Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Police Minister Lia Finochiarro has criticised the new Police Minister for "blocking" her from seeing police in Tennant Creek

Transcript

Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Police Minister Lia Finochiarro has criticised the new Police Minister for "blocking" her from seeing police in Tennant Creek · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one O four to nine now.
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  Speaker 1: In what appears to be quite an interesting situation, the
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  Speaker 1: Leader of the Opposition, Leofanocchiaro, was unable to visit police
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  Speaker 1: and fire crewis in Tenant Creek and around the endt
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  Speaker 1: Is she traveled around earlier in the week. Now yesterday, well,
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  Speaker 1: she said yesterday, as the Shadow Minister for Police Foreign
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  Speaker 1: Emergency Services, it is a critical part of her job
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  Speaker 1: to visit the rank and file and say thank you
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  Speaker 1: and get a clear understanding of morale, infrastructure resourcing, local
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  Speaker 1: challenges and possible solutions. Now the Police Minister, the new
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  Speaker 1: Police Minister has provided a statement and said that the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory police have busy jobs and visits from ministers
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  Speaker 1: and opposition members require planning. She went on to say,
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  Speaker 1: this is my first week as the Minister for Police
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  Speaker 1: Foreign Emergency Services and I'm in the process myself of
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  Speaker 1: visiting the major regional centers throughout the territory to meet
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  Speaker 1: our police personnel and listen and learn. And I can
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  Speaker 1: assure them Leader of the Opposition, that once I've completed
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  Speaker 1: these visits myself, I'll be happy to accommodate a request
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  Speaker 1: to visit Northern Territory police stations. Now joining me on
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  Speaker 1: the line is the opposition leader, Leah fanocchi Airo. Good
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  Speaker 1: morning to you, Leah.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and to your listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Leah, why did you want to visit the police
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  Speaker 1: station in Tenant Creek.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, Katie, I've spent the week in Tenant Creek,
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  Speaker 2: as I do, getting out and about in the regions
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  Speaker 2: as often as I can, and as Shadow Minister for
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  Speaker 2: Police Foreign Emergency Services, it's critically important that when I'm out,
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  Speaker 2: I'm out visiting those stakeholders. And there's lots and lots
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  Speaker 2: of reasons why opposition shadow ministers have to go and
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  Speaker 2: do that. So my Health shadow Minister, when he's out
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  Speaker 2: and around the territory, he goes and visits health clinics,
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  Speaker 2: for example, Joe Hursey when she's actually goes and visits schools,
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  Speaker 2: and so for me, police stations and fire stations are
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  Speaker 2: a really important part of that. Not only do you
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  Speaker 2: get to thank the people, those hard working public servants
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  Speaker 2: on the ground, but you get a good idea of
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  Speaker 2: how functional and current efficient their facilities are. Where the housing,
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  Speaker 2: particularly in remote areas, is a prohibitive issue, to having
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  Speaker 2: attracting people to go to that destination, or whether it's
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  Speaker 2: causing problems families, what the local issues are on the ground.
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  Speaker 2: I mean everywhere different. You know, it might be use
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  Speaker 2: crime in Palmerston, it might be domestic violence in Tenant Creek.
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  Speaker 2: So it's about understanding all of these issues so we
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  Speaker 2: can do our job not only to hold the government
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  Speaker 2: to account, but also to ensure that we're preparing policies
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  Speaker 2: that we believe match what the community are telling us.
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  Speaker 1: So Leah, when did you find out that you wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: be able to visit.
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  Speaker 2: I think it was on Monday, which is just ridiculous,
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  Speaker 2: and the excuses given by the new police minister are
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  Speaker 2: absolutely ludicrous. You know the fact that the Public Service
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  Speaker 2: Code of Conduct requires opposition members to get approval from
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  Speaker 2: a minister is really just a matter of you know,
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  Speaker 2: so that things can be organized. So for example, I
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  Speaker 2: can understand that it could be disruptive to have people
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  Speaker 2: just rock up at a hospital or just rock up
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  Speaker 2: in a government department. You know, if I just popped
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  Speaker 2: up in corporate services, everyone would be like, oh, why
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  Speaker 2: is she here? So I can understand why you need approval,
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  Speaker 2: but that approval is not to be arrogantly used by
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  Speaker 2: government as some sort of political weapon. It is just
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  Speaker 2: to facilitate the visit. And there is no operational reason
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  Speaker 2: why I couldn't have gone to Tenant Creek police day.
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  Speaker 2: Plenty of people said to me, Katie, just go in
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  Speaker 2: the door, it's open. But I've got a lot more
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  Speaker 2: respect to the rank and file. I wouldn't do that
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  Speaker 2: on them because then they'll get in trouble, you know,
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  Speaker 2: So one of these ridiculous things.
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  Speaker 1: Obviously, the minister, the new minister, has said that it
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  Speaker 1: is her first week, obviously in the role, and she's
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  Speaker 1: in the process of herself of visiting the major regional
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  Speaker 1: centers throughout the territory to meet with the police personnel.
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  Speaker 1: She has said that she can assure the opposition leader
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  Speaker 1: that once she's completed those visits herself, that she'd be
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  Speaker 1: more than happy to accommodate a request to visit NTO
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  Speaker 1: police stations. Is that fair enough for Well, do you
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  Speaker 1: think that there is a bigger concern here.
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  Speaker 2: There's a much bigger concern here. Number one? Why do
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  Speaker 2: I have to wait for her? What does she possibly
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  Speaker 2: need to do that has anything to do with what
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  Speaker 2: I need to do that they're just such different things.
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  Speaker 2: Number Two, she visited the station on Tuesday, and I
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  Speaker 2: wanted to visit the station on Wednesday. So why is
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  Speaker 2: it good for her and not good for me. It's
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  Speaker 2: just a ludicrous situation, you know, to have a government
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  Speaker 2: dictate when you can and can't do things. Now, obviously
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  Speaker 2: I don't live in Tenant Creek, so for me to
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  Speaker 2: just be given some arbitrary time frame that suits her,
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  Speaker 2: For me to visit a police station, you know, halfway
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  Speaker 2: down the Northern Territory, it's just crazy talk. You know,
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  Speaker 2: I was in Tennant Creek for three days. You know,
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  Speaker 2: I went everywhere except the police station. How do you
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  Speaker 2: think those rank and file officers feel they because they
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  Speaker 2: won't know that I was barred, the would just think
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  Speaker 2: I didn't care enough to come. It's just ridiculous.
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  Speaker 1: Is it disruptive though, for you're a location like the
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  Speaker 1: Tenant Creek Police station, to have the minister and the
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  Speaker 1: opposition visit in one week?
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  Speaker 2: I don't think so, Katie. Honestly, the visits sometimes are
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  Speaker 2: fifteen twenty minutes. You know, it's very in obtrusive. I
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  Speaker 2: like to go in and just chat to people who
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  Speaker 2: want to chat. If people are busy, I absolutely leave
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  Speaker 2: them alone. You walk and talk. So you're going through
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  Speaker 2: the station, you're looking at things like is the watch
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  Speaker 2: house operational, other facilities up to scratch, all of those
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  Speaker 2: types of things, because often we have very aging infrastructure
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  Speaker 2: and nothing is better than that practical feel on the ground.
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  Speaker 2: And I think people expect politicians to be out and
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  Speaker 2: about it. You know, I was out in epinar. I
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  Speaker 2: was out in Canteen Creek visiting remote communities, remote schools.
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  Speaker 2: So you have to walk it to be able to
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  Speaker 2: talk at Katie. It's a really fundamental part of being
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  Speaker 2: a member of Parliament. So you know, Kate Warden, it's
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  Speaker 2: good for her, it's not good for us. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: it's just it shows the level of arrogance. I mean
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  Speaker 2: she's the same minister who didn't let Sea Venging can
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  Speaker 2: get a legislation briefing on behalf of one of my
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  Speaker 2: other colleagues who at last minute couldn't make it. She
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  Speaker 2: literally kicked him out of her office. I mean, it's
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  Speaker 2: just this is the level of I don't think territories
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  Speaker 2: really understand just how tight government is squeezing the opposition
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  Speaker 2: out because they don't want us to be able to
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  Speaker 2: do our job.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, I think it's incredibly important that both the
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  Speaker 1: government and the opposition are able to do their jobs.
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  Speaker 1: It is what is important for Territorians a. You know,
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  Speaker 1: without a strong opposition, it's hard to have a strong government.
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  Speaker 1: I think that for all Territorians they require both. But Lea,
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  Speaker 1: I do want to ask you about the reshuffle. Obviously
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  Speaker 1: we learned about who was going to have what cabinet
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  Speaker 1: portfolios earlier in the week. What was your take on
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  Speaker 1: it all?
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  Speaker 2: Look, I think it just shows a lack of capability
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  Speaker 2: within the team. I think clearly Natasha was scrambling to
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  Speaker 2: make that reshuffle work. We saw massive demotion for the
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  Speaker 2: deputy leader. We saw demotion for Selena Yubo. We saw
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  Speaker 2: Lauren Moss demoted. Of course we thought or Nari come
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  Speaker 2: into cabinet but then barely be given even a department
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  Speaker 2: to be responsible for Lauren Moss. She's got absolute lightweight portfolios.
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  Speaker 2: Now it's barely worth having those two as ministers. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, I think it's very interesting, of course that
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  Speaker 2: Natasha Philes didn't take police you know, it shows once
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  Speaker 2: again this government is not putting law in order, fund
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  Speaker 2: and center as a number one issue in massive contrast
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  Speaker 2: to us, Katie. If when I am Chief Minister in
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty four, hopefully I will absolutely be taking the
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  Speaker 2: police portfolio. That community safety and policing has got to
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  Speaker 2: be number one. So yeah, I'm really disappointed also mainly
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  Speaker 2: because none of them have then explained their policy platform.
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  Speaker 2: None of them, including Natasha Philes, have said what their
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  Speaker 2: new direction is, what they're going to focus on, what
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  Speaker 2: they're passionate about. It's just been once again a shuffle
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  Speaker 2: around and nothing. We'll just expected to go, oh okay,
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  Speaker 2: a new person in the chair. Well, what's the new direction.
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  Speaker 2: I think that's what everyone wants to here. What is
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  Speaker 2: this government's new direction.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, we are going to talk more about it
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  Speaker 1: and we are indeed going to catch up with the
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  Speaker 1: Police Association at nine point thirty this morning to find
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  Speaker 1: out their take on those portfolio changes, particularly when you
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  Speaker 1: talk about the police portfolio. Now, Leah, I do want
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  Speaker 1: to ask Obviously the federal election was had on the weekend.
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  Speaker 1: Not a good outcome, you'd have to say for the
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  Speaker 1: COLP and the seat of Solomon.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, it was always going to be really hard.
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  Speaker 2: In Solomon, You've got a two term incumbent sitting there,
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  Speaker 2: so lut Goslin's obviously had a long time to be
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  Speaker 2: able to get out and about make sure he's known
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  Speaker 2: and you know, he's an inoffensive enough guy.
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  Speaker 1: And did you run a good enough candidate. Yeah?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, I mean Tina put up the fight of her life.
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  Speaker 2: But it's always hard to unseat and incumbent in particularly
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  Speaker 2: when we saw the swings around the nation like we did.
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  Speaker 2: You know, Solomon really reflected you know, many many dozens
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  Speaker 2: of other seats right around the country. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: there's always lessons learn and we'll addely be looking at
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  Speaker 2: that and that's an area we need to just put
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  Speaker 2: more work into. And you know that's good. But you're
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  Speaker 2: really encouraged by the results in Lingiari. We've got a
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  Speaker 2: really big swing towards the colp across the rest of
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  Speaker 2: the territory which includes you know, Parmesan rural area, and
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  Speaker 2: we'll be looking really closely at what worked well there
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  Speaker 2: and ensuring that we continue to build on that.
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  Speaker 1: I guess the interesting part in Solomon as well is
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  Speaker 1: that the Liberal Democrats picked up well. There was a
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  Speaker 1: ten point three percent swing towards them. Is that a
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  Speaker 1: worry for the COLP when you look at the number
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  Speaker 1: of high profile people who've left the CLP, and you've
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  Speaker 1: got a few obviously that have gone and actually run
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  Speaker 1: for the Liberal Democrats.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, you know, when you have those minor
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  Speaker 2: parties who have an you know, Liberal Democrats. I had
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  Speaker 2: a lot of people saying to me, oh, how come
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  Speaker 2: the CLPS changed its logo. You know, it was confusing
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  Speaker 2: for a lot of people because we had this new
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  Speaker 2: minor party adopt the word liberal. And it's a bit of.
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  Speaker 1: A worry if people don't even know who you're running though,
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  Speaker 1: isn't it. Well?
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  Speaker 2: No, I think just generally people, you know, a lot
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  Speaker 2: of people aren't that interested in politics, and they think liberal.
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  Speaker 2: They see liberal, they see blue and they go, yep,
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  Speaker 2: I'm going to vote for that. You know, others made
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  Speaker 2: a conscious decision to vote for them. I'm not taking
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  Speaker 2: that away from them at all. But I think right
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  Speaker 2: around the country, we saw the two major parties, you know,
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  Speaker 2: that serious reduction in their primary vote overall in it
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  Speaker 2: and those other votes that are going to those independents
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  Speaker 2: and minor parties that were certainly a very interesting election.
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  Speaker 2: From that perspective, What do you make of that?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, what do you make of that When you
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  Speaker 1: talk about the Liberal Party loss federal a what do
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  Speaker 1: you think it says about some of the more conservative
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  Speaker 1: views of the Liberal Party.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, don't I don't necessarily think of that. For example,
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  Speaker 2: labor overall around the country. Even though they won government,
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  Speaker 2: they got less.
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  Speaker 1: Of the vote.
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  Speaker 2: You know, they won on the preferences, so the Liberals
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  Speaker 2: actually collected more of that primary vote last time I looked.
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  Speaker 2: So I think it's less about the conservative using. People
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  Speaker 2: do want a strong economy, people do want job security,
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  Speaker 2: they do want Laura not under control, and they do
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  Speaker 2: want the budget in a good position. But it's really
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  Speaker 2: just what you know, the independence and the miners had
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  Speaker 2: a different appeal this election. I think both major parties
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  Speaker 2: will be obviously looking at that. Of course, for the Coalition,
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  Speaker 2: they've been in government for eleven years. This would have
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  Speaker 2: been a fourth term, which is always a huge, huge
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  Speaker 2: hurdle to overcome. So yeah, lots of things to take away.
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  Speaker 2: I think a lot of people was very interesting. You know,
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  Speaker 2: as the days go by, a lot of people are
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  Speaker 2: digesting it and you know, coming up to me asking
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  Speaker 2: questions about different things. But it is what it is,
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  Speaker 2: and I wish Anthony Abernezi well as per ministy. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we want a strong country that's bouncing back and playing
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  Speaker 2: our role in this world. So I certainly look forward
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  Speaker 2: to working with him and his new ministerial team to
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  Speaker 2: advance the interests of the territory.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Leah Finocchio, we are going to have to leave
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  Speaker 1: it there. It is always good to speak with you.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks very much for joining us this morning. Obviously, those
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  Speaker 1: who listened to the show regularly will know that you're
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  Speaker 1: usually on a Wednesday. Unfortunately, I was crooked yesterday, so
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  Speaker 1: we appreciate your time today.
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  Speaker 2: That's so good. We don't mean to confuse you guys.
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  Speaker 2: We'll be back next Wednesday.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thanks Lea. You are listening to Mix one
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  Speaker 1: oh four nine's three sixty