Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Araluen Robin Lambley talks serious crime issues, and the contributing factor of alcohol, in Alice Springs

Transcript

Member for Araluen Robin Lambley talks serious crime issues, and the contributing factor of alcohol, in Alice Springs · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is Robin Lamley,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the Member for our Alu and the independent Member for
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: our Alum. Good morning to you, Robin.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.
• 0:09
  Speaker 3: Robin.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: It's been an interesting time, no doubt about it. I
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: know that yesterday the huge focus outside of Parliament was
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: the health system and the crisis that our health system
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: is under at the moment. Both the AMA and the
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Nurses Federation speaking to me on the show, you know,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: questioning whether we need to call in federal help in
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: some way, or whether the National Critical Care and Trauma
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Response Center needed to be called in called in to
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: help at our hospitals around the territory. Robin, from your perspective,
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: how is our health system coping right now?
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Well, look, I'd take the advice of the experts, Katie,
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: certainly when it comes to the top end. In Alice Springs,
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: the Health Minister reported on radio earlier in the week
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: that we had forty six COVID patients in the Alice
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: Springs Hospital, which is a lot for a small regional
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: hospital like Alice Springs. And I know that there's a
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: lot of pressure on the staff and the system in
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Alice Springs. Last night I ran in motion asking for
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: the government once again to start planning for a new
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Alice Springs hospital over the next ten years. They rejected
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: that they think that everything's okay in Alice Springs. But look,
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: I think this is something maybe when the pressure is
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: taken off, when we have time to reflect on the
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: impact of COVID, that all our hospital acute hospital health
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: services in particular should be assessed and we need to
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: start planning for the future. If the Rule Darwin Hospital
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: is not coping, the Palmerston Regional Hospital and new hospitals
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: not coping, and the Alice Springs Hospital is certainly under
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: the pump, then you know the government needs to listen.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: They don't seem to be doing a lot of lately.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Well, Robin, it it seems that way. I know there's
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: a few things I want to ask you about. Yesterday
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: in Parliament you actually asked the Chief Minister what is
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: the cost of crime to Alice Springs right now? And
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: you spoke about the hardship that a lot of Central
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Australian businesses are going through. We've spoken to different businesses
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: on numerous occasions. You know, one flick through the Action
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: for Alice Facebook page and you can see that Alice
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Springs is really going through a tough time with crime
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: at the moment.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: What was the Chief Minister's answer.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: Well, the Chief Minister's response was gobsmacking, Katie. He basically said,
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: there's nothing to see here. Alice Springs is booming, businesses
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: are booming. He did not acknowledge any impact of crime
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: on businesses or the economy of Alice Springs at all.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: He refused to acknowledge that many, if not if not all,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: businesses in Alice Springs have been impacted by crime, which
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: just left me and I think the people of Alice
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Springs speechless.
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: You know.
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  Speaker 1: The thing is sometimes that acknowledgment is really what you need,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: you know, to actually hear the Chief Miness to say,
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  Speaker 1: we know you're going through a really hard.
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Time, particularly you know.
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  Speaker 1: I've spoken to the Tourism CEO or the Central Australian
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: Tourism CEO, Daniel Rochford, about the hardship that that businesses
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: in Alice are going through related to tourism and also
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: the impact of crime. I've spoken to different business owners
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: who've told me quite horrifying stories that they're going through,
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  Speaker 1: and I just find it quite astonishing then that there's
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: not that acknowledgment from the government.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: Well, it's a sign of disrespect. But more than anything,
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: for a Chief Minister to say that means that he
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: is completely out of touch with what is actually happening
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: in Alice Springs. He claims to come down to Alice
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: Springs regularly, he claims to talk to business owners, but
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: clearly that's not the case. He might be talking to them,
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: but he's not listening, or he's refusing to acknowledge that
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: there's a problem because he then may have to do something. Look, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: it just leaves the people of Alice Springs feeling an
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: enormous sense of hopelessness and desperation.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: Robin, are you playing politics with this issue of crime
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: in Central Australia, Katie.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: I have a job to do. I represent the interests
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: of the people of Alice Springs. I'm paid to do it.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: It's like your job, it's like his job. I listen
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: to the people in my community. We are not exaggerating
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: the police crime stats speak volumes month on month for
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: at least the last couple of years. We have seen
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: astonishing increases in crime and the impact of that crime
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: is profound. Talk to any business owner in Alice Springs
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  Speaker 2: that has a shop, frunt or a business premises and
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  Speaker 2: you will hear that they have all been affected and
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  Speaker 2: that means it's cost them money and for some businesses
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  Speaker 2: it has cost them an enormous amount of money. So
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  Speaker 2: for the Chief Minister to deny that there's a problem
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  Speaker 2: really is just unacceptable. Am I playing politics? I'm a politician.
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: Of course I play politics, but this, I'm not exaggerating,
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  Speaker 2: is a massive problem in the town and it's got
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: worse over the last two years.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: Robin.
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  Speaker 1: I also know yesterday that you introduced a motion. I
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: believe it won't be discussed till a little bit later
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: or the next sittings, but that Parliament House there'd be
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: a grog band, So basically no alcohol inside Parliament House
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: unless it's for an official function.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, that's right. It's been something I've been thinking about
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: for a long time. I think we all know that
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  Speaker 2: alcohol is the root of all evil in the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory and I think we need to lead by example.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: I think that what we've seen in the Federal Parliament
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: is the whole parliament take check of the culture within
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  Speaker 2: the Parliament, the behavior of members of Parliament to make
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: the work areas within the Northern Territory Parliament House alcohol
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  Speaker 2: free is a sensible and responsible step.
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  Speaker 3: And Robin, is that what's prompted it?
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  Speaker 1: What's going on in the federal Parliament or has there
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: been something happened in the Territory Parliament that's made you
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: think that it also needs to come into play.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: Well, I've been around this place for a long time
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  Speaker 2: now and I've seen first tan the negative impact of
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  Speaker 2: alcohol on the workplace here in Parliament House. I'm not
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  Speaker 2: going to cite any examples. I think you know, you
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: just have to sort of flick through the newspapers over
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: the last ten years and you can see that it
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: has been a problem at different times for different members
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  Speaker 2: within this place. I just think we need to lead
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  Speaker 2: by example. It's a small ask, it's a small sacrifice.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: I mean, if you work at Warlworth, you can't drink
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  Speaker 2: at worse. I'm sure you guys aren't sipping on a
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: beer as you're talking to me at the moment. So
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: why should politicians be allowed to drink it in their
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: workplace while they're in Parliament.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: I think it's a fair call yeah, I think it's
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: a very fair call. And I know that if you're
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: a truckie or if you're you know, a trades person,
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: no matter what job you're listening to, no matter what
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: job you're in, if you're listening to us have a
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: chat this morning, you're not able to have alcohol in
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: your system. So I don't understand why you'd be able
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: to if you're working inside Parliament House and.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: If you want to have a drink after work, walk
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  Speaker 2: down the road and spend your money in a local
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: bar or restaurant. You know, this is the problem. A
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: lot of grog comes into this place for functions within
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: the ministerial suites. I was a minister once, where you
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: have the grog trolley come in every now and then
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: and you put on the cannapis and the alcohol for
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: different people. That's not on really. You know, if you
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: want to have a meeting, if you want to engage
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: with people, go to a private business, sponsor them, give
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: them your patronage. And if you need formal functions within
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: the Parliament House and that's fine, you know, if you
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: want a ball or a reception or something, if the
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: Speaker's corner cafe, want to put on grog, that's fine,
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  Speaker 2: but in your office, in your ministerial suite, you shouldn't
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: be drinking.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Robin Lamley, I've got a message from one of
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  Speaker 1: our listeners. Well spoken, Robin. We all need, we need
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  Speaker 1: all politicians to be like you, one hundred percent behind
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  Speaker 1: your community, says that Texter.
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  Speaker 2: So no wows right o, Katie. I love a glass wine,
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  Speaker 2: but I don't need to brink at work.
• 8:55
  Speaker 3: Oh Robin, good to talk to you. We'll chat with
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: you tomorrow for the week that was you, Chi Caddy,
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: wonderful