Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Responds to the Police Commissioners Future, John Howards comments and the Current Crime Incidents.

Transcript

Chief Minister Responds to the Police Commissioners Future, John Howards comments and the Current Crime Incidents. · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Yes, a very good morning, welcome to the show. Hope
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: you had a great easter. I obviously had a little
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: bit of a longer weekend and Crystal is still away.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: She'll be back next week and we'll be happy to
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: have her back. In the meantime, Sarah in the chair
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: helping me out now. Last week, as we all know,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Government's desire for the Commissioner to resign
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: dominated headlines, and over the weekend, the Commissioner issued a
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: statement through his legal representation saying the ongoing speculation in
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: relation to the Commissioner is not in the interests of
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the brave women and men of the Northern Territory Police
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Force or the public, let alone fair to a Commissioner
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: who's been discharging his duties with integrity and in the
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: interests of the public. In order to attempt to resolve
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: this unfortunate matter, the Commissioner has proposed that a mediation
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: take place between the legal representatives of the Northern Territory
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: Government and the legal representatives of the Commissioner, to be
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: chaired by an eminent retired judge from an interstate jurisdiction.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: It is the desire of the Commissioner that this mediation
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: take place as a matter of urgency. Now. The statement
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: went on to say that the Commissioner has been appointed
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: to his role until November twenty twenty three, with the
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: option for renewal of his four year contract to be
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: the subject of discussions in May twenty twenty three. It
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: goes on to say it's always been the Commissioner's intention
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: to discharge the important functions of his office for the
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: full term of his contract, as well as seek renewal
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: of that contract to complete important reforms which he has implemented. Now,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: the Commissioner well and truly digging his heels in, despite
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: the fact that the Chief Minister has refused to say
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: that she's got confidence in the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: In a couple of minutes time, we are going to
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: speak to the Chief Minister Attasha Files and find out
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: what the government's plans are. Meanwhile, the Northern Territory Police Association,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: the acting President, Lisa Bayless, said the unacceptable situation was
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: causing ongoing harm to the morale and confidence of the
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: police force.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Miss Bayless went on to say.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Well that it was she pointed to the embattled commissioner's
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: legal backing, labeling it as being in stark contrast to
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the options afforded to the rank and file. She said
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: he's seeking fast tracked mediation using top lawyers overseen by
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: an interstate judge, while the members of the force are
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: subjected to a protracted dismissal appeals process that can take
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: up to two years just to get a determination. Meanwhile,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: members wait months, can wait months or even years for
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: the outcome of an internal disciplinary investigation.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Miss Bayless said that in the past two years, more
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: than a dozen dismissed police officers chose to resign instead
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: of pursue a lengthy appeals process. She went on to say,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: if a member of the police force believes that they've
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: been unfair dismissed, they do not get paid, they have
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: no access to fair work and have no legitimate recourse
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: except to rely on the Northern Territory government to adequately
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: resource the tribunal to secure a hearing date, which could
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: be two years after their termination. She said, while we
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: welcome a swift outcome to provide stability to our hard
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: working members, the rank and file of the Northern Territory
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Police Force deserve the same level of respect. Now we
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: are going to be catching up with the acting Police
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Association President Lisa Baylor. She'll join us on the show
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: just after ten o'clock this morning and we'll talk further
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: about the situation with her. Now we also know over
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: the weekend the issue of crime. It continues to rage
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: on some in Alice Springs saying crime is as bad
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: as it was before the Prime Minister's visit back in January.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Videos once again circulating on Action for Ouris demonstrating the
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: terrible issues that the town continues to face. Robin Lamley,
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: the Member Ferara LUN's going to join me on the
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: show at nine point thirty this morning to let us
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: know how things ant going. But also this morning on
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Sky News, it has been revealed that the former Prime
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: Minister of Australia, John Howard, has come out and said
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: the failure of governments on different levels. Look at the
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: NT fifteen years ago when I was the Prime Minister,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: we had an intervention in the Northern Territory and that
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: was because that was the failure of the Northern Territory government.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: In the last few weeks months we've seen the same
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: failures repeated in the same parts of Australia. That's a
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: failure of government and having a voice won't stop that.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: So that was the former Prime Minister John Howard's words
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: to Sky News Australia a little bit earlier this morning.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: So we will put that to the Chief Minister Natasha
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: Files in a few minutes time as well. Also though
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: up here in Darwin, unfortunately a number of unlawful entries
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: in the city on Monday night, the Northern Territory Police
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: continuing to call for information as well after an aggravated
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: robbery and nightcliffe on the weekend, So there is quite
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: a bit happening and you know, look, I think it's
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: safe to say that plenty of us wondering if we're
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: ever going to get to a weekend where we aren't
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: experiencing these issues.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: So we will talk more about it.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: We will certainly keep you up to date with any
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: further info as it comes to hand. Also this morning
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: though we're going to be catching up with Saint John's.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: We'll get your weather update and plenty more. There is
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: a lot on the agenda, but as you just heard
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: me read out, well, the Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker has
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: issued that statement over the weekend. The statement really totally
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: out of step with the reported desire of the Files
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: government to end his contract early. Now joining me in
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: the studio is the Chief Minister, Natasha Files.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: Good morning to your Chief Minister.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Now, Chief Minister, what is the current situation with the
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Commissioner's contract?
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, before I answer that question, I would just
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: like to outline I will sound repetitive in some of
• 5:50
  Speaker 4: my responses, and that's because we are going through confidential
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: negotiations and they're not to be had in the public arena.
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: It's in employment matter.
• 5:58
  Speaker 4: But the Chalker is presently on leave and we're negotiating
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: in good faith and will continue to support our hard
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: working police force.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: So was it determined by the cabinet though that your
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: government no longer has confidence in the commissioner?
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: Katie?
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: What I can say is I'm never afraid to have
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: a difficult conversation, especially if it's in the best interests
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: of the Northern Territory. As your listeners would appreciate, this
• 6:22
  Speaker 4: is around someone's employment, so they do need to be
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: held in good faith and confidentially behind closed doors. I
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: can see how that frustrates some people that they feel
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: that we have a right to know. But I assure
• 6:33
  Speaker 4: territorians I am acting in good faith on behalf of
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: the Northern Territory.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: So do you have confidence in the Police Commissioner Jamie.
• 6:39
  Speaker 4: Talker, Katie, I have absolute confidence in the Northern Territory
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: Police Force and that is what I will say to
• 6:45
  Speaker 4: that question.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: So it doesn't sound like you do.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, just weeks ago on this very show, you
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: said out right that you did have confidence in the
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: police Commissioner. Can you understand that by not saying anything,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: it does lead the public to believe that you do
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: not have cdence in mister Chalka Katie.
• 7:01
  Speaker 4: I won't be providing commentary, but I want to reassure
• 7:04
  Speaker 4: your listeners. I take the issues in our community very seriously.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: I'm not afraid to have a difficult conversation. I am
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: in negotiations with the Police Commissioner in good faith and
• 7:13
  Speaker 4: I will continue to support our hard working police.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: So, in this statement on the weekend, the Commissioner said,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: in order to attempt to resolve this unfortunate matter, the
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: Commissioner has proposed that a mediation take place between legal
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: representatives of the Northern Territory government and the legal representatives
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: of the Commissioner to be chaired by an eminent retired
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: judge from an interstate jurisdiction. Is this the desire? Like, obviously,
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: this is the desire of the commissioner. Is is this
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: something that is going to happen? From your perspective, I
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: know that you said that there are discussions underway. Is
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: it with those legal representatives and is it taking place
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: as a matter of urgency?
• 7:52
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, I'm not trying to sound repetitive, but I
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: am limited in what I can say. But there is
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: negotiations in good faith with the Police Commissioner and I
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: will have to leave my comments.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: There by an eminent retired judge.
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, there is a process that is being undertaken
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: and I need to respect that process in confidence. But
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: absolutely this matter is of the highest importance and there
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: is a sense of urgency from me.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: Why is that? Is it because you're worried you're going
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: to get sued?
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: Katie?
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: I need to make sure that process is followed proper process,
• 8:26
  Speaker 4: and that is why I do need to respect the
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: confidential nature.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: All Right.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: The Commissioner has been appointed to this role until November
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, with the option for renewal of his
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: four year contract to be subject of discussions in May.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: So that's literally just a couple of weeks ago. Why
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: I should say the Commissioner saying in that statement that
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: he's committed to the women and men of the Northern
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Territory Police Force as well as ensuring the safety of
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: territorians and that has always been his intention to discharge
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: the important functions of his office for the full term
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: of his contract, as well as seek a renewal all
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: of that contract to complete important reforms which he has implemented.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: Is that in line with what you want?
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, as I've said, the negotiations with the Police
• 9:11
  Speaker 4: Commissioner in good faith are ongoing and they won't be
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: had in the public arena and unlimited in what I
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: can say.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: So May, though, is when those discussions are due to
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: really be determined as to whether he's going to continue
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: on or not.
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, supporting our hard working police force is my
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: absolute priority as Chief Minister.
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: They do an amazing job.
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: We have challenges and I know we'll come to those
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: in a minute, and I'm really focused on how I
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: can support the Northern Territory Police Force giving them the
• 9:41
  Speaker 4: resources and the tools to.
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: Do that job to keep our community safe.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Is there a chance that he's going to stay on
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: in the role.
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, I've said what I will say on this matter,
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: and it is with It's not trying to sound repetitive
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: or frustrate your listeners. It's around respecting that process that
• 9:57
  Speaker 4: is in place.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Let's take a step back a little bit then and
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: talk about the disruption that this is having on the force.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: We spoke to the Police Association last week who said
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: that this needs to be sorted and needs to be
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: sorted quickly. Do you think that this uncertainty is having
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: an impact on the men and women on the front line.
• 10:13
  Speaker 4: So Michael Murphy is acting commissioner, He's acted in that
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: role previously. He's someone that has strong leadership and so
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: he's certainly providing that to Northern Teritory Police presently.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: Can you see though, how this uncertainty is not only
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: like crime is the biggest issue for a lot of
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: Territorians right now. It's the biggest concern. You go anywhere,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: It's the first thing people speak to you about. You know,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: I can give you a few examples on the weekend
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: of friends that were impacted by crime. Business is broken
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: into homes impacted. Crime's the number one issue for a
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: lot of Territorians. Our men and women on the front
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: line are working incredibly hard. You've got seventy nine percent
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: of them in that last survey that said that they
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: did not have confidence in the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: You're now not prepared to say whether you do have
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: confidence in him or not. Can you understand why territories
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: and the force need that certainty?
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, Katie. I'm a part of the community. I've been
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: in Central Australia, out and about across the top end.
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: I talk to people wherever I am, whether it's formally
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: or informally, and these community safety issues are the highest
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: priority for me. In terms of the Commissioner, I need
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: people to understand that there's a process in good faith,
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: but we absolutely are supporting our police force and they
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: have strong leadership with the acting Commissioner. How much is
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: this potentially going to cost the taxpayer, Katie, I'm not
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: going to delve into those matters. What I am focused
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: on is how I can as Chief Minister support our
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: police force who do an incredibly hard job each and
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: every day, and also the other complexities that stop crime
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: and anti social behavior before they happen.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: All Right, people are really quite angered on the text line,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: as you would imagine, saying I can't believe you know
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: that we're not able to get a straight answer, like
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: all sorts of messages along those lines. The community is
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: really really frustrated, and that frustration is sort of turning
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: into them believing that you're not prepared to make hard decisions.
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: I want to assure Territorians that I am never afraid
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: to have a difficult conversation or make a tough decision,
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: especially when it's in the best interests of the Northern Territory.
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: And Katie, I can understand that anger and frustration, and
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: it's not deliberate that I'm being repetitive with what I
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: can say, but I'm limited in what I can.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: And what do you say to those Northern Territory Police
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: officers Almost eighty percent of them that completed that survey
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: towards the end of last year that indicated that they
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: had lost confidence in Jamie Talker.
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: So the Northern Territory Police Association we take those survey
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: results very seriously. I know that the Minister for Police
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: spoke with the President Paul mcew around those survey results
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: and how we can continually work through to support our
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: police who have a dynamic, challenging role and require different
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: resources and what we can do as a government.
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: Now, what do you say as well to those rank
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: and file police officers who really haven't been afforded the
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: same opportunity that it seems the police commissioners getting right now.
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: So Katie, I need to separate in my response, but
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: in terms of the rank and file, and I'm well
• 13:14
  Speaker 4: aware that the disciplinary process is something that the Police
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: Association have raised with the Police Minister around how we
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: can have a strong process that ensures that there is
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: structure but at the same time be efficient for everybody involved.
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: It's not we want we train these police officers. We
• 13:31
  Speaker 4: spend a lot on their training. We want them out
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: on the beat working that we know that that's where
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: they want to be. So that is certainly an issue
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: that I'm ware aware of.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: Do you feel as though we've got some police officers
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: who are not going to work at the moment because
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: they don't have confidence in leadership.
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: I mean that would be a question for police and
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: police officers, Katie.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Yes, we can't really put that though to the commissioner
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: at this point.
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: I'm sure that the Police Association would respond to that, Katie.
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: But from my perspective, it's around giving police the resources,
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: whether that's strong legislation, whether that's physical resources.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: You know, to do their job.
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: I do understand their job is unique and in terms
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: of you know, the disciplinary matter that we were just
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: talking about, it's complex, but I think we absolutely have
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: to work through those issues so that there is efficiency
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: within the processes.
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: Chief Minister.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: On the weekend crime once again blowing up, cars, stolen,
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: terrible issues in Ola Springs in your own electroate. Around
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: five am on Sunday, police received reports at two unknown
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: males armed with weapons entered a residence on Casuarina Drive.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: The pair have allegedly threatened the occupants with a knife
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: and an axe before stealing a number of small items
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: and a white Toyota rav four. These issues have now
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: become so common that people have lost confidence in your
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: government to deal with them. I mean, what do you
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: say to people who are feeling that way right now?
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, with those incidents over the weekend are subject
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: to police investigations. I want to be careful with my comments.
• 14:55
  Speaker 4: I don't want to prejudice anyone, but we're a part
• 14:57
  Speaker 4: of our communities. We absolutely have the same frust anger.
• 15:01
  Speaker 4: We want to stop these issues.
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: We want to.
• 15:03
  Speaker 4: Stop this type of behavior and that's why you see
• 15:06
  Speaker 4: us committing resources to police ensuring that there is a contemporary,
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: strong legislation in place.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: So are you going to extend the alcohol restrictions that
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: we've got in Ala Springs right now? Obviously that's a
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: point of contention with issues really blowing up again.
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: So Katie, I spent time in Central Australia and Alice
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: Springs and it was reassuring to see the police presence
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: and not denying incidents take place. We need every time
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: there is an incident, people need to ring police and
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: refer to those promise numbers because we need to make
• 15:35
  Speaker 4: sure that we're basing our commentary on facts of incidents.
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: People aren't reporting that.
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: What I'm saying is we need people to report incidents
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: to police. So we've got those promise numbers. That data
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: helps us drive what type of activities take in place
• 15:49
  Speaker 4: and where we can best place our resources. But in
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: terms of the alcohol restrictions we bought in place, a
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: number of restrictions we're working through, looking at the police,
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: the health data as well talking to the community around
• 16:01
  Speaker 4: how we move forward. They were built in as a
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: three month emergency measure. Do they need to be continued,
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: does elements need to.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: Be keep wit? Does that end?
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: I think it's in a couple of weeks around the
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: twenty fifth of April, but I might have that exact
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: dat incorrect, and.
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: So you're thinking that the situation may be that it
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: gets extended for longer.
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: So they were bought in under legislation Section eighty eight,
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: which is an emergency provision. So I've sought advice around
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: have they been responsive, have they been helpful? Have we
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: designed those to provide respite to the community and to
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: our frontline workers. So it's in sure you get the
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: police dart of the health data and then stepping forward,
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: are they kept as is? Is their changes made to
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: them and that certainly is being worked through at the
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: moment now.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: Former Prime Minister John Howard has been out this morning.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: He's spoken to Sky News Australia and said the failure
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: of government on different levels.
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: Look at the Northern Territory.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Fifteen years ago, when I was the Prime Minister, we
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: had an intervention in the Northern Territory and that was
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: because that was the failure of the Northern Territory government.
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: In the last few weeks months, we've seen the same
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: failures repeated in the same parts of Australia. That's a
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: failure of government and having a voice won't stop that. Now.
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: I just want to step away from the voice discussion
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: for a moment and look at the fact that you've
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: got the former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard saying
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: that we are in the same situation in Australia, in
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, in Central Australia right now as what
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: we were when he stepped in and the intervention was called.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: Are we there again?
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: I mean, honestly, I think Territorians feel like we could be, so, Katie.
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: I want to answer that question in two parts. I
• 17:39
  Speaker 4: believe the territory is always better when it's governed from
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: the territory. It doesn't need to be labor, it doesn't
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: need to be my government. But I always believe fundamentally
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: that we understand the issues, the complexities in our community
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: and we govern better for territories. The second part of
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: it is the intervention was in the dying days of
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: the Howard govern they thought that it would give them
• 18:01
  Speaker 4: a boost and they would be able to win that election.
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: That failed and history shows that. But what this comes
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: down to is the Northern Territory and the fair share
• 18:10
  Speaker 4: of funding from the Commonwealth. It costs us more to
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: deliver the services, the same services that are required on
• 18:15
  Speaker 4: the East Coast. In the territory, there's complexities and so
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: that is what we keep arguing. We need that needs
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: based funding in the Northern Territory so that we can
• 18:24
  Speaker 4: overcome these issues.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: Like at the moment, two hundred and fifty million dollars
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: has been earmarked for Alice Springs and nothing's changed since January.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: You've got people in Alice Springs saying that things are
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: as bad as they've ever been.
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: And this, Katie, is the complexity. We've got remote communities.
• 18:40
  Speaker 4: We need to have services and opportunities in those remote
• 18:44
  Speaker 4: communities so that people are engaged and participating positively in
• 18:48
  Speaker 4: the community. We also then need to understand the underlying
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: issues and I believe the intervention caused so much trauma
• 18:55
  Speaker 4: and disempowerment. We are seeing the consequences of that today.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: But when now, well, look, you guys have been in
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: for however many years it is six seven years. The elections,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: you know, August next year, and things are pretty terrible
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: right now. You know, you've got people leaving the Northern
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: Territory because of the issues with crime. People are feeling
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: so disheartened about the situation that we're in right now.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: And you are saying that what we need is further
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: funding from the federal government. But what I'm saying is
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: we've got you know, we've been two hundred and fifty
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: million dollars earmarked for Alice Springs and nothing seems to
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: have changed since January.
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, in terms of resolving these issues and tackling
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: these issues, there is examples where it works. So if
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: you look at Griod Island and the work that's been
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: done listening to local leadership there, we've reduced the contact
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: that young people are having with police and the court
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: system by ninety five percent.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: That's one community and that is the example that the
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: government keeps going back to. And you look at the
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: whole Northern Territory and if that's the only example that
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: we can actually give where something's going well right now,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: what hope does that really give everybody else?
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: What I'm highlighting, Katie, is that it takes dollars, intensive
• 20:05
  Speaker 4: case working, intensive management, intensive listening to the community for
• 20:09
  Speaker 4: these solutions. So they are local, they are community driven,
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: and that is why it's so important that we have
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: that needs based funding. So when you're talking about the
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: factors that drive the issues in the Northern Territory, So
• 20:21
  Speaker 4: we talk about families that aren't functioning, we talk about
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: domestic and family violence, the rehabilitation, the services to support
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: those people to stop. What we're dealing with is the
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: consequences of those dysfunctional families. It takes dollars an effort.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: And so six years in, how have we not made
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: any inroads? Katie?
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: We have made in roads, but we are seeing.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: When you look at the crime and what's going on
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: in the streets right now, and you look at the
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: situation that we're in right now. You know, like I said,
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: I can give examples just from myself. Over the weekend,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: you know, a friend of mine had her business smashed
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: up in the city for no reason. You know, they
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: look on that security vision. It's young people with ankle
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: bracelets on. I myself was in the city on Thursday
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: afternoon at four thirty and was getting abused by somebody
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: who was clearly over intoxicated and was in there for
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: quite a long period of time.
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: And we've reached the point where this has just become the.
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: Norm and it can't be the norm. We can't accept
• 21:20
  Speaker 3: this as the status quo.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: But what I'm saying is we've got more young people
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: in detention, We've got more adults in detention record numbers.
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: But this is the culmination of that disadvantage of those
• 21:32
  Speaker 4: dysfunctional families when you're talking about young people, and we
• 21:36
  Speaker 4: through the Christmas period removed huge numbers of young people
• 21:40
  Speaker 4: from their families because it wasn't safe in Central Australia.
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: And so what we are doing is we are making
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: sure that we're investing in those services to stop the
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: these behaviors from continuing.
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: FAZD is ideological views at the moment, stopping you from
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: actually doing what territorians expect of you, and that is
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: keeping them safe.
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: Katie.
• 22:01
  Speaker 4: I don't have some kind of ideological view that as
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: Chief Minister, I have to implement My view is that
• 22:06
  Speaker 4: we have to have a safe community and it takes
• 22:08
  Speaker 4: a range of measures. It takes strong measures supporting and
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: we are seeing those longer term statistics are starting to change.
• 22:16
  Speaker 4: But absolutely we've got to deal with the behaviors now.
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: So it's short, medium and long term and they're the
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: decisions and the investments we're making.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: Okay, one last question, are you still going to be
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: raising the age of criminal responsibility? I know that Naja
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: was on the ABC this morning on their news questioning
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: why it hasn't happened yet. On Thursday last week though,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: we had a situation where two males aged ten and
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: eleven entered a business on Essinton Avenue in Gray. The
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: youths allegedly threatened an employee with scissors before stealing a
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: quantity of cash and fleeing the scene.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: Are you still raising the age?
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, we were very clear with that legislative change
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: that what we have now is young people that type
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: of and I have to step away from that incident
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: because it'll be imagined before police and the courts. But
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: you have incidents that take place, Police spend an enormous
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: amount of time and then it gets to the court system,
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: and it's dolly incapac it's not a cognitive ability to
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: understand what was taking place. The programs have to be
• 23:12
  Speaker 4: there so that the young people face a consequence for
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: their behavior and the community is safer.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Are you any clothes that are having those programs in place?
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: Yes, that work has been continuing, but right now we
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: have not raised raised the age of criminal responsibility because
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: those programs are not fully in place.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: When do you expect that they're going to be.
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: I anticipate that over the coming months, but I absolutely
• 23:33
  Speaker 4: assure territories what we're trying to solve, we have to
• 23:37
  Speaker 4: have the program in place so that there is that
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: strong consequence.
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: And will what evidence or what are you going to
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: use to sort of back those programs actually being in
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: place and reducing incidents like the one that I spoke
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: about last week.
• 23:51
  Speaker 4: So there is strong evidence that when because at the moment, Katie,
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: what happens is those young people are caught by police,
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: but police can't follow through, so there is no prece.
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: So they get away with the behavior.
• 24:02
  Speaker 4: Was if you've got that strong program in place, there
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: is a consequence for the behavior, so the young person
• 24:07
  Speaker 4: understands that and learns from that and you're not tying
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: up those police resources unnecessarily.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: A question from gin in Zicoli, Katie, can you please
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: ask the Chief Minister about the cost of damage to
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: the Center for National Resilience.
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: So, Katie, this is something that we keep having raised.
• 24:24
  Speaker 4: The Center for National Resilience is housing people that have
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: been through a natural disaster, a traumatic experience. It's a
• 24:29
  Speaker 4: roof over their head. We've repatriated a couple of hundred
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: people back to Calcaringian dagar Ragu and we're continuing to
• 24:35
  Speaker 4: get the rest of those people back. One community, Pigeonhole,
• 24:37
  Speaker 4: is completely wiped out. But I have not been told,
• 24:40
  Speaker 4: and I'm sick of the rumors and people spreading this
• 24:43
  Speaker 4: that there's suddenly buildings have been burnt down out there.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: That's just ridiculous.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: So there's not damage out there.
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: They'll be wear and tear, Katie from having people in
• 24:50
  Speaker 4: a vacility, But we're caring for people that are homeless
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: because of a natural disaster.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: And so there's not extensive damage as had been raised
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: by the opposition. No, all right, So from your perspective,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: any damage that's out there is literally just wear and.
• 25:04
  Speaker 4: Tea yeah, there'll be certainly, you know, we've stood that up.
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: It had six seven hundred people house there in an
• 25:10
  Speaker 4: emergency situation, and there's certainly be work, you know, to
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: get that ready again for whatever it's next endeavor is,
• 25:18
  Speaker 4: and we're working our hardest to get those people home.
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: Calcoring you dug a ragu is a little easier, but
• 25:24
  Speaker 4: pigeonholes being completely wiped out, and also the road there
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: has had significant damage. It's not a territory government road,
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: but where out there will be repairing that and we've
• 25:33
  Speaker 4: also got some temporary accommodation. So the people want to
• 25:36
  Speaker 4: be home on their community, that's where we want them.
• 25:38
  Speaker 4: But I think it's a little bit unfair that these
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: people have come in from community and it's suddenly painting
• 25:43
  Speaker 4: them that they're not entitled to have a roof over.
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: People are more concerned if there has been extensive damage done.
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: I think that's more the question that's being asked.
• 25:51
  Speaker 4: It's not the advice I've got, and we've seen for
• 25:53
  Speaker 4: weeks now the opposition making these claims. Yes, there's hundreds
• 25:57
  Speaker 4: of people there, there's kids, there's wear and tear, but
• 26:00
  Speaker 4: we're not seeing a situation where there's been a huge
• 26:02
  Speaker 4: damage Bill.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: Chief Finiston, Natasha Fhiles. We better leave it there. Thank
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: you very much for your time this morning.
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: Take care.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: It is just on nine point thirty coming your way.
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: Next we're going to be speaking