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Speaker 1: The Minister for Health and also the Minister for Tourism.

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Speaker 1: Natasha Philes joins me on the line. Good morning to

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Speaker 1: your minister.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.

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Speaker 1: Now, Minister, firstly, most of us obviously had a great weekend,

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Speaker 1: but unfortunately some people were targets of senseless break ins

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Speaker 1: homes and businesses. The most notable was the Fanny bay IgA,

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Speaker 1: which was targeted in a brazen attack yesterday morning.

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Speaker 3: Minister. Have you seen that vision and what was your reaction?

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Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, I have seen the vision. It was hard

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Speaker 2: to avoid it yesterday on social media and it's unacceptable.

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Speaker 2: It's just appalling. You know, people should be relaxing over Easter.

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Speaker 2: I know that many small business owners particularly take the

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Speaker 2: opportunity with the two public holidays, you know, to have

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Speaker 2: a break and for them to have to see that

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Speaker 2: footage and then deal with that is just not acceptable

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Speaker 2: and so we have got a range of measures. I

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Speaker 2: have to be careful around that specific case now, Katie,

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Speaker 2: because that breaking is now police have made an arrest

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Speaker 2: or charged to sixteen year old as you mentioned, so

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Speaker 2: it's the matter before the courts. But it is simply unacceptable, Minister.

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Speaker 1: The Chief Minister Michael Gunner did ABC Radio this morning.

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Speaker 1: He's been absolutely slammed on social media for his comments

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Speaker 1: on there. It is. It's really clear to me and

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Speaker 1: really clear to the whole community. I think at the

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Speaker 1: moment that the rhetoric that's coming out of the government

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Speaker 1: when it comes to youth crime just isn't getting through.

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Speaker 1: You know, a lot of everyday Territorians are feeling incredibly

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Speaker 1: fed up. Why are we still in a situation where

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Speaker 1: it just seems like this is the norm in the

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Speaker 1: Northern Territory.

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, it's been the space that we saw the

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Speaker 2: Royal Commission into Youth Detention and Child Protection and a

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Speaker 2: huge body of work undertaken, and there has been a

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Speaker 2: lot of work since then, both by Minister Wakefield and

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Speaker 2: now continued with Minister Warden, but supported by other ministers.

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Speaker 2: You know, police have a role to play in this,

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Speaker 2: myself as Minister of Alcohol Policy. So we are doing

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Speaker 2: a lot of work. But we do need to make

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Speaker 2: sure that Territorians understand that we have got a board

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Speaker 2: and comprehensive range of measures, you know, and there's specifics

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Speaker 2: that I can go into now that and we do

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Speaker 2: need to share that detail with territory and so that

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Speaker 2: they can understand that their frustrations are being heard. And

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Speaker 2: some of these spaces are difficult to make change in

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Speaker 2: working with young people, but we have to keep at it. Now.

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Speaker 1: One of these one of these changes that was announced

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Speaker 1: obviously it was a couple of weeks ago, this legislation

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Speaker 1: that is aimed at trying to stop RECIDIVIS defenders. Is

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Speaker 1: this legislation going to be passed and will there be

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Speaker 1: a time frame for the implementation of these legislative changes

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Speaker 1: in May?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so, Katie, we've said that we will. You know

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Speaker 2: that bail is a privilege, not a right, so that

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Speaker 2: automatic revocation of fail we are looking at that, Expanding

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Speaker 2: the list of prescribed defenses, expanding electronic monitoring by police

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Speaker 2: and also the ability to record breach of bail information

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Speaker 2: so that judges know how many times the use of

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Speaker 2: breach bail when they're making senset thing decisions, and also

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Speaker 2: around holding young people to account within the Traffic Act

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Speaker 2: looking at alcohol and other drugs, we know the sense

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Speaker 2: of urgency KD. That would be a specific question for

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Speaker 2: the Minister responsible for that legislation in terms of when

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Speaker 2: they intend to introduce that to the House and what

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Speaker 2: debate and passage they see. But we certainly hear the

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Speaker 2: urgency from Territorians and that will be taking into account.

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Speaker 1: The Chief Minister said last Monday that he wants this

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Speaker 1: to He does want it to go through in May.

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Speaker 1: I mean, is this going to pass on urgency in May?

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Speaker 2: So in terms of urgency, just for your listeners, what

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Speaker 2: that would mean is that the legislation would be introduced

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Speaker 2: and then it would be debated and passed in that

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Speaker 2: same parliamentary sitting. So we certainly sense the urgency from Territorians,

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Speaker 2: and I assume the Ministry is working hard to that timeframe.

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Speaker 2: But as I said, it would be a question specifically

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Speaker 2: for them.

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Speaker 3: Which minister is it, Which minister is responsible for it?

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Speaker 2: So some of it falls under police and some of

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Speaker 2: it falls under Youth justice, is my understanding.

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Speaker 1: I mean as a minister of the Gunner government, though,

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Speaker 1: do you feel as though this needs to pass as

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Speaker 1: quickly as possible to try to help Territorians to avoid

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Speaker 1: a situation like we're in from the weekend.

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Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, I do, but we also need to make

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Speaker 2: sure that we get it right. There's nothing that would

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Speaker 2: be worse than rushing through legislation and not having been thorough.

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Speaker 2: So we certainly understand that sense of urgency. We want

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Speaker 2: to get that done urgently, but we have to get

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Speaker 2: it right.

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Speaker 1: Okay, I have there's plenty of messages starting to come

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Speaker 1: through already, but I do want to move along because

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Speaker 1: I want to ask you about the vaccine roll out.

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Speaker 1: How many vaccines have now been administered in the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, the latest figures that I've been provided this

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Speaker 2: morning is that we've had over eleven thousand vaccinations administered

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Speaker 2: in the territory and the breakdown of doubt is around

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Speaker 2: eight thousand, seven hundred have been delivered by NTE Health

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Speaker 2: and around two thsy three hundred by the Commonwealth through

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Speaker 2: both the Age Care, Disability and GP program. And we

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Speaker 2: also have got over two thousand Territorians Katie, that have

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Speaker 2: received their second dose, so they're fully vaccinated against COVID nineteen.

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Speaker 1: Now is that in line with the timeline that you

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Speaker 1: guys had set out?

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, we've been working hard towards the timeframe of

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Speaker 2: having everyone vaccinated by October. The Commonwealth have said that

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Speaker 2: we should aim to have everyone having their first dose

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Speaker 2: by October, and we're still working towards that. The church's challenge, Katie,

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Speaker 2: has always been our large geographical distance, but we've done

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Speaker 2: a huge body of work around making sure that we

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Speaker 2: get the vaccine out into regional the remote areas. So

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Speaker 2: the vaccine has been delivered in Noulan Boy, Catherine TANet

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Speaker 2: Creek and of course Alice Springs, and during April we'll

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Speaker 2: start to deliver the vaccine in some of those smaller,

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Speaker 2: more remote locations. But the groundwork is being done now,

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Speaker 2: and that means we go into a community, we meet

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Speaker 2: with the community, we make sure they understand the vaccine

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Speaker 2: and how important it is, and if we have to

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Speaker 2: go back a second and third time, Katie, we will.

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Speaker 2: Whilst we're there, we also look at the logistics of

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Speaker 2: delivering that vaccine. We have to be COVID face in

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Speaker 2: our management of providing the vaccine. So all of that

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Speaker 2: work's being undertaken and we're looking forward to starting to

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Speaker 2: visit those communities and actually provide the vaccine through April.

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Speaker 3: So at this point in time, are there here in

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Speaker 3: the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 2: Katie, I don't feel that there are. We certainly have

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Speaker 2: seen some supply issues from Europe, so Astra Zeneca, we've

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Speaker 2: seen delays there. But from our perspective, we were always

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Speaker 2: going to start slow and steady, and we wanted to

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Speaker 2: get our one A frontline work who's vaccinated. We've achieved

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Speaker 2: the majority of those one A workers. Of course, there's

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Speaker 2: the workforces forever changing, there's new people joining, some people

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Speaker 2: might have been on leave. But I feel that we've

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Speaker 2: done a strong job. We don't have that community transmission

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Speaker 2: so that we can take the time to get it right,

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Speaker 2: but we do know there is a sense of evergency

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Speaker 2: in that we want to get back to life, you know,

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Speaker 2: pre COVID as best we can, and so the vaccines

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Speaker 2: are important tool in doing that.

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Speaker 1: So when will all those remaining clinics be set up

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Speaker 1: to vaccinate everybody, all the ones that you know, the

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Speaker 1: others that would do to be set up. Is that

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Speaker 1: process still underway, Katie.

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Speaker 2: So I don't have the actual clinics in front of me,

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Speaker 2: but for any of your listeners, and I know people

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Speaker 2: are really interested in this. If you go to the

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Speaker 2: federal government Department of Health website, you answer three quick

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Speaker 2: questions and it puts you in which phase you are,

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Speaker 2: and also where best to get the vaccination and you

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Speaker 2: might find that your local GP clinic does provide it,

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Speaker 2: or you might have to go to a nearby clinic.

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Speaker 2: Around a dozen clinics GP practices in the territory are

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Speaker 2: already offering the vaccine, and in the next couple of

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Speaker 2: weeks around a dozen more will also be providing that.

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Speaker 2: I was speaking to someone yesterday who said that they

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Speaker 2: were a bit surprised. They had a relatively easy experience.

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Speaker 2: They rang up and their GP was able to book

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Speaker 2: them in and they're getting the vaccine there within the

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Speaker 2: next week and they're really pleased to be able to

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Speaker 2: go to their regular GP. They had some other underlying

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Speaker 2: health issues, So encourage people to visit that Federal Government

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Speaker 2: Department of Health website. We'll send the links through to

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Speaker 2: your team, but also contact their GP clinic to find

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Speaker 2: out are they providing it or where's the best location.

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Speaker 1: Now, Minister, it is being reported nationally that there's a

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Speaker 1: delay in the role out at pharmacy, So Australian pharmacists

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Speaker 1: say that they'll not start administering that COVID nineteen jab

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Speaker 1: until June. As the country's delayed vaccine roll out suffers.

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Speaker 1: Yet another blow is what's being reported is that the case.

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Speaker 3: For the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 1: Are we going to be in a situation where pharmacies

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Speaker 1: are actually able to deliver that vaccine and is that process,

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Speaker 1: I mean, is it on track to start soon.

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Speaker 2: So pharmacy is in pharmacists, trained health professionals. They are

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Speaker 2: a key part of vaccination schedules, you know, year round.

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Speaker 2: I've had conversations with pharmacists in the territory and they

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Speaker 2: are certainly a part of the COVID nineteen vaccine response.

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Speaker 2: My understanding is they're a little further down the schedule, Katie.

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Speaker 2: I don't have the specifics in front of me around

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Speaker 2: what phase they were going to come online. We know

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Speaker 2: that some pharmacists are able to provide that they have

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Speaker 2: this space, they can provide that additional area for people

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Speaker 2: to wait after the vaccine, and so they've been doing

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Speaker 2: some of that logistical work with pharmacies and when it

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Speaker 2: was appropriate for them to come online and start issuing

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Speaker 2: the vaccine, they would. I'd have to get back to

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Speaker 2: you on specifics around what you've just mentioned with them

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Speaker 2: being pushed back to June nationally.

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Speaker 1: Okay, So but it is still going to be happening

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Speaker 1: in the two territory and you feel as though everything's

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Speaker 1: on track at this point.

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Speaker 2: So Katie, as I just said, pharmasister a key rollout

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Speaker 2: for all vaccines and I see them playing a role

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Speaker 2: in COVID nineteen. We've had those discussions with them, but

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Speaker 2: they're certainly logistics that we have to work through and

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Speaker 2: so we'll continue to do that.

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Speaker 1: Okay, there's a lot of talk this morning that Australia

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Speaker 1: is going to open to New Zealand today for travel.

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Speaker 3: What is nty tourism being told at this point, So.

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Speaker 2: It would be really exciting for you know, more people

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Speaker 2: to come to the territory. And we know that the

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Speaker 2: federal government has certainly flagged that two way travel bubble

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Speaker 2: with New Zealand for some time, but there is commentary

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Speaker 2: coming through that it should be finalized by the end

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Speaker 2: of the week. So we're expecting the New Zealand Prime

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Speaker 2: Minister to make an announcement. So if we were to

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Speaker 2: see that, we certainly would make sure that we pivot

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Speaker 2: tourism in the territory across to New Zealand. They have

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Speaker 2: an amazing natural landscape and certainly would appreciate what is

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Speaker 2: offered in the territory with some of our icons in

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Speaker 2: Ularo for Examp Kakadu, so exciting that we possibly during

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Speaker 2: April will see that travel bubble open.

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Speaker 3: Minister.

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Speaker 1: Would there be any capacity that we could end up

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Speaker 1: with a direct flight to from New Zealand, Katie?

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Speaker 2: I think that it's certainly been discussed and airlines and

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Speaker 2: airport officials have looked at at but it does seem

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Speaker 2: a little difficult. But what we'd really like to see

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Speaker 2: is the co alignment of the schedule. So for example,

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Speaker 2: flights you know through Sydney and Brisbane, can they align

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Speaker 2: with the flight through to Darwin and Aura Springs. That

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Speaker 2: certainly I think would be achievable, and making sure that

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Speaker 2: people don't have to overnight, which then is a deterrent,

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Speaker 2: particularly as people are looking in this sort of COVID

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Speaker 2: space to travel directly to their destination, to limit that

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Speaker 2: time that they could simply just transit in an airport

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Speaker 2: and get through to the territory. That's certainly what I'd

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Speaker 2: be working with airlines.

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Speaker 3: Around all right, Minister.

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Speaker 1: One other topic I'm very keen to speak to you

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Speaker 1: about this morning over the weekend. We know that takeaway

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Speaker 1: alcohol alcohol came to an end at the Waterfront.

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Speaker 3: Why has that being stopped?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, something that was certainly, you know, a COVID measure.

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Speaker 2: When we saw restaurants that we couldn't even attend a restaurant,

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Speaker 2: those emergency provisions were brought in. The Director of Licensings

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Speaker 2: had numerous conversations with the venues at the Waterfront and

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Speaker 2: the Waterfront Corporation itself, and I'm confident we'll find a solution.

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Speaker 2: We're not sure at present whether that will be through

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Speaker 2: Director's approval, liquor commission process or legislative change, but I

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Speaker 2: think that we can all agree that it was something

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Speaker 2: that came out of COVID. You know, we put those

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Speaker 2: measures in place to keep the community safe, but in

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Speaker 2: turn has provided other opportunities. So well, I'm very confident

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Speaker 2: that we'll come up with a solution working through with

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Speaker 2: the Waterfront and those venues.

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Speaker 1: But I mean, was it causing any issues, Like, was

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Speaker 1: there any concern in terms of alcohol fueled violence or

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Speaker 1: anything like that for us to really be in a

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Speaker 1: situation where we then stop that delivery service or that

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Speaker 1: you know, being able to actually just have a drink

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Speaker 1: with your meal down there at the waterfront.

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, where the provision came from was that the

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Speaker 2: Director of Licensing was able to vary licensed conditions because

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Speaker 2: of the emergency situation that rare in. And yes, the

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Speaker 2: COVID pandemic emergency continues in a broader sense, but as

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Speaker 2: I said, when restaurants were shut down and they were

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Speaker 2: only doing takeaway food, it meant that they could provide

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Speaker 2: a small amount of alcohol to go with that food.

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Speaker 2: And so that sense of the emergency has passed that

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Speaker 2: we're able to now go to restaurants. But I think

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Speaker 2: we've enjoyed that, and we've COVID taught us something fun,

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Speaker 2: I guess, Katie, And so we'd like to see that

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Speaker 2: provision continue, but we do need to make changes, and

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Speaker 2: it's either within from the Director of Licensing, whether it

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Speaker 2: goes back to the liquor Commissioner, whether it is a

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Speaker 2: legislative change. So in terms of why it's stopped now

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Speaker 2: was because it was provided in legal advice that that

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Speaker 2: component of the emergency was not continuing had stopped, and

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Speaker 2: so it wasn't appropriate to allow that variation of licensed

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Speaker 2: condition anymore.

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Speaker 3: So in your opinion.

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Speaker 1: I mean, do you think that realistically we should be

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Speaker 1: able to go back to a situation where alcohol can

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Speaker 1: be served there or can be delivered there.

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Speaker 2: If licensees want to see a continuation of the very

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Speaker 2: licensed condition that they enjoy during the pandemic, then they

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Speaker 2: can submit an application to the Liquor Commission. The Director

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Speaker 2: of Licensing Kating, is working very closely not only with

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Speaker 2: those individual licenses down at the waterfront, but the Waterfront

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Speaker 2: Corporation itself, so that we can have consideration of a

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Speaker 2: permanent license change.

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Speaker 1: What about more broadly for those businesses that had been

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Speaker 1: delivering food obviously not just at the waterfront, but more

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Speaker 1: generally around the Northern territory, and it had also been

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Speaker 1: part of that provision that they could deliver cocktails as

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Speaker 1: well and deliver alcohol as well.

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Speaker 2: We need to be careful, Katie, because different licenses attract

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Speaker 2: different criteria and that they cost different amounts, and we

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Speaker 2: don't want to see license creep where someone has a

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Speaker 2: license that's intended for one product and they start to

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Speaker 2: creep into another area. But at the same time, I

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Speaker 2: think we did the innovation and we should allow licensing

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Speaker 2: through the proper processes to look at that and how

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Speaker 2: it can continue post the emergency aspect of licensing.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we're not talking about people delivering like a

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Speaker 1: carton of berh We we're talking about people being able

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Speaker 1: to order two cocktails, let's say, with their meal delivery

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Speaker 1: to their home.

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Speaker 2: And that you raise a really important point there. We

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Speaker 2: need to be really careful. I think there was one

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Speaker 2: situation where six packns and fish fingers was described. Now

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Speaker 2: that's not what it's about. We all know that's not

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Speaker 2: what it's about. So we need to make sure that

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Speaker 2: the license conditions are strong and that they make sure

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Speaker 2: we don't see license creep into other areas that they

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Speaker 2: weren't originally designed for.

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Speaker 1: And so what's going to be the option here is

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Speaker 1: this going to be Is it a situation where those

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Speaker 1: businesses now have to reapply to be able to change

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Speaker 1: their license to include this, or is it something that

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Speaker 1: the government is going to look at as to whether

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Speaker 1: there should be a provision in place to allow businesses

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Speaker 1: to actually be able to expand this to this area.

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Speaker 2: So, Katy, we're not exactly sure. So they're looking at

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Speaker 2: it in a very intense manner, working with the Waterfront

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Speaker 2: Corporation who broadly have that area as well as those licensees,

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Speaker 2: and whether it's something that the Director of Licensing can

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Speaker 2: make that adaption, or if it does need to go

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Speaker 2: back to the Leaguer Commission, or it may need a

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Speaker 2: legislative change. But I'm confident we'll find a solution. I

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Speaker 2: think that it was something innovative and fun and people

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Speaker 2: really enjoyed. We do need to make sure that we

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Speaker 2: protect the community from any harm, but I'm confident will

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Speaker 2: come up with a long term solution.

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Speaker 1: All right, Minister for Health and also Tourism. We appreciate

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Speaker 1: your time this morning. Thanks so much for speaking with us.

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Speaker 2: Thank you.

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Speaker 3: That was Natasha Philes there