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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, the big question this morning will Mark
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Turner remain the Member for Blaine or will he stand down?
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Following those revelations over the last week or so. Now,
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  Speaker 1: the ALP yesterday issued a statement saying that well, they've
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: received a letter from the Chief Minister requesting that consideration
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: be given to removing the Member for Blaine from the party.
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  Speaker 1: The statement sees considering action to expel any party member
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: is complex and must be done within the party's democratic
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: processes and followed the rules of our branch. Now joining
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  Speaker 1: me on the line about this and plenty more is
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  Speaker 1: the Minister for Health and also 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, does the Member for Blaine need to be expelled
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  Speaker 1: from the Labor Party?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, the Member for Blaine was not honest with
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  Speaker 2: us his colleagues about the nature of his relationship and
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  Speaker 2: the communications with a private citizen, and he's lost the
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  Speaker 2: trust of our team, and we've said that he's no
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: longer welcoming our caucus through our party room for the
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: average punter who he doesn't understand parliamentary terms. Of course,
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the issue has you know, caused him personal and his
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: family pain and embarrassment and been a distraction. So as
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: I've outlined there, he's lost the trust of our colleagues
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  Speaker 2: and so we've asked him not to attend the party room.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, if he's not good enough for for the caucus,
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  Speaker 1: is he good enough for the for the electorateive.
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  Speaker 2: Blind that would be a question for the people explain.
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  Speaker 2: I think that he does need to go out to
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  Speaker 2: his community and try and repair the relationship. And it's
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  Speaker 2: an absolute privilege to be a local member. It is
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  Speaker 2: a very trusted position within your community. People come to you,
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: Katie for a myriad of reasons, you know, and so
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: you know he needs to work that through. But as
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: the Chief Minister said yesterday, he on Sunday was able
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: to review and view the text messages and he's provided
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: those for openness and transparency to the Ikak and also
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: advise the party that the caucus, the parliamentary team feel
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  Speaker 2: he's no longer welcome in the party room and that
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: it would be a matter for the party to assess
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: his life party membership. Now.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Obviously, the Chief Minister revealed on this show yesterday that
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: he had helped the member for blaying craft his speech
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: before Parliament last Wednesday, but changes were made by the
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: member before it was delivered. Minister has the Member for
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Blaine misled the Parliament?
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, I don't be careful with my comments. There's
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: no evidence of criminal activity for the member for blameing.
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  Speaker 2: This is an issue of trust and so up until
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Wednesday evening he very much led us to believe a
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: point of view, and he made material changes to that
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: statement at the last minute which lost the trust of
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: the parliamentary members of the Labor Party. And so you
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: know that is for people to understand sort of how
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: this came about. In those moments leading up to him
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: reading that statement in the House, his view changed. It
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: was material alterations to that statement that lost the trust
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: of his colleague.
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  Speaker 1: Are you satisfied with the way in which the team
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  Speaker 1: in which you're part of has managed this whole situation.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Katie, there's no denying it's been a very difficult time.
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  Speaker 2: And I think just by pointing to that that on
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  Speaker 2: Wednesday evening, there was a material alteration made to that
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  Speaker 2: statement that very much changed what he had been saying
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  Speaker 2: to us.
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  Speaker 1: What exactly what exactly was changed in that statement that
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  Speaker 1: made everybody sort of lose, you know, no longer supporting.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: So Katie, he was not honest around the nature of
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: the relationship and the communications with that private citizen, and
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: it was at that point before he went into the
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: Parliament he made changes to his statement. So it has
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: been a difficult time because we weren't dealing with all
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: the facts. And so for us now, we certainly know
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: that the community has been frustrated by this distraction. There's
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: many other issues that they would rather us be talking about,
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  Speaker 2: and that's what we'll get on and do this week
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  Speaker 2: in Parliament.
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  Speaker 1: Can I just ask, though, is a member for Blame
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  Speaker 1: being provided support by the Labor Party?
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  Speaker 2: So there are people within the Labor Party I understand
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  Speaker 2: have reached out to him, of course, to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that he's had that personal support.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm going to ask you the same question I
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: asked the Chief Finister yesterday. Should there be random drug
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: testing in Parliament House?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we're not aware of drug taking in our
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: ministerial teams or within any staff. Parliament House is made
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  Speaker 2: up of government staff members, Opposition staff members and Legislative
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  Speaker 2: Assembly staff members. If you take drugs, that's illegal, and
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  Speaker 2: if anyone's aware of that, that should be referred to
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  Speaker 2: the police. So in terms of drug taking, there is
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  Speaker 2: no tolerance for it. It is an legal activity. If
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  Speaker 2: anyone suspects that, they should provide information to police.
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  Speaker 1: The perception right now, I guess so amongst the public
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  Speaker 1: is that you know, there is this scandal and there
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  Speaker 1: is the alleged you know, this discussion about the alleged
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: use of cocaine. Our guess to put that to bed
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  Speaker 1: wouldn't the smart thing to do, just to be to
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  Speaker 1: be able to say, all right, we are going to
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  Speaker 1: conduct some random testing.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I understand the commentary and the discussion about it,
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  Speaker 2: but there is no evidence that I've seen, or that
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  Speaker 2: my colleagues has seen, of criminal activity around drug taking.
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  Speaker 2: And as I've just pointed out, I have zero tolerance
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  Speaker 2: for it. So to my colleague, if someone suspects that,
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  Speaker 2: if they've got any evidence of that, it should be
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  Speaker 2: taken to the police.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: All right, let's move along, because there is certainly a
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: lot to cover off on this morning, and we saw
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  Speaker 1: yesterday the commencement of the rollout of COVID nineteen vaccines
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: across Australia, including here in the Territory frontline healthcare and
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: quarantine workers were first to receive their jabs yesterday. How
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: did that initial stage go yesterday and how many people
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  Speaker 1: were vaccinated?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, it's a really exciting phase. I know that
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  Speaker 2: people are wishing life would go back to pre COVID
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  Speaker 2: nineteen and pre pandemic, and this is a really important
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  Speaker 2: step in that. So the vaccine rollout at Rozalend Hospital,
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: we saw eighty eight territory and vaccinated vaccinations, Katie are
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  Speaker 2: going to start at Alice Springs around lunchtime today. So
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  Speaker 2: it's really important for your listeners, Katie. People. This vaccine
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  Speaker 2: has been developed so efficiently that sometimes people are a
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  Speaker 2: little cautious around it. They don't understand it. They need
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: to make sure that they get their information from a
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  Speaker 2: factual source. But this vaccine has been rigorously tested and
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  Speaker 2: approved by experts as safe and effective, and it has
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  Speaker 2: been approved by the TGA here in Australia.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, there are still a lot of people who seem
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  Speaker 1: really worried about this, and you know, I guess a
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  Speaker 1: lot of people dubbing the anti vaxxas, but I think
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  Speaker 1: there's also like this, you know, there's quite a few
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  Speaker 1: normal everyday Territorians who are sort of thinking to themselves, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: I just want to wait and see how it rolls
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  Speaker 1: out in the first instance, before I rush to get
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  Speaker 1: the JAB. I mean, what would you say to those people?
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I can understand that, Katie. I can sympathize. It
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  Speaker 2: was only a year ago that we started to really
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  Speaker 2: understand the impact of COVID nineteen and that the global
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: pandemic was called. And to now have the opportunity of
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  Speaker 2: being vaccinated, you know, normal vaccinations. There's a schedule by
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  Speaker 2: age and it's quite you know, people understand that they're
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  Speaker 2: familiar with it. So I can absolutely understand any hesitation
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  Speaker 2: and concerns that people have. But for Territorians to understand,
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  Speaker 2: even though it's been developed so efficiently, there's been no shortcuts.
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  Speaker 2: All the essential steps have happened. There was no bypassing,
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  Speaker 2: so the vaccine is voluntary. But my message as Health
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  Speaker 2: Minister is if Territorians wants last to get back to
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  Speaker 2: normal as it was before the pandemic, or as close
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  Speaker 2: as possible, receiving the vaccine is the way forward for
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  Speaker 2: this to happen.
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  Speaker 1: Did you get the job or when are you going
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  Speaker 1: to be getting it.
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  Speaker 2: I've gotta wait my turn, Katie. So Phase one A
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  Speaker 2: is underway and that that's really exciting, and so that's
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  Speaker 2: our frontline versus who are deemed most at rich Katie,
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  Speaker 2: as well as people living in aged care and disability
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  Speaker 2: group home situations. The next phase will be one B,
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  Speaker 2: which will see start to spread into it two members
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  Speaker 2: of the general population, our vulnerable Territorians, Indigenous Territorians age
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  Speaker 2: over fifty five. So when it's my turn to step up,
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  Speaker 2: absolutely I'll be getting vaccinated, so will my family. But
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  Speaker 2: I advise Territorians to find some information. There is some
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  Speaker 2: really good factual articles out there and they can understand
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  Speaker 2: what this means for them.
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  Speaker 1: I want to ask you quickly about and announce were
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: made by the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt. He confirmed
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  Speaker 1: on Sunday that the Federal Government's not going to pay
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  Speaker 1: Facebook to advertise the new COVID JAB after the company
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  Speaker 1: blocked health and emergency services information last week in response
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  Speaker 1: to the proposed new media Bargaining Code. Well, the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory government do the same.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I understand that the debate, for lack of
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  Speaker 2: a better word, between the Commonwealth Government and the social
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  Speaker 2: media platforms are particularly Facebook and withdrawn news services and
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  Speaker 2: unfortunately we did see a large number of NGO and
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  Speaker 2: community services that are vit or caught up in that.
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  Speaker 2: But now is not the time for those debates to spill.
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  Speaker 2: We need the public to access information, and particularly here
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  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory, we have a highly midol population, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: and they do rely on those social media platforms. So
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  Speaker 2: of course we're frustrated that, you know, Facebook have taken
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  Speaker 2: those steps. But I'm not going to rule out that
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  Speaker 2: advertising campaigns won't use those social media platforms because, particularly
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  Speaker 2: when you look at the geograph sigal spread of the territory,
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  Speaker 2: as I said, the transient nature of our population, sometimes
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  Speaker 2: those social media platforms are the best way to get
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  Speaker 2: information to individuals.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, We've got a lot of messages coming through this morning.
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  Speaker 1: I will read a couple of those to you in
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: just a moment, but I do want to ask you.
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  Speaker 1: Last night there was this four corners report that traditional
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  Speaker 1: owners of Kakadu National Park at loggerheads with Parks Australia
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  Speaker 1: and threatening to close the World Heritage site. AMID claims
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  Speaker 1: that the agency has mismanaged the site. As we know,
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  Speaker 1: the land is obviously jointly managed by Kakandu's traditional owners
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  Speaker 1: and the federal agency Parks Australia. But in this report
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  Speaker 1: last night, the traditional owners basically said that they would
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  Speaker 1: shut popular tourist sites if some of their concerns were
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  Speaker 1: not heard. What impact would this have on tourism in
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  Speaker 1: the Northern territory.
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  Speaker 2: So Katio did see parts of four corners last night
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  Speaker 2: and Kakadu, as we all know, is a key part
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  Speaker 2: of the top in tourism economy. Think territories in the
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  Speaker 2: last year have rediscovered Kakadu for themselves and can understand
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  Speaker 2: why the rest of the world wants to come and
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: visit it. So the Commonwealth Government, we have a good
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: working relationship with them. We did see them release or
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: passed Australia release that Tourism master Plan. There's significant investments
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: related by the Commonwealth Government into Kakadoo and so for us,
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  Speaker 2: certainly those views of the traditional owners are important and
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  Speaker 2: they need to be heard, and so we want to
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  Speaker 2: have a relationship going forward between the Commonwealth Government who
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: run the park and funds the large majority of the park.
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  Speaker 2: But absolutely respecting those traditional owners and the views that
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: they raised last night, and Katie, you know, it was
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: a good episode. It brought back the history around Kakadoo
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: and so people understand the frustration of those traditional owners.
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: But I think we can work through these issues.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister. The main thing that I'm getting messages
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  Speaker 1: about this morning is actually drug testing on the fifth floor.
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  Speaker 1: There's one here that says, Minister files Parliament House is
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  Speaker 1: a workplace like any other. Just because you've said I'm
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: not aware of drug use simply doesn't cut it. We
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: the people want there to be drug testing. What would
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: you say to that territory? And that's text through.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, drug testing is you know, in a broader issue.
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  Speaker 2: There are certain workplaces that, for safety reasons do you
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: have random drug testing if you're operating heavy machinery for example.
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  Speaker 2: So as I said, we have a zero tolerance for drugs.
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  Speaker 2: If anyone is participating in that, then that is a
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: matter for the police and needs to be referred to them.
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  Speaker 2: It shouldn't be something that we have to to say
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  Speaker 2: you can't take drugs. It is a case of the law.
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  Speaker 2: So that is my response.
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: Well, I guess, so you know you talk about heavy machinery.
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  Speaker 1: We're talking about people sort of helping you guys, supporting
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: ministers and our decision makers in the territory to make
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: some pretty big decisions. I just I'm just trying to
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: wrap my head around while the government's sort of so
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: you know, so resistant to do this.
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  Speaker 2: Katie, I can absolutely assure you is someone that passes legislation.
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  Speaker 2: I'll be passing a piece of legislation that's important to
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: territories today around COVID nineteen. My team provided me with advice. Certainly,
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: I don't have any indication that there is illegal activity
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: is being undertaken that would impact the decisions and the
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: information they're providing me.
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  Speaker 1: All right, minister, just very quickly, what else can we
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: expect to be presented in Parliament this morning in terms
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: of legislation, So, Katie, a.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: Really important bill today, the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: Amendment Bill, we introduced this last week. It will go
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: through the Parliament on urgency. And what that means to
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: your listeners, Katie, is that we haven't allowed it to
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: sit for thirty days. We have breathed the opposition over
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: this bill and it's allowed to enable the timely and
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: flexible and culturally appropriate role out of the COVID vaccine.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: So traditionally, where a vaccine is given to an individual
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: has to be gazetted. This allows the Chief Health Officer
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: still following all the processes. But the COVID nineteen vaccine
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: can be rolled out of a variety of locations. So Katie,
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: we could go into a large workplace for example, we
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: could go into a remote community that's quite small, so
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: we can take this vaccine to the people that we
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: can roll it out efficiently.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister for Health and also Minister for Tourism,
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: Leader of Government Business Natasha Files, we better leave it there.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Thanks for your time today.
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, Thank you,