got to stack up for
them commercially.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
But Chief, we know that.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
You announced a little bit earlier in the week that
a re elected Labour government is going to establish a
sixty thousand dollars first Home Build a grant for territory
residents who sign on to build a new first or
a first new home or buy an apartment or town house. Now,
I know that when the COLP made their announcement around
the budget time, you guys almost scoffed at them.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So what's the change of hearsh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So scoffed because there was a much broader and bigger
package than ours. Ours is very much focused for territory
and so you know, I won't make any excuses around
making sure that territory dollars are spent on territory and
so ours has very much focused on territory locals. It
is a one component that's sixty thousand for home builder.
(02:30):
It's a home builder boost for people who have never
owned a home previously in the Northern Territory and it's
their first build. So, Katie, one of the things I
probably should go back. So I think twelve months ago
we formed the Housing Alliance, which has representatives of HIA
Real Estate Institute UDIA, Alan McGill and a lot of
(02:50):
Territorians will know Alan. They've been working on this what
we need to do around housing in the Northern territory.
So we have those large numbers eleven thousand from the
federal governments. We need eleven thousand more houses in the
territory over the next five years. So we formed their
Housing Alliance and they have they provided me with report.
There are a number of recommendations, and the first recommendation
(03:12):
in that report is around incentives. So we'd been doing
government had been doing some work around incentives, but you
know how much. And I actually had the Housing Alliance
to provide me with details around what they saw. As
you know, so they reckoned sixty No they didn't. In
the end they said, no, we'll leave that to government.
And as I said in the introm, we saw the
(03:32):
CELP come out with theirs and so the timing of
ours was around me receiving the report from the Housing
Alliance and then as I said, making sure that we
had something that's measured, sensible and really targeted. It's targeted
in two ways, keeping people in the territory but also
stimulating our residential building industry, so very much around residential
(03:54):
only and as I said, very much around keeping territories here.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So I mean the fact is though when the CLP
made this announcement, you were quite critical. You questioned how
they are going to afford it.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Now, obviously you.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Say you are doing something that's targeting locals. I get
what you're saying, but it is still going to cost
a bucket load of money. You've also gone more than
what they announced, So.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How are you going to a four hours hours? Though?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Ours is costed at twenty two million, so which will
provide about three hundred and sixty five homes, So twenty
two million, and from memory, the CLPS is fifty seven million,
so there is still there's this way more expensive than ours.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Ours.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
It is very targeted. It's one focused on keeping people
in the territory, so ours all of us.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
See how people will be looking at this so and going. Look,
the CLP made this announcement in May. Now you know
over a month later, you guys are coming out making
a very similar announcement.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I know you said there's differences.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I get that, but it's almost a bit embarrassing that
the government's been in power for eight years and now
that we're fifty one days out from an election. You
know you've come forward with this announcement.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
No, no, not at all, Katie.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So first of all, we have had previously from twenty
eighteen till twenty twenty one, there was a substantial housing
so we had the build bonus and the home build
Federal and Northern Territory had substantial home build funding. So
those years. Then at the end of COVID, what we
saw was interest rates go high, high as we've had
(05:20):
for years, up to seven percent. We saw banks not loaning,
we saw supply chain issues, and we saw increases in
concrete and cement up to about thirty percent. So there
was no point and as I said, this is very
measured decisions, considered decisions. We work with Treasury, So there
was no point in those twenty two to twenty three
years putting in a home build scheme because the market
(05:43):
was so volatile around the costs of building homes.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's what's amning fust it. Like you called the.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Seal CPS was, as I said, throwing out money and
we can see that.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But this much different.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
This is very much around getting the report from Territory
Alliance very focused on one area, so one specific area,
but it was also around timing we're seeing interest rates
go down. I regularly meet with the banks. We as
I said, whatever it wants to six weeks or whatever
you think, well that timing is better.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's not related to an election coming up.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
So it is an election commitment. Of course, it is
an election commitment. And you know we're in government, so
you do have to be measured around your approach. But
this is an election commitment a re elected government. But
also Okatie, it's not a set and forget as well.
You know, if we're so fortunate to be in government
in this year, but then twenty twenty five, we will
(06:39):
need to keep an eye on the housing market. There are,
let's not forget eleven thousand more social, affordable and private
homes that need to be built. But we've also got
that four billion remote so there is a lot of
work still in the building industry, a lot of work
available in the building industry. It's residential builders that we
need to stimulate and get moving, but they have been
(07:03):
curtailed around interest rates. Nobody's going to build a home
or by or invest if you've got seven interest rates
of seven percent, we've seen them drop. Hopefully by the
end of the year we'll see them back in that
two to three percent band.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
All right, I want to move along the clp A
calling on you to release the second Eye CAAC report
into concerns that stuff is within Michael Gunner's office when
he was the Chief Minister engaged in political work for
labor during the twenty twenty election.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
When is that report you?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I have not been told at all.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Okay, so that's a question.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, no, No, have not got it at all. Have
not had a conversation, you know, I have not meant
since the Deputy ICA Commissioner. I sat beside her at
estimates and that's the last time that I've met with her.
As I said, that's probably a question for the not
deputy sorry, the acting KAQ Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Are you going to release it when it comes out? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
As soon as it comes Soon as I get it,
I'll release it. Well, sign up to me to release it.
Really it's up to the IKAK, the Acting IKAK Commissioner
to release So.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
But do you reckon it should be public?
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Of course it should be public. I mean you know
we've said that, and that was the previous report. We've
put in place really clear guidelines on what needs to
happen around parliamentary travel, and I have been upfront saying
that I will not travel at all during caretaker unless
there's you know, some sort of natural disaster or some reason.
As Chief Minister, I won't be traveling.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So you won't be going to Alis Springs anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
No, No, Well, as I said, this has been a
gray area and it is frustrating because you see federally,
you see alban Easy Source Go Mo, they travel the
whole countryside in government, you know, jets during their caretaker
periods criss cross crossing the countryside. But there is the
expectation that we don't And as I said, it was gray,
(08:49):
and I've made it clear that I won't.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
What day does caretaken mode kick in? Is it two
weeks prior.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
First of August? August?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So the writs will be issued on I think the
thirty first and or and we'll go into caretaker from
the first.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Now, one of the other points of contention over recent
days there's been the sixty four constables graduating sixty three okay,
sixty three constables graduating last.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Week hitting the beat.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Now in terms of those numbers, we're being told by
the Police Association that thirty three of them are still
at the college for the next few weeks.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Is that the case.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, so I believe that there's thirty three which were
the transitional school. So there were two schools that graduated.
So there was one group that were a full college
and then there was a second group which were the
Palis and they during part of their training, as you remember,
we had the curfew and Alice Springs, so they traveled
to Alice Springs to support the curfew. They've come back.
(09:44):
So my understanding is that they have one or two
units or something to complete, but that they will be
traveling to Alice Springs on the nineteenth of July.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So the nineteenth of July is when they're going to
hit the base. Yes, So why were we told that
they were hitting the beat last Friday?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Oh, look, you'd have to check with the Police ca
Missioner or the Minister for Police.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It's the Minister for Police suit Centers.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Well, yeah, so we I mean we had the graduating
graduation ceremony and I mean it was very clear there
there was that that group were wouldn't be finishing then,
I mean they had the graduation.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I think it was a bit disingenuous to play that
they were hitting the beat. And that we've got sixty
three hitting the beat when there's still a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Awong, nineteen days away. I don't so. I think it
was more about having one big ceremony so that they'd
both done their training together to be able to have
a ceremony, have that, you know, the pomp and ceremony
of the ceremony, and I.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Get the ceremony, but it was more I suppose, like
he'd literally said to us on the show that they
were going out. You know, there was X number going
here there and those different locations. So it was a
real sort of sense I think from the community that
sixty three officers we're going to be hitting the beat
as of last Friday.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
As I said, it's going to be the nineteenth of July.
Kty O the nineteenth, well nineteenth, I think it's really
such an issue. But thirty three of those will be
going to Tallas Springs. There'll be thirteen of them remaining
in Darwen and Palmerston. But yeah, there was a beautiful
graduation ceremony and lovely to see family members so proud
of their children.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Look, I think it's wonderful that we've got more police
officers hitting the beat, don't you know. I definitely make
no mistake. I think that that is a good thing.
But I know that there are some that feel it's
a bit disingenuous to say that there was sixty three
sort of starting if they're still not starting for another.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Few works start on the nineteenth of July, Katie, let's not,
you know, split hairs around this one.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
A few messages coming through from our listeners. One here
from Allen in Howard Springs. He said, Hey, Katie, what's
happening with the Barkley Highway in terms of the damage
out there.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
So my understanding is that their tenders have gone out
and that there will be that repair work being done.
So there is a panel contract and there are a
number of companies and we're at the Civil Contractors on
Friday night and F and J. Bitchman won a lot.
I think they won two or three awards. I know
they're one of the companies that have part of the
panel contract. So they will be doing they are already
(11:57):
I understand, already doing repairs on the bark the Stuart Highway,
the VIC Highway. So we've had substantial rains. We had
substantial rains. They'll continue to do the repair work that's
necessary and any further work.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Chief A couple of other listener questions this morning.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
There is one here, Hi Katie, can you please ask
the Chief Minister what's happening with the motor vehicle registry
in Casharina? Why are we operating out of the Casarina
post office? This is not good. A lot of people
are not happy. It's too small and always packed, says Dave.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So the motive vehicle Registry at Casuarina. I think it
closed twelve months ago, so quite a number. Well, I
think it's twelve months ago. May have been less than that,
but it closed. And as I said, you use the
Palmeston sorry the yet Parmesan or Darwin, or you can
use the post office at the most. More and more
of it's been done online.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Another one that has asked, can you please us the
Chief Minister? Where is Krispy Kreme?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Ah, Krispy Kreme one of my es favorites. It's probably
been beneficial to my weight that they haven't actually opened
as yet. So on that corner, So on the corner
where you turn into Gateway, there's going to be a
service station there. So they've done the preparation, they've done
the headworks, but there's going to be a service station
there and apparently Krispy Krem working out or having a
(13:19):
shop there but or a shop face there. But the
last the issues that were concerned, it's concerning the service station,
I'm going back in my memory, are around access. So
I think it was that they would have to turn
in and go around through the roundabout to get there,
and I think the service station was wanting people to
be able to turn off Roystonia straight into the service station.
(13:40):
So there were discussions and disagreements between the Development Consent
Authority Dippul I think as well as the service station
people around access. So for people in Parmesan who know
when you're turning down Roystonia, I think the traffic discussions
were that you would have to turn into gateway, go around,
turn left the roundabout and enter the service station there yep,
(14:02):
whereas they were wanting people to have access straight.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Off for something that's going to be able to get
sorted out.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
So I presume so ASA said, I haven't actually had
an update. When I was Dippul minister, I used to
get a regular sort of updates on that. I haven't
had an update lately on it, but yes, we would
love to see Krispy Krem there, but I think the
issue is around possibly the service station and Krispy Kreme
wanting access or improved access, and there's some discussions around that.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Chief Minister.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Another one, what was your reaction to the sentencing of
Keith KIIRANOA. We know that in the sentencing remarks the
judge certainly spoke about some of the prior offending, some
people really questioning how he was on bail when that
incident happened. That has been a point of contention on
numerous occasions. But I'm interested to know whether you listened
(14:54):
to or whether you had the opportunity to read some
of those sentencing remarks and what your reaction was.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yes, I did, obviously have been very much involved with
listening and seeing what was going on with that case,
and just by coincidence, I also ran into Samara Lavity
on the day before the sentence came down and had
a conversation with her around a number of issues, and
as I said, my part goes out to the Lavity family.
It was a terrible tragedy. Yes, as I said, the
(15:23):
judicial system. He was on bail, but what occurred was
a shocking It was shocking overall, but for both families
as well. Now we have a young person that's in
jail for twenty years, which is appropriate, but yeah, terrible situation.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I mean, has the system not only let declan down
but also let the young offender down in the sense
that had he not been on bail, this whole incident
would have wouldn't have happened, and you know, and we
may not have had the loss of life and also
a young person who is now going to be behind
bars for twenty.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah, these these issues are a terrible situation really, And
when you know, as I said, when you listen to
sentencing remarks around Karenua, he had had a he'd had
had a life where there were a number of incidences.
I think previously he'd had a reasonably a time where
(16:21):
he hadn't been in trouble as well, but then in
those in the last six months there there had been
some considerable red flags around that. It is it is,
it's it's a tragedy all around, Katie.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It's constitution.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Do you think having a relook at some of those
some of that legislation in terms of, like you said,
some of those red flags and how we can ensure
that something like this doesn't happen again.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, k of.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Course, anything like that you know, will trigger reviews and
you know through the attorney generals and justice, through police
around that. Yeah, it was a shocking incident all around, terrible,
but for the Lavity family, you know, a heart, that's
just one of those things that are yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You never recover, No, you never recover from it.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
But yes, of course we'll look at what needs to
be done and what if there is anything that could
have made things different.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Chief Andester one other quick one that somebody's message through
about this morning saying the NT news is reporting today
that a child sex offender has breached bail but has
been left free.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Can I ask you why now? I know you're obviously.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Not not the judge or not the person making that decision,
but I'm just having a look at it now. And
it says that a man who tried to rape a
little boy as he played in his front yard is
going to remain at liberty after breaching his suspended sentence,
despite corrections being unwilling to supervise him. The twenty four
year old was released on a three year suspended sentence
(17:47):
in October twenty twenty two after pleading guilty in the
Supreme Court to the attempted rape, following nineteen months time served.
At the time, the court heard the three year old
victim's mother was literally crying herself to sleep for weeks
after the sickening attack in Karama in March twenty twenty one. Now,
according to the report in the NT News on Monday,
Crown Prosecutor Kylie Smith told the court he'd breached the
(18:11):
conditions of his suspended sentence by returning to darw And
to visit his grandmother and corrections was unwilling to continue
to supervise him.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Just as Judith Kelly said.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
It was the second time that he'd breached his conditions
after earlier traveling to owen Pelly without permission, but the
court took no action on that occasion. I mean, do
you think that this decision reflects the expectations of the community.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
No, no, obviously it doesn't at all. Katie. I do
remember the case now, I vaguely remember what happened, you know,
abhorrent behavior. I will follow up with that one, as
I said with the attorney general around that because yeah,
it doesn't meet expectations. It'd be good to get to
find out what actually was going on with that one. Yeah,
terrible situation.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Can you see how when people read stuff like that,
they go, where is the cyst and failing us right now?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
But it often there needs to be there's like, we
don't get the full story, so we do I you know,
and when you ask, you do get more details around it.
So it's sometimes it is a bit more complicated than
what we hear. But yeah, it sounds on the surface,
it sounds terrible.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I will follow.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Goodness gracious, if you've got somebody who's already a convicted
offender who then tries to get into the yard of
a little person in Karama, it's not only shocking, it's
actually terrifying.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, we all apparrent behavior, absolutely apparent behavior. So I
will find out. As I said, I haven't read the article,
but I have, as I said, I do when you
read that out, I do remember the case in Karama.
So and yeah, let's get some details and let's find
out what's got you know, what's going on with this one.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Chief Minister. We better leave it there. Thank you, as
always for your time, Thank you
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