Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro calls for Chief Minister to step down amid ICAC investigation

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Opposition Leader Lia Finochiarro calls for Chief Minister to step down amid ICAC investigation · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, it's certainly been an interesting few days
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: in parliament. Before we are an interesting day and week
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: last week in parliament. Before we get into that, though,
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  Speaker 1: we will discuss the federal budget. And joining me on
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  Speaker 1: the line is the opposition Leah. Leah Finocchiaro. Good morning
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: to you.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie and to your listener, Lea.
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  Speaker 1: Are the federal budget indeed handed down last night? So
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  Speaker 1: what was your reaction?
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I thought it was incredible and it really just
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  Speaker 2: shows that the federal government is plugging the gaps that
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  Speaker 2: the Gunner government can't feel. I mean, this is really
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  Speaker 2: delivered on infrastructure, particularly on projects like Tiger Brenn and Drive,
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  Speaker 2: which has been a pipe dream under the territory government.
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  Speaker 2: And yet the Morrison government is going to be able
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  Speaker 2: to get that through. The extra thousand troops for the
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  Speaker 2: territory is going to equate to real population growth and
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  Speaker 2: important economic driver in our community. And that's again something
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  Speaker 2: the Gunner government have completely failed on. And so I
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  Speaker 2: think it just shows a coalition getting on with the
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  Speaker 2: job of growing the territory when the Gunner government's incapable
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  Speaker 2: of doing the same.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, I know we've got plenty of criticisms of
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government, but I suppose in their defense
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  Speaker 1: there is money that they're going to have to contribute,
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  Speaker 1: particularly when it comes to that infrastructure. And I do
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  Speaker 1: think that no matter who is in Parliament or who
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  Speaker 1: is in government in the Northern Territory, we've got to
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  Speaker 1: make sure that we're working well.
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  Speaker 3: With the Feds to deliver for territorians.
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's no question, and what's really important is that
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  Speaker 2: the federal government understand how important the territory is and
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  Speaker 2: is actually stepping into areas where the territory government should
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  Speaker 2: be delivering. I mean, there's very clear differences between what
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  Speaker 2: a territory and federal government should do. But this budget
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  Speaker 2: is just fantastic news for us. I mean even the
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  Speaker 2: increase in GST payments of over three hundred and seventy
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  Speaker 2: two million dollars is incredible. I mean, that's going to
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  Speaker 2: be and it come an enormous relief to the Gunner
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  Speaker 2: government who've absolutely blown our budget to smithereens. So I
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  Speaker 2: think this is a good news budget. It shows that
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  Speaker 2: the FEDS really care about the territory and I think
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  Speaker 2: it shows the economic leadership of the Morrison government, which
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  Speaker 2: you know really builds a stronger future for the territory.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we certainly know that an election is not far
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  Speaker 1: from being called now, and let's move into the territory
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  Speaker 1: politics though, because we know. Yesterday during the show, the
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  Speaker 1: ANTIKAC Commissioner Michael Richards confirmed that he will investigate allegations
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  Speaker 1: of improper conduct relating to the arrest in charge of
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  Speaker 1: mister Zachary Rolf. He issued a statement saying MY investigation
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  Speaker 1: will focus upon the period between the shooting incident and
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  Speaker 1: the presentation of mister Rolf for charging. He went on
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  Speaker 1: to say, in due course, I will consider whether I
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  Speaker 1: will hear some or all witnesses by way of public inquiry. Lea,
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  Speaker 1: I understand that you've welcomed this investigation. You and I
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  Speaker 1: have spoken on numerous occasions about this, But why do
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  Speaker 1: you think that this IKAC investigation is so important?
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  Speaker 2: I think it has just vindicated the concerns of our police,
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  Speaker 2: the concerns of our community, and certainly the concerns we've
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  Speaker 2: been raising that this needs to be looked at. And
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  Speaker 2: of course for the last two and a half weeks
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  Speaker 2: we've had Michael Gunn just continuously refused to call any
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  Speaker 2: sort of inquiry and investigation, continue to deceive and dodge
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  Speaker 2: and distract questions around his involvement and his comments that
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  Speaker 2: consequences would flow in you and demitwent, so, this is
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  Speaker 2: an important milestone in this two and a half year
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  Speaker 2: you know, sorry Saga, in that we will now have
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  Speaker 2: an independent body providing that scrutiny over the period we've
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  Speaker 2: been calling for. And that's that four days between the
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  Speaker 2: shooting and the charging of comfortable Rolth. But in an
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  Speaker 2: astonishing move yesterday, Katie, in response to the ik Commissioner
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  Speaker 2: calling that inquiry, the Chief Ministers said that the investigation
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  Speaker 2: is completely unnecessary and I just think that shows a
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  Speaker 2: fundamental lack of leadership.
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  Speaker 3: Say that, where did he say that, Leah.
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  Speaker 2: At a press conference he had in the morning, he
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  Speaker 2: was questioned by a journalist and he said an investigation
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  Speaker 2: is completely unnecessary, which is just it just shows how
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  Speaker 2: out of touch and uncooperative the Chief Ministry is. We
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  Speaker 2: asked him directly and question time yesterday whether or not
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  Speaker 2: he'd be fully cooperating with the IKAK and he just
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  Speaker 2: refused to answer that question. And we are very concerned
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  Speaker 2: about the level of deception The Chief Minister has been
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  Speaker 2: trying to run his own narrative over the last two
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  Speaker 2: and a half weeks, which is falling flat with the community.
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  Speaker 4: Katy.
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  Speaker 2: So we welcome the investigation, we welcome the time period
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  Speaker 2: that it's going to investigate into, and certainly we think
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  Speaker 2: the Chief Minister has totally failed in his leadership on
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  Speaker 2: this in a number of other issues and should stand
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  Speaker 2: aside for the period of this investigation.
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  Speaker 1: Well, yeah, you have been calling obviously for an independent inquiry.
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  Speaker 1: You've now amped up those calls and just about every
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: member of the CLP question the Chief Minister in Parliament
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  Speaker 1: yesterday asking when he would stand down. Why do you
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  Speaker 1: reckon that he needs to stand down? I mean, should
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  Speaker 1: we wait here first until the investigation is complete?
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  Speaker 2: His position is completely untenable, Katie. The fact that he
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  Speaker 2: has tried to deceive the community that the coroner was
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  Speaker 2: going to look at this issue when they never would,
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  Speaker 2: never could. The fact that he's ignored the cause from
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  Speaker 2: beliefs and detectives about their concerns at the haste and
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  Speaker 2: the speed that the DPP was briefed and of the charging.
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  Speaker 2: He's ignored the damage. His words that consequences would flow
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  Speaker 2: have caused to the community. He has said that the
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  Speaker 2: Iikag investigation is unnecessary. I mean, this is just extraordinary stuff.
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  Speaker 2: He cannot continue to head this government while that Ikach inquiry.
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  Speaker 3: Is on foot.
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  Speaker 2: He should do the honorable thing and at the very
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  Speaker 2: least stand aside. He is unfit to lead and it
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  Speaker 2: is been a disgraceful chapter in our history.
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  Speaker 1: Lea, do you genuinely believe that he has done something
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  Speaker 1: wrong here, that he has been involved in some way
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  Speaker 1: politically interfering.
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  Speaker 2: What I know, Katie, is that territories have questions and
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  Speaker 2: that that requires to restore that confidence in our community,
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  Speaker 2: in our police force, it requires nothing short of an
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  Speaker 2: independent investigation. I'm not the judge of the jury, but
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  Speaker 2: what I know is the only way to restore confidence
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  Speaker 2: is to have that public open scrutiny. And the Chief
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  Speaker 2: Minister cannot escape the fact that he's the one who
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  Speaker 2: made the decision two days after the shooting to get
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  Speaker 2: on a plane with the police commissioner, with the police
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  Speaker 2: minister front a morning crowd in Nuenda move say that
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  Speaker 2: consequences would flow, that they're you know, he impune that
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  Speaker 2: there was police wrongdoing and that they would be a
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  Speaker 2: negative outcome of that wrongdoing and he has to be
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  Speaker 2: responsible for his actions and that is what the iqaqs
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  Speaker 2: and will undoubtedly look at, is what impacts those comments
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  Speaker 2: had in relation to the charging.
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  Speaker 1: Now, I know it's obviously a very different scenario what
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  Speaker 1: we saw in New South Wales with the New South
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  Speaker 1: Wales Premier Gladys spiogically, but ultimately is what you're saying
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  Speaker 1: here that you believe that while this KAC investigation happens,
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  Speaker 1: at the very least he should stand aside.
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  Speaker 2: Without question, he should stand aside. Other state leaders have
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  Speaker 2: gone down for less Katie. You know we had glad
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  Speaker 2: to step down even Barrio Farrell, and for much lesser sins,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: if any, than what the Chief Minister has done by
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  Speaker 2: going to you and Deamu. And so this is really
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  Speaker 2: important to give that clarity and confidence to the community
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  Speaker 2: that he stand aside and allow this investigation to take place.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I've no doubt that plenty of our listeners are
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  Speaker 1: going to have their say this morning on this topic.
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  Speaker 1: Zero four, double nine seven, double one three six zero
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  Speaker 1: is the number if you'd like to text through. Now, Leah,
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  Speaker 1: we know that today in Parliament you're going to be
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  Speaker 1: introducing legislation around mandatory sentencing for those who assault frontline workers.
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  Speaker 1: Why do you think this is required?
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  Speaker 2: This is really really important, and I want to make
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  Speaker 2: it clear. There are two sections in the Act that
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  Speaker 2: we're amending. One is around police and emergency service workers,
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  Speaker 2: but the other is about any territory worker, anyone who
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  Speaker 2: is in their place of work or are at work
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  Speaker 2: doing their job and is assaulted. So I want to
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  Speaker 2: make that really really clear. It covers everyone in the workplace.
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  Speaker 2: We believe there's a real gap when it comes to
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  Speaker 2: first time offending and particularly around offenses like spitting and punching,
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  Speaker 2: and so we want to address that gap by making
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  Speaker 2: that first time offense a minimum mandatory sentence of an
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  Speaker 2: actual term of imprisonment. We not only believe that this
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  Speaker 2: sends a strong message to our emergency personnel, our police,
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  Speaker 2: and territory workers that they deserve to be safe in
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  Speaker 2: their workplace. It responds to these escalating levels of offending
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  Speaker 2: that we're seeing and violence being perpetrated against workers. It
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  Speaker 2: also sends a very clear message to the community that
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  Speaker 2: this is the community's expectation around sentencing when people are
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  Speaker 2: assaulted on the job.
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  Speaker 3: Lea is it going to get up.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, obviously you're going to need the government's support
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  Speaker 1: here for this legislation to pass.
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  Speaker 4: Well.
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  Speaker 2: We certainly we cannot see any reason why the Gunner
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  Speaker 2: government would not support this, and they certainly have not
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  Speaker 2: been able to articulate a reason why they wouldn't other
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  Speaker 2: than politics. And so we're asking the Gunner government to
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  Speaker 2: put down their politicals stored see reason, look at the
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  Speaker 2: legislation for what it is, and articulate to the community
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  Speaker 2: that they do support our workers. I mean, this government
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  Speaker 2: has repeatedly said they're looking at it. We know that
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  Speaker 2: the government's response has been to set up a bureaucratic
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  Speaker 2: working group to look at this issue. It's not that complicated,
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  Speaker 2: it's very very simple. We think laws should meet community expectation.
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  Speaker 2: We believe this law achieves that and sends a message
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  Speaker 2: to our workers that we value and respect their safety.
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  Speaker 2: And there is no reason why the government, Gunna government
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  Speaker 2: shouldnt support this, and if they don't, it will be
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  Speaker 2: purely for politics, Katie, which is absolutely disgusting.
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  Speaker 3: Leah, we are fast running out of time, but I
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  Speaker 3: do want to ask.
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  Speaker 1: On Monday and Tuesday, we've focused on the show about
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  Speaker 1: that public drunkenness and the issues that we're seeing around
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  Speaker 1: Darwin with antisocial and in some cases criminal behavior. The
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  Speaker 1: Health Minister, we spoke to her yesterday about liquor licensing
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  Speaker 1: in various communities have listened to what she had to
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  Speaker 1: say on the show yesterday.
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  Speaker 4: Introduce legislation this week that we hope will pass the
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  Speaker 4: Parliament in May that will allow communities to opt in.
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  Speaker 4: So we have seventy four community living areas in the territory.
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  Speaker 4: They cannot gin to be a dry area or they
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  Speaker 4: may choose not to urn that's up to the leadership
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  Speaker 4: in those communities. Separately to that, it would mean that
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  Speaker 4: if the community wish to have a liquor license, they
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  Speaker 4: would go through the Northern Territory liquor licensing process, which
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  Speaker 4: is a strong, robust process and it has community consultation.
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  Speaker 4: But it does change the legislation from the Commonwealth because
• 10:32
  Speaker 4: of the intervention legislation and stronger futures that does make
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  Speaker 4: little licenses go through the Commonwealth. That will change in July.
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  Speaker 1: Leah, is this a good idea and do you think
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  Speaker 1: that it's going to help in any way with some
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  Speaker 1: of the issues that we're seeing around our town centers,
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  Speaker 1: particularly around Darwin and Palmerston at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's no question antisocial behavior in alcohol fueled violence
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  Speaker 2: and crime is completely out of control, and we'll actually
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  Speaker 2: be giving a notice of emotion on that if to
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  Speaker 2: that Effectay, But look, we haven't seen the detail, but
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  Speaker 2: on the face of it, it sounds like exactly what
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  Speaker 2: we need. This government has talked a lot about ensuring
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  Speaker 2: there's community controlled clubs and communities who want to opt
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  Speaker 2: into that model. Can We've seen very little detail about
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  Speaker 2: what work has been done by the Gunner government of
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  Speaker 2: that on that, but it's a very obvious direction in
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  Speaker 2: which we have to go. If there are communities out
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  Speaker 2: there who want to have social clubs and other types
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  Speaker 2: of liquor licenses, then why shouldn't they And it's very
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  Speaker 2: important that this legislation, you know, meet that expectation.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Leah, are you able to tell us very briefly what
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: that motion that you're going to be presenting in Parliament
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  Speaker 1: today is or will we have to wait and see?
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  Speaker 3: No.
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  Speaker 2: No, it just basically tackles this exact issue that antisocial
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  Speaker 2: behavior is rife across the territory. It's causing you know,
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  Speaker 2: I mean the number of business owners I speak to
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  Speaker 2: I have to go and sweep out the front of
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: their shop every morning, kative, with all sorts of you know,
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: you can just imagine the types of things sweeping away,
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: the type of violence, the disruption, all of those types
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  Speaker 2: of things we're hearing, particularly from retailers in the mall.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, crime is at eye watering levels. I don't
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  Speaker 2: need to tell people about that. They're living and breathing
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  Speaker 2: the destruction of this Gunner Government's week approach to crime.
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  Speaker 2: So our motion will be focused on that and making
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  Speaker 2: sure that we have a robust debate in Parliament about
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  Speaker 2: what measures need to happen to drive down this issue
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  Speaker 2: and ensure we have a safe community.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, good idea. It's something that's top of mind for
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  Speaker 1: a lot of our listeners.
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  Speaker 3: I know that for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Leah Finocchio, the Opposition leader, we always appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks very much for speaking with us this morning. Thank you,
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: take care, Thank you.