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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: I firstly want to cover off on the issues which
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  Speaker 1: are of great concern obviously for the people of Alice Springs.
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  Speaker 1: They were on display for all of Australia to see
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  Speaker 1: last night on a current affair. So is anything going
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  Speaker 1: to change? Well? Joining me on the line is the
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  Speaker 1: Health Minister and Minister for Tourism, Natasha Files.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Minister. Did you see that report overnight or have you
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  Speaker 1: watched it this morning?
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  Speaker 2: Katie? I didn't see that report but I will make
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  Speaker 2: sure that I see it today. Certainly disappointing to hear
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  Speaker 2: about that vision and I'll certainly make sure that I
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  Speaker 2: see it.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon the whole of the Cabinet should actually
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  Speaker 1: sit down and watch it because it was pretty concerning.
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  Speaker 1: And I was going to ask you whether you were
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  Speaker 1: concerned after viewing that footage, but you've not seen it.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, are you worried though about what's going on
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  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs at the moment?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, I am worried and for me, we all
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  Speaker 2: have to work together as a community, as a government
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that we have our springs as a safe,
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  Speaker 2: vibrant community. We need that community. It's a pivotal service
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  Speaker 2: center to many remote communities, but it's also a key
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  Speaker 2: tourism location and to have it proceeed through the way
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  Speaker 2: it was presented last night certainly is disappointing and so
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  Speaker 2: we need to be solution focused working with the community.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I've got to say, what was in that vision
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  Speaker 1: last night? You know, we've all been talking about it
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  Speaker 1: for such a long period of time. This is not
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  Speaker 1: new for Territorians, but I think the shocking part was
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  Speaker 1: seeing it all there right in front of our eyes
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  Speaker 1: for the whole of the nation to see. We know
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  Speaker 1: that next month parcherm is kicking off in Ola Springs.
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  Speaker 1: What kind of message does this send to tourists wanting
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  Speaker 1: to travel to the Red Center.
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  Speaker 2: So we need people to understand that there is more
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  Speaker 2: to Alice Springs than what they saw last night, that
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  Speaker 2: it's a vibrant community, that we have amazing festivals. As
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  Speaker 2: a government, and the Chief Minister spoke about this yesterday,
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  Speaker 2: we've put significant investment into the police in the community.
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  Speaker 2: Police have a direct mission to discover crime and increased
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  Speaker 2: community confidence, and they've been around fifty Additional resources from
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  Speaker 2: Comfortable Aboriginal Support are police officers. But in terms of
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  Speaker 2: parchu More, it's an amazing event that brings people together
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  Speaker 2: and it is simply spectacular. And so we need Alice
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  Speaker 2: Springs people to understand that it's about festivals such as Parchma,
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  Speaker 2: not the images they saw last night.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, but you know what, I think you're going to
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  Speaker 1: be in a really tough situation here, minister, because what
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  Speaker 1: happens if we have a tourist that goes to Alice
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  Speaker 1: Springs and ends up being assaulted. I mean last night
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  Speaker 1: again we've had we've had confirmation from the Alice Springs
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  Speaker 1: Watch commander that there was another incident, this time a
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  Speaker 1: group of ten to fifteen youths. As I understand, it's
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  Speaker 1: set upon two men throwing rocks and sticks at them
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  Speaker 1: and their car. It's bad enough that it's happening to locals,
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  Speaker 1: but what's going to happen if this happens to two
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  Speaker 1: tourists are in town for Parchment next month.
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  Speaker 2: So, Cody, that's why we're investing in those resources, both
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  Speaker 2: police resource that there's boots on the ground, and as
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  Speaker 2: I said, police have that mission to discourage crime but
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  Speaker 2: also increase the community confidence. So we certainly have invested
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  Speaker 2: heavily in Ala Springs so that we can target and
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  Speaker 2: reduce crime in that community.
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  Speaker 1: It'd have to agree, though, that this does not lay
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  Speaker 1: wholly and solely with the Northern Territory Police. I think
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  Speaker 1: we've reached a point now where you know, the fact
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  Speaker 1: that we've got fifty additional resources going to the Red
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  Speaker 1: Center really demonstrates that, you know, despite the fact that
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  Speaker 1: we've sort of been, you know, nothing to see here,
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  Speaker 1: all of a sudden, now we've got these fifty additional
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  Speaker 1: resources going down. There's clearly a big issue. But I
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  Speaker 1: think that it's you know, it's more than a police issue.
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  Speaker 1: You've said, the community and obviously others the government need
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  Speaker 1: to get together. But at what point do we actually say,
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  Speaker 1: all right, we need to really have a rethink about
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  Speaker 1: the way that we're dealing with this.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, there has also been worth other operations in
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  Speaker 2: recent months. It includes operations Sherwood, in Ola Springs, in
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  Speaker 2: the CBD and that features youth activities, engagement and that
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  Speaker 2: support across my agency. So when you say it's not
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  Speaker 2: just police's role, that's absolutely correct. We need multiple agencies
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  Speaker 2: and NGO services to create a safe place, particularly for
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  Speaker 2: those ten to seventeen year old so that they can
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  Speaker 2: access the services, engage in activities but under supervision. So
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  Speaker 2: there's certainly a lot of work in a lot of
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  Speaker 2: agencies and NGOs and we're doing.
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  Speaker 1: That, Minister. Are you concerned that we could end up
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  Speaker 1: with something happening to a tourist when they do go
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  Speaker 1: down for the festival?
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  Speaker 2: Okay, any incident of crime, whether it's to a local
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  Speaker 2: or a tourist, is unacceptable, and so that is why
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  Speaker 2: you know, police have that role in terms of community
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  Speaker 2: perception of safety and so that people feel safe in
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  Speaker 2: their community. But it's also doing that deeper work which
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  Speaker 2: I've just touched upon there around particularly in that youth space,
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  Speaker 2: making sure there's resources to support these young people so
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  Speaker 2: that they don't end up causing anti social behavior and
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  Speaker 2: crime issues in the community.
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  Speaker 1: Are you worried as the tourism minister, You know, you're
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  Speaker 1: putting in a lot of hard work to promote the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory to our interstate visitors, but we've still got
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  Speaker 1: these issues with crime that are really underlying and they
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  Speaker 1: are having a big impact on tourism.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, we certainly acknowledge the ongoing issues there and
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  Speaker 2: that's why you're seeing those investments. We're working together with
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  Speaker 2: the community looking at solutions so that people can feel safe,
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  Speaker 2: so that we can work on those tourists into a
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  Speaker 2: vibrant community is so important for the town but also
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  Speaker 2: to the economy, and so there's a number of measures
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  Speaker 2: in place. We'll continue working on that. We'll leave no
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  Speaker 2: stone unturned in addressing the bus.
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  Speaker 1: All right, we are going to move along because there
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  Speaker 1: is a lot to unpack this morning, including the COVID update.
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  Speaker 1: I know, I understand that you're actually out at Royal
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  Speaker 1: Hospital this morning for this. Is it role of the
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  Speaker 1: phase two of the first rollout of the vaccine.
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  Speaker 2: That's next week, Katie. Sorry, we're seeing that's okay. We're
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  Speaker 2: seeing the vaccine roll out really well. In the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: Over three thy seven hundred territori ines, our frontline workers
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  Speaker 2: have been vaccinated. And what we seen this week is
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  Speaker 2: those first people that got the the were given the
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  Speaker 2: vaccine three weeks ago, are getting their second dose, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: So that's as fully vaccinated and so by the end
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  Speaker 2: of this week we'll have completed everybody in Phase one. A.
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  Speaker 2: Of course there'll be some individuals through their circumstance that
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  Speaker 2: didn't get vaccinated, and next week we move into that
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  Speaker 2: one B faith.
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  Speaker 1: Is there any update on those COVID hotspots at this
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  Speaker 1: point in time? Has there been any change since yesterday?
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  Speaker 2: I think that's really important question, Katie. We still have
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  Speaker 2: the hot spots policy and so people must be warned
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  Speaker 2: if they choose to travel into state. We could declare
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  Speaker 2: a hotspot at any point. We did see cases in
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  Speaker 2: Brisbane and Sydney over the weekend. The Chief Health Officer
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  Speaker 2: participated in emergency AHPPC meetings. From that he issued directions
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  Speaker 2: if you've been in specific locations at specific times, you
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  Speaker 2: must isolate and get tested if you had sense to
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  Speaker 2: return to the Northern Territory. So we still have that
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  Speaker 2: hot spot policy, but as we see the vaccine rolled
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  Speaker 2: out widely, it's less and less likely that will see
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  Speaker 2: in a whole states and whole city lockdown. Now.
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  Speaker 1: I know that there's been a lot of discussion about
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  Speaker 1: the rollout of the astrosenica vaccine. The Chief Minesster said
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  Speaker 1: on the show yesterday it's not been delayed and should
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  Speaker 1: arrive before March twenty two. Is this in line with
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  Speaker 1: the schedule that you have for the rollout.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie. So when we first started our vaccimation program,
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  Speaker 2: Fizer was the only vaccine approved by the Australian TGA,
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  Speaker 2: so we started rolling out with FISA. In that period,
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  Speaker 2: the Astrosenica vaccine was approved and the Commonwealth said there's
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  Speaker 2: doses available if you wish to use them. We didn't
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  Speaker 2: need those doses to complete one A. We have enough
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  Speaker 2: of the Fizer. The challenge for the territory is our
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  Speaker 2: population spread over a vast geographical area. The challenge in
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  Speaker 2: other places is the size of the population. So we
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  Speaker 2: haven't needed the Astrosenica to date, but it will arrive
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  Speaker 2: in the coming days ahead of that Phase one beat
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  Speaker 2: starting next week.
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  Speaker 1: In some other countries they're actually suspending the rollout of
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  Speaker 1: the astrosenica vaccine at this point. Italy, France, Germany and
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  Speaker 1: Spain in several other European countries in suspending the roll
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  Speaker 1: out of the astrosenica vaccine due to serious side effects
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  Speaker 1: from some people. Are you keeping an eye on this
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  Speaker 1: and should we maybe just avoid this vaccine if we
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  Speaker 1: don't have it yet?
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  Speaker 2: Really important for territories to understand, Katie. Both fire and
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  Speaker 2: Astrosenica have been approved, They've been through the rigorous testing processes,
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  Speaker 2: they're safe and they're effective. The World Health Organization and
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  Speaker 2: other leading public health agencies and experts have found no
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  Speaker 2: casual link between astrosenica and those blood clots. I acknowledge
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  Speaker 2: we have seen some of those European countries to have
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  Speaker 2: pause the use of it, but we have very high
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  Speaker 2: levels of strenuous, rigorous testing and the TGA will be
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  Speaker 2: watching all of this closely. Both the FITHER and Astrodenka
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  Speaker 2: are safe and effective.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, have you had the COVID vaccine yet?
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  Speaker 2: I haven't been vaccinated yet, Katie, but I certainly when
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  Speaker 2: it comes time, I will be absolutely getting vaccinated my family.
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  Speaker 2: So I look forward to that. The most important cohort
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  Speaker 2: was those frontline workers, and I think we still that
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  Speaker 2: over the weekend with a doctor through no fault of
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  Speaker 2: their own in Brisbane, caring for people who are infected,
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  Speaker 2: became infected themselves. So we've been vaccinating those highest risk
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  Speaker 2: fultline workers will now shift across towards other health workers
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  Speaker 2: and other vulnerable people, and I certainly will be getting
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  Speaker 2: vaccinated when it's appropriate.
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  Speaker 1: And would you feel safe having that astrosenica vaccine.
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  Speaker 2: I'd feel very comfortable getting either FISA or Astrozenica, which
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  Speaker 2: have both been others said, rigorously tested and approved by
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  Speaker 2: the TGA here in Australia.
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  Speaker 1: Now, a question that we've had from a listener if
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  Speaker 1: you've been vaccinated, So when we get to the point
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  Speaker 1: where everybody is obviously getting vaccinated, if you have been vaccinated,
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  Speaker 1: you go on holidays and you come back to the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory from a hot spot, will you still have
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  Speaker 1: to quarantine or will that vaccination mean that you are
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  Speaker 1: fine to move around freely.
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  Speaker 2: So at this stage you would still have to quarantine, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: but that's because we still have the hot spot's policy.
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  Speaker 2: But as we see more and more people vaccinated, we'll
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  Speaker 2: see less and less that widespread lockdown situation. Hopefully that
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  Speaker 2: is our aim. So of course, as the vaccine rolls
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  Speaker 2: out over the coming months and we see the general
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  Speaker 2: population vaccinated, our health advice and we've been led all
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  Speaker 2: the way by our Chief Health Officer and his team
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  Speaker 2: that clinical advice around what to do. The decisions to
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  Speaker 2: keep territory and safe. I imagine we'll change, but at
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  Speaker 2: the moment we still have the hotspot policy even if
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  Speaker 2: you're vaccinated.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, I am being absolutely inundated with messages this morning.
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  Speaker 1: I do still want to ask you about Dundee and
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  Speaker 1: about the health clinic out there, because we've had a
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  Speaker 1: lot of people contact us about that yesterday. But the
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  Speaker 1: main thing that people are messaging so far this morning
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  Speaker 1: is Minister, the promoting, obviously of the current affair report
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  Speaker 1: last night had been We all knew that it was
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  Speaker 1: coming for some time. People want to know why on
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  Speaker 1: earth you didn't watch it, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I was in the meeting yesterday evening and I've had
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  Speaker 2: commitments since very early this morning. But I will watch
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  Speaker 2: that today and when my time commitments allow to see
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  Speaker 2: that viewing. But as I've just outlined, we've got a
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  Speaker 2: number of measures in place where a solution folkus working
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  Speaker 2: with the community to address these issues.
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  Speaker 1: Is there anything that's going to change at this point
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  Speaker 1: in time? Is the government going to do anything differently
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  Speaker 1: aside from those additional resources for our springs? Are you
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  Speaker 1: going to do anything differently to try and deal with
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  Speaker 1: the extreme issues that they've got.
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  Speaker 2: At the moment. So, Katie, in addition to increasing the
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  Speaker 2: police president, in addition to increasing the youth engagement and outreach.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, we'll look at other measures. We're working on
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  Speaker 2: legislation to give police greater powers. We will see ringleaders
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  Speaker 2: legislation in Parliament which targets adults and young adults to
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  Speaker 2: encourage youth. So we certainly want to break that cycle
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  Speaker 2: of crime and we're happy to look at whatever ideas
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  Speaker 2: people come up with and have that open debate about them.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, I do want to ask you now about Dundee.
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  Speaker 1: We know that we've had a number of people get
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  Speaker 1: in contact with us. Yesterday we spoke to one of
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  Speaker 1: the committee members, the Dundee Progress Association, there again calling
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  Speaker 1: for there to be a clinic out at Dundee. Where
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  Speaker 1: are you at with this? Are you re looking at it?
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  Speaker 2: So Kti. It's always a challenge providing health services. The
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  Speaker 2: Northern Church of Government provides acute health services hospital health
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  Speaker 2: services in partnership with the Commonwealth Government and the Commonwealth
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  Speaker 2: Government is responsible through the Northern Territory Primary Health Network
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  Speaker 2: for those primary health care services. And so we have
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  Speaker 2: been looking at the clinical service options for Dundee. Be
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  Speaker 2: certainly I've heard in my time as the Minister the
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  Speaker 2: views of that community engage with their previous local member,
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  Speaker 2: Gary Higgins, a favorite of yours, kat and also the
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  Speaker 2: new member, Ian Sloan and I have spoken about this issue.
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  Speaker 2: So what the PHN and the Northern Church of Government
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  Speaker 2: are doing is looking at what the needs of those
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  Speaker 2: Dundee residents are and the key health service delivery stakeholders.
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  Speaker 2: So how can we provide exactly what they need and
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  Speaker 2: the best way to deliver that.
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  Speaker 1: And is it taking into account the fact that obviously
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  Speaker 1: the population grows, you know, when the fishing season grows,
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  Speaker 1: or when there's peace there, obviously visiting when the tourist
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: season is on.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, So it does take all of that intoto account.
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  Speaker 2: And so there has been technologic technological sorry upgrades in
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  Speaker 2: Dundee which allow an opportunity for Telly Health Services which
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: provides some primary health care. But we do understand their
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  Speaker 2: concerns around some of that emergency care. So we'll keep
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  Speaker 2: working with the PHM and the community to drive and
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  Speaker 2: deliver services. It's always a challenge, Katie, in the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory with last distances and a small population spread across
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  Speaker 2: those geographical areas.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Minister, One other very serious issue I do
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: want to ask you about this morning is we know
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  Speaker 1: that it has been confirmed that a three year old
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  Speaker 1: boy was sexually assaulted in his yard in Karama. We
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: spoke about this on are yesterday. The Northern Territory Police
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  Speaker 1: have confirmed that this incident did take place. Do you
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  Speaker 1: think it's appropriate? Well, actually, let me first ask you
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  Speaker 1: were the government notified of this, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I became aware of the incident yesterday. It's a horrific incident.
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  Speaker 2: I do need to be careful with my comments because
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  Speaker 2: it's now a matter before the court. But the advice
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  Speaker 2: I have is that police acted quickly in arresting the
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: perpetrator and placing him in custody, and I would suggest
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  Speaker 2: further questions need to be faced to police.
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  Speaker 1: I will ask you, though, do you think that it
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  Speaker 1: is appropriate the police took that number of days up
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  Speaker 1: until yesterday to notify the government of this very serious incident,
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  Speaker 1: So cadd that.
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  Speaker 2: Would be a question for police. There's a number of
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  Speaker 2: factors that I'm not privy to understanding around what communications
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  Speaker 2: they provide. I think we can all agree it's an
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  Speaker 2: absolutely horrific incident that took place in our community. It's
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: now before the court and I don't want to say
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  Speaker 2: anything that might prejudice that case.
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  Speaker 1: But I don't think it's going to prejudice the case
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  Speaker 1: by asking whether it's appropriate or not if the government
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  Speaker 1: was notified of it.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, I've said that police acted quickly, they arrested
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: the perpetrator and any further questions should be faced to police.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Natasha Files, the Minister for Health and also
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: the Minister for Tourism. I appreciate your time this morning.
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  Speaker 1: Once you've had a look at that current affair report,
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  Speaker 1: be very keen to hear your thoughts. Thank you.