Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hello, Katie Wolvan three point sixty online at Mix one O.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: Four nine dot com. Joining us live from Parliament House,
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: the Opposition leader Leah Finocchio.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Good morning, Leah, Good morning Katie. I'm here listeners now, Leah.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: We have just heard from from the Leader of Government
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Business and Natasha Files that they are going to be
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: passing that legislation around youth crime on urgency. The devil's
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: going to be in the detail here, isn't it?
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Oh, it absolutely is. I mean last sittings we had
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the Chief Minister saying that if people breach their bow
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: it would be an immediate revocation of that BOO. We've
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: just had the Minister come on now and say if
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: it was a serious breach of bail, so certainly a
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: lot of detail to combover. We haven't got a copy
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: of the bill yet. They haven't provided us an advanced
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: copy and it sounds like we won't be getting one
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: despite the fat we gave them an advanced copy of
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: our last sittings. Importantly, our legislation is still on the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: table and on Wednesday we intend to debate our Boo reform,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: which is quite different to what the government is proposing
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: and so we certainly hope the government will be supporting
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: us tomorrow and we can look to be supporting them
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: next week whenever it is that they bring their legislation on.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, the likelihood here though, of the Government supporting
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: the Colp's legislation is probably quite low. Just being Devil's advocate,
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: the situation is probably going to turn out that it
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: will be the Labor Party's legislation, whatever that might be
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: at this point in time, just given the fact that
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: they've got those sheer numbers. Leah, what are you going
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: to be looking out for in the legislation when you
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: do get the opportunity to see it. What do you
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: want to make sure is included? Well?
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: I think you're right, Kate. I think the government is
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: too arrogant to support our legislation and they've let territory
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: and suffer since last sittings when we had our legislation
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: ready to go. That doesn't mean we're not going to
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: keep trying, and I urge everyone to contact their local
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Labor member and ask them to back the bill tomorrow.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: But next week we'll be combing over the detail. We
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: think they're gunna government are talking it up tougher than
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: what it might actually be. So we'll be combing over
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: that and making sure we hold the government to account
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: and that the legislation is going to put victims not
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: offenders first. You know what we do know is it
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: going to government a good at spin and heavy on
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: rhetoric and the rubber never hits the road. And so
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: we want to make sure that these reforms are going
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: to be supporting less victims, they are going to be
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: targeting repeat offenders and of course people who breach their bail.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: Well, we'll also be trying to keep a close eye
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: on exactly what is included in that legislation. I did
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: just say to the Leader of Government Business, Natasha Fhiles
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: there that even last week, you know, we saw a
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: situation where we've got pediatricians, clinicians, lawyers and human rights
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: experts joining forces to condemn the Northern Territory government's plans
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: to introduce what they've seen are some of the most
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: punitive youth justice laws in the country and reopen parts
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: of don Dale that was shut after the Royal Commission.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: I am wondering whether we are going to see a
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: watering down of what the Labor government had initially proposed
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: because let's face it, they are copying quite a bit
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: of stick from every angle.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, and I wouldn't be surprised at all. And
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: the fact that they've funneled more money into the old
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: don Dale also shows how incompetent they are. I mean
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: they are building a brand new use justice facility as
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: we speak. They promise this from opposition, where five years
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: down the track of their government and they still haven't
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: built the thing and it only has thirty beds. And
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: so here we are spending millions more dollars on don
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Dale whilst we've got a fifty to seventy million dollar
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: facility going up out near the adult correctional facility. It's
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: a complete mess. This use justice space is a total
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: joke and people are tired and sick of it. Interestingly, Katie,
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: whilst the Gunner government have received a lot of opposition
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: to their reform, as far as I'm aware, we haven't
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: received any concerns about our So if that says anything,
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: it tells me the government should be backing out and
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: we're back. There's next week.
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: Lea. Just let's head across and talk about the budge.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: We know that it is going to be handed down
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: at eleven o'clock. Still no real idea at this point
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: in time exactly how it's going to look. The Chief
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Minister though yesterday saying that there would still be some
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: eyewatering numbers. Look, I think that we've got to make
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: sure that we see some change in this space when
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: it comes to the level of spending.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: They can't just keep going like this, and I'm worried
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: that if it doesn't, you know, if the debt actually
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: hasn't hit the eight point four billion as was predicted,
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: the Gunner government are going to try and spin this
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: and herald it as some sort of amazing feat. The
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: reality is the levels of debt we have are just
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: not sustainable. They're crippling the territory. They burden future generations,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: and of course they mean we can't invest in projects,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: We can't invest in expanding health and a policing situation,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: our education environment. I mean, these are the things you
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: need money for and the government has just blown it
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: all against the wall because they don't have a strategic
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: plan for the territory. Their lack of measures around budget
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: restraint are astonishing. We constantly asked about infrastructure overspends, the
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: blowout and the millions, if not tens of millions. I mean,
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: this government really has very little regard for how it
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: spends Territorian's money, and it hasn't done anything to grow
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: our private sector. We still haven't seen any meaningful change
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: to grow our economy, and that's the only way we're
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: going to get over source revenue in. We can't slash
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: and burn the place. We've got to open up our economy,
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: and this government is just incapable of doing what's needed
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: to ensure we are a fantastic place to invest.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Well, Leah, there is no doubt so that plenty of people,
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: including myself and including yourself I'm sure, are going to
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: be going through that budget with a fine tooth comb
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: and trying to work it all out before I let
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: you go, Leah. We do know that the Howard Springs,
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: the management of the Howard Springs quarantine facility, the international
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: side of things changed as of yesterday, the Health Minister
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: confirming one hundred and sixty new staff and started out there.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: She says, the ozmat team are still in there at
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: this point in time. All that transitioning. Does that go
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: far enough?
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: No, it doesn't, and Territorians are deeply concerned about this handover.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: No one has been able to justify two Territorians why
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: the international side needs to come across under the control
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: of the Police Commissioner. I would have thought, and Territorians
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: certainly expect that with the crime that's happening at the moment,
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: we need the Police Commissioner focusing on crime and our
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: attrition rates as opposed to managing international quarantine, which has
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: been done exemplary.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: So you tell both at once, well, that will.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: Remain to be seen, but unfortunately it presents an enormous risk.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: We've got a terrible crime crisis happening, and we've got
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: international quarantine which presents the single biggest risk of COVID
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: getting out into our community. So there are two enormous jobs.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: OSMAT have done it to the gold standard. They have
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: been exemplary, and they're handling of that quarantine vicinility. And
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: I think what the Territory government isn't saying is how
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: much money they must be being paid by the federal
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: government to take that over. And I think, and I'm
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: just guessing, but if there's any budget improvement coming out
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: of today, I think it's going to because of a
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: stack of cash from the federal government for the territory
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: to take over international quarantine and you know, it's just
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: alarming that the spin again around this issue with the
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: numbers of staff being employed, whether or not Osmata pulling
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: out what the phasing out is going to be, and
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: the Chief Minister won't even tell Territorians what our maximum
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: capacity of positive COVID cases is that we can handle.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: So there's a lot of smoke and mirrors happening on
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: something that should not be a political tool. This is
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: an international quarantine facility. It has a nationally significant role
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: to play, but it's got to be done perfectly.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: So Leah, I'm assuming that at this point in time
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: you don't think that the Federal government should be bringing
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: more flights in from India. You support that halting of
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: the flights at this point, well.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: Not necessarily. I think what we need to know is
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: how many positive cases can the facility handle, and the
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: Chief Minister won't be open and honest with Territorians about that.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: It's only when we know how many we can have
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: can we start to talk about bringing in more flights.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: I mean, these are Australians who need to be repatriated,
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: but they gain this misinformation, this smoke and mirrors around
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: what we can handle and what we can't handle is alarming.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: If we had fifty two odd cases a couple of
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: weeks ago and only thirty five now, it says to
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: me that there is capacity. But when you have a
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: Chief Minister and a Health Minister not wanting to give
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: people the clear information, that sends alarm bells that it
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: creates a feeling of lack of confidence in the system.
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: And what we need is absolute confidence that international quarantine
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: will operate as it has been once a government take
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: it over.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Leah, always good to catch up with you. We're going
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: to have to leave it there, talk to you later
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: in the week.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: Thank you, take care, Thank you.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: That is the opposition leader there, Leah Finocchiar own