Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Natasha Fyles explains the proposed changes to the NT’s anti-discrimination laws

Transcript

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles explains the proposed changes to the NT’s anti-discrimination laws · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that Parliament is going to sit this week
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: and next and there is a lot to cover off
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: the government planning to pass legislation in a number of
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: different areas. And over the weekend dozens of protesters on
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: the steps of Saint Mary's Cathedral. They were there to
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: argue against the Anti Discrimination Amendment Bill, including former Territory
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Labor Attorney General Chris Burns, as well as former Member
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: for Nightcliff and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jane Agart.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Now joining me in the studio right now is the
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Natasha Files. Good morning
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: to you.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Now, Chief Minister. On the face of it, people seem
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: really quite okay with the majority of changes to the
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Anti Discrimination Act, but there are some serious concerns around
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: the changes to religious freedom and freedom of speech. Why
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: were these changes made after consultation?
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, these changes came from the consultation. So, as
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: you've said, we have a very antiquated Anti Discrimination Act.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: I think it's from nineteen ninety two.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: We have done have you say, There's been a draft
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: exposure bill, but this is a step forward for a
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: modern Northern territory that doesn't discriminate based on someone's sexuality,
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: you know, those types of attributes that we unfortunately still
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: see in this day and age.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: So you have got a situation where but where faith
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: based schools have come out and certainly the bishop, Bishop
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Gouci joined us on the show last week and had
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: explained the reasons why they are concerned about these changes.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: So can you give me some examples as to what
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: people were saying to you and the feedback that was
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: received as to why this aspect needs to be pushed through.
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: Yes, Katie, and we have been and I have spoken
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: to a number of religious leaders, I've spoken to members
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: of the community. But it's really important for people to
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: understand that there is still a protection in the Act
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: that religious institutions, religious schools, for example, under Section thirty five,
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: if it's a genuine occupational qualification, so for example, the
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: religious education teacher for the chaplain, the principle they can
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: still discriminate based on that attribute. But we don't believe
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: in a broad brush discrimination just because someone, for example,
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: is homosexual.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: So that can you give us some examples when has
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: this happened in the Northern Territory in the past to
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: push this through.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, a good example is some remote communities only
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: have a religious based school in that community. So you
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: can have a young person from that community grow up,
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: become a teacher, go back to their community, or be
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: in their community. But they might be homosexual, they can't
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: teach in that school. They can be discriminated against under
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: our current act.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: And so has that happened in a Northern Territory school?
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: Unfortunately, Katie, we see discrimination based on gender orientation, sexuality
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: across the Northern Territory each and every day.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: So what we're.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: Saying is that if the church based school, the religious
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: based school, believes that is a genuine occupational qualification, so
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: the person is teaching religious education for example, they are
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: still protected under Section thirty five of the Act, so
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: they can still say, Katie, you're going to be our
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: classroom teacher, but every day you're teaching an hour of
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: religious education. So if they believe it's an occupational qualification,
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: so they will not be forced to employ atheists, which
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: is some of the outrageous accusations we've had now.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: So I guess what I'm trying to wrap my head around, though,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: is it is. It is a big change and we
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: know that federally this change is certainly being reviewed or
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: you know on that national scale there's the big review happening.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: So why is the Northern Territory government pushing ahead with
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: it when the federal government is going down the path
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: of the Law Reform Commission actually reviewing this first.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: So Katie, we often in the Northern Territory have two
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: concurrent legislations. We have territory legislation in a space and
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: we have federal legislation.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: That's not uncommon.
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: What the Commonwealth are doing and that mind you, they
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: have been saying for some time that they will look
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: at this is they're looking at the legislation that impacts.
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: I think it's the Australian Human Rights that aspect. So
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: what our legislation is Someone in the Northern Territory who
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: believes they're being discriminated against, they go to the Anti
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: Discrimination Commissioner or ant CAT, or they can then go
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: through from Anti CAT to the Supreme Court. So people
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: can choose where they have the majority of discrimination would
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: go to the Territory Anti Discrimination Act.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: But what the common Wealth are doing is.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: They're looking at their Act which yes, it does come
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: into play in the Northern Territory, but it's just a
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: concurrent act, so we often have that in each state
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: and territory.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Its soon though, what this change is potentially going to
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: see is legal action taken against the Northern Territory government.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: So we've got.
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: Legislation, it's been through a drafting process, it'll go through
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: the Assembly. We don't believe that, but any piece of legislation, Katie,
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: we've seen that, you know in the territory can be
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: taken to court if someone wishes, But we don't believe
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: that the legislation is weak and it would be uphill.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: I guess what I'm trying to get to the bottom
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: of is are there examples where there has been people
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: that have been discriminated against for this very reason here
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory And if so, can you point
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: them out for our listeners, Because the way that a
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: lot of people are feeling right now is that this
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: change is coming through and the government's pushing it through
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: despite the fact that there are faith based schools. There
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: is indeed the Bishop, there are other you know, there
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: are other religious leaders that are saying this is going
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: to have a really adverse effect for us.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: And so Katie, I think there's a couple of points
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: that I can make there. We stand for fairness, equality
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: and inclusions disputing. We have seen increasing that in the
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: number of complaints to our Antidiscrimination Commissioner. I don't have
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: the exact figures in front of me, but we have
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: seen an increase of complaints made around discrimination. But what
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: I'm saying, Katie, is for schools, for Catholic schools, discrimination
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: in the Northern Territory generally.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Again, though no one's disputing that. I think everybody actually
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: fundamentally feels as though the large part of the changes
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: that are going through are very valid and very much needed.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Everybody feels as though people should be treated fairly. But
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: based on what the bishop had said to me last week,
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: he had said, Katie, we do allow children to go
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: to the school. We do all our teachers that aren't
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: you know, that aren't faith based to go to the
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: school or to teach at the school. But he was
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: concerned about the fact that the principal, the assistant principal
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: and those that are leading would not you know, that
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: they could be in trouble for not employing someone who's
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: who's Catholic.
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: It's wrong, Katie. So we've reached out to the bishop
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: to make them completely understand if they are in that
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: leadership role or if it is an occupational qualification, which
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: it would be in a leadership role, that section thirty
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: five protects them. So this removes the ability.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: And this is what's still on the weekend. Still ended
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: up on the steps of the church concerned about this.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: If you'd meet with them again last week.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: I didn't meet with them, but we clearly communicated with
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: them and they understand that point around section thirty five.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: Well, this is a point of frustration from me, Katie.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: In one step, they say, oh, we don't discriminate, we
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: welcome people. They don't have to be religious, they can
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: be gay. But they won't allow us to remove that exemption.
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: So why not meet with them until the Attorney General
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: has met with them. He spoke to the bishop as
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: late as last week. There's certainly been many conversations. I
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: met with the bishop and other church leaders a few
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: weeks ago. But what I'm saying, Katie, is we're removing
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: thirty seven A, which is the broad brush you can't
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: be a homosexual and be in our school.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: We're not what the word like.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: That's not what it sees.
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: So Katie, I'm telling you what the legislation is. Section
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: thirty seven A is removing the ability for religious schools
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: to have an exemption to discriminate based on gender, sexuality, orientation.
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  Speaker 3: There is a protection in there under section thirty five
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: that they can still if it is part of and
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: the word is occupational qualification.
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: So it is up to the schools to.
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: Decide what the occupational qualification is. But an example is
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: the religious education teacher, the principal, the chaplain, the vice principal.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: They can discriminate.
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  Speaker 1: You've obviously got a situation where former labor members have
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: come out there against these changes. Do you have everybody
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: in your caucus on board our caucus support. It's the
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: fact that we need to have fairness, equality and inclusion,
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: and that we have organizations say we don't use that,
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: we include everyone. Yet we're saying, well, the law should
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: match that, and they have a problem. So what I
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: can absolutely say to territorians is there is and I
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: won't repeat it for the interest of time, but Section
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: thirty five provides a protection.
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  Speaker 2: But we don't.
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  Speaker 3: Believe that there should be a broad brush based on
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: someone's sexuality, for example, they can be discriminated against. And
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: the other thing, Katie, is it's really important. It's the
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: school might employ someone that person is precarious. They're relying
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: on the principle and school principles change. You have one
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: principle that's really supportive, the next principle might not have
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: those views and they could be discriminated against.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: And so have there been examples where this has happened
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory where people have not been employed
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: because of their sexuality, Katie, I don't have.
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: The specific examples before me, but you would think that
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: you would if you're changing this whole legislation based on that,
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: you would actually think that you would. But what I
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: was about to say was, yes, there are examples, and
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: I gave you the example where there's in some commie
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: unities a religious based school of faith based school is
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: the only school in that community. Yet someone that is
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: a traditional owner can be discriminated against.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: So there, obviously it's happened in what are the communities, Katie.
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  Speaker 3: My understanding across the territory and we need to make
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: sure that we have inclusion and equality and as I
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: just pointed out, we can't just rely on oh, we
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: won't do that. Well, if you won't do that, why
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: do you have a problem that we're changing the law.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: What about when it comes to these changes if someone
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: is well of someone being offended or insulted. Do you
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: think that we're going to see people unnecessarily hauled before
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: the Anti Discrimination Commissioner having to explain themselves.
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: No, and this, Katie, is something that we've looked really carefully.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: The Northern Territory doesn't have any antiphilification law. Are the
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: jurisdictions where the last to come on board. It has
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: to be a profound and serious effect. But this is
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: something Katie. When I've met with church leaders, they've explained
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: to me that when they're giving a religious service, they
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: might be talking about the Bible. Someone could find that
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: offensive and it could be profound, but there is a
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: protection for them under Section fifty that they can do so.
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: And in fact, if we've seen many church services live
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: streamed now because it's just more preferable for people if
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: they're older or unwell and they still want to receive
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: their service. So, Katie, there are protections built into this act.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: But it is giving us if someone has profound and
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: serious you know they're vilifying someone, there is protect us.
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: In the media. Like what about for us in the media.
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: I know I've written a column before that somebody had
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: taken great offense to when I said that, you know
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: that barbers should be for men and that you know,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: we as women shouldn't feel as though we're entitled to
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: being able to go there just because we want to.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: And somebody did take great offense to that. They'd written
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: a whole you know, written a whole response to me,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: and we're very very unhappy with it. So where is
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: the line drawn?
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: So it's profound and serious effect, and it is based
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: on law, and we've seen a number of these cases
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: around the country, and it must you know, it's not
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: intended the word offend. It must be you know, it's
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: not its everyday meaning. In this context, it must be
• 11:03
  Speaker 3: that more profound and serious.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: So what about.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: Wicking, for example, if he was still drawing his cartoon
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory News and you know, had depicted
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: somebody in a certain way that you know that they
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: found incredibly offensive.
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: So Katie's designed for when you know someone is making
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: light or a joke, but it has to be that
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: profound and serious. And I think it is important that
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: there are some you know, aspects of cartooning that can
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: have that really serious impact on someone, you know, if
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: they're specifically targeting their race.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: Determines if it is profound and serious.
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, it's based on case law from around Australia already.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: So the Anti Discrimination Commissioner is the first step, and
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: then we have the Northern Churchary Civilian Administrative Tribunal.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: And so for example, though if somebody is like say myself,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: if I was in a situation where somebody put a
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: complaint against something that I had said that they found
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: profoundly offensive on even though we certainly have to adhere
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: to certain media laws and ethics on the show, but
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: then I'm forced to go through a very costly expensive exercise,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: presumingly to defend myself. No, Katie, So the commissioner, the
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Anti Discrimination Commissioner would look at the complaint and you know,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: look at that and decide under the Act how it's
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: being interpreted. And then the first step would be speaking
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: to the person that has made said written.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: That would be a first step. It's not designed to
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: go through a costly court process. It's designed to be
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: within the Commissioner and as I said, the NTCAT is
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: that step.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: But we're forced to defend ourselves like somebody's forced to
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: defend themselves then to the Anti Discrimination Commissioner, and they're
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: the judge and jury as to whether it goes a
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: step further.
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: No, So, Katie, in terms of we it's around making
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: sure it comes back to that point that I was
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: saying before, that the territory is fair and that we're
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: inclusive and that we have equality as our principles. And
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: sometimes people don't realize that they're being offensive, they don't
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: interpret it that way, and so there is high thresholds
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: within the Act for the Commissioner to uphold.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's the whole point. Though I guess that
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: everybody understands that, and everybody feels pretty you know, pretty okay,
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: I think with the majority of the changes. But these
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: two areas are the two areas where a lot of
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: people seem to be incredibly concerned, but by the sounds
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: of it, the government's going to push through with this regardless.
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, the vilification where the last jurisdiction that doesn't
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: have vilification laws. So there's been examples around the country.
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: It's based on the Federal Commonwealth racial discrimination.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: So they include that offend or in salt.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: Clause Katie, that is my understanding, yes.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: And so then with the other side of things with
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: the religious freedoms, yep, with the religious freedoms, So the
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: government is pushing forward with that as well.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, we believe that thirty five provides the protection
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: for religious institutions to operate in a faith based way,
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: but we don't believe in discrimination based on someone's sexual orientation, there, gender,
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: you know those aspects.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: What about discrimination based on someone's religious beliefs?
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, that comes to the point where around the
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: occupational qualification, So the school makes that decision.
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: Does the gardener, the caretaker do they need that?
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: And I don't know of a situation that they would,
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: but they may decide that. That is up to each school.
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: We won't be forcing this upon the religious based schools.
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: They will decide the occupational qualification what it is, and
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: if it is that they need to have that religious
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: faith base.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Then they have that protection under Section thirty five.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: So it is going to push through, though, is it
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: this week that it's expected to pass.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: We do anticipate this bill passing, Katie, And as I've
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: been articulating to you, this is an issue that some
• 14:44
  Speaker 3: people have a different view. But there is a lot
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: of people, a minority group that feel the impacts of
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: not having this legislation each and every day and that
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: threat hanging over them.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: And so what about so with those religious groups, for example,
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: are you going to re meet with them and explain
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: this to them.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a really important point that's been lost. Like
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: some people agree, some people disagree. Like, we've you know,
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: been through a journey on this and we believe this
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: is the right thing for the Northern Territory. The legislation
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: is anticipated to be gazetted next July, so that allows
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: for people to over the next months look at how
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: it would be enacted in their situation. So we've allowed
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: plenty of time there for them to do that.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: One of the questions that did keep coming up on
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: the text line is why is the government still able
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: to or why is a political party then still able
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: to or you know, why have you got freedoms in
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: terms of whether you employ someone that's part of the
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: same party or not.
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: No, So the people in my team. They must respect
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: me and you know and what I'm trying to do
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: and the values. But we don't force people to join
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: the Labor Party. There's no political affiliation that's forced upon people.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: What about inside parliament to you guys still then protected
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: by parliamentary privilege if one of you says something that
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: offends or insults someone.
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: So parliamentarians, parliament privilege is well established around Australia and
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: there's not any changes to that legislation.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: I mean, some people will feel like that's unfair if
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: you can get in there and say whatever, but you
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: know outside you can't.
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: So Katie, in terms of this legislation, it's not going
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: to be you know, someone's at a barbecue or they
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: overhear something at the pub.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: It's not about that. But it's about.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: People continuously blatantly vilifying minority groups in our community and
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: they know that there's no laws to stop that. Yet
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: if they did the same thing in Queensland or South Australia,
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: they would be.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: All right, We're going to have to move along. Over
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: the weekend, more crime on the streets in Alice Springs.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Another vehicle stolen and driven recklessly and dangerously through the
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: CBD ramming cars. The government has got a duty of
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: care here to keep people safe and this is now becoming,
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: unfortunately a regular occurrence. What urgent work is happening to
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: stop this from happening again on territory rides.
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: So when I was in Ala Springs, I met with
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: police and they explain to me the actions that they're
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: putting in place to stop this behavior. It is unacceptable,
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: it is disappointing, and it is frustrating for me. So
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: they are certainly working in this space and specifically to
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: the question around the community of Ola Springs around what
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: they can do to deter this behavior.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: I mean, how soon do you think we're going to
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: see a change here? How soon do you actually think
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: that we're going to stop saying this kind of thing
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: on the streets. So, Katie, we're ensuring that police have
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: the resources to do their job. They certainly are operationalizing
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: this behavior. So it has been a change behavior. It's
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: something that we've seen across some of the social media platforms.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: But they certainly respond to the needs of the community.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Where are things at now, We've taking kids to a
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: safe location at night if they do not have parental supervision.
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, my understanding is that that's not far off.
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: Some days, maybe a week away. Speaking to the minister,
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: so they've got a couple of locations identified. So that
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: and this, Katie, is not about taking young people. It's
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: just about providing that circuit breaker late at night. So
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: you take a young person home, you assess the situation,
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: you think they're fine with Grainny. An hour later, you
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: find them on the streets. It's about that circuit breaker.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: Here's a safe place, have a sleep, let's work it
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: out in the light of day. So we're not far
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: off that at all.
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: All right, this morning you've been out to announce forty
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: million dollars is going to be invested over the next
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: five years to deliver early circuit breaker parenting support programs.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: So over the coming months, government agencies and service providers
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: are going to continue to work together to expand these
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: programs and enhance the response to specifically target kids eleven
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: years and under and their parents when they show signs
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: of engaging well at risk behavior. Can you explain to
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: our listeners how these programs are going to help to
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: keep territory and safe, Katie, this.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: Is really important.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: I Thank you for the question, because often community they
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: get that these kids are in a really difficult situation,
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: that the home life not not be the best. So
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: what we have as a number of programs, so we've
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: got back on track that supports young people to try
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: and divert them from en during the justice system. We
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: then have the Youth Diversion, So I was at Danella
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: deal with this morning, which where they're doing police ordered diversion.
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: So they've had fifty young people since July first, and
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: they've got an intense three month program where these young
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: people go through therapeutic but also you know, taking them
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: to the hospital showing them the impact of trauma first
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: hand so that they can change their behaviors with that understanding.
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: So we've also got camps as well as the restorative conferencing.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: So there's a number of aspects to what we are now.
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: So is it new money, Katie. This is money that's
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: been within the budget and we will continue to invest
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: in this space because it is really important that we
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: stop young people from entering that cycle of the justice system.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: All right, now, a couple of other quick things I
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: know this morning the government's launched a new website which
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: is say we'll address the harmful impacts of alcohol misuse
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: because it makes it easier to review data and trends
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: about alcohol harm. How is a website going to do that?
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, this we are working around having real time
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: data for those that work in this space. That this
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: is the first step which provides essentral information around the
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: alcohol policy, the data monitoring work that we're doing, information
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: around the approaches that we're taking because for example, with
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: the band Drinker register, there is a number of pathways
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: onto that. So this is a central point of information
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: around alcohol related harm and our approach in the territory.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: Does the data include any information about alcohol related crime?
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: And do you think we're getting to the point where
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: maybe that should be included in our crime statistics.
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: So Katie, we do have a number of crime statistics
• 20:31
  Speaker 3: and I'd have to go away and look at them
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: that do have alcohol as a factor. But this is
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: our step towards an alcohol data dashboard for those that
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: are working in this space, so that we can have
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: up to date information from a range of areas.
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: They don't the crime stats at the moment sort of
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: break it down as assault, domestic violence, related assault. There
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: is alcohol related assault, but I mean sort of crime
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: that you know, where people are breaking in, stealing alcohol,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Is it time for us to
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: have a look at whether that's included in the crime
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: stats so we can actually see the impact that it's
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: having in that way.
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, the crime statistics and the way that they're
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: formulated are based on information that are collected from police.
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: I'm happy to take on board the point that you've
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: made and see if there's some way that can be incorporated.
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: We do know that alcohol is a factoring a large
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: range of offenses right across the Northern Territory. It's the
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: biggest social challenge we face. It costs our community significantly,
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: but it is a legal product, so we try and
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: put in place balances that protect the community but do
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: respect people's right to access.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Alright, Chief Minister, we've run out of time. We're going
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: to have to leave it there. Thank you, as always
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: for catching up with us this morning.
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: Thank you