Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Natasha Fyles pays tribute to the Member for Arafura, reflecting on his service across NT communities

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Chief Minister Natasha Fyles pays tribute to the Member for Arafura, reflecting on his service across NT communities · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Over the weekend we learned the member for our Referer
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: passed away. He served the communities of the Tiwi Islands,
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  Speaker 1: Man and Greta and West Arnham for more than six years.
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  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line is the Chief Minister, Natasha Files.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to.
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  Speaker 2: You, Good morning Katie, Good morning listener.
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  Speaker 1: Chief Minister. When did you learn of the passing of
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  Speaker 1: the Member for our Refura.
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  Speaker 2: It was with great sadness and shock that I was
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  Speaker 2: informed late on Saturday that the Member for Arafira had
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  Speaker 2: passed away, And of course where seeking of his family
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  Speaker 2: at this very difficult time.
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  Speaker 1: How will he be remembered from your perspective as the
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  Speaker 1: Chief Minister and a member? Obviously he was a member
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  Speaker 1: of your team.
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  Speaker 2: For Katie. He was a member that wasn't necessarily at
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  Speaker 2: the forefront doing lots of media, but he certainly had
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  Speaker 2: very wise words and represented the communities of his electric
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  Speaker 2: very strongly, not only the Kiwi Islands, but Man and
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  Speaker 2: Greta and that West Arnham region. And when he did
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  Speaker 2: spoke to speak, people did pay attention because you know
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  Speaker 2: they were words from a wise place and so he
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  Speaker 2: certainly will be remembered for his lifetime of service, not
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  Speaker 2: just as a member of Parliament, but he had roles
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  Speaker 2: in local government at Deck and was a worked in
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  Speaker 2: the health space and that was where we worked very
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  Speaker 2: closely together in the parliament.
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  Speaker 1: How significant is of a loss do you think this
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  Speaker 1: is going to be, particularly for those communities that he
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  Speaker 1: served in the likes of Tiwi Islands, Maningrida and Wistana.
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  Speaker 2: I think it's a huge loss for those communities and
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  Speaker 2: the broader Northern territory, particularly remote communities. He always bought
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  Speaker 2: that perspective to the conversation and what was being decided,
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  Speaker 2: and he was very much available for his electorate, although
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  Speaker 2: it was a big electorate and he had islands and
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  Speaker 2: you know, big baths distances. His phone never stopped ringing,
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  Speaker 2: and so I know the condolences that have been on
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  Speaker 2: social media and the contacts that I've had, People are
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  Speaker 2: shocked and greatly sad and will sorely.
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  Speaker 1: Miss him, Chief Minister. This is indeed an incredibly sad
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  Speaker 1: time for his family, friends, the community, work colleagues. There
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  Speaker 1: is no doubt about that, no doubt a time for morning.
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  Speaker 1: But I know that a lot of people in the
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  Speaker 1: community are going to be wondering what the process is
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  Speaker 1: now in terms of the community having a local member.
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  Speaker 2: O Katie, just before I answer that, I do want
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  Speaker 2: to just pay respects to his wife and to his family,
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  Speaker 2: particularly his children, his grandchildren. He had a brand new
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  Speaker 2: grandson and he was just so excited about that new grandchild.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, to his family, our sincere condolences and
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  Speaker 2: right now we're focused on supporting them and also the
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  Speaker 2: electorate of Arafura. But we of course strongly believe that
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  Speaker 2: electric should be represented and those matters will be discussed.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, we do need to allow a grieving process,
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  Speaker 2: particularly for those communities, so will be guided around them.
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  Speaker 1: So what is the protocol. Look, I'm trying to remember
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  Speaker 1: whether we've ever been in a situation before in the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory where we have had a member of Parliament
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  Speaker 1: pass away while still an active member of parliament.
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  Speaker 2: We did, Katie in the nineties. Have that happen And
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  Speaker 2: so we'll just seek guidance from the Electoral Commissioner and
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  Speaker 2: certainly ensure that process is allowed to take place and
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  Speaker 2: that the community and the family can grieve appropriately, but
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  Speaker 2: that we do have representation, so that will be worked through.
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  Speaker 2: And this is just an absolute tragedy, so young, just
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  Speaker 2: fifty two years of age.
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  Speaker 1: And Chief Minister, I'm assuming it is a situation when
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  Speaker 1: the time is right and once that process has been
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  Speaker 1: gone through that it is a situation where it's a
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  Speaker 1: by election.
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  Speaker 2: Is that correct, Katie? That would be my understanding. That
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  Speaker 2: all of that advice will be gathered over the coming
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  Speaker 2: days and weeks, and of course we will update new
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  Speaker 2: and your listeners. We know the community, you know, they'll
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  Speaker 2: be thinking of the family, particularly through the Christmas period,
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  Speaker 2: such a special time and to now be dealing with this.
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  Speaker 2: But we of course we'll keep the community informed on
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  Speaker 2: what the processes are around that electorate.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and certainly our thoughts are with the member for
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  Speaker 1: our Afura's family and friends and those communities that I
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  Speaker 1: know will indeed be quite shocked by this news over
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  Speaker 1: the weekend, Chief Minnesta, I will move along just briefly
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  Speaker 1: this morning. I know that. On a very separate other note,
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  Speaker 1: the issue which has dominated this year has been crime.
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  Speaker 1: Last week we saw a spate of car the f's
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  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. Those issues continue and the crime stats well,
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  Speaker 1: year on year, they just keep going up. Are you
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  Speaker 1: worried that things are going to get worse over the holidays.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, we cannot let up on this. We've certainly
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  Speaker 2: been investing in police looking at different agile options right
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  Speaker 2: around the Northern Territory and all be a focus for me,
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  Speaker 2: particularly through the Christmas New Year period.
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  Speaker 1: Now. I know that some locals are saying that they're
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  Speaker 1: not going away over Christmas because they ask here that
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  Speaker 1: they're going to be targeted by crime. I mean that
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  Speaker 1: must make you feel pretty bad that it has reached
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  Speaker 1: that point that some people don't want to go on
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  Speaker 1: holidays because they're worried they could get broken into or
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  Speaker 1: have their vehicle stolen.
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  Speaker 2: And Katie, that's why this issue. I will continue working
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  Speaker 2: in this space with police on those other measures that
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  Speaker 2: we've been putting in place, you know, local tailored solutions
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  Speaker 2: for different parts of the territory. Police certainly put out
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  Speaker 2: messaging around this Christmas New Year period each year, and
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  Speaker 2: I encourage that territories to listen to that.
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  Speaker 1: What is your message for locals as we near the
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  Speaker 1: end of the year, and I know a lot of
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  Speaker 1: people have been pretty fed up pretty over the situation
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  Speaker 1: with crime. What is your message to locals as we
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  Speaker 1: you know as we end the year and look to
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, where I know a lot of people
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  Speaker 1: are really hoping that things do get better.
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  Speaker 2: It's my priority now and it will be my priority
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  Speaker 2: into the new year. We have to achieve changes. We
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  Speaker 2: have been trying different things right across the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: Short term responses, longer term responses, collaboration between businesses, police,
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  Speaker 2: local government. We know we need to address the root causes,
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  Speaker 2: but we certainly will be focused around solutions every single
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  Speaker 2: day into the new year.
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  Speaker 1: Why do you feel as like, why do you think
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  Speaker 1: things seem to be getting worse? And when you look
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  Speaker 1: at those crime stats, they are getting worse, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: It's such a complicated space. We know the root causes
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  Speaker 2: to crime, we know factors such as alcohol that they
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  Speaker 2: play and we have to keep having different solutions. There's
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  Speaker 2: not a single solution. It takes hard work, tough decisions,
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  Speaker 2: but we'll continue to work at it every day.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Chief Minister, we are going to leave it there.
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  Speaker 1: We appreciate your time. We weren't you to catch up
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  Speaker 1: with you this morning. We appreciate you having a chat
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  Speaker 1: with us this morning. Much planned over the Christmas period, so.
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  Speaker 2: Katie, I'll be around the love of Christmas in the
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  Speaker 2: territory and so you know, looking forward to some time
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  Speaker 2: with the family, but equally, you know, catching up with
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  Speaker 2: the community. I find Christmas New Year is a chance
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  Speaker 2: to see people that mean a lot to you, but
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  Speaker 2: you don't necessarily find that time during the year. So
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  Speaker 2: I wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas. It's been
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  Speaker 2: a difficult year. I think we forget that COVID was
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  Speaker 2: just starting to come into the territory this time last year,
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  Speaker 2: and so if you know people resting, you know, recharging,
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  Speaker 2: but also acknowledging, it can be a tough time Katie
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  Speaker 2: for some members of our community, and there is support available.
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  Speaker 1: And what are your hopes for the Northern Territory for
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty three.
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  Speaker 2: How do we've got such a bright future territory wide?
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  Speaker 2: There's exciting projects where you know, really coming to fruition.
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  Speaker 2: And yes, there's difficult issues which we've just been talking
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  Speaker 2: about and that's what I'm determined to tackle in twenty
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  Speaker 2: twenty three.
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  Speaker 1: Did you start the year Chief Finister thinking that well,
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  Speaker 1: when you were the Health Minister and I had various
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  Speaker 1: other portfolios that you were going to end the year
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  Speaker 1: as the chief ministers.
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  Speaker 2: Certainly not Katie.
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  Speaker 1: It's been an interesting year, hasn't it, To say.
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  Speaker 2: The least the good word for it there, wilfre.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Chief Minister, Well, that's exactly right. I know Keys
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  Speaker 1: he has been missing you, Chief Minister, Attasha Files. We
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  Speaker 1: appreciate all the time that you do give us each
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  Speaker 1: and every week. I know that some of those weeks
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  Speaker 1: it can be difficult. We certainly, you know, have some
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  Speaker 1: argie bargie, there is no doubt about that. But we
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  Speaker 1: appreciate the fact that you rock up every week and
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  Speaker 1: have those conversations with us.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, and Merry Christmas and wishing a happy new
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  Speaker 2: year to all of your listeners.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah, same to you. Thank you.