1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,360
Speaker 1: In the studio right now, as she does every Wednesday morning.

2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,200
Speaker 1: It is the opposition leader Leofan Kiro. Good morning, Good.

3
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:07,760
Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.

4
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,200
Speaker 1: Now, Lea, obviously the big news this morning is the

5
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,119
Speaker 1: federal budget being handed down. What was your reaction overnight?

6
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:15,760
Speaker 2: I was thrilled to see the two hundred and twenty

7
00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,279
Speaker 2: two million dollar GST win for that we got. I

8
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,680
Speaker 2: think that really truly reflects the fact that, you know,

9
00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,200
Speaker 2: Senator Sam McMahon and my opposition team have been working

10
00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,720
Speaker 2: closely with our colleagues in canbrid to ensure that we're

11
00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,760
Speaker 2: getting as big as slices of the pie as possible.

12
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,280
Speaker 2: Some of the funding around the Beterloo, and of course

13
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,239
Speaker 2: the one hundred and ninety million dollars for roads upgrades

14
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,520
Speaker 2: is really critical and sensible funding because it unlocks economic opportunity,

15
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,239
Speaker 2: which means we can leverage that money and that investment

16
00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,720
Speaker 2: and create more money and more investment in the territory.

17
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,440
Speaker 1: Now, obviously, this GStar given it's always an interesting one,

18
00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,120
Speaker 1: or it's always sort of there's a bit of confusion,

19
00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,480
Speaker 1: I think you would say, especially for the everyday punter,

20
00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:57,880
Speaker 1: when it comes to the GST and the impact that

21
00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,560
Speaker 1: it has now it will well. The Federal opposition had

22
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,840
Speaker 1: said that the budget will rack up a trillion dollars

23
00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,600
Speaker 1: of debt, but the Northern Territory is still copying a

24
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,360
Speaker 1: one hundred million dollar cut to our GST payments. Take

25
00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,839
Speaker 1: a listen though to what Materis Corman had to say

26
00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,520
Speaker 1: a little bit earlier on the show.

27
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,480
Speaker 3: Let me be very explicit. The Northern Territory in twenty

28
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,040
Speaker 3: twenty one is expected to receive two point seven billion

29
00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,480
Speaker 3: dollars in GST payments and that is an increase, an

30
00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,199
Speaker 3: increase of two on twenty one point six million dollars

31
00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,720
Speaker 3: compared to twenty nineteen twenty Leah.

32
00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,440
Speaker 1: There's always a bit of confusion around the GST and

33
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,640
Speaker 1: I know that in previous years it's sort of been

34
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,240
Speaker 1: something that the Territory Treasurer has spoken about having a

35
00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,760
Speaker 1: massive impact on the territory's budget. What is what's your

36
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,720
Speaker 1: understanding of the GST slice for the territory this time round.

37
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,080
Speaker 2: So we've got a clear increase this budget of two

38
00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,320
Speaker 2: hundred and twenty two million dollars. That is an enormous

39
00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,160
Speaker 2: amount of money that now the terror Ritary government has

40
00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,800
Speaker 2: to spend really wisely, and it'll be interesting to see

41
00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,320
Speaker 2: whether they use that to pay down debt, whether it

42
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,240
Speaker 2: goes into roads or additional infrastructure, whether it goes into

43
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,680
Speaker 2: supporting projects and unlocking additional investment. But I don't know

44
00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,680
Speaker 2: what to document the federal labor oppositioner looking at. But

45
00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,919
Speaker 2: one thing's for sure. We know labor, the Labor Party

46
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,560
Speaker 2: doesn't understand the books. It can't manage money, and so

47
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,680
Speaker 2: claiming some sort of fictitious one hundred million dollar gest

48
00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,520
Speaker 2: cut is just scare mongering. What we have is a

49
00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,280
Speaker 2: very clear investment from the federal government which is now

50
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,359
Speaker 2: to the territory government to spend wisely.

51
00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,320
Speaker 1: Now, Leah, a number of the announcements announced overnight, obviously

52
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,240
Speaker 1: we're all about sort of tax cuts and incentives to

53
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,840
Speaker 1: try and get Aussie's in jobs and spending, also about

54
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,480
Speaker 1: small business keeping them moving. Are you confident that the

55
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,120
Speaker 1: measures that were announced overnight will really give business the

56
00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,880
Speaker 1: confidence that they require to invest and keep people employed.

57
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,760
Speaker 2: I think so. And it's you know, an amazing country

58
00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,160
Speaker 2: we live in where our federal government has been able

59
00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,960
Speaker 2: to provide job keeper, job seeker and all of these

60
00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,720
Speaker 2: additional supports. Of course, we saw the announcement around paying

61
00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,720
Speaker 2: half the wages of apprentices. All of these schemes come

62
00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,480
Speaker 2: at a cost, but they're so important, they're so timely,

63
00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,680
Speaker 2: and sure some of them haven't been perfect, but we

64
00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,079
Speaker 2: live in an imperfect world and this is an ever

65
00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,760
Speaker 2: changing environment. But certainly I think all of those measures

66
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,200
Speaker 2: will help support people to stay in business and people

67
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,840
Speaker 2: to stay connected to their employment, which is critical. I'm

68
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,400
Speaker 2: really also excited, Katie about the investment in the Beterloo.

69
00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,960
Speaker 2: Of course, is well over one hundred million dollars there

70
00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,080
Speaker 2: that's been allocated to ensuring that we understand the Beterloo well,

71
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,160
Speaker 2: that we unlock the opportunity and investment that that has,

72
00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,240
Speaker 2: which again, as I said at the start, we can

73
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,760
Speaker 2: leverage the money the federal government are putting into that

74
00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,320
Speaker 2: to create more money and more jobs going forward, and

75
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,520
Speaker 2: that's what we need to be doing.

76
00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,160
Speaker 1: Seemingly no confirmation though at this point in time, well,

77
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,440
Speaker 1: no investment at this point in time into say, you know,

78
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,760
Speaker 1: a pipeline that runs to the Southern States from the Bedloo.

79
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,800
Speaker 1: Is that something that we really need to try to

80
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:07,120
Speaker 1: be pushing for.

81
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, what we need to do is get that gas

82
00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,840
Speaker 2: out of the ground. You know, we need to ensure

83
00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,680
Speaker 2: that we're moving ahead with the regulatory framework, which the

84
00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,560
Speaker 2: Gunner government are still slowly working through. We urge them

85
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,120
Speaker 2: to do that quickly because this is a big opportunity.

86
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,719
Speaker 2: The federal government have sent a very clear message that

87
00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,400
Speaker 2: this is going to be a gas led recovery and

88
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,039
Speaker 2: that we have a role to play in firing up

89
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,400
Speaker 2: the rest of the nation. Now, that is all about timing,

90
00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,720
Speaker 2: and that is all about acting swiftly, and so it's

91
00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,359
Speaker 2: incumbent upon the Gunner government to use this opportunity to

92
00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,840
Speaker 2: secure the territory's position in getting that gas out of

93
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,360
Speaker 2: the ground. And once we've proved all of that asset up,

94
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,599
Speaker 2: we will then be able to put in big pictures

95
00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,680
Speaker 2: for pipelines and other investment. But of course, the proof

96
00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,039
Speaker 2: in itself will be in the pudding. I mean, once

97
00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 2: that gas is proved up and the companies are able

98
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,640
Speaker 2: to get to that extraction phase, private sector investment will

99
00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,000
Speaker 2: flow and you will have entities wanting to build pipe

100
00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,640
Speaker 2: lines because the economics will stuck up naturally.

101
00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,200
Speaker 1: Leah, what do you think about this job maker hiring credit.

102
00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,200
Speaker 1: Obviously it's going to be a good thing for young

103
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,680
Speaker 1: people aged between sixteen and thirty five. But do you

104
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,039
Speaker 1: think it's going to mean that some employers are a

105
00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,080
Speaker 1: bit ageous and sort of go for that younger employee

106
00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,560
Speaker 1: rather than, you know, rather than employing someone who's a

107
00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:21,200
Speaker 1: little bit older.

108
00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,520
Speaker 2: Look, no, I don't think so. I think it's really

109
00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,479
Speaker 2: important and let's not forget we've got to look at

110
00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,440
Speaker 2: all these measures holistically, so there's a wide range of

111
00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,320
Speaker 2: different supports that don't just target one group or one

112
00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,719
Speaker 2: demographic in our society. We know that some of our

113
00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,960
Speaker 2: employment numbers around young people and engagement in the workforce

114
00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,880
Speaker 2: are low, and I imagine that this initiative is designed

115
00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,000
Speaker 2: to specifically target that. But of course there are a

116
00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,480
Speaker 2: wide range of businesses which require different levels of skill,

117
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,520
Speaker 2: different you know, numbers and volumes of staff as well.

118
00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:53,960
Speaker 2: So this is just one in a wide range of

119
00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,920
Speaker 2: strategies which are designed to keep people in jobs and

120
00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,359
Speaker 2: you know, continue to improve their skills going forward.

121
00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,919
Speaker 1: Leah, is there enough in this federal budget for the

122
00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:07,240
Speaker 1: Northern territory when you talk about projects and infrastructure, Well, this.

123
00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,320
Speaker 2: Is very interesting and of course we've seen the huge

124
00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,719
Speaker 2: amount of money going into beat Aloo, the huge amount

125
00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,400
Speaker 2: of JSTRE that really is such a windfall. Of course,

126
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,800
Speaker 2: even in health we picked up tens of millions of

127
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,440
Speaker 2: dollars additional to the National Critical Care Center and rd H.

128
00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,440
Speaker 2: But my question really is what did the Gunner government

129
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,320
Speaker 2: do in preparation for this federal budget. Did they deliver

130
00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,799
Speaker 2: the federal government with a suite of shovel ready projects

131
00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,719
Speaker 2: and I mean literally shovel ready, not shovel ready in

132
00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,080
Speaker 2: the Gunner government definition, which means sometime two or three

133
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,279
Speaker 2: years away. Did they deliver the federal government those shovel

134
00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,600
Speaker 2: ready projects? And if they did, then we need to

135
00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,960
Speaker 2: see whether or not they were invested in. But I

136
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,440
Speaker 2: suspect that our territory government was not ready for the

137
00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:56,360
Speaker 2: federal budget. But in any irrespective of our government's ability

138
00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,560
Speaker 2: to get its act together, the federal government have absolutely

139
00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,320
Speaker 2: delivered for the territory, delivered for regions. You know that

140
00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,800
Speaker 2: one hundred and ninety million dollars in roads funding is

141
00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:09,400
Speaker 2: so significant. It unlocks social opportunities, it unlocks tourism, and

142
00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,120
Speaker 2: unlocks being able to get our product to market. And

143
00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,120
Speaker 2: really the Barkley cleaned up a lot in this federal budget.

144
00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,440
Speaker 2: So I really thank our federal colleagues and Santaemic Mahmon.

145
00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,600
Speaker 2: We've all been working really hard to secure the best

146
00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,200
Speaker 2: deal for the territory and we certainly hope that the

147
00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,920
Speaker 2: Gunner government at least attempted to put our best foot forward.

148
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,560
Speaker 1: Well, look, we are going to be catching up with

149
00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,880
Speaker 1: the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Evil Ala in

150
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,280
Speaker 1: a few minutes time and we will ask her whether

151
00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,040
Speaker 1: there were shovel ready projects put forward and certainly hear

152
00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,920
Speaker 1: her response. Now another thing that I do want to

153
00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,440
Speaker 1: to talk to you about, speaking of shovel ready, Yesterday

154
00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,480
Speaker 1: we caught up with the CEO of Lambridge, Mike Hues,

155
00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,480
Speaker 1: and he did confirm that the company is realistically now

156
00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,080
Speaker 1: looking into whether that project down at the waterfront, the

157
00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,320
Speaker 1: luxury hotel, does indeed move ahead. You know, it's going

158
00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,960
Speaker 1: to be a real wait and see kind of scenari

159
00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,360
Speaker 1: But he said if he was a betting man and

160
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,720
Speaker 1: conditions don't change, that realistically it's not going to happen.

161
00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:07,280
Speaker 1: What's your reaction to that.

162
00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,239
Speaker 2: Well, that's obviously really disappointing news, but again it comes

163
00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,720
Speaker 2: down to timing. Had the Gunner government have gotten onto

164
00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,240
Speaker 2: this project and progressed it quicker, it would already be

165
00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,480
Speaker 2: out of the ground. And this is the reality we've

166
00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,119
Speaker 2: seen this government stall for. We're coming onto five years now,

167
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,640
Speaker 2: and timing is everything. It makes the difference between when

168
00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,280
Speaker 2: you can invest capital or not. I mean, if we

169
00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,559
Speaker 2: had got that investment or beat Aloo and all of

170
00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,240
Speaker 2: these things out of the ground before COVID, then that

171
00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,000
Speaker 2: investment would already be sitting here, the jobs would have happened,

172
00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,040
Speaker 2: and we'd already have the opportunities that flow from it.

173
00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,720
Speaker 2: So you know, the government cannot sit around and just

174
00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,400
Speaker 2: expect the private sector to be ever ready with money

175
00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,080
Speaker 2: to spend. You know that things are ever changing, and

176
00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,640
Speaker 2: that's why when you have an opportunity in the territory,

177
00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,120
Speaker 2: you have to throw everything at it to deliver on it.

178
00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,880
Speaker 2: And that's why we've been really clear in our policies

179
00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,160
Speaker 2: around cutting approvals time frames by fifth and having a

180
00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,440
Speaker 2: territory coordinator to facilitate exactly these types of major projects.

181
00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:07,120
Speaker 1: Lea, we are going to have to get ready to

182
00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,120
Speaker 1: wrap up. But I do want to ask you quickly

183
00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,680
Speaker 1: about WEELL about a topic that we've spoken about on

184
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:14,800
Speaker 1: a few different occasions. We did catch up with Josh

185
00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,679
Speaker 1: Burgoyne as well late last week about some of the

186
00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,400
Speaker 1: issues in Alice Springs around crime. Now, I know that

187
00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:26,160
Speaker 1: COP opposition representatives in Central Australia of Pendon open letter

188
00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,240
Speaker 1: to the Chief Minister imploring him to address the worsening

189
00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,440
Speaker 1: crime in Alice Springs across the region. What exactly do

190
00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,839
Speaker 1: you think the government needs to be doing in Alice

191
00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:36,720
Speaker 1: Springs right now?

192
00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,439
Speaker 2: Well, the Chief Minister was down there a week or

193
00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,840
Speaker 2: so ago and has delivered nothing since.

194
00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:44,840
Speaker 1: He has met up with the police and he has

195
00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,360
Speaker 1: obviously held talks with them.

196
00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,439
Speaker 2: Well he's met with the police. I don't think he's

197
00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,600
Speaker 2: met with the community. I was certainly down there after

198
00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,600
Speaker 2: him and people said he made one walk through them

199
00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,160
Speaker 2: all and that was about it. We've heard nothing. I mean,

200
00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 2: in the lead up to the election, the Gunner government

201
00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,920
Speaker 2: put out a big press release with ten or fift

202
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,360
Speaker 2: fifteen things they were going to do to tackle crime,

203
00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:04,880
Speaker 2: and where you know, six weeks past the election and

204
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,240
Speaker 2: we've heard nothing about when they're going to be implemented.

205
00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,920
Speaker 2: Does the Chief Minister have a plan for the territory

206
00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,560
Speaker 2: and specifically a plan for Alice Springs. Who are suffering

207
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,080
Speaker 2: at the moment. They really are. Businesses are being broken

208
00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,400
Speaker 2: into every single day. Tourism are really really concerned about

209
00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:24,160
Speaker 2: this issue. It's really affecting their ability to attract people

210
00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,439
Speaker 2: to Alice Springs. Of course, locals and victims are concerned,

211
00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,840
Speaker 2: and all we're asking is that the Chief Minister gives

212
00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:33,840
Speaker 2: some hope to the people of Alice Springs that he

213
00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,360
Speaker 2: has a plan to deal with crime. And certainly what

214
00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:37,920
Speaker 2: we're hearing is absolutely nothing.

215
00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,000
Speaker 1: Well, Leah Fanokiro, opposition leader, we are going to have

216
00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,360
Speaker 1: to leave it there. Always appreciate your time. We'll catch

217
00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:44,960
Speaker 1: up with you again hopefully Friday.

218
00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:46,560
Speaker 2: Yes, thank you everyone to take care.

219
00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:48,840
Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one OW four point nine's

220
00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:49,520
Speaker 1: three sixty