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Katie Woolf spoke with Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: In breaking news throughout the morning, we know that the
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  Speaker 1: Opposition leader Leaf and Ochiro says that we need a
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  Speaker 1: day urgently where we recall Parliament to deal with the
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  Speaker 1: issues that we have in the Northern territory right now
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  Speaker 1: around crime. The Opposition leader Leaf and Occhio joins me
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  Speaker 1: in the studio, good morning to you.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. In to your listeners, Lea, why do.
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  Speaker 1: We need to recall Parliament for a day to deal
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  Speaker 1: with this issue of crime.
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  Speaker 2: I'm really concerned about the lack of action on crime,
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  Speaker 2: as are many Territorians, Katie. We certainly tried last sittings
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  Speaker 2: to pass important bow reform that just targets repeat offending
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  Speaker 2: and offenders out on bail. The government have promised some
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  Speaker 2: sort of law and order reform for May, and I
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  Speaker 2: just we just cannot wait any longer. We've had the
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  Speaker 2: Police Commissioner come out and say property crime is likely
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  Speaker 2: to escalate, and unfortunately for May. May is budget sittings,
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  Speaker 2: so any law and order reform is going to be
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  Speaker 2: put as second to that and it's going to get
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  Speaker 2: swallowed up in that budget debate. It's too important to
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  Speaker 2: wait for and that's certainly the message we've received loud
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  Speaker 2: and clear. I want the government and territories to know
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  Speaker 2: that my team are ready to go. We will reseit
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  Speaker 2: this week. I think one day would be more than enough.
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  Speaker 2: We need to deal with our boo reform and of
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  Speaker 2: course whatever reform the government has cobbled together and just
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  Speaker 2: get it done.
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  Speaker 3: But I mean, do we.
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  Speaker 1: Need to actually allow the government here to get this
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  Speaker 1: legislation together and get it right?
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  Speaker 2: Well, of course we want it right. I don't know
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  Speaker 2: what status their legislation is at. I mean, of course
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  Speaker 2: it took a current affair to make Alice bring our
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  Speaker 2: nations shame. I mean, the people in Alice have been
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  Speaker 2: suffering terribly for a long time and it's the only
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  Speaker 2: thing that's spurred the Chief Minister into action. That and
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  Speaker 2: the fact that we had our own legislation that presumably
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  Speaker 2: they wanted to cut us off at the knees with.
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  Speaker 2: So this is a government that's too proud and too
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  Speaker 2: stubborn to accept what we're putting forward as possible solutions
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  Speaker 2: and just wants to blindly push ahead with its agenda. Well,
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  Speaker 2: I'm saying, let's both of us work on this together.
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  Speaker 2: We've got ours. You come into Parliament and mend it,
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  Speaker 2: make it stronger, make it better. We welcome and we'll
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  Speaker 2: look at yours. But so far no one's seen what
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  Speaker 2: they're proposing, and it's just we cannot wait until May.
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  Speaker 2: It's too far away and we don't even I mean
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  Speaker 2: the chiefments that did not even commit today to bringing
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  Speaker 2: it on urgency, so we might not see this reform
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  Speaker 2: till August.
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  Speaker 1: Lea take a listen to exactly what the Chief Minister
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  Speaker 1: Michael Gunner had to say on the show to me
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  Speaker 1: just a little bit earlier. You're ruling out recalling parliament
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  Speaker 1: for a day. You can rule that out this morning.
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  Speaker 4: I see that as a stunt from the COLP. We'll
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  Speaker 4: be doing it properly in the May sittings, as you
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  Speaker 4: should do.
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  Speaker 1: And you are confident then that in the May sittings
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  Speaker 1: the legislation that's going to pass. You're telling me that
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  Speaker 1: that legislation is going to pass.
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  Speaker 4: Firstly, so I support it being done on urgency. We
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  Speaker 4: haven't made that decision yet. I've got do that with
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  Speaker 4: my Cabinet and caucus. I obviously support it being dealt
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  Speaker 4: with urgently. The one caveat there is you can ever
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  Speaker 4: make mistakes with legislation like this, because only when it
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  Speaker 4: would be the people doing the wrong thing. So that's
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  Speaker 4: an important caveat, I think. But for me, May sittings
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  Speaker 4: what so May four is when we sit for parliaments.
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  Speaker 4: When I introduced the budgets, it's a lot happening in
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  Speaker 4: the sitting.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, So you're still going to try and do that,
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  Speaker 1: even though the budget is being handed down, even though
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  Speaker 1: you know one would suspect that our finances and our
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  Speaker 1: budget are going to be a massive part of those
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  Speaker 1: May sittings. You're going to try and jam really those
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  Speaker 1: two most important issues to Territorians into that one block.
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  Speaker 4: Of sittings is a six day sitting period. We can
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  Speaker 4: absolutely do both tasks, and I think people expect us
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  Speaker 4: to be do more than one thing.
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  Speaker 3: Leah.
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  Speaker 1: Firstly, is this a stunt by the opposition?
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely not, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: We wanted to pass our legislation urgently weeks ago, and
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  Speaker 2: I said at that time that when the government just
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  Speaker 2: killed that idea, I said that every person who's victimized
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  Speaker 2: by a repeat offender or someone on bail, that responsibility
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  Speaker 2: sits at the feet of the Chief Minister. We've seen
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  Speaker 2: crime escalate since that time. We've had the Police Commissioner
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  Speaker 2: come out and say property crime is about to be
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  Speaker 2: on the app and May is far away and it
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  Speaker 2: is going to be just completely overdriven by the budget.
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  Speaker 2: We want this reform happening asap. The governments, you know,
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  Speaker 2: they use the excuse last time that there wasn't enough
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  Speaker 2: time to look at our bill, which is garbage.
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  Speaker 3: But fine.
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  Speaker 2: That means they've had weeks now to look at it.
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  Speaker 2: They must know what their position is, they must know
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  Speaker 2: what their legislation is. And of course how can the
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  Speaker 2: Chief ministers be sitting around and saying they haven't made
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  Speaker 2: a decision to bring it on urgently yet, Like what
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  Speaker 2: are they sitting around deciding if not whether or not
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  Speaker 2: crime legislation is urgent. So this is not a stunt.
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  Speaker 2: We can recall Parliament at any time. We can tackle
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  Speaker 2: both of these law and order reforms in one day,
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  Speaker 2: get it done, start putting the rights of victims above
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  Speaker 2: the rights of offenders, and then continue to drive improvements
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  Speaker 2: in this area.
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  Speaker 1: Are you confident that this legislation is you know, if
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  Speaker 1: it gets passed on urgency, that we're going to get
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  Speaker 1: it right and that it's not going to make things worse.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that's why we'll need the day to look at it.
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  Speaker 2: I mean we are very happy to do what it
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  Speaker 2: takes to pour over the detail and see what's done.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, let's not forget we don't even know what
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  Speaker 2: the government necessarily proposing. We know one aspect of it
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  Speaker 2: cannot be done in May and will have to wait
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  Speaker 2: until August.
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  Speaker 3: And you know, ultimately they're the government.
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  Speaker 2: They have all of the resources of their public service
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  Speaker 2: to get feedback from stakeholders. It's not an excuse that
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  Speaker 2: it has taken this long. Our bill is six short pages,
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  Speaker 2: it's very very simple, and we've only received positive feedback
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  Speaker 2: from stakeholders on it. So the government have got to
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  Speaker 2: put their money where their mouth is. This is an
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  Speaker 2: opportunity to come together as a parliament, all twenty five
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  Speaker 2: of us, and say, right, let's focus on Laura and order.
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  Speaker 2: Let's get a first trench of reform done. Let's put
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  Speaker 2: the rights of victims above the rights of offenders and
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  Speaker 2: really start to change the way.
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  Speaker 3: Will we deliver consequences for people who continuously do the
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  Speaker 3: wrong thing?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, when do you think that parliament should be recalled?
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  Speaker 1: Just going back to exactly what you came in here
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  Speaker 1: for this morning. You think that we need to recall
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  Speaker 1: parliament for a day when this week?
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  Speaker 2: Happy to this week, any day this week, obviously, the
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  Speaker 2: sooner the better. If the government need time, it could
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  Speaker 2: be Friday, it could be Thursday, it could be Monday,
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  Speaker 2: next week, could be the weekend.
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  Speaker 3: We don't care.
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  Speaker 2: And I really want people to know that, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the Opposition stand ready to work with government on law
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  Speaker 2: and order. We have done what we think is a
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  Speaker 2: good first step. We've brought that legislation and done the
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  Speaker 2: work and we've been shut down by the government. We
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  Speaker 2: don't think people want the Parliament waiting until May to
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  Speaker 2: give police and the courts more power to deal with
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  Speaker 2: repeat offenders. So we're saying we're ready to do the
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  Speaker 2: hard work. We're ready to sit in Parliament for as
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  Speaker 2: long as it takes. Let's get the law and order
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  Speaker 2: stuff done so that it can be implemented immediately, and
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  Speaker 2: then of course in May we can deal with the budget.
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  Speaker 2: And heck, if there's more law and order reform to
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  Speaker 2: do and May, let's do that as well. But let's
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  Speaker 2: not wait. And I think the government has to send
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  Speaker 2: a message to the community that they are really focused
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  Speaker 2: on this. You know, we've had a lot of bluff
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  Speaker 2: and bluster for four and a half years and little
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  Speaker 2: rubber hitting the road. This is a clean opportunity to
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  Speaker 2: come together, work together on it, get it done, and
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  Speaker 2: start to move that balance back to supporting victims and
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  Speaker 2: away from protecting offenders.
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  Speaker 1: So, Lea, are you going to support their legislation when
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  Speaker 1: it's introduced.
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  Speaker 2: I imagine we would. I gain I haven't seen in
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  Speaker 2: the detail. They certainly haven't reached out to me for
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  Speaker 2: a consultation or ask us any questions about where we
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  Speaker 2: think it fits.
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  Speaker 3: But if it even just a.
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  Speaker 2: Millimeter moves in a better direction than where we are now,
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  Speaker 2: of course we'll support it. We'd rather be part of
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  Speaker 2: the process and look at how we can strengthen it,
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  Speaker 2: and certainly if there's areas in which we can proffer
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  Speaker 2: up amendments, we will definitely do that. So we'll be
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  Speaker 2: combing over the detail. But the reality is we need
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  Speaker 2: to be in the room together to get this done.
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  Speaker 2: No laws can be passed unless we're in parliament. Let's
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  Speaker 2: bring on parliament and get it done well, Leah.
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  Speaker 1: That has been the sentiment from a couple of our
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  Speaker 1: listeners this morning. Can't the opposition and the government just
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  Speaker 1: work together on this so that we can come to
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  Speaker 1: a better outcome for territorians. Absolutely, really you think, you
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  Speaker 1: honestly think that the best possible route here is for
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  Speaker 1: us to recall Parliament for a day and get this
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  Speaker 1: happening straight away.
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  Speaker 2: I think so because otherwise we have to wait until May.
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  Speaker 2: It'll probably be the second week in May, and that
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  Speaker 2: pushes it back even further, and ultimately we do not
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  Speaker 2: know if the government is going to move it on urgency.
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  Speaker 2: So I'll just explain that for listeners because it's a
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  Speaker 2: bit of a parliamentary jargon there. Basically, when a law
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  Speaker 2: is introduced, it normally has to wait an entire month
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  Speaker 2: or until the next sittings to be debated. So the
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  Speaker 2: government have not introduced their legislation yet, no one has
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  Speaker 2: seen it. So technically the government will come and introduce it.
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  Speaker 2: It means we won't pass it in May. But if
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  Speaker 2: the government want to do it urgently, they're allowed to
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  Speaker 2: do that process and then we.
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  Speaker 3: Could pass it in May.
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  Speaker 2: So the government hasn't even committed to doing that process
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  Speaker 2: of urgency.
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  Speaker 1: Isn't allude to that this morning? I mean he said
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  Speaker 1: that that's his plan, that's.
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  Speaker 2: His preference, but that they hadn't sat down and made
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  Speaker 2: a decision yet. I mean, what other members of the
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  Speaker 2: Labour carkers doing if they haven't made a decision to
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  Speaker 2: bring legislation about crime on urgency. I mean, it's just
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  Speaker 2: such a simple thing. We did it weeks ago in Parliament.
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  Speaker 2: We thought our Boo reform is urgent. We can draw
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  Speaker 2: a line in the sand now and start to tip
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  Speaker 2: the balance back to supporting victims. And so the government
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  Speaker 2: haven't even made that first fundamental step of let's pass
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  Speaker 2: this law in May.
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  Speaker 3: So I'm just worried.
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  Speaker 2: If we wait till May, it really won't be May
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  Speaker 2: at all, and we're going to be looking at it August.
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  Speaker 1: There are six days of Parliament sitting in May, though,
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  Speaker 1: as I understand it is that enough to be able
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  Speaker 1: to get the budget through and to be able to
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  Speaker 1: pass this legislation.
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  Speaker 2: It is enough time, but it won't be in the
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  Speaker 2: first week. So obviously time is of the essence. Every
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  Speaker 2: day every week that we wait is more victims. And
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  Speaker 2: I mean we've seen terrible strings of commercial break in
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  Speaker 2: the horrendous issue with the twelve year old finding in
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  Speaker 2: the sixteen year old in her room, fresh point being
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  Speaker 2: broken into seven times since they opened. I mean, just
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  Speaker 2: it continues to go on and on. So every day
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  Speaker 2: is thousands more dollars, you know, tens, if not hundreds,
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  Speaker 2: more victims across the territory, more pain and anxiety. So, yes,
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  Speaker 2: May there is ample time in sittings, but the first
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  Speaker 2: week is going to be absorbed by budget and ultimately,
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  Speaker 2: and this is the important point, the government have not
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  Speaker 2: decided to move that bill through all stages in May,
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  Speaker 2: so it might not actually be laur in May. They
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  Speaker 2: might just introduce it. So I'm saying, forget about May.
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  Speaker 2: It's too far away and there's too many question marks
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  Speaker 2: around it. Let's bring it forward this week. Let's only
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  Speaker 2: talk about crime, and then no one can go anywhere.
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  Speaker 2: We're all in that room where eyeballing each other, and
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  Speaker 2: we're not leaving until a lawyer has passed on crime.
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  Speaker 1: Lea. Have you spoken to the Police Association or police
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  Speaker 1: about this and are they support it?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? I haven't spoken to them about the urgency component,
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  Speaker 2: but of course they came out very supportive around our
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  Speaker 2: BAO reform bill, and we know that you know, certainly
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  Speaker 2: from my perspective, our team want to do everything we
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  Speaker 2: can to support our police who are really working overtime
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  Speaker 2: at the moment to try and keep territory and safe.
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  Speaker 2: So we know the Police Association and others support our legislation.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, a couple of weeks ago we had Chamber
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  Speaker 2: of Commerce and the Hotels Association as well come out
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  Speaker 2: and say moving quicker is better than moving slower. So
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  Speaker 2: let's just do this. It's really not a big deal.
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  Speaker 2: We come together for one day, we only talk about crime,
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  Speaker 2: we work together. We pass the legislation or with some
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: form of a mixture of our bill and their bill.
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  Speaker 2: We don't care, but we want it done so that
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  Speaker 2: it's on the books, that it's being implemented, and then
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  Speaker 2: of course we can look at further reform as we
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  Speaker 2: keep going. I don't think this is just a one
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  Speaker 2: off thing, but I really want something to be done
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  Speaker 2: as soon as possible, because you know, we had a
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  Speaker 2: chance a few weeks ago. The government just missed that
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  Speaker 2: opportunity because of their own stubbornness and pride.
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  Speaker 3: Let's not do that again.
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  Speaker 2: Come to the table, get your bill done, get my
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  Speaker 2: bill done, and let's start talking together about putting victims
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  Speaker 2: not offenders.
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  Speaker 1: First opposition lead to Leofanocchio. We will leave it there.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for your time this morning.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you, Take care everyone. It is just on a.
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  Speaker 1: Quarter past ten eight nine four one one oh four nine.
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  Speaker 1: If you'd like to call through this morning, what do
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  Speaker 1: you think should Parliament be recalled for a day so
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: that we can get this issue sorted on urgency