TRANSCRIPT: BERRIMAH EXPORT YARDS PRESS CONFERENCE, 13 August 2020
E&OE
Subject: Northern Territory Election;
LIA FINOCCHIARO
Today, the Country Liberal Party is announcing its agriculture policy for the Northern Territory. We believe in our agricultural opportunities here in the Northern Territory and as it stands, it already represents $700 million a year to our economy and around two and a half thousand jobs. This is a critical sector for our economy and for our community and it's important that we grow and expand it where we can. Today, reinforces our strong commitment to agriculture. Under a Country Liberal Party Government, we will fast track and facilitate investment in a cotton gin in the Katherine region. We know that dryland cotton has an enormous opportunity to be an important industry for the territory, both as cotton as a product but also because of the fact that the by-product can be used as all-important cattle feed, making it a very efficient crop because of the multiple uses it has. And with the new technology around cotton, we know it's 40% more drought resistant and less water intensive, which means it's a responsible crop to grow here in the Northern Territory. And we have plenty of opportunity to expand that industry, particularly around Katherine and Douglas-Daly region. We're also very committed to Douglas-Daly Stage Two, we want to turn up around 60,000-hectares of land in that region for agricultural opportunities that are best suited to that type of soil and that type of climate. Again, utilising technology to ensure irrigation is responsible and water usage is kept at a minimum and our farm is doing an excellent job when it comes to responsible sustainable management of our crops here in the Northern Territory. We also want to expand our forestry industry. We will set aside $100,000 to create a forestry hub. We know the Federal Government is investing around our nation in forestry hubs but the Territory hasn't been able to secure one of those yet. We want to kick start it and work in partnership with our federal colleagues and I acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister is here with us today to ensure that the Territory does become a forestry hub. And that's why we're putting that investment in to get it going. We've got successful forestry here in the Territory in Arnhem Land, on the Tiwi’s of course in the Katherine and Douglas-Daly regions and we want that organisation to come together and grow that industry so that we can have more jobs, more opportunity and more economic development here in the Northern Territory. Of course, our cattle industry is very well known and a very important part of our economy and an important part of jobs during COVID-19 the cattle industry supported 10,000 ongoing jobs and was able to maintain that important social fabric of the Northern Territory and be an economic driver during our toughest of times. We will allocate $250,000 to our cattle industry to support research and development in expanding our opportunities and our market. Research and development is critical to our cattle industry to ensure that we can continue to grow our markets. And then of course, grow the number of cattle we can put over through live export. Today's commitments are just some of the ways in which we are committed to growing jobs here in the Northern Territory. And we know that agriculture presents an enormous opportunity for us right around the territory. We will also continue to work very closely with the land councils and communities around development of agriculture opportunities because we recognise it presents a huge opportunity for jobs very close to home for Aboriginal people.
JOURNALIST
Where's the funding coming from?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
So we recognise that primary industries is a really critical part of the Territory's economic future. And whilst we don't have a budget because the Gunner government has hidden the books from Territorians. We will work out ways to fund these commitments because it is too important not to do it. For the few hundreds of thousands of dollars that we've committed today, we will potentially unlock thousands of jobs right across the Northern Territory and create economic growth that we need desperately at this time. We've had the worst performing economy in the nation and agriculture is going to be one of the key ways in which we turn that around.
JOURNALIST
What do you say to people who say that fracking and the agricultural industry can't live together safely?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
Well, that's just not true. And we know that during the Pepper Inquiry, all sectors came together to provide their submissions and continue to work together. We've been very clear about implementing the 135 Pepper Inquiry recommendations, which largely deals with a lot of the concerns of the different industry sectors who have varying challenges that they wanted to overcome with onshore gas.
JOURNALIST
Some of the strongest opponents to fracking are pastoral lease holders. How do you navigate that tension?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
Well, look, it's important that we all work in collaboration together. The cattle industry recognise that onshore gas is an important part of our economic opportunity going forward, but equally want that respect for their industry as well , so it's about working with the stakeholders, ensuring that we follow the science, ensuring that we follow through with the 135 Pepper Inquiry recommendations and take everyone on the journey with us. It's really important that all sectors play a key role in our economic opportunities going forward and it's not one industry over the top of another. It's all of us working together to create jobs for all Territorians.
JOURNALIST
How are you going to pay for the lack of revenue if you get rid of payroll tax?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
We've been very clear that we will review payroll tax if elected this August and we're clear about that, because payroll tax is a tax on jobs, it's a disincentive for businesses to employ other Territorians. It's also an advantage we can make the most of here in the Territory and really draw people from interstate to come and set up their business here if we can give some payroll tax relief. We recognise though, that there needs to be a review and that the Gunner Government have blown out the budget to $8.2 billion, leaving us in a position where we can't necessarily make the important concessions we want to, to make the Territory the best place to live. So it's going to be a balance, we will conduct that review and we will of course publish the outcomes and the media and Territorians will be aware of that, but it's certainly something we want to move towards. And of course, if we can grow our economy, grow our industries, add to our revenue base, grow our population, then governments can make important decisions like scrapping payroll tax
JOURNALIST
Payroll tax, I think, accounts for something like $250 million of revenue. Slashing that would be quite a big budget black hole. Would you consider maybe putting in some other kind of more equitable tax or something like that?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
No, we've been very clear that on payroll tax, it is a tax on jobs, it is a disincentive to employ people. And that's why we will review it. We recognise it does provide over $200 million in revenue to the Territory a year, but we want to grow the Territory, which means we want to grow our revenue. And so opportunities like looking at how we can best incentivise people to move and live and work and set up their business here in the Territory is very important to our economy, going forward.
JOURNALIST
You've got the Deputy Prime Minister here, could he just give you some money from the NAIF?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
We know that the NAIF is a fantastic fund that has been extended and the Territory has maximised opportunities under the NAIF and will continue to do so. One of the biggest challenges is having a Government that isn't shovel ready on projects and isn't facilitating investment. If we had a Country Liberal Party Government here in the Northern Territory, we would be able to of course, work more collaboratively with our colleagues in the Federal Government and also with the NAIF to ensure that we have the best projects ready to go, ready to get that all important NAIF funding and this Government has squandered its opportunity.
JOURNALIST
What about Terry Mills’s idea for using the NAIF for payroll tax relief?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
I think Terry is very confused about how things work in the Northern Territory. He's trying to do one thing with another and it just doesn't work that way. NAIF funding is very important for infrastructure, that's what it's designed for and that's what we need it for. We don't need it to supplement payroll tax, he needs to get a lot clearer on his vision for the Territory because right now he's all over the shop.
JOURNALIST
The Chief Minister basically says that he didn't say anything wrong on Tuesday, but we obviously heard from Tourism Top End yesterday of the hundreds of calls and queries that they had to deal with in relation to our borders. Do you think he's done real damage to the industry when we're trying to entice people?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
I think that the Chief Minister's comments were irresponsible and reckless in an attempt of him to try and talk tough. He confused Territorians, this made international news and national news. It's not a small error. He needs to be more careful about his language going forward. He is the Chief Minister. And perhaps if the pressure of this election is getting to him, he needs to hand over responsibility for all COVID announcements to the Chief Health Officer so that Territorians can get the actual facts. This has done untold damage to a fragile tourism industry as it is and has opposed Territorians who desperately want to go and say their family over Christmas in those non-COVID areas. It's clear that this Chief Minister is desperate in the dying days of his government and is now politicising COVID which is a disgrace because Territorians hang on his every word for appropriate commentary on COVID-19.
JOURNALIST
Do you accept that you were wrong when you called for borders to open on the 22nd of June?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
I absolutely reject that. When borders open, which they are, they were always going to be opened with Police on our borders collecting that important statutory declaration information. It would always have been with management of hotspots and would always have been following the health advice on how government can be agile going forward.
JOURNALIST
Why didn’t you make any mention of the hotspots at that time?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
Because that was always the health advice. That was always the health advice and we would always follow the health advice and we will always follow the health advice and we won't use COVID-19 as a political football. What Territorians need is certainty in very uncertain times. Leadership requires you to play with a very straight bat and the Chief Minister is all over the shop on this issue because he's trying to save his political skin.
JOURNALIST
I just noticed a part of the policy says, “investigate solutions to address cattle duffing effectively.” The NT News recently reported that we don't have a dedicated stock squad. Would you possibly create one? Is that part of the investigation?
LIA FINOCCHIARO
So, we recognise through our consultation with the cattle industry that this is an issue but we need to work really collaboratively with both the Department of Primary Industries, with stakeholders, of course the Police Association and Police on how we can best support deterrent this area.
TRACEY HAYES
It's a very important announcement today in relation to the investment in the beef industry. One thing that we do understand for live exporters is the importance of diversification in our market opportunities. So, this investment will assist industry to seek out and connect with market opportunities to our nearest neighbours. We know that it's an emerging and strong and strengthening economy. We know that the consumption of red meat is increasing and there's enormous market opportunities for the Northern Territory right at our doorstep. So we are very proud of the announcement today by the Country Liberal Party, investing in the future of the beef industry and growing what is a fundamental industry and part of the Northern Territory economy.
JOURNALIST
Tracey, one of your political ads has caused quite a stir, do you stand by that that ad?
TRACEY HAYES
Look, the sanctimonious nonsense that played out on the Chief Minister's Facebook page actually reinforced what the ad was seeking to do. The ad is not about an attack on retail workers. In fact, I've been one myself on many occasions, as have members of my family. It's been made clear to us on many occasions that the challenges that the Northern Territory has faced during this term of government is as a result of the lack of capacity around the Cabinet table. So the ad was seeking to highlight the differences between my work life history along with my opponents going into this election. The current member for Fannie Bay has refused to line up alongside his opponents in the Seat of Fannie Bay. Giving the voters of Fannie Bay an opportunity to make a decision about who they think is best placed. He's remained hidden in the bunker and refused any opportunity. We've seen it again and again and again. In fact, as late as last night, we had to cancel an electorate opportunity for the candidates to line up because the Chief Minister had refused to front up. So far we've seen appearances from [inaudible] and that's about as good as the electorate’s had, so we felt we were left with no other opportunity or choice, then to advertise the comparison.
JOURNALIST
Do you not think it is a bit elitist though to be mocking people because of their work?
TRACEY HAYES
I reject that assertion, that it's mocking people that work in very important roles, like the retail sector. I myself, have worked in Coles and Kmart, retail workers are a very important part of our economy. And not only in the Northern Territory, but Australia wide and we've seen how they've really stepped up to the plate during the coronavirus global pandemic that we're facing now. What I do reject though, is the sanctimonious nonsense playing out by the Labor Party and my opponent in seeking to capitalise on what is cheap political nonsense.
JOURNALIST
[Inaudible question]
TRACEY HAYES
Absolutely, absolutely applauded for that and at no stage has there been ridicule in relation to working at Big W. As I mentioned before, I too have been in that position. In fact, I encourage it. And I think it's a really important part of any work life balance is encouraging people to engage themselves in a whole sequence in series of employment opportunities to grow their experience base. It was seeking to highlight the deficit of experience and work experience prior to entering into politics. We've heard again and again, there are too many politicians sitting around important decision making tables without appropriate life experience. We were seeking to highlight that.
JOURNALIST
Your ad shows your life experiences is in primary industry. We’re at the Berrimah Export Yards, where we've spoken to you previously. Why did you run in an oceanfront urban seat?
TRACEY HAYES
The electorate of Fannie Bay is my home and it's important for me going into politics that I stand firm on my values and that's representing my community. You would have seen when I was part of the cattle industry, I defended our industry and stood up for what I believed in. And I'm continuing to do that in the electorate of Fannie Bay. It is my home, I chose not to seek an easier option, it was suggested to me that I should put my hand up in a seat that potentially could have been an easier option. For me, it's about going into a political career with a strong values base. And for me, that's representing my community. I need to feel like I'm getting out of bed every day, representing my community and standing up for what I believe in.
JOURNALIST
You've been the recipient I guess, of some pretty disgusting stuff online yourself, is politics dirtier than you ever expected?
TRACEY HAYES
Day one of voting and myself and my family experienced some disgusting and vitriolic Facebook posts that, you know have been undertaken by fake Facebook accounts. It's really disappointing to see my opponents choose to conduct themselves in an election period in this way. That evening, my family sat down and we had a family meeting and we discussed the potential impact that this was having on their well-being and what it actually meant for us as a family. It hardened our resolve and reinforced our decisions. This is why I chose to go into politics in the first place. I think that we can do politics better in the Northern Territory. And I'm coming into this with the full support of my family and it hardened my resolve to participate in politics in the Territory in a different way.
JOURNALIST
Are you say the Labor Party was behind those attacks?
TRACEY HAYES
I'm saying that my political opponents have engaged in a disgusting and vitriolic campaign. And I'm on the record and in the NT News talking about intimidating tactics from – I believe I understand the identity of those involved and it's being reported to the Electoral Commissioner and he intends to take that further.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
I just might make a couple of comments firstly about the great announcement today by the Country Liberal Party team, Lia Finocchiaro and Tracey Hayes. Lia has a plan for agriculture. To grow it from the $759 million enterprise that it is in the Northern Territory at the moment, to much bigger than that. And you can do that when you have the policies. You can do that when you have the plan and the vision and the blueprint for a better future and that's what Lia and her dedicated team, including Tracey Hayes, who I have to say, my phone ran hot in recent months and indeed, for many years past about the live cattle situation. If there was an advocate from the Northern Territory, about that cattle decision made in June 2011, by Federal Labor, it was Tracey Hayes. She stood up first. She stood up earnestly and she never ever lost the fight to make sure that the right outcome was achieved for the cattle producers of the Northern Territory and elsewhere. And we see behind us a pen full of cattle ready to go to Indonesia. But for Tracey Hayes and the dedicated cattle producers here in the Northern Territory, those cattle would not be there, would not be an export opportunity for the Northern Territory, would not be a market that we're still utilising and that decision back in June 2011 was made without Labor – the then government even – advising Indonesia that that made that knee-jerk decision in reaction to a television program. Can you think about how many jobs that potentially cost? How many stockmen were put out of work, including many indigenous stockmen, many of whom never got back into the industry, thankfully, due to The Nationals fighting hard and with the CLP backing us all away, the decision has now been taken to pay the compensation as the court insured to those cattle producers who deserved that outcome. Tracey Hayes is a fearless fighter for and on behalf of the cattle industry of the north and of the Top End. And I know Lia has a plan to grow agriculture. You can only grow agriculture when you have the labour workforce, when you have the water infrastructure and indeed, when you have the right policies. Where's Labor and their agricultural policy? Well, they’re missing in action at the moment, they’re very much missing in action. They're not turning up for debates. They're not putting forward a policy and a blueprint vision for the Top End. Whether it's agriculture, whether it's crime, whether it's any sector of the economy. I applaud Lia and her team for what they're doing, for the policies they're putting up. They’re the only party offering a future direction, progress and prosperity for the Top End.
JOURNALIST
Terry Mills says he took inspiration from John Howard on the getting rid of payroll tax as the best way to stimulate an economy in trouble, as the NT economy no doubt is. How do you feel about using the NAIF to offset that?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I'll firstly address the fact that John Howard did have a great vision for the nation and I think what Lia has said as far as payroll tax, should be replicated right across the nation and should have reverberations being felt right across the nation. She says quite correctly, it is a job destroying job disincentivising tax and indeed, it is. There's so much more that States and Territories could be doing as far as growing their economies rather than just taxing businesses, rather than just putting a disincentive on employing people. And what we want do here is grow the population in the Northern Territory. And what Lia and her team have, is an economic blueprint to grow business, to grow jobs. Today, it's all about growing agriculture and the $759 million enterprise. It should be much, much higher. I mean, we've got a $60 billion agriculture industry. I know David Littleproud is working very hard with the National Farmers Federation and others to make it $100 billion. But we can only do that if we add water, if we get the right labour workforce measures and indeed, we have the right policies. Well, Lia has the right policies. So I'm really pleased that she's doing just that. As far as the payroll tax issue is concerned. She's the only one out there putting these sorts of policies forward and getting it into the discourse of the election debate. In fact, she's the only one actually debating anything at the moment and what we see from others – the Government and other forces – they’re just missing in action as far as this election campaign is concerned.
JOURNALIST
It's also at $250 million in locally sourced revenue. Wouldn't that just lead to the Territory becoming more dependent on Canberra, not less?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, yesterday, I was listening in when Lia had a very, very good and earnest and frank discussion with the Treasurer, federally, Josh Frydenberg and that was a great discussion about how to grow the economy, the sorts of plans that Lia has in place with her Country Liberal Party team to grow the economy. We don't want to keep these lazy taxes in place, which put an imposition on businesses and having run a small business and I know Tracey has too, I know Lia is very involved in business because Country Liberal Party members and National Party members and Liberal Party members come to politics with a very wide and diverse background. And most of us have had some sort of relationship or association in running a business, in employing other people. Labor well, they're just usually union hacks and the only business opportunities they’ve had is standing a union stand trying to block business, trying to block prosperity. Well, we've got a plan for the future for the Top End. We've got one federally, we've got the NAIF. We've got a Minister for Northern Australia in Keith Pitt, who's dedicated, who's committed, who's resolute in his role to make sure that the Top End gets its fair share and indeed more than its fair share and we've got in Lia in the Country Liberal Party team, a party ready to take Government, ready to make this place prosperous again.
JOURNALIST
Isn't it important then, if the NT is to get its fair share that it has two members of the House of Representatives? David Littleproud says he represents an enormous electorate as do many National members, is it impossible to represent the whole Northern Territory, Christmas Island, large cattle producers and remote indigenous communities with just one person?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I’m not disagreeing and what the Australian Electoral Commission has determined by way of population, is that the Northern Territory is to have one seat. I'm not disagreeing at all with the fact that it is very difficult to represent an area that is as large as the Northern Territory. When you've got people in Katherine, you've got people in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Darwin down and yes, they're all Northern Territorians, they all have the same passion for the Territory. But they’re different communities, I represent an area of about 50,000-square-kilometers appreciating that’s probably a sheep paddock here, but also they've got communities which are very diverse and which are very different. They all have a common passion for getting ahead and aspirations and values, but they're very different communities. So I understand that the Northern Territory is similar to that. And I’ll be having those discussions with my Nationals colleagues, with the Liberal Party when I returned to Canberra as I have in the past to see what we can do as far as this is concerned because we do need more regional representation and this is about regional representation. It's about equity. It's about fairness. And it's about the Northern Territory. I know Lia is committed to building the population and let's be certain about one thing. If you actually build the population of the Northern Territory, this question won't even be considered. The AEC will have to make it two seats. Indeed, why stop at two seats. The Australian Capital Territory was two seats for quite a while and they’ve now built it to three. So, it's good enough for Tasmania to have five seats and 12 senators, you know, it should be good enough for the Northern Territory to also make sure that it gets that representation that Northern Territorians deserve.