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Katie Woolf spoke with Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It is looking as though some massive things or massive
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: changes are going to come into play at Charles Dalwin University.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Potentially seventy seven employees are looking as though they'll lose
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: their jobs under this proposed restructure. To get the budget
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: under control, the university is seeking feedback on a draft
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: change proposal and they say it is to unify that
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: vocational education and training as well as higher education across
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: the university. We are going to catch up with CDU
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: in a little while, but joining us in the studio
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: right now is the Opposition leader Leafanorchiaro.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning Kadie, Good morning to your listeners
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: all Leah.
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  Speaker 1: How do you think these changes are going to impact
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory community.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: Look, obviously this is some really difficult news for a
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  Speaker 2: lot of people. There will be people who are losing
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: their jobs, and of course there's students wondering what pathways
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: there are for them. But what concerns me most about
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  Speaker 2: this is the fact that if our economy was stronger,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: if the Gunner government had done its job for four
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: years and ensured that we did have the jobs and
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: opportunity that they continue to that CDU might not be
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: looking at having to take these extreme measures to put
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: its budget in line. I mean, ultimately, if there were
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: less people leaving town, if there were more people being
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  Speaker 2: able to employ vocational education and training students, than we
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  Speaker 2: wouldn't be in this situation. And I think it's a
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  Speaker 2: very clear reflection of the Gunner Government's inability to grow
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: our population and stimulate our economy.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: The draft proposal it does provide ten million dollars in
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: savings through financial efficiencies across the UNI, and they say
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: positions cdu for growth with.
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  Speaker 3: Better pathways for more VET students.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: There's no doubt though, that it's going to have a
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: massive impact upon territorians wanting.
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: To stay here to study. Are you worried that.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: These changes are going to mean that we lose people
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  Speaker 1: to interstate?
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  Speaker 2: Of course, and I mean the people who will be
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  Speaker 2: losing their jobs might be having those conversations at home
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: over the next few weeks or however long this process
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: is going to take. Will they leave the territory? Will
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: students feel like they don't have the opportunities that they
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: want to be able to study and develop here in
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory. So, of course it presents a huge
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: risk to us, which is why, you know, when we
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: talk about things like the economy, it's important that we
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: actually have that action on the ground. I mean, we
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: need our kids to stay in the territory, and in fact,
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  Speaker 2: we want kids from right around the country and the
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: world to see the Darwin and the Northern Territory. Of course,
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  Speaker 2: we've got campuses right across the territory as a great
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  Speaker 2: place to get an education. And so you know, CDU
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  Speaker 2: does a fantastic job. They've obviously got some tough decisions
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: to make, and they're suffering under the slump in our
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: economy just like everybody else. I mean, it's just not
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: feasible clearly to be able to run classes and different
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: courses with extremely low numbers. But it's a population was there,
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  Speaker 2: it wouldn't be that way.
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  Speaker 1: Is it a situation, though, where it's about our economy
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  Speaker 1: or is it a situation where students and kids are
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  Speaker 1: choosing to study into state because Charles Darwin University maybe
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: doesn't have the reputation that some of those other universities do.
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  Speaker 2: Look, I don't think that's the case at all. I
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  Speaker 2: think what we've got is a really challenging situation where
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  Speaker 2: we've got population decline, and of course we've got economic decline,
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: which means there are less people here, so it's less
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  Speaker 2: bums on seats literally in classrooms, and then of course
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  Speaker 2: less employment opportunities. Now, as a young person setting yourself
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  Speaker 2: up for life, you're thinking about what am I going
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  Speaker 2: to do? What am I going to be? And am
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  Speaker 2: I going to get a job. There's no point going
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  Speaker 2: to university or studying VET if you're going to end up,
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  Speaker 2: you know, not being able to secure employment in your
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: chosen field. So those two things are intrinsically linked. And
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  Speaker 2: if we're not putting the best proposition out there to
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  Speaker 2: our young people, then they will go elsewhere, and that
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  Speaker 2: just perpetuates a spiral. You know that more people that
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  Speaker 2: leave than the less people there are to go through
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  Speaker 2: our universities and our businesses, and that means less demand
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  Speaker 2: on those services and around and around me go, it's
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  Speaker 2: critical the Gunner government gets some runs on the board
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  Speaker 2: immediately and start to turn our economy around.
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  Speaker 1: Do some of these courses which are being caush I
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  Speaker 1: mean some of them are going to have a massive impact,
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  Speaker 1: I would think, does the government need to try to
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  Speaker 1: find alternatives?
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  Speaker 2: Well, it'll be interesting to see what role the private
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: sector play in these and of course you know, we
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: do have private sector services that you can undertake your
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  Speaker 2: VET training with whether or not they're able to pick
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  Speaker 2: up some of those students, but again, if the numbers
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  Speaker 2: are very low, it's hardly going to be a viable
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  Speaker 2: proposition for the private sector to be able to immediately
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  Speaker 2: step in in a likeful like situation. So I think
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  Speaker 2: we will see this play out over a period of time, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: but it's really critical that we don't let these things happen.
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  Speaker 2: We need a strong university and we have one. We
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  Speaker 2: need a strong ability to have VET courses and give
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  Speaker 2: kids those opportunities. We don't want them to leave. We
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  Speaker 2: need their our next generation of business and community leaders,
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  Speaker 2: and so we have to do everything we can to
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  Speaker 2: support them to stay here. And we need to show
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  Speaker 2: those kids that that jobs of the future are in
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  Speaker 2: the territory Lia.
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  Speaker 1: There's no doubt that there are people out there thinking
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  Speaker 1: right now, if the UNI has to make these massive
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  Speaker 1: changes in order to make savings, how can they afford
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: to build a new campus in the CBD. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: I've just received a text messag It says get akd
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  Speaker 1: how can they afford a new campus when they can't
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  Speaker 1: staff the courses because there's no one signing.
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  Speaker 3: Up for these courses. Is this something that you're worried about.
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  Speaker 2: Well, look, there's been a lot of talk about the
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  Speaker 2: new campus and of course it's been something that's developed
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  Speaker 2: over a number of years and the university has been
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  Speaker 2: able to secure NAVE funding as part of the city deal.
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  Speaker 2: So it is that concessional loan arrangement if we can
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: attract more of those international students and get a bigger
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  Speaker 2: piece of that market, which obviously now with COVID is
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: present significant challenges. But we know that international students and
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: the opportunity for the territory to take a big portion
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  Speaker 2: of that is there, particularly now that we're such an
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: attractive destination due to our COVID management.
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  Speaker 3: Is that a real worry here though?
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  Speaker 1: You know, it seems as though the modeling of the
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  Speaker 1: new campus in the CD, in the city, in the
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: CBD is largely based on international students and at the
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: moment we know that, you know, that's a real hurdle
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: that's going to take some time to get over.
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  Speaker 2: It is a real hurdle and it's encouraging to read
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  Speaker 2: in the paper that the federal and territory government are
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  Speaker 2: looking at bringing in students as well as Australians in
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  Speaker 2: from Singapore and seeing how we can trial that process
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  Speaker 2: because it is important and you know CDU is not
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: the only international education provider. Of course, we've got a
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  Speaker 2: number of private providers in the territory who also do
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  Speaker 2: an excellent job. So there's huge opportunities here. We need
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  Speaker 2: to manage it right. And of course you know people
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  Speaker 2: won't come unless they see the prospects into the future.
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  Speaker 2: And that's why you know, I talk economy until I'm
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  Speaker 2: blowing the face, Katie, but it's just so critical to
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: everything else that functions in the territory.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Leiah, we know the CDU City Project does have
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: that NAVE funding and we've learned today through Keith Pitt's
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: office said the NAFE is sit for a sweeping reforms.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: It will mean that it's easier to get loans. On Monday,
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  Speaker 1: it may have heard during the intro, I asked the
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Minister for Minds and Energy, Nicole Madison about the slow
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: approvals process in the mining sectors.
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  Speaker 3: She said much of the delay.
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  Speaker 1: Is actually attributed to a lack of ability to get
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  Speaker 1: funding investment. Do you think that these changes through the
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  Speaker 1: name for going to help look. I think the changes
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  Speaker 1: are fantastic. Of course the name funding has.
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  Speaker 2: Evolved over time and that shows that the federal government
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  Speaker 2: is listening. Of course, federal colleague and Minister for Northern Australia,
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  Speaker 2: Keith's Pitt, has been in the territory recently. We speak
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: regularly and he certainly is listening to how we can
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: advance and really make the most of that NAVE funding.
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  Speaker 2: I think what the Minister for Mining Nicole Madison has
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  Speaker 2: shown those her ignorance to a very big issue. Approvals
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  Speaker 2: are significantly slow in the Northern Territory. Now we know
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: that to get an exploration license saying somewhere like Western
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  Speaker 2: Australia and takes about two years in the territory it
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  Speaker 2: takes four. Now that's double. You cannot tell me that
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  Speaker 2: approvals are not playing an enormous role in our inability
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  Speaker 2: to secure investment. And it's some I think this government
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  Speaker 2: has control over and needs to move more swiftly on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's something that we've heard on numerous occasions from
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  Speaker 1: Drew Wagner from the Minerals Council of Australia Lea. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: this morning, I do want to talk to you about
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: the situation at East Point with drinking and the requests
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: by police to have drinking ours stopped at seven pm
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  Speaker 1: rejected by council overnight. Do you think that this issue
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  Speaker 1: actually highlights a problem for police with resourcing.
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  Speaker 2: This is part of a much bigger story, Katie, and
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  Speaker 2: we've seen resourcing issues playing out over the last couple
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  Speaker 2: of weeks. Of course, I was in the Berkley and
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  Speaker 2: Central Australia a couple of weeks ago, and remote policing
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  Speaker 2: in particular, and on top of the fact that police
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: have had to respond to COVID and they've done an
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  Speaker 2: amazing job, is putting significant strain on our police force.
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  Speaker 2: Crime continues to be high in areas. We're seeing secondary
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  Speaker 2: supply clearly being a big issue right across the territory
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  Speaker 2: with measures having to be implemented in Darwin and across
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  Speaker 2: the region. People calling out for more policing in remote
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  Speaker 2: areas and so it's a huge issue. They're going to
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  Speaker 2: Government need to take responsibility for this issue. They are
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  Speaker 2: responsible for community safety and they are responsible to support
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  Speaker 2: our police and so you know, we've got two years
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: left to negotiate a new funding agreement on that remote policing,
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  Speaker 2: and we've heard much about it, but ultimately the funding
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: does exist for the next two years. So it's up
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  Speaker 2: to the Police Minister and the Chief Minister to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that our police are supported to keep territory and safe.
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  Speaker 1: I'll tell you what there does seem to be, you know,
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  Speaker 1: a bit of a storm brewing here around this issue
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  Speaker 1: of resourcing. Like you said, I think it's a much
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: bigger picture than what people maybe realize. There's obviously the
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: discussions which I've had with Senator Sam McMahon, also with
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: the Police Commissioner and also with the Minister for Police
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: about that federal funding when it comes to remote remote
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: police stations. But then there is also the issue of
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: our police on boarders. And then like we've touched on
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: the fact that obviously here in our urban centers we've
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: also got some concerns and that public drunkenness is one
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: of those concerns.
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: I mean, how do you think that.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: We're actually able to to make some inroads here so
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: that absolutely everybody is able to you know, to well,
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: I guess see the police able to do their jobs
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: to the best of their ability with all of the.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: Tools that they need in their belt.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: You know, how do we come to some kind of
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: agreement with the federal government and the Northern Territory government
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: because you are part of that debate as well.
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: That's right. No, that's right, and I've written to my
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: federal counterparts about the funding. I'm very happy to be
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: involved in supporting a new agreement going forward, but ultimately
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: it's very important people understand that the money is coming through.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: It doesn't expire until twenty twenty two.
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: That's certainty.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: No, we do need certainty. But we have a problem
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: now now. The problem now is not created from a
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: maybe not getting funding in two years time. I mean,
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: let's just step this out a bit slowly. We have
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: a chronic lack of resourcing in terms of being able
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: to cover those remote stations and remote areas. We've got
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: police on our border and supporting the COVID response, We've
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: got secondary supply issues increasing, and then a future potential
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: problem around funding. The funding is current and available now
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: and happening, so clearly there's still something is not right now.
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: I'm happy to support a new funding agreement going forward
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: and of course that would be an absolute great thing
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: for the territory, but we have an issue right now
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: which is quite separate to that. Now in terms of
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: secondary supply. We really need to be looking at the
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: government's alcohol measures. They're very happy to say that they
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: did the Riley Review and implemented recommendations and pat themselves
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: on the back, but secondary supply is becoming a really
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: significant issue amongst other things, and now police are of
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: course being left to have to try and deal with
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: these issues when really there are other arms of government
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: that could be doing more to support our police and
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: take some of these issues off there, you know.
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: So sat the answer here, I mean, because very often
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: we do see the policy changes that come into play,
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: and when we change legislation for things like alcohol, it
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: does have an impact in terms of that resourcing for
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: our Northern Territory police. So is what you're saying here
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: that realistically the government needs to look at reforming some
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: of the ways that we deal with these things from
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: within government departments.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely, because our police are there, you know, doing
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: an incredible job at just about you know, at every
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: single thing that we throw at them, and every single
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: thing isn't always their responsibility, you know, so we need
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: to be looking at alcohol measures. Just to give you
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: an example, I mean the in the Berkley from February
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: twenty eighteen, very very stringent alcohol restrictions were brought in
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: and the Liquor Commission at the time said it would
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: be reviewed every six months. Now we're two years down
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: the track and that has not been reviewed. The community
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: in ten people of ten and Creek deserve to have
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: proper community consultation around what that looks like. And so
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: the government can't just keep bearing its head in the sand.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: It's got to look holistically at all of the triggers
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: it can pull to support community safety, support appropriate level
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: of consultation and be supporting our police that they can
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: get on and do what they really need to be doing.
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: So stop throwing every problem at the police.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, you know, their workload is ever increasing. I
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: mean I really feel for them. They go to work
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: every day to serve and protect us, Katie. And you
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: know yesterday was Police Remembrance Day and they were you know,
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: touching commemorative services right across the Northern Territory. You know,
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: we support our police. They are out there every day
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: for us and what we need to do is ensure
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: that you know the Gunner government when they make other
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: policy changes, that it's not just increasing the workload of police,
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: when really it's a responsibility to look within their other
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: policies and make change there.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: Lea fan Ok opposition leader. Always good to catch up
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: with you. Thanks so much for your time today.
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: Thank you listeners.