Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour says she’ll be meeting with NT Ministers to firm up the roll out of $250 million to boost services, programs and support in Alice Springs

Transcript

Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour says she’ll be meeting with NT Ministers to firm up the roll out of $250 million to boost services, programs and support in Alice Springs · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Very keen to catch up with Marian Scrimjaw, who has
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: been incredibly strong over the last couple of weeks when
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: it comes to the situation that's been unfolding in Alice
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Springs and the concerns raised out of Alice Springs. We
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: know that she had said on the show last week
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: that she thinks that those alcohol restrictions needed to be
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  Speaker 1: reintroduced at the next Northern Territory sittings, which are due
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: to happen next week. She was very strong on that
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: and she said that she didn't just think that they
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: should be for Central Australia, but that she thought they
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  Speaker 1: should be across the Northern Territory. And what we learned
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  Speaker 1: yesterday is that those alcohol bands are going to be
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  Speaker 1: reinstated across the Northern Territory, preventing the sale of alcohol
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  Speaker 1: to people living in town camps and remote communities. Marian
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  Speaker 1: Scrimjaw joins me on the line right now. Good morning, Marian.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: How are you not too bad?
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  Speaker 2: Marian?
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  Speaker 1: Well, exactly what you'd called for on the show last week.
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  Speaker 1: You'd said to me that you wanted those alcohol restrictions
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  Speaker 1: back in place, and you didn't just want them in
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  Speaker 1: Central Australia, but across the Northern Territory. Clearly the federal
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  Speaker 1: government listened to you.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we need to work with the anti government.
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  Speaker 2: There's a lot of work that's got to be done, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: with both the Northern Territory government but also all of
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  Speaker 2: our community to look at how do we get harmonimization
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  Speaker 2: plans in place, and let's for the first time trying
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  Speaker 2: and it might be people might think a bit naive,
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  Speaker 2: but we've got to not give up and try and
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  Speaker 2: reduce the alcohol harm that we're seeing right throughout the
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  Speaker 2: Northern Territory, but also address youth crime, so working with
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  Speaker 2: young people, diverting young people to you know, get better
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  Speaker 2: outcomes in their life. And I think that part of
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  Speaker 2: that conversation is bringing back you know, CDP with all
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  Speaker 2: of the changes we're doing, so that we can you know,
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  Speaker 2: people can start feeling good about themselves and the alcohol
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  Speaker 2: is the you know, the the end game.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, Marion, with this two hundred and fifty million dollar
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  Speaker 1: funding package, because I know that, you know, there's been
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  Speaker 1: quite a bit of discussion about that. We've spoken to
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  Speaker 1: just Enterprise earlier this morning. She said, you know, that
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  Speaker 1: she wants to make sure that, you know, if it's
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  Speaker 1: going to be invested, that it's invested into the right areas.
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  Speaker 1: We'd heard the same from Michael Little in Alice Springs
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  Speaker 1: as well. This two hundred and fifty million dollar funding package,
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  Speaker 1: how will it help to address those root causes of
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  Speaker 1: crime and the issues that we're seeing in Alice.
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  Speaker 2: Katie. One of the first parts that we've got to
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  Speaker 2: address is the needs based funding that a lot of
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  Speaker 2: the non government organizations were calling for so that they
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  Speaker 2: can deal with a lot of you know, what we're
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  Speaker 2: seeing is you know, emerging an emerging crisis coming out
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  Speaker 2: of some of these areas, so that two hundred and
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  Speaker 2: fifty there's no one defined part in it. It'll be
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  Speaker 2: Linda Bernie as the Federal Minister, myself and Melanderry McCarthy
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  Speaker 2: are in the Northern Territory. At the end of this week,
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  Speaker 2: we'll be meeting with Chancey Paik who's the Attorney General,
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  Speaker 2: Natasha Files as the Chief Minister, and with all of
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  Speaker 2: the stakeholders in Alas Springs to look at what is
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  Speaker 2: going to be the outcome and where are we going
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  Speaker 2: to get the best out you know, for the money
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  Speaker 2: that's put on the table, and I think that that's
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  Speaker 2: really important because it's not just one hundred and twenty
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  Speaker 2: million that you know, was committed during the federal campaign
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  Speaker 2: when the Prime Minister came gosh, I'm losing my week, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know if it was last week of the
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  Speaker 2: week before weeks ago, there was a commitment of forty
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  Speaker 2: eight million. The two point fifty is an addition to
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  Speaker 2: those two bits of money as well. So we've got,
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  Speaker 2: you know, there's nearly half a billion dollars on the
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  Speaker 2: table to deal with some of this stuff. Now that's
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  Speaker 2: quite to giving and we've got to make sure as
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  Speaker 2: a federal government that the money's just not going to disappear,
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  Speaker 2: but it's going to make a difference to people's lives,
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  Speaker 2: and that's what you know. I'm certainly keen to have
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  Speaker 2: a look at and Michael Libble and work with Michael
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  Speaker 2: Libble and another leaders in Alice Spring to get that
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  Speaker 2: difference happening.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, you know, I feel as though most people
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  Speaker 1: listening will be thinking there needs to be some KPIs
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  Speaker 1: as well for some of these different organizations that are
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  Speaker 1: receiving fundings so that we can see that what they're
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  Speaker 1: doing is making a difference.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie. I think there's got to be accountability on everyone.
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  Speaker 2: It's just not with just only government. I think all
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  Speaker 2: of our providers that are providing, you know, a program
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  Speaker 2: or getting funded divide a program. Everyone's got to be
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  Speaker 2: accountable in this space. And we've got to stop blaming
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  Speaker 2: each other or blaming past governments. I just want us
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  Speaker 2: all to roll up our leaves and work together because
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  Speaker 2: as I said, this isn't just Alice Springs, this is
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  Speaker 2: right to out the Northern Territory. So we've got one
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  Speaker 2: shot in the locker. We've got a circuit breaker now, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: and we've got to make a difference across the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 1: We sure do.
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  Speaker 2: I'm looking forward to.
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  Speaker 1: That, Yeah, we sure do. Marion is the Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: going to be traveling to Ellie Springs with you this
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  Speaker 1: week as well.
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  Speaker 2: Not this week, Katie, but certainly Minister Bernie will be.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm looking forward to going back to Alice with
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  Speaker 2: Minister Bernie and also Assistant Minister McCarthy, and we'll be
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  Speaker 2: joined by the Chief Minister and as I said, Chancey Pakers,
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  Speaker 2: the Attorney General as well who lived in Alice Springs.
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  Speaker 2: But I'm keen to look at how do we you know,
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  Speaker 2: we've got to make sure that we can keep this
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  Speaker 2: momentum up for the whole of the territory, not just Dallas.
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  Speaker 1: Fr Yeah, I couldn't agree more with you, and I
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  Speaker 1: know that everybody listening will feel exactly the same. It's
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  Speaker 1: not just an issue that's being experienced in Alice Springs.
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  Speaker 1: I know it's magnified in Alice right now, but the
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  Speaker 1: issue of alcohol issues, domestic violence, kids breaking the law, unfortunately,
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  Speaker 1: is widespread across the Northern Territory and it's an issue
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  Speaker 1: that we've been grappling with for quite some time. Marian,
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  Speaker 1: I know that you have said that, you know, all
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  Speaker 1: tears of government need to work together, but there is
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  Speaker 1: no doubt that the Chief Minister and the Attorney General
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  Speaker 1: had to be really you know, they were digging their
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  Speaker 1: heels in on this up until the end of last week.
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  Speaker 2: And look, we've I think, you know, Cadian easy for
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  Speaker 2: meta criticize, but I'm just I'm just I'm happy that
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  Speaker 2: you know, those restrictions will come back, that legislation will
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  Speaker 2: go forward to anti parliaments next week and that we
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: all work together. That legislation that will go into anti
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  Speaker 2: Parliament next week will be underwriten by significant federal government
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  Speaker 2: funding and we needed that resource as well. So we've
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  Speaker 2: got to turn this around. We can't keep saying that
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory is the basket case because it overshadows
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  Speaker 2: so much good stuff that does happen. And I think
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  Speaker 2: the territory does punch above its weight in arts and
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  Speaker 2: culture and sports, you know, across many of the different areas.
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  Speaker 2: But too often, you know, nationally we get painted as
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  Speaker 2: a basket case and we're not. But we need to
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  Speaker 2: get you the best outcome for all territories. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's such as Aboriginal people, it's everyone who calls the
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  Speaker 2: territory home. You know, I'm as the federal representative, I'm
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  Speaker 2: happy to work with just like Melanderry McCarthy, Luke Gosling
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  Speaker 2: who holds the seat of Solomon, We're all ready to
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  Speaker 2: work with the Northern Territory government to turn this around.
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  Speaker 1: I do just want to ask, with that two hundred
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  Speaker 1: and fifty million dollar funding package, that's a once off,
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  Speaker 1: isn't it. It's not like it's not a reoccurring amount
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  Speaker 1: of annual funding.
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  Speaker 2: Look, we need to look across those amounts and I'm
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  Speaker 2: working through some of that detail now, Katie. When I've
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  Speaker 2: got that, i'll certainly let you know and from the
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  Speaker 2: other media about how that funding is going to be
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  Speaker 2: put out, because if it goes to the government non
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  Speaker 2: government service providers, there will be recurrent funding that'll be
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  Speaker 2: available in that. So I'll get some of that detail
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  Speaker 2: and provide that through to you, you know, and the
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  Speaker 2: other maning just so that people know what it is
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  Speaker 2: and how that funding is going to be rolled out
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  Speaker 2: over whether it's one year, is it two. But I
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  Speaker 2: don't think it'll be a one off. I think there'll
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  Speaker 2: be recurrent funding opportunities for the non government sector.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'd be keen to find out some more detail
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  Speaker 1: on that and continue that discussion. Marian, I'll tell you what,
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  Speaker 1: it's been a really interesting couple of weeks, and you know,
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  Speaker 1: you've been really strong on this and your voice was
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  Speaker 1: heard in the end and what you'd said to me
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  Speaker 1: on the show pretty much. I think it was last
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  Speaker 1: Thursday morning you'd said to me that you thought that
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  Speaker 1: these restrictions needed to be brought back across the Northern Territory,
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  Speaker 1: not just in Central Australia. You said to me that
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  Speaker 1: you wanted it to happen as soon as the NT
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  Speaker 1: Parliament sits next week, and eventually that was heard, and
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  Speaker 1: I think that a lot of people will be really
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  Speaker 1: pleased that the common sense approach that you've given has
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  Speaker 1: come to fruition.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and look, we just all now need to work
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  Speaker 2: with each other, I think, Katie, we've got to stop
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  Speaker 2: the spin and get the action that the community wants.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that that's all I've wanted to do.
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  Speaker 2: I haven't wanted to create a problem for the anti
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  Speaker 2: government or my own colleagues here federally. I've just wanted
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  Speaker 2: to get the best outcome from the Northern Territory and
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  Speaker 2: I'll continue to do that. I mean, anyone who knows
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  Speaker 2: me knows that I will take this fight up and
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  Speaker 2: make sure that that's the you know we get, particularly
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  Speaker 2: listening to the you know, the hell sector who had
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  Speaker 2: been advocating this as well. So we just need to
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  Speaker 2: all work with it to make this happen now and
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  Speaker 2: to turn it around.
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  Speaker 1: Marian you stood up for the community when people needed it,
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  Speaker 1: and you did that despite the fact, you know, like
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  Speaker 1: you said you weren't spinning, you were you were talking truth.
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  Speaker 1: And I think that you know that the community appreciates
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  Speaker 1: that because sometimes it's very much lacking from our politicians.
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  Speaker 1: So I, you know, I appreciate the fact that you
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  Speaker 1: did that, that you stood up and you stood up
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  Speaker 1: for the whole community.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie. It's sometimes it's a thankless job, but
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  Speaker 2: you know it's you know, I thank you and I
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  Speaker 2: thank Liziness because we've all just got to work togivens
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  Speaker 2: try and get the best outcome for you know, particularly
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  Speaker 2: our young people. I think our young people have been
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  Speaker 2: suffering for too long and if they don't have any
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  Speaker 2: pathway to a better life, then we know what that
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  Speaker 2: trajectory is going to be. And I don't want to
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  Speaker 2: see kids out of dohn Dale or you know, be incarcerated.
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  Speaker 2: I want all of our kids in the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 2: to have a good pathway. And you know, some people
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  Speaker 2: might think that's a good idolistic, but I think it's
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: always important to stay optimistic and idolistic because that feature
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  Speaker 2: grounded as to this is what we've got to aim for.
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  Speaker 2: So thank you, Katy.
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  Speaker 1: Well, let's hope that we do see, you know, the
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  Speaker 1: turnaround that we're all hoping for. And I know that
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  Speaker 1: you know you like me, like every other territory, and
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  Speaker 1: we want to see the Northern Territory thriving. And right now,
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  Speaker 1: you know these situations that we've got with crime and
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  Speaker 1: domestic violence, and you know, a lot of what we're
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  Speaker 1: seeing it is holding us back, it's holding the whole
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  Speaker 1: territory back, and we've got to see some change, yep.
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  Speaker 2: And hopefully this is the surguit breaker that we need,
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: and you know, we need to move forward. But I'll
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: keep you in touch with particularly the financial side and
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: how that rolls out, Katie, because that should be part
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: of the transparency of holding governments to account as well. Yeah,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: you know what's happening with that funding. So I'll provide
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: some of that information to you at some stage when
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: I've got it.
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  Speaker 1: And Marian, will you be pushing for the PM to
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: head back to Alice Springs at some point soon?
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Absolutely? And I know that he is, you know, because
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: when you think of you know, the brief and you
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: know he is in so much mind to visit. But
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  Speaker 2: I'm hoping that he will come do Alice Springs or
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: back to the northern territory and it's not just about
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: you know, the sad stuff and what we've seen, but
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: to celebrate with territorians on what a good place we
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: all live in Cajin. I think sometimes we forget that. Well.
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  Speaker 1: Marion Scrimjaw, the Member for Lingiari, I appreciate all the
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: time you've given us over the last couple of weeks.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: Thank you very much for speaking with us this morning
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: on what's a busy day in parliament worries. Thank you,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: thanks your time,