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Katie Woolf spoke with Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: Parliament descended into a fast yesterday, with the Speaker nyriar
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: Kit really struggling to control proceedings during question time. The
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  Speaker 2: opposition attempted to censure the government as I said over
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  Speaker 2: that twelve million dollar dar and Turf Club grandstand. But
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  Speaker 2: discussion really did turn into a cage match, is all
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  Speaker 2: I can think of in terms of describing it. The
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  Speaker 2: Leader of Government Business regularly interjecting debate, and well, my
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  Speaker 2: next guest stormed out of question time claiming that the
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  Speaker 2: government was destroying the very democracy that they were part of.
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  Speaker 2: Opposition leader Lea fanochiiro good morning to you.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie into your listeners.
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  Speaker 2: Lea.
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  Speaker 1: Do you regret storming out of parliament yesterday?
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  Speaker 4: Well, I'm glad you asked me that, Katie, because I
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  Speaker 4: didn't storm out of parliament.
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  Speaker 3: We had a very.
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  Speaker 4: Extremely disappointing session of Parliament where Labor abused their power
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  Speaker 4: and parliamentary process in a desperate attempt to avoid answering
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  Speaker 4: any questions around them giving away twelve million dollars. It
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  Speaker 4: was about five minutes to the end of question time.
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  Speaker 4: I walked past my whip. Who is the person who
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  Speaker 4: you know coordinates question time, I said, mate, you got this.
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  Speaker 4: I'm going to go upstairs to my office to coordinate
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  Speaker 4: you know, the rest of the day. I walked out.
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  Speaker 4: Natasha Fhiles jeered at me across the chamber. I turn
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  Speaker 4: around and retaliated when I was standing at the door
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  Speaker 4: and I walked out, and of course the Natasha files,
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  Speaker 4: in a true fashion, blew that into something more than
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  Speaker 4: what it was.
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  Speaker 1: Well, you both did look incredibly angry.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, will you Is it incorrect to say that
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  Speaker 2: you didn't or that you that you walked out because
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  Speaker 2: you were angry.
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  Speaker 4: No, I walked out because I have to plan the
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  Speaker 4: rest of the day ahead. I had a speech right
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  Speaker 4: after question time. I was the next person to be
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  Speaker 4: giving a speech. So it's very normal for that to happen.
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  Speaker 4: No one is required to be in the chamber for
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  Speaker 4: question time, of course usually we are. But you know,
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  Speaker 4: this is just an absolute distraction. What we've seen in
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  Speaker 4: the last twenty four hours is it gunner government using
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  Speaker 4: every weapon it's got to try and distract from the
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  Speaker 4: narrative that our hospitals at code yellow crimes out of control.
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  Speaker 4: They gave away thirty five million dollars to youth offenders
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  Speaker 4: and twelve million to the Turf Club.
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  Speaker 2: I've got to say though, I did watch Parliament during
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  Speaker 2: question time and it was pretty disappointing. I know that
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  Speaker 2: everyone wears their hearts on their sleeves and are obviously passionate,
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  Speaker 2: but there seemed to be little respect shown from both sides.
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  Speaker 2: My understanding is that the Speaking Aria kits now determined
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  Speaker 2: that a parliamentary committee's going to look at the term
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  Speaker 2: offense and the way it's used in parliament. So the
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  Speaker 2: committee is going to look more closely after several standing
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  Speaker 2: orders were called due to members well taking offense to comments. Lea,
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  Speaker 2: you accused the government of using the term offense in
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  Speaker 2: a way that was vexatious. What do you think needs
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  Speaker 2: to happen here?
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  Speaker 3: Without question, it was vexation.
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  Speaker 4: I think the word offense was used forty five times
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  Speaker 4: in parliament yesterday. I was interrupted during the whole day,
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  Speaker 4: or just I think during the whole day it was
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  Speaker 4: mentioned forty five times. I had twenty interruptions to my
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  Speaker 4: speech from the Labor government. I had five interruptions during
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  Speaker 4: question time. I mean it just I have a job
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  Speaker 4: to do. I'm elected by territorians. To be in Parliament
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  Speaker 4: and fight for them, and the Gunner government don't want
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  Speaker 4: to hear it.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, they're trying to do anything.
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  Speaker 4: They can to stop us from sharing the views of
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  Speaker 4: Territorians in the parliament. They just shut down any dissent. Now,
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  Speaker 4: what the Speaker is saying, my understanding is that we
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  Speaker 4: have a committee of the Parliament that decides the rules
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  Speaker 4: of the Parliament. Now it's all very well to try
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  Speaker 4: for me to try and say that, you know, the
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  Speaker 4: word offensive is being It's a farce. I think Labor
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  Speaker 4: are absolutely pretending to be offended in order to interrupt
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  Speaker 4: my flow, and they're using it as a tool improperly.
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  Speaker 4: That's an abuse of power and process. But ultimately, Natasha
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  Speaker 4: far As, the Leader of Government Business, is the chair
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  Speaker 4: of that committee.
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  Speaker 3: So you're holding my brain. It's going to change here,
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  Speaker 3: I don't think so at all.
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  Speaker 4: Unless the members of that committee start to hold the
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  Speaker 4: Parliament in higher repute than what they are, they'll continue
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  Speaker 4: to use these rules as a weapon.
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  Speaker 1: So what do you think needs to happen.
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  Speaker 4: I think the government need to show a lot more
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  Speaker 4: respect for the parliament and the process. We are elected
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  Speaker 4: as members of parliament all of us are equal in
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  Speaker 4: that chamber.
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  Speaker 1: I mean they would say that it needs that you
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  Speaker 1: need to do the same.
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  Speaker 4: Well, I'm not sure how they can. Just because I
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  Speaker 4: stand up and hold them to account does not mean
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  Speaker 4: I shouldn't be able to say that like that is
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  Speaker 4: literally my job is to stand up and say, you've
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  Speaker 4: done a terrible job giving away thirty five million dollars
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  Speaker 4: to youth offenders. You've done a terrible job being dodgy
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  Speaker 4: with the turf club, Like that's my job. They don't
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  Speaker 4: want to hear it. Doesn't mean they can be offended
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  Speaker 4: by it. Now.
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  Speaker 2: I know that you are tempted to censor the government
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  Speaker 2: over that twelve million dollar grandstand grant that didn't happen.
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  Speaker 2: Where does that now leave the opposition in terms of
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  Speaker 2: getting to the bottom of questions that well, some territorians
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  Speaker 2: still have around this.
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  Speaker 4: We have significant questions around the government's involvement. Of course,
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  Speaker 4: we know the Chief Minister took a six page document
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  Speaker 4: under the arm into Cabinet which clearly hadn't been scrutinized.
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  Speaker 4: They have lied in the to the faces of territories
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  Speaker 4: around their involvement in this. They've pretended it was a
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  Speaker 4: market led proposal. They've pretended that as a cabinet they
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  Speaker 4: didn't know it hadn't been rigorously tested and scrutinized. I
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  Speaker 4: think was the words of the Chief Minister. And we
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  Speaker 4: pushed them yesterday to answer questions in parliament. Yesterday was
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  Speaker 4: the first time in Parliament they would have to front
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  Speaker 4: up and answer questions and they would not.
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  Speaker 3: And do you know why, Katie.
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  Speaker 4: It's because they are happy to lie to the faces
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  Speaker 4: of Territorians through the media on the outside, but they
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  Speaker 4: know if they stand in Parliament they cannot lie. And
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  Speaker 4: that's why they're deflecting and dodging so that they don't
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  Speaker 4: mislead the parliament.
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  Speaker 2: Is it usual practice for a CeNSE of motion to
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  Speaker 2: be sort of voted down? I mean the government has
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  Speaker 2: the numbers, there's no doubt about that. During the last
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  Speaker 2: term of parliament when it was just you and Gary Higgins,
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  Speaker 2: did you ever attempt to censor the government then?
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  Speaker 3: I think we did.
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  Speaker 4: I can't remember the exact number, but it is absolutely
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  Speaker 4: convention that censures are accepted. I know when we were
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  Speaker 4: previously in government, I think there was maybe one or
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  Speaker 4: two that we didn't accept out of the whole term
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  Speaker 4: of GUS and what it is. It's a debate that
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  Speaker 4: is brought on about a very serious issue. So for example,
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  Speaker 4: for us with the turf Club, it's around the Chief
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  Speaker 4: Minister and the cabinet's conduct and so we wanted to
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  Speaker 4: have a debate about that. Now, instead of having the
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  Speaker 4: debate and then defending themselves and their position or explaining
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  Speaker 4: to territories what went on from their perspective, they just
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  Speaker 4: shut it down because they don't want to talk about
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  Speaker 4: it whatsoever. And this is what they're doing if they
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  Speaker 4: don't like what they hear, Like the COMSECT report says
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  Speaker 4: we're coming last out of all jurisdictions, so Michael says
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  Speaker 4: he's going to throw it in the bin.
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  Speaker 3: This is how they operate.
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  Speaker 2: So we're in a situation now where obviously you've attempted
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  Speaker 2: to centure the government over this twelve million dollar grant
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  Speaker 2: stand grant to find out some more detail that's obviously
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  Speaker 2: not going to happen. Is it time to let the
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  Speaker 2: issue go?
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  Speaker 4: Absolutely not. This is a critical issue. This is an
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  Speaker 4: issue about transparency. This is an issue about the way
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  Speaker 4: in which this government operate. If they think it's okay
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  Speaker 4: to orchestrate a done deal with the Turf Club for
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  Speaker 4: twelve million dollars and then try and retrospectively create a
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  Speaker 4: process to make it look official, only to just walk
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  Speaker 4: it into cabinet without any of the appropriate you know,
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  Speaker 4: scrutiny by Treasury or whoever else should have looked at.
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  Speaker 4: It is an absolute joke. And if that's how the
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  Speaker 4: government think they can do business, well a little wonder.
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  Speaker 4: We've got nine billion dollars debt and it just begs
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  Speaker 4: a bigger question. What other decisions have been made by
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  Speaker 4: the Gunner government in this same manner.
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's no doubt that they still need to face
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  Speaker 2: some scrutiny I think over this twelve million dollar grant.
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  Speaker 2: But you certainly faced some scrutiny over comments that you've
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  Speaker 2: apparently made around the fires a vaccine Lea, did you
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  Speaker 2: say that you thought we should send our vaccine to
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  Speaker 2: New South Wales to assist them through their current situation.
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  Speaker 4: I'm really glad you asked me this, Katie, because this
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  Speaker 4: has been a most disgusting maneuver by the Gunner government
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  Speaker 4: to incite fear in territorians, to create division, to spread lies,
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  Speaker 4: and to weaponize codes.
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  Speaker 3: No no.
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  Speaker 4: So, first of all, what we had a couple of
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  Speaker 4: weeks ago, and I have for two weeks answered all
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  Speaker 4: media questions are this is a particular outlet who are
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  Speaker 4: a very interested and my response has been consistent. We
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  Speaker 4: had a situation where a couple of weeks ago, I
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  Speaker 4: was asked by the media, you know people in New
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  Speaker 4: South Wales are suffering, hundreds of them people are dying.
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  Speaker 4: Do you think we should send vaccines to New South Wales?
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  Speaker 4: And my response was off the back of the fact
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  Speaker 4: that previously we had been stockpiling vaccines, I said, you know,
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  Speaker 4: if we had any spares, then maybe we need to
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  Speaker 4: consider sending any spares. I want to make it really
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  Speaker 4: clear that I will always put Territorians first. I will
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  Speaker 4: always do everything I can to keep them safe. You know, Katie,
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  Speaker 4: I'm a third generation Territorian. I'm a mother with young children.
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  Speaker 4: I have a ninety five year old grandmother who lives
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  Speaker 4: in the territory. And if the Gunner government think that
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  Speaker 4: Territorians are buying that, I don't want to keep people safe.
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  Speaker 3: It's a joke.
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  Speaker 4: All I simply said was if we're stockpiling, maybe it
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  Speaker 4: can go to New South Wales.
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  Speaker 3: Where people are dying.
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  Speaker 2: Do you think it's approprius given we need to ensure
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  Speaker 2: all that Territorians are vaccinated, and many listening would know
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  Speaker 2: we have got a very vulnerable population.
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  Speaker 4: Without question, the territory without question, and this is the
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  Speaker 4: fascical thing. For two months I have been screaming from
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  Speaker 4: the rooftop that the Gunner government need to get more
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  Speaker 4: people vaccinated.
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  Speaker 3: I have been out in the bush in remote.
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  Speaker 4: Communities and vaccination rates are very very low. Also, we've
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  Speaker 4: had a report today from a doctor's surgery saying that
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  Speaker 4: people aren't coming through the door and they do have
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  Speaker 4: stock piles of vaccines, so this is a legitimate issue.
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  Speaker 4: I've also been calling very loudly for the COVID vaccine
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  Speaker 4: portal to be updated. So currently, if you're a territory
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  Speaker 4: as I'm being vaccinated, if you go on there.
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  Speaker 3: You'll find it very difficult.
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  Speaker 4: And up until a couple of weeks ago, people were
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  Speaker 4: being told there are no availability for vaccines.
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  Speaker 3: Now that's simply not true.
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  Speaker 4: That portal doesn't capture the doctor surgeries, it doesn't capture
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  Speaker 4: the parmesan superclinic, and so people are not getting their
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  Speaker 4: vaccine because they think there isn't any available when there is.
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  Speaker 2: So, Leah, if you are concerned about those vaccination rates
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  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 4: Why did you say it, Well, I think you're not
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  Speaker 4: listening to the context, Katie. With respect, what I said
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  Speaker 4: is if we have surplus, then maybe we can send
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  Speaker 4: the serf.
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  Speaker 1: Have we ever had surplus?
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  Speaker 4: Though, yes, we did last year. Michael Gunner was you
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  Speaker 4: know we were stockpiling. We've got a doctor surgery come
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  Speaker 4: out to say and say they're stockpiling. Michael Gunners come
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  Speaker 4: out and said, no, we don't have surplus. Fine, that's
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  Speaker 4: that's the end of the matter. All I you know,
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  Speaker 4: I don't have the health advice, I don't have the
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  Speaker 4: vaccine numbers. Government don't give me any of that information.
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  Speaker 4: I was asked and I said, if the surplus then
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  Speaker 4: we can look at it. That's a decision for Michael Gunner.
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  Speaker 4: He's a chief minister. He has said we don't have
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  Speaker 4: any I've said, okay, that's the end of the matter.
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  Speaker 2: It seems to be a real sticking point for the
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  Speaker 2: government at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: They've certainly leapt on this. I mean, do you regret
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  Speaker 1: saying it?
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely not.
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  Speaker 4: This is a government that are utilizing COVID as a
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  Speaker 4: weapon to incite fear and hate and divide the community.
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  Speaker 3: It is. It is a disgrace. This is how dictators
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  Speaker 3: control Katie.
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  Speaker 4: They control by fear and when they have no respect
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  Speaker 4: in author of their own they create fear in their community.
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  Speaker 4: And I think any reasonable Territorian would understand what I
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  Speaker 4: was saying and the hysterical way in which are Gunna
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  Speaker 4: government are coming out to weaponize COVID because it's all
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  Speaker 4: they've got. The reality is Hugh Heggy's giving them advice.
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  Speaker 4: He's the one keeping territorians safe. They're doing what they're
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  Speaker 4: being told by him, and this is desperate behavior of
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  Speaker 4: a government who've decided that this is going to be
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  Speaker 4: their election platform for daily.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, Well, one thing that both you and the government
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  Speaker 2: have actually agreed on yesterday in Parliament was referring the
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  Speaker 2: former Ikak Commissioner to the Privileges Committee. The Chief Minister
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  Speaker 2: Michael going to move that motion after mister Fleming made
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  Speaker 2: those comments during an appearance before estimates in June. Leah,
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  Speaker 2: why did you think that this needs to happen?
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  Speaker 4: So what we had is a situation where previous Commissioner
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  Speaker 4: Fleming made a very detailed statement before the Estimates Committee
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  Speaker 4: and then we had the rebuttal, I suppose you could
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  Speaker 4: say from the person subject to mister Fleming's comments, they
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: are conflicting and so it is entirely appropriate that the
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  Speaker 4: Privileged com Privileges Committee review that. That is their job
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  Speaker 4: to see if people are misleading the Parliament. And so
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  Speaker 4: now that process will take pace place. But what's really
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  Speaker 4: important is we reminded the government that two months ago
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  Speaker 4: the Opposition raised this in Parliament and we were shut down.
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  Speaker 3: We believe very very strongly that at.
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  Speaker 4: This juncture and this point in the road for the
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  Speaker 4: IK which is critical to the territory, it needs to
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  Speaker 4: have confidence restored, the government are doing are behind the scenes,
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: backdoor review without any input from the community. We believe
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: just as when the IK Act was created, what happened
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  Speaker 4: back then was that a full committee of the Parliament
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  Speaker 4: was established. They sought expressions of interest, they held submissions,
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  Speaker 4: public hearings and territories could really give input. Now the
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  Speaker 4: Gunner government are reviewing it but behind the scenes, behind
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  Speaker 4: closed doors, and they're controlling it. You can't have a
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: government control the future power and operation of the very
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: eYIC that will undoubtedly be scrutinizing the government and that's
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  Speaker 4: a huge problem at a roads confidence in territories about
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  Speaker 4: what this institution is for.
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  Speaker 2: Leofanochi Areo, we've run out of time. Always good to
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  Speaker 2: have you in the studio. Thank you very much for
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  Speaker 2: your time this morning.
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  Speaker 3: Can you take care everyone?
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  Speaker 2: Opposition leader Leofanochi are O there now. If you're keen
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  Speaker 2: to call through eight nine four one one oh four nine,
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: or you can also send us a text message zero
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  Speaker 2: four three nine two three eight eight one eight. I
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  Speaker 2: am keen to get your thoughts this morning on whether
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  Speaker 2: you think that it's appropriate that the government shut down
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  Speaker 2: that censere motion yesterday in Parliament around the twelve million
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  Speaker 2: dollar Do and Turf Club grant. Do you want there
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  Speaker 2: to be discussion on this? Do you want there to
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  Speaker 2: be further questions answered? Very keen to hear from you
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  Speaker 2: this morning.