Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the NT Government’s alcohol bill doesn’t mention an official ballot which was being touted by the Chief Minister

Transcript

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the NT Government’s alcohol bill doesn’t mention an official ballot which was being touted by the Chief Minister · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, today is the first day of parliament for the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory and the files government's going to introduce the
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: legislation around alcohol restrictions following that mounting pressure around the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: situation in Alice Springs. But late yesterday we learned that
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: the COLP plans to introduce its own liquor legislation during
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: parliamentary sittings this week. Now joining me on the line
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: is the Opposition leader Lea fanocchi Aroh Hi.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Leah, good morning Katie to your listeners.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Now, we were expecting the government to brief the opposition
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: late yesterday, but the Opposition whip Josh Bergoin made the
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: announcement that the COLP is going to be introducing well
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: your own legislation giving police greater powers in response to
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: alcohol related crime.
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: Leah, Firstly, what exactly is the CLP proposing?
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: So we've recognized for a long time that the Labor
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: government has been disempowering our police, whether it's with youth crime,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: whether it's with abolishing mandatory sentencing, raising the age of
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: criminal responsibility. They've also a range of powers that police
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: used to have in being able to deal with troublemakers
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: who are using grog as a way to cause grief
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: to themselves and to the community. And part of our platform, Katie,
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: is about empowering our police and so recognizing the terrible
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: harm that alcohol is causing and the destruction it's causing.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: We said about last year to prepare legislation to give
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: power to police to be able to deal with problem drunks,
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: and so we will introduce that legislation tomorrow afternoon and
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: certainly are looking to government support on that is something
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: that is missing from their legislation that they're proposing to
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: bring in on urgency today and something that I think
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: territories are desperately crying out.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Leah explain to us, how is it going to give
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: police greater powers?
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: So what Labor did is remove the ability for police
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: to arrest problem alcoholics, to ask for their license, to
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: question them, and to move people on. Basically, Labor restricted
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: police's powers to being able to tip out grog.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: I argue that they didn't. They'll always say the two
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: kilometer law is still in place. Is that the one
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: that you're sort of talking about here?
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: Yes, effectively, effectively, so they argue whatever they want to argue, Katie.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: I don't think anyone's buying what government are selling at
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: the moment. So essentially police have been reduced to being
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: able to tip out grog. We want to give them
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: as much power as possible to be able to deal
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: with situations as they arise. And we know that problem
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: drinking right across the territory is leading to increases in
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: domestic violence, increases in assaults, and of course, you know,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: is not something that the territorians that are happy to have.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: It's not okay for people to be you know, drinking
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: and causing harm across the territory.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: So from what you're saying, police currently cannot arrest somebody
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: who's publicly drinking well anywhere around around the Northern Territory,
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: and the legislation that you're proposing will enable them to
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: do that.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Yes, that's correct. So currently police, under the changes that
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: the Labor government made, are able to tip it out,
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: tip out the grog. We're proposing a raft of changes
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: which will empower police to have more tools in their
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: toolbox to be able to deal with the situation as
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: it arises. And of course it has a lot of
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: discretion for police to be able to do what they
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: require in the situation. We train our police well, we
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: trust them to do their job, but it's about ensuring
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: that they can deal with the issues at hand, and
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: so we would do that on Wednesday, of course, just.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: Very quickly, what are some of those just very quickly,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: what are some of those measures in that the police
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: would actually be able to implement or use.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: So police would be able to ask people for their
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: driver's license, They would then be able to question them,
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: They would be able to ascertain whether there was any
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: breaches of domestic violence orders for example. They would be
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: able to move people on. They would be able to
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: arrest people. So I so you say.
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: They can't currently do that.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: They can't currently check someone's license, they can't currently you know,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: ascertain where they're from or you know, any of that
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: other stuff.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: So police are alwed to speak to people, of course,
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: but they're not allowed to go through those other mechanisms
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: that they used to have to be able to obtain
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: greater detail and take stronger action.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: All right, So with this legislation today or tomorrow, it's
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: going to be introduced tomorrow, are vote Leah will let
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: then be debated. You know, what's the process and how
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: soon would you anticipate that if it's going to get up,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: that it'll happen.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: So we are very restricted in Parliament, Katie, as your
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: listener as well know, so we will be able to
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: introduce it tomorrow. We certainly hope that we could have
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: that ready for debate next month, so in March, but
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: that will require some negotiation. The Independence and Opposition have
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: four hours a week only to be able to debate
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: their business, so it just requires a bit of reordering
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: of business and some procedural you know, things that.
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: Need to be done the scene.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: No, that's wrong, but yeah, but ulimately all legislation really
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: sits on the table for a month anyway, following a
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: normal process, and we would certainly hope to bring it
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: on as soon as soon as possible. In the meantime,
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: Government will be bringing their legislation.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: Yes, So just on that, we know that the Chief Minister,
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: Natasha Files had told us on the show yesterday that
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: that essentially that the amendments to the Liquor Act would
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: be debated on urgency and that the Opposition and the
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: Independence would be briefed yesterday after the Cabinet and the
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: Caucus had been briefed. Is my understanding, Leah did you
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: get that briefing.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: Yes, so Government did offer the briefing. We're attending this
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: morning after the ceremonial procedures. Obviously the whole CLP team
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: is very concerned and interested in what Government is proposing,
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: so we will attend that briefing. I've read the legislation,
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: Katie already have many questions for the Government about it.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: I don't think it's as comprehensive as they promise, and
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: it actually is a return of stronger futures, which of
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: course the Chief Minister could not bring herself to say
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: last week. There's some very big concerns around how exactly
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: a community will have to prove that they have obtained
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: sixty percent of that community's support to have alcohol and
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: it's very very so.
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: That's not in the legislation.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: There's like, there's not a part in there that the
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: you know, that the Australian Electoral Commission or that the
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory Electoral Commission needs to you know, conduct a
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: ballot for that community.
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: No, absolutely not, and of course that's what we were all.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: You know, the Government certainly gave that impression. All is
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: required is evidence. They've just used the word evidence. That
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: the community alcohol plan is supported by at least sixty
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: percent of adults in the area. So that can mean
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: a lot of things. Is it does not require an
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: official balance, It does not require I mean, does it
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: require a statutory declaration from sixty percent of adults in community?
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: Does it require just the elder of that community, Does
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: it require the mayor of that area to endorse? I mean,
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: it's completely none of that is covered off in this legislation.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: And so it seems that our concerns right from the
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: start have rung true that the government hasn't really thought
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: through how on earth the Director of Licensing is going
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: to have confidence when presented with so called evidence that
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: sixty percent of a community want to return to grog.
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: So are there a lot of questions?
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Are there any other major concerns that we should
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: be aware of with that legislation? So that briefing that
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: seems odd to me that that briefings only happening today,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the day that Parliament sits, rather than yesterday.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly, but it's important that the whole CLP team
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: are at the briefing Katie, And ultimately my understanding is
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: we're not debating it today gore kind of introducing it today,
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: so I imagine we'll debate it tomorrow or the next day.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: We've read the legislation and so that gives us an opportunity.
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: We read it yesterday, which means today we can ask
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: government the questions.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: And so no other concerns at this point. Obviously you've
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: pointed out that you know the sixty percent, But are
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: there any other concerns from what you can see from
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: what you've.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: Read, Yes, So one other concern I have, we obviously
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: haven't range of communities that are general restricted areas, and
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: those general restricted areas, it seems, don't have to achieve
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: the sixty percent to then become a wet community. So
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: I'll certainly be asking questions around why the general restricted
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: areas are being treated differently to what government's calling special
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: restricted areas, which are the new dry zones that the
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: Chief Minister outlined last week.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: So what did what would be a general restricted area
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: from your knowledge.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: So, prior to stronger futures, there were general restricts, so
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: there were communities across the territory that were drive and
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: then stronger futures came in and that expanded and there
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: were some changes made when Stronger Future has ended, those
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: general restricted areas or those dry communities were reinstated. But
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: this then creates sort of then becomes two classes or
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: two categories of dry community. I suppose you could say,
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: one called general, one called special. And so it's about
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: working out why they're different, how that's going to interact,
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: and whether or not those communities have to follow the
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: same procedure of this concept of sixty percent of adults
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: in a community. So yeah, it's definitely not straightfward, we
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: know government have rushed this. I mean the Chief Minister
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: admitted late last week that it was still being drafted.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: So I'm not surprised that there's you know, it doesn't
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: make a whole lot of sense, and of course they've
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: been pushed pushed into this position. We know that this
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: is not something the Chief Minister wanted to do, and
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: her labor federal colleagues have certainly impressed upon this government
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: they need to get their house in order. But anyway,
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: we will certainly questions about Look, I.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: Do want to move along and just quickly ask because
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: I know that your press for time as am I
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: today as I understand it, or certainly during this week
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: you are going to move that motion for a vote
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: of no confidence in the government over what you say
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: is a failure to do the very basics of government,
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: and that is keep the community safe. Leah, what's been
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: the feedback from the Independence and the backbenches? Are they
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: going to support you? Oh?
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: Well. I ran into Joel Bowden and Alice Springs on Friday,
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: Katie and I said, Joel, if you really care about
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: your community, you need to listen to the concerns and
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: come on board with this motion. So I'm yet to
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: hear back from him, but Kisi Epiric, the Independent member
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: for Goiter, and Robin Lanley, the Independent Member for Ara Lewin,
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: have both said they will support the no confidence motion.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: I met with the Independence yesterday and this is something
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: we will continue to discuss with independent and government members
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: over the course of the next month. So I will
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: introduce it tomorrow. It will have to wait until March
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: unfortunately for that debate to happen, and we certainly hope
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: government are going to allow the debate. The last thing
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: Territorians want is a motion of this significance for debate
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: in the parliament just to be shut down by a
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: government who doesn't want to hear it nowd the.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Likelihood of it getting across the line, you know, it
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: is pretty low in terms of getting labor backbenches to
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: cross the floor and vote with you. Some people are
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: asking why you've gone down this path and not tried to,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: you know, maybe censor the government or bring it to
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: the Parliament as a matter of public importance if you
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: want it debated.
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: Well, that is a fantastic question and I can explain
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: that very simply. We have made attempts to center this
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: government on numerous occasions. I think the last sinnings of
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: last year. We did it multiple times, Katie. And this
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: government does not allow the debate. They stand up and
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: they shut it down before a word even leaves my mouth.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: It is a disgusting way in which they control the
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: Parliament and operate like a dictatorship. So we are doing
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: this the proper way. This is the most serious motion
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: we can bring to the Parliament. It reflects the serious
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: level of concern in the community. It respond to the
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: call for territories that they've had enough and that this
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: government is failing to govern and be able to do
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: the very basics of what a government should do.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: So clea if.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: I mean if this passed, and it is a massive if,
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: what are the next steps because the reality is that really,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: wouldn't the government then need to be wouldn't the administrator
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: need to be called in and the government be dissolved?
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: Or would you need to form a minority government with
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: those that cross the floor?
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: Like, what are the next steps? And have you thought
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: that far ahead?
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely, Katie. So what would then happen is the
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: government lost the motion. They would then have to go
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: to the Administrator and say that they've lost the confidence
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: of the people of the Northern Territory and the Assembly.
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: The administrator would then have to work out whether or
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: not the colp was able to form a government, or
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: whether or not a general election should be called. And
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: we would certainly be pushing that a general election is called.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: We think it's important that Territorians decide their next government
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: and what priorities they have for the future of the
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: Leah, is this just dog whistling?
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: Absolutely not, Katie. I can't tell you how many people
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: have been calling for a vote of no confidence in
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: this government. The fact that Territorians used to look forward
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: to the future, Katie and now look over their shoulder
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: every single day. Is an unsustainable way to live our lives.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: The destruction, the crime, the economic free fall, the debt,
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: the health crisis, education crisis, police crisis. It is too
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: much for anyone to bear. This government has shown through
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: its own actions it is not fit to govern. It
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: cannot do the basics, and as a COLP opposition, we
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: will hold them to the highest level of account. Looks
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: onto the community.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Get what you're trying to do here.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: I certainly understand what you're trying to do here, but
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: you know I like it all Lowers.
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: It voted for.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: Them, and that was two years ago, Katie, and.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: Usually we have to wait four years.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: Well that's right, and we know we may have to
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: wait two more, but that doesn't stop me waking up
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: every day wanting to make the Northern Territory a better place.
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: And ultimately my team can't sit by and watch Labor
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: destroy the territory we know and love, and we will
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: fight every single day for Territorians and make sure that
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: we're holding this terrible Labor government the highest standard of
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: account and giving people in the community the opportunity to
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: participate in our democracy and also have faith that there
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: will be a brighter future, Lea.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: Before I let you go, Labor obviously announced yesterday that
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: they've got the ALP candidate for a Referra. Has the
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: COLP found a candidate for the seat of a Refuerra.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: So my understanding is a COLP are going through that
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: process and that we've had really fantastic applicants and feedback
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: on that. We've been very conscious of the cultural considerations
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: and the fact that communities are grieving the member for
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: our offera was a family member, a colleague and of
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: course a leader in that community, and so we've been
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: very mindful of people's you know, consideration of that and
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: I really look forward to the outcome. I look forward
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: to working with whomever is pre selected by the party
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: and showing Territorians at the CLP.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: So where will we know? When will we know who
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: the candidate's going to be for the CLP.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: I don't know the time frame, Katie. That's a better
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: question put to the party, but I'm sure it will
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: be I'm sure it will be seen.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Leah Finocchiara, good to speak to you this morning. Always
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. We'll chat to you again soon.
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: Take care, thank you,