1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,320
Speaker 1: Now joining us a little later than usual and on

2
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,440
Speaker 1: another day live from Catherine. This morning it is the

3
00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,760
Speaker 1: Chief Minister Leofanocchiario. Good morning to your Chief Minister.

4
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,319
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, to your listeners. And I can tell

5
00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,120
Speaker 2: you it is absolutely freezing. Katherine would not believe.

6
00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,439
Speaker 1: I reckon it would be. Well. Chief. Look, we'll talk

7
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,040
Speaker 1: more about your visit to Catherine in just a moment,

8
00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:21,759
Speaker 1: but I want to take your cross to an article

9
00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,919
Speaker 1: in the Australian newspaper today Now, the Chief Justice of

10
00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,680
Speaker 1: the Northern Territory says some extreme attacks on Aboriginal women

11
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,760
Speaker 1: have been attributed to bullshit traditional violence, in which perpetrators

12
00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,120
Speaker 1: seek to justify their crime as the enforcement of their rights.

13
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,360
Speaker 1: As he warns, domestic violence is likely worsened in the

14
00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,280
Speaker 1: top end now. The Chief Justice, Michael Grant, was speaking

15
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,720
Speaker 1: to lawyers at a Darwin conference this month and referenced

16
00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,920
Speaker 1: an Indigenous commentator who noted that drunk Indigenous men abuse

17
00:00:54,960 --> 00:01:00,120
Speaker 1: their partners for illegitimate reasons before explaining away the attacks

18
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,000
Speaker 1: as some sort of traditional right now. He also said

19
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,200
Speaker 1: that Commonwealth legislation introduced in two thousand and six was

20
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,840
Speaker 1: intended to protect Aboriginal women by ensuring traditional practices could

21
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,080
Speaker 1: not be taken could not be taken into account when

22
00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,960
Speaker 1: sentencing domestic violence offenders. However, he said that if anything,

23
00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:26,119
Speaker 1: violence against Aboriginal women in the territory had increased since

24
00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,280
Speaker 1: those laws were introduced. Now he goes on to say

25
00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,000
Speaker 1: that he is now firmly of the view, after ten

26
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,039
Speaker 1: years in his current role, that personal and specific deterrence

27
00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,720
Speaker 1: don't operate on Aboriginal offenders as they might do on

28
00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,320
Speaker 1: other offenders. That's what he told the Well, that's what

29
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,759
Speaker 1: he said in a speech at the Pittington Society event

30
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,440
Speaker 1: held on August eight. What do you make of the comments?

31
00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,760
Speaker 2: Look, our Chief Justice is a born and bred Territory

32
00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,120
Speaker 2: kit and he's got an incredible amount of experience in

33
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,680
Speaker 2: the legal field as well as being our top judge,

34
00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,520
Speaker 2: and so what he says carries a lot of weight.

35
00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,919
Speaker 2: And you know, we have a really significant challenge here

36
00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,760
Speaker 2: in the territory with domestic violence, and we have many

37
00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 2: perpetrators who have no regard for the law, no regard

38
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,320
Speaker 2: for their victims, and no regard for the consequences either, Katie,

39
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,960
Speaker 2: and that presents a huge challenge for governments and NGOs

40
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,480
Speaker 2: and everyone trying to work hard to make sure the

41
00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,679
Speaker 2: territory is a safe place when you have people who

42
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:37,280
Speaker 2: are just absolutely, you know, almost immune in the sense

43
00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,239
Speaker 2: that they just do not care about the havoc that

44
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,359
Speaker 2: they are perpetrating on our community.

45
00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:45,640
Speaker 1: I mean, when you look at the fact that he

46
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,040
Speaker 1: says the Commonwealth legislation introduced in two thousand and six

47
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,080
Speaker 1: was intended to protect Aboriginal women by ensuring traditional practice

48
00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,800
Speaker 1: could practices could not be taken into account when sentencing

49
00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,920
Speaker 1: domestic violence offenders, I mean, does there need to be

50
00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,080
Speaker 1: a look at that legislation and potentially some change in

51
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:04,680
Speaker 1: this space.

52
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,440
Speaker 2: Well, if the Chief Justice has said it, then I

53
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,880
Speaker 2: would absolutely take that on his word that it does

54
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,880
Speaker 2: need to have a look at. And this is a

55
00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,760
Speaker 2: challenging part for us as a territory government. Obviously, we're

56
00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,480
Speaker 2: doing our big Katie, We're working really hard to strengthen

57
00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,760
Speaker 2: the laws and tackle the root causes of crime. But

58
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,040
Speaker 2: there is a role for the federal government to play,

59
00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,720
Speaker 2: and this is a really clear example of one of them.

60
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,240
Speaker 2: Another is making sure that federal funding is going into

61
00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,360
Speaker 2: organizations and areas that are actually delivering a difference and

62
00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,680
Speaker 2: that there are KPIs on that funding, so it's something

63
00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,760
Speaker 2: we want to work closer with the federal government on

64
00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,280
Speaker 2: and clearly, reducing crime is our number one priority of

65
00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:45,800
Speaker 2: the government.

66
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, I want to say that he goes

67
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,720
Speaker 1: into a lot more depths as well, and I'll read

68
00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,720
Speaker 1: that out for our listeners throughout this morning, but we

69
00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,880
Speaker 1: will certainly take them through it. We don't have a

70
00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,560
Speaker 1: huge amount of time with you this morning, so I

71
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,240
Speaker 1: won't take you any further through it because you want

72
00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,080
Speaker 1: to ask you a little bit more about the rollout

73
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,760
Speaker 1: of this OC spray from September one. What's the process

74
00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,240
Speaker 1: at this stage for the rollout?

75
00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really exciting. So we will have tablets or

76
00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,960
Speaker 2: our iPads on the counters of the nine firearm stealers

77
00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,640
Speaker 2: who have signed up to distribute OC spray or sell

78
00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,279
Speaker 2: oc spray. People will have to attend. They have to

79
00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,560
Speaker 2: be over eighteen years of age, they'll have to show

80
00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,159
Speaker 2: photo identification to the shop and then they'll have to

81
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,600
Speaker 2: complete a declaration on that iPad and not have any

82
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,640
Speaker 2: relevant criminal history or court orders and things like that,

83
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:42,960
Speaker 2: and the questionnaire will take the territory through that and

84
00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,000
Speaker 2: you'll only be able to buy it from those nine

85
00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,520
Speaker 2: declared firearm stealers at this point, and then you'll be

86
00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,880
Speaker 2: able to purchase them and walk out with it straight away.

87
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,440
Speaker 2: You'll be given a flyer about how to use it,

88
00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,520
Speaker 2: and we have asked Neighborhood Watch is part of an

89
00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,440
Speaker 2: extension to their self defense pro that they already run

90
00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,159
Speaker 2: to be able to incorporate usage of OC spray in

91
00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,360
Speaker 2: that as well as people feel like they want to have,

92
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,960
Speaker 2: you know, some extra skills around the use of OC spray.

93
00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,280
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's all get up. Stock is on its

94
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,039
Speaker 2: way and we'll be ready to go from one September.

95
00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:18,919
Speaker 1: I mean, is there going to be any concern or

96
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:20,840
Speaker 1: do you have any concern around it getting in the

97
00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,000
Speaker 1: wrong hands or somebody maybe who you know, who uses

98
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,240
Speaker 1: it in self defense ending up in trouble.

99
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,400
Speaker 2: So the self defense laws in the Northern Territory already

100
00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,120
Speaker 2: exist and they haven't been changed. So the police commissioner

101
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,760
Speaker 2: spoke about this with me yesterday. If someone is going

102
00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,760
Speaker 2: to engage in self defense, so I they are going

103
00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,520
Speaker 2: to spray someone with OC spray, they have to be

104
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,520
Speaker 2: ready to you know, explain that use of force and

105
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,560
Speaker 2: be able to justify it just like they would anything else.

106
00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,640
Speaker 2: So right, I think there's you know, I think some

107
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,400
Speaker 2: people are getting a bit fixnated on the spray component.

108
00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,720
Speaker 2: If I just really simplify things right now, you can

109
00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:00,760
Speaker 2: go to neighborhood Watch and they teach you how to

110
00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,520
Speaker 2: have hand to hand self defense. Now that means you

111
00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,719
Speaker 2: are in physical contact with someone wanting to cause harm

112
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,680
Speaker 2: to you. OC spray allows you to have a separation

113
00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,520
Speaker 2: and a two or three meter different can mean the

114
00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,320
Speaker 2: difference between you getting away or you being seriously injured.

115
00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,279
Speaker 2: And so it's not it's actually a safer mechanism than

116
00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,039
Speaker 2: having to get in a hand to hand combat with someone.

117
00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,880
Speaker 2: And I think that's just really important put into illustrated.

118
00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,080
Speaker 2: If someone has formed the intention to hurt you, they

119
00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,839
Speaker 2: will and what OC spray does is buys you time

120
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:35,599
Speaker 2: to get away.

121
00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,160
Speaker 1: All right Now, in terms of the government's release of

122
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,920
Speaker 1: a reducing crime strategy, we know that a three year

123
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,480
Speaker 1: strategy has been released aimed at reducing crime. What does

124
00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,720
Speaker 1: this strategy look like and also what benchmarks are going

125
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,400
Speaker 1: to use to sort of determine if it's working.

126
00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, so we've pulled together our strategy. Obviously it's been

127
00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,760
Speaker 2: something we've been working madly on over the last eleven months.

128
00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,719
Speaker 2: And so when our strategy is really put into words,

129
00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,440
Speaker 2: our plan and so it has five key areas of focus.

130
00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,120
Speaker 2: So it's about obviously having a safer community, that's the

131
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,120
Speaker 2: number one objective. We want to reduce reoffending. We want

132
00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,280
Speaker 2: to hold parents and families accountable, and we want to

133
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,320
Speaker 2: address the root causes of crime and reform the system.

134
00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,360
Speaker 2: So when we talk about courts and corrections and all

135
00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,680
Speaker 2: of those things. So there's five key areas of focus

136
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,040
Speaker 2: and they're all very straightforward in terms of people would

137
00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:28,680
Speaker 2: imagine that's what you need to do if we're going

138
00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,440
Speaker 2: to reduce crime holistically, and we will measure those obviously

139
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:37,440
Speaker 2: through the data and through our delivery of programs we

140
00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,880
Speaker 2: want to see particularly that repeat offending, and that looks

141
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,440
Speaker 2: like delivering more programs in prison, which we've actually been

142
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,200
Speaker 2: able to do when you compare the number of programs

143
00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,600
Speaker 2: we've been able to deliver compared to the time underlay,

144
00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,840
Speaker 2: but we've already been more successful at that. So it

145
00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,880
Speaker 2: remains a big focus holding parents and families to account.

146
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,520
Speaker 2: So the number of family responsibility agreements and agements with

147
00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,040
Speaker 2: our school attendance officers, addressing the root causes of crime,

148
00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,800
Speaker 2: you know, getting to those underlying issues around housing, alcohol,

149
00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,400
Speaker 2: those types of causal factors, and our system reforms. We've

150
00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,000
Speaker 2: got a big piece of court reform coming up, so

151
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,120
Speaker 2: there's lots of ways peak in which the community will

152
00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,840
Speaker 2: be able to judge and measure our success. And we

153
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,080
Speaker 2: want and welcome that because we want territories to be

154
00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,160
Speaker 2: a part of this. But we're really excited and it

155
00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,800
Speaker 2: just gives everyday territories the opportunity to say, right, what

156
00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:32,760
Speaker 2: is it the disc government is trying to do. They

157
00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,480
Speaker 2: can clearly say safer community, reduce reoffending, hold parents and

158
00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,000
Speaker 2: families accountable, address the root causes and reform the system.

159
00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,600
Speaker 1: Chief Minister. A couple of quick listener questions. Judis, good morning, Katie.

160
00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,840
Speaker 1: Can you please ask Lea, does the pepper spray have

161
00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,520
Speaker 1: a used by day? Oh?

162
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,760
Speaker 2: I don't know. I guess it would depend on the distributius.

163
00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,679
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll try and find out. We'll see if we

164
00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,600
Speaker 1: can catch up with the retailer. Hey, Dave im Palmo's

165
00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,000
Speaker 1: saying good morning Katie. From what I'm hearing is each

166
00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:02,960
Speaker 1: can of spray is going to set you back between

167
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,200
Speaker 1: forty and fifty dollars. He reckons that's a small price

168
00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,679
Speaker 1: to pay for a deterrent. Is it that expensive? Yeah?

169
00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,880
Speaker 2: My understanding is in Western Australia it's about fifty dollars.

170
00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,679
Speaker 2: It depends on the size, and there's two sizes. And

171
00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,160
Speaker 2: in speaking with Trent for example, from Rodern Rifle yesterday,

172
00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,520
Speaker 2: he was saying it's probably going to be within that

173
00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,520
Speaker 2: forty to sixty dollars market gain depending on the size.

174
00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,800
Speaker 2: So I just want to emphasize no, one, it's not compulsory.

175
00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,760
Speaker 2: I think there's this big misunderstanding as well that we're

176
00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,600
Speaker 2: somehow pausing people to go and purchase this stuff. It's

177
00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,560
Speaker 2: just another option, another tool in your toolkit for self

178
00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,440
Speaker 2: defense and self protection. So now it's won't be forced.

179
00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:45,040
Speaker 2: You can go and buy yourself if.

180
00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,720
Speaker 1: You want to own personal decision. Now you're in Catherine

181
00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,559
Speaker 1: at the moment, there's been some terrible crime in Catherine recently,

182
00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,680
Speaker 1: particularly the targeting of the cuff of the coffee club.

183
00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 1: Have you been in to see Nicky and her team

184
00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,959
Speaker 1: and I mean, how are they going? Like they've literally

185
00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:02,240
Speaker 1: had a tax on staff.

186
00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been it's been a really, really tough time

187
00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,400
Speaker 2: for Nicki and the team. So I went and visited

188
00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,319
Speaker 2: Nicki after those staff assaults and then again yesterday, and

189
00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,360
Speaker 2: they're doing really well. They're just such a resilient team

190
00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,839
Speaker 2: and amazing local business. You know, the restaurant, the cafe

191
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,240
Speaker 2: was full to the brim, and you know, you know,

192
00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,920
Speaker 2: Nicky is a very very strong woman and it's not easy,

193
00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,240
Speaker 2: and I just commend her for it. And this is,

194
00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,760
Speaker 2: this is why we're doing what we're doing, Katie, because

195
00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,959
Speaker 2: we don't want the heartbreak and the stress and the

196
00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,600
Speaker 2: concern to be borne by the community like it has

197
00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,959
Speaker 2: for so long. We share that pain with our fellow

198
00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,760
Speaker 2: territory and around this and we share their desire to

199
00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,360
Speaker 2: live in a safer community. So you know, we wake

200
00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,199
Speaker 2: up every day to make a difference, and that's what

201
00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,520
Speaker 2: we're working hard to do. And unfortunately, we still have

202
00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,320
Speaker 2: people making the choice to do the wrong thing, making

203
00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,079
Speaker 2: the choice to hurt other people, destroy other people's property,

204
00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,959
Speaker 2: and then that's unacceptable. And when they do, our police

205
00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,080
Speaker 2: so right there to give them a welcome straight into

206
00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:02,960
Speaker 2: the back of a paddyway.

207
00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, we've all had enough of it, all had enough

208
00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,640
Speaker 1: of senseless crime, I do. I want to move to

209
00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,920
Speaker 1: another topic, one which quite a few people are concerned about,

210
00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,440
Speaker 1: but certainly nt COGSO now we know. On the first

211
00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,520
Speaker 1: of July, obviously, the government announced a number of changes

212
00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,920
Speaker 1: to electricity pricing, which saw that three percent increase in power,

213
00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,199
Speaker 1: water and sewerage tariffs. But NT schools were taken off

214
00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,000
Speaker 1: the subsidy list and moved to cost reflective pricing. They're

215
00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,480
Speaker 1: no longer going to receive the Community service obligation subsidy

216
00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:36,000
Speaker 1: for electricity now. Ruth Myram's nt COGSO president, joined us

217
00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,240
Speaker 1: on the show yesterday and said that it means massive

218
00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,920
Speaker 1: power price increases for some of the schools. I mean,

219
00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,120
Speaker 1: she said to us yesterday on the show, like one

220
00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,120
Speaker 1: school in particular and Tenant Creek, their power price has

221
00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:51,840
Speaker 1: gone up a few thousand dollars within a month. Chief Minister,

222
00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,599
Speaker 1: is this was it a mistake or was there a

223
00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:56,760
Speaker 1: bit of an oversight here in this space?

224
00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,320
Speaker 2: No, no, so what we've done and I can completely

225
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,520
Speaker 2: appreciate the concern. I want to say from the outset,

226
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,920
Speaker 2: schools would not be worse off. So that's a really

227
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:10,280
Speaker 2: important clarification. And so I'll explain that. So what we've

228
00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,480
Speaker 2: done is looked at user size. I suppose it's a

229
00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,400
Speaker 2: bit like we had a super user conversation a few

230
00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,839
Speaker 2: weeks ago around home, and so what we did is

231
00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,640
Speaker 2: looked at high level users of businesses and sort of

232
00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,280
Speaker 2: change the model. And schools have fallen into that. But

233
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,120
Speaker 2: what we've done is underwritten it to say that schools

234
00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,000
Speaker 2: won't be worse off. And what it is is, effectively,

235
00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,079
Speaker 2: it's just the movement how money moves. What we're trying

236
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,199
Speaker 2: to do is be more transparent about the cost. So

237
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,319
Speaker 2: currently there is a community service obligation, which is just

238
00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,839
Speaker 2: another word for government subsidizing the cost of power, and

239
00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,640
Speaker 2: we do that for everyday territories. We do it for

240
00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,240
Speaker 2: big users too, and so moving to a model where

241
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,160
Speaker 2: big users are paying more of their usage rather than

242
00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,920
Speaker 2: that subsidized see which is coming out of everyday taxpayers

243
00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,600
Speaker 2: tax instead of going into roads and police, it's going

244
00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:07,040
Speaker 2: to subsidize everyone's power. What we've done is just lowered

245
00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,480
Speaker 2: the threshold for that, and schools have now fallen over

246
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,480
Speaker 2: that line. But what we've done is made sure that

247
00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,560
Speaker 2: the department will be paying that difference.

248
00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,640
Speaker 1: Isn't that still going to mean that it's coming out

249
00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,880
Speaker 1: of budget, So like ultimately that's still going to affect

250
00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,280
Speaker 1: the resourcing for our kids.

251
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,520
Speaker 2: No, it will so because it's not coming from school budgets.

252
00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,280
Speaker 2: It's not coming from money that goes to school. This

253
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:32,840
Speaker 2: is operational funding.

254
00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,319
Speaker 1: It's allowed to the Education department supposed to find this

255
00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:38,520
Speaker 1: additional money.

256
00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:43,880
Speaker 2: From so they have that money budget into their operational funding.

257
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,840
Speaker 2: And so it's just a more transparent way to see

258
00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,920
Speaker 2: and understand. And it also then gives the Department of

259
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,000
Speaker 2: Education I sort of better understanding of power usage, a

260
00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:01,200
Speaker 2: better understanding of demand, and so it's it's just a change,

261
00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,439
Speaker 2: but for schools and the education system, it won't make

262
00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:05,120
Speaker 2: any difference.

263
00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,120
Speaker 1: So can you guarantee that we're not going to see

264
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,360
Speaker 1: a situation here where we all know that we're getting

265
00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,679
Speaker 1: additional funding from the federal government. You know that was

266
00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,199
Speaker 1: announced last year, I believe it was earlier this year.

267
00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,600
Speaker 1: Can you guarantee that money that is intended for schools

268
00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,800
Speaker 1: is not now going to be going to paying power.

269
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,600
Speaker 2: Yep, Because schools have their proper funding under that new

270
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,000
Speaker 2: SRS standard and the model, and so schools are funded

271
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,760
Speaker 2: appropriately as pursuant to that model, and we've signed up

272
00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,440
Speaker 2: to that agreement. This is just the movement of money

273
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:41,560
Speaker 2: to pay the bills, just like you think about all

274
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,680
Speaker 2: the bills that we would have as a Department of education.

275
00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:48,240
Speaker 2: You know, you know Mitchell Center. We've got tons of

276
00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,560
Speaker 2: public servants sitting in the Miteal Center who are part

277
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,440
Speaker 2: of the Education Department. We've paid the rent, we pay

278
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,720
Speaker 2: all sorts of things. So it just goes into that

279
00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:56,720
Speaker 2: bucket as opposed to a school.

280
00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,800
Speaker 1: Per Yeah, but ultimately we're still talking about a bucket

281
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,320
Speaker 1: of you know, if we looked at the education department

282
00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,120
Speaker 1: as a household budget, there's a bucket of money there

283
00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,920
Speaker 1: that is then being delivered to different areas, to different schools.

284
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,400
Speaker 1: If that bucket of money is being minimized because of

285
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,360
Speaker 1: power bills, then surely it means that it's going to

286
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,840
Speaker 1: have an impact in some way those on those schools

287
00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:20,320
Speaker 1: and the delivery of services.

288
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, and so that's our commitment that it won't because

289
00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,440
Speaker 2: it's not coming out of that frontline school funding. It's

290
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,200
Speaker 2: coming kind of operational funding.

291
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,040
Speaker 1: So is there going to be an increase in the

292
00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:32,080
Speaker 1: education budget.

293
00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,080
Speaker 2: I don't know that there needs to be that's certainly

294
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,200
Speaker 2: not the advice that we've received, and we've just delivered it.

295
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,160
Speaker 2: I think it was a one point six billion dollar

296
00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:46,680
Speaker 2: education budget record budget, so we've got adequate funding there,

297
00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,240
Speaker 2: and again it depends on the school, will depend on

298
00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:51,880
Speaker 2: the increase. I know Tenant Creek is one of the

299
00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,280
Speaker 2: ones with a more significant increase, but others are much

300
00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:55,840
Speaker 2: more minimal.

301
00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,960
Speaker 1: So I guess I'm just trying to wrap my head

302
00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:00,560
Speaker 1: around because I know a lot of people listening this

303
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,760
Speaker 1: morning will be wondering the same thing. So Tenant Creek,

304
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,560
Speaker 1: for example, like you said, you know, we spoke yesterday

305
00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,920
Speaker 1: about this, it's it's an additional few thousand dollars for

306
00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,200
Speaker 1: one month alone, So let's say across the year it's

307
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,320
Speaker 1: twenty thousand dollars extra, And other schools are in a

308
00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,560
Speaker 1: similar situation. It's still money that the Education Department's going

309
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,360
Speaker 1: to have to find from somewhere. Have they got surplus

310
00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,600
Speaker 1: there that they're able to use on power bills or

311
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,520
Speaker 1: is it going to mean a reduction when you talk

312
00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,560
Speaker 1: about the education departments, you know, funding that should be

313
00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,360
Speaker 1: going to schools for things like teachers' aids programs for

314
00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:39,960
Speaker 1: our kids.

315
00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I just want to really clearly separate that.

316
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,240
Speaker 2: So the Education Department has an enormous budget one point

317
00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,000
Speaker 2: six billion dollars. There is most of that goes to

318
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,600
Speaker 2: school So that's what pays teaches, it's what pays teachers, aids,

319
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,800
Speaker 2: all of those different types of things within a school

320
00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,520
Speaker 2: setting for our kids to access education and deliver that education.

321
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,760
Speaker 2: Then there is all of the funding for I guess

322
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,840
Speaker 2: the back of house. We have a number of public

323
00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,480
Speaker 2: servants who work in the department who are agency based,

324
00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,920
Speaker 2: so they're not front basing in schools. Then we have

325
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,639
Speaker 2: obviously funding for infrastructure, we have funding for a range

326
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,639
Speaker 2: of other things, and so this will not be impacting

327
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,040
Speaker 2: any of that money that would or should go to schools.

328
00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,359
Speaker 1: So you tim to guarantee that for any of those

329
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,160
Speaker 1: schools that are listening this morning.

330
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,479
Speaker 2: Yep, that's right. And principals know this, Katie. They've had

331
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:35,960
Speaker 2: two separate briefings on it, so principals are well and

332
00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:41,560
Speaker 2: truly aware and really there will be no impact on

333
00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:42,439
Speaker 2: the ground for schools.

334
00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,440
Speaker 1: All right, Well, this doesn't sound like it's an issue

335
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,000
Speaker 1: that's going to go away in a hurry. I reckon,

336
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,000
Speaker 1: We're still going to have schools contact us that are concerns,

337
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,680
Speaker 1: so I really hope it doesn't have an impact on

338
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,400
Speaker 1: those schools, but Chief Minister, we better leave it there.

339
00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,879
Speaker 1: We have definitely run out of time. Thank you very

340
00:17:57,960 --> 00:17:59,560
Speaker 1: much for joining us on the show this morning.

341
00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:01,560
Speaker 2: Thank you to take care everyone.

342
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:02,000
Speaker 1: Thank you