Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Goyder Kezia Purick explains how a motion by the government will likely play out on the Voice to Parliament

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Member for Goyder Kezia Purick explains how a motion by the government will likely play out on the Voice to Parliament · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Just before question time in Parliament yesterday, the government gave
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: notice that it's going to move a motion to support
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the voice. Well, so that members of the Northern Territory
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Parliament support the voice. Now what exactly does that mean? Well,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: joining me on the line right now is the independent
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  Speaker 1: member for Goider and also the former Speaker of the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territories Legislative Assembly, Kesio Puric. Good morning to Ekezier.
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  Speaker 2: A good morning, Katie.
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  Speaker 1: I reckon it sounds like it's going to be Was
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  Speaker 1: the notice on this motion a surprise to you?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, it was a surprise. It's a motion to discuss
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  Speaker 2: and to get the anti parliament to support a particular position.
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  Speaker 2: And there was no independence or I didn't get any
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  Speaker 2: information from the Anti governor. I guess no one else
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  Speaker 2: did in the chamber apart from the Labor members. So
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  Speaker 2: the COLP coming. So a very interesting strategic move on
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  Speaker 2: behalf of the government.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, what exactly does it mean? You know, to those
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  Speaker 1: listening this morning that are really hearing this for the
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  Speaker 1: first time, what exactly does it mean?
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  Speaker 2: Well, we all have heard it, unless you have had
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  Speaker 2: your head in the sand. We've all heard about the
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  Speaker 2: federal government wanting to take a voice to the Filly
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  Speaker 2: Parla to get Abriginal Toysted Island the people's enshrined in
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  Speaker 2: that constitution.
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  Speaker 1: Well, just seem to be losing you a bit there, Keasier,
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  Speaker 1: can you hear us still?
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  Speaker 2: Yes? I can? Can you hear me? Okay?
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  Speaker 1: I can now?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, okay. The voice is what the common well or
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  Speaker 2: the Federal Labor government wants to have happened, and it
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  Speaker 2: comes out from the Uterarys statement of a couple of
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  Speaker 2: years back to have abridgemontaristat island people's position, their voice
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  Speaker 2: whatever enshrined in our constitution. So what's happened in the
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  Speaker 2: last little while is just enterprise. Who's the senator for
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  Speaker 2: the Country Liberal Party has said she won't support it
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  Speaker 2: and the Nationals aren't supporting and of course she's a
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  Speaker 2: COLP member, yeah, and she has said publicly this my
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  Speaker 2: party will support it. But one she can't speak on
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  Speaker 2: behalf the party. She's just one of the members. So
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  Speaker 2: perhaps this government here and the territory is wanting to
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  Speaker 2: tease out exactly what the Country Liberal Party's position will
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  Speaker 2: be in regard to supporting the referendum or not. Whenever
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  Speaker 2: it's held in all of this year.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I did wonder that. I wondered whether it was
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  Speaker 1: a move here to try and force the CLP's hand
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  Speaker 1: into determining, you know, whether they do support the voice
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  Speaker 1: or not. And I know that a report by Matt
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  Speaker 1: Cunningham from sky News Today has said that rank and
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  Speaker 1: file members of the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party are
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  Speaker 1: urging the party to officially oppose an Indigenous voice to Parliament.
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  Speaker 1: So sky News has obtained motions drafted by three of
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  Speaker 1: the party's branches for debate at this weekend's Central Council meeting,
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  Speaker 1: and the motions from the Darwin, Alice Springs and Rural
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  Speaker 1: branches all argue that the party should adopt a formal
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  Speaker 1: position opposing the voice. So do you think this is
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  Speaker 1: a matter of you know, without you knowing the inner
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  Speaker 1: mechanisms of of the two parties. Do you think it's
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  Speaker 1: a measure of the Labor Party really trying to force
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  Speaker 1: the CLP's hand here.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, I think I think it's a strategic move by
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  Speaker 2: the Labor government and that's their business to you know,
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  Speaker 2: the opposition wants to get their job, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: if they can try and undermine the opposition then that's
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  Speaker 2: what they're going to try and do. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: when it comes before the Parliament today, the CLP don't
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  Speaker 2: have to declare their hand. They can speak to it,
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  Speaker 2: they can speak to things related to it. Just because
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  Speaker 2: the government says we want to move this motion doesn't
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  Speaker 2: mean that people have to say, yeah, okay'm right behind
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  Speaker 2: you want to do it. The only thing is the
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  Speaker 2: government at some stage will conclude the debate and perhaps
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  Speaker 2: they might ask for a division to get people to
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  Speaker 2: actually say yes, I'll support the government's motion to support
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  Speaker 2: the Voice and the referendum. All no, I won't. So
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  Speaker 2: you know, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
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  Speaker 2: There's a very interesting debate and it could go in
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  Speaker 2: for a long time. Everyone may want to have their
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  Speaker 2: they say, you know, you know there's twenty four members
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  Speaker 2: or twenty five can speak also as a member, So
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  Speaker 2: it could be something that goes for a very long time,
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  Speaker 2: or it could be something that the government just has
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  Speaker 2: the peace, tries and gets out from the COLP what
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  Speaker 2: they want or don't want, and then put the motion
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  Speaker 2: has been want to do so I don't want tovate
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  Speaker 2: anything anymore.
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  Speaker 1: I guess from a non you know, like a non
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  Speaker 1: political perspective, but from a real normal person perspective. Here,
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  Speaker 1: why does the Northern Territory Parliament need to go down
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  Speaker 1: this path? Like?
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  Speaker 2: Why they don't? I mean when the Chief Minister was
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  Speaker 2: away recently at the council meeting of all chief Ministers
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  Speaker 2: and premiers, they all stood together and said, yes, the
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  Speaker 2: Northern Territory. They say, yes, we all support the Boys,
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  Speaker 2: and Natasha Phal said yes, you know, Northern Territory supports
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  Speaker 2: the Voice, and I commented on her Facebook I said, no,
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  Speaker 2: we don't. You can't speak on my behalf unless you've
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  Speaker 2: talked with me, unless you've talked with Territorians as to
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  Speaker 2: what they want. And at the end of the day,
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  Speaker 2: when I go to the ballot box for referendum time,
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  Speaker 2: what I do is my personal business. So the Parliament,
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  Speaker 2: you know, it's probably symbolic in some ways. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: the government can say we want the Parliament to endorse this,
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  Speaker 2: but at the end of the day, Territorians who will
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  Speaker 2: do the voting come referendum time, and so you know,
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  Speaker 2: if the anti government wants us to support it, they're
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  Speaker 2: going to have to give some pretty good information as
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  Speaker 2: to why we should and right now I don't believe
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  Speaker 2: there's enough information in the public domain to help any
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  Speaker 2: territories make up their mind as to whether they should
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  Speaker 2: say yes that they're red friend them or not.
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  Speaker 1: So, Kezia, are you supportive of this move that the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory will that the files government's made today and
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  Speaker 1: you know, I guess more broadly of the voice or
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  Speaker 1: do you think there needs to be some more information?
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  Speaker 2: Then need to be a lot, a hell of a
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  Speaker 2: lot more information. Let me just put some facts for you,
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  Speaker 2: Katie Aberigel of Stones right now already have many voices
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  Speaker 2: to Parliament, Federal Parliament, Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. There's
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  Speaker 2: more than thirty land councils in this country, of which
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  Speaker 2: four in the Northern Territory, which are statutory land councils.
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  Speaker 2: There's two thousand and seven had an Aboriginal Corporation and
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  Speaker 2: the Council of Peaks representing seventy top Aboriginal organizations. Most importantly,
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  Speaker 2: and many people know this, we have eleven federal politicians
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  Speaker 2: who identify as Aboriginal autoristrata people and that's five percent
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  Speaker 2: of our federal MPs. Five percent when Aboriginal people make
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  Speaker 2: up no more than three point seven percent of our population.
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  Speaker 2: So my way of thinking is you've got to explain
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  Speaker 2: to me Prime Minister Alban EASi why you think Aboriginal
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  Speaker 2: people right now don't have a voice to the Federal
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  Speaker 2: parlent when clearly there's structures all around this countryside and
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  Speaker 2: there's mechanisms for Aboriginal people to have a voice into
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  Speaker 2: their decision. Look at the Northern Territory. You know the
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  Speaker 2: number of Aboriginal people or people who identify as Aboriginal
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  Speaker 2: people in our parliament. And the other thing is we
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  Speaker 2: probably as a jurisdiction, have had more representation of Aboriginal
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  Speaker 2: people in our parliament than any other jurisdiction in this country.
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  Speaker 2: We have since the beginning of the Assembly had an
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  Speaker 2: Aboriginal people, have Aboriginal people as members. No other place
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  Speaker 2: in this country can claim that. So, you know, the
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  Speaker 2: latest I've heard is they're talking now about you know,
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  Speaker 2: someone an Aboriginal person would have a seat in federal cabinet,
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  Speaker 2: not elected.
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  Speaker 1: Just the point well, and this is the thing A
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  Speaker 1: lot of Yeah, I think there is so much more info.
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  Speaker 2: God explain it.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, there is so much more information that's required. And look,
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  Speaker 1: you know, I'm supportive of the Voice to Parliament if
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  Speaker 1: there is that further information and if we've all got
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  Speaker 1: a good understanding of exactly how it's going to work,
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  Speaker 1: what it's going to mean, and ensuring this you know
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  Speaker 1: that that our most disadvantage are actually heard, because that
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  Speaker 1: was a big concern obviously out of Alice Springs in
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  Speaker 1: recent weeks.
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  Speaker 2: Well that's true, and I've heard sedal politicians I can't
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  Speaker 2: recall who have said, oh, if we had this Voice
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  Speaker 2: to Parliament, then we wouldn't have the problems in Alice Springs.
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  Speaker 2: That's not logical.
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  Speaker 1: You know.
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  Speaker 2: Explain to me how that is the case. Explain to
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  Speaker 2: me how a voice to a federal national Parliament is
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  Speaker 2: going to help, as you've said, the most disadvantaged people
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  Speaker 2: within our community, with the problems with our call, with
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  Speaker 2: domestic family violence, with literacy issues, et cetera. You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's a high falutin thing, and that's fine. We need
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  Speaker 2: that kind of stuff in every country, not just our country.
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  Speaker 2: But you've got to convince people. You've got to give
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  Speaker 2: them a lot of information. This is why referendums in
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  Speaker 2: our country fail because the federal government comes up with
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  Speaker 2: this bright idea that this thing is going to work
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  Speaker 2: for all people in our country and they fail to
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  Speaker 2: take us on the journey.
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  Speaker 1: Well we are.
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  Speaker 2: You're the one voting. We're taking on the journey right now.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we will. Certainly, there's no doubt there's going to
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  Speaker 1: be a lot more discussion about this. But I do
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  Speaker 1: find it incredibly interesting that the Northern Territory government's gone
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  Speaker 1: down this path and you know what Territorians will actually think,
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  Speaker 1: whether they will feel as though this is the right
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  Speaker 1: move today, or whether they feel as though the government
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  Speaker 1: and the Opposition and the Independent should be speaking about
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  Speaker 1: more important things at this point in time, or not
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  Speaker 1: more important, but more pressing things at this point in
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  Speaker 1: time inside Parliament.
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  Speaker 2: That's right, more pressing things that we need to deal
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  Speaker 2: with as a society, in our community, wherever the problem is,
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  Speaker 2: it needs to be addressed, and right now that this
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  Speaker 2: government should be focusing their efforts and resources, in association
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  Speaker 2: with various other parties on the issues in Central Australia
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  Speaker 2: and the top end. They used to do with youth crime,
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  Speaker 2: is used to do with the massive level of theft
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  Speaker 2: of cars and the damage that's been done to community.
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  Speaker 2: It's a huge level of domestic violence and family violence
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  Speaker 2: and even violence within other areas of our community. You know,
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  Speaker 2: so keep things in perspective and I think perhaps this
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  Speaker 2: is a strategic move by the government. Yeah, box the COLP.
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  Speaker 2: But you know it's up to the COLP to come
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  Speaker 2: out of their corner and say why it's not an
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  Speaker 2: appropriate motion at this point of time and give their
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  Speaker 2: views about you know, what do they think about the boys.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Kezier, before I let you go this morning, I
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  Speaker 1: appreciate your sort of explaining the whole process to us
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  Speaker 1: a little bit more as well as you have done
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  Speaker 1: today and what it's going to mean, because, like I said,
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  Speaker 1: I reckon, there's a lot of people that are going
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  Speaker 1: to be listening to the show this morning that had
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  Speaker 1: no idea that this has sort of happened yesterday in Parliament.
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  Speaker 1: But I do want to ask you just finally, we
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  Speaker 1: know the collapse of Projects C Dragon, it's a bit
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  Speaker 1: of a hit for the Northern Territory, particularly when we
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  Speaker 1: look at that forty billion dollar economy by twenty thirty.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think there needs to be an inquiry into
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  Speaker 1: how and why you know, the money that's been sort
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  Speaker 1: of expended into that major project, How that's been done,
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  Speaker 1: What checks and balances were put in place by the
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  Speaker 1: government before this happened.
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  Speaker 2: I'd say there's not a need for an inquiry, but
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  Speaker 2: there certainly does need to be a review of the
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  Speaker 2: support that governments gives to what they call it to
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  Speaker 2: be major projects. Now, when a government gives the project
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  Speaker 2: major project status, what that really means is they're giving
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  Speaker 2: attention to this project to get it happening quicker than normal.
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  Speaker 2: So it's meant to expedite the approval processes. It's meant
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  Speaker 2: to have the proponent you know, who was doing the project,
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  Speaker 2: work more closely with government officials to get their project
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  Speaker 2: over the line. So perhaps those processes need to be
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  Speaker 2: looked at by the government. But in regard to the
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  Speaker 2: money that the government spent on this project and perhaps
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  Speaker 2: the sun cable, which other major projects, that infrastructure, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the silly of the gun Point road and sitting the
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: road at wherever the game station way, that's still a bonus,
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  Speaker 2: that's a legacy. Some people say, oh, you know, it's
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: wasted money. No, it's not wasted money. Selling our road
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  Speaker 2: network is good spending of money, So there may be
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  Speaker 2: some money that the company got from the anti government.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know, but they probably do need to look
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  Speaker 2: carefully at the real commercial reality of these projects, and
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  Speaker 2: perhaps that's not what they're doing. I mean, any proponent
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  Speaker 2: is one of going to talk up their project, you know,
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  Speaker 2: particularly if they're a publicly listed company, because it looks
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  Speaker 2: good on the stock market and therefore good for their
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  Speaker 2: shares and share price. So perhaps the government needs to
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  Speaker 2: have a hard look at how they go about awarding
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  Speaker 2: major project status. Does it really stack up and don't
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  Speaker 2: get seduced by the romanticism of you know, twenty two
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: hundred and three hundred billion dollar project type of things.
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  Speaker 2: So there probably are some questions to ask case, but
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  Speaker 2: I don't think it needs a full on inquiry under
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: the Inquiries Act the audience through a Parliamentary committee. But
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: definitely the government needs to have a good look at
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: how they go about a war callding major project status.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: Well, Kisier Puric, the Independent Member for goid, I always
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thank you very much and we'll see
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: you tomorrow for the week that
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: Was Yep, we'll do thank thank you.