Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Senator Sam McMahon with Good News Darwin is on the half priced flight list CONFIRMED

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Katie Woolf spoke with Senator Sam McMahon with Good News Darwin is on the half priced flight list CONFIRMED · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, it is just on twenty five minutes after twelve
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: o'clock and if you're wondering what I'm doing back on air,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: as you would have heard throughout the morning, confusion has
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: rained over whether Darwin is going to be included in
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: these half priced flights or not. Now we have had
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: on air this morning the Federal Minister Dan Teen who
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: said that it was going to go ahead. We then
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: had a message from the Prime Minister's office saying that
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: there've been confusion and it was a different program that
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Dan Ten was talking about. But I think that the
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: audio really speaks for itself. If you missed that interview
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: with the Federal Minister Dantean earlier today, take a listen.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: They're airs Rock and Alice Springs are included on that list.
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  Speaker 1: Our understanding is that Darwin isn't at this stage. Is
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: that correct?
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: No, Darwin is one of the locations that we we've
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: also identified and so it will be a beneficiary as well.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: So the Northern territory is very well covered by this
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: by this package.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Darwin wasn't on that list that has come through to us.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: But by the sounds of it, what you're saying is
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  Speaker 1: that people will be able to travel to Darwin.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: There is and if you go on to the Department
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: of Transite Transport website you will see that Darwin is listed.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: So it says where the TANS program, which is the
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: travel Assistance Program, will reduce the cost of flying to
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: the following initial regions Adelaide, Broom, Darwin, Great Ocean Road, Hobart, etc.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: So it's there on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
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  Speaker 2: Development and Communications website. What we gave initially was a
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: list of the destinations as examples, but quite clearly Darwin
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: is part of them. So you've done well in the NT.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: And well we thought that we had done incredibly well.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: We're all feeling pretty happy about the fact that Darwin
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: was indeed going to be included on this list. But
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: then throughout the morning, as I said, we then received
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: a message from the Prime Minister's office saying Tan was
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: talking about the fact we already subsidize roots to Darwin
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: through the RAMS slash Dance program. Now there's been a
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: lot of anger following on from that development and a
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: lot of people wondering why on earth Darwin has not
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: been included on this list. But Senator Sam McMahon joins
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: me on the line. Right now, good morning or good afternoon,
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  Speaker 1: I should say, Senator, yes.
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  Speaker 3: Good afternoon, Katie. Fantastic for you to come back on
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: air and talk to me about this important issue. And
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  Speaker 3: I have some absolutely fantastic news for you. I have
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: literally just got off the phone to the Deputy Prime
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: Minister Michael McCormack and he has told he has assured
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: me that Darwin will now be included. So that is
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: fantastic news for Darwen and fantastic news for the Northern Territory.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: So Senator, you are confirming for us right now and
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: for the tourism industry that Darwin is going to be
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: included on these half priced flights.
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: That's that is correct, Katie. I spoke to the Deputy
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: Prime Minister last night about it when he told me
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: about Ularu and Alice Springs and I said, you know that, Minister,
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: that's fantastic news for Alice Springs and for southern Northern Territory,
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: but what about Darwin And he said, oh, well, we'll
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: consider Darwin in future announcements and I said no, I
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: said that's not good enough. Look in the Northern Territory
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: we only have three airports that people from interstate can
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: fly into, and you've picked two of them and you've
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: left one out. That's not fair. Well, so he obviously
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: considered what I said overnight and he has confirmed to
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  Speaker 3: me just now that Darwin will be included in the
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: half price fares as a destination.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Now, I want to be really clear here because I
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: know that you know that we obviously heard from from
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: Dan Tien, the Federal Tourism Minister, earlier today. He said
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: that yes, we would be included, but then it seemed
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: that there was backtracking from the PM's office. So I
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: want to make this really clear, Senator. What you're saying
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: is that we are going to be able to have
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  Speaker 1: a situation where Darwin will be included on the list
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: of locations that other Australians can travel to at half
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: price fares as part of the initiative which has been
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: announced this morning.
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: That's that's correct, Katie. That is the assurance that I
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: have secured directly from the Deputy Prime Minister.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: Well, Senator, we are very pleased to hear that. Are
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: we going to get it in writing pretty soon so
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: that we can make sure that all of those tourism
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: operators can breathe easy.
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: Yep, absolutely, Katie. I will have that in writing. Like said,
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: I've got a personal assurance from the Deputy Prime Minister.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: He's a man of his word. I know there was
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: confusion this morning. There was a cabinet meeting on all morning,
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  Speaker 3: which is why I haven't been able to get hold
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: of him until now. He's been locked away in the
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: cabinet meeting, so that's why we couldn't get clarification. But
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  Speaker 3: I'm proud to say that I was the first person
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  Speaker 3: that he called when he stepped out of that meeting
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  Speaker 3: and said to me, yes, you have secured Darwin to
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  Speaker 3: be on that list as a destination for half priced fairs.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Well, I got to tell you, I'm very pleased to
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: hear that, because I tell you what, we were so
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: excited this morning when we spoke to Dan Tian and
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: heard that Darwin was on that list, and then when
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: it seemed that there was a backtracking, our hearts broke
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: when we spoke to Glenn Hinley from Tourism Top End
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  Speaker 1: and heard just how severely this would impact our tourism
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  Speaker 1: operators if they're not included. So Senator, I tell you
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  Speaker 1: what I think we'll all be breathing easier, but we'll
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: probably all be breathing a bit easier if we can
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: just see it in writing. I know that sounds a
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: bit dodgy, but I just want to make sure we've
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: got it there in black and white.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, having to see and agree with you, Katie,
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: that will occur, and yeah, I'm extremely happy. Like said,
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: I'm sorry I couldn't come on and clarify the situation
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: earlier this morning, but they are all locked away in
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: a cabinet meeting, so I got onto you as soon
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: as I could.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: Well. Senator Sam McMahon, I really appreciate you getting in
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: contact with us and letting us know this. As I've said,
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: we don't usually jump on air after midday, but as
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: far as I'm concerned, we need to make sure and
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: we needed to talk to you to make sure that
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  Speaker 1: Darwin was included on this list. Thank you so very
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: much for your time today.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, you're very welcome.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: Thanks Katie, Thank you, Senator Sam McMahon there confirming Darwin
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: is on the list. Chamozul. It's been throughout this morning,
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: but as I've said to the Senator, we are very
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: keen to see this in writing in black and white.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: I want to make it so clear for our tourism
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: operators because I tell you what, it was heartbreaking to
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: see Glenn Hinley's face this morning upon hearing that there
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: seemed as though there'd been a backtrack following on from
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: what Minister for Tourism Dan teen had said to us
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: earlier today. But it sounds as though common sense has
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: prevailed and that Darwin is going to be included on
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: that list. So Ozzie's from all around the nation are
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: going to be able to travel to Darwin at half price,
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: and for the second time today. That is it for
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: us this afternoon. Thank you so much for your company.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: We'll be back again tomorrow morning from nine o'clock