1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line right now is the 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: CEO of Hospitality here in the Northern Territory, Alex Bruce. 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Good morning to you yet a Katie Alex out on 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: the road this morning. 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: I understand, beautiful daily waters. 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: What are you doing out there? 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 2: Look, we're stopping at all the roadhouses and wayside inns. 8 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 2: They're very very important members for us, and you know 9 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: they had such a mix mixed year as we all have. 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: But it's just good to now that the school holidays 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: are over, get down the track, spend a bit of 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: time with them, see what's happening. What's what you know? 13 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Pretty good? 14 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: Half your luck, mate, I reckon that sounds like a 15 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: great thing to be doing traveling around the territory now, Alex, 16 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: what was your reaction to the announcement yesterday about the 17 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: mandate for the vaccination for COVID. 18 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course, a little fair bit of a concern 19 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: in our industry. Our phone lines and email system definitely 20 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 2: lit up over the last twelve month twenty four hours 21 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: since the announcement. We support everything that's been going on 22 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 2: with this health perspective. You know, you and I have 23 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 2: spoken about this the last eight een months. The importance 24 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 2: of the health of territoriums, our workers, our staff, our customers, 25 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: you know, don't we don't take that for granted, and 26 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: we understand why these things that are occurring. So the 27 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: vast majority of our workforce, we've been having that respectful 28 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: discussion with them for a few months now, saying, look, 29 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: it looks like this is what's going to happen. There's 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 2: a few issues around how far does this go. Does 31 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: it include the kitchen staff, you know that the people 32 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 2: that make the beds in their hotels, things like that. 33 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 2: Are they forward facing at a in customer service roles? 34 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: The government's been pretty good. They've they've provided Q and 35 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: A that we've distributed already. But it will just be 36 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 2: some of those decisions that each individual business now needs 37 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: to make on whether the worker is in a mandated 38 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: that's required position or not. Once that decision's made, though, 39 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,919 Speaker 2: it's relatively simple for us. You know, we've got responsible 40 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: service of alcohol registers, we've got gaming ones, so we'll 41 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 2: just have another register where we protect that information. 42 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, Alex, I mean I know that you said it 43 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: is causing quite a bit of concern. Is the major 44 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: concern that not knowing exactly which jobs need to be 45 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: included or what is the major concern for you guys? 46 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's how what information do I now need to 47 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 2: ask for? Is some people have got it on their iPhone? 48 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: Will that work if they show me that? What kind 49 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 2: of record? So the government yesterday said that they'll be 50 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: producing a register for us, a template that we can distribute. 51 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: So you know, I've cited this because there's about four 52 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 2: different types of certification or documentation that you can show. 53 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: So how do we record that we keep it safely 54 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: in the manager's office or the rest of it? No dramas, 55 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: it's probably that assessment of which positions or which employee 56 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 2: for this effect. And the other thing we are hearing, 57 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: unfortunately from a lot of our members is, you know, 58 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: we're already challenged with a workforce shortage. There is a 59 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: concern that this makes the problem that little bit harder 60 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 2: to tackle. Again, though, we do need to see and 61 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 2: how understanding is the government that this is coming in 62 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: across the country and we do need all of our 63 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 2: workers that are vaccine hesitant just to be mindful of that. 64 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 2: Don't upsticks and move into state. Our understanding is this 65 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: is coming in across the country. Yeah, that was. 66 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: Actually going to be the next question that you know 67 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: that I was going to ask, are you concerned that 68 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: you could actually lose staff who travel into state? Now 69 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: that we realistically do have the strongest vaccine laws, look a. 70 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: Little bit of that, and our preference probably would have 71 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: been the National Cabinet announced across the country what the 72 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: rule where, and that there is that consistency across the country. 73 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,839 Speaker 2: We understand that is in train and each individual state 74 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 2: and territory are making their own decisions on it. But 75 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: we would hate to be in a predicament where we 76 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: do have ultimately a system up here that isn't shared 77 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: across the country, because then the real risk for us 78 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: is that we do lose people into the state. 79 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: Alex, I mean, are you lock Do you think that 80 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: you are at a risk of that happening anyway, because 81 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: at the moment, I know the Chief ministers certainly you know, 82 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: some would say being quite strong and come out with this, 83 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: you know, with the rules that he came out with yesterday. 84 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: Others would say, you know, very heavy hand, and considering 85 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: that some of our other locations where they actually have 86 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: COVID active in the community, don't even seem to be 87 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: going this hard. 88 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 2: Look, our industries, like the community more broadly, there are 89 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 2: a range of views. We respect the right of people 90 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 2: to have those different views. We continually have to have 91 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: that conversation in our industry on the information flows and 92 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: the access and where people are getting their data from 93 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 2: and all the rest of it. So, look, we don't 94 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 2: like heavy handed approaches on this one though. We by 95 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 2: and large we understand and appreciate what the Chief Hugh Heggy, 96 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 2: the rock god that he is, you know, the CEP 97 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 2: wholes and stuff. We understand what they're doing, and they're 98 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: pretty upfront about it. So we're quite pragmatic. You know, 99 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 2: there are absolutely people in my industry that are not 100 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 2: happy with what's going on. But the reality is we 101 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 2: just knuckle down and make it work, you know. 102 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: And just finally, you know, when it comes to the 103 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 1: holidays and over the Christmas break, do you think that 104 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: the news yesterday or that are the announcement from the 105 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: Chief Minister yesterday when it comes to potentially being able 106 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: to home quarantine, did that give you any comfort in 107 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: terms of seeing travelers back in the Northern Territory over 108 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,239 Speaker 1: that Christmas period. 109 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: Again, that November plan, if you want to call it, 110 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 2: that that might come in at some point in November 111 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: or maybe early December. It's an important next step. It's 112 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 2: really good for territoriums that are looking forward to going 113 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 2: into state to see loved ones that they haven't been 114 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 2: able to see for a long time. It doesn't particularly 115 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 2: help bona fide tourism travel. No one's going to home 116 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 2: quarantine in a hotel room for fourteen days before they 117 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 2: start there their exciting experience with us. So, you know, 118 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 2: with Glenn Hingley and others, we've been quite strong in 119 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: our advocacy towards government that we need to move beyond 120 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: this next stage, preferably sooner rather than later, but by 121 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: end of February at the latest, so that we can 122 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 2: really knuckle down and crack on with a strong dices 123 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 2: next year. 124 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, yep, well I agree with you, Alex. I think 125 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: we do need. You know, we've got to have those 126 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: really sort of strong plans in place so we all 127 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: know what we're heading for and when we're going to 128 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: be able to see those travelers back in the territory. 129 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: But also if you've got family into state, you know, 130 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: knowing when they're going to be able to come and visit, 131 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: or you're going to be able to travel again as well. 132 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: That's it, and we do need to accept to learn 133 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 2: to live with COVID and if that requires a level 134 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 2: of mandatory vaccination in ours and other industries, you know, 135 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 2: fair cop, We'll make it work. 136 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Alex Bruce always good to catch up with you. 137 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: All the best out on the road mate. I hope 138 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: you have a good trip and we'll talk to you 139 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: again very soon. 140 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, cheers, Katie, I'll just keep jogging on. 141 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, good on you. Thank you.