1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: You are listening to mix ONEOW four point nine. Now 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: joining me in the studio right now is the Lord 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Mayor of Darwin convat Scarlets. Good morning to Yukon. 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 2: Good morning, and it's getting hot and humid. 5 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: Certainly you can tell that whether it's it. 6 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 2: Was a change from see that I've still here to 7 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 2: God exactly. 8 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Most certainly is the by election was obviously held just 9 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago, not a real great voter turnout. 10 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: But when are we expected to know the outcome of 11 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: that by election? 12 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: It was very disappointed on less than fifty percent and up. 13 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: And I said that one because if you're going to 14 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 2: have a good person to represent you, you have turn 15 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 2: enough to vote. And then please don't complain if you 16 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 2: don't vote, because obviously you gave away. You're right, We've 17 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:42,599 Speaker 2: got two candidates and I'm glad I'm not in their 18 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 2: position because it's coming down the preferences about one hundred 19 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 2: and seventy eight votes difference. The Electric Commission waits for 20 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: the postal votes to arrive on Friday. Then they will 21 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: do a quick count distributed preferences and on Monday there 22 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: will be the declaration of the result. 23 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: We were just speaking to Robin Lamley, the independent member 24 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: for our Law and now not expecting you to sort 25 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: of get political here, but she was saying that she 26 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: does think there needs to be a bit of a 27 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: shake up when it comes to that low vote turn out. 28 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: Is that like, is it a concern for you from 29 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: a council perspective. 30 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: If it's not politics. I think Robin is absolutely right 31 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 2: needs to be a set up. But I have to 32 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: remind you that was not long ago that the federal 33 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: government decided in wisdom to take the Electoral Commission, the 34 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 2: Australian and e Electal Commission from Darwin put in Brisbane. 35 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: So that didn't do very much for going out and 36 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: finding people to enroll. Now I think we've seen increase 37 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: in the enrollment. But again you can be enrolled, but 38 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 2: if you don't bother turn up to vote, it's a 39 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 2: waste of your vote. Remember, guys, that are other places 40 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 2: in the world that people are not allowed to vote. 41 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: Do we need a review to do this thing we're doing? 42 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: I think actually the other thing we have to do 43 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: is I remember growing up when I was in Greece 44 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 2: and I was going to university and had a special 45 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: unit about civic duties and democratic system. People keill in 46 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 2: Australia that don't learn about that, they have no idea. 47 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: I mean, we've got people that are confused what country does, 48 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: what the government does. Yeah, I've got people to me says, well, 49 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: you don't tell your police. I'm sorry. Council does not 50 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: run the police. It's the state government. A lot of 51 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: things you. 52 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: Hear, and even then the police are an independent body. 53 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: Absolutely, But also you have to remember there are certain 54 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: things at different levels of government do. The federal government 55 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 2: does the taxation, an army and foreign policy. The state 56 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 2: government runs the education and the health department. And we're 57 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: running parks, libraries, the things that matters most, especially to 58 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: you and me as great players in Darwin. 59 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, con I. Obviously we are expecting the outcome 60 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: of that by election, as you said, Monday next week is. 61 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: NA eighteenth September. 62 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, so we'll keep a very close eye 63 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: on that now. I also do want to ask you, 64 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: I guess with your hat on as the president of 65 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: the Local Government Association legand a couple of weeks ago 66 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: we've spoken on the show to the CELP leader Leofankio 67 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: about this proposal. That they've got to return communities to 68 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: council style regional shire models similar to what used to 69 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: exist in the Northern Territory, to enable what they say 70 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: would be that local decision making again. But I know 71 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: that you have said that you don't think that that 72 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: should return. That's what I've told the Northern Territory News. 73 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: Why is that it's a restive for disaster. Even the 74 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 2: CELFI themselves said they haven't thought it through yet and 75 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: they haven't made a final decision. They come up with 76 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: a bubble vote. 77 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: I'd say to me they had gone through it a 78 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: bit more with me and said what they thought it 79 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: was going to be a good idea. 80 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 2: Well, they're my thing about it, But how come and 81 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: you ever think about reforming local commedy. You don't speak 82 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: to the gand the body that represents all councils. Now, 83 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: I've been in the territory for a long time. I 84 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: work as a public servant and as a politician with 85 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 2: remote communities, and I can tell you what. There was 86 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: a review done in two thousand and six. I found 87 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: out the community councils out of seventy six sixty were 88 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: insolvent financially insolvent. Now. The other thing, of course, what 89 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: was good in nineteen eight is ninety nine is it's 90 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: not good anymore because in the ninety nineties you didn't 91 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: have a person with a permit driver doza. Now unless 92 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 2: you've got one, you can't hear that person driving the 93 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: doser and if you're allowed to do it, you don't 94 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 2: get insurance. I mean, Steve came out and says, oh, 95 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: when they had the community council people were employed. No, 96 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: they were not. Actually we're paid by CDP, so we're 97 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: doing work for them. 98 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,799 Speaker 1: It's a financial thing from your perspective, like it would 99 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: cost too much money. And as you've said that there were. 100 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 2: Those councils that if you establish another seventy community councils 101 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: where you have to establish seventy offices, seventy CEOs, seventy 102 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 2: support staff multiple and then seventy people to do the groundwork. 103 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: So where are you going to find all this money? Also, 104 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: there's no local representation. That's not true. We've got the 105 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: local decision bodies that they are elected that advised the 106 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 2: shires in remote areas already now. And these people are 107 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: elected by the local people and they've got their all to. 108 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: Plan, and so you reckon that. You reckon that the 109 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: why in which we're doing it right now is the 110 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: best wayne. 111 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: It better, no doubt about it. We can do it better. 112 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 2: But think about it. Why are all other states They've 113 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: got local governments, charge and everything else, but all of 114 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 2: a sudden the territory out of the blue want to 115 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: go back. Are we clever or will probably the scubit 116 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 2: ones that actually go back to the future. My point is, 117 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 2: and I confirm that one, and I'm telling you Central 118 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: Desert Council it's got two hundred positions, full time positions. 119 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 2: They've got seventy six vacancies and they can fill them. 120 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 2: And that's not the only council. There are other councils. 121 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 2: They've got seventy positions and thirty vacancies. 122 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: Going back to that model would be sort of a 123 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 1: recipe a disaster. 124 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: It would be a recived for disaster. I'm happy to 125 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: sit down with the cop and any political party and 126 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 2: walk through how we can improve the courage situation rather 127 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 2: than say, oh, we think it does work. But the 128 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 2: other thing, of course is they say the promote has 129 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 2: an alternative to the voice. Well, I'm sorry guys, you 130 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 2: have to think more about it, and certainly you have 131 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 2: to talk to the people that are going to be affected. 132 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: The other thing is, while we have two category citizens, 133 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: we've got the urban cities councils, we don't touch them. 134 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 2: But if it's an indigenous, most of the indigenous, we're 135 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 2: going to go back to the old nepotism, to the 136 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 2: old place we have. There's a lot of problems and 137 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 2: insolvents in the country. 138 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: Con I do want to move along just very quickly 139 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: because that cyclone clean up continues on. But I understand 140 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: that the council is helping those or there is the 141 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: ability to get some assistance if you have a disability, 142 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: or if you are elderly. 143 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: Is that absolutely We put that on a website, we 144 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: put that in our Facebook page. I put it and 145 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 2: I shared it in my own a Facebook page. If 146 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 2: you're INVOLIDI, if you're disabled, if you need some assistants, 147 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: please do not hear the to call us. We understand 148 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: it's difficulty. If you've got problems, things in your heart 149 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: that I have in to move them, give us a call. 150 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: We're happy to help you. On Monday, this eighteenth of September, 151 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: we're starting the zone to collection. We're already now completing 152 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: the Zone one. We're collecting a lot of stuff. You've 153 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: seen the photographs. When it finished, I will let you 154 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 2: know how many times again we collected. I'm amazed how 155 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 2: much junk we're collecting our houses and we don't throw 156 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 2: them out, considering they can go for free to the 157 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: tip anytime you like. In other states, you can all 158 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 2: in other cities you can only go to the tips 159 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 2: certain times you have to give it pass, like six 160 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 2: times a year or four times a year, not anytime 161 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: you like. 162 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: We just like to save up our junk to leave. 163 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 2: It on the It's amazed. When I was living in 164 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 2: a suburban block we have to clean up. Wow, why 165 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 2: did you throw that out? I've been to the tip 166 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: so many times? Yeah, exactly. 167 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: Well Combat Scarlus, the Lord Mayor of Darwin. It's always 168 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: good to catch up with you. Appreciate your time this morning. 169 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: We'll talk to you again next week.