Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro condemns the politicisation of the Kumanjayi Walker shooting death

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Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro condemns the politicisation of the Kumanjayi Walker shooting death · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, NT Police officer Zach Roff was on
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  Speaker 1: Friday acquitted on all charges over the shooting death of
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  Speaker 1: Kumen Jai Walker in Undmu in twenty nineteen, after jurors
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  Speaker 1: returned a unanimous not guilty verdict. It took around seven
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: hours for the jury to determine mister Rolf not guilty
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  Speaker 1: on all three charges. The effects, as I said earlier,
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  Speaker 1: have certainly been felt far and wide. The leader of
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  Speaker 1: the Opposition, Leah Fanocchiaro, says, the verdict has sent a
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  Speaker 1: clear message that Territorians back our police in the difficult
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  Speaker 1: circumstances in which they work, and support the confronting and
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  Speaker 1: sometimes tragic decisions that they have to make in the
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  Speaker 1: line of duty. The opposition leader joins me on the
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  Speaker 1: line right now, Good morning to you, Leah.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, to your listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Leah, you say this ordeal has left the community divided,
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  Speaker 1: a police force abandoned, the politicization of a police shooting,
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  Speaker 1: and a total absence of leadership and fortitude.
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  Speaker 3: What leads you to this conclusion?
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  Speaker 2: This has been a terrible time chapter in our history, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: and certainly there are only losers to come from it.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, we have a young man who lost his life.
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  Speaker 2: We have a young constable who has had to go
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  Speaker 2: through more than a two year process of being on
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  Speaker 2: trial for murder, which of course he was found he
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  Speaker 2: was acquitted of all charges for on Friday. Our police
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  Speaker 2: force have been feeling the impact of this deeply and
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  Speaker 2: I think it's got to have played a very large
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  Speaker 2: role in the police attrition rate we've seen. Of course,
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  Speaker 2: this case is called into question police's ability to use
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  Speaker 2: force and make decisions in those challenging times, and we
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  Speaker 2: send our police out to do a job that you know,
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  Speaker 2: none of us want to do. They're there to protect
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  Speaker 2: us and protect the community. So this has had a
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  Speaker 2: ripple effect throughout the nation. In fact, Kati and of
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  Speaker 2: course people in uend Demu are undoubtedly continuing to grieve
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  Speaker 2: and it's been a colossal mess and we want a
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  Speaker 2: very clear process of an inquiry to now look very
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  Speaker 2: closely at what led up to the decision to charge
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  Speaker 2: Constable Roles in the first place.
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  Speaker 1: Leah, have you spoken to police officers over the weekend
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  Speaker 1: and what have they said to you.
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  Speaker 2: I'm just trying to think. I don't think I have. Actually,
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  Speaker 2: I of course went to the Police Auxiliary graduation on
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  Speaker 2: Friday afternoon, but no one was talking about the trial. Look,
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  Speaker 2: you know, this is something that people are feeling, There's
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  Speaker 2: no question about it, Katie. I'm sure men and women
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  Speaker 2: in Blue will be feeling mixed emotions. There will be relief,
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  Speaker 2: of course, many of them will be in Alice Springs
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  Speaker 2: supporting the effort down there to keep calm and make
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  Speaker 2: sure that there is as little community unrest as possible.
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  Speaker 2: But of course the coronial is still to come and
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  Speaker 2: that will lead to undoubtedly a range of recommendations for
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  Speaker 2: the police and for government to consider going forward. But
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  Speaker 2: Comfortable Role has been has been cleared, the char have
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  Speaker 2: been cleared, and the Police Association and Confortable Role lawyers
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  Speaker 2: have very clearly said there was not a thorough investigation.
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  Speaker 2: In the lead up to the charges. We had Michael
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  Speaker 2: Gunner go down to you and demo and promise the
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  Speaker 2: people of you and admitted consequences would flow. And then
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  Speaker 2: we had the former IK Commissioner in Alice Springs saying
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  Speaker 2: that if anyone doesn't think black lives matter, they're they're corrupt.
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  Speaker 2: So there was a lot going on at the start
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  Speaker 2: of this. Katie and that's what our inquiry needs to
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  Speaker 2: look at all.
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  Speaker 1: Right, So you are calling for this full independent inquiry.
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  Speaker 1: You say that the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner has got
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  Speaker 1: serious questions to answer over the appearance of political interference
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  Speaker 1: prior to those charges being laid after he promised the
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  Speaker 1: residents of you and Demove just days after the shooting.
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  Speaker 1: As we know that consequences will flow, what exactly are
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  Speaker 1: you concerned with here?
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  Speaker 2: So we believe there needs to be a thorough independent
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  Speaker 2: investigation from government on those four to five days prior
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  Speaker 2: to Constable Role being charged. Of course, the Police Association
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  Speaker 2: have very clearly said that there was a proper investigation
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  Speaker 2: to inform the making of the decision to charge. We've
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  Speaker 2: had the Chief Minister go to you and demove and
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  Speaker 2: call for that's saying that consequences will flow and making
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  Speaker 2: that commitment to the community and certainly territorians and you know,
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  Speaker 2: I talked to a lot of people as to UKD
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  Speaker 2: People feel like something about that decision to charge Constable
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  Speaker 2: Role of stinks and that's what an inquiry needs to
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  Speaker 2: look at. I'm not determining the outcome and I certainly
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  Speaker 2: won't be the inquirer but what we want this inquiry
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  Speaker 2: to focus on is why was he charged, who charged,
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  Speaker 2: who made the decision to charge, and was their political interference?
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  Speaker 1: So you obviously feel as though there was political interference
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  Speaker 1: to be calling for a full inquiry here.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we want confidence, We want Territorians to have confidence
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  Speaker 2: in our justice system, and there just isn't. This has
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  Speaker 2: had such a profound impact on our community and on
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  Speaker 2: our police force that we can't just sweep it under
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  Speaker 2: the carpet. Now the decision has been made, people are
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  Speaker 2: now able to express their views about what we're on
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  Speaker 2: and so a full independent inquiry needs to take place.
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  Speaker 2: And the government can't have a hand in this, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I can't emphasize that enough. They cannot control the terms
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  Speaker 2: of reference, they cannot pick the person who undertakes the inquiry,
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  Speaker 2: and they cannot help administer the inquiry itself. This needs
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  Speaker 2: to be at complete armed lengths from government to clear
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  Speaker 2: the air and give Territorians and the police force the
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  Speaker 2: confidence they need to move forward.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Lie, So obviously you've got concerns about the
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  Speaker 1: comments that were made by the Chief Minister Michael Gunner,
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  Speaker 1: and you know the worry around those comments do you
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  Speaker 1: have concerns around the police executive and how they've conducted thanks.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it would all be part of the inquiry, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: So obviously a number of things would have happened in
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  Speaker 2: those four or five days, and whether or not the
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  Speaker 2: Gunner government had any political interference applied pressure, all of
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  Speaker 2: those things will be considered. But it's really important that we,
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  Speaker 2: you know, the point of this inquiries to make sure
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  Speaker 2: this never happens again, because we have dragged a family
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  Speaker 2: and a community through a court process which has left
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  Speaker 2: them feeling like justice has not been done. We have
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  Speaker 2: dragged a young constable through a process and his family
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  Speaker 2: and the entire police force, and so it's really important
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  Speaker 2: that we go back and learn the lessons and work
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  Speaker 2: out why this happened in the first place, and if
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  Speaker 2: there was political interference that needs a light shone on it.
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  Speaker 1: You've said in your statement that you issued over the
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  Speaker 1: weekend that the ordeal has left the community divided and
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  Speaker 1: a police force abandoned.
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  Speaker 3: Who do you feel they've been abandoned by?
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  Speaker 2: I just think police feel absolutely abandoned at every level, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: We've seen police attrition go through the roof over this period.
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  Speaker 2: I've got no doubt that this lack of clarity around
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  Speaker 2: police's ability to use force or have the provisions around
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  Speaker 2: exercising their job in the line of duty. I think
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  Speaker 2: all of that has paid a heavy, heavy toll on
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  Speaker 2: the minds of many many police and it's had a
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  Speaker 2: terrible impact going forward. But what we need is our
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  Speaker 2: police to feel like there's ordered to do their job,
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  Speaker 2: which clearly the result from Friday has shown, so that
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  Speaker 2: they can go out and continue to protect the community.
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  Speaker 2: I think really the set the remarks from the judge
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  Speaker 2: when he was giving guidance to the jury prior to
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  Speaker 2: them making their deliberations, when he said, you know, words
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  Speaker 2: to the effect of everyone has a right to defend
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  Speaker 2: themselves and defend others, and police in fact have a
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  Speaker 2: duty to do that. I think that was a really
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  Speaker 2: important statement for the judge to have made and certainly
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  Speaker 2: would have come as great comfort to police. Lea.
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  Speaker 3: Do you support the police executive?
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  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, I mean, you know, we have a terrific
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  Speaker 2: police force. But that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be
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  Speaker 2: an inquiry into why comfortable role was charged in the
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  Speaker 2: first place, and whether or not there was political interference.
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  Speaker 1: Now I know the Police Commissioner has faced criticism over
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  Speaker 1: the weekend for not answering questions at a press conference
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  Speaker 1: or that was on Friday.
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  Speaker 3: Didn't answer those questions. What did you make of that?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, I felt like the statement was quite unclear, but
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  Speaker 2: I'm not going to commentate on the decisions of the
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  Speaker 2: Police Commissioner. I'll let others judge his performance on that one, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: But certainly what we know is the Chief Minister was
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  Speaker 2: rather quiet as well on this issue, and I think
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  Speaker 2: a lot of people are wondering whether he's gone down
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  Speaker 2: to you and to me to now explain why consequences
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  Speaker 2: haven't flowed.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think that Zakrov should be able to return
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  Speaker 1: to the police force.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Well, I'm not aware exactly of how all of
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  Speaker 2: those processes take place, and of course I've read through
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  Speaker 2: various media outlets that there's additional disciplinary action being taken.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not aware of that detail. I've just obviously heard
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  Speaker 2: about it like others. But certainly, reviewing our discipline system
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  Speaker 2: is something this government has promised for a number of
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  Speaker 2: years now, and we still are no closer to getting
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  Speaker 2: that resolve so that there's efficient ways in which police
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  Speaker 2: discipline can be dealt with that's not overly burdensome and
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  Speaker 2: traumatic for the police force as they go through that process.
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  Speaker 2: So it's all part of a bigger picture.
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  Speaker 1: Look, it is being reported that Section seventy nine has
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  Speaker 1: been push on on Zach Rolf after speaking to the media.
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  Speaker 1: Have you heard about that.
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  Speaker 2: I've heard about it yet, but I don't know if
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  Speaker 2: that's true or not.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I guess what I'm getting to Lea is obviously
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  Speaker 1: based on the statement that you provided and also what
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  Speaker 1: you've told me this morning, you do feel as though
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  Speaker 1: the Chief Minister and the Government have got questions to
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  Speaker 1: answer here, which is why you've called for this full
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  Speaker 1: and independent inquiry. But what I am keen to find
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  Speaker 1: out from you is whether you feel as though the
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  Speaker 1: Police executive and those in senior roles within the police
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  Speaker 1: force have done the right thing by their constable.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that will all come out in the inquiry, I
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  Speaker 2: dare say, Katie, and that's why it's so important that
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  Speaker 2: we have one. You know, there would have been a
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  Speaker 2: number of people involved in this decision, and certainly it
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  Speaker 2: brings major alarm bells to me when you see that
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  Speaker 2: he was acquitted of all charges when you have the
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  Speaker 2: Police Association coming out and saying there was no proper
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  Speaker 2: investigation prior to charges being laid. When you have the
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  Speaker 2: k Commissioner making comments at public rallies and the Chief
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  Speaker 2: Minister making comments in YOUU and demo at public rallies,
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  Speaker 2: you know that whole picture just doesn't pass the pub test.
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  Speaker 2: It doesn't sit well for anyone, and that's exactly what
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  Speaker 2: this inquiry needs to focus on, is how did we
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  Speaker 2: get to this point where the Constable Rolf was charged?
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  Speaker 1: All right, Lea Fanocchiaro, the opposition leader, we appreciate your
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  Speaker 1: time this morning.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks so much for speaking with us.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, take care.
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you,