Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Labor’s Manuel Brown says improving housing is among his top priorities after winning the Arafura by-election

Transcript

Labor’s Manuel Brown says improving housing is among his top priorities after winning the Arafura by-election · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that the results are in for the Ara
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: if you're a by election, with Labour's Manuel Brown securing
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: eighteen hundred and thirty two votes, the Colps Leslie Tungue
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Tellum receiving eight hundred and eighteen, followed by the Federation
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Parties Alan Middleton on one hundred and twelve votes. So
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: joining me in the studio right now is Manuel Brown.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Emanuel.
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie. Thanks for having me.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Yes, really good to meet you. Now. How are you
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: feeling after the by election on the weekends.
• 0:28
  Speaker 4: Absolutely overwhelmed, you know, especially with the numbers and everyone
• 0:33
  Speaker 4: turning up and voting for us, for voting for me.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it does seem as though there's been a swing
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: towards the Labor Party and a swing towards you.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: What do you reckon what do you attribute that to?
• 0:44
  Speaker 4: I think, you know, being on the ground, I mean,
• 0:47
  Speaker 4: you know, the volunteers that came out, we're locals that
• 0:51
  Speaker 4: spoke language, you know, and that's where I think the
• 0:54
  Speaker 4: other parties mister Mark, Yeah.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: So you are obviously, you know, you're a big part
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: of the cany. It's very well.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: No, my mom lives out in mannin Grea knows you well.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Your wife, I believe works works with my mom. I
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: know that you are a big part of the community.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: You've got a young family that you're raising out there
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: as well. What are some of the key issues do
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: you think and some of the you know, the key
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: things that were raised with you throughout the by election yep.
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: So obviously housing, roads and jobs. You know, they're the
• 1:23
  Speaker 4: main things that that we look at. And it's a
• 1:28
  Speaker 4: big it's a big era for your a seat. So
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: the different regions have different priorities, so but but they're
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: the three main ones. And then you've got Tivy Island's
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: compared to West Arnham and so the TVL and access
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: into urban towns is pretty simple and easy, and that's
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: what I'll be working on with West Arnham.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: And so you know, I know that there are like
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: you said, there's it's pretty it's a big region and
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: there's obviously different priorities everywhere. How do you reckon it's
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: how are you going to kind of make sure that
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: you're juggling getting out to the whole electros when it
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: is such a big one.
• 2:02
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I do that. I do that in my spare
• 2:04
  Speaker 4: time as a hobby anyway.
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: You know, I love.
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: Driving down through Kakadu and and and around and you know,
• 2:10
  Speaker 4: and visiting my family back at tivy Islan. Just getting
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: out and meeting them is what I do anyway. So
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: I'm looking forward to that part. I'm looking forward to
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: the roads drying up actually, so.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: You can actually drive around a little bit, a little
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: bit more freely, I suppose.
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, half the roads are underwater towards Meningrida, but
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: another another few weeks it should be drying up.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: And what would you say some of the key challenges
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: are I guess for you to navigate in the electrash so.
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: The key well, you know access, you know the and
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: there's there are communities where we are, you know, lack
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: of communication as well, like Mindaalang. You know there's no
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: telsto there sometimes. And then you've got all the as
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: all the ouse stations in between Gabru and Maningrida that
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: people haven't heard of that I need to go and
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: visit as well.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Now tell me it's obviously you know, for the COLP,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: there's been a lot of discussion about whether they do
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: or don't support the voice, and we know that their
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: rank and file party have voted to not support the voice.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: The parliamentary wing still undecided at this point. But from
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: your perspective, was that something that was an issue in
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: the by election.
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely.
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: You know we have leaders from these communities, from these
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: boards that go down to these to.
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: The meetings, you know, down in Canbe.
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: We've got Maddie Ryan from Maningrida that goes Gibson Farmer
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: goes from Tivy Island. So I talked to these mob
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: and they say it's a huge issue. We get a
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: foot in the door. That's the main priority.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: And so definitely, you reckon the electorate is supportive of
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: the voice and they want it to happen.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: Absolutely as a whole. The voice.
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: Everyone wants the voice, but the specifics is the one
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: we need to work on, especially for those that are
• 3:55
  Speaker 4: not engaged, you know.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: So Manuel, for you, you know, hitting the ground running.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: That's going to be the first thing that you're you're
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: wanting to do now that you're now that you're going
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: to be.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: In the role.
• 4:04
  Speaker 4: Oh well, the first thing I want to do is
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: go around and have a little catch up with everyone
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: that's supported me. But that won't happened for another couple
• 4:14
  Speaker 4: of weeks because sitting's happening. Apparently I'm getting sworn intomorrow,
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: so right, I'll be busy.
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so what happens? Do you go straight?
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: Do you have to take part in parliament over the
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: next couple of weeks.
• 4:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I'll need to upgrade my wardrobe and get a
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: couple of suits.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: And good on you, mate, big congratulations on the wind
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: and a big swing towards you as well. You know,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: it must have been a tough like it must have
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: actually been a tough decision and a tough situation for
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: you though, stepping in after the loss of somebody who
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: I know was a dear friend of yours.
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: Absolutely.
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: I sat down and spoke to him about the twenty
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: twenty four election about four days before he passed, and
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: he said, you know, what are you doing? And I said, well,
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: I'm interested, and then unfortunate this happened. So yeah, yeah,
• 5:03
  Speaker 4: I've stepped in and the family are stoked, you know.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, congratulations. I really appreciate you coming in and
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: having a chat with us this morning. Thank you so
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: much for your time and all the best.
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Katie, Thank you