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Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line is the Tourism Minister and
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: also the Minister for Health, Natasha Files. Good morning to you.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Good morning listen Minister.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: The plan would include a daily Melbourne Darwin London service.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: As I understand it, where are these discussions at.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we're really excited. Darwin is the comeback capital
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: and a direct Darwen London flight would be a massive beat,
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: showcasing the territory to the world. We've worked closely with
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Quantus throughout the COVID nineteen, particularly with those repatriations flights.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: We have been having Quantus crew at Howard Brings and
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: so as the Minister for Tourism and Aviation that falls
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: within there, I've been working closely with Quantus executives and
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: we're really excited at this opportunity. So, as we said yesterday,
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: we've directed on our senior public servants to work closely
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: with Corners and of course the Darwin Airport, the Darwen
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: International Airport are really key to this and we certainly
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: would like to see this happen as all of our
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: imaginations show the opportunities that endless.
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: So what exactly would this look like?
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Would those arriving on this direct flight have to do
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: fourteen days in Howard Springs quarantine, even if they're double vaxed.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: So Katie, that's all the detail that's been working through.
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: We need to understand from Quantus what they require to
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: make these flights happen. Of course, our number one focus
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: will always be hitting territory in safe, but we must
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: plan for the time when overseas travel regimes so that
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: we can bounce back even stronger. And so all of
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: that is being worked through, and mostly your health officials
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: and other government officials are working closely with gow In,
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: international airport officials and Quantus to make this a reality.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: And so what have they told you when it comes
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: to the quarantining and when it comes to the requirements
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: for those travelers At this point.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: So Katie, I can't see much more than the safety
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: of territory and it comes first. It's paramount. So we're
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: working through what Quantus require and what our health officials
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: think is the best for territory.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: So at this point in time, though, we do know
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: that down the track, once we reach eighty percent vaccination rate,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: we're going to move into that traffic light system.
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: So London, as I.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Would understand, would already be a red zone, so they
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: would presumably have to do fourteen days in quarantine if
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: they are double vaxed.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I'm not going to get into that detail.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: There's not a direct correlation between the traffic light system
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: and the current hotspot. We also need to consider the
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: measures that the Commonwealth will put in place of international travel.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: But this is a really exciting opportunity. Darwin is the
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: gateway to Asia. We understand in the past we've been
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: that link and we want to make that happen again.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: From an aviation perspective, that Darwin is, you know, the
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Australia's connection through to Europe and Asia.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: So I guess it does sound incredibly exciting, but there's
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: so many people out there wondering exactly how this is
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: going to work and if we're realistically going to be
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: able to do it. I mean, I know you've said
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: there's not a direct correlation. I think you said there
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: between the red zones and the way in which we're
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: going to be doing this moving forward. But presumably we're
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: not just going to be allowing people to, you know,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: to just travel into the Northern territory from locations which
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: have been deemed as hotspots or where there are COVID cases.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: But we maybe look at letting them have you know,
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: a rapid test before they get on the flight, and
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: you know, quarantining for a couple of days and then
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: having another test. Will we be looking at doing things
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: a bit differently to the way that we're currently.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Are the Katie, All ideas and opportunities are on the table.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: The health and safety of territories come first. We're seeing
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: an incredibly strong uptake, particularly in the top end of
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: the vaccination. We know that that countries such as England
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: have had the vaccinations for many many months now and
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: a large advantage of people are vaccinated. So vaccination is
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: the key to going back towards a more normal life.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: And what you were just talking about in terms of
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: travel will work with our health officials and territorians can
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: be assured we're working very hard at this opportunity of
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: direct dull in London White, but the health and spacey
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: of our community always comes first.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be a really difficult juggle, I
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: would presume, because we've got to make sure that you know, well,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: we want to try to capitalize on this, but we
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: also need to make sure that people do stay safe.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: So it just does seem like it's going to be
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: a difficult one when you look at the likes of
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: wa obviously who said that. You know that they're staying closed,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: but how do we capitalize on the fact that they're
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: maybe not doing what quantus needs at this point?
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: And Katy, I think it comes back to that point
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: that as a community, we must plan for a time
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: when oversee the travel regimes so that we can you know,
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: all those opportunities we've missed out on bringing trust into
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: the territory. So we're working as hard as we can
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: and I can reassure territorians about that effort, but also
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: that the health advice comes first.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: What is the government prepared to do to try and
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: make this happen, because we know that our and Joyce
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: had said yesterday if we can't operate through Darwin, it
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: will instead fly Melbourne, Singapore, London. So what is the
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: government prepared to do to really try and make this happen?
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: Oh, So, Katie, I think that the fact that we've
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: directed our most senior public servants to work closely on
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: this so strongly that we're putting everything into it, and
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: so we'll continue that work with quantas and of course
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: the other key partner is Darwin International Airport, a fantastic
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: facility and they certainly have strong plans at the airport,
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: some great leadership being shown there. So we just need
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: to work with everyone involved to make it the reality.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: What's going to have to happen inside the terminal.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: Would there need to be changes made in terms of,
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: you know, separating those domestic travelers from the international arrivals,
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: or would it be a situation where you're able to
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: use potentially the part of the airport where those repatriation
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: flights are coming through.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we've already got strong measures within our airport
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: terminals and on flight it's namely wearing masks. So we're
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: looking at the healthy buy and how we can keep
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: people safe and have that highest level of infection control,
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: but at the same time be practical to allow these
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: things to happen. And that points to that life that
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: we are wishing for back to a little bit more normal,
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: and so that's why the vaccination is key. But it's
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: also what are the public health measures and there's a
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: range of them. What can be practically put in place
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: and how that would fit into this proposal.
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: All right, let's move along because we know yesterday on
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: the show we heard about the really difficult situation that
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: the tourism sector is facing around the territory, but particularly
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: in Central Australia. Daniel Rochford joined us on the show
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: and spoke about the concerns around the traffic light system,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: which is due to come into play when the territory
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: vaccination rate reaches eighty percent. He also said, though, that
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: many operators are on the brink of shutting down, with
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: tourism the worst it's ever been.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Minister, we heard.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: From Tourism Central Australia yesterday that around thirty businesses may
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: not make it through summer, which is traditionally a time
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: for tourism. Is their work happening either with the Northern
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Territory government or at a federal level to try and
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: prevent these businesses from closing.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Katie, we recognized that COVID nineteen has had a devastating
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: impact on tourism hospitality and we've been working with the
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Commonwealth government as well as putting out packages from the
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: NP government specifically to Tourism Central Australia. So we recently
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: announced a twelve and a half million dollars support package
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: that was for territory businesses impacted by COVID nineteen restrictions
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: and there was visitation reliant small business support program in
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: that as well as a tourism survival fund, and that
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: was particularly aimed at some of those sects Katie and
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: in Central Australia, the event organizers and the touring companies
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: that have been really impassive. And then we had our
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: earlier this year a one point twenty five million dollars
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: support package specifically two Tourism Central Australia. They came to
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: us with the idea of a MATS rates incentive to
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: reduce the cost of tourism experiences in Central Australia and
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: we backed them and their ideas. So not saying that
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: this will fix everything or solve it or help every
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: business specifically from the devastating impact, but we're certainly working
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: closely with industry in the tourism and hospitality space.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: All Right, I'm going to play you a little bit
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: of that interview with Daniel Rochford yesterday. Daniel, how many
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: businesses are you talking about here that have either gone
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: into hibernation or have been forced to shut up shop.
• 8:26
  Speaker 4: We're working very closely with thirty businesses At the moment,
• 8:31
  Speaker 4: we're just working through what the statistics look like, but
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: certainly we're seeing a significant number of businesses facing a
• 8:40
  Speaker 4: massive hardship. The latest round of the Tourism Survival Fund
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: this is as of last week, has seen around about
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: twenty to thirty operators apply for that director funding support
• 8:54
  Speaker 4: of between five and thirty thousand. Those thirty operators are
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: the ones that we're particularly worried about, and we're working
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: with them almost on a daily basis. The funding support
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: that was announced recently was welcomed, but that only was
• 9:10
  Speaker 4: a short term fix. We really need to get support
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: to get us to the other side. And I've been
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: calling for funding for months now. I'm not calling for it,
• 9:20
  Speaker 4: we're begging for it. It's got to that extent, Katie,
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: where our industry is on its knees.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: Minister, I know that would be hard to hear. As
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: he said, obviously they're grateful for the work that's happened
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: up until this point, but he'd said to me on
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: the show yesterday, they really they are begging for help.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: Right now, from the territory government and the federal government,
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: what can we do to try to make sure that
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: these businesses do not shut up shop. We're going to
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: need them when we do rebound.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie, and the Territory government has been working closer
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: to the industry to design these support mechanisms to be
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: responses to business needs. It's all about keeping Territorians in
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: jobs and as you just said, making sure we've got
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: an industry beyond COVID. So we'll keep working with the Commonwealth.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: We'll keep working with industry to make sure that you
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: know this support package we announced twelve and a half million,
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: that was significant, but we'll keep working with them so
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: that we can help these business owners get back on
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: their feet and be there when we step through COVID.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Well, how soon can they expect a further announcement or
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: how soon can they expect the federal government and the
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: territory government to step forward and tell them exactly what
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: they're going to do to support those thirty businesses that
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: are at risk of shutting shop.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we can't just magically waive a wand and
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: make this go away. It's continually grinding, hard work and
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: I've pointed to a number of packages already. We've got
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: the next round of Territory twos and vouches which will
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: launch next Monday. So absolutely working with industry, being responsive,
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: trying to balance a big variety within the industry some areas,
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: some packages work well, other areas packages work and so
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: that's why we respond as we work close in with
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: the sector.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: Well, look, I don't think anybody's expecting you to wave
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: a magic wand, but they are begging for help at
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: the moment. I don't think I've ever heard Daniel Rochford
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: sounds so down actually, and they are really begging. They're
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: saying that they're on their knees at this point. I
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: know it's not only the Northern Territory government. I know
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: that it does come down to those federal subsidies as well.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: But are you in talks with the Federal Minister for
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: Tourism to try and help them out here?
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I speak regularly with the Federal Minister for
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: Tourism Dantee, and I spoke to him just a couple
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: of weeks ago, making it very clear how devastated tourism
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: has been. But some of the unique features that we've
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: been impacted on in the territory and particularly Central Australia
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: which had a reliance on that international market that has
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: dried up.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: And so at this point in time, are there planned
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: further talks to try and help these Central Australian businesses.
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: The Katie as I have already outlined, were continuingly working
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: with industry and in constant contact with the common was
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: gu We're open to ideas and solutions and we've shown
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: that by the funding we've provided to date with TCA.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Touris in Central Australia have suggested things and we've stumped
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: up and funded program. So we'll keep working with the
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: sector right across the territory.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Okay, one of the other things that I'm really keen
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: to get a bit of clarity on is this traffic
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: light system. We know that once we reach eighty percent
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: vaccination rate, we are going to see that system come
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: into play. Are we realistically looking at a situation here
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: where other parts of Australia are going to reach eighty
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: percent open up to each other and there will be
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: COVID in those communities, and that presumably we're going to
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: wind up unable to open up to them because they
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: are read or ramber.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: So Katy, just before I come back directly to your question,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: seventy five percent of territories have had their first notes
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: of the vaccine. That is fantastic and that number will
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: continue to rise. I was at the Morara Vaccination Hub
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: yesterday and it was really busy, pleasing to see a
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: number of children there getting back and then three weeks
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: later they get their steps in vaccination. So the figure
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: of sixty one percent people fully vaccinated across the territory
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: will continue to rise. In terms of the traffic light system,
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: the border changes will see a transition from hotspots policy
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: to three types of travel categories. In terms of the
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: rest of Australia hitting eighty percent and opening up, the
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Chief Minister hasn't ruled out if we were to see
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: eighty percent of the top end population vaccinated, how could
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: we open up but protect our most vulnerable in remote communities.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: So we're working through all of that and we'll work
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: with our health officials around what's the best way to
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: allow our community to go back to normal, but at
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: the same time make sure we protect people.
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but I suppose the concern here is that you
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: know the likes of Victoria and New South Wales. In reality,
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: you know, we're not going to be opened up to
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: them for some time, I would assume, given the fact
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: that they do still have a large number of active
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: cases of COVID.
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Katie. Of course, not having COVID in our community means
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: that we have barely any restrictions. The quarantine is the
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: one restriction we have keeping COVID out of our community.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: We can't forecast what is happening into the future. We've
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: seen COVID seep out of Sydney City, right across New
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: South Wales. It's gone into Queensland. Thankfully they've gotten that
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: under control, but Victoria and the Act are very concerning.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: So it is a balance right now. We're keeping COVID
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: out of the territory and we are encouraging and providing
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: vaccination for everybody.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: But even as you've just pointed out there, you know
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: nearly all of the states around Australia are juggling and
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: battling with those COVID cases. We are all expecting that
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: we're going to get to eighty percent. But with that
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: traffic light system, and we've had this raise with us
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: by a few industry leaders with that traffic light system.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: There just doesn't seem to be the clarity in terms of,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: you know, if the rest of the nation opens up.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: I guess an example might be if queens OLARND for example,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: we'll get you know, get to that eighty percent vaccination rates,
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: as does New South Wales they open that border. But
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: then we see that cpgy cross of COVID. Won't it
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: then mean that Queensland would essentially become a red or
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: an amber spot.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: So then Katie, we need to look at it. Right now,
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT are the only
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: places with COVID and the leaders of South Australia and
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: Queensland are not opening up their jurisdiction to that COVID.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: So keeping COVID out is key and in the meantime
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: making sure as much of the community is vaccinated. But
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: what we have highlighted is the roadmap for when we
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: receive the magic figures of the numbers of people being vaccinated.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: And there's some internal challenges with that. We're working very
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: hard on our remote communities being vaccinated, but we have
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: outlined a system that will see this transition from the
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: hot spots policy to three types of travel categories into
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: the future.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: But the reality of it is it actually going to
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: be very different to what it is right now in
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: terms of those hot spots or those the tiered travel system.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, because if you're vaccinated, it will provide opportunities
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: for you to come into the territory and to know
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Orange zone, which is a lower level risk. People can
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: have some quarantining and then once they've had a negative
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: test result, they'll be free to me about the community,
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: or they could home quarantine if they're from a red community.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: So there is changes forecast in this and we need
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: people right now to be getting that all important vaccination
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: so we can shift across to this policy.
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: All right, I do. There's quite a bit that we
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: were still keen to ask you about.
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: But I want to take you to a call that
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: we received yesterday from Paul in relation to vaccines in
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: remote communities.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: Take a listen to what he had to say.
• 16:33
  Speaker 5: So the video was filmed in town. What set it
• 16:35
  Speaker 5: up was that a friend of mine works in the
• 16:37
  Speaker 5: empty health system and she advised me that people on
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: communities are receiving one thousand dollars for their jads and
• 16:44
  Speaker 5: anyway I thought, well, I'll just I'll confirm it because
• 16:46
  Speaker 5: it's a bit concerning that they're getting bribed to get
• 16:49
  Speaker 5: their shot. So I just asked them, I said, well,
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: you know you're happy for me to film it. They're going,
• 16:52
  Speaker 5: oh yeah, that's okay. And I just asked them if
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: they had received the thousand dollars and oh yeah.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: So, Minister, are people in some remote communities being paid
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: an incentive to get the COVID.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: JAB not from the Northern Terrectory government. I can to
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: categorically rule that out.
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: Katie, So not being paid by the Northern Territory government
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: to get the JAB? Is there a situation where the
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: land councils or health authorities are paying an incentive for
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: them to.
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: Get the JAB?
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: Katie, I haven't heard. That's the first time I've heard
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: that that thousand dollars is being paid. It's not from
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory government. And I certainly haven't heard it
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: from the Aboriginal medical organizations or the land councils.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: So you're saying that nobody is being paid an incentive
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: to get the JAB, not that I'm.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Aware of, Katie. It's certainly not from the Northern Territory government,
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: which haven't ruled out into the future having incentives to
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: get people vaccinated. But I haven't heard of that thousand
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: dollars being paid by anyone. I'd be happy to see
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: some detail on it, but it's certainly not from the
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory government.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, Well, it is one which we'll try and follow
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: up as well. We might put a call out to
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: those different land councils and to the health authorities to
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: see if they are paying for people to get that
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: jab Just another quick one, Minister. I know that we're
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: both pressed for time, but we had a couple of
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: phone calls yesterday as well.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: Tony had called.
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Through his child had had a fit and cannot get
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: in to see a specialist. It's one week since that
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: incident happened and this referral still hasn't been looked at.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: That was one of the things that we'd heard. We
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: also had another listener get in contact and say that
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: they also had a childhood had a fit, a nineteen
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: year old daughter. She'd obviously left her office, walked to
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: Cole's and had been in that situation. It has now
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: been several months and still hasn't been able to get
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: in to see a specialist about this. Do we have
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: an issue here where when we don't have enough specialists
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: to try and to try and get territory and seene
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: for this type of thing.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I'm not aware of those details, and you know,
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: of course happy to follow up if you provide our
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: sofare with any specific details. The process for people to
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: see specialists is their triarchs into categories and there's time
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: frames around that. If people feel that their condition may
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: have deteriorated, they should go back to their GP, who
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: can escalate that specialist request. But as I just said,
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: I'd be more than happy to chase up on both
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: of those cases. And the processes are that people are
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: triarched for a period of time based on their condition,
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: but we do understand that that can change.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: All right, we will get that detail through to you
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: because I do think it's pretty important, particularly you know,
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: in one of these cases, this young woman is in
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: a situation where she can't work or can't actually drive
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: a vehicle anymore because she is waiting to get that
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: clearance and to find out exactly what is wrong. So
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: it is having a real impact on people's lives. So
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: we will make sure that we get that detail to you.
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: We are going to have to wrap it up. We've
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: got a busy morning ahead as do you. Thank you
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: very much for your time today, Sank Katie