1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: I think the question being asked this morning is should 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: we move to digital driver's licenses? That's the question that's 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: being asked. It's not the first time we've had this discussion, 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: but as other states progress towards those digital licenses, we 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: seem to be taking our time here in the Northern Territory. 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is the CEO of 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Hospitality here in the Northern Territory, Alex Bruce. Good morning, Alex. 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie. 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: Mate. Tell me why well where are we at? Firstly, 10 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: the with these digital driver's licenses, because you and I 11 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: have spoken about this previously. 12 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, over two years ago we had a chat and 13 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: we could already see it happening. I mean, they've been 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 2: fully rolled out in South Australia since twenty seventeen, so 15 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 2: that's coming on six and a half years ago. They're 16 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 2: now fully rolled out in New South Wales. Councils undertaking 17 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 2: a pilot at the moment, and their government's committed to 18 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: rolling it out by the end of this year, and 19 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: the Victorians have launched a plan to have theirs fully 20 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 2: done by next year. End of next year. So why 21 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 2: do we care? Why is hospitality and the bottle shops. 22 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 2: Talking about driver's licenses, well, obviously, apart from you know, 23 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: the need to show it if ever are us by 24 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 2: the police on the side of a road or whatever, 25 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: the number one reason a territory, and even if they're 26 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: an infrequent consumer gets their license out of their wallet 27 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: or of their purses for the purpose of scanning the 28 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 2: BDR systems in our bottle shops. So we're already getting 29 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: a trickle of customers tourists from in the state that 30 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: are coming up. They're keeping their important documents hard copies 31 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: at home and they're only operating on their smartphones. And 32 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: that's good enough to get a higher car when you 33 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 2: come up here and pick one up. It's good enough 34 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: now that we can manually enter it and check in 35 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: our bottleships that they're not on the BDR. Highly unlikely 36 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: they're ever going to be, but we perform that manual check. 37 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: So by the middle and next dry season, we're just 38 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: we're seeing a trend that there's going to be many, 39 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: many more tourists coming up and we're going to have 40 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 2: to do manual entry, which slows down the whole transaction 41 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 2: and is just a more clunky So you know where 42 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: are we on this. There's been nothing publicly since when 43 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 2: you and I spoke about it two years ago, and 44 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 2: with everyone else seeming to move forward, I think it 45 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 2: is right that we have a discussion about when and 46 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 2: how we're starting to see with our family and friends 47 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: into state that having the benefit of this. It doesn't 48 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: sound like a big issue, but what happened is very 49 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 2: quickly people just start leaving their wallets and all their 50 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 2: important documents at home and they just get around with 51 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: their smartphone or their smart watch and their earbuds. It's 52 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 2: a safer, more secure way to do it. You know. 53 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 2: It minimizes the opportunity for you to be mugged at 54 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: the moment. If a young punk wants to mug you, 55 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: they'll grab your cards and you know they can pay 56 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 2: way a hundred bucks of jump food at the local 57 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 2: server or whatever if they're hungry. All your important stuff 58 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: on your phones behind your thumb print or your facial wreck, 59 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: so have at it. The good luck, you're not going 60 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 2: to get anything from me. So you know, there's just 61 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: with all the crime issues we've got going on up here, 62 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: I would have thought that we'd want to be one 63 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: of the first other than the taxi that's stuck in 64 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 2: the rank on this one. 65 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: Well, and it just like to me, it does seem 66 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: to make common sense. You know, so many of us 67 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: do what we need to do with our phones now, 68 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,839 Speaker 1: and fair enough, if you're somebody that doesn't, there might 69 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: still be that option, or there should still be that 70 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,399 Speaker 1: option where you can use a hard license if that's 71 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: the way that you'd prefer to do it. But the 72 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,839 Speaker 1: rest of Australia is moving away from them. We are 73 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: moving towards doing everything digitally, whether we like it or not. 74 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: That is the way that the world is moving. And Alex, 75 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: I mean I would assume that it would make a 76 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: bit of a difference as well, potentially when you talk 77 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: about the way in which the BDR does work and 78 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: how you gather some of that info and that kind 79 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: of thing. 80 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie, and you've hit the nail on the heaven 81 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 2: and we're seeing this across Australia across all age groups. Yes, 82 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: we've got one of the youngest populations up here, but 83 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 2: you know, all age groups are getting the benefit of 84 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 2: this and wondering why they lugged around their wallets and 85 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: versus all that time when you know already from our phone, 86 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 2: you get your bank card, your health insurance, the ATO 87 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: center link, Yeah, loyalty apps like we're already doing this. 88 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 2: And the sticking points for territories is you need to 89 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: carry your wall out of your phone for your driver's license, you' 90 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: waller or your purse. Why in case you ever want 91 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: to go through a takeaway and get a bottle of plank. 92 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: You know, it's it's just madness that there's no transparency. 93 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 2: There's something in the commentary today, Oliver, they're waiting for 94 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: a national approach. What are we talking about? Every state 95 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 2: and territory has control of their own driver's licenses, and 96 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 2: over the last six years we've just sat idle and 97 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 2: we're falling behind. So look, we know territories will embrace it. 98 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: And the problem for us is if we don't get 99 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 2: it to talk to the BDR system. And you know 100 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: you already put your phone on and you tap them 101 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 2: and it checks with your bank. How come we can't 102 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 2: be putting our phone on and it's checking with the BDR. 103 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 2: If required on a dongle in our bottle shops, how 104 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 2: easy would that be? It should be integrated with all 105 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 2: the other jurisdictions as well. So if you do have 106 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 2: a tourist that's traveling through the territory for some time, 107 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: they don't need to constantly have to be manually entered 108 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: by our staff either. Like it's just where are we going? 109 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 2: I thought we were a connected territory. We hear a 110 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 2: lot of that language, but we're just languishing in the 111 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 2: back case. 112 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so Alex, I mean from your perspective, because 113 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: obviously the Minister said a bit earlier on the show 114 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: the government's moving towards it, but it doesn't seem to 115 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: be happening very quickly. So from hospitalities perspective, is you 116 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: know what you're after here a bit of a plan 117 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: from the government as to when exactly they are going 118 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: to move to having digital licenses. 119 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 2: Absolutely and make that the priority and the focus. You know, 120 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 2: we're constantly having to batter way whether the BDR should 121 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: be extended at all in its footprint and where else 122 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: it should be, and it's it's marginally effective if you're lucky, 123 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 2: it's probably not. We've always given advice to government to 124 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 2: make the system better before you sought to expand its 125 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 2: role out anywhere, and for this one it's a no 126 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,919 Speaker 2: brainer for us, like technology can actually be a solution 127 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 2: for how we make sure that those are on that 128 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 2: are on the BDR don't get access to alcohol right 129 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,359 Speaker 2: across the territory. But we're just not using the tools 130 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: that are readily available. 131 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: Well, Alex Bruce, the CEO of Hospitality here in the 132 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: Northern Territory, you'll struggle to get an argument from me 133 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,559 Speaker 1: on this one. I cannot tell you how many times 134 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: I've been, you know, driving home on a Saturday afternoon 135 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: from kids' sport and thought, oh, I wouldn't mind going 136 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: past the bottle shop for a bottle of fine and 137 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: I don't have my license with me, so it's straight home. 138 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: I go, oh, that's it, Katie. And you know, like 139 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: you look back and you waited fourteen days for Telicom 140 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: to connected to your hardline phone when you moved houses 141 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 2: in the suburban Darwin, right, and you look back and 142 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 2: you go, why did we ever put up with that? 143 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 2: This is one of those shifts that's going to happen. 144 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: It's happening elsewhere and the territory goalm I just needs 145 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 2: to be honest with territorians and have line a bit 146 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 2: of a realistic roadmap. 147 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: Well, Alex, I always appreciate your time, no doubt it's 148 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,799 Speaker 1: something that will continue to talk about throughout the morning 149 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: and throughout the week. Thank you for having a chat 150 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: with us today. 151 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: Cheeve Katie all the bet thank you.