Week That Was 14 November 2025

Katie Woolf was joined by Sky News' Matt Cunningham, CLP Minister Robyn Cahill and Deputy Opposition Leader Dehran Young

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for the week that wasn't in the studio
this morning. We've got Matt Cunningham from Sky News. Good morning,
mass Warning Katie. We have got Minister Robin Carl for
the CLP. Good morning to you, Robin.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
And we've got Duran Young for the Labor Party, the
Deputy opposition leader.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Good morning to you, Duran, Good morning Katie, and good
morning to all your listeners.

Speaker 4 (00:22):
Now.

Speaker 5 (00:22):
Wonderful to have you all in the studio.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
These so much to discuss this week, but we might
actually start with these chaotic scenes in Alice Springs on Monday,
a machete wielding teenager running through Yippring Your shopping center
and reportedly swinging the weapon as it was reported like
a madman. The Australian newspaper saying that an elderly man
narrowly avoided being hacked at with this machete which was

(00:46):
wielded by this fourteen year old wearing an electronic monitoring device. Now,
video as indeed gone nationwide, really of this hooded male
swinging at an elderly man and that large machete being well,
it was holding the large machete and being chased away
by an off duty police officer. Now, as it turns out,

(01:08):
two female off duty police officers, is my understanding, the
Chief Minister is now writing to the Northern Territory Police
Commissioner he'd spoken to us during the week confirming that
she's recommended them for Bravery Award, and rightly so. I
mean what they did was pretty bloody incredible. To put
yourself in harm's way like that when you can see

(01:29):
that kind of danger unfolding is mind boggling.

Speaker 6 (01:34):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
Absolutely, Katie, And this is an appalling, appalling incident and
absolutely our community should be outraged as we all are.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
This should not be happening. It cannot be happening.

Speaker 4 (01:45):
And we have the alleged perpetrator in custody, which is great.
The various steps that will be taken as it's investigated
and taken to court will proceed. But I think one
of the most important things that we really do need
to focus focus on is that we are working incredibly
hard to make sure that our community is safe.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
And how about those two off duty officers.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
What an incredible act to step in and protect their community.
And I can confirm that the Chief Minis has actually
written to the Commissioner and recommended they be put forward for.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
A Bravery award.

Speaker 7 (02:24):
I agree with you on the actions of those off
duty offices. I just question whether, I mean, is this
proof that I know you've made a lot of changes
when in this space, but is it proof that really
it's not working as it should be. This is a
fourteen year old kid who, from what I understand, was
on a good behavior and it appeared in a court

(02:45):
just three months ago and was monitoring, not given a
custodial sentence, and then suddenly is out in the busiest
shopping center in Alice Springs wielding a machete.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
I don't know what the previous charges were.

Speaker 8 (02:59):
You well, I've read that.

Speaker 7 (03:01):
Yeah, so it's certainly my understanding that he was given
a good behavior bond only a couple of months ago.

Speaker 4 (03:06):
Even no, no, I don't know what the circumstances of the
good behavior bond were. And we know that we have
absolutely tightened up the bail laws in relation to serious
violent offenders and repeat offenders. We've tightened up the bail
and remand laws around breaches of.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Things like dvos.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
If you breach a DVO, you are going to be
reminded to custody. There are always going to be things
we can improve on. There are always going to be
other steps that we need to take. But the reality
is we have had a reduction across the Northern Territory
in assault of seven point two percent, which is really
phenomenal in a very short space of time.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
And the most important.

Speaker 4 (03:43):
Thing for the community to remember is that when we
see something that should be actioned, we will take action.
And we have proven that time and again.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
I mean, it is a worry though, Like you think
to yourself, if somebody is wearing an electronic monitoring device
or if they're on a good behavior bond I don't
know exactly what this person's was, but to then be
in a shopping center that's you know, people are there
buying their lunch, it's the middle of the day, and
to have a machete and be hacking at somebody, it
is just crazy, Like it blows your mind if that

(04:14):
was happening in Bondai, or if it was happening in
a suburb in Melbourne, which it probably is at the moment,
but you know, like if it was happening somewhere else,
it would be making you headlines right around Australia, and I.

Speaker 5 (04:24):
Know that this has but it's just crazy, Like it
is really.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Crazy to think that this is continuing to happen.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, well that's right, Katie, and I think we've all
seen the footage and it's pretty shocking. I was actually
in Alice Springs yesterday and I met with the CEO,
Aaron Campbell, from your Parunia shopping Center, and you know,
it was the unfortunate comment he made was like, well,
you know, this isn't the first of these incidents that
we see in the shopping center. We see it quite regularly.

(04:51):
They haven't felt a drop in these incidents happen. But
you know, he also emphasized the point that we do
need to look at the underlying issues of this to
actually have behavioral change, so we stopped continuing to see
these types of behavior. He gave me a walk through
that shopping center, and I'm sure all of us have
walked through the shopping center before. It's it's quite busy.

(05:15):
It's you know, you get thousands of people walking through that.
I mean, he actually told me in and out of
that shopping center per year, you get over a million
people just walk through there. When you look at the
tourists the population of Alice Springs in Central austral itself,
so it is a highly densified shopping center and for
that to happen is quite concerning that. You know, I

(05:35):
completely back in that the two that stepped in, that
the off duty police officers should be honored and should
be recognized for a bravery award, and you know, we
support that because I actually I couldn't believe how she
just got in front of the person welding that machete

(05:56):
to try and stop the incident. I think, yeah, it
was mind blowing to see her actually put herself.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
They don't know how they'd react in a situation like that,
and then when you see people react like that, it's incredible.
I just want to touch on something that Duran said there.
Absolutely you need to look at how a young person
at fourteen thinks that behaving in this way is okay.
And I can say very confidently with the work that

(06:25):
I'm doing in children's and families, the history of some
of these kids is horrendous. And the fact that we
had a system in place that was not necessarily focused
on making sure that there were consequences for actions and
children were put boundaries were put in place that takes
time to.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Resolve and change that behavior. And there'll be some.

Speaker 4 (06:48):
Kids that it will be really really difficult to actually
steer them into another part. So I don't know the
circumstances of this young person, given their age. I will
be seeking some advice from the department meant to see
if there's things that we can do to step in.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
And a story my understanding as well from the Northern
Territory Police Commissioner throughout the week.

Speaker 5 (07:06):
He had said that this.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
Teenager's parents had helped, you know, have worked with the
police obviously to make sure that he did, you know,
present himself after what had occurred.

Speaker 4 (07:17):
You know.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Unfortunately, like this is obviously the story that's made headlines
right around the nation, and this is the vision that's
made headlines around the nation. But this week we have
also seen a number of teenagers involved in different offending
and even younger around the Northern Territory. So in Catherine,
we know that there's security measures at A Catherine's School
that are being boosted after another about of vandalism closed

(07:40):
classrooms for two days and caused deep upset. Is what's
being reported to families and staff. Now these footage of
several classrooms covered in painted footsteps dye glue, while shattered
glass from broken windows and doors lies on the floor. Now,
the two boys that were apparently involved in this, one
of the was ten years old to.

Speaker 6 (08:02):
Time or not.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
Two of them were nine, then ye got ten year old.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
It's really terrible stuff.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
Then, in addition to that, even through the week, there
was an incident at one of the service stations where
there was a service station worker who was injured to
the hand. Now they were, you know, I'm remembering off
the top of my head, young teenagers. There was also
golf buggies stolen out in Durac, again young teenagers. I

(08:29):
just feel a little bit worried that after what felt
like things had maybe calmed down a little bit, like
we're maybe going back into this phase of seeing young people,
really quite young people, especially in this instance in Catherine offending.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Katie.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
I think what you're seeing is the fact that we
are continuing to deal with a legacy where these young
people have thought that they could do whatever they wanted
and get it away with whatever they wanted. But in
a really very short space of time, we're talking about
just over a year. We've put a number of processes
in place. We put a number of programs in place

(09:08):
to really work with these kids, and the challenge is
that you have to be able to locate and identify
the children. Unfortunately, as is the case with the vandalism
at the school, you often don't find those children until
they actually do something that they shouldn't have. And I
can say that I actually have tasked the circuit Breaker
team and Catherine to work with those two nine year

(09:30):
old's families to see what's going on there and to
actually make sure that we can put services around them,
to find out what triggered that behavior, what we can
do to support them to not be doing that again,
and to make sure we get them to understand that
that is really not okay.

Speaker 5 (09:44):
It's so young.

Speaker 8 (09:45):
Is a system?

Speaker 7 (09:46):
Is a system working as it should be though, because
really in a lot of those cases, I would think
that territory families have probably been involved or should have
been involved a lot earlier than say nine years old,
because you know, there's mandatary reporting. If a health professional
sees something that they have a concern with, you know,
from pregnancy, birth right through you they are by law

(10:09):
required to make a notification. I'm just wondering one whether
those notifications are being made as they should be, and
to whether the department is subsequently following up and investigating
those notifications as they should be, because we know in
the past that that hasn't happened. You know, remember the
case of the two year old that was made in
Towny Creek and then suddenly we knew that there were
fifty two notifications made about that family and really nothing

(10:32):
was done.

Speaker 4 (10:33):
I can absolutely categorically give the confirmation to you and
to the community that I have been forensically looking at
all of these situations, and my direction to the department
has been absolute, and that is that the safety and
well being of all children is paramount, and when a

(10:56):
notification is made, absolutely robust investigation must happen and the
best interests.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
Of the child must be representative.

Speaker 4 (11:05):
There has probably in the past been a different approach
by the department in terms of not looking after the
welfare of the child, but sometimes putting a lot of
effort into trying to repair an unrepairable situation in a
family space. I've made it very clear that yes, we
have to do what we can in that space. But

(11:25):
what we must do is make sure that these children
are safe and that they are somewhere where they are protected.

Speaker 1 (11:31):
Do you mean that in some situations the department's been
too scared to remove a child from a family where
it's maybe not a safe situation.

Speaker 4 (11:38):
Not scared, I would say, really committed to try and
work with the family to repair the situation, and it's tough.
I talked to the circuit breaker team a few weeks
about a young person that they had made the decision
needed to be placed in care, and it was horrendously
difficult for them because they felt like they had failed.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
The young person didn't want to go into care.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
About a month after, they bumped into this young person
and said, how are you going?

Speaker 2 (12:04):
And they were so relieved.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
I guess because this young person said, oh, it's fantastic.
I have my own room, I've got a little brother.
Now you know, I'm going to school. This is yeah.
I get why I had to do this. So I
think part of it is how we approach it. I
think part of it is, of course, in the first instance,
what you want to do is keep a family together,
but you have to be prepared to go and draw

(12:29):
the line when that's not possible.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
We might take a really quick break. We've got a
lot to cover off on this morning. You are listening
to Mix one O four nine's three sixty.

Speaker 5 (12:37):
It is the week that was well.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
If you've just joined us in the studio today, we've
got Matt Cunningham, we've got Robin Karl and we've.

Speaker 5 (12:44):
Got Duran Young.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
Now, it's been an interesting week when it comes to health.
We know that that on Monday we were set to
see up to one thousand health support workers go on
strike for an hour from eleven o'clock over pay and
and work health and safety concerns that they've got. It's
looking as though that's now been delayed until the twenty

(13:06):
fifth of November, is what we were this morning told
off air by the union. But it comes the same
week that the Health Department's controversial IT system ACACIA, has
been re rolled out into the emergency department at Royal
Dalen Hospital. Now, we spoke to the CEO, Chris Hosking
on the show earlier this week. He said that staff

(13:26):
were working across the night to ensure the successful return
of the program.

Speaker 5 (13:31):
So we spoke to him yesterday morning.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
It was now he said things had been smooth in
the morning, but really we're only talking a couple of hours,
and we know that that IT system has been a
shocker in the past. I mean, Matt, you've reported on
it fairly extensively on a number of issues previous, that's
for sure.

Speaker 7 (13:49):
Yeah, it's been an absolute debarcle Katie, and an expensive
one at that. I mean, I don't know, I haven't
spoken to too many people who are confident that this
is going to go smoothly. The rollout of ACACIA for
the second time. You know, the last time it was
rolled out, it was an absolute disaster and had to
be pulled within a couple of weeks, and there were

(14:11):
all sorts of issues that compromised patient safety and that
is the biggest concern. And as we've spoken about, there
have been issues within the Department of Corporate and Digital
Development as well, and the way that that department has
been operating and some really concerning allegations that have been
made about the way that workers within that department have

(14:33):
been treated. So, I mean, I think I know that
the that the Public Accounts Committee is looking at this
issue and it's going to have some hearings into this issue.
And has extended the timeline for submissions for that. But
I do think there really does need to be a
thorough and open investigation into what has gone on with

(14:54):
this ACACIAS system, not just the system itself and the
way it's been rolled out in our hospitals, but also
the issues that have existed within dcdd are that in
some cases have had some pretty tragic consequences.

Speaker 5 (15:10):
Yeah, and I.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
Guess the concern now, you know, all of that needs
to be looked at retrospectively, But now the concern, I
guess this week is making sure that as it rolls out,
that it rolls out in a way that is functioning
and that works for everybody that's already in a high
stress environment. I would imagine they're in the emergency department.
I mean, it's just days ago that we were in

(15:32):
a code yellow. That was lifted on Monday this week.
But we know that our healthcare system is under enormous strain.
It has been for a really bloody long time.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
It's not just in the territory, Katie.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
I think public health systems across the country will always
be under pressure.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
We have a universal health.

Speaker 4 (15:49):
Care model that essentially says that anybody can walk into
an emergency department for care, and that's fine, and everybody
must be seen. And one of the challenges, as you
know from my past experience, is that if we don't
have sufficient resources within a community to deal with the.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
Day to day stuff, a lot of the day to
day stuff.

Speaker 4 (16:09):
Ends up in the emergency department. But what I'll say
about ACACIA, it was turned back on in Alice Springs
Hospital a few weeks back, seems to be going well, so.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
Hopefully such such would will have a change.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
Is always difficult, and one of my experiences in the
healthcare system has been that when you're working in an
environment that is different from different areas, you do tend
to put some workarounds in or your own processes and
policies and procedures in place, and so when you then
want to put a universal product in, getting that to

(16:44):
work within that environment can be a bit challenging, and
I think that's probably what we've been seeing. But my
understanding is that there's been a lot of consultation, there's
been a lot of work done in a casia, and
we have to turn it on at some point, and
so fingers crossed, it will continue to do as Chris
indicated when he spoke to you, that it was going

(17:04):
okay and it will continue to be good.

Speaker 5 (17:07):
Yeah, I think we all hope so, right, Duran.

Speaker 8 (17:09):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
And you know, going back to Matt's point with the
Public Accounts Committee, I completely support that inquiry into ACACIA.
You know, we saw and have heard some horrific incidents
and the compromises that's made to the health system itself,
but also the workers having to implement a CACIA itself.
I think it was disgusted about that. Unfortunately, a young

(17:30):
person taking his own life around that, and that's kind
of triggered on this Public Accounts Committee inquiry into that
because of the pressures that that person was under. So,
you know, we supporting the public inquiry into that. But
you know, more broadly, it is true that the health
system up here is under a lot of pressure. I've

(17:51):
recently toured Alice Springs Hospital system. They're over capacity at
Alice Springs. You can you know, it doesn't take a
fool to see that. You walk through the doors at
an emergency and it is absolutely packed out with patients
coming through needing that care. The same for Darwin Hospital
and I was told by the General Manager, well, this
is actually a good day, which I was shocked by

(18:13):
because again there was a lot of pressures on that
health system. But you know, I think it takes you know,
we do need Steve Edgington, the Minister, to work in
collaboration and with some maturity with the federal government, you know,
getting down to Canberra, meeting with Mark Butler to discuss
those issues. You know, that's good governing. I've spoken to

(18:35):
Mark Butler when I was in Canberra last week about
the pressures of the health system, when we saw the
maternity ward that's closed down, We've seen the cod yellows
that have been called. So you know, that's something that
I would encourage Steve to go down and actually work
with Becaunter. But we might be on different side of politics,

(18:56):
but there is a way to govern in a collaborative
way to ensure that.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Actually, one of the.

Speaker 4 (19:02):
Real challenges in the public health space, particularly in the
hospital environment, is we have been able to categorically demonstrate
significant underfunding for the Northern Territory comparative to other states,
and the Treasurer is working really hard to articulate that
and take that back to the discussion as will the
Chief Minister at those levels.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
But one of the things that is happening with.

Speaker 4 (19:23):
The Acacia rollout that I think is really important that
probably didn't happen previously. I'm not confident in saying that,
but I don't think from what we've seen and happened.
But the developers of the program, the ACACIA people, have
committed to stay here and work very closely as part
of the role out for as long as needed so
that they can be very proactive if there are any

(19:44):
issues that do occur. And there has been some really
good training and user testing done prior to turning it on,
So any concerns that have been raised, my understanding is
have been addressed at that moment.

Speaker 5 (19:56):
That's good.

Speaker 8 (19:57):
My understanding though, the last time.

Speaker 7 (19:59):
Around is it is one of the biggest issues was
that people working in the hospital and people in the
health department were trying to raise concerns with DC d
D about the issues and they were basically being fobbed off.

Speaker 8 (20:12):
They weren't being listened to.

Speaker 7 (20:14):
You know, the people who are actually on the front
line having to use the system, we're putting their hand
up and saying, hey, there's an issue here. This is
not working, that doesn't work, this is not going to
work properly, and they were basically being dismissed.

Speaker 4 (20:26):
Well, I think our government has demonstrated we do listen
that that if that occurred before we came on.

Speaker 7 (20:33):
With a jeris you're a government but you're not a
government department. And I don't know whether you can iron
out all of the issues in one government department in
twelve months. My understanding is that those issues within that
department have continued for some time and continuing, you know,
potentially to this day.

Speaker 4 (20:49):
So focusing on that Cacier issue, those concerns have well
and truly been if we're talking about a CASIA in
the last twelve months, have actually been listened to.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
Who work has.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
Been done, the consultation and the processes that have been
put in place before they turned it on and tested
and made sure that there is absolute support for the
hospital system from the developers, which is really important because
at the end of the day, they're the ones who
made their program, They're the ones who are best placed
to actually rectify any challenges.

Speaker 1 (21:22):
I think at the end of the day, territorians want
to be assured that whatever system is in place, that
it is going to work effectively and efficiently for staff
so that staff can actually see them when they have
an emergency or when they have an issue within our
hospital and within our healthcare system. Now throughout this week,
we've had a number of listeners get in contact with
us with various different concerns at different levels within the hospital.

(21:44):
You know, in some cases presenting and not being able
to be seen, you know, taking babies in being a
situation like that. You know, a woman whose husband had
died at the hospital and still not sort of having
any answers in terms of what had gone on. I'm
talking this had happened a couple of years ago, and
still not having those answers. You know, I'm talking a

(22:06):
dad who's taken his kid for an X ray because
his child has an osteo issue with his hip that
he's had for some time, going for that X ray,
waiting for four hours to be told to come back
the following day. The criticism is never actually of the
specialists the health care staff that they're seeing. It's the

(22:27):
criticism around not actually being able to get in for
you know, for that treatment or having to wait astronomical
amounts of time. So we spoke to the CEO of
the Health Department about this yesterday, and obviously he had said,
you know, there is always going to be concerns. We've
got an incredibly busy health care system. We all understand that. However,

(22:49):
you know, he did also point to the fact that
we're literally, you know, tacking on new parts to this
hospital and the reality is that we are going to
need a new hospital over the next five to ten years,
is what he told us on the show. And we're
not talking about it costing millions of dollars. We're talking
about it potentially costing billions.

Speaker 5 (23:09):
Like, how do we get there?

Speaker 1 (23:10):
You know, how do we get to the point where
we've got a healthcare system when you know, when people
turn up that they feel confident that they're going to
be able to get in and be seen by the
incredible healthcare professionals that we've got working well.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
I think, first up, we have to get the funding right,
because that's a good start. And I think that and historically,
and I can say this for the many roles I've
had over the years, Historically, funding and it doesn't just
happen in health, it happens in a number of areas.
Historically funding someone on a per capita basis.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
We know that in the Northern Territory the health.

Speaker 4 (23:47):
Needs are significantly greater than our per capita basis funding
models might be. So we really have to look at
what's happening here and we have to persuade the Federal
government that this is not just the same size fits all.
So you get the funding right, then you get the
services right, you.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Get the attraction of the right staff here.

Speaker 4 (24:06):
I think the guys that work in the healthcare system
do an incredible job. I've watched the services grow over
the past thirty years and this is not a new
discussion and that's not I guess that's the challenge because
we continue to take this case to the Federal government
and we still are not getting that track.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
Have you though, because I was down there last week
and I'm shocked that Steve Edgington hasn't actually been down
there to meet with the minister himself, Mark Butler, and
you know we actually need after This is my first
time down to Canberra, so I actually learned a lot
and the machine that Canberra is and.

Speaker 8 (24:42):
Learning they never wanted to go back there, Well, no,
it made me.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
It's a good point that it made me actually realize
the importance of actually being in the minister's face because
you know, they're having to represent over twenty million constituents
across the country, the Northern Territory being such a small jurisdiction,
and it's responsibility of Steve Edgington, the Health Minister, to
actually go down there advocate on behalf of Territorians, put

(25:07):
a plan in place of what's needed so that we're
ensuring that we're getting the right funding for the Northern Territory.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
The responsibility of our member Luke Gosling as well to
make sure that he's putting our case forward.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yeah, and Luke is doing that, but we've got to
remember too, like we've seen the urgent care clinics set up,
we're seeing funding for an age care center, an age
care center that's been set up thanks to Luke advocating
for that. But the reality is Steve Edgington is the
Health Minister of the Northern Territory and he's responsible of
the Northern Territory Health Department, which a ministrates our hospitals

(25:42):
up here in the Northern Territory. So he's got the
Health Department behind him to actually put a case forward
and has those resources behind him to put that case
forward to the scene.

Speaker 1 (25:51):
Though I did say that they've started some of that
preliminary work to actually put that case forward in terms
of the five to ten year plan for a new hospital.
So they've started some of that preliminary work. In terms
of trying to get that funding, I think it's going
to take an.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
Awful long time.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
It sounds like we definitely need to be able to,
you know, to walk into gum at the same time
in terms of managing an overburdened healthcare system and then
trying to get that additional funding or trying to get
that happening. I just feel like when we talk about
health now, we've reached a point where we everybody.

Speaker 5 (26:21):
Needs to get to the table and work together. It's
a show.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
I'll be honest with you, Durrant.

Speaker 4 (26:26):
I've found the best place to actually liaise with my
ministerial colleagues and I'm sure Minister Edgington's and this space
is not in Canberra. There are lots of other places
where we meet and we discuss things. The relationships are
quite personal. It's not always a trip to Canberra. You
said yourself, I'm sure you had great relationships with your

(26:47):
colleagues over the past few years, but you've only just
been to camera for the first time. The camera visit's
probably more of a for show thing.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
I think there's lots to actually go on behind the scenes.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
And the reality is we're two hundred million dollars underfunded
for the health system and we are funding another two
hundred million dollars of services that in other jurisdictions are
paid for by the Fed.

Speaker 3 (27:09):
Can I just respond to that because I don't agree
with that, because you actually have an opportunity when you're
in canvas during a sittings week to meet with a
number of ministers. Because when Parliament is sitting, you not
only have the Health minister you can meet with, You've
got the age care minister, You've got childcare ministers, you've
got Housing minister that all kind of interlinks to the
health system. So it's a really good opportunity to actually

(27:31):
meet with a number of it of the ministers that
are all in the one spot, you can advocate on
behalf of territories of what's needed to a number of
ministers because they then take that to Cabinet to make
decisions around funding for the Northern Territory. So I would
encourage any minister. I don't care if you've a CLP member,
I would actually encourage you to go and meet with

(27:51):
the ministers in camera because you can get a lot done.

Speaker 8 (27:54):
I'll just I.

Speaker 7 (27:55):
Think the bickering between the territory CLP government and the
federal label just achieve nothing like seriously, And it's been
a little bit undifying to watch it going on between
Luke Gosling and Steve Edgington. It's like people just want
you guys to get on the same team and get
behind what's needed here.

Speaker 8 (28:12):
And it's the same here, Like I don't think anyone really.

Speaker 7 (28:15):
Cares whether you're much better to meet with someone in
canber or meet with someone or as long as we're
getting all on the same page that we need more
funding for health in.

Speaker 8 (28:26):
The Northern So why are we spending all of this
time arguing with one another about it? Like, well, it
shouldn't be that difficult.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
On that note, we are going to take a very
quick break because there is a lot still to discuss.

Speaker 5 (28:36):
This morning. You are listening to Mix one O four
nine's three sixty.

Speaker 6 (28:39):
It is the week that was the most listened to
our In Territory Radio.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
It is just on twenty minutes away from ten o'clock.
If you've just joined us, see in the studio this morning,
Duran Young, Robin Carl and Matt Cunningham. Now this week,
we know that a rural Darwin area childcare center and
three of its supervisors were charged following the tragic death
of a twenty two month old girl. Ebanie Thompson, died
after becoming trapped on a fence at the Humpty Doo

(29:06):
Community in childcare center in August back in twenty twenty three,
and was unaccounted for for up to ten minutes when
staff supervision had failed. Now we know that the coroner
found that the loop top fence was in a blind
spot behind the shed and ruled the death was preventable
due to systemic supervision failures. The Education minutester Joe Hersey

(29:28):
joined us on the show yesterday. She said that the
chargers send a strong message that childcare safety must come first.
It is honestly every parent's worst nightmare. It is really
you know, it's a really difficult time of your life
when your kids are young and you're taking them to
childcare and you want to know that when you take

(29:49):
them to childcare and they're in that care, that they're
going to come home and they're going to come home
to you safely.

Speaker 8 (29:55):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
And you know, my heart absolutely goes out to Ebane's
family during this difficult time. You know, no one ever
wants to see this happen, I can, you know, I
can only imagine how heartbreaking this must be for the
family and the friends. But it's also it's been heartbreaking
for all of us, to be honest, you know, to
see what has occurred here. And you know, every parent

(30:17):
has a right to know that when they drop their
child off at a childcare center that their child is
going to be safe and come home to their to
their loved ones. And you know, I just can't imagine
the pain that the family are feeling right now. So
my heart goes out to them. But we have had
a coronial inquest into this which has exposed, you know,

(30:39):
a number of regulatory failings in our system, and you know,
we'll be doing everything we can to support the Minister
ensuring that those failings are set out. I think there's
seven or eight recommendations that came out of that in quest.
You know, we need to ensure that they're implemented properly.
I think we've had a real issue with the regulators

(31:01):
for childcare centers. It seems to have been looking through
the report and more educational approach to child cares, but
you know, we really need to look at that enforcement
to ensure that this isn't occurring in our child care centers.

Speaker 7 (31:14):
It's concerning that when I spoke to Joe Hersey the
other day as well, and I think she said that
there were some childcare centers that have gone sort of
six to eight years without having.

Speaker 8 (31:24):
Compliance checks, and it's unbelievable.

Speaker 7 (31:26):
I mean, there's obviously and you're absolutely right about you know,
everyone's sympathy being with Ebity family, but at a national level,
you know, it's the horrific things that we've seen in
childcare in Victoria in particular. I mean, it would just
be an absolute shock and concern to any parent who

(31:48):
has their child, you know, at a childcare center. And
you know, I think most of us probably have at
some stage. And I couldn't speak highly enough of the
care that my kids got when they were in childcare
here in the Northern Territory. But I tell you, we
had a very different experience when we were in Victoria,
and I think child care centers can vary from from

(32:10):
one to another. I mean, we were really lucky here
We're at Nicley Family Center where it was a real
it was a family center. You know, like the staff
there were like, we're like your children's grandparents were still there, yeah,
and still there now, and you know they see the
kids all grown up now and they like they have
that real bond, Whereas there were places where our kids
were in childcare in Victoria where those kids were just

(32:31):
a number, Like they were seriously just a number on
a spreadsheet. They were a money making device, you would
have to say.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
And regulating childcare first became a priority. It was a
number of decades ago now, and I think the situation
that you.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
This kid's being a number.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
Certainly there were cases there was a national provider who
are no longer in business, who were very much much
about the numbers, not the children. And I just I'm
really pleased to be able to say that Minister Hersey
has actually got an agreement that this matter will be
put into the agenda for the Education Minister's round table

(33:14):
in February. YELP she's canvassing and working with all her
state and territory colleagues. This is incredibly important because the
regulations are driven at the federal level, even the fencing regulations,
so it does make it a bit of a challenge.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
But I think with the circumstances, with everything.

Speaker 4 (33:30):
That's been going on in this space, and certainly the
terrible tragedy that we had here for Ebony and her family,
which we all feel for, I can't imagine what that
would be like to not bring your child home from childcare.
So we will do everything possible and compliance will absolutely
be a.

Speaker 1 (33:47):
Focus, and I reckon this is one of those areas
that we will see absolute you know, you would think
no political game playing, you know, from federally here in
the Northern Territory. Everybody wants to make sure that our
kids are safe. And some of what we've seen over
the last few months in terms of what's going on
in some of the childcare centers into state has been

(34:08):
absolutely horrendous. So I do think it'll be a situation
where we have that real you know, coming together and
making sure that we get it right for our kids. Now,
a real change of pace because one area where it
really doesn't look like where I don't know, there's something
going on here in terms of not getting the answers
from the federal government. The Chief Minister, Leah Fanocchiaro, joined

(34:31):
me on the show earlier in the week and she
said she has had enough of delays from Canberra over
appointing the Northern Territory's next administrator. So she told me
on Monday that the Territori's nomination has been sitting on
the Prime Minister's desk since June.

Speaker 5 (34:47):
Waiting for Federal Cabinet approval.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
Now she says that the hold up shows disdain from
Canberra that they've got for us here in the territory.

Speaker 6 (34:55):
Now.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
Kathleen Gazola, my producer, had been in contact the Prime
Minister's office to to get an update on this situation
and and well, a department spokesperson for the Prime Minister
and Cabinet said the Administrator of the Northern Territory is
appointed by the Governor General based on advice from the
Northern Territory and Australian governments and that yeah, essentially the

(35:20):
Australian governments considering the candidate proposed by the Northern Territory
in line with standard significant appointment process. Does this mean
it's somebody controversial, Robert, I don't believe so.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
I think this just is I'm not sure why there
would be to delay.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
It's very it's very I'd have to kill everybody listening
if I said anything. I think it's it's like, it's
really unusual. This, this is this is really unusual. This
is not what normally happens. This is unprecedented in terms
of delay. Normally, by now, with the current administrator's position finishing,

(35:59):
I think it's about January.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
Normally, by now we.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
No farewell to it.

Speaker 4 (36:04):
John Farnham, we would know well, we know well hopefully
it doesn't mean in the same way as John Farnum.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
No, well he's yeah, I mean we I guess we're waiting.

Speaker 5 (36:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
It really doesn't make any sense normally. This is just
the terror. She puts somebody up.

Speaker 4 (36:19):
Ye, the PM's office has to essentially rub a stamp
it because surely the territory knows who's best to represent
the territory. It goes to the gg's office and Bob we.

Speaker 5 (36:28):
Go from there.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
Look, we've had some good suggestions, we've had some interesting suggestions.
Somebody suggested Matt Cunningham earlier in the week. Somebody else
I'd waited for that, someone had suggested me. Somebody had
suggested Dave Tolner and Damian Hale, maybe do it as
a jewel. Great, it would be well, somebody else had
suggested the first the first duo to be the administrator

(36:51):
could be stem and Jackie Edwards, and said that nobody
else knows everybody in the territory like those Great we
had we'd been told it potentially Reese Kershor, the former
Northern Territory Police Commissioner and Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police.

Speaker 5 (37:09):
Oh look, the list goes on.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
And doesn't it. You know what that says?

Speaker 4 (37:13):
That says there are so many amazing territorians out there
who could do this job standing on their heads.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
The Prime Minister and the governors.

Speaker 4 (37:23):
No, definitely conflict, definitely definitely, and I would have to
leave home.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
Well look when I mean, I guess we're waiting to
find out now from the Prime Minister's or the approval
from the PM's office.

Speaker 5 (37:37):
But how long are we going to wait?

Speaker 3 (37:39):
I mean, yeah, look, I think it's a bit blown
out of the water. But left like I respect the
role of the administrator, but you know obviously that the
reality is that there are other priorities that are on in.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
You're saying the territories administrator is not a priority because
they're the person.

Speaker 8 (37:56):
And it's going to happen.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Actually represent let's not.

Speaker 3 (38:00):
Let's not be fooled by the political stunt here. It's
it's just a complete deflection when you know, we know
that it's going to get signed off eventually. It's an
administered process that goes to the people.

Speaker 5 (38:18):
Why are we waiting so long?

Speaker 7 (38:19):
Why November has it not been signed I can only
say to me that there's not that the person who
has been put forward is someone who.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Has no rush. There is.

Speaker 4 (38:29):
There is actually a process, and we've actually complied with
the process. We've submitted it in the timeframes we are required.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
To submit it.

Speaker 4 (38:36):
It's been well beyond what would normally be expected from
your career.

Speaker 8 (38:43):
With me at all.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
It's not an issue for territory.

Speaker 8 (38:46):
Surely on the doors they'd be.

Speaker 5 (38:47):
Talking about this though.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
The administrator is huge to finish up. What January.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
When people start taking bets about who it's going to be.

Speaker 3 (38:55):
Well to know who it is, you make that announcement.
Maybe that's why the pear hasn't signed off.

Speaker 5 (39:02):
With Look, we will take a very quick break.

Speaker 1 (39:05):
You are listening to Mix one O four nine's three
sixty is the week that was Mixed one.

Speaker 6 (39:11):
At four point nine three sixty, the week that was
the most listened to our in Territory radio.

Speaker 1 (39:17):
Well, it is just five minutes from ten o'clock. Durrance
had to take off a tiny bit early. But Robin
Carl of course still in the studio with us, as
is Matt Cunningham and Robyn Well. Rugby league fans in
the Northern Territory they can market in their calendars. The
date has been announced for the Dolphins, the Darwin Dolphins.

Speaker 5 (39:36):
They're taking on the Penrith Panthers. It's going to be massive.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Indeed, do we get a drum roll for the daysman?

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Thank you?

Speaker 2 (39:45):
Rolind okay I can. It will be the seventeenth.

Speaker 4 (39:49):
Of April at TiO Stadium, So that is going to
be a massive, massive game, first home game here for
the Dolphins.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
We're very excited. You should be excited.

Speaker 5 (39:59):
Very well. I'll get to see both my brothers which
would be nice. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
Family family, family reunion in Darwin look out Darwin, all
of the Wolves.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
I don't know, maybe we have to rethink that exactly.

Speaker 5 (40:12):
You might want to change the location.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
It's not the only exciting thing happening though. Obviously a
bit going on in the AFL as well, Matt. The
Suns announced it there well there dates as well, didn't they.

Speaker 8 (40:23):
Yeah, I'm not sure the exactly.

Speaker 7 (40:24):
It's around nine I think in round ten, so Saint
Kilda and Port Adelaide the Sons will be playing up here.
So for that first game again, Sint Kilda should be
a good one. Saint Kilda have been on a massive
recruitment drive, so they'll be They should be one of
the contenders next year. And as we know, the Sons
have been on the march up and up. So they
played their first final series this year just gone and
won one of those, so that should be a good game.

(40:46):
And then the second game is against Port Adelaide probably
you know, not that exciting. Excited I find when you
get it's always good here when the Sons play a
Melbourne team because a lot of the a lot of
the people here support Melbourne team.

Speaker 8 (41:00):
So last year was great.

Speaker 7 (41:01):
We had Hawthorne in the Western Bulldogs two really good games.
Another sort of non Victorian team. It's usually not as
as as big, not as exciting, but you know, we
don't want to be two down on it's good. It's
been good to see Darwin's really got behind the Suns

(41:23):
and the Sons have been really successful up here, so
that's been a good relationship. Hopefully it continues beyond next year.

Speaker 4 (41:29):
It's fantastic having those matches here. It's great for the territory,
it's great for the locals. It's great to get people
in and I will defend the selection.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
Of Port Adelaide. I know a lot of people who
do go for them.

Speaker 4 (41:40):
I don't personally because I'm not really an AFL person.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
I'm more an NFL person. But yeah, I think they'll
have a great turn out.

Speaker 7 (41:47):
Well the game in Alice as well, Melbourne and g WS.

Speaker 5 (41:50):
Yes, oh that's great.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
That's happening in Alice as well. Always wonderful to have
that high level sport here. We're actually going to catch
up with the Dolphins captain Tom Gilbert just after ten
o'clock this morning, find out more about how they are
feeling coming to the Northern Territory.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
We're gonna have to wrap up.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
That's in for us this morning. Robin Carl, thank you
as always.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Can I might have to say Merry Christmas.

Speaker 4 (42:11):
I probably won't see you before Christmas, so have a
good break and I.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
Will enjoy having a bit of time off, getting a
little bit of long service leave which will be wonderful.
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, thank you for your time
this morning.

Speaker 7 (42:24):
Thanks Katie, great to be here, and good luck to
all the dancers from Royal X who have their concert
on tonight and tomorrow night at Darn Entertainment.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
A big night, yeah, big night, that'll be massive, huge
good stuff. And a big thanks to Duran Young for
joining us this morning as well.