Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
But as we know throughout this week, Prime Minister around
the Ney Albanes. He met with the Chinese President a
little earlier this week raising concerns about the Chinese flotilla
that circumnavigated Australia earlier this year, but surprisingly didn't face questions.
They didn't have discussions about the government's plans to buy
back the Darwin porl That was with the Prime Minister
(00:20):
Albo and the Chinese President. Now, what we do know
is that yesterday, as I understand it, it was raised
by the Premiere of China who pressed the Prime Minister
to treat Chinese companies in affair open and non discriminatory manner,
as the state media confirmed that Beijing remained troubled by
(00:42):
the Prime Minister's commitment to end Chinese ownership of the
Port of Darwin. Now, Luke Gosling is a member for Solomon.
He's also the Special Envoy for Defense, Veterans Affairs and
Northern Australia and he joins me in the studio. Good
morning to you, Luke.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Good to have you on the show. Now, Luke, how
do you think the meetings over in China have gone?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah? Pretty well?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
From what I've heard coming back, there's been some great
agreements made around Apple's being one, but tourism being a
massive one. There's over nine billion dollars worth of value
from incoming Chinese tourists in the year up to March
this year, so that's big biggies for Australian businesses and
(01:27):
so Tourism launching a new tourism campaign. That's been a
big part of the visit. Obviously, we've stabilized that trading
relationship which was worth about twenty billion dollars. That means
all the lobster and wine and bali and so forth
is allowed into the Chinese market again and that's been
important obviously, though we have maintained our approach to our
(01:51):
relationship with China and that we disagree where we have to,
but we try and cooperate where we can, but.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
We're always engaging.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And this is been a significant trip by the Prime
Minister to China. And you know the fact that he
has raised the military exercises at the PLA has done
around Australia and so forth, and wanting appropriate warning before
live firing exercises is appropriate and you know it's appropriate
(02:22):
that he is raised ye I agree.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I think it's a good thing that he that he
raised it with the President. It sounds as though the
President sort of responded with, you know, we will conduct
exercises wherever we want to conduct exercises.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It's legal in international waters.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Is that a concern for us, because.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It's totally legal in international waters.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
To worry you that they were conducting those exercises though,
like you know in the Tasman As I understand it, Yes,
in international waters but pretty close by.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, it was obviously a reasonably provocative action. But we've
got to remember that we often traverse as part of
multinational exercises up into the South China Sea in international
waters as well, and you know we do that as
often with partners. So I think that's what President she
(03:13):
was saying, is that you know, you exercise in international
waters when you want, and we're going to do the same.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Now.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
We can expect some standoff observations on Talisman Saber as
has happened in the past, but I mean territories and
people in Darwin and Palmerston, you know, they've already noticed
that there's an increase in military activity around the place.
We've got people coming up from down south to protect
different bases as part of this big exercise which has
(03:44):
got tens of thousands of.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So you reckon, they'll keep an eye on it.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
They will.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
The Chinese will obviously be having a look at that,
given that it's the biggest exercise of this type ever
and it is really key for us with our allies
the United States. It's the biggest exercise we do together.
But there's another seventeen partnered countries involved as well, And
(04:08):
a couple of weeks ago went out onto the deck
of the Prince of Wales the British aircraft carry and
that'll be coming alongside down at Kuna Warra, which will
be the biggest ship ever to come alongside of the
new Kuru Wharf down at Kuna Warra Base.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
So it's massive, Talisman saber and it's across everywhere from
the Christmas Islands through northern Australia.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
So important.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
When I was in cans over the weekend, certainly a
lot of discussion on the exercise. Hey, I want to
ask you one of the things that it was sort
of surprising I suppose that it wasn't discussed in the
initial discussions between the President and the Prime Minister was
the Darwin Port lace. It then came up with the
Chinese Premiere. As I understand, and you know, he had
(04:51):
basically urged the Prime Minister to treat Chinese companies well
in a fair way as we treat other countries. Do
you think what is happening now with the port is
Australia treating China in an unfair way.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Well, it's a Chinese business who have made a clear
ever since the ridiculous decision.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
To flog off our port.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
To them that it is a commercial port. It was
a commercial decision. We had to then because of the
idiocy of that decision by the former CLP and government,
with the support of the Federal Coalition, we had to
then change foreign investment rules. So what we're doing now
(05:40):
simply and it's backed in a bipartisan way by the
now Federal Coalition government, is we're going to bring the
report back into Australian hands. But it's got to be
a win win, right. We want Landbridge to have a
fair go. So if people in Beijing are saying Chinese
(06:02):
company should be treated fairly, well that's exactly what will happen.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
In this instance.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
We've got some really strong Australian entities that want to
take over the lease of the ports are putting up
their own money. Obviously, the federal government will have a
role as it always should have been supporting Australian proponents.
And as we've talked about in the past, Katie, back
ten years ago, there were Australian proponents that were knocked
back at the time. Some of those Australian proponents are
(06:27):
still keen to take over that lease.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
So how quickly do you reckon this is going to happen?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And when it happens, do you think that it's going
to annoy the Chinese government.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, they'll make a profit. Lambridge will make a profit,
like they're saying at the moment, they have no plans,
but we've made it clear that the port will come
back into Australian hands. So they want to get to
a price point where they're like, they're happy with that situation.
If they knock back a price point that is more
than fair and more than reasonable, then it'll be clear
(06:59):
to everyone that this isn't a commercial decision, this is
much more than that, and that will just strengthen our
result further. Just to make sure that the port comes
back into Australian ands using the legal ability that we
have to make that happen. But we're working in cooperation
with the Anti government on this. I was approached by
Group Evan just yesterday. We've got a very good team
(07:20):
in Canberra. Who I send that information onto, who those
potential proponents are, because those discussions, those sensitive discussions are
happening as we speak.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, well, we'll wait and see when that progress sort
of comes to fruition I suppose, and when a decision
is eventually made. Luke, look, I'm keen to ask you.
We're just talking to Sean about about the Northern Territory
having our own AFL football team. I mean, he touched
on the fact that the federal government provided four hundred
million dollars in Tasmania. I think it's six hundred mili
(07:54):
for Papua New Guinea for their rugby league team.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
What do you reckon? Do we need to make this happen?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
And I know that we've got a lot of other,
you know, pressing issues that we need to deal with
here in the Northern Territory health system for example, which
we'll touch on in a moment, But do we need
to get this happening in the NT and have our
own AFL football team.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Absolutely, and I've been consistent in that for a long
long time. You know, hopefully some of these investors that
are here at the moment for the NT government's conference
interested as well. Obviously the federal government will have a role,
as it did down in Tasmania.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I think.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
You know, it's really interesting the different potential locations that
have been discussed. You know, I always been a fan
of gardens because you've got all that parking and mendel,
but also you want to activate the city as well,
so they're all they're all important considerations. But one of
the most important considerations for me is a community football
(09:02):
and community sport doesn't get left behind like we've got.
We've made commitments out at Tracy Village for example, for infrastructure,
sporting infrastructure out there.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
That's important. We need more.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
We need wanderers to have a home, for example. With
my view, we need to have upgrades to the soccer ovals.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Wouldn't do the opposite, wouldn't that? See?
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You know, hopefully that grassroots football really come up stronger
than ever. I know, like North Queen Zone for example,
in the Rugby League with the Cowboys operating. You see
now all these young fellows going through the Cowboys' ranks,
they end up playing in the AFL. But you also
see really strong football clubs in far North Queen zone.
So would it do the opposite.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Well, they need the facilities, local footy, local sport, need
the facilities, not like at the Gray Soccer ovals. I
visited during the week now as an NT government commitment
to do some work there, but they can't use one
of their ovals because people will break their bloody ankles.
And we've made a significant contribution out to Tracy Village.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
But the point is, I.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Guess, is that there's still not enough change rooms for
women's sport as well, So we need to walk in
your gard.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
We need to do both.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
But I hope the AFL and TEA, I'm sure they
are not taking their eye off the need for local
infrastructure for our footy clubs. And at the same time,
as we keep ramping up the inevitability of a twentieth
team in the AFL, whether it's a Lightning.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Or the Crocs, would you like it to be called Luke,
I'll be torn I.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Actually started the team or Crocs the AFL team in
East team or team or less day over ten years ago. Now,
I don't think they'd mind if we took over the
name Crocs. Sure they're not down in the they're not down.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
In the center.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
But Lightning Man liking Man's really good echoes to our
first Nations brothers and sisters being really too temic.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
It's really exciting.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
It is exciting. Hey, I want to ask you. There's
a couple of listener questions coming through one here that
says where are the bulk billing doctors? Still nothing in
Catherine and this person feels as though it's a broken
promise by Labor, saying you can't even get a doctor's
appointment in Catherine until September at the moment.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Yeah, I've spoken to the proponents down there and Catherine,
and obviously it's not more electric.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
But I'm working with Mary.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
That's right, working with Marion scrimdaw on that. But you know,
with my Special Envoy for Northern Australia, and I've been
looking at Northern Territory business owned minds out near Kannanara
recently in critical minerals and there's so much exciting stuff
that's going on in the minerals.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
But just on the Faseya.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
So is there going to be a bulk billing.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
I know it's not your electorate, so I'm very conscious
of that, but is there going to be a billing?
You know facility there in Catherine at some point? Is
that something that Labor promised.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
I don't think an urgent care clinics such as the
one we've promised for Darwin and that's successfully operating AID
in Palmerston was a promise, but we've got nine urgent
care clinics in the territory now. Talking to the people
who run that GP practice down in Catherine, it's unsustainable.
You've got this sho You've got Aboriginal Aboriginal community controlled
(12:20):
health centers down there. But for the non First Nations
community if they can't utilize the base there at Tindall,
there's a huge number of thousands and thousands of people
were just the one GP practice. So we are talking
with them obviously, we return to Canberra next week for
(12:40):
parliament kicking off. Well now it's one of the most
important issues for Marion Scrimjaw and we may not be
a full service urgent care clinic. But I'm confident and
I'm helping Marion to push for this for bulk billing
services for people in.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Catherine Luke really quick one because Athena Pasco bells in
the studio there, so we will get to her in
just a moment. But in terms of the hospital, we
saw a code yellow obviously called last week a discussion
about the number of beds being taken up by age
care patients. It's something that you know, you and I
have been talking about it for years. Where are we
(13:16):
at with the age care funding? When we spoke to
the CEO of Health last week, he said that the
Federal government Department of Health and also the Northern Territory
Department of Health are deep in those discussions. How quickly
do you think we're going to see an announcement?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Well, I understand that last week it was two weeks away,
so it's good. Yeah, so it's getting.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Really so maybe next week.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But that's what the anti government said. So that's one
of the things on my least when I get to Canberra,
just to check in with our department to see where
that's at.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
But hopefully it's not far away.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Let me know.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Yeah, the property cancel and Ruth Palmer ran a great
event recently spoke at it in part of the panel.
Sixty mil is what sixty million dollors is what the
federal government's put in to help the NT government to
build this one hundred and twenty bed facility.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
It's got to happen.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
There's been expressions of interest. They're credible expressions of interest.
So we just want a decision and then we can
break ground and start getting it built.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Lord Goslin, good to catch up with you, Thanks so
much for your time this morning.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Thank you