1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,680
Speaker 1: We know the budget was handed down yesterday and joining

2
00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:05,120
Speaker 1: me on the line to talk a little bit more

3
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,400
Speaker 1: about it from a business perspective. It is the Chief

4
00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,200
Speaker 1: Policy Officer for the Northern Territories Chamber of Commerce, Stephen

5
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:12,440
Speaker 1: good Or. Good morning to you.

6
00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,040
Speaker 2: Hi Katie, good morning. How are you very well?

7
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,759
Speaker 1: Stephen? What was your reaction to the budget yesterday?

8
00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,320
Speaker 2: Well, I think there were some pleasant surprises in the

9
00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,960
Speaker 2: budget delivery yesterday and I think, you know, without rattling

10
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,600
Speaker 2: off too many of the positives that came out of it,

11
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:39,479
Speaker 2: that the general impression of the budget was in amongst

12
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,760
Speaker 2: all of the habit tumultuous things that happened yesterday, was

13
00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,040
Speaker 2: that the budget was was quite a quite a surprise.

14
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,520
Speaker 1: We know that, you know, some businesses have been doing

15
00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,640
Speaker 1: it a bit tough, certainly throughout the COVID pandemic. But

16
00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,240
Speaker 1: has this year's budget been beneficial for our territory businesses?

17
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,600
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think you know, there's a there's an element

18
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,720
Speaker 2: that steps in before that and the general health of

19
00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:12,680
Speaker 2: the Mordern Territory government underpins very much our commercial sector,

20
00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:17,800
Speaker 2: as then does our commercial sector underpin you know the

21
00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:23,040
Speaker 2: performance of the overall budget for the government on an

22
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,400
Speaker 2: annual basis. Now, the last couple of years have seen

23
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:34,600
Speaker 2: exponential expenditure against health concerns and the pandemic, certainly the

24
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,560
Speaker 2: related additional cost that went against our police services for

25
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,720
Speaker 2: border control and other things. And you know, the fundamental

26
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,240
Speaker 2: belief I guess as we've come out of this was

27
00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,320
Speaker 2: that some of these impacts were going to be felt

28
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 2: still against this budget. But I think the resilience of

29
00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,640
Speaker 2: funding that's come in through GST revenue growth because of

30
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:08,000
Speaker 2: national performance and territory performance in any economics are underpinning that.

31
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 2: Though there are a lot of struggles still, particularly in

32
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,680
Speaker 2: that workforce space that you spend considerable time speak about

33
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,639
Speaker 2: on air with many many different entities that you know,

34
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,880
Speaker 2: there are some positives that come out of this and

35
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,160
Speaker 2: some real commitments I think in some key areas, particularly

36
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:36,240
Speaker 2: in housing and the development of additional infrastructure projects and investments.

37
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,880
Speaker 2: I think there are some very strong positives as well.

38
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,560
Speaker 1: We are obviously hearing right now and you touched on

39
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,519
Speaker 1: this just a moment ago, that some industries are really

40
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:49,280
Speaker 1: struggling to fill those jobs, so struggling with workforce. Can

41
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,440
Speaker 1: that economic growth still happen and still be as strong

42
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,079
Speaker 1: as predicted. If businesses are struggling to find people to

43
00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:56,760
Speaker 1: fill jobs.

44
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,840
Speaker 2: As I spoke to you just a couple of weeks

45
00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:06,320
Speaker 2: back on on the workforce issues and challenges, and you know,

46
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,120
Speaker 2: there's a there's a whole series of elements that come together.

47
00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,960
Speaker 2: You know, you have the Pacific program, you have skilled migration.

48
00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,320
Speaker 2: We have a tremendous amount of focus both through the

49
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,440
Speaker 2: Department of Education and through Workforce and T on the

50
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,239
Speaker 2: on the development of skilling. GT and T and many

51
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,079
Speaker 2: others are doing fantastic job. And you know, we've got

52
00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,600
Speaker 2: record numbers of apprentices in the system. One of the

53
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,160
Speaker 2: key things that is happening is that we've we've got

54
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,480
Speaker 2: a you know, almost like a perfect storm. We've got

55
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:45,960
Speaker 2: a number of years of elements of of that feeder

56
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,480
Speaker 2: have not been operational because of closed borders. We have

57
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:57,320
Speaker 2: had substantial pushback because of the lack of availability of accommodation,

58
00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,680
Speaker 2: and one of the other pieces that has been having

59
00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,480
Speaker 2: substantial impact. Of course, there has been the very widespread

60
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:10,000
Speaker 2: concerns of public safety. These are affecting our abilities to

61
00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,080
Speaker 2: be an attractive destination for employment, migration to families, and

62
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:19,000
Speaker 2: the rest of it. So that it is a perfect storm.

63
00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,760
Speaker 2: I think there are elements in the budget that certainly

64
00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:27,920
Speaker 2: get at some of these key pieces. And Nicole, our

65
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,960
Speaker 2: chief operating officer, and the team have been doing an

66
00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:35,440
Speaker 2: excellent job in this living in the territories initiatives and

67
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,160
Speaker 2: really getting some focus with the public and business on

68
00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:40,800
Speaker 2: public safety.

69
00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,279
Speaker 1: Well yeah, well that is certainly an issue, as is

70
00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,000
Speaker 1: those staff shortages. Steven, we are going to have to

71
00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:48,960
Speaker 1: leave it there. We're pretty pressed for time this morning.

72
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,680
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having a chat with us all.

73
00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,600
Speaker 2: Rkatie, thanks very much for listeners. Thank you, thank you.