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Speaker 1: We know well. Joining me in the studio, I bet

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Speaker 1: an introducer is the Chief Minister, Leo Finocchio. Good morning

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Speaker 1: to you. Good morning, forgotten about me, already gotten Sorry.

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Speaker 1: I was getting lots of messages on the tech signe

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Speaker 1: about the glorious weather.

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Speaker 2: It's absolutely fantastic.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it has been phenomenal. Now I want to ask

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Speaker 1: you firstly on the governments today announced its commitment to

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Speaker 1: the Territory Energy Link and Propose multi user, multi asset

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Speaker 1: infrastructure corridor stretching from Elliott to Darwin. This tend has

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Speaker 1: been awarded to provide on demand specialist technical advice to

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Speaker 1: the project team. This expert support is apparently aimed at

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Speaker 1: driving the corridor planning and pipeline development, ensuring the six

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Speaker 1: hundred and seventy kilometer priority section is developed and ready

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Speaker 1: by twenty twenty eight. When was this project first sort

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Speaker 1: of announced.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's an exciting one for us, Katie, because of course,

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Speaker 2: once we unlock the Beaterloo that that gas needs to

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Speaker 2: be able to get somewhere. Currently, what we have is

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Speaker 2: a stranded asset by all accounts, and so by making

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Speaker 2: sure the territory has the corridors that we need to

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Speaker 2: be able to move our resources is a critical part

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Speaker 2: of rebuilding our economy. So this again is a really

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Speaker 2: important milestone for us. It means we can do that

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Speaker 2: really important work about that corridor and make sure that

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Speaker 2: we've got the room and the space to put in

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Speaker 2: gas pipelines, water pipelines, whatever it needs to be, so

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Speaker 2: that we're ready to deliver for territories into the future.

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Speaker 1: We're not missing the boat here, are we. I mean

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Speaker 1: when it comes to our gas and when it comes

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Speaker 1: to getting things moving it like, we know that the

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Speaker 1: other states need that gas. But what I worry about

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Speaker 1: is that we may have missed the boat to some degree.

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Speaker 2: Well, I feel like the territories missed the boat on

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Speaker 2: a lot of things under eight years of labor, Katie.

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Speaker 2: But what can we do. We've just as a new government,

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Speaker 2: we've drawn a line in the sin and we're just

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Speaker 2: going one hundred miles an hour to do everything we

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Speaker 2: can to get this all happening as fast as humanly possible.

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Speaker 2: So this is a big announcement. We've obviously had territory

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Speaker 2: cowards NATA. The next big thing will be approvals fast

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Speaker 2: Trak task for us, which will be coming to me

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Speaker 2: I think by the end of this month. So there's

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Speaker 2: plenty of regulatory and economic development work happening across the territory,

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Speaker 2: and there's you know, you're right, there's no time to lose.

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Speaker 1: Look, I'll ask him more about the Territory coordinator in

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Speaker 1: a couple of moments, but I want to go to

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Speaker 1: some issues that we've had a lot of listeners getting

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Speaker 1: in contact with us about. First, we know that tensions

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Speaker 1: in some of the Northern Territory smaller town centers have

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Speaker 1: been boiling, with residents in Alice Springs really quite concerned

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Speaker 1: after a serious assault which saw a twenty seven year

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Speaker 1: old man stabbed multiple times in broad daylight last week.

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Speaker 1: That altercation between around twenty people blew up just after

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Speaker 1: five pm on Thursday on Gregory Terrace. It's unfortunately not

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Speaker 1: the only concern. We've got residents in Catherine concerned about

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Speaker 1: what they've described as an escalation of crime and really

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Speaker 1: bad behavior. Now. I feel as though we're at a

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Speaker 1: time where we've got some really great events, we've got

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Speaker 1: some really positive things happening in the Northern Territory, but

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Speaker 1: we just can't seem to shake these issues with crime.

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Speaker 1: Following that Chakra and Ala Springs. One local told the

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Speaker 1: paper that people are drinking in licensed venues then causing trouble.

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Speaker 1: I mean, is it time to look at having a

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Speaker 1: BDR for licensed venues as well.

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Speaker 2: Look, that's not the feedback we're getting, Katie, and it's

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Speaker 2: not something that we're explicitly looking at, but we do

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Speaker 2: have across the whole of government. We're doing a review

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Speaker 2: into the band Drinker Register, which is something we obviously

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Speaker 2: promised in the lead up to the election. So we're

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Speaker 2: looking at strengthening the BDR. I can't see us at

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Speaker 2: this point moving to an on premier situation, but it

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Speaker 2: will be articulous.

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Speaker 1: So that people can just go and get slashed in

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Speaker 1: the pub and then come.

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Speaker 2: Out they're not meant to be right. So this is

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Speaker 2: where enforcing people's liquor license is really important, and we're

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Speaker 2: doing some work with licensing. Because you can have as

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Speaker 2: many laws as you want, Katie, if you don't enforce them,

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Speaker 2: then they're worth nothing, right, So we have to make

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Speaker 2: sure that we have the rules in place that keep

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Speaker 2: Pea safe for very good reason, but that we have

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Speaker 2: the strength and the input behind it as well to

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Speaker 2: make sure that people know, if they do the wrong thing,

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Speaker 2: they'll be getting in trouble and that's where responsible service

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Speaker 2: of alcohol kicks in. So, you know, fair to say,

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Speaker 2: plenty of work to be done there. And again that

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Speaker 2: band Drinker Register review is well underway.

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Speaker 1: How soon do you anticipate that it's going to be complete? Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think it will still take another couple of months, Katie.

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Speaker 1: It really just sort of depends what the agencies are

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Speaker 1: coming back to us with and then obviously we'll need

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Speaker 1: to take that out into the community and the marketplace,

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Speaker 1: so there's more work to be done there.

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Speaker 2: We want to get it right. We don't want it

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Speaker 2: to just be something we point to as sort of

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Speaker 2: a savior when really it's not delivering. So we've we've

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Speaker 2: just got to continue moving through that. Are there particular

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Speaker 2: areas of focus that you would like to see that

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Speaker 2: BDR more effective on. I think it's just about the

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Speaker 2: right capability. You know, it's all based on an IT system.

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Speaker 2: We get a lot of feedback from readil is about

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Speaker 2: how slow it is and how it's not multi dimensional,

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Speaker 2: So can it have greater capacity? Can it do more

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Speaker 2: than what it is doing? And also what is the

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Speaker 2: consequence of being on it is that really actually making

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Speaker 2: a difference at all in my point as to some

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Speaker 2: things we can change with secondary supply, So a lot,

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Speaker 2: a lot may come out of it, and I'm certainly

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Speaker 2: hopeful that it will.

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Speaker 1: In Alice Springs, what else do you think can be

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Speaker 1: done to try and help the people there, because like, honestly,

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Speaker 1: they have been grappling with these issues of crime for

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Speaker 1: such a long period of time. I mean right across

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Speaker 1: the Northern territory, but in Alice Springs, something like this

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Speaker 1: flees up, It happens in the main street, it makes

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Speaker 1: national news seed lines as it should, like someone's been

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Speaker 1: stabbed in the main strait. If that happened in Sydney,

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Speaker 1: we'd expect the same. But I mean, what else can

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Speaker 1: be done there to try to sort these issues out?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's heartbreaking for that town because you know,

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Speaker 2: we're starting to see really small improvements there. We've got

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Speaker 2: a really solid tourism season booked in, so people are

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Speaker 2: reflecting that accommodation is booked, people are booking to come

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Speaker 2: to the territories. So we don't want to impact that

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Speaker 2: in any way.

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Speaker 1: Because of course, the.

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Speaker 2: More people here that also helps support greater activation, which

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Speaker 2: drives down crime in and of itself. So it's incredibly

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Speaker 2: important socially and economically. Some of the darnas so crime

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Speaker 2: stats came out last week. You know, some of it's

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Speaker 2: not that great, absolutely, but some of it's starting to

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Speaker 2: pick up. So dev assaults were down, robbery was down,

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Speaker 2: house breakings were down in Alice Springs, which is good,

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Speaker 2: but it's cold comfort when you have really big issues

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Speaker 2: like the one that we subsolutely.

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Speaker 1: And unfortunately Alice Spring's not the only place in Catherine.

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Speaker 1: There's been some concerns as well. On Friday, we spoke

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Speaker 1: on the show with Trent to with a business owner there.

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Speaker 1: He told us of kids running around trying to steal

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Speaker 1: people's property, running a muk. I mean, we also heard

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Speaker 1: about a terrible sexual assault of course over the weekend.

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Speaker 1: But in terms of what Trent had told us, he

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Speaker 1: said that they're catching a bus from the commune unsupervised

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure which community and causing trouble. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you've got to ask, how on earth can a teenage

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Speaker 1: kid get the bus into town unsupervised then cause trouble

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Speaker 1: and not have to go hot?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, good question, and we're certainly following that up, we're

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Speaker 2: trying to get some better information across government about what

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Speaker 2: might be causing these certain spikes. Again, Catherine, you know,

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Speaker 2: the crime stats show that they have had some increases

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Speaker 2: across assaults, robbery was good, robberies down eighty three percent,

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Speaker 2: and so his housebreakings. But again, crime, you know, it's

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Speaker 2: the number one issue, Kadi, it continues.

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Speaker 1: This is a thing. You know, if you feel like

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Speaker 1: you can't go and do your food, yeah, exactly, you

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Speaker 1: actually couldn't care least how the crime stats are looking

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Speaker 1: that you're just so worried about walking into woolies and

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Speaker 1: whether you're going to get knocked over as happened to

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Speaker 1: a senior Territorian ended up with a fractured hip, you know,

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Speaker 1: and have your bag stolen. So those crime stats definitely,

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Speaker 1: you know, we all keep an eye on them.

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Speaker 2: But it is really cold, That's that's right. So I'm

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Speaker 2: I'm I'm explaining them to the community so they hear them.

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Speaker 2: But we've been very clear when people feel safe, that's

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Speaker 2: when things are safe. Right, So plenty of work to do,

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Speaker 2: and you know, we've we've got another two hundred odd

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Speaker 2: police to push through the College this year and we've

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Speaker 2: graduated dozens, so there is that work being done as well.

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Speaker 2: Our laws are definitely working. Every day I pick up

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Speaker 2: the paper, someone's not getting Batil Katie, and so I'm

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Speaker 2: very very pleased to see that. So, you know, some

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Speaker 2: of this stuff, unfortunately takes time, and let's not forget

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Speaker 2: we've also got to deal with the root causes because

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Speaker 2: that work is what's most important in stopping crime in

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Speaker 2: the first place. You know, our police can be there

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Speaker 2: to catch the bad guy, but that's when the thing

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Speaker 2: that the incident has happened. We need to be stopping

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Speaker 2: people choosing a life of crime and turning to this

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Speaker 2: in the first place, which going back to our earlier

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Speaker 2: conversation about a strong economy, we've got to get strong

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Speaker 2: economies in the bush.

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Speaker 1: We've got to get people in the bush working. We've

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Speaker 1: got to get kids to school, which is while we're

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Speaker 1: cracking down hard on parents and parental responsibility and family

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Speaker 1: responsibility agreements. So there's plenty to be done, and you know,

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Speaker 1: we're throwing everything at it, Chief Minister. When we spoke

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Speaker 1: to Trent, he also sees that he's never seen so

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Speaker 1: many bottles of yellow tail broken around town. Do you

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Speaker 1: believe the reintroduction of cheap alcohol has had an impact

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Speaker 1: or what do you think is going on here?

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Speaker 2: No, I haven't heard about the yellowtail, Katie, but I

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Speaker 2: can certainly follow that up. And ultimately, you know, I

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Speaker 2: know labor when I point the finger at the minimum

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Speaker 2: floor price, but none of those savings were passed on

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Speaker 2: by retailers, So there's been no change in price as

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Speaker 2: far as I'm aware across the board. But you know,

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Speaker 2: clearly we're seeing an escalation in behavior and at the

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Speaker 2: end of the day, alcoholics will do anything to get

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Speaker 2: their fix, and that's where our alcohol mandatary treatment work

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Speaker 2: this year will come into its own when that gets

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Speaker 2: off the ground next year.

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Speaker 1: So next year, you're expecting that to get off the ground.

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Speaker 1: In the meantime, do we need those palis back on

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Speaker 1: bottle shops. I know our police are stretched, but it

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Speaker 1: sounds like in Catherine it's something that may be needed.

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Speaker 2: It's really hard and we try and leave those decisions

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Speaker 2: to the police. You know, on the ground, operationally, it's

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Speaker 2: a police decision, and so they've had to pull police

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Speaker 2: off bottle shops to be dealing with other issues. If

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Speaker 2: you have a police officer on a bottle shop, then

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Speaker 2: they can't be responding to crime. So it's a it's

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Speaker 2: a vicious cycle, that's for sure, and they've just got

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Speaker 2: to make those calls every every given day.

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Speaker 1: Any update on the police plane negotiation, No, I believe

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Speaker 1: there was a second meeting maybe last week, Katie. That's

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Speaker 1: probably a better question for the Minister for Public Employment,

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Speaker 1: but that those negotiations will continue on. There's plenty of

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Speaker 1: messages coming through from listeners. One here from in NOONI

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Speaker 1: she wants to know about boot camps. When can we

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Speaker 1: expect them up and running?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so the one in Alice Springs is being constructed

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Speaker 2: right now. I'm not sure of the ETA on completion,

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Speaker 2: but it's definitely underway. And now we're working out how

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Speaker 2: we get providers into that space, because you know, not

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Speaker 2: all programs are born equal. It's we want to be

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Speaker 2: making sure we're delivering something good for territorians money and

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Speaker 2: not just you know, you know, it's not meant to

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Speaker 2: be a holiday camp. It's there to correct behavior. So

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Speaker 2: we've got to make sure that the people we're getting

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Speaker 2: in to do that work can actually deliver.

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Speaker 1: All right, I want to move along there is a

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Speaker 1: lot to cover off this morning. There's been some moves

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Speaker 1: when it comes to key positions in the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 1: So last week you announced Stuart Knowles has been permanently

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Speaker 1: appointed to the role of Territory Coordinator. The oppositions question

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Speaker 1: this appointment given the position was not advertised. Why was

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Speaker 1: that position not advertised?

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Speaker 2: So I appointed Stuart Knowles, So I made him the

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Speaker 2: interim Territory Coordinator based on his vast experience in both

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Speaker 2: the public and private sectors, particularly in major delivery of

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Speaker 2: major projects and major industry across the Northern Territory. He's

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Speaker 2: well known and connected. We're talking about someone who sat

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Speaker 2: on the Chamber of Commerce board and you name it.

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Speaker 2: He has then done all of that work in developing

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Speaker 2: the bill, in the consultation with the community, and as

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Speaker 2: we move towards that appointment pro of moving to that

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Speaker 2: next stage of confirming as the Territory Coordinator. We then

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Speaker 2: did our due diligence and went through a merit based

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Speaker 2: process to make sure he was qualified and complied with

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Speaker 2: the legislation, because of course the criteria is set out

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Speaker 2: in the bill. All of that stacked up and the

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Speaker 2: Administrator has appointed him and I had my first meeting

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Speaker 2: with Stuart on Wednesday, I think it was Wednesday or Thursday,

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Speaker 2: and the team there as strong. They're doing a great

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Speaker 2: job and I really look forward to getting seeing them

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Speaker 2: get some runs on the board.

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Speaker 1: There had been a report that mister Knowles had four

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Speaker 1: of his dogs seized by animal welfare officers after they

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Speaker 1: were discovered with a serious tick infestation and other health

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Speaker 1: problems late in twenty fifteen. Now the Department of Agriculture

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Speaker 1: and Fisheries confirmed the investigation had taken place. They said

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Speaker 1: mister Noles was issued a warning notice. Now in a

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Speaker 1: statement provided to the int News, mister Knowles said the

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Speaker 1: dogs were temporarily removed from the property for tick treatment

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Speaker 1: and later returned following further piecet remedial treatment at the property.

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Speaker 1: Animal welfare officers did a final visit to the property

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Speaker 1: the next month to cite the dogs and confirm they

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Speaker 1: are in good condition and concluded the investigation. Now, He's

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Speaker 1: told the paper I cooperated fully with their inquiries and directions,

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Speaker 1: covered the costs of additional treatments to eradicate the tics,

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Speaker 1: and ensured the dogs were cared for. Chief Minister did

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Speaker 1: you know about this before appointing him and were you

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Speaker 1: concerned about these reports? No?

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Speaker 2: I didn't know about it, and you know, you know,

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Speaker 2: these are historical things that happened over ten years ago, Katie,

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Speaker 2: And as you heard, there was no further action taken.

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Speaker 2: The issue is remediated. He's obviously extremely regretful of the

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Speaker 2: entire situation.

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Speaker 1: And you know, we move forward.

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Speaker 2: He's got an important job to do in helping rebuild

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Speaker 2: the territory's economy, as does his team, and they're well

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Speaker 2: equipped to deliver.

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Speaker 1: Are you concerned about the point that the opposition's raised

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Speaker 1: questioning how he can do this role if you can't

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Speaker 1: look after those animals?

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Speaker 2: Well, no, I don't accept that at all. I think

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Speaker 2: this is a new low for the opposition in attacking

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Speaker 2: public servants in a way we've never seen before. You know,

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Speaker 2: someone has made a mistake over a decade ago, and

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Speaker 2: I've apported them to do a really important role in

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Speaker 2: rebuilding our economy. The person is remorseful and regretful and

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Speaker 2: has apologized. I'm not really sure what else the opposition

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Speaker 2: would like from him, but as far as I'm concerned,

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Speaker 2: we have to rebuild the economy. I'm not interested in

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Speaker 2: playing petty politics like laborer. We've got a job to

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Speaker 2: do and I have no time to waste, all.

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Speaker 1: Right, Chief Minister. Last week the Ikak Commissioner resigned following

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Speaker 1: a report from the Commissioner from Public Employment. When do

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Speaker 1: you anticipate that report's going to be made public?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So I wrote to the Commissioner for Public Employment

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Speaker 2: and asked her to do whatever is required to know

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Speaker 2: redact it or make it in a version that's consumable

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Speaker 2: for the public, and to put that up on their website.

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Speaker 2: So I haven't heard back from that, Katie, but that

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Speaker 2: work should be being done, and ultimately, I just want

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Speaker 2: people to have confidence in the EYICACK. We've delivered a

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Speaker 2: budget for the EYECACK, so that is there in this budget.

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Speaker 2: We have an acting EYECAC, all of the staff and

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Speaker 2: the team is still there. So it is still business

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Speaker 2: as usual and we just need to step through now

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Speaker 2: what next steps look like.

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Speaker 1: So is that role going to be advertised?

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Speaker 2: Eventually it will be, but it's you know, no secret

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Speaker 2: to your listeners that obviously, throughout this whole process, we've

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Speaker 2: all been finding areas that could be strengthened or made better,

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Speaker 2: and so I think this presents an opportunity for us

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Speaker 2: to do that work, which hasn't started yet, so you know,

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Speaker 2: probably once the sittings of Parliament's finished, it's something we

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Speaker 2: can turn our mind to of what next steps look

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Speaker 2: like or a.

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Speaker 1: Couple of quick ones. More broadly, where are things that

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Speaker 1: from your perspective when it comes to health Scope, it

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Speaker 1: has been reported in various national publications that Health Scopes

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Speaker 1: Board last week effectively pleaded for bankers to take control

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Speaker 1: of the hospitals, allowing its Brookfield backed directors to walk away.

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Speaker 1: So it's been described does a soft administration that removes

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Speaker 1: the tougher intervention or the prospect of banks installing receivers.

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Speaker 1: But are you concerned that we could be at riskier

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Speaker 1: of health Scope going bust and what that could mean

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Speaker 1: for our private hospital? Obviously we've spoken about the maternity

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Speaker 1: services with the Health Minister last week, but more broadly

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Speaker 1: when it comes to all of the.

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Speaker 2: Services, absolutely, and it is a concern, and so we've

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Speaker 2: got the Treasurer and the Health Minister looking very closely.

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Speaker 1: At what this could look like for the territory. What

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Speaker 1: we want is certainty and security and we want choice.

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Speaker 1: You know, we just can't have these multinationals coming in

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Speaker 1: and out of the territory and like they see fit

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Speaker 1: like were's something that they can just you know, dip

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Speaker 1: the toe in the water on. We need full commitment

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Speaker 1: and it's very disappointing that they've pulled out of delivering

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Speaker 1: maternity services. And as a government, we're trying our best

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Speaker 1: to provide a private like experience for expectant mothers, but

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Speaker 1: that's obviously not the forte of a government that delivers

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Speaker 1: public services. So we're trying to fill a gap that

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Speaker 1: should be filled by the private sector and isn't and

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Speaker 1: this would just leave another gaping hole. So we're really

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Speaker 1: hoping that this isn't the case and the Treasury and

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Speaker 1: administer edging tenner onto it does. There need to be

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Speaker 1: some discussions here with the feed So I mean, like fundamentally,

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Speaker 1: if that hospital for some reason or another collapses, it's

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Speaker 1: going to be a huge impulse then or on our

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Speaker 1: public hospital here in darwith.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not sure of the impost that we are seeing.

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Speaker 2: Just like with maternity, you know, they've gone from delivering

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Speaker 2: eight hundred babies to two seventy, so there is a

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Speaker 2: decline and that may be contributing to it. I'm not

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Speaker 2: sure across the broader public hospital. But you know, if

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Speaker 2: it fails, the territory will absolutely be providing health care

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Speaker 2: to every territory and you can be certain of that.

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Speaker 2: We don't want it to fail because it represents really

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Speaker 2: important choice. It goes to lifestyle and it's you know,

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Speaker 2: it's not good for a growing economy not to have

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Speaker 2: that service.

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Speaker 1: All right, We are going to talk more about that

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Speaker 1: in a few minutes time with the Australian and Australian

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Speaker 1: Nursing with Free Federation. But before I let you go,

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Speaker 1: Chief Minister, any update on these fireworks. More than one

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Speaker 1: thousand tons of fireworks distant for the Northern Territory for

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Speaker 1: Territory Day have been reportedly seized by New South Wales authorities.

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Speaker 1: My understanding is that you spoke to the New South

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Speaker 1: Wales Premier Chris Means. Where are they?

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Speaker 2: Oh? I tell you what, Katie, these blokes, I'm going

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Speaker 2: to sort them out. But it's all under control. So

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Speaker 2: New South Wales seized a huge shipment of fireworks. I

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Speaker 2: spoke to Chris Means, he was fantastic, work safe have

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Speaker 2: sorted out an agreement, so our fireworks are able to

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Speaker 2: go on the trucks, but Queensland decided to take issue

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Speaker 2: with our fireworks. Yes, they don't want the trucks driving

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Speaker 2: through Queensland. So I then rang David Christophully the Queensland

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Speaker 2: Prairie and I said, David, don't do this to me,

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Speaker 2: and he said, don't you worry. We'll sort it out.

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Speaker 2: So we now have Work Safe NT and Work Save

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Speaker 2: Queensland working on it together. We just need safe passage

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Speaker 2: of our trucks. And I said, David, you do not

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Speaker 2: want to mess with cracking night.

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Speaker 1: People are gonna be pissed. So do you anticipate they're

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Speaker 1: going to get here in time to then be able

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Speaker 1: to go out to the different communities.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they will. We're really hoping to have all of

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Speaker 2: this resolved this week. I'm sure we can reach a

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Speaker 2: proper agreement. And New South Wales were fantastic to deal

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Speaker 2: with and I thank them and Chris and I'm sure

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Speaker 2: David would deliver as well. But I'll be keeping a

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Speaker 2: very close eye on it, don't you worry.

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Speaker 1: Chief Minas de la Finocchio, thanks for your time, as always,

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Speaker 1: take everyone