1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Joining me live on the line is the Senator for 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, but also the federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Melanderie McCarthy. Good morning to you. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and good morning to your listeners. Coming 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 2: to you from down in the Barkley. 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: Oh good stuff, minister. Lovely to have you on the show. Now, 7 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: there's quite a bit for me to discuss with you 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: this morning. I do just want to ask you what 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: was your reaction to the news over the weekend that 10 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: police have charged three Darwin residents over an alleged multi 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: million dollar defense fraud scheme. 12 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, I think, like most people who heard the 13 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 2: news or read it in the NT news, it was 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: an incredible surprise. And of course, like all things, we 15 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: have to now wait to see what happens with support proceedings, 16 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 2: which I understand is taking place today and it's a 17 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: shal pase spot on. 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: We are expecting that to happen today. I guess you know, 19 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: some out there listening this morning we'll be thinking it's 20 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: already incredibly difficult to win a defense contract, you know, 21 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: through the federal government. Is there going to need to 22 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: be work here to tighten things up further and are 23 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: you concerned that it may have some reputational damage for 24 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: Northern Terror tracks, for the Northern Terror Tory. 25 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: Well, clearly there was a need by the AFP and 26 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: the Defense Department and the Nauble C to make these arrests. 27 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 2: But like I've said, Katie, until we know the details 28 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 2: at this point in time, as much as I know 29 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: is what I've been able to ascertain from the media, 30 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 2: and I think it's really important given that there is 31 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: so much at stake here. And I am also mindful 32 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: of a number of people who you know, will be 33 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: affected outside of this, whether they're employees, are the businesses 34 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: that are involved, or whether they're people out on communities 35 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: and across the Darwin and Catherine and Tenant and Alice 36 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: who are also connected. You know, there's a lot of 37 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: people who need some certainty about what's going on, and 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: of course we have to see what happens with the courcat. 39 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: All right, Minister. Last week the future of y Burnya 40 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: School in Alice Springs was well thrown into thread I 41 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: guess after just fifty students turned up to class on Thursday. 42 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: It was down from the peak enrollment of three hundred 43 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: and sixty in December last year. We know that staff 44 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: at Ybrina were told on Wednesday between fifteen and twenty 45 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: of them would be made redundant after plunging enrollments left 46 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: the school three point seven million dollars in debt to 47 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: the federal government. We just caught up with the Chief 48 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: Minister a short time ago. She had seen, okay that 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: the funding is through you guys and made it sound 50 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: as though it's a federal responsibility. What is the situation 51 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: from your perspective. 52 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 2: Well, the day to day running of the of ye 53 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: per in your own in fact, any independent school and 54 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: any school in the Northern Territories the responsibility of the 55 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 2: Northern Territory government. That's really important to distinguish that. In 56 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: terms of the funding. We've certainly assisted with funding for 57 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: year Poomier. In fact, I think as late as Friday 58 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: cadies in the Education Minister Jason Claire is offering the 59 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 2: school a five year repayment plan, so you know, twenty 60 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: twenty seven to thirty one rather than the existing three 61 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: year repayment plan. That offer has been made two year 62 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: per in yr school and it has been accepted. So 63 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: now that is a development that happened on Friday, so 64 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 2: I would expect today and the following days that there 65 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: will be further conversations around that repayment plan. And I'm 66 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 2: certainly encouraging and I'm sure the Education Minister at the 67 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: Commonweal level is encouraging that this repayment plan assists the 68 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: staff and the school so that they can revisit any 69 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: talk of redundancies. It's a very difficult time and people 70 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: should not feel like they're without jobs going into Christmas. 71 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: Do you feel as though they're going to be able 72 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: to pay that back? I mean, that's a lot of 73 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: that's a big debt for a school to have to 74 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: be paying back. Whether it's over three years or five, 75 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: it's going to be tough. 76 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 2: Absolutely, it will be tough. But one of the things 77 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 2: that I do know about Yuprenia School is that there 78 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 2: is a great deal of love for that school around 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: all of those town camps around Central Australia. You've got 80 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 2: about sixteen town camps that it caters for. I was 81 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: there at U Dunmow Camp just last week talking to 82 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: families there, even talking to staff from eu Prenia College, 83 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 2: and there is a great deal of support around the 84 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: country for this school and we will ensure that this 85 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: school gets back on its feet. 86 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: All right, So the Education Minister has liaise with the school, 87 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: so that payment back is going to be over a 88 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: five year period and you're certainly hopeful that that is 89 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: going to mean that the school is able to continue 90 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: to operate. 91 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 2: Well, it's an important first step, Katie. Clearly there are 92 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: other areas and this comes down to the report that 93 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: I understand that the Northern Territory Education Minister has to 94 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 2: deal with, and there are significant issues within that report 95 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: which appropriately have to be dealt with by the ND government. 96 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 2: But I would say that overall, in terms of yu 97 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 2: Breunia School, to those students and staff and their families 98 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: who may hear your interviews, there is a great deal 99 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: of support at the Commonwealth level for. 100 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: You, all right, Minister. I know this morning as well, 101 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: you're also out announcing more than nine hundred new Indigenous 102 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: ranger jobs are going to be created across the country. 103 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: It's part of the Federal government's commitment to double the 104 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: number of Indigenous ranges by the end of the decade. 105 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 1: What's it going to mean for the Northern Territory. 106 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: Well, it's good news. For the Northern Territory. We've got 107 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: significant ranger groups around the territory and we're going to 108 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 2: see seventeen more that will come out as a part 109 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: of this funding announcement. This is a second round of 110 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: the ranger program that's going to start rolling out over 111 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 2: the next couple of weeks. I'm here in the Berkley. 112 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 2: We're going to see rangers here actually at the Coulehman 113 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 2: Dinner Rangers. It's a new group. What I'm asking for 114 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: is that there's also gender parody Kdie. We're trying to 115 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: roll out at least a thousand positions for women across 116 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: the ranger groups across Australia, because I do want to 117 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: see more women rangers who are a part of what 118 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: we're rolling out. 119 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: It's not the only thing you're announcing today. I understand 120 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: the government's also announcing that you're going to provide two 121 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars in funding to support ninety six projects 122 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: across Australia to ensure disaster prepared What does that mean 123 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: for the Northern Territory. Are any of those projects here 124 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: in the NT? 125 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 2: Well, it certainly encompasses the NT. I mean it's conscious 126 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 2: there's heavy rain in Darwin at the moment and will 127 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: be probably for the next few days as we watch 128 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 2: the low that's sort of to the north of Darwin 129 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: and water in that area. It is that time of 130 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: Yeukadian and I think all Territory residents know that we've 131 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,239 Speaker 2: got to be cyclone ready, We've got to be prepared 132 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: for any flooding and the Commonwealth government is always there 133 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: to assist. 134 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: Minister before I let you go. We spoke to the 135 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: Chief Minister earlier today. We didn't actually touch on this 136 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: with her today, but we spoke about it last Monday. 137 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: She said that the government, the Northern Territory government, is 138 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: still waiting for the Prime Minister's Office to sign off 139 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: on the next administrator. They apparently sent through the paperwork 140 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: or the recommendation in June. Do you know what's causing 141 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: the delay or do you know if they've put forward 142 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: somebody that might be I don't know, maybe questions being asked. 143 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 2: Look, I just checked in this morning one of my 144 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 2: advisors did with the Minister McBain's office. I understand that 145 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 2: they are considering the Chief Minister's request. I'm not familiar 146 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: with what the next step is but I'm happy to 147 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: certainly advocate once I get back to Canberra. But you know, 148 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: at the same time, the Chief Minister is the leader 149 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 2: of the Northern Territory and I'm sure she's probably able 150 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 2: to have a conversation with the Prime Minister as well well. 151 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: Melan Dearye McCarthy, Senator for the Northern Territory and also 152 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: Minister for Abridge and All Affairs. Always appreciate your time. 153 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: Is it warm in the Barkley this morning? 154 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 2: It's lovely, It's really lovely. Yeah, it's still lovely and 155 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 2: green actually, which is nice. 156 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: Very nice. Well, it's beautiful here with the wet weather. 157 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: I tell you what you're missing out, but I'm sure 158 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: you'll be back. Thank you, Thanks so much, much appreciated.