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Katie Woolf spoke with Police Association President Paul McCue · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one oh four point nine three
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  Speaker 1: sixty now. As you would have heard yesterday morning, the
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  Speaker 1: opposition leader Leofanocchi Airo had called for parliament to be
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  Speaker 1: recalled for a day to get legislation across the line
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to youth offending and some of the
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  Speaker 1: issues that we're seeing with reoffending. Now joining me on
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  Speaker 1: the line is the Police Association President Paul Mchughue. Good
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  Speaker 1: morning to you.
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  Speaker 2: Paul, Very good morning, Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Now Paul, yesterday we did have the opposition leader Leofanocchio
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  Speaker 1: calling for parliament to be recalled for a day. The
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  Speaker 1: government stood firm and said that this legislation is able
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  Speaker 1: to be introduced and they are hopeful that it's going
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  Speaker 1: to pass in those may settings. Is that soon enough?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, obviously it's a very hot topic, isn't it.
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  Speaker 2: And certainly from a policing perspective, our members, you know,
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  Speaker 2: are the ones at the very much at the forefront
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  Speaker 2: of the impact and of course victims out there that
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  Speaker 2: are being broken into and so forth, so certainly from
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  Speaker 2: our perspective. Obviously, there were a lot of announcements yesterday
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  Speaker 2: through the CLP. Some of those are very similar to
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  Speaker 2: what Labor proposed in terms of mister Gunner's announcement last
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  Speaker 2: month around toughest ever bail laws. You know, certainly, from
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  Speaker 2: our perspective, if there's some similarities, you know, we certainly
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  Speaker 2: support parliament being brought on early May. Obviously we'll be
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  Speaker 2: consumed with budget speak and you know, certainly it's something
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  Speaker 2: that we're very keen to see change. I've just been
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  Speaker 2: down to track myself to visit members in in Tenant
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  Speaker 2: Creek and Alice Springs and certainly this is high on
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  Speaker 2: their agenda.
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  Speaker 1: So, Paul, I mean, is there something that our police
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  Speaker 1: officers across the board are raising with you. Are they
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  Speaker 1: concerned about recidivism when it comes to youth offending it
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  Speaker 1: and are they feeling as though their hands are tied?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? Look absolutely, I mean when you talk about some
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  Speaker 2: of the current laws in place, and you know, obviously
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  Speaker 2: the term week bail laws is often thrown around, but
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  Speaker 2: certainly from a police perspective, all we can do is
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  Speaker 2: attend matters. We deal with matters as best we can,
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  Speaker 2: and sometimes add include is apprehending people and what happens
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  Speaker 2: after that at the moment because of the laws is
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  Speaker 2: out of their hands. And you know, one classic example
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  Speaker 2: of that is the Youth Justice Acted in Section eight
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  Speaker 2: AM where it talks about interviewing a youth and there's
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  Speaker 2: very little police can do and it almost does feel
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  Speaker 2: like the hands are tied in terms of being able
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  Speaker 2: to speak to a youth in relation to a crime.
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  Speaker 2: So it is certainly something that needs to be looked at,
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  Speaker 2: and certainly a lot of feedback we receive and I
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  Speaker 2: know the Government have been receiving that same feedback from
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  Speaker 2: members on the ground.
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  Speaker 1: So what you're telling me this morning, Paul, is that
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  Speaker 1: this is a very real issue for our Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: police right now.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. I mean we get spoken to almost on a
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  Speaker 2: daily basis about youth crime about you know what it
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  Speaker 2: means in the impact it's having on police resourcing and
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  Speaker 2: certainly their ability to just simply do their job. And
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  Speaker 2: you know that if that's not a warning sign to
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  Speaker 2: the government, then it should be. And I know, having
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  Speaker 2: spoken with the government and many of the members on
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  Speaker 2: the ground, particularly down there in Alice Springs, they have
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  Speaker 2: raised these issues from decembronwards effectively.
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  Speaker 1: Now I know that efforts are being made, obviously to
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  Speaker 1: bolster the force more recruits. The latest recruit squad the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police is welcoming twenty nine new constables into
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  Speaker 1: the ranks. That was towards the end of last week's
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  Speaker 1: squad one hundred and forty. I believe it was how
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  Speaker 1: are we looking when it comes to numbers and having
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  Speaker 1: enough police to be able to really have enough patrols
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  Speaker 1: on the road.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, obviously it was great to see another squad
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  Speaker 2: graduate last week and obviously pretty much all of those
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  Speaker 2: members head down the track towards Captaine Tenant Creek and
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  Speaker 2: Alice Springs and Alice Springs is certainly you needing a
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  Speaker 2: boost in numbers. Obviously there's still a lot of frontline
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  Speaker 2: requirement and a lot of resourcing issue there in terms
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  Speaker 2: of making sure they've got the numbers to do the job.
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  Speaker 2: But look, they're doing a great job. It's great to see.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously the recruiting is heavy at the moment and we
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  Speaker 2: welcome that, and I know that Missioner has committed to
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  Speaker 2: keeping that up as long as it needs to make
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  Speaker 2: sure the numbers are there, so we're pleased with that.
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  Speaker 1: We also know that there has been the promotion of
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  Speaker 1: six members of well they're going to the rank of superintendent.
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  Speaker 1: How important is this ability to be able to move
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  Speaker 1: up the ranks within the force.
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  Speaker 2: It's extremely important. And I know the commissioners he's a
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  Speaker 2: local himself, and you know he's keen to see as
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  Speaker 2: many locals promoted through the ranks as possible. And I
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  Speaker 2: know the most recent recent appointments have been welcomed, and
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  Speaker 2: I know, you know there will be plenty more to come. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: there's always some movement amongst the ranks, and you know
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  Speaker 2: it's always good to see promotions and you know those
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  Speaker 2: people will be working in all areas of the territory,
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  Speaker 2: which is pleasing to see.
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  Speaker 1: Paul, just going back to those legislative changes, what will
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  Speaker 1: happen for our territory police or how are police going
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  Speaker 1: to feel if this legislation isn't able to get across
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  Speaker 1: the line in May.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, obviously it'll be a concern. I mean, what
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  Speaker 2: we when we think about what possible consequences there are,
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  Speaker 2: we talk about more victims, and we talk about we
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  Speaker 2: need to focus on the victims heavily, and we need
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  Speaker 2: to focus on the frontline resourcing. And I think if
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  Speaker 2: there's an opportunity to come forward earlier than may to
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  Speaker 2: make some significant change that will help those frontline workers,
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  Speaker 2: including our hardworking police, then it should be considered. I
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  Speaker 2: know the Commissioner will be speaking to the government about this,
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  Speaker 2: is no doubt, and we obviously want to make sure
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  Speaker 2: everything's in place that we can to support our police
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  Speaker 2: on the front line, and this is one aspect of that.
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  Speaker 2: And as I mentioned, it's not just by all laws,
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  Speaker 2: it's perhaps looking at some of the other legislation that
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  Speaker 2: exists as well.
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  Speaker 1: So would you go so far as to say that
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  Speaker 1: the government maybe really does need to sit down with
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  Speaker 1: the opposition here and look at recalling parliament for a day.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, weok. Obviously when you talk about what's being proposed,
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  Speaker 2: and I know the Chief Minister was outlining that he
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  Speaker 2: doesn't want to. He wants to make sure things are right.
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  Speaker 2: He wants to make sure we're not just helping the offenders.
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  Speaker 2: I guess that the difficulty is the perception out there
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  Speaker 2: is certainly that that's been taking place for a long
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  Speaker 2: time now. So we've got to we've got to, you know,
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  Speaker 2: this has to be a break in the chain. This
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  Speaker 2: has to be the time when we sit down and
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  Speaker 2: say enough's enough. And if you continue to delay any
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  Speaker 2: amending to laws that possibly could come into place early,
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  Speaker 2: well then obviously that's going to create more victims out
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  Speaker 2: there and then create more work for our police. So
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  Speaker 2: certainly something that is high on the agenda and we're
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  Speaker 2: very keen for government to consider it urgently.
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  Speaker 1: Police Association President Paul mchue. Always good to catch up
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  Speaker 1: with you. We'll talk to you again soon.
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  Speaker 2: Good on you. Thanks Katie, Thank you.
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  Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one O four point nine
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