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Speaker 1: All eyes of course on Alice Springs this morning with

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Speaker 1: this flooding situation. And joining me on the line is

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Speaker 1: the Chief Minister, Lea Fanocchiaro. Good morning to your Chief Minister.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and to your listeners.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister. Pretty hectic situation in Alice Springs this morning.

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Speaker 1: We all woke to the news that a woman was

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Speaker 1: clinging to a tree in the Todd River. Several people

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Speaker 1: had to be rescued from the Todd River, which is

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Speaker 1: indeed burst its banks.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, look incredible, and our police and emergency services did

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Speaker 2: a wonderful job responding. We had three rescues that had

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Speaker 2: to take place. The good news is that the water

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Speaker 2: is going down now and people are able to go

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Speaker 2: to school and move around. But yeah, certainly some just incredible,

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Speaker 2: incredible volumes of water, and for anyone who's seen the

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Speaker 2: photos and the footage, it's just unbelievable.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we're all going to be keeping a really close

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Speaker 1: eye on things. I guess it'll be interesting to see

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Speaker 1: now of the next sort of twenty four hours, what

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Speaker 1: might happen with the potential, you know, of extra rain

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Speaker 1: and you know what the onflow of that could mean.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and it happens really quickly in Alice Springs, so

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Speaker 2: you know, locals there are obviously very used to it,

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Speaker 2: but the causeways and some of the roadways can fill

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Speaker 2: up extremely quickly and unexpectedly. So it's just important that

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Speaker 2: people keep really you know, close to the secure NT

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Speaker 2: information and heat warnings of authorities, and of course if

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Speaker 2: it's flooded, forget it. And we know that very well

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Speaker 2: here in the top end. But yeah, a lot of rain,

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Speaker 2: and you know, it's one of those hard things, isn't

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Speaker 2: that people often pray for rain and then you know,

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Speaker 2: literally when it rains at Pouse and so you have

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Speaker 2: these these just huge volumes of water coming through. But yeah,

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Speaker 2: it looks it's on the way down, which is good news.

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Speaker 2: So everyone should be able to go about, you know,

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Speaker 2: basically pretty normally, but obviously being very careful and watching

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Speaker 2: those weather conditions.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, like you said, if you look

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Speaker 1: at the photos and the vision, it looks pretty wild.

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Speaker 1: A lot of water down there, So we'll keep a

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Speaker 1: really close eye on things. I know that. I'm sure

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Speaker 1: you guys are everybody across the territory feeling for the

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Speaker 1: residents of Alice this morning. Now Chief Minister. Obviously, we

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Speaker 1: learned on Monday that the NT Greens MLA Cat Magnamara

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Speaker 1: announced that she was quitting parliament effective immediately. As we know,

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Speaker 1: she became the first Greens candidate to win a Northern

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Speaker 1: Territory Parliament's seat back in twenty twenty four. What was

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Speaker 1: your reaction to the Greens members resignation.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I was really surprised, Katie, and obviously throws Territorians

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Speaker 2: and you know, the people of Nightcliff into an expensive

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Speaker 2: by election. I can announce this morning for you and

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Speaker 2: your listeners, Katie, that the by election will be on

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Speaker 2: the seventh of March, and that the administrator will issue

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Speaker 2: the rints today. But you know, ultimately it's you know,

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Speaker 2: another opportunity for Territorians to have their say, and you know,

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Speaker 2: we think ultimately this is really going to be a

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Speaker 2: test of whether or not this has been a failed

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Speaker 2: Greens experiment in that electric or whether the Labor can

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Speaker 2: take back its traditional heartland, or whether the people of

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Speaker 2: Nightcliffe want a seat at the table in government with

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Speaker 2: the COLP. So interesting couple of weeks ahead, Bushes, isn't

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Speaker 2: it just so?

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Speaker 1: The seventh of March is the date that that by

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Speaker 1: election is going to happen, Chief Finister, the rit is

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Speaker 1: going to be issued today, Is that correct?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's correct, So you know, all in aligned with

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Speaker 2: the Electro Act. So seven March is a day if

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Speaker 2: it's in your area, mark that one in your calendar.

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Speaker 2: And the Electric Commission will obviously put out more information

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Speaker 2: over the coming days and weeks about early voting and

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Speaker 2: all of those other types of things, and I'm sure

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Speaker 2: people will start to see, you know, candidate's putting posters

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Speaker 2: up in all of the election campaigning. But our message,

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Speaker 2: will you be consistent with what territories can expect from us, Katie,

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Speaker 2: and that's obviously around our focus on reducing, rebuilding the

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Speaker 2: territory's economy and restoring our beautiful lifestyle.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister, any idea who the colp is going to run?

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Speaker 1: I know that's the matter for the party. But is

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Speaker 1: there any any word to you at this point?

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Speaker 2: No, I know there's quite a few people I'm looking

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Speaker 2: to put their hand up, which is always fantastic, and

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Speaker 2: that's what we want is strong community minded people who

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Speaker 2: are really passionate about an area putting their hand up

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Speaker 2: and being part of the future of the territory and

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Speaker 2: that's democracy at work. So I'll be as excited as

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Speaker 2: the people of Nightcliff to see who the CLP pre

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Speaker 2: select in time. But you can guarantee that comes seven

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Speaker 2: much there will be a new member for Nightcliff and

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Speaker 2: the government will continue to be delivering on our promises

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Speaker 2: with major territories at the August twenty four election.

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Speaker 1: Chief Finessa, do you think the COLP is a chance

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Speaker 1: at winning Nightcliff? I mean, it's been held by Labor

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Speaker 1: for more than twenty years. There's been you know, there's

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Speaker 1: always discussion when a by election like this happens that

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Speaker 1: it's a test of leadership for the person who's in power,

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Speaker 1: which is obviously you. Others saying that it could be

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Speaker 1: a test of Selena Ubo's leadership or for the Labor

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Speaker 1: Party if she doesn't pick it up. I mean, we

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Speaker 1: know that by elections in the Northern territory are hyper local.

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Speaker 1: But do you think that the CLP's got any chance

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Speaker 1: of picking this seat up? Oh?

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Speaker 2: Look, of course, Katin, And as I said, there's really

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Speaker 2: three propositions for the people of Nightcliff. Do they want

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Speaker 2: to continue with this failed Greens experiment? Do they want

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Speaker 2: to go back to their traditional routes of having a

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Speaker 2: Labor member in opposition, or do they want to do

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Speaker 2: something different and have a seat at the table in

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Speaker 2: government and elect a CLP local member. And so that

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Speaker 2: will be the case being put by all three. In

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Speaker 2: terms of government, this by election doesn't change anything for

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Speaker 2: the CLP. You know, we have a seventeen strong government

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Speaker 2: and we will have a seventeen strong government at the

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Speaker 2: end of it. It's just whether or not we will

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Speaker 2: have an eighteenth member of our team or not, Katie.

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Speaker 2: So again our position is very consistent. We are still

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Speaker 2: working very hard delivering on our election commitments. Is about

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Speaker 2: reducing crime, which I know is a very key issue

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Speaker 2: for the people in that electorate and will undoubtedly feature

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Speaker 2: in this by election. But for us, the business of

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Speaker 2: government continues and people can expect to see that consistent

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Speaker 2: approach from us.

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Speaker 1: I mean, if crime's a major issue for the people

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Speaker 1: of Nightcliff, would you consider you know, we heard earlier

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Speaker 1: in the week that Strikeforce stridents potentially moving out to

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Speaker 1: the Peter McCaulay Center. I mean, would you consider moving

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Speaker 1: Strikeforce strident in their to Nightcliffe Police station or moving

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Speaker 1: some further frontline police into Nightcliffe Police Station.

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Speaker 2: We're always looking at how we can best deliver policing

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Speaker 2: services right across the territory, and I've been very very

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Speaker 2: clear that we shouldn't be having politically motivated police stations.

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Speaker 2: Katie and I think that's been really a big failed

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Speaker 2: experiment by Labor much that police station would be twenty

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Speaker 2: four seven, it obviously isn't, and so people in that

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Speaker 2: electric feel really disappointed by the outcome. But what people

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Speaker 2: can have great confidence in is that we will move

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Speaker 2: resources where they can be most effectively deployed to protect people,

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Speaker 2: to respond to crime and mitigate crime in the first instance.

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Speaker 2: So they will always be the rationale that we take.

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Speaker 2: And that's not to say that Nightcliffe, you know, Nightcliffe

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Speaker 2: does have a role to play into the future, but

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Speaker 2: it's got to be in the best interest of reducing crime.

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Speaker 2: That's the lens in which we look through everything, all right.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister. A bit of speculation, well, there had been

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Speaker 1: a bit of speculation whether you know, you might announce

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Speaker 1: a cabinet reshuffle at some point this year. That doesn't

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Speaker 1: look as though it's happening, But each Northern Territory Minister

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Speaker 1: has been assigned a new backbencher assistant in a reshuffle

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Speaker 1: of assistant ministries. So Funny bay MLA Lori Zio is

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Speaker 1: going to become the assistant minister to you, the chief Minister.

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Speaker 1: The Member for Blaying Matthew Curl's going to take on

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Speaker 1: the deputy chief minister's assistant portfolios. I mean, are you

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Speaker 1: just trying to keep the back benches busy?

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Speaker 2: This is really important for us to make sure that

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Speaker 2: we are using all seventeen of our resources. Most of

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Speaker 2: your listeners will know that we have seventeen members of government,

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Speaker 2: but only nine are cabinet ministers, and that will remain

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Speaker 2: the same. I've deliberately kept that consistent because certainty is

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Speaker 2: a hallmark of what we are delivering for the territory.

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Speaker 2: But as for our entire backbench, they're an incredible group

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Speaker 2: of people working hard in their electorates. But it's very

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Speaker 2: important that we use the opportunity to give them new

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Speaker 2: skills to understand how the territory works and also to

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Speaker 2: be able to give back and use their knowledge and

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Speaker 2: experience to make a richer outcome for everyday territory.

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Speaker 1: Are they get paid any more money? Are they going

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Speaker 1: to be getting paid.

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Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, So assistant ministers is they don't

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Speaker 2: get any more allowed that I get any allowance? Is

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Speaker 2: there any of those types of things. There's no payment

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Speaker 2: for it. It just gives them an opportunity to work

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Speaker 2: with a minister and understand more broadly those different portfolio

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Speaker 2: areas and do a bit of a deeper dive into

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Speaker 2: them and provide support and assistance on the ground, but

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Speaker 2: also use their expertise. So it's a really beneficial way

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Speaker 2: to utilize everyone's skills and also give everyone the broadest

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Speaker 2: possible knowledge and understanding of how the territory works.

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Speaker 1: I mean, did they get travel allowance and that kind

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Speaker 1: of thing though.

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Speaker 2: No, So they're allowed to travel on behalf of a minister. So,

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Speaker 2: for example, Ollie Carlson is doing some really important work

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Speaker 2: with the norm Boy transition. Obviously RIO are pulling out

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Speaker 2: of there in a few years time and so we

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Speaker 2: need to have a really keen eye on the future

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Speaker 2: for that region. So travel is allowed, but there's no

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Speaker 2: extra payment for doing this work. It's above and beyond.

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Speaker 2: They're their obligations and duties to their electorate. But it's

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Speaker 2: really beneficial both ways.

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Speaker 1: So they may be using them their electoral allowance to

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Speaker 1: travel to different locations, if that's part of their assistant

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Speaker 1: ministerial role.

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Speaker 2: No, no, so the minister. If a backbench is so,

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Speaker 2: for Ollie Carson is traveling as part of the Norman

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Speaker 2: Boy transition work, then that would be paid for by government,

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Speaker 2: not through her electoral allowance. But she doesn't get paid

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Speaker 2: to do that job.

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Speaker 1: All right, some people, well that is still a cost

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Speaker 1: to the taxpayer.

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Speaker 2: Oh yes, but that's a different question. It does come

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Speaker 2: into cost if there is travel, but there's no additional payment.

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Speaker 2: So this isn't an opportunity for the backbench to be

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Speaker 2: doing above and beyond duties which give them a great

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Speaker 2: understanding about different you know, facets of the territory, whether

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Speaker 2: it be in health, whether it be in lands and planning,

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Speaker 2: treasury for example. And it also allows them to use

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Speaker 2: their skills in another way. But us, and foremost always

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Speaker 2: for all of us cabinet ministers included Katie, here's your

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Speaker 2: responsibility to your electorate. That is politics.

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Speaker 1: One oh one, Chief Minister, We're going to have to

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Speaker 1: wrap it up very quickly. Do you think Angus Taylor

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Speaker 1: needs to take over the coalition today?

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Speaker 2: Oh look, Katie, I think this has all been a

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Speaker 2: really big distraction. I think, like most Australians, would like

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Speaker 2: to see this issue settled because ultimately we need a

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Speaker 2: strong opposition keeping this federal government to account. And that's

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Speaker 2: why this Nightcliff by election, you won't see the Territory

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Speaker 2: government being distracted from the mission and the job that

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Speaker 2: Territorians have given us to do well.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister Leah Finochiaro, really appreciate you speaking to us

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Speaker 1: this morning and good to hear that we've got that

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Speaker 1: date set the seventh of March for the Nightcliff by election.

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Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time.

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Speaker 2: Take care everyone.

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Speaker 1: Thank you,