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Speaker 1: Well, we've spoken a lot about Alice Springs. There is

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Speaker 1: no doubt about that and some of the major concerns

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Speaker 1: coming out of Central Australia. And we know that the

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Speaker 1: Aboriginal Peak Organizations of the Northern Territory apo NT they're

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Speaker 1: calling on the Federal government to enter a genuine partnership

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Speaker 1: to achieve improved outcomes for Aboriginal people in the Northern

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Speaker 1: Territory amid the crisis in Alice Springs. Now joining me

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Speaker 1: on the line right now is doctor John Patterson, apo

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Speaker 1: NT spokesperson and also the CEO of the Australian Medical

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Speaker 1: Alliance of the Northern Territory. Good morning to you, John.

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Speaker 2: And a very good morning to you Katie. Happy New Year,

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Speaker 2: Happy New Year.

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Speaker 1: To you as well. Great to have you on the

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Speaker 1: show as always, John, can I firstly ask you, you

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Speaker 1: know we all know the situation that's unfolding or unfolded

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Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. We know that there's been a report

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Speaker 1: or there was the report ordered by the Prime Minister

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Speaker 1: recommending the Northern Territory Government urgently reinstate alcohol bands in

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Speaker 1: Aboriginal town camps around Ellis Springs. That report, of course

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Speaker 1: prepared by the Central Australian Regional Controller Darrell Anderson. It's

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Speaker 1: also calls for the needs based funding. Firstly, John, can

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Speaker 1: I ask you regarding the alcohol situation, what do you

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Speaker 1: reckon needs to happen here?

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Speaker 2: Katie? You will recall that I've been on your show

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Speaker 2: within the last twelve month actually advocating for the actual

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Speaker 2: decision that governments have agreed to as a result of

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Speaker 2: the Anderson Report. We totally fully support and you know,

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Speaker 2: the apoint position was and we wrote letters to all

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Speaker 2: levels of government calling on them as soon as that

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Speaker 2: sunset clause was about to be lifted on July seventeen

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Speaker 2: last year, that we wanted at least to keep them

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Speaker 2: keep the restrictions in place for another two years to

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Speaker 2: enable genuine, proper open discussions and negotiations with all those

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Speaker 2: communities that were going to be affected by this by

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Speaker 2: the legislation and the alcohol restrictions being removed or lifted.

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Speaker 2: So have I say whether they wanted to continue to

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Speaker 2: be a dry community or whether they wanted to be

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Speaker 2: a community that was going to consider having alcohol restrictions

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Speaker 2: lifted now part of that process, why the two year

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Speaker 2: pause and keeping the restrictions in place was to enable

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Speaker 2: to enable governments and other keys takeholders peak organizations to

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Speaker 2: go out to those communities and regional centers and have

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Speaker 2: those consultations and negotiations with the critical well with all stakeholders. Katie.

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Speaker 2: When I talk about these community consultations, is not just

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Speaker 2: with the community leaders, it is with the mums and

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Speaker 2: bubs groups, the elderly, you know, other critical community and

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Speaker 2: interest groups don't want to have a say in this

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Speaker 2: process as to whether they left the alcohol restrictions or not.

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Speaker 2: It's very very and we want that to be part

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Speaker 2: of that process. So in court, we're pleased with the

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Speaker 2: with the current restriction being placed on it. I understand

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Speaker 2: that both levels of government of what they're going to well,

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Speaker 2: they've meant yeah.

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Speaker 1: So my understanding is that they've met obviously yesterday the

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Speaker 1: Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. They haven't actually said, now,

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Speaker 1: you know, there's the alcohol restrictions on a Monday and

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Speaker 1: a Tuesday we take away obviously in Central Australia. But

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Speaker 1: they haven't actually said if they are indeed going to

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Speaker 1: implement that recommendation that has been made by Darrell Anderson

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Speaker 1: in terms of you know, in terms of recommendation that

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Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government urgently reinstate that alcohol band. I

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Speaker 1: know that Marion Scrimjaw was on our show yesterday, John,

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Speaker 1: and she said that it does need to happen, and

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Speaker 1: not just for Central Australia, but she thinks it needs

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Speaker 1: to happen across the Northern Territory. What do you reckon?

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Speaker 2: We are totally in support what Marian is saying and

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Speaker 2: others the other community leaders down there, we can't you know,

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Speaker 2: Alice Springs is just one regional center that's getting all

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Speaker 2: the exposure and publicity at the moment, but there are

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Speaker 2: other communities that are going to be impacted and effective,

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Speaker 2: and we've got to ensure that, you know, there's all

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Speaker 2: comprehensive plan and strategy developed with all key stakeholders and

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Speaker 2: agreements with the Aboriginal peak organizations and those Aboriginal community

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Speaker 2: controlled organizations at those community levels are critical and we

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Speaker 2: are strongly recommending that they be involved in these processes

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Speaker 2: otherwise and have a sense of buying Katie, because we don't.

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Speaker 2: We've seen what happened for the last ten, fifteen, twenty years.

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Speaker 2: We don't have Aboriginal involvement participant, and I'm talking about

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Speaker 2: genuine participation and decision makings as well that on issues,

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Speaker 2: on a number of issues that impact on their community.

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Speaker 2: Then we're dooming and we're going to set ourselves up

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Speaker 2: for continued failure.

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Speaker 1: Unfortunately, John, you know, over the last week or so,

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Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government, they have been digging their heels in,

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Speaker 1: you know, over the fact that they let the stronger

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Speaker 1: Futures legislation lapse or they or you know, those changes

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Speaker 1: came into play. They dug their heels in on that.

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Speaker 1: We've had really strong Indigenous voices like yourself, you know,

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Speaker 1: saying more than six months ago that it shouldn't have happened.

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Speaker 1: How do you feel then when they say that it

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Speaker 1: was a race based policy when you've got good you know,

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Speaker 1: you've got people like you saying, hang on a sec

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Speaker 1: you've got to take a closer look into this, Katie.

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Speaker 2: From our perspective, look, it was it's not a race

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Speaker 2: based policy. This was a mess. And I'm just remind

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Speaker 2: some of those people that might be, you know, saying

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Speaker 2: what does Patterson are about this? I just reminded that

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Speaker 2: way back prior to any significant and recent alcohol restrictions

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Speaker 2: were put in place in those communities that we had advocates,

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Speaker 2: old community people way back on tak them maybe twenty

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Speaker 2: thirty forty years ago, Katie, where they marched and protested

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Speaker 2: and wanted to bring in these restricted alcohol bands in

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Speaker 2: their communities because they could see what was going on.

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Speaker 2: And then we've had these you know, stronger futures and

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Speaker 2: we had all these top down, you know interventions into

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Speaker 2: the Northern Territory which just didn't work. There were some

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Speaker 2: small successes, but overall it was it was a top down.

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Speaker 2: It excluded aberigional participation, you know, decision making, and you

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Speaker 2: know that's we've got to change the way we do business, Codge.

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Speaker 2: You know, the framework we've got now is a framework

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Speaker 2: and the priority areas that are underpin and reflected in

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Speaker 2: the Closing the Gap National Agreement which has been signed

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Speaker 2: off and are reminded everybody that I talked to signed

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Speaker 2: off from the Prime Minister, every State and territory Premier

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Speaker 2: and Chief Minister, the Australian Local Government Association President and

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Speaker 2: our very own Pat Turner who is a convenor for

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Speaker 2: the Coaltient Peaks. That's the framework, Katie, that we've got

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Speaker 2: to work towards and you know, everybody then has a

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Speaker 2: sense of responsibility, they have a buy in these process

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Speaker 2: and we work in a professional, respectful framework and manner,

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Speaker 2: respecting everybody's views and comments that try and come up

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Speaker 2: with solutions that are going to address those issues.

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Speaker 1: As at the moment, John, you know, with what a

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Speaker 1: Pond is seeking, it's a commitment from the federal government

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Speaker 1: to enter these negotiations about the future of the national

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Speaker 1: partnerships on the Northern Territory Remote Original Investment and to

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Speaker 1: agree future policies, programs and funding through that three way

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Speaker 1: formal agreement. John, how how do you propose that you

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Speaker 1: sort of you know that you take the steps to

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Speaker 1: try and make this happen.

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Speaker 2: Okay to again. You know, we're saying that this, this

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Speaker 2: Northern Urtory Remote Original Investment Package initiative is separate to

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Speaker 2: closing the gap and any other any other funding that

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Speaker 2: comes into the Northern CHURCHI for specific purposes. This is

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Speaker 2: an additional measure and support initiative. You know, because we

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Speaker 2: had those had those you know, Northern Turfy, you know

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Speaker 2: has experience a whole lot of disadvantages and you know

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Speaker 2: them what was I do housing education, you know, and

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Speaker 2: the more remote you go, the more expensive it becomes

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Speaker 2: in delivering those those those services. So this is where

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Speaker 2: the you know, it's an opportunity that was you know,

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Speaker 2: part of the Stronger Futures intervention package. It's had a

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Speaker 2: few name changes along the way, and we will want

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Speaker 2: that to specifically give the Aboriginal community controlled organizations in

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Speaker 2: the Northern Territory includement nor the territory government of course

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Speaker 2: as a component. And they're around policing and education, getting

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Speaker 2: school kids the skill and we see that as you know,

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Speaker 2: that's that's obviously Northern Territory government core business. But all

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Speaker 2: those other community human service type activities has to be

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Speaker 2: led by the Aboriginal peak organizations in the Northern terfcade.

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Speaker 2: We've got to lead. We've got the contacts, we've got

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Speaker 2: the networks, we can build the employment opportunity for all

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Speaker 2: those remote communities. We need to obviously have looked at

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Speaker 2: their training upskilling our whole We need a whole comprehensive plan, Katie,

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Speaker 2: to address some of these disadvantages and the terrible statistics

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Speaker 2: that we're seeing from time to time. And this is

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Speaker 2: why on this occasion we're supporting the Chief Minster Watshes

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Speaker 2: in Camba this week to negotiate with a comball for

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Speaker 2: extra needs based funding because we can't you know, let's

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Speaker 2: face it, the Northern we don't have the revenue capacity

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Speaker 2: here in the territory to raise the level of funding

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Speaker 2: or to get the level of funding that's required to

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Speaker 2: deliver those very urgent, urgent services and programs that we

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Speaker 2: need to get out into those communities where they're suffering.

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Speaker 1: John, talk us through, you know, in our remote communities

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Speaker 1: and in our indigenous communities across the Northern Territory. How

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Speaker 1: important is it that we reach the point where there

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Speaker 1: is that sustainability in our communities and that there is

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Speaker 1: opportunity for Aboriginal people in those communities as well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I can't help but thinking and going back. Look,

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Speaker 2: I'm born and Brittish. I've seen you structures, community structures, initiatives,

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Speaker 2: bureaucracies exist and get demolished for you know, I don't

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Speaker 2: know whatever reasons, but I'll tell you one thing, Katie.

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Speaker 2: One effective structure that really empowered and gave community members

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Speaker 2: the opportunity for employment, et cetera, at real jobs was

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Speaker 2: the old Aboriginal community control or community councils that they had,

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Speaker 2: you know, that was predominantly an Aboriginal you know, made

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Speaker 2: up the boards. The government structures were made up by

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Speaker 2: you know, Aboriginal people residing in those communities. They were

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Speaker 2: responsible for municipal services, they were responsible for roads, rubbish,

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Speaker 2: they were responsible for maintaining you know, a good standard,

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Speaker 2: healthy standard, you know, all that environmental health stuff for communities.

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Speaker 2: And since governments, you know, you know, previous governments have

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Speaker 2: dismantled those structures, there's just a real sense of disempowerment.

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Speaker 2: You know people now, you know, we're getting people flying

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Speaker 2: and flying out at enormous cost to fix the bloody tapwasher,

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Speaker 2: you know, and do little minor jobs at somebody in

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Speaker 2: the community, if they were trained up and skilled up

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Speaker 2: and given you the appropriate tools to fix those problems,

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Speaker 2: would be able to do it. So that's where we've

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Speaker 2: got to go go to. You know, it's about looking

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Speaker 2: at what those local community governance structures look like, rebuild

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Speaker 2: them and get you know, community is taking more responsibility

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Speaker 2: and looking after their issues well.

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Speaker 1: Doctor John Patterson, a PONT spokesperson and also the Sea

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Speaker 1: of the Aboriginal Medical alliance here in the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 1: I always appreciate your time. Thank you so very much

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Speaker 1: for having a chat with me this morning, and.

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Speaker 2: Thank you Kate for giving me this opportunity.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks Pat I, we'll talk to you again

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Speaker 1: soon