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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining us on the line right now is the Opposition
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  Speaker 1: leader Leah finocchi are O. Good boarding to you, Leah.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie and your listeners. A big news day
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  Speaker 2: for you.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it always is, always is busy in here. One
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  Speaker 1: of the things that you and I have spoken about
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  Speaker 1: though on numerous occasions in recent weeks, is the situation
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  Speaker 1: with the Treaty Commissioner. Now we know that the Chief
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Minister had written to the Treaty Commissioner. We also know
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  Speaker 1: that the Treaty Commissioner is on two weeks sick leave
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  Speaker 1: due to end today. Leah, what needs to happen here?
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  Speaker 2: Well, this has been a saiga right from the start.
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  Speaker 2: Selena Hubo, the Minister for Treaty, knew about these allegations
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  Speaker 2: back in March and did nothing. The Chief Minister's department
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  Speaker 2: conducted investigation which they have not released the results of.
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  Speaker 2: Guy News had to break this story. We had to
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  Speaker 2: call for the Treaty Commissioner to be sacked. We still
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  Speaker 2: haven't heard from Selena Yubo on this issue. And of
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  Speaker 2: course now the Opposition are the ones who prepared the
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  Speaker 2: motion to go into Parliament Friday fortnight if the Treaty
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  Speaker 2: Commissioner that doesn't stand down today. So the absence of
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  Speaker 2: leadership from the Gunner government on this issue has been
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  Speaker 2: absolutely appalling and just shows the level of lip service
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  Speaker 2: they're willing.
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  Speaker 3: To pay towards abuse against women.
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  Speaker 1: Lea. I asked the Chief Minister about this on Monday.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure you just heard that audio. He said that
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  Speaker 1: it takes about forty five seconds to put together emotion
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  Speaker 1: for Parliament. Does that give you any confidence that it's
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  Speaker 1: going to happen on that day that you'd said, is
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  Speaker 1: it next Friday?
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  Speaker 2: No, we don't have any confidence at all. Haven't already
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  Speaker 2: written and has been written for a number of weeks, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I mean the Gunner government at the end of the
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  Speaker 2: day are all talk. They're following the news on this
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  Speaker 2: instead of taking leadership when they found about the issue in.
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  Speaker 3: The first place.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, for the chiefiness to say, oll, we
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  Speaker 2: will do the things that need to you know, we
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  Speaker 2: need to do just falls flat with people that they
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  Speaker 2: never follow through on what they say they're going to do.
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  Speaker 2: And this is just another example of the government being
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  Speaker 2: led around by the media and the opposition instead of
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  Speaker 2: taking a decisive position.
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  Speaker 3: On the treaty commissioner. Just devise belief, Katie Lea.
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  Speaker 1: We know that the seventy one year old Treaty commissioner
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  Speaker 1: is facing accusations of using sexually degrading language and threatening
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  Speaker 1: to assault a woman during a football game at Darwin's
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  Speaker 1: TiO Stadium. I mean, in your opinion, is there any
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  Speaker 1: way that he can continue on in this role following
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  Speaker 1: these allegations.
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  Speaker 2: No, his position is completely untenable. He should have done
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  Speaker 2: the honorable thing and stood down straight away, and he hasn't.
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  Speaker 2: Selina Jubo hasn't done the honorable thing by asking him
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  Speaker 2: to stand down. This is a commissioner role. The people
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  Speaker 2: who hold commissioner roles need to be beyond approach. And
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  Speaker 2: at a time when domestic violence is through the roof,
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  Speaker 2: we've got government ministers happy to march with women in
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  Speaker 2: the Master Justice and you know, profess their commits meant
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  Speaker 2: to stamping out this type of behavior. Really, their actions
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  Speaker 2: have not met their words. And so it's all right
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  Speaker 2: to attend marches and take Facebook photos and herald themselves
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  Speaker 2: as the savior of women going forward, But then in
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  Speaker 2: their own backyard, something as serious as this is happening,
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  Speaker 2: and they've done absolutely nothing. So we'll put that motion
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  Speaker 2: Friday fortnight, Katie, and hopefully the Treaty Commissioner does the
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  Speaker 2: right thing in the meantime.
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  Speaker 1: So Lea. So that will be it's not this coming
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  Speaker 1: Friday obviously. Do you mean the one following is that
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  Speaker 1: when you're going to move that motion.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, so we've got estimates starting from next week, but
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  Speaker 2: we don't sit in official Parliament until that final Friday,
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  Speaker 2: so that will be our opportunity to deal with this
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  Speaker 2: issue if the Treaty.
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  Speaker 3: Commissioner doesn't stand out in the meantime.
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  Speaker 2: But if he doesn't, I think it just reinforces the
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  Speaker 2: fact that the Chief Minister has no authority in his
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  Speaker 2: own government. If the Treaty Commissioner receives a letter from
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  Speaker 2: a Chief Minister and doesn't take action, it really shows
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  Speaker 2: how much disregards the Treaty Commissioner has for the Chief
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  Speaker 2: Ministry himself and how much authority he in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that it will be a pretty embarrassing
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  Speaker 1: situation for the Chief Minister if the Treaty Commissioner doesn't
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  Speaker 1: do that on his own accord, Leah, let's move along.
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  Speaker 1: I know that it's been reported. Well, it's just sort
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  Speaker 1: of breaking in the Northern Territory news this morning that
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  Speaker 1: Western Australian police have apparently caught four Victorian residents allegedly
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  Speaker 1: sneaking into WA after traveling through the Northern Territory. Now,
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  Speaker 1: the group were intercepted on Sunday on the Tanami Road
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  Speaker 1: in the Desert Region south of Hall's Creek. It's unclear
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  Speaker 1: whether the group stopped in the territory along the way.
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  Speaker 1: It will be alleged that the group didn't have a
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  Speaker 1: G two G pass, which is a requirement for entry
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  Speaker 1: into the WA from other states and territories. Now police
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  Speaker 1: say the group bypassed the required state border entry checkpoint
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  Speaker 1: on the main highway. Does this demonstrate that we do
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  Speaker 1: need to have authorities on the borders or realistically if
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  Speaker 1: they went through the Desert region, would it have made
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  Speaker 1: much of a different Yes.
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  Speaker 3: I think we do.
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  Speaker 2: And what is really alarming and concerning to territories. For
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  Speaker 2: a year, Katie, we have had police on our borders,
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  Speaker 2: on our hard boarders, and you know we've been told
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  Speaker 2: over and over again that is the best health advice.
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  Speaker 2: That is the best health advice, that is what the
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  Speaker 2: experts are telling us. Then all of a sudden, this
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  Speaker 2: hot spot for Victoria comes up and we're being told,
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  Speaker 2: oh no, the health advices, we don't need to do anything.
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  Speaker 2: It just doesn't make any sense. For a year, we've
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  Speaker 2: been indoctrinated into one model that is the best advice,
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  Speaker 2: and now all of a sudden, the exact opposite of
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  Speaker 2: that is the best health advice. You know, someone somewhere
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  Speaker 2: along the line. It's not telling the truth. And I
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  Speaker 2: just think we definitely don't need police in our borders.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, our police are so stretched as it is
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  Speaker 2: with crime across the community, and we don't even necessarily
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  Speaker 2: need public health officials standing on the borderline. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: Colder is about fifteen kilometers away from the South Australian border.
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  Speaker 2: You could have people's stations at the Berkley Homestead, for example,
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  Speaker 2: on the Queensland side, but there needs to be something
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  Speaker 2: that you know, tells people who are coming through from Victoria. Hey,
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  Speaker 2: in the territory, you can't just do what you want.
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  Speaker 2: You've got a head off to fourteen days quarantine and
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  Speaker 2: I just can't see how the government is able to
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  Speaker 2: have such a massive switch in their policy position. It
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  Speaker 2: just tells me that perhaps for the last year, all
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  Speaker 2: we've been fed is what was politically expedient because of
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  Speaker 2: the election, and not necessarily what was the best Telt advice.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, is it a situation though, where realistically we
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  Speaker 1: cannot have people, you know, like we can't have people
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  Speaker 1: on those borders. I know that you've said there could
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  Speaker 1: be other options, but you know, the argument from the
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  Speaker 1: other side is that that number plate recognition is enough
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  Speaker 1: and then the follow up from the police if someone
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  Speaker 1: has come in from one of those hot spots. Isn't
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  Speaker 1: that enough?
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  Speaker 2: I don't know that it is enough Number one. We've
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  Speaker 2: never been told if it's on every road entry into
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  Speaker 2: the territory. And I use the example of the Plenty Highway.
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  Speaker 3: I was out.
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  Speaker 2: There a couple of weeks ago, and I can tell you, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: I still in my own eyes that tens, if not one,
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  Speaker 2: hundreds of caravan is coming through from Queensland now, any
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  Speaker 2: number of them could have been through Victoria first. I
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  Speaker 2: just don't think that this magical number plant recognition all
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  Speaker 2: of a sudden it cuts the mustard And was that
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  Speaker 2: recognition not there when we did have police on our borders.
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  Speaker 2: The change in policy position is so stark that it
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  Speaker 2: just rows up a lot more questions than what we're
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  Speaker 2: getting answers for and ultimately excuses around not having enough stuff. Well,
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  Speaker 2: that's not Territorian's problem, that's a government's problem. We've been
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  Speaker 2: in this crisis for a year. And if they were
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  Speaker 2: scaling back with police for obvious and reasons we support,
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  Speaker 2: then they need to be mobilizing as something else. And
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  Speaker 2: if they can't manage that, then maybe they shouldn't have
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  Speaker 2: been so bullish and taking over Howard Springs and that
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  Speaker 2: four hundred stuff they need to mobilize in quarantines could
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  Speaker 2: have been mobilized in other ways and leave Ozmat to
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  Speaker 2: do that quarantine work.
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  Speaker 1: Leah, a couple of other things I'm keen to touch
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  Speaker 1: base about this morning. One of those is the testing
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  Speaker 1: out at the Howard Springs quarantine facility. You're talking then about.
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  Speaker 1: There are indeed stuff that are concerned about the testing
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  Speaker 1: regime out there. We're due to catch up with Hatcher
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  Speaker 1: from the Nursing Union in just a few minutes time.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, realistically, do you think that we need to
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  Speaker 1: revert back to the old way of testing. I know
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  Speaker 1: you've been pretty vocal on this one.
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  Speaker 2: Well, for five weeks we've been calling the government out
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  Speaker 2: on scrapping rapid entergen testing. This is the test that
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  Speaker 2: staff undertook when os MATT controlled that facility. Before they
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  Speaker 2: left from their ship. They do a quick test that
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  Speaker 2: came back in five, ten, fifteen minutes. People could go
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  Speaker 2: home with a very high level of surety that they
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  Speaker 2: were not COVID positive, and they could go see in
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  Speaker 2: their family and go to the shops and.
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  Speaker 3: Go do all those normal things you do after work.
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  Speaker 2: The government came in, kicked OSMD out, came in and
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  Speaker 2: one of the first things they scrapped was that fifteen
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  Speaker 2: minute test. Now that's a really important layer of protection
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  Speaker 2: and confidence in the community and also for staff out there,
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  Speaker 2: and we've been hearing loud and clear from within the
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  Speaker 2: facility that people are not happy with this. Of course,
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  Speaker 2: the Chief Minister promise Territorians that nothing would change once
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  Speaker 2: OZMAT leave, All of the clinical procedures would.
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  Speaker 3: Be the same.
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  Speaker 2: But to remove the first fundamental test out of a
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  Speaker 2: two test system for staff working in a facility where
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  Speaker 2: there are COVID positive people just doesn't make any sense
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  Speaker 2: to anyone. It can only be about the dollars and
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  Speaker 2: it's just unacceptable.
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  Speaker 3: I'm glad the nurses are speaking up.
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  Speaker 2: You know, it takes courage to do that, and they're
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  Speaker 2: doing it, and I hope, you know, to be honest,
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  Speaker 2: that they give government as much hell as they can
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  Speaker 2: because this is just it's not sitting well with anyone.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it'd be a pretty terrible outcome though, if
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  Speaker 1: we end up in a situation with some nurses swell,
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  Speaker 1: you know, striking out there. It'd be a pretty tough one.
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  Speaker 1: If the health stuff out there take that action.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it's very serious action, and I'm sure
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  Speaker 2: they don't want to do it. But if they're so
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  Speaker 2: passionate about this issue, just like we are, just like
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  Speaker 2: many others are who can't have a voice, then you
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  Speaker 2: know what does it take for the government to listen.
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  Speaker 2: They've sat down and they've done the right thing and
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  Speaker 2: met with the minister yesterday, and I'm sure Cas will
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  Speaker 2: have more to explain about that on your show later,
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  Speaker 2: But you know what does it take for this government
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  Speaker 2: to actually listen to the people. And they're so busy
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  Speaker 2: telling us that they're always listening to the best health advice. Well,
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  Speaker 2: you know, I'm really starting to question that with the
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  Speaker 2: decisions around manning our borders, the rapid engergen testing. You
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  Speaker 2: know it's not stacking up, Katie. Something is going fundamentally wrong.
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  Speaker 2: We've just had too much change too soon to be
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  Speaker 2: backed up by evidence, and I think the nurses are
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  Speaker 2: playing a really important role in pushing the government to
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  Speaker 2: return that quick fifteen minute rapid antigen testing.
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  Speaker 1: Leah, I'm keen to ask you quickly about the situation
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  Speaker 1: with mental health beds at Royal Darwin Hospital. We know
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  Speaker 1: that this is always an area where we certainly require
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  Speaker 1: more in terms of those facilities for our mental health,
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  Speaker 1: those territories that need that mental health support. I'd had it,
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  Speaker 1: I had had its to me that we're in a
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  Speaker 1: situation just last week where there was seventeen mental health
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  Speaker 1: patients who had to be accommodated in other areas of
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: the hospital because there wasn't enough room for them in
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  Speaker 1: the mental health ward at Royal Daarhwen Hospital. We also
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: had been told that there was a stabbing at the
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  Speaker 1: hospital early last month in May. The Health Department did
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  Speaker 1: confirm with us yesterday that there had been an incident
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: which occurred at Royal Dahwen Hospital Emergency department in early May,
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  Speaker 1: where a staff member received injuries from a patient assault.
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  Speaker 1: The staff member is being supported, they say, and the
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  Speaker 1: safety and well being of our staff is critical, as
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: is high quality care for our patients. I guess you
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  Speaker 1: know there is no denying that we need we need
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  Speaker 1: more resources when it comes to mental health. But are
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  Speaker 1: you concerned about the fact that you know the public
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  Speaker 1: was not made aware of this situation?
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  Speaker 3: Well, of course we aren't.
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  Speaker 2: It just raises the question of how many other things
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  Speaker 2: happened that we don't know about. I mean, this is
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  Speaker 2: a security ard stabbed in emergency that is. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: it's hard to conjure up something more horrific happening in
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  Speaker 2: a hospital and you just don't know. It just undermines
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  Speaker 2: that credibility of open and transparency that the government profess
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  Speaker 2: to have. You know, this is obviously a horrific incident
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  Speaker 2: for all involved. I certainly hope the individual is being supported,
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  Speaker 2: but the fact that it was covered up for so
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  Speaker 2: long just feeds into a broader narrative of cover ups
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  Speaker 2: that we see from the Gunner government and mental health
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  Speaker 2: is a very huge issue. We've seen the Dahl and
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  Speaker 2: private hospital take the leadership on this by building their
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  Speaker 2: new facility, and now the territory government are finally recognizing
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: that we need those beds. And of course when you
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: have people who are mental health patients taking up beds
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  Speaker 2: in Royal Darwen which are designed for people who are
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: you know, physically sick, that presents a big problem in
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  Speaker 2: and of itself.
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  Speaker 3: And we know that mental health, you know, attributes to
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  Speaker 3: lots of the police call.
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  Speaker 2: Outs for example, and other types of services wrapped in
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  Speaker 2: around it, when really what is required as a specialist facility.
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  Speaker 3: So we're very pleased with that is finally happening. It's
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  Speaker 3: well over you.
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  Speaker 2: But things like covering up the stabbing is just completely
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  Speaker 2: unacceptable and I think every territory and who heard about
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  Speaker 2: that thought, gee, what else don't we know about?
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  Speaker 1: Let just finally this morning. It is of course First
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  Speaker 1: respond To day, a day for us to really acknowledge
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  Speaker 1: and thank our first responders for the work that they do.
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  Speaker 1: I think it goes without saying that we are all
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: incredibly appreciative of the work that they do in our community.
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  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely. I mean, our first responders are our heroes.
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  Speaker 3: You know, and whether it's our police who've been having.
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  Speaker 2: A really tough time over the last twelve months. Whether
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  Speaker 2: it's our ambos, or our fieries, or our SDS personnel,
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  Speaker 2: you know, any of our first responders. Thank you so
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  Speaker 2: much for everything you do to protect and keep territory
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  Speaker 2: and safe. You know, cheers to you today. It's all
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  Speaker 2: about you, and we thank you so very much in
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: the tryingest of times. You're there for the good and
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: the bad, and we were indebted to you forever for that.
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  Speaker 1: Leah Finocchio, the opposition leader, thank you so very much
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  Speaker 1: for your time. We'll catch up with you again, well,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: hopefully Friday for the week that was.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: If I think it's Friday, you have the coffee, I'll
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: have the mast
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  Speaker 1: Sounds good, good on Eleiah, thank you