Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the CLP is not in disarray following the president's resignation over a Voice to Parliament

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Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the CLP is not in disarray following the president's resignation over a Voice to Parliament · 360 with Katie Woolf

0:00
Speaker 1: We know that the CLP president, Lawson Broad will he's
0:02
Speaker 1: quit over the party's decision to oppose an Aboriginal and
0:05
Speaker 1: Torres Strait Islander voice to Parliament. Mister Broad told Sky
0:09
Speaker 1: News that he'd resigned from his position and given up
0:13
Speaker 1: his COLP membership after the party passed a resolution last
0:16
Speaker 1: month to oppose the voice. Now it is a concern
0:20
Speaker 1: for the COLP. Many saw the appointment of mister Broad
0:23
Speaker 1: as a real step forward for the COLP. It is
0:26
Speaker 1: very well known that he is a good campaigner out
0:29
Speaker 1: in the bush who is very strategic in that sense.
0:33
Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to talk more about
0:35
Speaker 1: this is the opposition leader, Leah Fanochiao. Good morning to you, Leah.
0:39
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie and to your listens. I'm coming live
0:42
Speaker 2: from Beautiful worm Younger on Bassi's Island. Oh good start
0:45
Speaker 2: here now, Leah.
0:46
Speaker 1: This was quite a shock yesterday Lawson Broad resigning as
0:49
Speaker 1: the president of the party. Is the party in disarray?
0:54
Speaker 2: Absolutely not, Katie. Of course, like any volunteer organization, we
0:58
Speaker 2: have a volunteer committee. Lawson of course putting hand up
1:02
Speaker 2: to be president and it's made a really personal decision.
1:05
Speaker 2: He very strongly supports the Voice and supports treaty, and
1:09
Speaker 2: so he made a very personal decision to step aside,
1:12
Speaker 2: and of course everyone respects that decision. We understand how
1:15
Speaker 2: important those issues are for him. And ultimately Sean Heen
1:20
Speaker 2: has been in that acting role for a number of
1:22
Speaker 2: months now while Lawson's been on leave, so it's really
1:25
Speaker 2: there's really no change from an operational level for the CLP.
1:29
Speaker 1: He said though, that his personal view is that these
1:32
Speaker 1: positions are offensive to a large number of Aboriginal people
1:35
Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory and the population more generally. He
1:39
Speaker 1: went on to say that they seek to undermine decades
1:42
Speaker 1: of successive and evolving efforts on both sides of politics
1:46
Speaker 1: to empower Aboriginal people and communities through recognition of language,
1:50
Speaker 1: culture and law, and by their nature, they have the
1:54
Speaker 1: potential to further entrench Aboriginal disadvantage and they create opportunity
2:00
Speaker 1: to be interpreted as racist. So that is in reference
2:04
Speaker 1: to the fact that the party had voted against the Voice.
2:08
Speaker 1: Is the party stance racist.
2:12
Speaker 2: Absolutely not, Katie. And as we know, these are laws
2:15
Speaker 2: and personal views, and everyone on this issue is entitled
2:18
Speaker 2: to their own vote, and that's why this referendum is
2:21
Speaker 2: so important. That's why I've been speaking to Labor and
2:25
Speaker 2: we've been calling on Federal Labor to provide more information
2:28
Speaker 2: to territories because I mean, even out here and where
2:31
Speaker 2: I'm younger, Katie, people don't really know what it is
2:33
Speaker 2: and what it's going to do. So that's why our
2:36
Speaker 2: position as a CLP opposition has been really clear. We
2:40
Speaker 2: want more information for the community. And ultimately this isn't
2:44
Speaker 2: a role for political parties or politicians because every Australian
2:47
Speaker 2: needs to understand what it is and the impacts and
2:50
Speaker 2: then make their own mind up about whether they support it.
2:53
Speaker 1: Look, I agree, I agree that it's certainly an individual
2:55
Speaker 1: choice and that we should all be educating ourselves to
2:58
Speaker 1: determine which way we are going to vote. But the
3:01
Speaker 1: party has taken a stand. I know it's not the
3:04
Speaker 1: parliamentary wing, but the party has taken that decision to
3:07
Speaker 1: oppose the voice.
3:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's absolutely right, and that's what's wonderful about political parties.
3:14
Speaker 2: People get involved so that you can debate policy, debate
3:17
Speaker 2: what's going on in our nation and form views. And
3:21
Speaker 2: so our party membership came together and made that decision
3:25
Speaker 2: that as a parliamentary member as a party membership, they
3:29
Speaker 2: would not be supporting the void for various reasons. And
3:33
Speaker 2: ultimately the COLP opposition position is that we need more
3:37
Speaker 2: information and every Australian is going to have their chance
3:40
Speaker 2: to mark their tick or flick on that ballot paper, Katie.
3:44
Speaker 2: But what we're really concerned about is people not understanding it.
3:48
Speaker 2: We've had a briefing with Senator McCarthy on this issue
3:51
Speaker 2: and we left with no more information than we had
3:54
Speaker 2: when we went in. We certainly hope this Senate inquiry
3:57
Speaker 2: is going to give more information to people, but it's
4:01
Speaker 2: a divisive issue. You walk down the street, you'll get
4:03
Speaker 2: people with a range of views.
4:04
Speaker 1: Well, look we you know, we have regular people listen
4:07
Speaker 1: to the show and talk to us and text us
4:09
Speaker 1: every single day about their opinions. So I've no doubt
4:12
Speaker 1: that it is divisive. But I guess what I'm getting
4:15
Speaker 1: to here is the parliamentary wing is undecided. You guys
4:19
Speaker 1: aren't exactly sure yet and you are waiting on that
4:22
Speaker 1: additional information, which I think is fair enough. But then
4:25
Speaker 1: the party has said that they're very firmly against the voice.
4:29
Speaker 1: So is there a real split here within the COLP, Oh.
4:33
Speaker 2: Absolutely not, Katie, and this happens often. A good example
4:37
Speaker 2: is that the last Labor conference, their party membership voted
4:40
Speaker 2: against on your Gas. The Labor Party's position is anti fracking,
4:46
Speaker 2: but obviously our Labor government position is to support a
4:50
Speaker 2: robust on your gas industry. So these types of things
4:53
Speaker 2: happen very regularly and political parties and that's the beauty
4:57
Speaker 2: of democracy. But ultimately, as a CLPR position, we don't
5:00
Speaker 2: see a role for us in this voice debate. Our
5:04
Speaker 2: voice will be used to make sure people understand what
5:07
Speaker 2: it is they're voting for. But just like every other Australian,
5:10
Speaker 2: we only have one vote in this and we'll each
5:13
Speaker 2: make up our mind on the day, Katie, much like
5:16
Speaker 2: every other territory in and Australian.
5:18
Speaker 1: Is there a power play right now though within the
5:21
Speaker 1: COLP between yourself and Just Enterprise.
5:24
Speaker 2: Absolutely not. Jacinta is proudly leading the no vote for
5:28
Speaker 2: this country and a lot of our party absolutely believe
5:32
Speaker 2: in what she's saying. There are also people who don't
5:36
Speaker 2: either way. As a parliamentary opposition, our biggest concern is
5:39
Speaker 2: around information and we're not part of a yes or
5:44
Speaker 2: a note because what we need to make sure is
5:46
Speaker 2: that we're finding on the issues that are affecting territorians
5:49
Speaker 2: every single day, and that's why our focus is on crime.
5:52
Speaker 2: Our focus is on building a strong economy, on making
5:55
Speaker 2: sure we've got the lifestyle that our kids should be
5:58
Speaker 2: able to enjoy going into the future. So that's what
6:00
Speaker 2: we're spending our day doing because we're territory members of Parliament.
6:04
Speaker 2: But it won't stop us holding schedual Labor to account
6:07
Speaker 2: because absolutely people out there in the real world don't
6:10
Speaker 2: understand what the voice is going to do for them. Lea.
6:13
Speaker 1: Do you reckon that it's going to impact you at
6:15
Speaker 1: the by election? Is it something that's being raised with you,
6:17
Speaker 1: you know, even today while you're out in a remote community.
6:21
Speaker 2: No, not at all. I've been right across the Arab
6:23
Speaker 2: You're a electorate over the last couple of weeks, Katie,
6:26
Speaker 2: and no one certainly raises it voluntarily. If you ask people,
6:30
Speaker 2: they just simply reply and say I don't know enough
6:33
Speaker 2: about it. And that's exactly what the CLP's position has
6:36
Speaker 2: been this entire time, and that's why we're fighting that fight,
6:40
Speaker 2: because it doesn't matter whether we're in the bush or
6:42
Speaker 2: in the regions or in the city. That's what people
6:44
Speaker 2: are telling us, and so that's why we're fighting for
6:47
Speaker 2: more info because that's what territorians are calling for.
6:50
Speaker 1: I did just get a message from a territorian who's
6:52
Speaker 1: text in and said, how do you oppose something that
6:54
Speaker 1: you don't know enough about?
6:57
Speaker 2: Well, that's a good question. Some people have formed early
7:00
Speaker 2: views and that's why there's a yes and a no camp.
7:03
Speaker 2: I mean, I note yesterday on your show, Katie Natasha
7:05
Speaker 2: Files is quick to be jumping on the bandwagon and
7:09
Speaker 2: trying to talk about me instead of spending time doing
7:11
Speaker 2: her job. But how can territory labor the labor governments
7:14
Speaker 2: have a position if they don't know what it is.
7:16
Speaker 2: That's my question as well. So anyway, it's a referendum.
7:20
Speaker 2: Everyone gets their chance, and I think that's really important.
7:24
Speaker 2: But ultimately I think people should when it comes to
7:26
Speaker 2: constitutional reform, there should be very high levels of clear,
7:30
Speaker 2: unbiased information.
7:32
Speaker 1: Leah, tell me, what's the situation now the vice president
7:35
Speaker 1: Sean Heenan he's now in the role. Is he remaining
7:38
Speaker 1: in that role or do you have to go Does
7:40
Speaker 1: the party have to go through sort of a process
7:42
Speaker 1: to appoint the next president.
7:45
Speaker 2: So Shawn's been acting for a number of months while
7:48
Speaker 2: Lawson's been on leave, so Sean will just continue acting.
7:52
Speaker 2: It's up to then the party at our next conference.
7:55
Speaker 2: We can hold an election if it's contested, or continue
7:59
Speaker 2: through to the annual and real meeting later this year.
8:01
Speaker 2: So it's really just a very ordinary process. Shaw's been
8:05
Speaker 2: doing a great job over the last few months and
8:07
Speaker 2: our focus is just totally on the RAF. You're a
8:10
Speaker 2: by election. We have a wonderful candidate in Leslie Tongue
8:13
Speaker 2: and Tullam and we're just really hopeful that we can
8:17
Speaker 2: get him over the line on Saturday and growing strength
8:20
Speaker 2: as a CELP, but also just have the experience and
8:23
Speaker 2: wealth of knowledge that Leslie has brought into our parliament.
8:26
Speaker 2: It will only be a good time.
8:27
Speaker 1: How do you like your chances for the weekend? How
8:30
Speaker 1: do you like your chances in the by election?
8:32
Speaker 2: Well, Leslie is an amazing candidate and he has so
8:36
Speaker 2: much support Katie, it's really heartening. No matter where we've been,
8:39
Speaker 2: he's got family connections, he knows people and he's a
8:42
Speaker 2: very strong voice for people in this region. So we're
8:46
Speaker 2: very hopeful we've got good support on the ground here today.
8:49
Speaker 2: In more, I'm younger. Labor must have had a sleep in.
8:52
Speaker 2: They didn't arrive until after opened, Katie. So we certainly
8:56
Speaker 2: the early bird CELP got the worm this morning.
8:59
Speaker 1: But in terms of this by election, if you are
9:04
Speaker 1: in a situation where the CLP doesn't win, are you
9:07
Speaker 1: going to be able to retain your leadership?
9:10
Speaker 2: Oh, without questioning, Katie, I'm proud to lead the CLP team.
9:14
Speaker 2: I enjoy their full support, and unlike Labor, we are
9:16
Speaker 2: a very very close and tight knit team with a
9:20
Speaker 2: job to focus on. We're not worried about who's got
9:23
Speaker 2: what job, doing what. We're focused on building a strong
9:26
Speaker 2: team for twenty twenty four, making sure our policies match
9:29
Speaker 2: what territorians are talking to us about, sharing the aspirations
9:33
Speaker 2: of the future with territorians and showing people that we
9:37
Speaker 2: are the next government for this territory. That's our entire focus.
9:40
Speaker 2: It's what gets us out of bed every morning and
9:43
Speaker 2: put that fire in our belly, Katie. So there's absolutely
9:46
Speaker 2: no issues on our side, unlike Labor, who clearly has
9:50
Speaker 2: problems in their own backyard.
9:52
Speaker 1: Leah, let's talk about the EBA negotiation. Set it currently underway.
9:56
Speaker 1: We understand that the Northern Territory Police Association Executive have
10:00
Speaker 1: endorsed an EBA from the government in principle. Now it's
10:03
Speaker 1: on the basis that an independent review into police resourcing
10:07
Speaker 1: is conducted. The Northern Territory Police Association, as I understand it,
10:11
Speaker 1: are going to meet with members over the coming weeks
10:13
Speaker 1: to explain the offer before an electronic ballot. Now, yesterday
10:18
Speaker 1: we caught up with the Chief Minister, Natasha Files about
10:21
Speaker 1: this review and I'm not sure if you heard me
10:23
Speaker 1: replay a bit of that audio a little earlier, but
10:25
Speaker 1: she really wouldn't commit to when it's going to happen
10:27
Speaker 1: exactly and well, and whether it's going to be independent,
10:32
Speaker 1: saying that they need to get the electronic rostering system
10:36
Speaker 1: in place first, that it needs to run for a
10:39
Speaker 1: good six months so that then they can review that
10:42
Speaker 1: before a review is conducted. Do you think that that
10:45
Speaker 1: review needs to happen.
10:47
Speaker 2: This review is well over, you, Katie, and it is
10:50
Speaker 2: so disappointing to hear the Chief Minister and the Labor
10:54
Speaker 2: government again trying to wriggle their way out of this.
10:58
Speaker 2: Our police force is in total crisis. Ninety seven zero
11:02
Speaker 2: point six percent of our police don't feel like the
11:04
Speaker 2: government support them and don't feel like there are enough police.
11:08
Speaker 2: I don't understand how with an eleven percent attrition rate,
11:12
Speaker 2: Natasha Files can get out of the bed in the
11:14
Speaker 2: morning and do nothing other than focus on this issue.
11:17
Speaker 2: Because without a strong police force, we cannot have a
11:20
Speaker 2: strong community, we cannot have a strong economy. We are nothing,
11:23
Speaker 2: and so all of the Labour's energy has to go
11:26
Speaker 2: into this. We have tried five times to call an inquiry.
11:30
Speaker 2: We will do it again in Parliament next week, Katie,
11:33
Speaker 2: because it is the single most important thing that could
11:35
Speaker 2: happen in the territory right now, with crime the way
11:38
Speaker 2: it is, with the hundreds of police on mental health
11:41
Speaker 2: and sickly because of the serious and debilitating demands of
11:45
Speaker 2: this job, in the unsupported environment that they are operating within.
11:50
Speaker 2: It would be my first priority as Chief Minister, Katie.
11:53
Speaker 2: It would be what I spent all my time focusing
11:55
Speaker 2: on and I cannot understand why Labour's priorities are not
11:59
Speaker 2: the same.
11:59
Speaker 1: So Leah, if you are going to attempt what it
12:01
Speaker 1: be for a sixth time to call for a review
12:04
Speaker 1: next week in.
12:05
Speaker 2: Parliament, absolutely we will, Katie, because it is too important
12:09
Speaker 2: to just move on from. And you know, labor can
12:12
Speaker 2: try and vote us down, but every time they vote
12:15
Speaker 2: us down, what they're actually doing is turning their back
12:17
Speaker 2: on police and that's something we will not do. We
12:20
Speaker 2: believe so passionately in the need for a review, and
12:24
Speaker 2: ultimately as part of that review, of course, there needs
12:27
Speaker 2: to be several things. There needs to be. You know,
12:29
Speaker 2: one of the first things that should do is be
12:30
Speaker 2: calling in the police commissioner and the executive and asking
12:34
Speaker 2: them why they should keep their jobs. It should be
12:36
Speaker 2: dealing with the resourcing and infrastructure deficits, the mental health
12:40
Speaker 2: and wellbeing support. It needs to deal with us fults
12:43
Speaker 2: on police.
12:44
Speaker 1: Let me just go back to that for one second,
12:45
Speaker 1: so you reckon that the police commissioner and the executive
12:49
Speaker 1: really at this point need to please explain why they
12:51
Speaker 1: should keep their jobs.
12:53
Speaker 2: One one hundred percent, Katie, one hundred percent. And that
12:56
Speaker 2: has always been a feature of our five attempts to
13:01
Speaker 2: make this inquiry, that they need to come in and
13:03
Speaker 2: explain what's going on, why they should keep their jobs,
13:06
Speaker 2: and whether there's a plan or not to fix it,
13:09
Speaker 2: because we cannot keep going at this level of dysfunction.
13:13
Speaker 2: It is not healthy for our police force, it is
13:15
Speaker 2: not sustainable and ultimately, we need to make sure that
13:18
Speaker 2: community safety is first and foremost in our minds and
13:23
Speaker 2: so as a COLP, building these issues out is a
13:26
Speaker 2: top priority, because community safety is a top priority for us.
13:30
Speaker 2: You can't run a business if you've got boarded up
13:32
Speaker 2: windows every day. You can't live a good life if
13:35
Speaker 2: you're worried about being broken into every single night.
13:38
Speaker 1: Lea very quickly before I let you go. We are
13:41
Speaker 1: hearing this morning. I know that it's running nationally on
13:45
Speaker 1: the ABC that commercial fishes have been locked out or
13:47
Speaker 1: all of My understanding is the East Alligator and also
13:50
Speaker 1: the Mini Mini because the government hasn't negotiated an agreement.
13:55
Speaker 1: Is my understanding with the tos. What do you know
13:58
Speaker 1: of this so far and what is your reaction?
14:02
Speaker 2: What I know, Katie, is that Natasha Fars has once
14:05
Speaker 2: again made the Northern Territory and national embarrassment.
14:08
Speaker 1: This has is sure understanding that those social fishes are
14:11
Speaker 1: not actually able to get into those areas.
14:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, they've been locked out without any notice, any explanation.
14:18
Speaker 2: Government simply failed to be able to negotiate and access
14:21
Speaker 2: deal with the Land Council and traditional owners and as
14:25
Speaker 2: a result we've got fis shows rocking up. You know,
14:27
Speaker 2: this is their brendan butter, this is how they feed
14:30
Speaker 2: their family and being excluded now that is the government's
14:34
Speaker 2: job is to make sure that access is sorted out.
14:37
Speaker 2: And ultimately this is going to lead to national shortages
14:40
Speaker 2: of crab Barramundy and thread binzamon in the in the
14:44
Speaker 2: restaurant and hospitality market. So this is a national embarrassment
14:49
Speaker 2: today on something so simple that should be Again, if
14:52
Speaker 2: this government was focused on economic growth, on ensuring people
14:56
Speaker 2: have jobs, on ensuring opportunities are there for Territorians, they
15:00
Speaker 2: would have sorted this out. And again at a very
15:02
Speaker 2: basic hurdle, they have failed them.
15:04
Speaker 1: This is one of the reasons why Look, is it
15:07
Speaker 1: a basic hurdle negotiating that with the TS is it
15:10
Speaker 1: sort of an easy thing to do.
15:13
Speaker 2: This is something that has been done for time immemorial, Katie,
15:17
Speaker 2: and is a basic function of government ensuring that you
15:20
Speaker 2: have sustainable commercial fisheries. And ultimately this is one of
15:24
Speaker 2: the reasons why we're doing the no confidence motion next week.
15:27
Speaker 2: This government shows time and time again but it is unable, unfit,
15:32
Speaker 2: incapable of governing. And so if territorians agree, they should
15:36
Speaker 2: sign our petition and send this government a message that
15:39
Speaker 2: people have had a gutfull and enough is enough.
15:41
Speaker 1: Lea. How many have signed so far that petition?
15:45
Speaker 2: Oh, I'd have to check, Katie. I haven't been watching
15:47
Speaker 2: the numbers that we've been communicating.
15:50
Speaker 1: But give the hundreds in the tens, what are you thinking?
15:53
Speaker 2: Oh, it would be at least in the hundreds. I'd
15:55
Speaker 2: have to check. I'm happy to get back to you
15:57
Speaker 2: on that. But the more people we have signed it,
16:00
Speaker 2: the better. We went door knocking and Kate Warden's elector
16:03
Speaker 2: at a couple of weekends ago and got some very
16:06
Speaker 2: concerning feedback from the community out there about labor just
16:09
Speaker 2: not doing enough here on the ground. In Warram Younger,
16:12
Speaker 2: you can't drive anywhere without hottholes without you know, the
16:15
Speaker 2: kids can't swim in the local pool. They're swimming in
16:19
Speaker 2: the river where there's crocodiles because the pool hasn't been
16:22
Speaker 2: fixed for three years. I mean, things are just diabolical
16:25
Speaker 2: right across the territory. This government has had six years
16:28
Speaker 2: to get its house in order and it is failing
16:30
Speaker 2: more miserably now than it ever has before. Now is
16:33
Speaker 2: the time for territories to come together and push forward.
16:37
Speaker 2: Sign the petition and give them send them a message.
16:40
Speaker 1: Well, almost sounds like I've written and authorized there by
16:43
Speaker 1: Leah Finoki. A thank you, Leah.
16:45
Speaker 2: I'll leave it there.
16:46
Speaker 1: Always appreciate your time. Thank you for having your chat
16:49
Speaker 1: with us.
16:50
Speaker 2: Take care everyone.
16:51
Speaker 1: Thank you,