TRANSCRIPT: Press conference announcing $1.5 Million Funding for Gray Community Hall, 11 May 2019
EO&E
GANLEY:
It's fantastic to be here, today. With our Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack our Senator for Australia, Nigel Scullion, and the CLP team. We have just had our CLP campaign launch. It's fantastic, it's absolutely fantastic to be here with this really great crowd, today.
But what I most want to convey is, this election is critical. Not only for Territorians, it's critical for Australians. We can only deliver essential services if we have a strong budget. But what's most exciting today, is that we, as a coalition government, are providing $1.5 million to the city of Palmerston, to upgrade the Gray Community Hall. It is just a fantastic thing for the Palmerston community. This is really important infrastructure for the community, it brings grassroots people together. Community is what our territory survives on, and that's what I'm really proud to be a part of. A coalition government that can provide that for Territorians.
MCCORMACK: Well, this is a fantastic announcement today, made only possible by the hard work and dedication of the Country Liberal Party, made because of Kathy Ganley, the candidate for Solomon, getting in there and fighting hard, and demanding that we provide the sort of infrastructure that we provide, the infrastructure that Palmerston needs. This Gray Community Hall is going to make such a difference when it is upgraded.
$1.455 million. Of course, it has a bus stop nearby. It's got ample car parking facilities. It's got music groups, whether they're dance troupes for the little wees, right up to seniors, using the Gray Community Hall, seven days and seven nights a week. But the Hall was in bad need of an upgrade. It needs the kitchen to be separate from the rest of the facilities. We all love the wafting smells of the cooking, but when we've got a particular event, we need to get them separate, so that's why this practical, sensible infrastructure investment is being made, because Kathy Ganley fought for it, because people like Jacinta Price and Sam McMahon, they are sticking up for the territory, they're sticking up for more infrastructure, they're sticking up for people, for user groups who want to use this sort of facility. Who want to make sure that Palmerston can be its best self. It's the fastest growing local government area in the Northern Territory, and we want to even add to that.
So, this election commitment made only possible by the Country Liberal Party is going to make such a difference to the lives of all those community groups. All those volunteer groups, and whether it's a family event, whether it's a convention, whether it's a conference, or whether it's just one of those regular weekly meetings that are being held in the Gray Community Hall, they're going to benefit from this announcement today. Well done, Kathy. Congratulations, that's great.
MCMAHON:
Thank you. Thank you to the Country Liberals and the coalition, this is a significant announcement for the City of Palmerston, the Gray Community Hall is our most used facility, and it's in need of expansion and upgrade, as previously mentioned. It is technically utilized, seven days a week, and this will allow our community to hold more community services, and facilities to be run out of that specific venue.
It's in the heart of Palmerston, in one of our older and central suburbs, which makes it incredibly accessible to most of our population. So, I'm very, very pleased, on behalf of the City of Palmerston to hear this announcement, thank you very much. Thanks.
REPORTER:
When you were preselected for the Senate spot, and you said you weren't going to take it, as a foregone conclusion, granted, how are you feeling with the campaign so far?
MCMAHON:
Yeah, very well. I mean, I know everyone says, "Look, it's a given, there's always one CLP and one ALP." But absolutely not taking that as a given, since preselection, I have been here, there and everywhere. I've been to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek numerous times, out bush, out to kalkarindji, Lajamanu, spent some time in Darwin, Katherine and surrounding communities, so I've been to as many places as I possibly can, and I think it's going extremely well.
REPORTER:
And how much of a threat, realistically, do you think some of the minor parties are to your win?
MCMAHON:
Oh, look, I mean, I think they're a threat. You know, there are people that are saying, "Oh, I've got no vote with either of the major parties, I'm going to go Independent, or I'm going to go Green, or whatever." So, they're always a threat, never discount them. I believe that we'll get at least one, and possibly even two CLP candidates up for the Senate. But never discount the minor parties and the independents.
REPORTER:
What makes you confident enough to think you might be able to get two people up in the Senate?
MCMAHON:
Well, it's never been done. But we're working really hard. We're out there. Josh, who couldn't be here today, because he's campaigning and working down in Alice Springs has been working incredibly hard and campaigning all over the southern part of the territory. So, I think we're giving it a real crack.
REPORTER:
And what are people telling you, as you go on canvassing people's opinions, around the territory?
MCMAHON:
They're telling us that they're sick of Labor. I know that's a local issue, but people see what Labor has done to the territory, they see what's happening. They don't want to see that happening at the federal level. It would just compound the issues that we're having here, so people are very, very positive that they do not want a federal Labor government.
REPORTER:
It would be shocking failure, wouldn't it, to CLP, not to secure a Senate spot at this election?
MCMAHON:
I don't know about a shocking failure, it would be certainly disappointing and it would be a very bad thing for the Northern Territory, absolutely a bad thing.
REPORTER:
There's about a hundred people here today, and it was mentioned that some of the ballots booths are still yet to be fully staffed. Do you think, is the party still struggling a bit with that core membership, after we saw the decline, after the 2016 territory election?
MCMAHON:
No, we're not struggling. Certainly, there was a decline in membership, after the local territory election. That has been steadily building up. We're seeing more and more people coming along to our local branch meetings. In Katherine, our attendance at branch meetings has just gone like that. The same is true at Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. So, we're not struggling, we've got a lot of support, out there. One of the reasons that there weren't quite so many people here today, is because they are out there. They're out there door knocking, they're out there manning the polling booths, they're out there working hard for the CLP.
REPORTER:
Lia is the only territory colleague; past or present that I can see here, at the moment, why is that?
MCMAHON:
No, she's not, actually. There were quite a few here.
REPORTER:
Who else was here? I must have missed them.
MCMAHON:
Barry Coulter, Bess Price. Bess is still here. Grant Tambling was here.
SCULLION:
There's a mob of them.
MCMAHON:
Daryl Manzie he was here.
Yeah, there was quite a lot of them, here.
REPORTER:
Is that rise in support, that you talk about, is that translating to paid up official members, or just people?
MCMAHON
Yeah, yeah. Our paid up membership is growing, greatly. Numbers are swelling.
REPORTER:
And how do you see the relationship at the moment, between the CLP and the Nationals, because I've noticed even that the CLP advertising, or releases are being authorized by the Nationals, not by the CLP. Why is that? What's the relationship, there like?
MCMAHON:
No, that's not true. That it's-
REPORTER:
I've definitely seen that, so [crosstalk 00:08:31].
MCMAHON:
There certainly are some, and there's some from the Liberals, as well. We have a very strong relationship with both the Nationals and the Liberals.
REPORTER:
So can you talk, is there still that demarcation, that clear line between those two parties as distinct entities, and why is it important, if that's the case?
MCMAHON:
They are different parties. They are two distinct parties. They have the same core values, they work extremely closely together. But they are separate parties, and we work with both of them.
SCULLION:
Just a technical matter, is that the adverts you see on television are part of a national buy, and so they say, approved by the Liberals, or the Nationals. Every other piece of advertising and support you'll see for the Country Liberals is authorised by the Country Liberal Party, so that's the technical difference.
The Libs are great, in the city, and if you live in the massive cities of Australia, I really hope you get out and support the Liberal Party.
MCCORMACK:
Here, here.
SCULLION:
But if you live in regional Australia, like the Northern Territory, then the Nationals are specialists at providing the very best services and levels of amenity. That's why we generally have things like regional communication, we've got agriculture, we've got roads and infrastructure. Because they are the heart, of regional Australia. So that's how it's gone, and that's how it'll be in the future. I'm just so proud to have the fantastic team we've got. They're really enthusiastic, as you indicated. In fact, they're so enthusiastic, so many people who wouldn't have fitted in this room, aren't here, today. Thanks so much for your time.
REPORTER:
But what about that I said, the distinction between the Nationals and the CLP, though. Is that something that's important to maintain?
SCULLION:
Well, there is. We're two completely different parties. The Country Liberals is the territory party. I'm proudly a member of the territory party, I lead the National Party in the Senate, or I used to, and I've been their leader for some time, I've been Deputy Leader of the National Party, and yet I have never been a member. I'm a member of the Country Liberal Party, that has a strong alliance with the National Party. That's me, and my position. Dave Tollner had a strong alliance with the Liberal Party, but he was also a member, only of the CLP.
So, we have a coalition of convenience, and a coalition of shared values. That's the way it's been for a very long time, and I'm quite sure convention will have us continue that to be the same in the future.
REPORTER:
There was quite a few mentions of the fact that this is a team of women. Why is it important to make that point?
MCMAHON:
I think it's important because Labor is constantly saying how good they are, because they have quotas. They have quotas to get their women into politics, and into power. We have no quotas, we don't need to have quotas. Look here, and you've got 75 percent. 75 percent of women, through purely on merit, not through quotas, or any other system.
REPORTER:
Does it also help to draw a line under the bad old days of the CLP government, here in the territory?
MCMAHON:
No. Not at all, it's not about that. We were all purely chosen on merit, and on our abilities, and that was the only deciding factor.
REPORTER:
Kathy Ganley, Solomon fell to Labor, at the last election, based partly on the unpopularity of the CLP Government. Do you think those days are over, in the back of voters’ minds, now?
GANLEY:
I think what's really important to convey is that we are looking to the future, as a party, and in contesting this seat, it wasn't about class politics, it was about looking to the future, and actually putting myself up as an alternative, and I think I'm a really good alternative. I'm third generation Territorian. I was born here, my husband was born here, and my two children were born here. I'll be really honest with you, I'm extremely concerned, if Labor gets in, that both territory-wise and nationally, about what it's going to do for our future, not only for Territorians, but for Australians. This is a really important election, and I'm stepping up for Territorians.
REPORTER:
Your party has been very strong in linking the performance of the territory government to the possibility of a Bill Shorten government, so is there pressure on you, really, to draw a line under the sand, from the old days of the CLP government here, and be, I guess, be the new hope of the party, if you will?
GANLEY:
It's about actually stepping up, but the long and short of it is, is that there is concern about Labor, obviously, not spending within its means. And I'm very, very proud to be a part of the team that knows, and relies on a strong budget, delivers on a strong budget, and can maintain its budget and live within its means. So it can deliver essential services that Territorians like me, and my children, and Indigenous Territorians rely on.
REPORTER:
Kathy, it was mentioned that your campaign has been a big solo effort. Why is that, why haven't you gotten so much support from the party?
GANLEY:
I'm going to be really quite frank with you. My concern for Territorians, and for anyone is, like what happened to me, when I stepped up, I got cut off at the knees. So, I am a highly qualified professional, who has basically is self-made, and my career, professionally was in mental health law.
When I stepped up for the Country Liberal Party, what happened? I lost my Tribunal position. So, I do not want anyone else having what happened to me, happen to them. So, I've done it myself, and I'm happy to do it myself, and when I was preselected, I made a commitment that I would give my heart and soul to this, and that's what I've done, and I really hope the territorials can see that, and hopefully back me, so that I can back them in the future.
PRICE:
Can I just add to that also, is that what we're hearing is that businesses within the Northern Territory are suffering, under this Labor government. Businesses are in fact, suffering. They're being targeted specifically for the fact that it is known that they have supported the CLP government, previously. So, Labor are cutting them off at the knees. So, and let's look at our economic situation. Our party hasn't had that much, in terms of funds, and given that the fact that the economy is down in the dumps at the moment, there isn't much funds at all, in the Northern Territory, full stop. So yes, we've done the hard slog, over the last 12 months, with very little funds, and we've worked really hard, and those that have helped us have been there and supported us all the way.
We've had a hell of a lot of in-kind support, throughout this. But what we want to do, is bring the territory back to its former glory. We want to help these business men and women, and little children, as you saw today, to be able to contribute to our economy, to rebuild it again, instead of splashing cash all over the place, like Labor would do. We want to bring long term investment back into the Northern Territory, support our businesses. We want to lower taxes and make sure that we're drawing investment to the Northern Territory.
REPORTER:
And do you feel like you had to run quite a lean campaign, without a lot of support from the CLP, as well?
PRICE:
Oh no, look, I've had lots of support from the CLP. I might not have had a huge budget, but we've made do. That's what we've made do. That's where we've had to really pull together, and like I said, I've had incredible support throughout. Since the moment I was preselected, these people, standing right here have had my back, the whole time. The people you see in the room, they've had my back, the whole time. There are people in communities, also, where I've been, in remote communities, that have been particularly Labor strongholds for quite some time, who are waking up to the fact that Labor have used and abused Aboriginal people in the bush, and I'm going to stand for the fact that this won't happen anymore. Not on my watch, and not as long as I'm here to represent all Territorians and particularly the most disadvantaged, as well.
REPORTER:
So why have you had so much support from the party, in your campaign, but Kathy, you were saying you haven't had much at all?
PRICE:
No, we've all had support. Where we haven't been able to, is in terms of funding. You know, we've had to back ourselves in that way. When it has come to getting in-kind support, as well. I mean, I've had Kathy's back, Kathy's had my back, and we've been going as hard as we can, with the limited resources that we've got.
MCCORMACK:
I might just add to that, because I know, I ran as the Lower House member in 2010, and whilst I had the party support, it is a bit lonely at the start, because you're out there, you've given up your job, because you're out there tramping the streets, door-knocking. You're out there meeting and greeting people, and mainly listening to people. But for the first few weeks, for the first few months, you do it on your own, and you do it because you've got that drive and determination to make a difference, to make a difference for your local electorate, to make a difference for local people, in your local region. You do it because you're a local champion, and yes, as the election draws near and more people start really focusing on the ballot day, on the election day, yes, then the party gets in behind you.
But at the start, it is a bit lonely, and I was actually lucky that I had Nigel Scullion able to, he used to ring me up, regularly. "How are you going, mate?" So, I'm out door knocking, in Gundagai, I'm out door knocking in Griffith, and he'd say, "Good on you, and if I can get down there, I will." And he came down and he helped, and that's what I've done for these two fantastic candidates and for Sam, as well.
I've gone out, and I've helped, but I can't be here all the time, and at the start of an election campaign, when you want to give it a 12 month crack, because it takes that long, and these two ladies have been doing it in very, very large electorates. It takes a bit of drive, and application, and determination, and a bit of sweat, and a lot of money, because they have put everything they have got on the line to getting elected, and I say, good on them.
It is tough, it is very tough, and you've got to do it on your own, at the start. They've done that, and now we've got this sea of orange, this sea of support. CLP support behind them, and we're going to get them elected, and we're going to get them to Canberra, and they are going to make a big, big, difference.
REPORTER:
And so, Senator, can I ask you one more question, on Labor costings. Can I just ask you, what's the consequence going to be of Labor scrapping their Native Title Respondent scheme. The Native Title Respondent scheme, they're going to scrap that, what would that, the consequence be?
SCULLION:
Well, the Native Title Respondent scheme is actually under the Attorney General. But I'd have to have more detail. One of the things you can guarantee, that Labor won't have spoken to anyone about it. That's what they do.
MCCORMACK:
Yeah, they do.
SCULLION:
They've done that with their scrapping of Remote School Attendance Strategy, they've done that with their scrapping of the CDP. They're scrapping the CDP, I've been across the countryside, they haven't talked to a soul, not one soul, and it's so nauseating they get lectured, about consultation, by people who never pick the phone up, even once. It's absolutely, bloody pathetic and I think that's why they're going to get a pretty blunt response. By changing things for people, without even letting them know. Without even letting them know, and this is most likely to be one of those things.
But can I say, look, the process of Native Title needs the natural resources of the legal scheme to be able to keep going. Now I fund the people part, the Attorney General funds the legal part, the law part of Native Title. But I'm certainly confident, I can commit right now, that we won't be reducing any of the funds that run what is a process, we have the Native Title Council that provides us with advice, we work very, very closely together. Now, they have certainly never provided me with advice that we need to reduce that particular funding stream. So, from the coalition's perspective, we listen to them, and we won't be reducing.
Thanks, guys.
MCCORMACK:
Thank you.
ANN:
My name is Ann, and I'm one of the many volunteer seniors in Palmerston, who are so grateful for this generous donation from the CLP. Our Hall is very outdated, we have more than 30 activities for seniors in Palmerston, and some of them haven't got a permanent home, and so the community in general, and the seniors in particular, would really appreciate all the generous donation to help us build this, to meet the needs of the community.
REPORTER:
And what are you doing here today, Ann? Are you invited, or are you a member, or ...
ANN:
I'm a member, yes. But we were invited by a local politician.
GANLEY:
We've played Scrabble together.
REPORTER:
Oh, really?
GANLEY:
Yes. So, one of the main reasons that we've got to know some of these beautiful people is through the Tuesday 50 Plus Club, and that's how I realised how much use this Hall is. So both Jacinta and I have been there, and the member for Spillett, Lia Finicchiaro is a regular, as is her electoral officer, Angie. It was just wonderful to go along, and be a part of this community, and be accepted. It's friends like these that become your family, and I'm really happy that we're over there.
Thanks, everyone.
ANN:
And we're so grateful.