Deputy Opposition Leader Dehran Young on health workers and barge services to Wadeye

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now joining me live on the line is the Deputy
Opposition leader this morning, Duran Young. Good morning to.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
You, Good morning Katie, and good morning to all your listeners.
And yeah, my thoughts are also with the families who
are out there, those that have served, those that you
haven't come home, you know, and what Remembrance Day is
about around World War One and those families that have
been affected are in particular by that war. So my

(00:27):
thoughts are out to all those families.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yeah, and look, Doran, it's a wet morning this morning.
Hopefully things clear up a little bit by eleven o'clock.
I know there'll be plenty of people heading out in
force today for the Remembrance Day commemorations at eleven o'clock.
But yeah, it's very wet morning. I don't know how
it is if you're in your electorate in the daily
at the moment, or if you're a bit closer to town,
but yeah, wet weather or about Yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
No, I'm actually sitting in a park in Pine Creek
and it's a little bit overcast, but it's a bit warm.
We haven't had any rain here as of yet, but
it's got that kind of muggy feeling where it would
rain at any time.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
And is there a bit organized like in Pine Creek obvious,
So we've got such a rich war history here in
the Northern Territory. Is there a bit organized out your
way for today?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
I believe Adelaide River there's a service on today at
eleven o'clock down at the War Memorial, so there. I know.
At Waggat Beach where I live, there's people getting together
to cormemorate people there. So yeah, there's a few things
happening around the electorate and obviously the big one in
Darwin today as well, which a lot of people will
be heading to.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, no doubt now Durand there's lots happening around the
place this morning. But we're keen to talk to you
today because we know that we've obviously heard hundreds of
health support workers are set to walk off the job
in public hospitals right across the Northern Territory and coming
days now. The United Workers' Union members who work in
health support services in Northern Territory hospitals last week voted

(01:59):
to take that protected industrial action. What do you make
of the timing of this action given that well up
until yesterday we were still experiencing those code yellows across
at least our two major hospitals.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, that's right, Katie. And you know, firstly, I do
just want to commend our territory healthcare workers right across
the board from our hospitals that are in there and
under those extreme pressures that they face every single day.
I did a hospital visit last week and met many
staff and got to walk through and that the incredible

(02:36):
work and the pressures that are under must be extremely exhausting.
And you know when I was there at the time,
I was told that, you know, this is actually quite
a quiet day, but the amount of people coming through
those front doors was extraordinary in those pressure EDGs you
see we're in the hospital. But you know, I think
it's unfortunate it's got to this, but it's clearly needed

(02:57):
by the staff. I think it's I think, you know,
the minister does need to sit down with the union
and actually just work it through. My understanding, he hasn't
even sat down with the workers, and you know that's
something you have to do with part of the negotiations
around the EBA agreements. You know, you're not going to
agree on everything, but at least sit down, come to
a common ground and hopefully you can work through those

(03:19):
agreements that can be put in place so we don't
have strikes like this today. What's that?

Speaker 1 (03:25):
What's planned? Yeah, and we're going to catch up with
the union after ten o'clock this morning, so we'll find
out exactly where things right when they're planning to do that.
I mean, do you think that they should just get
paid more even if the budget doesn't really allow for it.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, well definitely from what you know. Like I said,
I visited the hospital just recently last week, and those
pressures that they're under are huge, and they do an
incredible amount of job. You know, this is about the
primary healthcare of all territory ends that those pressures are big.

(04:02):
And you know we've seen a code yellow that have
been called last week or the week before, two weeks ago,
and you know that's from my understanding. You know, a
lot of the time there should be Code yellows called
a lot more frequently, but the Silky government have decided
to hire the freshold so they're not called. So what
we're seeing now is a lot more pressure put on

(04:26):
those hospital staff and the doctors and nurses at the
front line. And having to work longer hours under higher pressures.
But if you actually call the code yellows, you can
take some of that pressure off, looking at the lower
needs of patients that are in the hospital and that
they can be taken back home and that their health

(04:46):
care can be sorted at home. But then you can
actually deal with the really serious health care that's needed
for those patients in the hospital.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
I know that there'll be people listening this morning, and
you know, some saying, yes, we definitely we need to
make sure that our healthcare workers and those in those
support roles do need to be paid more because we've
got to keep them here and we don't want them
to be moving into state. There'll be others that are saying, look,
we just don't have the budget for it. But then
the other part of this argument. We've spoken to the
Australian Medical Association's Anti Executive or NTI head, doctor john's

(05:22):
Orbis last week who said to us, Katie, the situation
here is that we are massively underfunded by the federal
government when it comes to our health services, and until
that is boosted, we're really always going to have these concerns.
I mean, is that something that Labor locally is going
to be pushing on the federal Labor Party about like

(05:45):
we do need a funding boost here when it comes
to those health services.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, look, i'm sure where. I was actually down in
Canberra last week and I met with Minister Butler to
advocate on behalf of territory orans around the health services,
from maternity services to funding for the Northern Territory. And
you know, we have had a thirty percent increase to
the health budget overall. Am I saying that's enough or

(06:12):
that's perfect? No, I'm not, but I think it is
something to celebrate that we have had a thirty percent
increase in the health budget. We've seen the federal government.
You know, we've got the healthcare clinic for Palmerston and
one that's currently being built in dal and that's going
to alleviate a lot of pressure off Darwin and Palmerston Hospital.

(06:32):
We're seeing the improved of bulk billing, which means it's
cheaper for people to go and see a doctor, cheaper
medicines as well. And we've also seen the announcement with
the new age care facilities, sixty million dollars for age
care facilities, so that will also take those pressures off
the hospital system as well. So there is a lot
that the federal government are doing. But you know, we've

(06:55):
seen term million dollars also put into the maternity services.
We're studentsure and upgrade, we've in the and to Health
Darwin Hospital for maternity services.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
But you know all that, do you reckon we still
need more. I mean that's what the IMI is saying.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, obviously, like I'll always advocate for more money, and
that was part of the reason why I went to Canberra,
and it's it's it's something that I would encourage the
Health Minister, Steve Edgington to actually go down to Canberra,
get in the face of the minister, sit in front
of him and just map out exactly what funding you
need to draw it up because you know the concern
I had, and you know, I'm not trying to fry

(07:32):
stones here. It's it's we're trying to work together to
get to get a good outcome of terratoins. But with
the maternity services, for example, they were just asking for
like thirty four million dollars. There's no really business case
or a breakdown of costings or funding of that. And
that's that's you know, you need to actually break down
and so to ensure that the money is well spent.
And if if Steve Edgington thinks that that's a good case,

(07:55):
well he should be flying down to Canbra and physically
putting his face in run of the minister and just going, look,
we really need this money and this is why, this
is why we need it.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
That you are working together. But do you reckon that
everybody is? I mean, given the tip for tat that's
been going on between the Northern Territory government and Luke Gosling,
and I know you're not Luke Gosling, but do you
reckon we are actually all working together here?

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well it's the responsibility of Steve Edgington to go. Now
he is the Health Minister for the Northern Territory. He
has oversight of all the hospitals and the healthcare in
the Northern Territory. Now, I know Luke and Marion advocating
in their roles down in Canberra, but Steve has a
whole department behind him. He can break down those business

(08:44):
cases for maternity services and it is really important to
have a really good strong relationship with those federal ministers.
So when times do get tough, like we saw the
closure of the maternity services, you can actually pick up
the phone or get down there and put your case
forward to advocate on behalf of Northern people expect.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
It's sort of what they expect from both, you know,
like from the federal member for Solomon as well. They
expect both of them, I think to sit down and
to work out what's bace for the Northern territory. But Durun, look,
we're going to have to move on. I do want
to ask you quickly about the welcome return of the
barge services to what Air. I know that that certainly
you've welcomed that return, but you have been critical of

(09:33):
the government for claiming credit. Can you explain in your
view what happened behind the scenes to get this service
back up and running.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah. Look, I was pretty disappointed in Steve Edgington.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Again.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
I've raised this issue with him a number of times
in good faith, you know. I sent him a letter,
I put a question to him at question time. I
was talking to him behind the scenes during sittings to
let him know where things were up with the barge
you know, Malanderie and myself went out there a couple
of months ago to meet with different organizations to talk

(10:07):
about the barge service to get an understanding of what's
really going on. And ultimately what was happened there was
an expression of interest put out which was run through
the government, and there were some organizations that were cut
out of those negotiations, so not everyone was included in
how that barge service was run, and to the point

(10:27):
where one of the organizations actually pulled out of that
negotiation period, and so it actually took Summer Development Corporation
to get people together to actually negotiate it with the
top end barge service. And so then what was disappointing
was Steve puts a statement out criticizing Maleanderie and myself

(10:48):
when we were actually both keeping in close contact with
the organizations to have an understanding where it was at.
I was keeping him updated in good faith, and then
he comes out and tries to take credit for it,
and I just thought it was really poor below the
belt politics when we're talking about potentially a food security issue,
a humanitarian issue in whatever if that arch service wasn't

(11:12):
up to get running. And I know that the organizations
out there weren't happy because they called me straight away.
Hence why I also had the backing to put that
statement out to call on Steve Well, actually, what a
get I knew you didn't go out there and meet
with the organizations. You know, he should have actually gone
out there and physically sat down with the community to
have a broader understanding of what was actually going on.

(11:34):
And you know, I'm quite happy to work with people,
and that's why I was keeping Steve updated about what
was going on. And then I thought it was a
pretty low blow to come out and criticize myself. And
you know, Summer Development Corporation have come out and thanked
Melanderie and myself for keeping engaged in that to ensure
that we were ready to go if it needed to

(11:55):
take it to the next step. But I do want
to thank the community of whatever stations actually, you know,
coming together and getting the service it's needed. And I
believe the first barge will be coming in on Tuesday.

Speaker 1 (12:09):
Excellent, Jo, Well, hopefully it runs smoothly. All run smoothly
for Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, Well, I hope so too. And yeah, we see
that barge service come in because it is it is
an important link to what air you know, it's security
as well, it's your medicines that go out there, it's
the infrastructure programs that are happening in what Air, the
school us at the age care center, so it's all
the services that really rely on that community to function

(12:37):
well and deliver their services on the ground.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, Duran Young, the deputy opposition leader, good to speak
to you this morning. Really appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
You two Katie and thank you for your time. I
appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Thank you.