1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line right now is the 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: Senator for the Northern Territory, the COLP Senator Jacenter Namajinpa Price. 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. Good morning, Katie, Senator, thank you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 2: so much for your time. 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: I know that you are incredibly busy with Parliament sitting 6 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: right now. 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: Now. What was your reaction to yesterday's announcement? 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 3: Oh, look, I think it's very typical of any Labor 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 3: government to attempt to throw a whole bunch of money 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 3: at a situation to quieten the dissenting voices down and 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 3: to appear as they're doing something that's going to be effective, 12 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 3: when in fact it's not really that effective. And I 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 3: think the most concerning part is that they've just only 14 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 3: focused on Central Australia. This is a territory wide issue 15 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 3: and the restrictions should be applied territory wide, which is 16 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 3: what I've proposed in my bill. And the difference between 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 3: what they're doing and what I may to do, and 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 3: also the fact that with the two hundred and fifty 19 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 3: million dollars, I guess i'd like to know where that's 20 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 3: coming from. Is it have already committed money that they're 21 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 3: re announcing. Who is it going to and how are 22 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 3: those organizations going to be held to account for producing 23 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 3: outcomes to be funded? 24 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: I think that they're very good questions. 25 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: I do want to go to the fact that obviously 26 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: these alcohol restrictions they're coming back into place. 27 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: From what I can gather, they are. 28 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: Going to be Northern Territory wide when it comes to 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: remote like our indigenous communities and also those town camps. 30 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: So what's the difference between what they're preparing for next 31 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: week's Parliament's sittings here in the Northern Territory and the 32 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,639 Speaker 1: bill that you're introducing this week? 33 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 3: So basically, my bill is more I guess, of a 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 3: partnership between federal government and the Northern Territory government as 35 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 3: opposed to handing full responsibility over to the Northern Territory 36 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: government who has over and again failed Territorians. And you know, 37 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 3: I mean the Chief Minister attached to files is only 38 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 3: demonstrated the fact that she should probably quit and give 39 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: somebody else a leadership role. But look aside from that, 40 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: what my bill proposes to do is to absolutely provide 41 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: communities who want to have alcohol the opportunity to apply 42 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 3: for alcohol management plans. And this is to be driven 43 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 3: by the territory government and a committee established with equitable 44 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 3: representation including men and women from the community, experts in 45 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: the field, a liquor commission and relevant stakeholders to create 46 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 3: that plan, but that the appropriate Federal Minister would then 47 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 3: provide approval for that plan to go ahead and should 48 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 3: to be monitored. So within twelve months of this legislation 49 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: taking place, then a Senate inquiry would take place to 50 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: see to determine what the app comes have been as 51 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 3: a result of this. But it also provides for the 52 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 3: minister to revoke plans should measure such as school attendance 53 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 3: drop should there be increased rates of alcohol related assaults 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 3: in those communities. So it's it's I guess I've been 55 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 3: working on this since August. It's not a knee jerk reaction, 56 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 3: and it's well thought out and it is a partnership 57 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 3: between federal and the Northern Territory, as I said, as 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 3: opposed to just providing giving all that responsibility to a 59 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:32,959 Speaker 3: government that has failed consistently. 60 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: Jacinta, when are you due to introduce that bill to 61 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: the Federal Parliament? 62 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: Is it today? 63 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 3: I'll be introducing the bill tomorrow. 64 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: Okay, I'll be really keen to hear sort of how 65 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: things go with that, and I know that it'll probably 66 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: take a bit of you know, it will take a 67 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: bit of listening from the Northern Territory community to work 68 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: out exactly what the you know, the difference even I 69 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: know you've just pointed out to us, but how you know, 70 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: how it would differentiate from what the Northern Territory government 71 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: is proposing Purely to be honest, we haven't been able 72 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: to get the Chief Minister on the show this morning 73 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: to talk us through what she's proposing doing. But look, 74 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: the other thing I want to ask you about is 75 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: the fact that the Northern Territory Government said at that 76 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: press conference yesterday that the federal government's agreed to two 77 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million dollars in funding in an effort 78 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: to make Central Australia a safer place. Now, we just 79 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: caught up with Michael little, counselor in Alla Springs, so 80 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: I know you obviously know Michael, he said that you 81 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: know that realistically that service providers are being put on 82 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: noses that they need to be showing where that money 83 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: is being spent if they are receiving funding. You know, 84 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: that we need to be able to see that they're 85 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: delivering the outcomes that they've been funded to do with 86 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: that money, the two hundred and fifty million, and taking 87 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: into account what Michael Little has said, you know, do 88 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: you feel confident that it's going to be spent in 89 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: the right places? Oh? 90 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 3: Look, no, I don't. 91 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: You know. 92 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 3: I think that the Territor Trey government is focusing primarily 93 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: on you know, as Prime Minister said, First Nations people, 94 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 3: this is a whole community issue. There are organizations I 95 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 3: know that miss out on funding because of the fact 96 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 3: that they're not Aboriginal identified organizations that don't tick that box. 97 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 3: For example, a lot of the women's legal services that predominantly, 98 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 3: you know, like up to eighty percent of their clientele 99 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 3: are Indigenous women and predominantly they are victims of abuse 100 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 3: and violence, as opposed to the Aboriginal legal services who 101 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: predominantly service the perpetrators in these circumstances. You know, we 102 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: keep hearing the word complex being thrown around. That's fair 103 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 3: enough to say that you probably don't have a clue, 104 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 3: but you have to get a clue and understand where 105 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 3: to be able to invest such dollars to where it's 106 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 3: going to be to provide the most outcomes. It's also 107 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 3: organizations like Drug and Alcohol This is Australia and Alice Springs. 108 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 3: They predominantly have their client hell are Indigenous Territorians, but 109 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 3: they are underfunded. You know, it's not just about looking 110 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 3: at all the average and organizations and pumping money into them. 111 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 3: I mean I find it confusing that again, Tongue and 112 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 3: Jira is getting will get a huge investment, as they 113 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 3: always do. But if you drive around town camps, you've 114 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 3: got to look around and say where is that investment going? 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 3: And you've also got a question why you would fund 116 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 3: an organization where the CEO has been fighting to keep 117 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 3: alcohol in the town camp. That's a contradiction in itself. 118 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I think that's a point where worth making 119 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: to the Northern Territory government and for us to try 120 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: and follow up. Ja Sintra, I do want to ask 121 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: you before we wrap up this morning, what do you 122 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: think that this whole situation says about the voice to 123 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: Parliament at the moment. 124 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's demonstrated that there's been a hell 125 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 3: of a lot of voices, including my own, who have 126 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 3: been calling out, who have fallen on deaf ears. The 127 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 3: nine organizations that wrote into Minister Linda Bernie back in June, 128 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 3: she did not listen to them. Then they were only 129 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 3: listened to once. This government was shamed into having to 130 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 3: listen to because of listeners in our southern cities where 131 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 3: their electorates were going to be affected in terms of 132 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 3: voting for them at the next election. And that demonstrates 133 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 3: that it doesn't matter what sort of voices exist. It's 134 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 3: about having ears in Canberra, and you can have a 135 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 3: voice as much as you want, but as long as 136 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 3: those years aren't listening, you're not going to get the 137 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 3: outcomes that you need, so you reckon. 138 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: That's more. 139 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: The issue here is that the reality is that you've 140 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: got to make sure that our Polley's in Canberra are listening. 141 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 3: That's exactly right. I mean the government says that the 142 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 3: Prime Minister's Services is just going to be an advisory body. Well, 143 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 3: I can tell you now that when my mother first 144 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 3: ran for the seat of Stuart, her decision to do 145 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 3: that was as a result of being appointed by the 146 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: then Deputy Chief Minister, Marion Scrimjaw to chair the Indigenous 147 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 3: Advisory Body to have ven Henderson government and feeling like 148 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 3: it was just a token Aboriginal committee that was there 149 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 3: to make the government look good but be ineffective and 150 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: not actually listen to what the needs were on the ground. 151 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: Well, just Enterprice. 152 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: I know that you also said last night on the 153 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: seven thirty report that you don't think the COLP is 154 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: going to support here in the Northern Territory, that they're 155 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: going to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 156 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 2: What makes you think that? 157 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: So? 158 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 3: I guess the many conversations I've had a lot with 159 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 3: a lot of my party members, the general feeling around 160 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 3: my party is that there is no support for it 161 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 3: because they have seen the failings in the past. That 162 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 3: we don't want to be divided along the lines of race, 163 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 3: and so we shouldn't and we should be we should 164 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 3: be actually empowering practically our native titlehold as traditional owners 165 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: to utilize their land appropriately so they can become job 166 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 3: creators and moving away from the welfare model, and the 167 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 3: Voice in itself is a welfare model. To suggest that 168 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 3: we're going to perpetually need this body within our constitution 169 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 3: forever suggests that we're never actually going to close the gap. 170 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 3: Because if we did close the gap, we wouldn't need it, well. 171 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: Just enterprise. I always appreciate your time. Please let us 172 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: know we'll keep in contact how you go tomorrow. In 173 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: terms of that bill being presented to Parliament, we'll make 174 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 1: sure that we keep in contact as well and try 175 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: to catch up with you through the morning. 176 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 3: Fantastic, Thank you 177 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 2: Thanks for your time.