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Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one oh four point nine's

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Speaker 1: three sixty Now. As I mentioned in the intro, Australians

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Speaker 1: are expecting the federal election to be called in the

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Speaker 1: coming days, which means we can expect politicians well in

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Speaker 1: Darwin making announcements. We know Labour's Attorney General was here

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Speaker 1: on the weekend announcing three point six million dollars over

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Speaker 1: four years to open a Darwin registry for the new

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Speaker 1: Administrative Review Tribunal aimed at improving access to justice for

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Speaker 1: residents of Darwin and the surrounding areas. We'll need a

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Speaker 1: bit more detail on that that I'm sure we'll be

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Speaker 1: able to ask for over the coming days. Meanwhile, we

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Speaker 1: know on elected Dutton coalition government's going to provide three

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Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars from a revitalized Safer

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Speaker 1: Communities Fund to fast track crucial public lighting upgrades in Palmerston.

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Speaker 1: The Opposition leader Peter Dutton in town over the weekend

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Speaker 1: to make that announcement. Now joining me in the studio

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Speaker 1: is the Chief Minister leafanochiiro Good.

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Speaker 2: Morning to you, Good morning kadience, your listeners.

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Speaker 1: Great to have you in the studio now. Chief Minister,

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Speaker 1: the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton in Palmeston of

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Speaker 1: course making the announcement about these security measures and also

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Speaker 1: attending the colp's fiftieth birthday was it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, we had our very special birthday party on

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Speaker 3: Saturday night. So fifty years of delivering democracy to the

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Speaker 3: territory something we're very very proud of.

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Speaker 1: Now. In terms of this announcement around lighting, three hundred

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Speaker 1: and sixty eight thousand dollars, I know at the moment

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Speaker 1: out in Palmerston there have been some issues when it

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Speaker 1: comes to crime and anti social behavior people public drinking

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Speaker 1: and generally not really behaving the way in which residents

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Speaker 1: want them to. How do you reckon this is going

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Speaker 1: to help?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it is.

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Speaker 3: It's all really helpful, Katie. So three hundred and sixty

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Speaker 3: eight thousand dollars for lighting goes a long way, and

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Speaker 3: of course when you've got the right lighting and the

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Speaker 3: right places, it generally moves antisocial behavior on. So this

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Speaker 3: is both in some parks in Palmestan, some streets and

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Speaker 3: in the CBD. It's something Lisa Bayless, the CLP candidate,

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Speaker 3: has been fighting for and is now able to deliver

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Speaker 3: on should she win the election.

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Speaker 1: I know that it was also noted and has been

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Speaker 1: reported over the course of the weekend that Shane Stone,

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Speaker 1: the President of the COLP, has announced that he's retiring

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Speaker 1: as the president and the former Member for Solomon, Natasha Griggs,

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Speaker 1: is going to step in.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, we're really sad to see Shane go, but you know,

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Speaker 3: he stepped up when we needed him and we've delivered

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Speaker 3: a great result on returning seventeen members to government.

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Speaker 2: And so you know, he leaves a really strong legacy.

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Speaker 3: He leaves on an absolute high point and I'm looking

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Speaker 3: forward to working with Natasha Griggs and the team going forward.

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Speaker 3: But you know, we can't thank Shane enough. And you

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Speaker 3: know he's never far away, Katie. He is a hell

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Speaker 3: of a passionate territory and whilst he might be moving

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Speaker 3: back to Brisbane, I know he'll be keeping a very

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Speaker 3: very close eye on thing.

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Speaker 1: In terms of Natasha Griggs stepping in, is that just

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Speaker 1: in the interim? What's the situation.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, under our constitution, one of the vice presidents takes

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Speaker 3: on the role until the AGM, which is later in

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Speaker 3: the year, so then I think it's about September octo

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Speaker 3: But We'll have a normal AGM like any organization would,

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Speaker 3: and people can nominate and we go from there.

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Speaker 1: Leah, when's your tip of when this federal election is

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Speaker 1: going to be called?

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Speaker 2: I don't know. The sand seems to be shifting.

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Speaker 3: Some people are saying May, some people are saying March,

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Speaker 3: so I really don't know. But we're obviously very important, Katie,

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Speaker 3: because we're getting a lot of federal attention from both sides,

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Speaker 3: and I'm welcoming that and making sure that everyone knows

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Speaker 3: exactly what we're fighting for. And I have to say,

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Speaker 3: you know, Lisa Bayless and Lisa Ceb, but the CLP

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Speaker 3: candidates are doing an outstanding job. And if we want

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Speaker 3: to get some really good results for the territory, having

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Speaker 3: a coalition government in Canberra is going to be extremely helpful.

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Speaker 1: All right, let's move along. We know the Northern Territories.

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Speaker 1: IKAK last week released the long awaited findings from an

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Speaker 1: investigation into alleged labor issues of taxpayer funds in the

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Speaker 1: lead up to the twenty twenty election. Now, no adverse

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Speaker 1: findings against any individuals were made. We know that the

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Speaker 1: report looked into allegations concerning former labor chief Minister Michael

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Speaker 1: Gunner and his ministerial staff, who were referred to ikak

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Speaker 1: amid claims of improper conduct by ministerial staff leading up

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Speaker 1: to the twenty twenty Northern Territory election. Now, the investigation

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Speaker 1: confirmed what many of us, I think working in the

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Speaker 1: political sphere believed, and that was in the months leading

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Speaker 1: up to the twenty twenty election, offices within the Office

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Speaker 1: of the Chief Minister, and in particular that digital unit

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Speaker 1: had performed political campaign work within normal office hours and

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Speaker 1: while being paid from the public purse. Now, Chief Minister,

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Speaker 1: I've got to tell you the outcome of this report.

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Speaker 1: It's not really a surprise to me, but many knew

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Speaker 1: or believe that this was happening in the lead into

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty election. And some listening this morning might

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Speaker 1: be going, well, isn't that big a deal. Well, it

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Speaker 1: is a big deal because it's actually it is taxpayers

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Speaker 1: money that is being used essentially to campaign. Now, I

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Speaker 1: don't care which side of politics it is. I just

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Speaker 1: think it's a stitch up.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you just can't do it, Katie.

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Speaker 3: And what the Operation Jupiter report too, did confirm. Whilst

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Speaker 3: there were no adverse findings, it did confirm that campaigning

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Speaker 3: was happening. So we've now you know that reports concluded

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Speaker 3: there were obviously two parts. We've updated the Ministerial staff

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Speaker 3: Code of Conduct and guidelines and all of those things

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Speaker 3: to strengthen it even further to make sure this doesn't

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Speaker 3: happen again. But what it basically confirms is that labor

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Speaker 3: had an unfair advantage going into the twenty twenty election,

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Speaker 3: and it doesn't meet community expectational standard. Now, I would

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Speaker 3: expect many people are disappointed by the report, both reports

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Speaker 3: and ultimately you know, the k has reviewed this matter now,

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Speaker 3: but it's very serious.

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Speaker 1: I mean, do we have any idea how much money

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Speaker 1: was potentially wasted here or what kind of you know,

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Speaker 1: what kind of hours give us something tangible?

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Speaker 3: No, that wasn't part of the report, so I don't

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Speaker 3: have any more detail really than any other territory and

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Speaker 3: has Katie. I've read the report obviously, so not a

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Speaker 3: lot of detail, no finding some clear recommendations and we

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Speaker 3: moved on those straight away just in the absolute abundance

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Speaker 3: of doubt. So we've tightened all of that up. These

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Speaker 3: rules apply of course to the opposition staff as well.

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Speaker 2: But it's very disappointing.

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Speaker 3: I think it closes a very long drawn out saga

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Speaker 3: and I think people are left wondering, well, you know what's.

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Speaker 1: Well, a lot of people are left wondering what exactly

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Speaker 1: is the purpose of the IKAK as well, because we've

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Speaker 1: got a situation where there's been a number of different

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Speaker 1: reports obviously conducted. And I'm not criticizing the IKAK, but

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Speaker 1: you know, even in this situation where there's no adverse

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Speaker 1: findings against any individuals, but we've now had two reports

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Speaker 1: into what was going on before that twenty twenty election,

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Speaker 1: some people are questioning right now whether the IKAK is

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Speaker 1: worth the funding.

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Speaker 3: And it's you know, people have a right to ask

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Speaker 3: that question. Of course, we're paying for two i caacs

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Speaker 3: as well at the moment continuing that's been ongoing since

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Speaker 3: oh gosh, I can't remember, it's about May last year,

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Speaker 3: I think, Katie. So you know, it is a big

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Speaker 3: use of taxpayers funds.

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Speaker 2: It needs to be working properly.

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Speaker 3: We want a strong eye CAAC in the territory and

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Speaker 3: obviously there's been a lot of drama around it. But

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Speaker 3: even this report of course was done externally because of

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Speaker 3: the conflict issue raised by the acting ICACK. So there's

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Speaker 3: been many different parties involved over the years, but what

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Speaker 3: we need to do is really make sure we've got

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Speaker 3: a fit for purpose IICACS going forward that meets expectations.

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Speaker 1: So are you going to continue to fund the icc.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, Katie, there's no question about that. There will

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Speaker 3: be an i CAAQ in the territory. We're just really

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Speaker 3: looking forward to give certainty. You know, we've put in

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Speaker 3: place a new acting ICAC to give those stuff and

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Speaker 3: all of the ongoing investigation certainty. But we really want

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Speaker 3: to see all of this come to an end so

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Speaker 3: we can move forward.

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Speaker 1: All right, let's move along. Because the Correctional Services Legislative

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Speaker 1: Amendment Bill passed through Parliament last week. It is aimed

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Speaker 1: at delivering workforce reforms in an effort to support correction stuff,

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Speaker 1: and it is workforce pressures. So the problem you've got

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Speaker 1: here is that correctional stuff do not seem to want

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Speaker 1: these changes to go ahead. Nonetheless, the legislative changes have

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Speaker 1: been passed. How soon are we going to potentially see

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Speaker 1: a surge workforce from interstate or these changes really become operational.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, we're certainly hoping for next week, Katie, and just

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Speaker 3: for a bit of background, and I think there's been

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Speaker 3: unfortunate gameplay happening here. But you know, the Minister met

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Speaker 3: with the unions in November last year and they've point

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Speaker 3: blank said to him we need twenty or thirty more staff.

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Speaker 3: We've now moved to find a solution to that. Now

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Speaker 3: there are thirty one in the training college right now,

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Speaker 3: but we need more ongoing. So we've found a solution

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Speaker 3: to get our police and corrections officers out of operating

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Speaker 3: taxi services for prisoners to fill that gap with people

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Speaker 3: coming from interstate. So it's very meaningful. What we're doing

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Speaker 3: is very meaningful in terms of freeing up police to

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Speaker 3: be on the front line and freeing up our hard

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Speaker 3: working corrections offices to be on the front line. So

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Speaker 3: I don't think Territorians want to see cops shuttling people

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Speaker 3: from Parmesan watchhouse to court, all corrections officers. And that's

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Speaker 3: the gap we're plugging because there is a workforce shortage

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Speaker 3: and we need these people behind bars, which means we

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Speaker 3: need more prison off.

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Speaker 1: So did you say we are expecting a surge workforce

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Speaker 1: from next week.

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Speaker 3: I'm certainly hoping, so, Katie, we solch this on urgency

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Speaker 3: because we want it done urgently, so stuff from interstate Yeah, yeah, exactly,

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Speaker 3: so the minister will be better place to answer those questions.

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Speaker 3: But certainly we are pushing as hard and fast as

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Speaker 3: we can to give that reprieve to our corrections officers

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Speaker 3: who are doing one hundred and sixty thousand hours in

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Speaker 3: overtime every year.

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Speaker 2: We've got to drop those numbers for their.

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Speaker 3: Own health and well being and safety, and we need

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Speaker 3: the support so that our police can be back on

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Speaker 3: the frontline.

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Speaker 1: All right, Well, we are going to be catching up

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Speaker 1: with the Corrections Commissioner after you, in fact, so we'll

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Speaker 1: get some of that that you know, those questions answered

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Speaker 1: in terms of the operational stuff. I mean, are you

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Speaker 1: concerned that, according to the union, the workforce is losing

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Speaker 1: confidence in leadership.

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Speaker 2: No, I don't think so at all.

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Speaker 3: And certainly when we go around and talk to prison officers,

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Speaker 3: they are really putting their shoulder to the will. They

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Speaker 3: understand the situation because they're the ones who've been underfunded

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Speaker 3: and under resource for so long under labor, so they

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Speaker 3: get that things are at a crisis point. They're doing

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Speaker 3: everything they can and ultimately our prison officers don't want

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Speaker 3: these people back on the street. They live in our

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Speaker 3: community as well, their kids live here, their wives and

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Speaker 3: families are here. So you know, five hundred more people

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Speaker 3: in prison since the election is needed because these people

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Speaker 3: are a risk to our community safety. So everyone's chipping in.

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Speaker 3: It's not perfect cative, but we are working over time

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Speaker 3: on that Corrections master Plan to get as many beds

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Speaker 3: as possible. But more beds we put on means we

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Speaker 3: need more prison officers, so we've got to do that

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Speaker 3: work commensurate.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister concerns Raiseler this week that you've walked back

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Speaker 1: on an election commitment to pay bonuses to long serving

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Speaker 1: police officers. So during the election campaign you'd issued a

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Speaker 1: press release stated on the August fifteen last year, it

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Speaker 1: stated a ten thousand dollars bonus is going to be

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Speaker 1: given to those who've dedicated ten years service, fifteen thousand

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Speaker 1: for those who've served fifteen years, and twenty thousand for

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Speaker 1: those who celebrate twenty, twenty five and thirty year milestones,

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Speaker 1: and for all five year increments. After that, Steve Edgington

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Speaker 1: joined us on the show on Friday and said that

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Speaker 1: this would be happening police will get their bonuses. Can

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Speaker 1: you commit to that?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, So there's just been a bit of confusion around

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Speaker 3: this issue. So when we announced the retention bonus last year,

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Speaker 3: it was off the back of the Non Territory Police

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Speaker 3: Association wanting a retention bonus. Now they didn't have a

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Speaker 3: version of the bonus they wanted, so in consultation with them,

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Speaker 3: that's the promise we made to territorians and to police.

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Speaker 3: Now going forward we rescidves and feedback from the NTPA

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Speaker 3: and others that it maybe didn't hit the mark. So

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Speaker 3: what we've been doing is just looking at further improvements

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Speaker 3: or enhancements. But I absolutely, categorically can say we will

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Speaker 3: deliver what we promised, which was twelve months this year.

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Speaker 3: So anyone achieving those milestones from one January will be

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Speaker 3: paid from one July. So we'll make sure anyone hitting

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Speaker 3: a milestone in that press as identified and promised back

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Speaker 3: in August last year, will receive their bonuses.

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Speaker 2: But we want this to be ongoing. So what is

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Speaker 2: on the table is how this.

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Speaker 3: Looks after that twelve month What does a retention bonus

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Speaker 3: into the.

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Speaker 1: Future look like. Okay, because the association has raised concerns

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Speaker 1: that the retention bonus is only for the next twelve months,

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Speaker 1: not five years like they were promised. They say they were.

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Speaker 3: Promised No, so that's not correct either. We only ever

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Speaker 3: promised twelve months. I then said last week in Parliament

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Speaker 3: that we want this to be five years. So that's

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Speaker 3: going above and beyond the promise.

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Speaker 1: So you want it to be longer than twelve months, yes, So.

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Speaker 3: What we're doing is exactly what was promised, which was

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Speaker 3: twelve months. I wanted to go for longer, and that's

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Speaker 3: what's on the table for discussion after this next year

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Speaker 3: and we analyze how it worked, what can police retention

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Speaker 3: look like. So that's what we're at the table with

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Speaker 3: the NTPA on and that's what we'll continue to discuss

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Speaker 3: going forward. But absolute certainty, the commitment made in August

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Speaker 3: stands and that rolls out from one July backdated to

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Speaker 3: one January.

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Speaker 1: But you're saying you want it to go for five years, yes, Well,

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Speaker 1: committed to it going for five years.

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Speaker 3: Yes, but perhaps in a different form, so that I

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Speaker 3: think that's where the confusion lies.

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Speaker 1: So I think that's going to be waddle upset people

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Speaker 1: to to be blunt about it because I know that

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Speaker 1: according you know, from what I've heard from the association,

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Speaker 1: a lot of members they say, voted for you thinking

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Speaker 1: that they'd be getting a twenty thousand dollar bonus within

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Speaker 1: the next five years.

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Speaker 2: No, it's not.

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Speaker 3: So this is where the confusion is. We never committed

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Speaker 3: to five years. It was a one year police retention bonus.

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Speaker 3: And everyone that we promised who would get the retention

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Speaker 3: bonus will get the retention bonus. That is lock solid,

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Speaker 3: absolutely no problems. What I have said in the last

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Speaker 3: week is that what will this look like going forward?

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Speaker 3: Because Katie, for example, sixty one percent of constables leave

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Speaker 3: before the ten year mark. So that's a huge number

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Speaker 3: of police. So do I need to pull more resource

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Speaker 3: or more energy or look more closely at what people

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Speaker 3: at that level need to keep them in the job

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Speaker 3: for longer. Now, it's very important distinction. This is not

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Speaker 3: a service payment, a payment for service. This is a

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Speaker 3: retention bonus. It's about keeping people in the police longer.

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Speaker 3: So it's to make sure that we're giving police who

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Speaker 3: might be thinking of leaving that extra reason to stay

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Speaker 3: on top of all of the new powers we're giving them,

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Speaker 3: on top of you know, everything else we're doing to

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Speaker 3: try and support our frontline.

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Speaker 1: Look, I get what you're saying, but I think to myself,

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Speaker 1: imagine being a police officer who's done nineteen years, who's

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Speaker 1: going to miss out potentially.

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Speaker 3: Well, it was only ever a twelve month commitment, and

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Speaker 3: ultimately the NTPA aren't happy with this. We don't want

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Speaker 3: to keep this going for five years because it's not

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Speaker 3: it's not something the NTPA is supportive of to run

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Speaker 3: that for five years either. So we're standing true to

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Speaker 3: our commitment so that twelve months is locked in. You

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Speaker 3: will receive your retention bonus if you meet those milestones

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Speaker 3: in twenty twenty five. I'm keen to keep this conversation

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Speaker 3: going about what where does this need to be, what

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Speaker 3: does it need to look like? And so hopefully in

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Speaker 3: the next couple of months we can then give certainty

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Speaker 3: going forward about what retention.

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Speaker 1: Looks like well and how much is it going to get?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, So the three million is a ferry

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Speaker 2: committed to that yet.

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Speaker 1: So in terms of moving forward, I mean, does it

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Speaker 1: come out of like surely it's not going to come

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Speaker 1: out of the Northern Territory Police operational budget.

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Speaker 3: No, So so we've put the three million dollars aside

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Speaker 3: for that going forward, we're happy to continue that three million.

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Speaker 3: Now the NTPA has some other ideas about what might

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Speaker 3: work better. Does that three million end up going to that,

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Speaker 3: does it end up going in as part of EBA

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Speaker 3: negotiations for example. So there's a lot going on this year,

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Speaker 3: and it's just about making sure that if we're going

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Speaker 3: to spend money retaining police that ongoing, we have a

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Speaker 3: system that works. But certainty will be delivered this year

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Speaker 3: as promised, and there was never a promise for five years.

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Speaker 3: That is something I said last week saying I'd like it.

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Speaker 3: I'd like something to keep going into the future.

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Speaker 1: But it's not going to be for five years.

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Speaker 2: No, No, into the future.

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Speaker 3: It will be for there will be some form of

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Speaker 3: retention for five years. It might not look like the

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Speaker 3: one for this year.

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Speaker 1: All right, So further discussions by the sounds of things

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Speaker 1: with the Police Association.

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Speaker 3: For four years for everything after this year is for discussion.

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Speaker 3: This year is locked in, So if we're talking about

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Speaker 3: five no one has to think about this year. That's

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Speaker 3: all locked in. We'll be delivered as promised after this year.

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Speaker 3: I'm saying right, for the next four years. What is

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Speaker 3: that going to look like?

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Speaker 1: And what do you say to those police officers that

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Speaker 1: are potentially listening this morning that are going, well, hang

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Speaker 1: on a sick I thought this was for the next

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Speaker 1: five years. I am really annoyed by this.

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Speaker 3: No, they shouldn't because it's only come up last week

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Speaker 3: and then being confused by the media commentary around it.

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Speaker 3: So it's just been an unfortunate week where there's been

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Speaker 3: misinformation going around. So the only way police could be

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Speaker 3: confused is in the last couple of days because of

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Speaker 3: the commentary around it.

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Speaker 2: But that was never the case.

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Speaker 3: I can assure you and anyone can go back and

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Speaker 3: look at the original commitment. It was for twelve months.

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Speaker 3: The first time five years came up was last week.

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Speaker 1: All right, well, no doubt we're going to talk further

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Speaker 1: about this, and it is.

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Speaker 3: It is all on the table, right, So anyone concerned,

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Speaker 3: I mean, don't forget even with this version we've got

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Speaker 3: for twelve months, there are people very unhappy about that

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Speaker 3: as well, Katie. So it's definitely not going to be

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Speaker 3: a crowd pleaser for everyone because no matter where you

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Speaker 3: draw the line on the milestone or the amounts people

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Speaker 3: will miss out.

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Speaker 1: And to play devil's advocate here, I mean, where do

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Speaker 1: you draw the line in terms of the government spent.

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Speaker 1: Because you guys were out last week saying, you know

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Speaker 1: that you've got to remove the debt ceiling because we

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Speaker 1: are in an astronomical level of debt. Then the public

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Speaker 1: servants obviously also negotiating or getting the three percent wage increase,

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Speaker 1: which I you know, I totally agree with, the cost

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Speaker 1: of being is insane at the moment, and that had

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Speaker 1: already been agreed to. But others listening who maybe work

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Speaker 1: in the private sector might be going, well, hang on

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Speaker 1: a second, this is a lot of money that's flown

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Speaker 1: out the door.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's why we have to spend it targeted

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Speaker 3: on retention. And that's why it's not a service a

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Speaker 3: payment for service. It's a payment to keep people in

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Speaker 3: the job for longer. So we're wanting to give people

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Speaker 3: extra reasons to do another three years, to do another

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Speaker 3: four years.

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Speaker 2: And so.

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Speaker 3: It's exactly the same as our home build scheme or

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Speaker 3: anything else. There are criteria around it, and some people

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Speaker 3: fall in and some people fall out. Now that's it

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Speaker 3: is absolutely unfortunate that this week there has been misinformation,

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Speaker 3: and you know, I apologize for causing part of that confusion,

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Speaker 3: but I just want everyone to understand we will deliver

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Speaker 3: on our promise. That certainty is absolutely locked in. What

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Speaker 3: I'm talking about is going forward, what can the next

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Speaker 3: four years look like? And that just might mean we

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Speaker 3: put more money into the EBA so that every single

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Speaker 3: police officer gets paid more. That might end up being

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Speaker 3: the outcome. Katie. I'm very open to working with the

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Speaker 3: NTPA on it, but locked in twelve months. If you

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Speaker 3: are going to get it, you're gonna get it.

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Speaker 1: All right. Well, I'm sure there'll be for the discussions

403
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Speaker 1: about this. Hey, we've got a few listener questions coming through.

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Speaker 1: I've got one here, Hi, Katie, can you ask the

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister about the solar tariff increase not being between

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Speaker 1: sunrise to sundown ie peak period as promised? And who

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Speaker 1: made the decision between three pm to nine pm where

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Speaker 1: solar is not made when there's no sunlight. Thank you,

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Speaker 1: Scotty from Palm Oh.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, great question, Scottie. So that's actually the peak period

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Speaker 3: is determined by Power and Water Corporation. So I'm not

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Speaker 3: sure where people thought six to six I'm not sure

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Speaker 3: where that came from. The advice from Power and Water

414
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Speaker 3: is the three till nine. But you know, on this uptake,

415
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Speaker 3: we've had three times the number of people applying for

416
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Speaker 3: this rebate then under Labour's previous scheme. So we've taken

417
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Speaker 3: it from five to twelve thousand. We've taken it per

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Speaker 3: per person, we've taken it from three million dollars to

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Speaker 3: six million dollars and the take up has been huge.

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Speaker 3: From one December we've had two hundred people applying and

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Speaker 3: I think it's about ninety percent of people whove applied

422
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Speaker 3: have been successful. So it's it's going great. It's going great.

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Speaker 1: You're the Chief Minister. Though surely if you don't like

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Speaker 1: that peak period you can change it.

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Speaker 3: I suppose I could, Katie, But at the end of

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Speaker 3: the day, you've got to make the right decisions that

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Speaker 3: make the most sense, and certainly you know it does

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Speaker 3: make the most sense to keep it to that period.

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Speaker 3: And you know, we're really proud again. This is a

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Speaker 3: commitment we took, we've delivered and people are lapping it

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Speaker 3: up all right.

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Speaker 1: Hulk's message, she wants to know why can't the eye

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Speaker 1: Kak then take matters to the courts to bring consequences

434
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Speaker 1: to those who've done the wrong thing, Ie Gunner and

435
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Speaker 1: he's chronic.

436
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Speaker 3: Yeah, so the i CAAC can and I think this

437
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Speaker 3: again is why people feel so disappointed. The IKAC has

438
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Speaker 3: obviously very very broad powers. Then they've got powers to

439
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Speaker 3: be able to refer criminal matters to the DPP to

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Speaker 3: face the courts or whatever other sanctions might be required.

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Speaker 3: And in both Operation Jupiter reports, both different people who

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Speaker 3: did those reports found no action.

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Speaker 1: So all right, Airman Darwin wants to know, can you

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Speaker 1: please us, the Chief Minister, when you envisage the prices

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Speaker 1: at the bottle shops to return to prices prior to

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Speaker 1: Labour's floor price debarcle.

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00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, we've been really clear we want retailers to pass

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Speaker 3: on the cause. Now in Alice Springs, that industry group

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00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:43,880
Speaker 3: down there has said they're going to do their own

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00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,919
Speaker 3: floor price, and that's a matter for that community, but

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Speaker 3: ultimately we expect retailers to pass on the price the

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Speaker 3: industry has to their credit come out and said, you know,

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Speaker 3: a lot of water has gone under the bridge since

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00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,000
Speaker 3: twenty eighteen, so a lot of the cost of alcohol

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Speaker 3: with the taxing preess has gone up, which means the

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00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,840
Speaker 3: profit that would the bottlows we're getting is gone. But

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Speaker 3: there will be some products where they can pass the

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Speaker 3: savings on and we expect them to do it.

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Speaker 1: Chief Finess. A really quick one from Jill Indo Alowa.

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Speaker 1: Many of us are in shock and disgusted. She sees

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Speaker 1: that the cancelation of funding to the Environment Center and

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Speaker 1: its Central Area equivalent. What's the justification for this, given

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Speaker 1: that these organizations work to keep our environments safe, and

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Speaker 1: you have done it, and they've done great work for

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Speaker 1: many years. It is just another move by your government

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Speaker 1: to silence opposition to environmentally damaging projects.

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Speaker 3: Well, it was an election commitment that we made very clear,

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Speaker 3: probably about a year ago, Katie saying that we would

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Speaker 3: defund the Environmental Defender's Office, and of course we've wrapped

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Speaker 3: in the Arid's Land Center with that. It represents about

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Speaker 3: it two hundred thousand dollars savings to territories that we

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Speaker 3: are going to put into frontline conservation. So actually things

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Speaker 3: like planting trees, removing weeds. We do not want to

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Speaker 3: see public money going into you know, law fare and

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00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,159
Speaker 3: activism that's stopping projects happening in the territory that doesn't

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Speaker 3: protect our environment. What we want to see is projects

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Speaker 3: getting up through proper approvals processes and money being spent

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Speaker 3: properly protecting our environment, not spent on lawyer's fees.

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Speaker 2: Standing in court all day.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister, we are going to have to leave it there.

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Speaker 1: Really appreciate your time as always, Thanks so much for

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Speaker 1: joining us.

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Speaker 2: Good to speak with you.

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Speaker 1: Take care, Thank you.