Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley says an alcohol ban at NT parliament is needed to set an example for the community

Transcript

Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley says an alcohol ban at NT parliament is needed to set an example for the community · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We also know that today in Parliament, Robin Lamley, the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Independent Member Ferrara lun is going to be making well,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: she's going to be making some moves to try and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: make Parliament House an alcohol free workplace. Robin says, this
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: is less about the actual motion, but more about an
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: important symbolic gesture by the Northern Territory members of Parliament
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: recognizing that alcohol is the single most destructive problem in
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Robin Lamley joins me on the show
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: this morning. Good morning to you.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Robin, Good morning Katie.
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: Robin. Why do you think that alcohol needs to be banned?
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Well, I think it's pretty clear to most Territorians that
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: alcohol is a huge problem. Most of the Northern Territory
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: will go back to being under what she could call
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: a prohibition order when the stronger Futures God Bands are reinstated,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: which will come about after legislation goes through this week
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: in Parliament. What I'm propose is an alcohol restriction for
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: us members of Parliament and people who work in Parliament House.
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: It's not okay for most people to drink at work,
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: and I don't think it's okay for us to drink
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: at work.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Robin, has there been behavior that you've seen or has
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: something happened inside Parliament House that you think, Oh, I
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: don't actually think we should be able to access alcohol here.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: No, it's the principle. I live in Alice Springs and
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Central Australia has been restricted, has had alcohol restrictions for
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: decades and that has become a normal part of our life.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: And I just think it's time for us to step
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: up and action speak louder than words. I think that
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: we lead by example and I just think that it's
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: fundamentally wrong that we should be able to drink in
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: our workplace and others can't. And the other aspect to it,
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Katie is there's a lot of alcohol provided by the
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: government to people attending functions here and I'm not sure
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: that the taxpayers money should be spent in that way,
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: given that the cost of alcohol to our society is enormous.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: I'm not a wow that I like to drink as
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: much as anyone, but I think we are different here
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: in the territory and I don't think anyone coming to
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: Parliament House should expect to be provided alcohol given the
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: pain and misery it causes to probably most territories now
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: given that crime alcohol fuel crime is now a major
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: problem just about everywhere.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: So Robin, no alcohol functions either.
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: No, No, I'm actually not proposing that. I'm just saying in
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: the work areas, yes, that in the offices in the
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: work areas. I think that in the public functions here,
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: you know they can. I don't have a problem with
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: alcohol being served, but I guess since I've kicked this off,
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: people have said, well why not, why should alcohol be
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: provided free of charge to people attending functions here in
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Parliament House? And it is true. I mean it's a
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: very Darwin thing to come to Parliament House if you're
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: lucky enough to be invited and be shmoothed and boozed.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: And that invitation is really extended beyond Darwin because of
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: the geographical boundaries. You know, the people in our springs
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: and Tenet Creek and everywhere else in the territory don't
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: get to benefit from that. So it's a privilege extended
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: to Darwin people mainly, and it's kind of unfair Katie,
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: when you think of it.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I know that plenty of people have differing opinions.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: You know, some people sort of going well, how much
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: alcohol or how much drinking at work actually goes on
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: at Parliament to constitute it. I mean, what would you
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: say to those people.
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: I don't think that that's not what this is about.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: It's a principle. I mean, we don't know the answer
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: to that. It could be alike, it could be very little.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: We don't know the answer to it. It's about standing,
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: setting up and being counted and supporting territorians. Alcohol bands
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: are a part of life for most of us in
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory alcohol restrictions, and I just think it's
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: a really really small ask that we just ban alcohol
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: in our workplace in Parliament House. It's a really strong
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: message that you know, we're not different to anyone else
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: in the territory. You know, it's not okay to drink
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: on a work side. It's not okay to drink if
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: you work at a supermarket. Why should I be able
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: to sit here as I speak to you in Parliament
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: House and have a glass of wine in front of me.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: It's not okay.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: Look, I think it's fair enough. I certainly don't drink
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: in the workplace. Goodness knows what would come out of
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: my mouth if I did. Robin, while I'm in here,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: be a bit of a warrior, I reckon, but I
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: think it's fair enough, you know, I actually I don't
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: disagree with you. I don't know that the government's going
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: to go with it, though, what what's the process?
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: Well, I don't know.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: Well, if they don't support it, I think there lies
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: the problem. They are a bunch of hypocrites. They're very
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: they obviously very feel very comfortable applying alcohol restrictions to
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: other people. But when it comes to themselves, if that's
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: the case, then they're just a bunch of hypocrites and
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: displaying no empathy and real understanding for what's going on outside.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: They're comfortable little workplace here in Parliament House. That would
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: be a very very sad sign to territory.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: So, Robin, when will.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: It happen when we use sort of make those moves?
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: So tomorrow you make those moves and we'll know pretty
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: well pretty well immediately.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't imagine that it will be a long debate.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: I don't plan to speak much about it. I think
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: it's really really straightforward, I think, and people have decided
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: what their views are. I don't think it's an important motion,
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: particularly you know, there's so many other issues that are
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: far more important than this. I put this on the
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: note of paper a year ago, so it takes a
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: year to these for our motions to come up if
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: we don't sort of manage to somehow manipulate them up
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: up the pile. So this has just sort of come
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: about a year after I've originally put it forward.
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: And isn't the timing impeccable?
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: Welling, I'm hoping that it's done and dusted quickly and
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: we can move on to other things on the agenda.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Well, Robin, let's speak about those other things. We know
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: that the files government is set to introduce the legislation
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: around alcohol restrictions, following what has been increasingly mounting pressure
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: around the situation in Alice Springs. Have you seen that
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: legislation and have you been briefed at this point?
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: I've glanced at the legislation and I haven't been briefed.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: I don't have a secretary or no one helps me
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: with my parliamentary work. So I quickly glanced at the
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Times yesterday and they were really short. I think if
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: I don't get in this morning, I might miss out,
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: which says to me, Katie, that the legislation could be
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: debated out today. That's how I read the play. It's
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: first on the item of business for It's the first
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: item of business for the government this morning or this
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: afternoon when we resume after the ceremonial opening of Parliament
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: this morning. So I think we're debating it today and
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: they've pushed it forward. They've given very few times for
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: us to be briefed, so I probably won't get around
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: to that. I probably won't be able to be brief
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: because I've got other things happening. But that's okay. I'm prepared.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: I pretty I've read the legislation, I know what they've
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: got in mind, and I know what my views are.
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: So any concerns, Robin, are there any concerns with it?
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Look not overly. I mean, I've got my views and
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: obvious they won't listen to what I think. You know,
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: I don't agree with any sort of ballot or process
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: around allowing those bands to be lifted in the foreseeable future.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: I think they need to stay in there for a
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: very long time. The crime that the lifting of these
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: bands created across Central Australia in just a matter of
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: months was phenomenal, and I think the damage that's been
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: done will take years to fix, or probably the damage
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: will never be fixed, but to restore to a level
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: of the NEETs the community's expectations, So I think those
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: bands need to stay in place for a long time,
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: and I think they need to be reimposed asap.
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: Robin before I let you go.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: We know that the opposition leader Leofanocchiaro is also moving
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: this motion for a vote of no confidence, so it
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: will take some time. It won't actually be debated, or
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: it won't go through that process till the next sitting
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: of parliam Do you support this motion? Oh?
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: Look, I clearly and obviously support this motion, Katie. The
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: mess and the chaos and destruction that this government's caused
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: through sheer neglect in Central Australia is almost bordering on criminal,
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: So of course I will support their no confidence motion.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: They're giving notice of the motion today the COLP and
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: it will not be debated until the March sittings of Parliament.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: So I'm not even really thinking about that at the moment.
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: There's so much other stuff going on that yes, I
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: will absolutely be supporting a no confidence motion. It is
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: time that this government really understood just how much damage
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: they have caused to the lives of so many people
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: in Central Australia, that beyond.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Robin Lamley, the Independent member for our lun We always
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Is there anything else that is going
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: to be on your agenda this week in parliam but
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: that we should know about very briefly?
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: Well, I'm thinking of talking about flood mitigation in Alice Springs,
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: which probably doesn't know he interests people in Darwin. But
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: that's another little pet interests of mine. It's an important
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: issue for territories right across how we mitigate against flood
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: It hasn't It's been sadly neglected in Alice Springs too,
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: so that's something I'm looking at. But yes, just getting
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: behind this legislation to reinstate the alcohol restrictions is vital
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: to the future of the whole of the Northern Territory.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: I thank god that the Chief Minister saw fans. I
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: think it's time that she apologized to the people affected
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: by that very bad decision she made back in July.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: I don't think that will be forthcoming, but look, I'm
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: sure there'll be lots of sparks and heated debates, and
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: I just hope that I don't get kicked out.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: Katie, Well, here's hoping. I'll be watching Question Time. Try
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: your beast to behave I know it's hard sometimes, I know.
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: Oh Robert Lambley, good to catch up with you. Thanks
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: so much for your time. Thank you,