Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro says the NT's fuel prices can be lowered by implementing ACCC recommendations from a few years back

Transcript

Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro says the NT's fuel prices can be lowered by implementing ACCC recommendations from a few years back · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And yesterday the news that we all knew was coming
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: but was certainly hoping that it didn't hurt as much
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: as it has, that rate hike. Now, the Reserve Bank
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: of Australia raised the cash rate half a percentage point,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: taking it to zero point eighty five percent. So if
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: it is passed on to bank customers, the higher than
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: expected rate rise is going to add one hundred and
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: thirty three dollars a month to a loan worth five
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: hundred grand that's over a twenty five year period, and
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty five dollars a month on a
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: loan worth a million dollars. Now, this is obviously on
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  Speaker 1: top of the cost of living issues that we spoke
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  Speaker 1: about on the show earlier in the week with NT costs.
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  Speaker 1: And joining me on the line to talk more about
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  Speaker 1: this is the Opposition leader Lea fanocchiiro Good morning to you, Leah.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie to your listeners. I'm live from Woodroff
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Primary School. Sports Day. It's all good.
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  Speaker 1: That's my favorite day of the year, Leah. I love
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: sports Day. It is awesome. Now, Leah. One thing that's
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: not great is is this. You know this high that
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: expected rate rise. We know that it is on top
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: of already very expensive cost of living, particularly here in
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. We focused on this quite a bit
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: earlier in the week. But firstly, Leah, what impact do
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  Speaker 1: you think that this rate hike is going to have
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  Speaker 1: on territorians.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, point eighty five percent is a lot, and
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  Speaker 2: of course the banks are very likely to pass that
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  Speaker 2: on if they haven't already in the last rate hike,
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  Speaker 2: and it's going to just hurt territorians at the hip pocket.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, we know our cost of living is high here.
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  Speaker 2: We've seen rents go up tremendously over the last few months,
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  Speaker 2: and of course fuel is still well over two dollars
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: a liter with that twenty two cent x sime set
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  Speaker 2: to disappear in a few months time. So there's a
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  Speaker 2: lot more pain to come for territories. And it's really
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  Speaker 2: important that the FILES government and the Schedual Labor Government
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  Speaker 2: outline their plans to self and the blow, particularly for
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  Speaker 2: Territorians who have the highest cost of living in the country.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: At six percent inflation, we are really under the pump.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, there is no doubt at the moment for Territorians
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  Speaker 1: that there's a lot of people that are doing it
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  Speaker 1: really tough. I mean, we spoke to food Bank yesterday
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  Speaker 1: and heard that there it certainly are a lot of
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: people seeking their assistance at the moment. We know that
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  Speaker 1: there are a few leavers that the Northern Territory government
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  Speaker 1: could pull to help relieve the pressures on territorians right now.
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  Speaker 1: But what do you think could be done LAA.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we know that the A Triple CY in a
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  Speaker 2: report a few years ago, made some really clever recommendations
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  Speaker 2: on how to keep fuel prices down for the long term.
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  Speaker 2: And of course the fuel price is something as a
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  Speaker 2: territory we've rappled with for a long time, but of
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: course it's through the roof because of world at all prices.
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  Speaker 2: But if I was Chief Minister Katie, I would be
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  Speaker 2: implementing those recommendations, which includes legislating that the duel retailers
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  Speaker 2: have to disclose their profit margins the A Triple C,
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  Speaker 2: so that would be a highly effective way to keep
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  Speaker 2: prices down, and of course come up with incentives to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that independent vuel retailers can enter and be
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  Speaker 2: competitive in the market, because ultimately, the better competition we
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: have when it comes to fuel the lower those prices
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  Speaker 2: are going to be. There's some long term stuff I'd
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  Speaker 2: like to see happen when it comes to fuel. And
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  Speaker 2: then in terms of the rest of our cost of
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  Speaker 2: living pressures, you know, we need to make sure we
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  Speaker 2: have great both homeowners schemes, that land release is done
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  Speaker 2: in a way that stablizes the market, and of course
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  Speaker 2: that we grow our economies, that people have better jobs,
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  Speaker 2: better incomes and a more stable future.
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  Speaker 1: Well, and I'm just looking at the terminal gate price
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  Speaker 1: today in Darwin right for our diesel. So on Thursday
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  Speaker 1: last week it was at a dollar ninety point five.
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  Speaker 1: Today at the terminal gate it's gone up to two
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  Speaker 1: dollars one point eight. So there is no doubt that
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  Speaker 1: we're going to see a massive increase at the bowser
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to your diesel. I think the problem
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  Speaker 1: that a lot of Territorians are noticing as well, though, Leah,
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  Speaker 1: is that you know, the when the terminal gate price
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  Speaker 1: goes down, we don't really see it go down very quickly.
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  Speaker 1: Hopefully we're not going to see it go up really
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: quickly here either, but there is that real sense that
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  Speaker 1: we're not being treated fairly.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, and we've got by far the highest fuel
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  Speaker 2: prices in the country. Now that's not right. When we
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: outstrip every other jurisdiction by ten or twenty cents a leter.
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  Speaker 2: Something is going on and the government needs to be
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  Speaker 2: working with those fuel retailers and working out those ways.
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  Speaker 2: Like I said, the ARIPLEC have set out a plan
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  Speaker 2: on how to deal with this to ensure that longer
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  Speaker 2: term lower levels. But what I'm really scared about is
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  Speaker 2: people really felt like we never saw the twenty two
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  Speaker 2: cent excise from the central government kind of kick in.
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  Speaker 2: And once that, once that comes off and we're seeing
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  Speaker 2: twenty two cents added to our fuel, I mean, it
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  Speaker 2: will literally become unaffudible for people to go to work.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, if you live in Darwin Rural or Parmesan
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  Speaker 2: and you drive into town five days a week, you
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  Speaker 2: know that's an extraordinary amount of money you're adding to
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  Speaker 2: your cost of living pressures every single week. Plus then
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  Speaker 2: of course that increase on your home loan. So it's
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  Speaker 2: going to hinge people.
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  Speaker 1: Hearts, So Leah, from what you are saying, there are
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  Speaker 1: actually there were some recommendations from a few years back
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to those petrol prices that the government
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  Speaker 1: could actually be looking at right now.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, And when the celt was lasting government we actually
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  Speaker 2: introduced the legislation. It just never ended up getting parts.
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  Speaker 2: But the work has already been done. The ancient PUC
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  Speaker 2: have said, you need to incentivize independent fuel retailers into
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  Speaker 2: the market. Who is a number of ways in which
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  Speaker 2: you can do that, and then you also need to
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  Speaker 2: be having that legislation there which forces that disclosure of
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: the profit margin, which of course acts as a very
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  Speaker 2: efficient transparency measure. Now as your retailers won't like that
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  Speaker 2: for sure, but ultimately we can't have territories paying well
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  Speaker 2: over two dollars a leader for fuel for very much longer.
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  Speaker 2: This is absolute crisis point, Lea.
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  Speaker 1: Is that something? Is it something that you could reintroduce
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  Speaker 1: this legislation?
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Yes, and if I say it that, I bet the
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: fifflora is going around right now, me o, Katie. But
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: I guess that's not a bad thing, that's right. I
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  Speaker 2: think when we nudge nudge, it could be pretty safe
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  Speaker 2: to say where reviving that bad boy, and we'll hopefully
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  Speaker 2: have it into parliament soon.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Leah, I reckon, there's going to be a lot
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  Speaker 1: of people listening this morning, who are actually you know,
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: who are pleased to hear that and are wondering if
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  Speaker 1: there's something that can be done, because, like I said,
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  Speaker 1: we all understand that cost of living pressures. A lot
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  Speaker 1: of that does fall into the hands of the federal government.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: We understand that, and there's lots of different reasons why
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  Speaker 1: the cost of living goes up. But there are a
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  Speaker 1: few levers that can be pulled, and this does sound
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  Speaker 1: like it's one of them.
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  Speaker 2: Yes it is, and you can pull them. And it's
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  Speaker 2: not just fuel, So it's not just people filling up
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: their car. You think about all the trucks that it
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  Speaker 2: takes to get food to the territory or products. You know,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: all of those expenses. So you know, if you're if
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: you're a local IgA or if you're the local news agency,
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  Speaker 2: whatever it might be, it's now costing you x amount
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  Speaker 2: more to get your products into your shop, which means
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: you're having to pass that cost onto consumers. So all
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: of a sudden, apples and bananas and more expensive, for
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: breads more expensive, you know, and then it just it's
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  Speaker 2: just keeps adding up. You don't always notice because it
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  Speaker 2: might be another fifty cents a kilo here for cabs
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  Speaker 2: can and another dollar a kilo for broccoli. But at
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  Speaker 2: the end of your shop, you know that really has lot.
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  Speaker 2: Then you go and fuel up, it adds up there.
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  Speaker 2: And then of course when you come to paying a mortgage,
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  Speaker 2: it adds up there, and all of a sudden you're
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  Speaker 2: going hang on within that three four five hundred dollars
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  Speaker 2: a month disappear, you know, and that impacts people's lifestyle,
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  Speaker 2: their their stress levels. It just the cost of living
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  Speaker 2: is such a major overall impact of people's life. What
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  Speaker 2: you can do with your kids, how you enjoy your weekends,
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  Speaker 2: all of that stuff. You've got to nippet where we can,
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  Speaker 2: and fuel is one hundred percent one of those proactive areas.
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  Speaker 2: So if you will see action coming from us, and
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: you know, in some ways I hope labor beat us
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  Speaker 2: to it well.
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  Speaker 1: And this is the thing, you know, fundamentally, all we
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  Speaker 1: want to see is some improvement when it comes to
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  Speaker 1: cost of living for all territori ands. You know, I
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  Speaker 1: always think if there can be a bipartisan approach, that
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  Speaker 1: is the best thing possible.
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  Speaker 2: Leah put out the challenge, beat us to it, our governments,
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: feed us to it. We're ready to rock he roll
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  Speaker 2: you beat us.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, we will talk further about it throughout the morning, Leah.
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  Speaker 1: Parliamentary estimates kick off next week and this is the
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  Speaker 1: opportunity for the Opposition and the Independence to really drill
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  Speaker 1: down on some of the issues of concern for Territorians.
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  Speaker 1: I understand that the Opposition is going to take the
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: opportunity to try and shine the spotlight you've said on
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  Speaker 1: what you've described as labours sustained health failures and for
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: the Chief Health Officer to detail the best health advice
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: to Territorians. What exactly are you hoping to glean in
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: this space?
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  Speaker 2: Well, estimate is a really important time. It's kind of
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: like parliament for those who aren't die hard, but basically
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: we actually get to pit opposite the government minister, so
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: the Health Minister for example, and spend hours just asking
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: questions backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. So there's a
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: huge opportunity for us to really get into some issues.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: So we've had five co yellows at Royal Doen Hospital
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: in the last year. Of course, we've got the ED
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: was cut down. The number of beds that ED in
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: Parmesan Hospital was cut down and there's major staff for shortages.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: We've had the Nurses' union come out saying nurses are
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: working one forty percent of their capacity, that we've got
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: bed block, all of these things. So we want to
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: really delve into those issues about why. You know, government
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: will say, well, they've got a record health budget, but
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: that's clearly not hitting the ground. The money's clearly not
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: going where it needs to go. I'm hearing even just
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: recently people were saying that a lot of Parmersan hospital
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: is actually not even operational because they don't have the staff.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: So these are all questions that people want answers to. Ultimately,
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: the territory government is the custodian of our services for
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: territory as it's territories money that makes the world go
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: round and people who expect service delivery as a result
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: of that payment of tax, and so it's really important
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  Speaker 2: for us as in opposition that we get to the
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: bottom of what is going on, particularly in our health system.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: What day does it kick off?
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: Kicks off on Tuesday, so get the gone out. You
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: can tune in Lively Assembly website.
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: I always I always say I will watch it so
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: our listeners don't have to, but even I might need
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: the highlights for re or for estimates.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: Well you just need a really big mugga coffee that's
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: sitting on that old day. But yeah, the highlights, Rell,
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: we can. I'm sure we'll organize that.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Bk aaliah before I.
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: Let you go.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: I know, for our listeners, I've seen you walking around
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: quite a bit at the moment, or riding around as
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: well in your licra. What's going on?
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: Yes, oh you wait, my actual race gear has arrived,
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: so I'm one of those LIKEL warriors. Now I've got
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: the padded bike pants, so I'm ready to rock and roll.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: And we're actually the COLP opposition team entering into the
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: Grand Fonto. We've been challenged as part of Darwin Family
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: Law Polypedal that if we ride sixty seven kilometers for
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: every politician, they will donate five hundred dollars to charity.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: So thank you Julian Barry at Darwin Family Law. It's amazing,
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: it's absolutely amazing. So we've got five in our team writing.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: So yes, yesterday I wrote from home into the Hot
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: one hundred studio and yeah.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Well, good on you, good on you Leofanochiaro and Jared
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: Mayley as well. I reckon there'll be a few polies
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: getting into their liker and certainly taking part in that.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: We always appreciate your time. Thanks very much for having
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: a chat with us this morning.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: Take care, everyone speaks, Thank you.