Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / AMSANT CEO John Paterson says alcohol restrictions should remain in place in communities until proper consultation has been conducted

Transcript

AMSANT CEO John Paterson says alcohol restrictions should remain in place in communities until proper consultation has been conducted · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, we've spoken a lot about Alice Springs. There is
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: no doubt about that and some of the major concerns
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: coming out of Central Australia. And we know that the
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  Speaker 1: Aboriginal Peak Organizations of the Northern Territory apo NT they're
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  Speaker 1: calling on the Federal government to enter a genuine partnership
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  Speaker 1: to achieve improved outcomes for Aboriginal people in the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory amid the crisis in Alice Springs. Now joining me
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  Speaker 1: on the line right now is doctor John Patterson, apo
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  Speaker 1: NT spokesperson and also the CEO of the Australian Medical
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  Speaker 1: Alliance of the Northern Territory. Good morning to you, John.
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  Speaker 2: And a very good morning to you Katie. Happy New Year,
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Happy New Year.
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  Speaker 1: To you as well. Great to have you on the
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  Speaker 1: show as always, John, can I firstly ask you, you
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  Speaker 1: know we all know the situation that's unfolding or unfolded
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  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. We know that there's been a report
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  Speaker 1: or there was the report ordered by the Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: recommending the Northern Territory Government urgently reinstate alcohol bands in
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  Speaker 1: Aboriginal town camps around Ellis Springs. That report, of course
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  Speaker 1: prepared by the Central Australian Regional Controller Darrell Anderson. It's
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  Speaker 1: also calls for the needs based funding. Firstly, John, can
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  Speaker 1: I ask you regarding the alcohol situation, what do you
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  Speaker 1: reckon needs to happen here?
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  Speaker 2: Katie? You will recall that I've been on your show
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  Speaker 2: within the last twelve month actually advocating for the actual
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  Speaker 2: decision that governments have agreed to as a result of
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  Speaker 2: the Anderson Report. We totally fully support and you know,
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  Speaker 2: the apoint position was and we wrote letters to all
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  Speaker 2: levels of government calling on them as soon as that
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  Speaker 2: sunset clause was about to be lifted on July seventeen
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  Speaker 2: last year, that we wanted at least to keep them
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  Speaker 2: keep the restrictions in place for another two years to
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  Speaker 2: enable genuine, proper open discussions and negotiations with all those
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  Speaker 2: communities that were going to be affected by this by
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  Speaker 2: the legislation and the alcohol restrictions being removed or lifted.
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  Speaker 2: So have I say whether they wanted to continue to
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  Speaker 2: be a dry community or whether they wanted to be
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  Speaker 2: a community that was going to consider having alcohol restrictions
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  Speaker 2: lifted now part of that process, why the two year
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  Speaker 2: pause and keeping the restrictions in place was to enable
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  Speaker 2: to enable governments and other keys takeholders peak organizations to
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  Speaker 2: go out to those communities and regional centers and have
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  Speaker 2: those consultations and negotiations with the critical well with all stakeholders. Katie.
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  Speaker 2: When I talk about these community consultations, is not just
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  Speaker 2: with the community leaders, it is with the mums and
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  Speaker 2: bubs groups, the elderly, you know, other critical community and
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  Speaker 2: interest groups don't want to have a say in this
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  Speaker 2: process as to whether they left the alcohol restrictions or not.
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  Speaker 2: It's very very and we want that to be part
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  Speaker 2: of that process. So in court, we're pleased with the
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  Speaker 2: with the current restriction being placed on it. I understand
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  Speaker 2: that both levels of government of what they're going to well,
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  Speaker 2: they've meant yeah.
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  Speaker 1: So my understanding is that they've met obviously yesterday the
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  Speaker 1: Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. They haven't actually said, now,
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  Speaker 1: you know, there's the alcohol restrictions on a Monday and
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  Speaker 1: a Tuesday we take away obviously in Central Australia. But
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  Speaker 1: they haven't actually said if they are indeed going to
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  Speaker 1: implement that recommendation that has been made by Darrell Anderson
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  Speaker 1: in terms of you know, in terms of recommendation that
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government urgently reinstate that alcohol band. I
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  Speaker 1: know that Marion Scrimjaw was on our show yesterday, John,
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  Speaker 1: and she said that it does need to happen, and
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  Speaker 1: not just for Central Australia, but she thinks it needs
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  Speaker 1: to happen across the Northern Territory. What do you reckon?
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  Speaker 2: We are totally in support what Marian is saying and
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  Speaker 2: others the other community leaders down there, we can't you know,
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  Speaker 2: Alice Springs is just one regional center that's getting all
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  Speaker 2: the exposure and publicity at the moment, but there are
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  Speaker 2: other communities that are going to be impacted and effective,
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  Speaker 2: and we've got to ensure that, you know, there's all
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  Speaker 2: comprehensive plan and strategy developed with all key stakeholders and
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  Speaker 2: agreements with the Aboriginal peak organizations and those Aboriginal community
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  Speaker 2: controlled organizations at those community levels are critical and we
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  Speaker 2: are strongly recommending that they be involved in these processes
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  Speaker 2: otherwise and have a sense of buying Katie, because we don't.
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  Speaker 2: We've seen what happened for the last ten, fifteen, twenty years.
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  Speaker 2: We don't have Aboriginal involvement participant, and I'm talking about
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  Speaker 2: genuine participation and decision makings as well that on issues,
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  Speaker 2: on a number of issues that impact on their community.
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  Speaker 2: Then we're dooming and we're going to set ourselves up
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  Speaker 2: for continued failure.
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  Speaker 1: Unfortunately, John, you know, over the last week or so,
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government, they have been digging their heels in,
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  Speaker 1: you know, over the fact that they let the stronger
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  Speaker 1: Futures legislation lapse or they or you know, those changes
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  Speaker 1: came into play. They dug their heels in on that.
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  Speaker 1: We've had really strong Indigenous voices like yourself, you know,
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  Speaker 1: saying more than six months ago that it shouldn't have happened.
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  Speaker 1: How do you feel then when they say that it
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  Speaker 1: was a race based policy when you've got good you know,
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  Speaker 1: you've got people like you saying, hang on a sec
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  Speaker 1: you've got to take a closer look into this, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: From our perspective, look, it was it's not a race
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  Speaker 2: based policy. This was a mess. And I'm just remind
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  Speaker 2: some of those people that might be, you know, saying
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  Speaker 2: what does Patterson are about this? I just reminded that
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  Speaker 2: way back prior to any significant and recent alcohol restrictions
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  Speaker 2: were put in place in those communities that we had advocates,
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  Speaker 2: old community people way back on tak them maybe twenty
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  Speaker 2: thirty forty years ago, Katie, where they marched and protested
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  Speaker 2: and wanted to bring in these restricted alcohol bands in
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  Speaker 2: their communities because they could see what was going on.
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  Speaker 2: And then we've had these you know, stronger futures and
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  Speaker 2: we had all these top down, you know interventions into
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory which just didn't work. There were some
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  Speaker 2: small successes, but overall it was it was a top down.
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  Speaker 2: It excluded aberigional participation, you know, decision making, and you
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  Speaker 2: know that's we've got to change the way we do business, Codge.
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  Speaker 2: You know, the framework we've got now is a framework
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  Speaker 2: and the priority areas that are underpin and reflected in
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  Speaker 2: the Closing the Gap National Agreement which has been signed
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  Speaker 2: off and are reminded everybody that I talked to signed
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  Speaker 2: off from the Prime Minister, every State and territory Premier
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  Speaker 2: and Chief Minister, the Australian Local Government Association President and
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  Speaker 2: our very own Pat Turner who is a convenor for
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  Speaker 2: the Coaltient Peaks. That's the framework, Katie, that we've got
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  Speaker 2: to work towards and you know, everybody then has a
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  Speaker 2: sense of responsibility, they have a buy in these process
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  Speaker 2: and we work in a professional, respectful framework and manner,
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  Speaker 2: respecting everybody's views and comments that try and come up
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  Speaker 2: with solutions that are going to address those issues.
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  Speaker 1: As at the moment, John, you know, with what a
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  Speaker 1: Pond is seeking, it's a commitment from the federal government
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  Speaker 1: to enter these negotiations about the future of the national
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  Speaker 1: partnerships on the Northern Territory Remote Original Investment and to
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  Speaker 1: agree future policies, programs and funding through that three way
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  Speaker 1: formal agreement. John, how how do you propose that you
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  Speaker 1: sort of you know that you take the steps to
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  Speaker 1: try and make this happen.
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  Speaker 2: Okay to again. You know, we're saying that this, this
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  Speaker 2: Northern Urtory Remote Original Investment Package initiative is separate to
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  Speaker 2: closing the gap and any other any other funding that
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  Speaker 2: comes into the Northern CHURCHI for specific purposes. This is
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  Speaker 2: an additional measure and support initiative. You know, because we
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  Speaker 2: had those had those you know, Northern Turfy, you know
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  Speaker 2: has experience a whole lot of disadvantages and you know
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  Speaker 2: them what was I do housing education, you know, and
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  Speaker 2: the more remote you go, the more expensive it becomes
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  Speaker 2: in delivering those those those services. So this is where
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  Speaker 2: the you know, it's an opportunity that was you know,
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  Speaker 2: part of the Stronger Futures intervention package. It's had a
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  Speaker 2: few name changes along the way, and we will want
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  Speaker 2: that to specifically give the Aboriginal community controlled organizations in
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory includement nor the territory government of course
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  Speaker 2: as a component. And they're around policing and education, getting
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  Speaker 2: school kids the skill and we see that as you know,
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  Speaker 2: that's that's obviously Northern Territory government core business. But all
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  Speaker 2: those other community human service type activities has to be
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  Speaker 2: led by the Aboriginal peak organizations in the Northern terfcade.
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  Speaker 2: We've got to lead. We've got the contacts, we've got
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  Speaker 2: the networks, we can build the employment opportunity for all
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  Speaker 2: those remote communities. We need to obviously have looked at
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  Speaker 2: their training upskilling our whole We need a whole comprehensive plan, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: to address some of these disadvantages and the terrible statistics
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  Speaker 2: that we're seeing from time to time. And this is
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  Speaker 2: why on this occasion we're supporting the Chief Minster Watshes
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  Speaker 2: in Camba this week to negotiate with a comball for
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  Speaker 2: extra needs based funding because we can't you know, let's
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  Speaker 2: face it, the Northern we don't have the revenue capacity
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  Speaker 2: here in the territory to raise the level of funding
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  Speaker 2: or to get the level of funding that's required to
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  Speaker 2: deliver those very urgent, urgent services and programs that we
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  Speaker 2: need to get out into those communities where they're suffering.
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  Speaker 1: John, talk us through, you know, in our remote communities
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  Speaker 1: and in our indigenous communities across the Northern Territory. How
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  Speaker 1: important is it that we reach the point where there
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  Speaker 1: is that sustainability in our communities and that there is
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  Speaker 1: opportunity for Aboriginal people in those communities as well.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I can't help but thinking and going back. Look,
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  Speaker 2: I'm born and Brittish. I've seen you structures, community structures, initiatives,
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  Speaker 2: bureaucracies exist and get demolished for you know, I don't
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  Speaker 2: know whatever reasons, but I'll tell you one thing, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: One effective structure that really empowered and gave community members
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  Speaker 2: the opportunity for employment, et cetera, at real jobs was
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  Speaker 2: the old Aboriginal community control or community councils that they had,
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  Speaker 2: you know, that was predominantly an Aboriginal you know, made
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  Speaker 2: up the boards. The government structures were made up by
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  Speaker 2: you know, Aboriginal people residing in those communities. They were
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  Speaker 2: responsible for municipal services, they were responsible for roads, rubbish,
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  Speaker 2: they were responsible for maintaining you know, a good standard,
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  Speaker 2: healthy standard, you know, all that environmental health stuff for communities.
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  Speaker 2: And since governments, you know, you know, previous governments have
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  Speaker 2: dismantled those structures, there's just a real sense of disempowerment.
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  Speaker 2: You know people now, you know, we're getting people flying
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  Speaker 2: and flying out at enormous cost to fix the bloody tapwasher,
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  Speaker 2: you know, and do little minor jobs at somebody in
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  Speaker 2: the community, if they were trained up and skilled up
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  Speaker 2: and given you the appropriate tools to fix those problems,
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  Speaker 2: would be able to do it. So that's where we've
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  Speaker 2: got to go go to. You know, it's about looking
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  Speaker 2: at what those local community governance structures look like, rebuild
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  Speaker 2: them and get you know, community is taking more responsibility
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  Speaker 2: and looking after their issues well.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor John Patterson, a PONT spokesperson and also the Sea
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  Speaker 1: of the Aboriginal Medical alliance here in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 1: I always appreciate your time. Thank you so very much
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  Speaker 1: for having a chat with me this morning, and.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you Kate for giving me this opportunity.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks Pat I, we'll talk to you again
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  Speaker 1: soon