Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Police Association President Paul McCue expects members will vote on their latest pay offer from the NT Government in early April

Transcript

NT Police Association President Paul McCue expects members will vote on their latest pay offer from the NT Government in early April · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now from the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory Police Association, the president, Paul Mchue, Good morning to you.
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  Speaker 2: Paul, Good morning Katie. Paul.
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  Speaker 1: I might just go firstly to this breaking news that
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: the Police Minister, Kate Warden had confirmed this morning. Throughout
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the week that was she did say that there is
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  Speaker 1: indeed going to be an inquiry into police numbers. She
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  Speaker 1: didn't say exactly when it is going to happen, but
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  Speaker 1: she said it will be an independent review and that
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  Speaker 1: it is going to occur before the next general election.
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  Speaker 1: But there is some work to do with the electronic
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  Speaker 1: rostering systems.
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  Speaker 3: First.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously, you know we've been underway negotiations for well
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  Speaker 2: over a year in fact, and certainly a lot of
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  Speaker 2: the feedback you know, from our membership surrounded the ongoing
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  Speaker 2: commentary we often hear around you know, we've got all
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  Speaker 2: these police numbers more than ever before, all those sorts
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  Speaker 2: of comments. But the reality is often our members on
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  Speaker 2: the front line general duties are turning up to be
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  Speaker 2: the univent on the shift that night, so they're sitting
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  Speaker 2: there going, hang on a minute, something's not right here.
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  Speaker 2: And given it's been over a decade since the last
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  Speaker 2: independent review into resourcing of police forces police force here
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  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory. It was certainly one of our
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  Speaker 2: requests to have that commitment come through these negotiations and
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  Speaker 2: we have received correspondence so that all happened. So we're
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  Speaker 2: very pleased about that.
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  Speaker 1: So you are glad that that is indeed going to happen.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, how soon would you like it to happen, Paul?
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  Speaker 2: Well, obviously yesterday is probably not going to happen, is
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  Speaker 2: it gay, But it's very much required because it's not
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  Speaker 2: just about the police numbers, it's about the demand environment itself.
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  Speaker 2: So you can say, we've got all these numbers, but
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  Speaker 2: what are the actual demands and processes being placed on
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  Speaker 2: our police officers today versus ten years ago, because you
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  Speaker 2: know quite clearly they're not keeping up and a whole
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  Speaker 2: raft of things around their administrative duties, you know, the
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  Speaker 2: capability to actually be out on the road as opposed
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  Speaker 2: to sitting behind the computer all shit, and the whole
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  Speaker 2: range of things will come into play. But of course
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  Speaker 2: we'd like to see that sooner rather than later. And
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  Speaker 2: I know that we've spoken about the electronic rostering, but
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  Speaker 2: we all already know the numbers and you know, obviously
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  Speaker 2: this review will be very important, you know, for the
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  Speaker 2: future of policing the Northern territory.
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  Speaker 1: So Paul, do you reckon they need to wait for
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  Speaker 1: that electronic rostring or could it be happening sooner.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that's the commitment. The government have said they'd like
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  Speaker 2: to actually see that electronic rostering come in to see
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  Speaker 2: where the gaps are. But the reality is we already
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  Speaker 2: know what numbers we've got, they could already see where
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  Speaker 2: they're actually working today. But the review will be important
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  Speaker 2: in terms of what the demands are for all those areas.
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  Speaker 2: So whilst we'd like it today, we certainly are welcome
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  Speaker 2: the commitment, at least it will be in this term
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  Speaker 2: of government. But what we also want to want to
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  Speaker 2: see is this underpinned by a commitment to actually really
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  Speaker 2: look at the recommendations and look at them seriously, because
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  Speaker 2: we know the review in twenty twelve told us we
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  Speaker 2: needed significantly more vans on the road and it was
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  Speaker 2: never adopted, so it has to be underpin Bola Commission.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think your spot on there, and Paul, you know,
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  Speaker 1: particularly when we have a situation sort of earlier in
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  Speaker 1: the week where we've got an announcement that there is
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  Speaker 1: going to be overt and covert increased police presence as
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  Speaker 1: a result of what we are seeing around the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory at the moment at the bottle shops, you know
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  Speaker 1: that in that space, are you sort of worried or
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  Speaker 1: how are you feeling about police and being taken from
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  Speaker 1: other areas to be able to do that job.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we've already had a lot of contact from members
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  Speaker 2: in other areas saying they've already been tapped on the
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  Speaker 2: shoulder to say you need to go out and do
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  Speaker 2: some visibility patrols on the street and look, that's not
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  Speaker 2: necessarily uncommon. Of course, the most extreme example of that
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  Speaker 2: was COVID where we saw police all over the parts
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  Speaker 2: of the territory. So it's not uncommon, but of course
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  Speaker 2: it actually impacts those other workplaces and those other court
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  Speaker 2: in areas. Whether it be tried and whether it be
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  Speaker 2: a water police, whether it be intel or wherever they're
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  Speaker 2: coming from, all those areas will suffer as a result
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  Speaker 2: of this. But of course it's not an uncommon, uncommon
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  Speaker 2: thing to do.
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  Speaker 1: Paul, how are our police officers feeling right now. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we have seen a tragic alleged murder earlier in the week.
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  Speaker 1: Last night we had six incidents in Palmerston where people
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  Speaker 1: are threatening with knives and I believe an axe in
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  Speaker 1: one situation we've had. There has just been so much
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  Speaker 1: go on this week.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a tough, tough week. I mean just
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  Speaker 2: about every week it's a tough week for police. For
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  Speaker 2: this really highlights I think what they do with it.
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  Speaker 2: You know, almost every day we deal with edge weapon offenses,
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  Speaker 2: we deal with really aggressive people, and that tragic circumstance
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  Speaker 2: the other week wouldn't be a genius to work out.
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  Speaker 2: That would have been a pretty horrific scene they have
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  Speaker 2: to deal with. And of course all our first responders
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  Speaker 2: who went to that, we're incredibly brave and professional the
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  Speaker 2: way they went about that. And you know those other
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  Speaker 2: examples from overnight about the threats on workers, edged weapons, knives, axes,
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  Speaker 2: I mean, you name it. I mean, we've got to
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  Speaker 2: get to a point where that's not acceptable that those
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  Speaker 2: people should not be on the street, regardless of other
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  Speaker 2: people's thoughts on that. We have a right to be
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  Speaker 2: safe in our community. Katie and I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the impact on our frontline workers Areligne yet alone, the
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  Speaker 2: workers being threatened, you know, needs to be the forefront.
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  Speaker 3: You're damn rich.
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  Speaker 1: You know the fact that this is happening, it's becoming
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  Speaker 1: more and more prevalent. But also, you know, Paul, there's
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  Speaker 1: been a lot of discussion and this morning, I know
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  Speaker 1: that you're out and about around the territory, so I'm
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  Speaker 1: not sure if you heard it, but throughout the week
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  Speaker 1: that was there was discussion about the presumption of bail
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to those edged weapons, and the minister
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  Speaker 1: saying that, you know, sometimes that does come down to
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  Speaker 1: a police decision whether somebody has that presumption of bail
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  Speaker 1: or not. But that current, as I understand it, sits
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  Speaker 1: at neutral when you're talking about an edged weapon being
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  Speaker 1: used for violent offenses. I just don't feel like that
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  Speaker 1: is in line with the Northern Territory community expectation. But
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  Speaker 1: what's your understanding of ash.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, obviously the brazen attacks have really brought this
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  Speaker 2: to the forefront, and I mean police police's job is
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  Speaker 2: to find the offenders, bring them before the court. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: work within the rules they're given the legislation that's provided
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  Speaker 2: through government. That's all they can deal with. Yes, they
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  Speaker 2: have a spreadsheet around what this presumption of bail looks
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  Speaker 2: like for a certain offense. Is at a first time offender,
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  Speaker 2: is it a repeat offender? What was the weapon being
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  Speaker 2: used and was there harm caused. There's a whole raft
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  Speaker 2: of thing that they need to go through to make
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  Speaker 2: these judgment calls. But they're the rules they're given, So
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  Speaker 2: it's up to the decision makers to say, you know,
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  Speaker 2: can we strengthen those or can we make it easy
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  Speaker 2: for police to recommend to the courts they should not
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  Speaker 2: be on the streets for these sorts of serious offenses.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that's what needs to.
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  Speaker 3: Have Yeah, that is a really really good point, Paul.
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  Speaker 1: You know, what what do you make of the announcement
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  Speaker 1: that was made earlier in the week with the you know,
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  Speaker 1: with these changes are the police.
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  Speaker 3: What's the feedback you're getting from the rank and file.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously, you know, they they just they go about
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  Speaker 2: their job, Katie, They get told to do what they
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  Speaker 2: need to do each day, and you know these changes obviously,
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  Speaker 2: you know, we need to see the detail of what
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  Speaker 2: it looks like. I did receive a letter from the
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  Speaker 2: Chief minister just today around their intent to review these
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  Speaker 2: powers and bail the bail legislation, and we obviously came
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  Speaker 2: to see what that might look like and how that
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  Speaker 2: might impact the members and then we can go to
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  Speaker 2: our membership and and seek that feedback. Of course, any
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  Speaker 2: strengthening to make police powers, you know it's more suitable
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  Speaker 2: to the to the environment, should be welcomed. But you
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  Speaker 2: know it's a tough time out there, and obviously you
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  Speaker 2: know this needs to happen sooner rather than later.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, Yeah, I agree, Hey, Paul, just on you know,
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  Speaker 1: the pay deal and the fact that the Minister has
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  Speaker 1: commit I know that she's obviously spoken to you about it,
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  Speaker 1: but committed to conducting this independent review.
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  Speaker 3: Is the deal done when it comes to the pace.
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  Speaker 2: We've reached a position where we are certainly happy to
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  Speaker 2: go to our membership and provide the offer to them.
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  Speaker 2: And obviously that's a position for our membership before it's
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  Speaker 2: made public. But obviously we're in a position where we
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  Speaker 2: think they need to have their say and there's no
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  Speaker 2: doubt we'll probably go to a vote on that early
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  Speaker 2: April at the latest. So we're currently out and about
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  Speaker 2: talking to our membership presentations happening all over the territory
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  Speaker 2: to speak to them about this offer. But certainly we're
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  Speaker 2: supportive of it at this stage and we came to
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  Speaker 2: get that to a vote sooner or other than made.
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  Speaker 3: All right, so two of us, hopefully early April.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, Paul.
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  Speaker 1: Mcue, I always appreciate your time, mate, thanks so much,
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  Speaker 1: and a big thanks to all the police that are
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  Speaker 1: out there working their bums off. It's not an easy
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  Speaker 1: job under any circumstance, but seeing what we've had go on,
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  Speaker 1: I know that it's no surprise really, I guess to
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  Speaker 1: our police and to the public some of the stuff
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  Speaker 1: that is happening. But they do a marvelous job under
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  Speaker 1: what can be very difficult circumstances.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks Kelly, absolutely and appreciate your comment.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you.