Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Health Minister Natasha Fyles says staffing requirements in hospitals are being met, despite claims the public sector pay freeze is driving staff away from the NT

Transcript

Health Minister Natasha Fyles says staffing requirements in hospitals are being met, despite claims the public sector pay freeze is driving staff away from the NT · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Leave.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: We've got the Health Minister Natasha Files on the line.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Good morning to your minister.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: We've got you excellent now, Minister, I do want to
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: start this morning by asking you about crime. I know
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: that you're not the police minister, but we have seen
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: a terrible few days when it comes to crime on
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: the streets of Darwin and indeed Palmerston. We had a
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: situation where a woman was raped in broad daylight in
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: the Northern suburbs. Late last week, a teenager assaulted and
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: robbed on a bus, police assaulted in the CBD, a
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: worker threatened with an edged weapon in Palmerston before having
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: money stolen.
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: Last night.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Well, we've started to receive some vision this morning from
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Casarina where apparently there was kids throwing rocks at buses
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: and smashed the windows. Minister, are we in the midst
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: of a crime crisis?
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, just before a comment, I do need to
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: be careful of some of those matters are before the
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: courts and there were some very serious incidents that we
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: need to allow that court process to take place, but
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: they're unacceptable in terms of tackling these issues. There's a
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: range of measures that we're putting in place, and there's
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: some that are a short term and there's some that
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: are into the longer term, particularly around youth and making
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: sure that we have consequences for those youth offenders under
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: our new youth justice reforms.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: Look, I understand that obviously, you know there's issues with
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: youth crime. There is issues at the moment as well though,
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: with what we are seeing with public drunkenness. So I
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: know that you and I have spoken about this on
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: a number of occasions, but are you able to tell
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: us this morning, because honestly, I feel like people have
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: reached their wits end. Is there any urgent work that's
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: going to get underway when it comes to the issues
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: that we're seeing right now with that public drunkenness, Katie?
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: So, we do know that alcohol is often one of
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: the root causes to crime and antisocial behavior, and we've
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: made some significant reforms in this space and we continue
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: to do so. We've given police more powers and ensuring
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: that when there is alcohol related time, they can stop
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: it before it happens. Around provide support to Laraikian nations.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: We've done work around the Sobering Up Shelter and making
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: sure that there is a place if people are drinking
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: in public, if they're drunk, if their behavior is unacceptable,
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: but they're not breaking the law, but there is an
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: opportunity for Larochian Nation and police to take them to
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: a facility rather than just leaving them there to potentially
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: cause harm later on. But these are complex issues, but
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: they're certainly not acceptable by any them.
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: Do you feel as though those changes that are in
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: place at the moment, giving police more powers and also
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: the work that's happening with Larikia Nation, do you feel
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: as though it's enough at this point in time? Do
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: you are you accepting of what we're seeing on the
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: streets at the moment.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: I think you can never stop working in this space,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: and I think that it's unacceptable the incidents that you
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: just spoke of and what our community is feeling. So
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: for me, it's about working across the sobering up and
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: that detox and that sits within health, but there's licensing
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: to stop issues before they happen, but also police and
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: so I work across those three agencies. I met with
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: them last, if I meet with them regularly to make
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: sure that they've got all the tools in the toolbox
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: from a legislative point of view and from a policy
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: point of view that they need and do.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Do you feel as though they've got all the tools
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: in the toolbox right now to be able to do
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: their jobs, because I've got to tell you, like people
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: listening this morning, they are going to be thinking, it
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: doesn't sound as though there's anything new. It doesn't sound
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: as though there's anything urgent. It sounds as though it's
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: the same thing that we've all heard before.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: It's o Katie, what we often see with alcohol policies.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: If we address one area, we then see an issue
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: in another area. You know, the balloon pushes the other way.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: And so that's why it's really important that those different
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: agencies are working across the board. We want to stop
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: police from having to deal with these issues, but then
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: we do need to make sure that they've got those
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: resources when the issues get to that point that these
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: are complex. As a government, we've done more in the
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: space of alcohol policy than any other government.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: So right now, I mean, I know that you've said
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: that there is these longer term legislative changes. As I mentioned,
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: you and I have spoken on numerous occasions about this,
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: but you know when you look at what is going
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: on around the streets of Darwin and Palmerston at the moment,
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: are you happy with the way that things are, Katy,
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: we can't.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Stop working in this space. And I think that we
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: see each year there's some seasonal factors, but absolutely I
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: acknowledge that the behavior presently in our community is not
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: acceptable and we're working, as I said, to address that.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: And it's complex in terms of alcohol. We've got obviously
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: changes coming forward around alcoholic communities and that responsibility coming
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: back to the territory government. So it is complex, but
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: we can never stop working.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: Again.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: I know that you're not the chief Minister. I know
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: that you're not the police minister. I do know that
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: you are obviously the minister that's responsible.
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: For alcohol policy.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: But does the cabinet, does the Northern Territory government cabinet
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: right now realize that this is an issue that is
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: absolutely devastating people around the place. You know, they are
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: fed up, They've had enough of it. They want some work,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: they want something urgently to change.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Katie. We're members of our community. We go to the
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: grocery store, we go for walks along the foreshore. We
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: see this behavior so absolutely, and I think that in
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: terms of making sure that the government agencies at both Council,
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: NTG and Commonwealth are aware of the issues, we do
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: that so we do understand these issues and as I
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: keep saying, they're difficult and complex, but we'll keep throwing
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: everything at them.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: And so right now, for people listening this morning who
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: are thinking it doesn't seem as though anything's changing, they're
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: not hearing from you that there's sort of urgent work
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: going on. Are there steps happening behind the scenes to
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: urgently try and address what is happening at the moment.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Katie, So we're looking at the factor as why
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: and I know the Chief Minister's spoken to you about
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: why there's the numbers of people in du and why
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: they hear what we can do to support them. The
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: information coming is that we do have short term accommodation
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: and there is capacity. There is capacity within those so
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: bring up shelters. So there is certainly work across government
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: in an urgent scent looking at these issues right now
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: that our community is facing.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: And do you think from your perspective alcohol policy perspective,
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: is there something that needs to change or is there
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: something that you need to look at to review, because
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: there will be people listening this morning thinking, how is.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: It okay that we've just got people that.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Are drinking in the you know, in the city, in
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: parks all hours of the day and night, and it's
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: and it's deemed okay.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: That's why, Katie, we've put in place measures to stop
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: the GRD getting into the hands of people that do
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: the wrong thing with it. It's always a balance, but
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: we're certainly looking at those policies that we've got and
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: how we can strengthen them to keep the community safe.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: But it is a legal product commodity alcohol, and so
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: we do need to balance that.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: So we spoke to the police yesterday morning after that
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: horrendous situation had unfolded in Casarina last week.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: What the police had.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: Said is that there were you know, and obviously it
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: isn't matter that's that's before the courts. So, like you said,
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: from the get go, I want to be careful about
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: what I say, but we're we are of the understanding
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: that there were groups of people who were drinking and
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: then this terrible event has unfolded. I think what we
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: are seeing around the place right now is that people
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: aren't just drinking and you know, and then behaving themselves.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: We are seeing the flow on effect of some pretty
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: horrendous criminal behavior afterwards.
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: And that is what I'm trying to get to the
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: bottom of.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: How we're i able to work on that so we
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: do not have a situation where there are members of
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: the public who.
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: Or at risk.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, in terms of alcohol, we've got measures to
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: stop the supply. I've go to those that cause harme.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: We strengthen secondary supply, both the legislation and the resources
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: to police, because we often know when something's restricted legally
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: that there is a bounce back in that secondary supply,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: so we've put in place those resources. We've also got
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: the therapeutic options for people. We know that some people
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: struggle with alcohol, and so it's putting in place a
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: range of measures and making sure that police have the
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: tools to do their job. There's more police, more CCTV,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: and as I just pointed to, those alcohol policies and
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: legislations have been strengthened so that they can when people
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: do the wrong thing, they can be penalized and they
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: can face the consequences to their behavior.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: Have we seen last a couple of weeks ago, the
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: Chief Minister said that around four hundred people had gone home.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: We have about two thousand, two thousand, five hundred, as
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: I understand in from other communities at the moment he
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: said about four hundred had gone home.
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: Have those numbers been updated, Katy.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: I don't have those figures, but I'm certainly happy to
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: ask them and provide them through.
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd be keen to try and find out.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: Look, I am going to move along because there is
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: a lot on the agenda this morning, and we know
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: that the Australian Salary Medical Officers NT President Tom Fowls
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: had told the Northern Territory News Well that doctors NT
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: doctors have voted no to this four year pay freeze
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: offer by the government. Ninety point four percent of medical
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: officers rejected the offer, with forty three point nine two
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: percent turning out to have their say. Minister, are you
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: concerned that this proposed pay freeze is going to make
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: it difficult to recruit doctors to the Northern Territory?
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, we respect our hardware medical offices and will
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: continue to negotiate in good faith with them. We do
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: see the enterprise bargaining agreements every few years and miss
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: about every four come around, and so we're presently in
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: those negotiations and we'll continue in good faith respecting how
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: hard they work and the roles they play in our community.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: So my understanding is that they are after a pay
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: increase which is in line with inflation. So I think
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: it's three point five percent. Do you think that's fair enough?
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, we need to balance our budget situation here
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: in the territory, and I would argue that our health
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: workers are some of the most vital and deserve that.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: But we have a policy where we don't want to
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: have to have job cuts, so we're working within those confines,
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: and the Minister for Public Employment is certainly making sure
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: that the Commissioner for Public Employment is negotiating. But I
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: can absolutely assure our doctors and our medical staff across
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: the board that it's within good faith.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: Mister Fowles has said it was a surprise that the
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: offer was even on the table given the state of
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: the health system in Australia at the moment amid the
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: global pandemic. He said that fewer doctors means longer waiting
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: lists and more over crowded emergency departments. I mean, can
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: we really afford to shortchange doctors right now when we
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: do have weight lists that have blown out and we've
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: had several months of staff shortages in various areas within
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: the Northern Territories health system.
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, when you talk about fewer doctors, that would
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: be if we don't manage our budgets, then we would
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: have to be in the position that we couldn't recruit
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: to So what we're trying to find is that balance
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: between recruiting the most doctors but also acknowledging that work
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: they do so away we're going to.
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: Recruit them if they get paid less than what they
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: are in other states.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, what you see particularly across the medical professionals.
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: Did you see different jurisdictions go in and negotiate those EBAs.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: We've got our wages policy set, we saw the General
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Anti Public Service wrote that up. We will continue to
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: negotiate in good faith and take on board all the
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: points that they raise.
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: But are you worried at this point in time?
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: I mean, have we got the number of doctors that
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: we need here in the Northern Territory at this point?
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: So this year we've welcomed almost three hundred and fifty
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: new junior doctors, nurses, midwives is a part of all
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: of our anti health training programs. We've also got two
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: hundred and fifty four junior doctors who've commenced working in
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: our hospital. So we have a program of making sure
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: that we support and we need absolutely those experienced doctors
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: and nurses and midwives within our system. We have strong
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: training programs. So we certainly have welcomed a number of
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: staff and will continue to work not only to make
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: sure that they have accessibility to the training programs, but
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: that also we negotiate this EBA and good faith to
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: have the professionals in place.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: So right now, have we got enough experienced doctors here
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory?
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, the way the health system is set up
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: is you have structures within each division of medicine and
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: they have to have certain criteria met so that we
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: can provide those services. And we've been meeting all of
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: those compliance checks and accreditation that we go through within health.
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: So I would say yes, so we're meeting those clients checks.
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: Have we got enough surgeons?
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: Are we in a situation where we have these all
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: of these positions filled? Because what I'm getting to is,
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: you know, if we're not actually prepared to put the
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: level of pay on the table that they would get
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: in another state, how can we expect to fill those jobs?
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: The Katie. Within the health structures, as I was just outlining,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: you have to have a number of positions and you
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: have to have the seniority and the levels of those positions.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: We then get order to touot out and get our accreditation.
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: So we've been meeting those requirements. They're regularly undertaken. And
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: in terms of you know, you raise the specifics around surgeons,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: we do have positions. It's a big agency, there's over
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: seven thousand staff within health. Then you will have positions
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: from time to time, but I'm not advised in any
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: specific areas that we're drastically under that that accreditation would
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: be perhaps being considered.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: And so, are you confident that the negotiations at the
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory government and then are underway at the moment
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: with our medical professionals, specifically our doctors. Are you confident
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: that they're not going to have an impact when it
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: comes to trying to fill some of those jobs in
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: the territory.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: The Kadie it's going through an enterprise bargaining agreement and
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: I have to respect that process with fair Work Australia.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: But the Commissioner for Public Employment and the Government certainly
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: making it clear that we're negotiating in good faith and
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: revalue our medical staff.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: All right. Just finally this morning, we know that nationally
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: there is now a discussion about the classification of close contacts.
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: So quarantine for close contacts of COVID nineteen cases could
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: be removed all together, is what is being reported nationally
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: if a recommendation by Australia's top public health officers is adopted.
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: By state and territory governments.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: So a statement was released over the weekend by the
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: Australian Health Protection Principal Committee the AHPPC over the weekend
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: and it said that quarantine could be replaced with other
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: risk mitigation measures for close contacts once the peak of
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: the current wave of BA two omicron subvariant is over. Minister,
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: is this something that we're going to be looking at
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory as well.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: So the Chief Health Office and I've spoken about these
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: changes that have occurred being discussed nationally. We of course
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: take on board all that national information we have to
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: overlay in the territory's context, and you're absolutely correct. We
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: are seeing a slight increase in those numbers presently, but
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: we're hoping that eases soon. So this is as we
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: change from the pandemic to an endemic. These are the
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: sorts of changes that will be discussed, and we'll make
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: sure that the territory is context that goes through that
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: sensive process with the advice of our chief Health.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: Officer for US, but no urgent changes at this point
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: in TIMEE.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: COVID is very fast moving, so you know, we could
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: be discussing this and I can genuinely say exposn to
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: the trow about it being absolutely no decisions, and then
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: you know tomorrow there could be a SENSEI called and
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: that could change. We saw this early on with changes
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: of measures of protection brought in, and we've seen those
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: changes as we step out. But that is where it
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: is presently at it it's a discussion nationally. Our show
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: will take that advice plus the territory's context, and we'll
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: make those decisions to the territory. But I can assure
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: people that we're moving from that pandemic to an endemic.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: I know, people want it to hurry up. They want
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: that bright light of COVID to be over quickly, and
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: we're trying with that health advice to get there.
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: Minister.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: I've just had a question come through on the techt line.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: It says a question for the Minister if I, as
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: a regular member on a nightly basis, drank near a
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: bottle shop and conducted myself in the same way as
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: some itinerant people are right now, how long would it
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: take until I was arrested?
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: Okay, that's an operational question for police who enforce the law.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: There is strong laws around ourcohol policy. There's a two
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: kilometer law in the Northern Territory where you can't drink
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: within a license premise. So our police then respond to
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: the situations that are at hand, I guess.
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: So it does point to the sentiment at the moment
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: that you know, there is this feeling that we are
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: just turning a blind eye to people drinking, to their
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: being domestic violence on the streets, to their being criminal
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: behavior in some cases on the streets.
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: Right now, Katie, we're not turning a blind eye to this,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: and there's a number of measures that I can point
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: to the investment in domestic violence, the resources that we're getting,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: police worker not turning a blind eye to this behavior.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: All right, we are going to have to leave it there,
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Minister Files. We always appreciate your time. Thank you for
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: speaking with us this morning.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Thanks Katine. I won't be on week it was, but
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: wishing all your listeners are happy Easter and I hope
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: they get some time with them.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: Well, we're all having this Friday off, so you'll be
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: all right. We'll have you back on very soon. Thank
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: you for your time today.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: Take care.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: Thank you,