Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Natasha Fyles responds to the current ICAC Commissioner's decision not to republish the report into the $12 million grandstand

Transcript

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles responds to the current ICAC Commissioner's decision not to republish the report into the $12 million grandstand · 360 with Katie Woolf

0:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to Mixwallow four point nine news yesterday that
0:03
Speaker 1: the current ik Independent Commissioner against Corruption, Michael Richards, has
0:08
Speaker 1: agreed to permanently withdraw the report by his predecessor into
0:12
Speaker 1: a twelve million dollar grant into the Darwin Turf Club.
0:16
Speaker 1: So he made this decision obviously yesterday after a partially
0:21
Speaker 1: successful court challenge. The news came after Justice Judith Kelly
0:25
Speaker 1: found former IKAC Commissioner Ken Fleming QC had failed to
0:29
Speaker 1: afford mister Damian Moriarty procedional fairness and acted outside his
0:34
Speaker 1: jurisdiction in.
0:34
Speaker 2: Handing down the findings last year.
0:37
Speaker 1: Now, in the statement that was issued yesterday, we know
0:39
Speaker 1: that mister Richards said, as a result of his decision
0:43
Speaker 1: not to republish the bungled findings, former DTC Chairman Brett
0:47
Speaker 1: Dixon and his business partner Matthew Moss had withdrawn their
0:52
Speaker 1: own Supreme Court challenges. So what are the ramifications given
0:55
Speaker 1: the fact that the Northern Territory government has changed the
0:58
Speaker 1: funding arrangements for the Turf Club and the racing industry.
1:02
Speaker 1: Joining me on the line is the Chief Minister Natashaphiles
1:06
Speaker 1: from Japan. Good morning to your Chief Minister.
1:09
Speaker 3: Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.
1:11
Speaker 1: Now we will obviously get to that Japan troup in
1:14
Speaker 1: just a moment. But the IKAK made the statement yesterday
1:17
Speaker 1: about not republishing the report into the twelve million dollar grandstand.
1:22
Speaker 1: What was your reaction by this decision by the new
1:25
Speaker 1: IKAK commissioner.
1:27
Speaker 3: So, Katie, I think that these questions would be placed
1:29
Speaker 3: to the IKAK and the individuals involved. So my understanding
1:32
Speaker 3: is the IKAK has agreed not to republish that report,
1:36
Speaker 3: but equally, the parties that have been involved in court
1:39
Speaker 3: matters have also agreed not to further progress that But
1:42
Speaker 3: I have not been briefed on this matter. I'm going
1:44
Speaker 3: on what I've read in the media as well. So
1:48
Speaker 3: this is a matter of the IKAQ and those individuals.
1:51
Speaker 3: The IKAK is independent in the sense of, you know,
1:56
Speaker 3: he has chosen to make this decision not to repost
1:59
Speaker 3: that report on his website.
2:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I understand that, and obviously he is the
2:04
Speaker 1: KAC commissioner. He's made this decision, not the Northern Territory government.
2:07
Speaker 1: It's an independent body. But there are ramifications I would
2:11
Speaker 1: suspect when it comes to some of the decisions that
2:13
Speaker 1: were made as a result of the findings by his predecessor.
2:18
Speaker 1: What are those ramifications now? What is the government process
2:21
Speaker 1: going to be upon this change?
2:24
Speaker 3: So, Katie, a couple of weeks back you saw the
2:26
Speaker 3: incoming Minister for Racing renegotiate the new contract with be
2:31
Speaker 3: Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory around being going forward and so
2:36
Speaker 3: that decision was made at that point and you saw
2:38
Speaker 3: an investment gotten into the regional track. So from our perspective,
2:41
Speaker 3: this doesn't have any implications going forward. It would be
2:44
Speaker 3: a question for the IKAK and those parties involved in
2:46
Speaker 3: the court action.
2:47
Speaker 1: Well, look, the KAC Commissioner has said that he won't
2:50
Speaker 1: be making further comment in this space, but it has meant,
2:54
Speaker 1: like you've pointed out, there had to be a new
2:56
Speaker 1: funding arrangement made with Thoroughbred Racing NT. Really you know,
3:00
Speaker 1: the darw And Turf Club had been ostracized I guess
3:04
Speaker 1: for want of a better word, and there had been
3:06
Speaker 1: those corruption findings. What will it mean when it comes
3:09
Speaker 1: to those corruption findings.
3:12
Speaker 3: So Katie, I would have to be briefed on what
3:15
Speaker 3: it means. The ICAC Commissioner chose to from his website
3:21
Speaker 3: then he's publicly said he won't be placing that back site.
3:24
Speaker 3: In terms of the legal implications, I would need to
3:27
Speaker 3: seek further advice around that, Okay.
3:29
Speaker 1: Can I ask, though, do we know or do you
3:33
Speaker 1: know as the Chief Minister, if there was a settlement
3:36
Speaker 1: reached with the Northern Territory taxpayer footing that bill.
3:41
Speaker 3: I'm not aware of that decap and it would be
3:44
Speaker 3: a matter for the IKAC, but I'm happy to ask
3:47
Speaker 3: the question when I am briefed but not aware of.
3:49
Speaker 2: That, Okay.
3:50
Speaker 1: I guess what I'm keen to find out, and I
3:52
Speaker 1: know that a lot of our listeners will be keen
3:53
Speaker 1: to find out, is has there been a cost to
3:56
Speaker 1: the Northern Territory taxpayer as a result of this report.
4:02
Speaker 3: I think in answering that question, Katie, I can point
4:04
Speaker 3: to what the IQAC commissioners during the parliamentary estimates was
4:07
Speaker 3: that he had incurred costs and that was from the
4:10
Speaker 3: legal proceedings. That that would be as much information as
4:14
Speaker 3: I have, Katie.
4:16
Speaker 1: All Right, it does sound as though there is a
4:18
Speaker 1: lot of information which we'll have to follow up on.
4:20
Speaker 1: I do want to ask, though I know that there
4:23
Speaker 1: was going to be an inquiry which was going to
4:25
Speaker 1: be conducted by Greg Shanahan into the IKAK. Has that
4:28
Speaker 1: been completed? Where's it at?
4:31
Speaker 3: Katie's The inquiry that Greek Shanahan, the former head of
4:34
Speaker 3: the Department of Justice, Generine Justice, has been doing is
4:37
Speaker 3: into the IKQ legislation. So we've had the legislation for
4:40
Speaker 3: a few years, how is the legislation operating and how
4:43
Speaker 3: does that impact territorians? And that work is well underway,
4:48
Speaker 3: and I would have to seek an update to when exactly,
4:51
Speaker 3: you know, he'll be finalizing that work. But that was
4:54
Speaker 3: separate to this. This was Lok's looking into the legislation
4:58
Speaker 3: and that's not uncommon when you have completely new legislation
5:01
Speaker 3: come into a jurisdiction at some point to review it
5:04
Speaker 3: and how it's working.
5:06
Speaker 1: I guess where I'm getting to is, you know, are
5:08
Speaker 1: we in a situation here where territorians can.
5:11
Speaker 2: Still have faith in a body like the iye Cack.
5:16
Speaker 3: Katie. I think they can. And I think that's because
5:18
Speaker 3: we've got an ICAC commissioner that has certainly ensured that
5:23
Speaker 3: the legislation is being followed and the respect of the office.
5:27
Speaker 3: And we've also reviewing that legislation that sets that office
5:31
Speaker 3: and its processes up and so we know it's important
5:33
Speaker 3: for territorians to understand that tax pay dollars are spent
5:36
Speaker 3: in the right way and that every decision that's made
5:39
Speaker 3: is in the community's long term best interest. And that's
5:42
Speaker 3: why we're reviewing that act with Greeg shanahan.
5:45
Speaker 2: And and was that happening before?
5:47
Speaker 1: Are you confident that all of those things that you
5:49
Speaker 1: just outlined were happening.
5:50
Speaker 3: Before, So, Katie, in terms of the i CAAC, I
5:55
Speaker 3: think it was important for the Northern Territory to have
5:57
Speaker 3: an ICACK. This is something that the commonwealths have been
5:59
Speaker 3: grappling with looking to having an KaiC body so that
6:02
Speaker 3: if people have complaint they can make it. But yes,
6:05
Speaker 3: I'm confident that this has been positive steps for the
6:08
Speaker 3: Northern Territory so that territory no tax paid dollars is
6:11
Speaker 3: spent in the long term interest of the territory. And
6:13
Speaker 3: we established that legislation. It is appropriate and timely to
6:16
Speaker 3: review how the legislation is working and that work will
6:20
Speaker 3: continue to be undertaken by Greg Shanahana and finalized in
6:24
Speaker 3: due courts.
6:25
Speaker 1: And when do you anticipate that that is going to
6:27
Speaker 1: be finalized.
6:29
Speaker 3: Katie, I have a feeling it's in the next few months,
6:31
Speaker 3: but I'll need to check that I don't have that
6:32
Speaker 3: before me. I'm sorry.
6:33
Speaker 2: And will it be public?
6:36
Speaker 3: So there's been elements that will be public, and there's
6:39
Speaker 3: been elements that Greg Shanahana has done in private so
6:42
Speaker 3: that people can be free and frank around how they
6:44
Speaker 3: think that act works and how that act working imper
6:47
Speaker 3: case you know, how it impacts on the Office.
6:49
Speaker 1: Of the k But will the findings I guess of
6:51
Speaker 1: that report and you know the outcome of that report,
6:55
Speaker 1: will that be made public?
6:57
Speaker 3: Certainly what can be made public will be and I'll
7:00
Speaker 3: come back to you with specifically what that is.
7:02
Speaker 2: Okay.
7:03
Speaker 1: I'm very mindful of the fact that we are pressed
7:05
Speaker 1: for time and that line is not great. But I
7:08
Speaker 1: do want to ask you a little bit more about
7:10
Speaker 1: about the obviously the trip to Japan. Right now you
7:13
Speaker 1: are leading this delegation which is going to see you
7:15
Speaker 1: meet with major investors to pursue economic opportunities.
7:19
Speaker 2: Who are you going to be meeting with?
7:21
Speaker 3: So, Katie has been warmly welcomed here in Japan. Yesterday
7:25
Speaker 3: I met with the Japanese Vice Foreign Affairs Minister at
7:29
Speaker 3: the Australian Embassy, and certainly Japan and the Northern Territory
7:34
Speaker 3: have some common goals, particularly around clean energy, critical minerals
7:38
Speaker 3: and aerospace. I caught up with the Japanese Space Agency
7:42
Speaker 3: JACKSA and also the Global Epecutive of any SE, who
7:47
Speaker 3: not only provide corporate services into the Northern Territory with
7:51
Speaker 3: computer technology, but also around the data cables and data
7:54
Speaker 3: centers work that we've been doing. So I've been very
7:57
Speaker 3: warmly received and it's been a very successful trip so.
8:00
Speaker 1: Far, and what are you hoping that the outcomes are
8:02
Speaker 1: going to be of the trip?
8:05
Speaker 3: So for me, it's around projects and investment opportunities and
8:10
Speaker 3: Japan needs the Northern Territory's critical minerals. We can provide
8:15
Speaker 3: clean energy. We already have significant contracts and most territories
8:18
Speaker 3: are familiar with impacts and I'll be catching them today.
8:22
Speaker 3: So it's around developing opportunities to book market the territory
8:26
Speaker 3: but also targeting that new private investment.
8:28
Speaker 1: Now, speaking of major projects, we know that that Shiploft
8:31
Speaker 1: contract was awarded earlier in the week. The five hundred
8:34
Speaker 1: and fifteen million dollar tender to design and build a
8:37
Speaker 1: shiplift at East Ham has been awarded to clout BMD,
8:41
Speaker 1: a joint venture. The cost has gone up significantly though
8:44
Speaker 1: from what I can see, I understand it was originally
8:46
Speaker 1: flagged for four hundred million dollars. What's caused the blowout
8:50
Speaker 1: before it's even started.
8:52
Speaker 3: So, Katie, with this project, fifteen million dollars will be
8:55
Speaker 3: essential services to that exam site, so that will be
8:58
Speaker 3: organized by the Northern pre To Government. The five hundred
9:01
Speaker 3: million dollars to deliver this project is what we've allocated.
9:04
Speaker 3: We hope that it's less, but we have seen significant
9:07
Speaker 3: increases to construction costs, particularly over the last six months.
9:12
Speaker 3: And so three hundred million dollars is a Nate loan
9:14
Speaker 3: and two hundred million dollars is part of the Northern
9:16
Speaker 3: Churchary Government budget. So this is a significant project that
9:19
Speaker 3: will allow us to diversify the economy and we believe
9:23
Speaker 3: that you know, infently welcomed by both defense and the
9:26
Speaker 3: private sector.
9:27
Speaker 1: So is that one hundred million like a contingency in
9:29
Speaker 1: case there's a blowout, Well, Kate.
9:32
Speaker 3: We've been seeing with a number of contracts that have
9:34
Speaker 3: gone out to tender that they're coming in high and
9:37
Speaker 3: we had expected, and I think all of your listeners
9:40
Speaker 3: understand that the struggles that construction are facing presently with
9:43
Speaker 3: both labor and the cost of materials. So this in
9:46
Speaker 3: awarding this tender, we've acknowledged that we expect it to
9:49
Speaker 3: be a higher figure than we've first anticipated.
9:52
Speaker 1: Now, Chief Finister, has the government secured any of the
9:55
Speaker 1: major contracts I guess with the Navy or other major
9:58
Speaker 1: companies at this point with that lift.
10:01
Speaker 3: Yes, So now that we have awarded this tender and
10:04
Speaker 3: we've got a time frame on that facility coming online,
10:07
Speaker 3: which has anticipated to be towards the end of twenty
10:09
Speaker 3: twenty four, we'll be able to formalize those conversations with Defense.
10:12
Speaker 3: So there has been certainly strong interest from both the
10:15
Speaker 3: private sector and defense. Our strategic location is far less
10:19
Speaker 3: sailing times down the West coast two person freemantle or
10:22
Speaker 3: around to Townsville where the other significant ship lift facilities are.
10:27
Speaker 3: So now we've got the tender outer and those plants
10:30
Speaker 3: certainly in place for the Marine Industry Park, we'll be
10:33
Speaker 3: able to formalize those negotiations as well.
10:36
Speaker 1: Now, while I was away, I know that there was
10:37
Speaker 1: some massive news around changes to the Northern Territori's hospitals.
10:41
Speaker 1: Department heads at two of the Northern Territory's largest hospitals,
10:45
Speaker 1: as I understand it, are going to be removed and
10:47
Speaker 1: forced to reapply for their jobs. Last week, the Australian
10:51
Speaker 1: Medical Association Northern Territory President Doctor Robert Parker said that
10:55
Speaker 1: sources had informed him that department heads would be sacked
10:59
Speaker 1: in Darwin last week as I understand and Alice Springs
11:01
Speaker 1: this week, forty five senior leadership roles would be affected
11:05
Speaker 1: by that change.
11:06
Speaker 2: Did this happen No.
11:08
Speaker 3: Okadie, So that's incorrect. So what we're doing is we're
11:11
Speaker 3: ensuring that our health system and the leadership within it
11:14
Speaker 3: is reflective to delivering the best quality patient care. So
11:18
Speaker 3: we have a process around developing that leadership and positions
11:21
Speaker 3: will be coming up for an expression of interest. Someone
11:24
Speaker 3: that is in that role is welcome to put in
11:26
Speaker 3: an expression of interest and new people that may be
11:29
Speaker 3: able to offer growth and new skills to the team
11:33
Speaker 3: will also be able to do it. We'll be doing
11:34
Speaker 3: it over a rolling period. It's only for the roles
11:38
Speaker 3: in Pumpton Regional Hospital and this is something okay, I've
11:40
Speaker 3: met with the Ama the start of the weekend in Darwin,
11:43
Speaker 3: but also speaking to a number of clinicians, we talk
11:46
Speaker 3: about retaining our health workforce. This is a part of
11:49
Speaker 3: retaining our health workforce. We need to see renewal into
11:52
Speaker 3: some of these positions and other positions. We need to
11:54
Speaker 3: support the continued leadership we have. So no one was
11:57
Speaker 3: sacked as just presented then.
12:00
Speaker 2: They being forced to reapply for their jobs.
12:03
Speaker 3: So Katie, what the process will be is we'll work
12:06
Speaker 3: with the leadership the world on Palmerston Hospital and when
12:10
Speaker 3: you have the different streams of healthcare, so you might
12:13
Speaker 3: have anesthetics for example, you might have surgery oncology, so
12:17
Speaker 3: the different leadership roles will be put to an expression
12:20
Speaker 3: of interest. Anyone that is in that role can be
12:23
Speaker 3: supported and show how they believe in delivering high quality
12:28
Speaker 3: health moving forward. We do know from COVID and the
12:32
Speaker 3: way in which we need to deliver health care that
12:35
Speaker 3: we do need to make some change, but this will
12:37
Speaker 3: be done in conjunction with our co leadership.
12:40
Speaker 1: But it does sound as though those changes do mean
12:43
Speaker 1: that people are obviously standing down or having to be
12:45
Speaker 1: stood down from those roles that they're filling in and
12:47
Speaker 1: they are having to reapply.
12:50
Speaker 3: So Katie, some of these people have been roles for
12:52
Speaker 3: a significant period of time, many many years, and we
12:55
Speaker 3: want to ensure that we support that leadership and that experience.
12:58
Speaker 3: But we also do need to make sure we're delivering
13:00
Speaker 3: the latest in clinical care and that it matches what
13:04
Speaker 3: our hospital needs. So it'll be a process that's ensuring
13:08
Speaker 3: that we support staff through this process. But as I said,
13:11
Speaker 3: retaining our staff is something that is a key focus,
13:14
Speaker 3: and we need to make sure that that leadership pays
13:16
Speaker 3: an opportunities as we afford in health system.
13:19
Speaker 1: Doctor Robert Parker had said at the time that the
13:21
Speaker 1: changes would be a particularly poorly time decision in the
13:26
Speaker 1: context of increased pressure on Northern Territory hospitals.
13:30
Speaker 2: Why does it need to happen now?
13:32
Speaker 3: So this is something that's at ROZA and the Department
13:36
Speaker 3: of Health have been looking at. I met, as I
13:39
Speaker 3: said to you just a minute ago, with the AMA
13:41
Speaker 3: on the weekend, and I took on board their feedback
13:43
Speaker 3: around timing, and we absolutely will work alongside then the
13:47
Speaker 3: bodies that represent our doctors and nurses. So you've got
13:50
Speaker 3: the AMA and ASTHMOS, we'll work with them to make
13:53
Speaker 3: sure that the timing is appropriate, and I certainly heard
13:56
Speaker 3: that feedback from doctor Parker.
13:58
Speaker 1: And of course part of that is the fact that
14:00
Speaker 1: we know that our hospitals have been under stress as
14:02
Speaker 1: a result of COVID and also as a result of influenza.
14:06
Speaker 1: How are those COVID numbers looking. Have you been briefed
14:08
Speaker 1: today in Japan?
14:11
Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, just before I move on to quickly in
14:13
Speaker 3: terms of our hospital structures too, we need to make
14:16
Speaker 3: sure that we're delivering the best quality care and I
14:18
Speaker 3: want to reassure territories. That's what these changes are about.
14:22
Speaker 3: In terms of COVID. We are experiencing a peak in
14:25
Speaker 3: this wave of COVID. We've got six hundred and forty
14:28
Speaker 3: cases today, which was similar to the number we had yesterday. Approximately,
14:33
Speaker 3: we have seen an increase in the hospitalizations. We saw
14:35
Speaker 3: it decrease from sixty on the weekend down to about forty.
14:38
Speaker 3: It's gone up to close to seventy cases. So it's
14:41
Speaker 3: a reminder for territorians there will be no changes as
14:46
Speaker 3: to show direction. But been speaking to Health yesterday this
14:49
Speaker 3: morning here in Japan, and I'll be briefed again later today,
14:53
Speaker 3: but just please wear a mask if you're in a
14:54
Speaker 3: setting that you can't physically distance, and it's really important
14:58
Speaker 3: if you doe for a picture of the vack seen
15:01
Speaker 3: the third fourth doors, please get that the severity of
15:05
Speaker 3: your illness.
15:06
Speaker 1: So taking that into account, I mean taking into account
15:08
Speaker 1: that obviously we've got that volume of additional cases, we've
15:12
Speaker 1: got that volume of people that are in the hospital.
15:14
Speaker 1: Is now really the time to be restructuring the staff
15:17
Speaker 1: at the hospital Tatie.
15:20
Speaker 3: It's about making sure that we have people in the
15:23
Speaker 3: positions and that we've got the flows within our hospital.
15:25
Speaker 3: We've got different departments. You have the emergency department, but
15:29
Speaker 3: then you need to have access to imaging and then
15:32
Speaker 3: you may need to place someone on award. So making
15:34
Speaker 3: sure that the leadership within those departments are working across
15:37
Speaker 3: the hospital to give a comprehensive health care to each
15:41
Speaker 3: person that enters that facility. So it's one that's been
15:44
Speaker 3: the health minister for newly six years. I completely appreciate it.
15:48
Speaker 3: Hard work doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and that support them.
15:53
Speaker 3: But this is about making sure the system is working
15:56
Speaker 3: to deliver their care. That territories need a royal of
15:59
Speaker 3: arm and part in hospital, do you Reckon.
16:01
Speaker 1: It's a bit of a kick in the guts though
16:03
Speaker 1: for some of those people who, like you said, have
16:05
Speaker 1: been doing those jobs for years to now be forced
16:08
Speaker 1: to reapply for those jobs.
16:11
Speaker 3: So Katie, they'll still have a position within help. It's
16:14
Speaker 3: around the leadership roles and making sure that the leadership
16:17
Speaker 3: is delivering that streamline care and that the whole system
16:22
Speaker 3: is working together. We can't have the system working in
16:25
Speaker 3: isolated aspects because it doesn't provide the continuation of care
16:29
Speaker 3: that patients need and then that the beds are available
16:33
Speaker 3: when people need them. So health is an incredibly com
16:36
Speaker 3: system that this is designed to ensure that we can
16:39
Speaker 3: provide that high quality care.
16:41
Speaker 1: All right, Chief Ministon, Natasha Files, we are going to
16:43
Speaker 1: have to leave it there. We appreciate you taking the
16:45
Speaker 1: time to speak with us from Japan this morning, and
16:48
Speaker 1: no doubt we'll catch up with you again very soon.
16:51
Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you.
16:53
Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one O four nine is three
16:55
Speaker 1: sixteen now coming your way in just a little while.
16:58
Speaker 1: We are going to be speaking to the Indo Pendit
17:00
Speaker 1: member Ferrara Loon Robin Lamley
17:02
Speaker 2: Right here on Mix one oh four nine