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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is Leah Finocchiaro,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the opposition leader. Good morning to you, Leah.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and to all your listeners.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Now, Leah, we know that this race to the by
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: election on the weekend out there in daily it sounds
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: as so it's getting a little bit nasty. Claims this
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: morning in the Northern Territory News that the NT Labor
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: parties apparently lodged a series of complaints with the Northern
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Territory Electoral Commission, alleging that a Country Liberal Party member
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: shoved its volunteers and another through their core flutes in
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  Speaker 1: the bin. Lea, is this the case?
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  Speaker 2: Look, I think you're right. This is getting nasty, and
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  Speaker 2: that's exactly how Labor operate. What we've got is deflection
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  Speaker 2: from the fact that they can't defend their record and
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  Speaker 2: they're not out there in daily fighting on the issues
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  Speaker 2: that people really care about, which is their telecommunications, their roads,
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: essential services, healthcare, housing, all of these types of issues.
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  Speaker 2: You know, this alleged complaint hasn't been reported to the
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  Speaker 2: Electoral Commission and so as far as I'm concerned, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: it is muck raking by a desperate government and trying
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  Speaker 2: to deflect from the fact that their candidate threatened and
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  Speaker 2: intimidated a member of Parliament out front of Parliament in
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  Speaker 2: the course of history.
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  Speaker 1: So hang on a second. So there hasn't actually been
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  Speaker 1: a complaint made to the Electoral Commission, are you saying no?
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  Speaker 2: That's right. I checked with the party this morning. As
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  Speaker 2: of this morning they had not received a complaint by Labor.
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  Speaker 2: The Electric Commission hadn't received the complaint. The Country Liberal
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  Speaker 2: Party had not received a complaint. So it's pretty interesting
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  Speaker 2: that if Labour are so aggrieved that the NTA News
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  Speaker 2: would be the ones to receive the complaint before the
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  Speaker 2: NTC even get it. So this is just a political
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  Speaker 2: stunt at its best, Cadies, And of course again it's
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  Speaker 2: because they can't defend their record. They're not out there
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  Speaker 2: fighting on the issues. They're out there trying to deflect
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  Speaker 2: from the fact that their candidate has a proven record
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  Speaker 2: of threats and intimidation, and of course that they've failed
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  Speaker 2: in the bush. Lea.
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  Speaker 1: Let's go back to the allegation though being made about
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  Speaker 1: Steve Edgington here. So you are one hundred percent confident
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  Speaker 1: that he's not shoved anybody at that electoral booth or
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  Speaker 1: there's been no call flutes or anything thrown in the bin.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Well, I've spoken to Steve Edgington and he denies the allegations.
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  Speaker 2: The NTC has confirmed they have not received a complaint
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  Speaker 2: and the Country Liberal Party have confirmed they have not
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: received a complaint. So you know, what more can be done, Katie?
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: What more can be done? Ultimately, though, the issues that
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: are really important are the ones we should be talking about.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, look at the wildlife Park.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we'll get to that in just a moment, Leah.
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  Speaker 1: I'll get to that in just a moment. But what
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  Speaker 1: I was keen to get to the bottom of is
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  Speaker 1: indeed whether anything untoward had happened here. Like I said,
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  Speaker 1: right from the get go, it does all sound like
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  Speaker 1: it's getting a bit nasty.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree. I think Labor are making it nasty
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  Speaker 2: because they're deflecting, because they can't defend their record. They're
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  Speaker 2: not out in the community explaining why they should be elected.
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  Speaker 2: They're out trying to throw mud at us. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: we're out there on the issues, and the issues are
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: really clear that Labor has failed in the bush. I mean,
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: all right, hello, communications.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Lea, we certainly know what your lying is
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  Speaker 1: this morning about the teller communications and also about the
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: health and they're things that aren't lost on us. They're
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: things that we talk about quite often on the show,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: and we did have Chris on the show yesterday with
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: his opportunity to talk about that. Will continue to talk
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: about those different members of Daily well, those different people
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  Speaker 1: who have put their hand up obviously over the next
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: couple of hours and find out more about them. But
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  Speaker 1: a couple of things I'm keen to talk to you
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  Speaker 1: about this morning, and one of them is indeed the
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  Speaker 1: Territory Wildlife Park. I'll get to that in just a sec.
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  Speaker 1: But I am also keen to talk a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more about these vaccination rates and plans for opening the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory up well without lockdowns. Lea, do you think
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  Speaker 1: that more needs to happen in this space? Do you
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  Speaker 1: think that there needs to be more transparency around these
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  Speaker 1: vaccination numbers.
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  Speaker 2: I think there's no transparency around these vaccination numbers. I
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  Speaker 2: think what we've got is the Gunner government running and
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  Speaker 2: hiding because they don't want to tell Territorians the truth,
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  Speaker 2: and the truth is that our vaccination rate is too low.
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  Speaker 2: We need to be doing more to get more jabs
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  Speaker 2: in people's arms. Now. The fact that the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 2: Government are counting tourists and non territorians in our vaccine
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: numbers is just a huge concern to me. I don't
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  Speaker 2: think that we should be counting people who live in
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  Speaker 2: Adelaide or Sydney or Purse or Melbourne or Cansas, wherever
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  Speaker 2: they're from, who happen to get their job here. I
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  Speaker 2: don't think that should count as a Northern Territory job number.
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  Speaker 2: And of course we're getting no transparency, transparency around what's
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: going on in remote and regional Northern Territory and the
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  Speaker 2: government just are not coming clean about this and what
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  Speaker 2: it's done is undermine people's confidence in the vaccine role
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  Speaker 2: at and what the next steps are. So this is
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  Speaker 2: a critical and pivotal point for the Gunner government to
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  Speaker 2: respond to because if people don't have confidence about the numbers,
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  Speaker 2: they will start to then lack confidence in the direction.
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  Speaker 2: And it's really important that the Gunner Government are just
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  Speaker 2: brutally honest about what the vaccine rate is and where
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  Speaker 2: improvements need to be made well, and it.
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  Speaker 1: Does make it a lot easier for us to know
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  Speaker 1: exactly where we're going there, and that's some of the
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  Speaker 1: sentiment that we've heard throughout the week when we talk
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: about that plan in terms of moving forward, So great
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  Speaker 1: a transparency of v asleep, but also more openness about
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: the plan for opening the Northern Territory backup, whether we're
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: going to continue to go through those lockdowns as well
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: if we do have a case into the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: once we get to that eighty percent vaccination rate. Leah,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: what would your plan look like?
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  Speaker 2: Well, look, we would be following the best health advice Katie,
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  Speaker 2: and you know that's something that only the Gunner government
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: have access to, and that's why it's so important they're
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: transparent with everyone around what that looks like. You know,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Michael Gunner and his team have designed everything, so we
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  Speaker 2: have to cling to his every word. Well, his word
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: is pretty silent on these vaccine numbers and why they're
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: not being honest with territories about the true vaccine rates.
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  Speaker 2: This is something that everyone wants to know about and
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  Speaker 2: needs to clearly understand. So, you know, what is the
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  Speaker 2: best health advice on this? What are our vaccination rates
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  Speaker 2: across the territory? Why are we including tourists in our
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  Speaker 2: vaccine numbers and why hasn't the government got oversight over
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  Speaker 2: vaccine numbers in the bush well one.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: Of the things that I also reckon we need to
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: start talking about. So we are going to be catching
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: up with the AMA this morning. Doctor Robert Parker is
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: going to be joining us on the show. Is our
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: preparedness as well in our hospitals for when we do
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  Speaker 1: reach that eighty percent vaccination rate, and the reality of
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  Speaker 1: it is that we'll probably see you know, community community
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  Speaker 1: cases of COVID nineteen lea. Are you sort of asking
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  Speaker 1: more questions and trying to find out a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more about how well our health system is prepared at
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  Speaker 1: this point.
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  Speaker 2: We are and of course the Gunner government scrap three
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: days of sittings due to lockdown, and we've been calling
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  Speaker 2: on them to reinstate those three days because that's three
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: hours of questioning the opposition and independence I'm missing out
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: on because the government has just wiped those days from
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  Speaker 2: the calendar and that and the impact of that can't
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  Speaker 2: be underestimated by territorians. We've got huge concerns. Of course,
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  Speaker 2: Royal Dalen Hospital has been in Code yellow twice this year.
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  Speaker 2: And both times we've only known that information because the
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  Speaker 2: media have obtained it and publicized it. So we've got
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  Speaker 2: a government that's budging the figures on vaccine numbers, keeping
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  Speaker 2: quiet about what the true state of play is at
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  Speaker 2: Rodoen Hospital and whether or not we're ready and able
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  Speaker 2: to cope if savirus was to come to the territory again,
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  Speaker 2: just undermining the confidence Territorians have in our ability to
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  Speaker 2: respond and protect and keep people safe. And it's not
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  Speaker 2: good enough. You know, we know there are shortages in staffing,
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  Speaker 2: We know there must be huge pressure and impact on
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  Speaker 2: our health professionals. But the Gunner government just want to
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  Speaker 2: pretend like everything's rosy and everything's fine. Well, well that's
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  Speaker 2: not okay. Leadership is about bringing the community along with you,
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  Speaker 2: and I think you know, most Territorians feel like they've
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  Speaker 2: completely been left behind by the Gunner governor.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we will certainly find out more about how exactly
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  Speaker 1: the hospital is tracking at the moment when we catch
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  Speaker 1: up with doctor Robert Parker in just a little while now, Leah,
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  Speaker 1: this discussion about the Territory Wildlife Park, it's been bubbling
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  Speaker 1: along for a few days now. We know that the
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  Speaker 1: Department of issue to statements saying that at this stage
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  Speaker 1: no final so it says territorians love the Territory Wildlife
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  Speaker 1: Park and any proposed changes would be about modernizing its
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  Speaker 1: operations and helping it stay popular with territorians. At this stage,
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  Speaker 1: no final decision has been made. Staff are being consulted
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  Speaker 1: on ideas to modernize the facility, and significant investment to
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  Speaker 1: repair and improve infrastructure at the park will be underway
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  Speaker 1: over the next twelve months. It includes upgrades to the
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  Speaker 1: car park pathways, parts of the main station, refitting toilets,
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  Speaker 1: improving access to disabled toilets, upgrading and preparing the flight deck, infrastructure,
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  Speaker 1: and repairs to the nocturnal house and aquarium. Leah, what
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  Speaker 1: exactly are you worried about or what makes the COLP
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  Speaker 1: think that things are being prepared to close the Territory
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  Speaker 1: Wildlife Park down or sell it off.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think that statement from government by whoever this alleged, Well, it's.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: From the department. It's from the department.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, that's right. You've got the ministers throwing the
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  Speaker 2: Department under the bus with absolute garbage and spin. There
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: is not additional investment going into the Wildlife Park and
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  Speaker 2: we have been hearing from so many people about what
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: is going on at the park. You know, we know
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  Speaker 2: that the emmus are gone, the dingoes and the buffalos
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  Speaker 2: are next on the chopping block. A few months ago
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  Speaker 2: they were going to scrap the trains, and I think
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  Speaker 2: everyone remembers the anger from the community around that. Of course,
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  Speaker 2: we've seen the cut in this year's budget to the park,
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  Speaker 2: and this is all happening by stealth. This is all
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: happening behind the scenes. We've got exhibits being closed in
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  Speaker 2: the Nocturnal House, for example, the Monsoon Forest, which is
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: that beautiful walk through the avery and around Berry Creek,
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  Speaker 2: and I mean, that's my favorite part of the park, Katie.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: You know, we know that that's set to go on.
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  Speaker 2: For this, you know, departmental spokesperson to come out and
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: say no final decision has been made is basically an
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: admission that all of this is on the cards. And
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: now that they've come under the public spotlight, they've been sprung.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm glad they've been sprung because our job is
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: to call this out.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Is it really all set to go though? Or is
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: this scare mongering ahead of a by election?
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: This is absolutely from people on the ground, Katie. This
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: is not scare monkering. This is about protecting and saving
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: an iconic tourist attraction to the normOn territory, for the
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: people of the Norman Territory and all the tourists you
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: love to come. Of course, it's a huge economic driver
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: out in that Berry Springs area. But I don't know
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: about you, Katie. I love going there as a little kid.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: My kids love going there. It's just such a magical
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: place and to see it being slowly but surely dismantled
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: and underfunded and just under valued by the Gunna government
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: is a crying shame. So I'm glad the community have
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: come out in support of the wildlife pad to send
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: this out of touch government a message it can't just
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: dismantle the important things in our community because it'd rather
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: give twelve million dollars away to build a dodgy grandstand.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: Well, Leah Fanocchiaro, we are going to be catching up
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: with Greg Mayo, a former zoo keeper, in just a
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: little while. I really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: so much for having a chat with us. Will we
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: see you on Friday morning.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: I'll be there with bells on Katie, you have and
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: are we ready to go?
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: Call up the coffee. I don't know that you and
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: I really eat any extra coffee coffee though I can double.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: That's a really fun morning.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Good on you, Leah, thank you. That's Leah Finocchiaro there,
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: the opposition leader, and she is definitely firing on all
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: pistons this morning.