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Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is Robin Lamley,

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Speaker 1: the Member for our Alu and the independent Member for

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Speaker 1: our Alum. Good morning to you, Robin.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.

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Speaker 3: Robin.

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Speaker 1: It's been an interesting time, no doubt about it. I

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Speaker 1: know that yesterday the huge focus outside of Parliament was

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Speaker 1: the health system and the crisis that our health system

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Speaker 1: is under at the moment. Both the AMA and the

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Speaker 1: Nurses Federation speaking to me on the show, you know,

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Speaker 1: questioning whether we need to call in federal help in

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Speaker 1: some way, or whether the National Critical Care and Trauma

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Speaker 1: Response Center needed to be called in called in to

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Speaker 1: help at our hospitals around the territory. Robin, from your perspective,

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Speaker 1: how is our health system coping right now?

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Speaker 2: Well, look, I'd take the advice of the experts, Katie,

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Speaker 2: certainly when it comes to the top end. In Alice Springs,

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Speaker 2: the Health Minister reported on radio earlier in the week

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Speaker 2: that we had forty six COVID patients in the Alice

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Speaker 2: Springs Hospital, which is a lot for a small regional

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Speaker 2: hospital like Alice Springs. And I know that there's a

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Speaker 2: lot of pressure on the staff and the system in

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Speaker 2: Alice Springs. Last night I ran in motion asking for

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Speaker 2: the government once again to start planning for a new

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Speaker 2: Alice Springs hospital over the next ten years. They rejected

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Speaker 2: that they think that everything's okay in Alice Springs. But look,

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Speaker 2: I think this is something maybe when the pressure is

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Speaker 2: taken off, when we have time to reflect on the

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Speaker 2: impact of COVID, that all our hospital acute hospital health

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Speaker 2: services in particular should be assessed and we need to

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Speaker 2: start planning for the future. If the Rule Darwin Hospital

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Speaker 2: is not coping, the Palmerston Regional Hospital and new hospitals

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Speaker 2: not coping, and the Alice Springs Hospital is certainly under

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Speaker 2: the pump, then you know the government needs to listen.

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Speaker 2: They don't seem to be doing a lot of lately.

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Speaker 1: Well, Robin, it it seems that way. I know there's

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Speaker 1: a few things I want to ask you about. Yesterday

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Speaker 1: in Parliament you actually asked the Chief Minister what is

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Speaker 1: the cost of crime to Alice Springs right now? And

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Speaker 1: you spoke about the hardship that a lot of Central

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Speaker 1: Australian businesses are going through. We've spoken to different businesses

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Speaker 1: on numerous occasions. You know, one flick through the Action

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Speaker 1: for Alice Facebook page and you can see that Alice

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Speaker 1: Springs is really going through a tough time with crime

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Speaker 1: at the moment.

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Speaker 3: What was the Chief Minister's answer.

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Speaker 2: Well, the Chief Minister's response was gobsmacking, Katie. He basically said,

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Speaker 2: there's nothing to see here. Alice Springs is booming, businesses

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Speaker 2: are booming. He did not acknowledge any impact of crime

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Speaker 2: on businesses or the economy of Alice Springs at all.

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Speaker 2: He refused to acknowledge that many, if not if not all,

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Speaker 2: businesses in Alice Springs have been impacted by crime, which

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Speaker 2: just left me and I think the people of Alice

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Speaker 2: Springs speechless.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 1: The thing is sometimes that acknowledgment is really what you need,

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Speaker 1: you know, to actually hear the Chief Miness to say,

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Speaker 1: we know you're going through a really hard.

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Speaker 3: Time, particularly you know.

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Speaker 1: I've spoken to the Tourism CEO or the Central Australian

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Speaker 1: Tourism CEO, Daniel Rochford, about the hardship that that businesses

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Speaker 1: in Alice are going through related to tourism and also

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Speaker 1: the impact of crime. I've spoken to different business owners

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Speaker 1: who've told me quite horrifying stories that they're going through,

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Speaker 1: and I just find it quite astonishing then that there's

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Speaker 1: not that acknowledgment from the government.

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Speaker 2: Well, it's a sign of disrespect. But more than anything,

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Speaker 2: for a Chief Minister to say that means that he

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Speaker 2: is completely out of touch with what is actually happening

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Speaker 2: in Alice Springs. He claims to come down to Alice

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Speaker 2: Springs regularly, he claims to talk to business owners, but

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Speaker 2: clearly that's not the case. He might be talking to them,

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Speaker 2: but he's not listening, or he's refusing to acknowledge that

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Speaker 2: there's a problem because he then may have to do something. Look, Katie,

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Speaker 2: it just leaves the people of Alice Springs feeling an

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Speaker 2: enormous sense of hopelessness and desperation.

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Speaker 1: Robin, are you playing politics with this issue of crime

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Speaker 1: in Central Australia, Katie.

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Speaker 2: I have a job to do. I represent the interests

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Speaker 2: of the people of Alice Springs. I'm paid to do it.

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Speaker 2: It's like your job, it's like his job. I listen

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Speaker 2: to the people in my community. We are not exaggerating

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Speaker 2: the police crime stats speak volumes month on month for

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Speaker 2: at least the last couple of years. We have seen

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Speaker 2: astonishing increases in crime and the impact of that crime

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Speaker 2: is profound. Talk to any business owner in Alice Springs

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Speaker 2: that has a shop, frunt or a business premises and

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Speaker 2: you will hear that they have all been affected and

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Speaker 2: that means it's cost them money and for some businesses

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Speaker 2: it has cost them an enormous amount of money. So

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Speaker 2: for the Chief Minister to deny that there's a problem

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Speaker 2: really is just unacceptable. Am I playing politics? I'm a politician.

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Speaker 2: Of course I play politics, but this, I'm not exaggerating,

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Speaker 2: is a massive problem in the town and it's got

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Speaker 2: worse over the last two years.

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Speaker 3: Robin.

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Speaker 1: I also know yesterday that you introduced a motion. I

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Speaker 1: believe it won't be discussed till a little bit later

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Speaker 1: or the next sittings, but that Parliament House there'd be

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Speaker 1: a grog band, So basically no alcohol inside Parliament House

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Speaker 1: unless it's for an official function.

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Speaker 2: Yes, that's right. It's been something I've been thinking about

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Speaker 2: for a long time. I think we all know that

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Speaker 2: alcohol is the root of all evil in the Northern

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Speaker 2: Territory and I think we need to lead by example.

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Speaker 2: I think that what we've seen in the Federal Parliament

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Speaker 2: is the whole parliament take check of the culture within

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Speaker 2: the Parliament, the behavior of members of Parliament to make

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Speaker 2: the work areas within the Northern Territory Parliament House alcohol

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Speaker 2: free is a sensible and responsible step.

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Speaker 3: And Robin, is that what's prompted it?

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Speaker 1: What's going on in the federal Parliament or has there

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Speaker 1: been something happened in the Territory Parliament that's made you

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Speaker 1: think that it also needs to come into play.

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Speaker 2: Well, I've been around this place for a long time

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Speaker 2: now and I've seen first tan the negative impact of

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Speaker 2: alcohol on the workplace here in Parliament House. I'm not

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Speaker 2: going to cite any examples. I think you know, you

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Speaker 2: just have to sort of flick through the newspapers over

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Speaker 2: the last ten years and you can see that it

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Speaker 2: has been a problem at different times for different members

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Speaker 2: within this place. I just think we need to lead

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Speaker 2: by example. It's a small ask, it's a small sacrifice.

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Speaker 2: I mean, if you work at Warlworth, you can't drink

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Speaker 2: at worse. I'm sure you guys aren't sipping on a

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Speaker 2: beer as you're talking to me at the moment. So

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Speaker 2: why should politicians be allowed to drink it in their

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Speaker 2: workplace while they're in Parliament.

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Speaker 1: I think it's a fair call yeah, I think it's

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Speaker 1: a very fair call. And I know that if you're

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Speaker 1: a truckie or if you're you know, a trades person,

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Speaker 1: no matter what job you're listening to, no matter what

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Speaker 1: job you're in, if you're listening to us have a

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Speaker 1: chat this morning, you're not able to have alcohol in

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Speaker 1: your system. So I don't understand why you'd be able

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Speaker 1: to if you're working inside Parliament House and.

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Speaker 2: If you want to have a drink after work, walk

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Speaker 2: down the road and spend your money in a local

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Speaker 2: bar or restaurant. You know, this is the problem. A

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Speaker 2: lot of grog comes into this place for functions within

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Speaker 2: the ministerial suites. I was a minister once, where you

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Speaker 2: have the grog trolley come in every now and then

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Speaker 2: and you put on the cannapis and the alcohol for

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Speaker 2: different people. That's not on really. You know, if you

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Speaker 2: want to have a meeting, if you want to engage

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Speaker 2: with people, go to a private business, sponsor them, give

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Speaker 2: them your patronage. And if you need formal functions within

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Speaker 2: the Parliament House and that's fine, you know, if you

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Speaker 2: want a ball or a reception or something, if the

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Speaker 2: Speaker's corner cafe, want to put on grog, that's fine,

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Speaker 2: but in your office, in your ministerial suite, you shouldn't

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Speaker 2: be drinking.

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Speaker 1: Well, Robin Lamley, I've got a message from one of

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Speaker 1: our listeners. Well spoken, Robin. We all need, we need

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Speaker 1: all politicians to be like you, one hundred percent behind

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Speaker 1: your community, says that Texter.

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Speaker 2: So no wows right o, Katie. I love a glass wine,

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Speaker 2: but I don't need to brink at work.

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Speaker 3: Oh Robin, good to talk to you. We'll chat with

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Speaker 3: you tomorrow for the week that was you, Chi Caddy,

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Speaker 3: wonderful