The Week That Was – 30th June 2023

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us in the studio today for the week that was.
We've got the oppositions Marie Claire Boothby, Good morning to.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
You, Good morning Katie, and listeners.

Speaker 3 (00:07):
We have got well the Government's Kate Warden.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
She's the Minister for Police and Territory, Families and various portfolios.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning to you, Kate.

Speaker 4 (00:15):
I thing Katie. Great to be with you again.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
And from nine years Darwin for the first time, we've
got Georgie Dicketson. Good morning to you, Georgie, Katie. Happy Friday,
Happy Friday. I love Fridays. I love it when we've
got a full line up. It certainly makes my job
easier because everyone does the talking. And I'm very pleased
to say that we are back online. We're having some
issues with our live streaming, and I know that there
was a lot of people who were messaging all throughout

(00:38):
the last couple of days saying Wolfie, please sort it out.
I'm trying to listen and we can't hear. So we
are back online. You'll be able to hear everything as
it happens.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
First off, this morning, I'm keen to talk about the
fact that we found out yesterday on the show Well
I read a message out from one of our listeners,
and listener question was, Hi, Katie, we tried to book
a Jetstar flight from Darwin to Bali for October. Flight
schedule between the seventh of October and the tenth of November.
Now we asked Minister Nicole Manison about this, a tourism

(01:07):
minister on the show yesterday, and she said she wasn't
sure why those flights weren't happening, but to her credit,
got back to us within about thirty minutes to tell
us I can confirm the changes to Jetstars, DOO and
to dimpest our flights that your listener noticed is due to.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
The runway works.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
This is why we need Defense to urgently give certainty
around the scheduled works and the timeline. The Northern Territory
government had been calling for this to be sorted out
as quickly as possible and to minimize disruptions to airlines,
as we don't want to see a loss of services
on or higher prices.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
I should say during these.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Works now, there is no doubt that this flight is
going to have an impact to lots of Territorians. I
think it's safe to say everybody enjoys going across to.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Bali for our holiday.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
But I think the concern here as well is that
these works that are going to get underway, we know
that they're will and truly needed, but what impact it's
going to have Two other flights that have been scheduled Now,
the Department of Defense has said that Defense intends to
undertake major maintenance works of runways and associated taxiways at
the Royal Australian Air Force Base in Darwen and Darwen

(02:13):
International Airport during twenty twenty three twenty four. These essential
works will support the safe and efficient operation of the
airport for at least the next decade. It continues by
saying that Defense does not have any involvement in the
scheduling or cancelation of civilian flights. The Airport Development Group,
which manages the Darwin International Airport, is responsible for liaison

(02:36):
with those commercial airlines. Now we know then that the
Airport Development Group has said that Defense has management and
control for delivering maintenance and repairs at the Darwin International Airport,
with major runway works planned to take place over the
coming twelve to eighteen months. Meanwhile, we know then that
Jetstar is saying, well, we have temporarily stopped selling direct

(02:59):
flights between Darwen and Dimpas are scheduled from the ninth
of October to the eighth of November due to potential
runway works by the Department of Defense. Now they have said, well,
the dates and times of the runway works have not
yet been confirmed. We've proactively stopped selling flights during this
period to limit the number of customers potentially affected. I

(03:19):
think it's safe to say, based on those conversations that
we've had over the last twenty four hours, that there's
a lot of Territorians who are concerned about whether it's
just going to be flights to Ballei that are impacted,
or whether it's going to be more.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
Broad, which sounds like we need more information there, Katie,
for sure. And it's doesn't that raise the very interesting
fact about Darwin and the territory that our main airport
is actually a defense is a shared defense facility, and
I think this shows you the complications that comes with that.
On the good side of that, I also heard though
that Jetstar are absolute committed, so we've got a commitment

(03:54):
out of them not to change. They're going to come
back in the minute that they can but it'd be
really good if they could get some certainty. By the
sounds of what you're reading out there, that information be
good if they could get some certainty so that they
can sell those flights, because like you said, I think
at this time of the year, particularly territories would jump
on them even if they had the last minute bit

(04:14):
of notice to be able to go. So hopefully they
can work that through and actually work out if it's
possible to have some.

Speaker 5 (04:20):
Flights quicker than you sooner than later, and when it's
cheaper to fly to Bali than the rest of the country,
I think it's so important to have it certain as
to win you can actually fly there for a holiday,
because October that's the peak time of year that you'd
want to be tripping around.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Well, this is the thing, and that raises a very
good point, and something that we have spoken about as
well is the cost of those air fares. And I
think that you know, anecdotally, we've sort of been told
that maybe part of this is because those Bali flights
can't be rescheduled, and I know that they at different
times flight at night. I'm not sure whether some of
that work is due to happen at nighttime too. But

(04:54):
let's be honest, anyone that's called a flight out of
the Northern Territory in the last few weeks would know
that a lot of those flights, the only things that
are affordable are the ones that are leaving at two
o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
It's pretty insane.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Baby, Yeah, Katie, there was a lot of commentary that
you said there about who was doing what and who
was responsible. The part that I'm really confused about. I
don't know many territories are with this, and it's not
just the overseas flights. Of course, we're very worried about
the domestic flights as well, especially given we've had the
skyrocketing costs of flights. Is that where was the plan

(05:26):
for this to happen? I think the Minister for Tourism
yesterday said that runways do have to be upgraded every
fifteen to twenty years. I mean we have a government, Yeah,
we have a government who you would hope that was
responsible for the airport and the flights coming out of
the territory and the economy. So I don't understand why
there hasn't been any planning put into this from our government.

(05:48):
Because we can't afford to have this uncertainty, especially off
the back of obviously COVID a few years ago, plus
our reputation on crime, Like we need to have certainty
in all of these flights. We need to have would
flight costs so that people can come in out and
an out of Darwin libability.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
Look in the government's defense and it's not very often
that I'll jump in to defend them, but.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
List in their defense. It is defense that are.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Doing this, and I know that it can be quite
difficult in terms of trying to schedule that, in terms
of trying to work with the Department of Defense on
a federal scale to sort of make sure that it
has as minimal impact as possible.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
You would think that different layers of government, including the
Defense would all be speaking to each other.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
Well, And we did speak to Luke Gosling yesterday who
said to us, look, Katie, if there's a situation where
we're not getting the scheduled information that's required, that he's
prepared to have those discussions with the federal Minister for
Defense to ensure that that info is coming through. But
I don't know where the breakdown in communication is coming here,
because to me, what was quite surprising yesterday is the

(06:50):
fact that we've got a situation where for a whole
month it's looking as though this route has been canceled
or it's not happening, and the Minister for Tourism hadn't
been notified by anybody.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Now, I would think that.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
That would be something that was being passed on to
the minister so that she's aware of what's going on,
because you know, the government will we can criticize, as
you know all the time, but the government will try
to work things out so that you can come up
with some contingencies. So I don't understand where it's broken down,
and I hope that in moving forward that there is

(07:22):
that communication because if we end up in a situation
here where there is flights to everywhere around the country
that are being canceled, that are being put up in price,
we understand that they might be rescheduled, but that's going
to have a really big, big impact on a location
like the Northern Territory where we are already in different
ways struggling.

Speaker 4 (07:42):
And I think the other thing is that worldwide flights
have gone up post COVID that if we've seen that
the cost of flights is significantly higher. I hear it
from lots and lots of people trying to book. In fact,
just a couple of weeks ago, I was told that
you could actually get better fairs out of Bali King

(08:02):
to Europe than you can anywhere else and of course jets.
So I've now put on that great flight for us. Well,
it helps the territory out of Cans into Tokyo and
personally with a daughter that's now moved to Japan, that's
very exciting news. But there's so many you know, there's
so much going on in that space at the moment
to try and particularly those flights out of den Pasar,

(08:23):
which everybody was saying is the next way to go
because we haven't got those direct routes that we had
to Singapore. So I know that Quantas are really keen
to put those back in. So I think, you know,
those opportunities might be being missed because of the changes
that we're seeing. But all that's said and done, we
also do need to have those updates, upgrades to our airport,

(08:44):
and I think you're right, Katie, what needs to happen
is that we need more information around scheduling. Are all
the morning flights, early overnight flights. Are they going to
go or is it just this one? Is it just
the timing for this one? And I think that's the
missing detail for us today and i'd be keen to.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Here giving that to the government who's not providing that.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
Maybe we need to ask that question about what I'm
sure that the airport group is talking to the the
flight operators. I'm absolutely certain that would be happening. So
it's nothing new for this sort of thing to happen
around layers. And I guess Defense, you know, Defense will do.
That is their airport and it is the Airport Development

(09:24):
Corporation that's in charge to there. So we just need
to make sure that there's some certainty and information. I'm
sure after your call to a Minister Madison yesterday, she
would be chasing all of that up.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Can call me a skeptic, but I am absolutely shocked
and I'm sure territories will be too that the Tourism
Minister wouldn't have had any of this detail. I mean,
this has been it would have been talked about in
circles throughout those groups that you talked about, So I
just I find it highly unusual that a minister and
a government wouldn't know this, and then she gets she

(09:56):
finds out from radio. I mean it was your show
yesterday where a listener had text in asking about it. So,
I mean, it just goes to show that this government
doesn't seem to have its finger on the pulse with
what's happening in its own jurisdiction.

Speaker 1 (10:10):
Well, look, the thing that I think is going to
also be really difficult, just to sort of deviate away
for a moment, is that the minister had also said
in that discussion that we're having yesterday that they're trying
really hard to entice other airlines.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
To the Northern territory.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
Right now, how on earth are we going to do
that over the next twelve to eighteen months. If we've
got this work going on and we're in a situation
where the airlines that are currently operating don't know exactly
when that work is happening or how long it's going
to take, I don't know how.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
We're going to We're dating an additional Katie.

Speaker 4 (10:40):
Wouldn't it be awesome to have a lot more daytime
flights if that's the case, Yeah, yeah, absolutely affordable. But
this is an international problem, right now with flights. You know,
if you talk to family and friends in the state,
they're all saying the same thing. Nobody's got cheap flights.
I think we had if you think about it, those
ninety nine dollar fares sometimes return out of BALI weren't

(11:03):
we spoilt? And I think back to the nineteen eighties.
I drove continuously back and forth from South Australia to
the Northern Territory because the cost of a flight for
per person was over one thousand dollars and you could
do the run for five hundred with everybody in the car.
So I think times have changed. We did get very
spoilt for a while, and we just hope that we
can get back to those cheap fares.

Speaker 5 (11:24):
But in saying that, flights from say Sydney to Melbourne
you can get for fifty dollars one hundred dollars, can
then say flights from here to Alice or even that's
Alaru I looked the other day was twelve hundred return,
which is just insane when you can fly from Melbourne
to Ularu for eight dollars.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
Spot on, you know.

Speaker 1 (11:41):
And the fact is like right now you can travel
overseas cheaper than what you can absolutely to fly into Statement,
which I think is obscene.

Speaker 4 (11:48):
I do know that Ladie also is a fun fact
for you that you can if you drive out to Ulara,
which some people in all of Springs are doing, you
can get a cheaper flight out of your Lara, which
including the petrol from a four hour drive to get there.
I think that that's a significant issue that we have
been looking at and trying to bullets.

Speaker 1 (12:05):
You know, you think to yourself, that's obscene for the
people of Alice Springs who are already on their knees,
you know, in terms of wanting those additional tourists to
come to town, correct for then them to be in
a situation where people are literally you know, traveling to
Lara to be able to catch a flight or to
be going on twelve months.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
I want to see whether the government are fighting for
the territorians on this. I mean, we had Alan Joyce
come out last week and blame our tourism industry and
our operators for the problem that we have in Allie
Springs and the reason why he's struggling to get flights there.
We didn't see Natasha Filestick up for our tourist operators.
We heard Nicole Madison kind of say how she always

(12:43):
sticks up for them yesterday, but she certainly couldn't tell
us what those conversations were that she had Valan Joys,
like was she fighting for territorians or was she just
trying to She was No, we.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Just sit there, Mary Claire, we just sit there and go, oh, look,
just forget about the territory. It's you're dreaming. Honestly, you
always here and say that sort of dire tribe. It's rubbish.
Of course we're fighting for them. I wrote to now
is in Alice Springs? How ironic she she foss me off?

Speaker 2 (13:10):
And I wrote to her the other day passing it
off to the tourism minister, like she fobs off everything
else that should be her responsibility.

Speaker 3 (13:16):
Now I do here, and just of course.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
I'll defend her because she's out there actually working on
the ground. She's doing a great job, and she's doing
a good job.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
I'm just going to step in for a moment because
someone has just text through and said Kati Quantus is
offering return flight Sydney to Los Angeles for one thy,
two hundred and ninety nine dollars, which is three hundred
dollars cheaper than Darwin to Sydney return right now, which.

Speaker 4 (13:40):
Actually current sale out to the US. I noticed those
the other day because they sort of flush out through
your emails.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, I know, look, this is I guess where you
know we're Murray clear. The point that you're making is
a fair enough one in the sense I guess what
people are after right now, is you know, is for
the Tourism minister to go.

Speaker 4 (13:55):
Do you know what?

Speaker 1 (13:55):
I didn't shirt front Alan Joyce, but I certainly you know,
I said to him, this is not fair.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
We need to you know, we need to be patients happened.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
Of course we do. But you don't just shirt front.
You work through things with people that you actually want
to do business with, and you do it in a
very very professional way in order and you have formal
meetings with them, and you put proposals to them and
you ask them for support. Of course we did that.
We did it repeatedly while the Quantius executive were here.
We didn't miss an opportunity with the entirety of the

(14:27):
executive board from Quantus here in Darwin. Of course we didn't.
We missed. We slammed them with what we need here
in the Northern Territory. They have left here with no
illusion about how important it is that they provide an
increased and better service.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
Genterity, I reckon they're going to come to the party cake,
because I think that that's probably what lots of people
are listening this morning, wondering are we actually going to
see flights that are a little bit cheaper, that are
a little bit fairer that really you know, I remember
the fact that the Northern Territory.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
Is in their name, that is in that quantity name.

Speaker 4 (14:57):
At that point was made and I told him that
to the point was also made that over COVID we
were the only international airport that kept those flights running
in and out of London, and there was a lot
of appreciation from Quantus executives about that. I think the
point is, we do also have a new executive CEO
coming in and we need to work with them to

(15:18):
make sure they left under no illusion that we need
more flights and a better service from Quantus here in
the Northern Territory. And we had a great opportunity to
do that on more than one occasion, and there was
lots of meetings held around that. You know, we didn't
just sit with our hands and then you know, shirt
front them over issues. We did it in a professional way,
which is what you're expected to do when you're an

(15:39):
elected member of parliament.

Speaker 5 (15:41):
His comments on crime, though, saying that people don't want
to come because of crime, I don't think that's the
only issue. Obviously, we do have crime in Alice Springs,
we all know that. But why would anyone want to
fly to Alis Springs when you're spending hundreds and hundreds
of dollars, if not thousands, if you're taking your whole
family when you can fly to overseas and that stuff.
So I feel like that's more of an issue than

(16:01):
the crime in Alice.

Speaker 4 (16:03):
But then again, and you know, down I went down
to Alice Springs for the think and there was a
family that had come down there. In fact, there was
about six families they'd come together with. They'd hired minibusses,
those little what do they call them, those travel things
in their families and they were spending five weeks in
the territory traveling all the way around. Also, speaking to
tourism operators in Alice Springs that they have had people

(16:25):
that are tentative that have come for a day and
have then rebooked and stayed a week. So I think,
you know, this week we could also see that they're
absolutely full in Alice Springs for a range of reasons.

Speaker 1 (16:35):
So it's contrary though to what to what Daniel Rochford
had said to us on the show earlier in the week.
He'd said, Katie, I'm standing in the mall this morning.
There's two tourists in the mall matually heading back to
Alice next week.

Speaker 4 (16:48):
Again for the whole week, that wasn't my observation, and
during think it was absolutely bustling. So Alice Springs does
definitely have those ups and downs. And also the main
shopping precincts actually we aren't now in them all, so
that's all sort of changed.

Speaker 5 (17:02):
Do you think people are scared to go to them
all though, because of how much crime we've seen them?

Speaker 4 (17:05):
Absolutely not. I do not think that that's the case.
I think overnight you probably wouldn't, but then I haven't
walked anywhere dark overnight for a long time.

Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, the businesses in the mall that were telling me
a couple of weeks in our Springs that people that
do go in there and they are few and far between.
They are always asking you know, what is it really
like in here, because people are telling them all the
time that is unsafe to go down the Todd Mall,
even during the day, and of course that is what
Australians are telling them. And so if we have that reputation,

(17:34):
of course it's going to have an impact on who
wants to go and visit Alice Springs.

Speaker 4 (17:37):
So we absolutely need to work back and make sure
that we are working with people in Alice Springs to
change that perception of Alice Springs because I am there repeatedly.
There doesn't a month that doesn't go past that I'm
not in Alice Springs and spending time there. We need
to make sure that the shop fronts are looking better.
There's a lot of work to do with the council.

(17:58):
There's a lot of work do we need to make
sure those works are finished, all the road works are finished.
The impact that alcohol has had on Alice Springs over
a long period of time has been significant and we.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
Need to grow with what Alan Joyce had said that
those you know that those businesses in Alice need to
step up.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
The tourism operators need to step up.

Speaker 4 (18:16):
Look, I would never say those words about stepping up.
I think we all need to keep working together. It's long,
hard work and we've got lots of investments going into
Alice Springs. At the moment, we're doing some particular deals
to attract people back to Alice Springs, particularly you know,
the people that are in their motor homes, because they,
I mean the traditionally Alice Springs has got a lot
of people coming in with vans and caravans, particularly during

(18:38):
the dry season. We need to make sure that people
know that it's safe and it's a great place to visit.
And we won't be talking Alice Springs down.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
Sorry, Georgie. Well, we'll take a very short break.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
There is so much to discuss this morning, and we
will be back very shortly. You are listening to the
to the week that was. Plenty of messages flowing through
on the text line this morning, lots of you getting
in contact with those flows prices and telling me how
much cheaper it is to fly in different locations around
the world comparatively to the Northern Territory. And don't worry,
I'm feeling you. I know exactly how expensive it is now.

(19:11):
I do want to discuss though, the Police Association. They're
due to join us on the show just after ten
o'clock this morning, but they've got some new data. They
released in a press release yesterday saying that new data
has revealed an alarming decline in the number of constables
in the Northern Territory Police Force compared to staffing levels
ten years ago. They say that there's currently eight hundred

(19:32):
and sixty three full time equivalent constables, twenty three less
than in twenty thirteen. That is according to the Police Association.
Now the president, Nathan Finn says the figures cast out
on the government's claims that there are more police on
the beat than ever before.

Speaker 3 (19:48):
So, Kate, I know that you'd said during.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
Estimates, as at the thirtieth of March, we had one
six hundred and forty nine point twenty five full time
equivalent and the Northern Territory Police. These associations say that
they subsequently sought a breakdown of the full time equivalent
from the Department of NT Police Foreign Emergency Services and
that when you compare the figures from twenty thirteen to

(20:11):
fourteen staffing numbers, which shows that there are eight hundred
and eighty six point four to nine constables. With fresh
data provided by PFES, it shows that constable numbers have
dropped to eight hundred and sixty three point one four.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
Now they say that.

Speaker 1 (20:27):
The concern is that it's like that it is, you know,
it's a loss of that front line, you know, those
front line. They say the constables are the backbone of
the Northern Territory Police Force and they perform a fundamental
role and are at the core of the agency's operations.

Speaker 4 (20:43):
Okay, so just to give some facts around and I
did bring my cheat sheet today because I want to
give you some figures.

Speaker 3 (20:49):
We don't usually allow.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
Not they're actually plucking a figure from thirteen fourteen. Obviously
Labor wasn't in government then, but also the COLP and
GOUD was in government for two following years. Their figure
of eight six was in thirteen fourteen. In fourteen fifteen
there was less than that. There was eight sixty, and
in fifteen sixteen before we came to government, there was

(21:12):
eight hundred and five. So they're picking a figure from
behind that is not relevant when you're comparing stats to
when we came to government. So if you're starting figure
with the COLP was eight hundred and five. What they're
also doing is only picking a figure around constables, whereas
what that says is nobody else does frontline. So since
that time, we've also got an additional forty sergeants who

(21:35):
also do frontline work. But we've also got huge numbers
of auxiliaries. So the auxiliaries actually are sworn police officers.
They are also members of the NTPA, so they're members.
What they're saying is they're not frontline police officers, but
when you walk into a police station, what you find
is a police auxiliary or a constable at the front line.

(21:56):
So they're doing frontline work, which allows the more constables
to be out on the beat at the time. But
instead of looking also at all of those figures. We
currently have eight hundred and sixty six constables at the moment,
we also have an extra sixty five in training, so
very shortly we'll have an additional sixty five and by

(22:17):
the end of this month we'll have an additional forty
five constables. So if we're just talking about constables, by
the end of July, sworn constable numbers will be nine
hundred and thirty one. So I hate to be technical
with data coding, We don't usually get into the weeds here,
but there's been some misinformation and can I say good
on the NTPA. We are really working hard on a
good relationship with them. But this is obviously an advancement

(22:40):
of us doing a resource looking at the resources in depth.
And of course they want to say we want more,
and that's their job to do that, but they're ignoring
their membership. So if we're talking about frontline officers, you
have to include those sergeants. You have to include all
of those police auxiliaries and Aboriginal community police officers who
do frontline work.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
So you're saying that there are more police, and I
know the line that we hear from the government very
often is there's more police than ever before two.

Speaker 4 (23:08):
Hundred and thirty additional policements when we came to government
in twenty sixteen. They are whether there are know a.

Speaker 1 (23:15):
Lot of people will be questioning though, and look, I
understand the numbers that you're saying, but whether there is enough?
You know, Georgie, I know that you'd run a story
I think it was last night when you look at
some of those crime stats over yeah, correct, I mean
talk us through some of what you reported last night,
and then when you look at the impact that that
has obviously on those frontline offices.

Speaker 5 (23:35):
Well, I mean the stats were from the Australian Burea
of Cystics. So last year there was an addition that
was around one thousand people that had been victim I
think just of motor vehicle thefts, which was up around
forty percent from the previous year. And obviously we have
COVID in there a few years ago. Twenty twenty was
when we saw the lowest, but that's still you know,
ten thousand assault victims just last year alone, which is

(23:57):
crazy and we obviously always say we never land the
police for doing their job. They're doing everything they can
with the restources. But even listening to the Coronal Inquest
the other day, eighty percent or over of all of
the call outs for general duties are for domestic violence.
So they're doing as much as they can. So you know,
how many police do you actually think we need?

Speaker 4 (24:15):
So we're doing now stepping into a point, We're going
to do a body of work and do a review
around place resourcing. That's not just about bodies and numbers.
It's much more complicated than that. We have. We've got
the electronic rostering project underway, which will show us the
gaps really clearly.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
Tonay's and Finn about that, and he said that it
really isn't required, that you don't really need electronic monitoring
or the electronics.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
Elsewhere. Now, yes, so that wasn't That was a revelation
quite recently and I've made that made that comment before
publicly that we were told and advised at one point
that we had to wait for the electronic rostering which
will be done by the end of the year to
show the gaps. And it will show the gaps. But
what we also know is we can do some data
mining in some other areas and interrogation of ours the

(25:00):
data and that trike's already start.

Speaker 3 (25:02):
So that review has already started.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
So we're going to get an independent review to do
the financial and the structural review that will well, I'm
calling it a resources review because all of that, whether
it's human bodies or it's funding, they have to match.
So if you've got x amount you need in it,
you've got a shortfall and it's say of one hundred officers,
you need the resourcing to go with that. That work

(25:23):
will be done within the next six months.

Speaker 5 (25:25):
In terms of the police officers though, obviously we've seen
a lot of experienced officers leave the force, and it's
great that we're getting new recruits in, but they're junior
officers being sent out to places that need desperate help.
How do we attract more people in Obviously, you know,
Michael Murphy is saying that there's a twenty thousand dollar
moving fee that you can have, so obviously that will
help attract people and showing how many people you have left.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
The force are actually coming back.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
So I do know, No, I don't actually have the
exact figure, but we do know that. You know, we're
fielding phone calls from people that have gone into state
that want to come. We're working with the NTPA because
at the moment, if you say you're a sergeant somewhere
else and you want to come in at level, that's
not the case at the moment, and there's a good
reason for that, because if you're constable and you want
to progress in your job and a job becomes available,

(26:13):
you don't once someone's coming in from on the side.
But we're working through that with the NTPA about coming
to some sort of a compromise to allow those police,
senior police to come in. We do have a number
of people that are seeking to come back to work
with us, and Michael Murphy is working with those directly.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Katie, how many times have we heard Atasha Files say
that we have more police than ever before?

Speaker 4 (26:39):
She said it all the time.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
But do you know who doesn't believe her territories and
our police don't leave her. You've got all these stats
going on, but at the end of the day, we
have record levels of crime, as Georgie reported on nine
News last night, in every facet, and yet we have
we don't have more police to deal with that crime,
and more than when you're in government.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
And I want to go to a point that's made
with us quite often, and that is about the police
stations and whether they are or are not opened. Now
I will read out part of a post that was
posted by Nigel Brown, the CEO of Larachie Development Corporation,
earlier in the week. Now he'd said, my eldest daughter intervened.
I did get his We did get his permission to

(27:23):
read this out through the week. My eldest daughter intervened
in a serious assault on three young girls at Casarina
Bus Exchange by a much larger group of older girls.
She drove them to the Casarina Police station for their
protection and to report the incident. The station's front doors
were closed. This wasn't midnight, this was yesterday afternoon. Now

(27:43):
he goes through obviously his experience and the fact that
he's lived here for a very long time, and you know,
and he said that he's while he is immensely proud
of his strong daughter, who has a heart of gold
and an even stronger sense of justice. I asked the question,
of all those impositions of power and influence, why was
the station closed? Why did these three terrified young girls

(28:04):
have to wait for their parents to come and pick
them up because there was no one at the Casarina
Police station to help. Now, that's not the only instance
where we've been told that. The Nightcliffe Police Station has
been another one where we've had that raised with this.
So I guess, Kate, you know, the concern is that
while we may have more police officers on the ground,
and while we may have more offices around the Northern Territory,

(28:26):
people are really questioning that if they are not able
to actually particularly in that situation, we've got these young
girls absolutely, who've gone through that pretty terrifying situation. I
would imagine you front up to the police station and
you're not able to speak twenty one.

Speaker 4 (28:39):
So that's a conversation that I've had with the Acting Commissioner,
and we're really keen to make sure there's much more
accessibility of those police stations. We did see a number
of them close their doors during COVID. We need to
make sure that we get back to that and what
we need for that. That will all fall part of
that review, Katie, and it is important work to do.
I don't know why that was open, because it actually

(29:01):
should have been. My understanding is that those front those
you know, those police stations like Casarina and Nightcliffe are
open between eight and four thirty. That's my understanding as
a shop front. They also have an after ours buzza
there which should get them a response. So I saw
that yesterday from Nigel. We'll be making sure that we're
following that up for him on no environments.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
Are out and about well after four thirty in the afternoon, Like,
why can't someone go and get help from a police station?
I mean, isn't that why we spend millions of dollars
having that sort of frontal.

Speaker 4 (29:30):
Criminals are out and about and so are police officers,
so you're just you're just saying they're not there. They
might be actually out on a job, but you can't
just say, oh, criminals are out twenty four to seven,
because well, police are out twenty four to seven.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
Throw away like.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
About in the situation though, like the Nightcliffe police station
where we do have a lot of people who contact
us pretty regularly going we've got this massive police station
there and we're not actually able to you know, to
access the police.

Speaker 4 (29:56):
There are a lot of police officers actually already working
out there. You Vision is out there, and there's another
crime division out there, so they are actually so the
school based Constable Coordination Group is out there as well.
We're looking at other putting other operations out into that
space at the moment, but its front counter should be
open between eight and four thirty is my understanding. But

(30:17):
we are working to make sure that they are more
available and open for longer amounts of time.

Speaker 5 (30:23):
Should there be more officers in these problem areas, obviously
Nightcliff and CAZ where there is police stations. I did
a story similar to those girls there was a young
man that tried to intervene someone ended up getting bashed.
It took an hour for police to arrive and then
a subsequent three days to actually get a police statement
to the officers. So, you know, all these problem areas,
people aren't I don't think, really feeling that safe when

(30:44):
they do go to Casurina if there's all of this violence.

Speaker 4 (30:47):
And I guess there's been a lot of work at Cashurina,
and I do want to say a huge shout out
to Polly who's worked with the police there manager. Yep,
she's the center manager. But there has been an awful
lot of work in and around Casharina. I know that
around safety for elders, there's been a lot of work
around that, and we need to continue to work around
those hot spots. We have got an operational antisocial behavior

(31:10):
center that's now stood up, that's now looking at those
hot spots and different ways of responding through group patrollers.
You know, it doesn't all fall on police. It doesn't.

Speaker 3 (31:21):
And I think that we all understand that.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
We think that the police do an incredible job underwater,
extremely trying circumstances.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
But that's a bit of a low blow there Maury.

Speaker 4 (31:31):
Claire, you're just smart from the side. I do just
like I do on getting leadership.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
I do just want to say though, like right now,
we have got a situation where we know that the
coronial inquest is underway. I know that that is still happening,
so you know, I'm very cognizant of that. But we
talk about the high level of domestic violence, we talk
about the volume of calls. You know, we've got a
situation where throughout that coronial they did say that there
are situations where you should be able to all or

(32:00):
they would want to get somebody out to those jobs
as quickly as possive, and they're not able to So
I think the point that I want to go back
to is that we can say we've got, you know,
all the police we need, or we've got more than
we ever have before. But you know, if we're not
able to get police out to some of those really
critical incidents, and then if you've got young girls in

(32:20):
the community of being assaulted and they're not able to
access a police officer, if you've got a bloke who's
been bashed, as Georgie had covered earlier this week, they're
the kinds of things that people are going, Okay, we
might have more police than ever before, but they do
a really great job and we want them.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
So the question is, Katie, do we have enough? And
we are looking at that very closely and we will
make sure that we've got an external look at that.
The other thing is is the peace around well being
for police. So we knew that at one point in
time when I became the Minister, that there was a
lot of police officers that are you know, quite rightly
off on leave for a variety Plus we also had

(32:58):
a backlog of police that were on standing up during
COVID that never got their leave their leave entitlement. So
we had this sort of a lag where police were
taking are taking their leave from that COVID period. Plus
some of them are sick. There's been an incredible amount
of work that stood up in that space to make
sure that not only do we have those numbers, but
they're able to come to work and feel safe and

(33:19):
supported at work in their job. So we've done all
of that work with them. That will take time to
embed itself, but it's really positive. I went to the
launch of the well Being strategy the other day and
all the families were coming in because it's not just
about the officer, it's about their families making sure that
they are feeling supported. So all of that will come together.

Speaker 3 (33:37):
Okay, we are going to have to wrap up.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
I just want to ask you very quickly though, as
in just to go to some ads, but I do
just want to ask with that review, it's going to
happen in the next six months, you see, Well, he's
going to be in six months.

Speaker 3 (33:48):
Will it be made public?

Speaker 4 (33:49):
I can't see the problem with that now, But I'm
reluctant in my experience to say yes. But I can't
see that there's a problem with that at the moment.
It depends what information is in there and how you know,
it might identify different people in it, and all those
sorts of things. So at this point I would think
that that's not a problem.

Speaker 1 (34:07):
We're going to take a very short break. You are
listening to Mix one oh four nine's three sixty. You
are listening to the week that was, And if you've
just joined us, Marie Claire Boothby, Kate Warden and Georgie
Dickerson joining us in the studio this morning. Now, one
of the topics that we have been talking about throughout
this week. If you've been listening over the last few days,
you'd know that we have spoken about the ABC's report

(34:29):
about fuel disclosure records showing that backbench MLA Duran Young
spent more than seven thousand dollars in fuel purchases over
a four month period from December twenty twenty two. So
the ABC reported of this, more than two and a
half thousand dollars was spent on private travel in New
South Wales and Queensland. The records also show that the
Northern Territories Attorney General Chancey Paike racked up more than

(34:52):
seven hundred dollars in fuel costs on a private on
private travel driving between Adelaide and the Northern Territory between
Boxing Day and January seven. Now we know that from
what I from the info I've been given by the
Speaker's office, it is within the entitlements, which obviously are
determined by the Renunerration Tribunal in determination published annually. But

(35:17):
I think what it has shown is that a lot
of people are sort of going, well, hang on a
sec does it pass the pub test? Is it just
because it's an entitlement? Is it the right thing? To
do to be racking up or to be using your
taxpayer funded fuel card interstate when you're not on taxpayers work.

Speaker 3 (35:36):
And no, it doesn't pass the pub test.

Speaker 5 (35:38):
I don't think technically obviously they've done the right thing.
They've asked for permission, So technically on that side, I
don't think they've.

Speaker 3 (35:43):
Done anything wrong.

Speaker 5 (35:44):
But seven grand in a few months, there's quite a
lot of money on fuel.

Speaker 4 (35:48):
Can I eat is there's a bit that's sort of
missing in that, Katie, and that is when you become
an elected member, you get an option. Yeah, so you
get an option of a private car or a government vehicle.
I've always opted for a private car because at the
end of that time you can keep your vehicle.

Speaker 3 (36:03):
Because you pay for it, like as you're getting for it.

Speaker 4 (36:04):
So but you get that allowance, So you get an
amount of allowance. So at the end of my tenure,
I'll keep my car that I've put that money into,
and you use it for fuel and registration and all
of the other things. But also you're using it for
private use because it's your car. So but when you're
I think when you're a Bush member, if you take
a private car, you need a very robust vehicle and
at the end of your tenure it's probably going to

(36:26):
be quite worn out and used. So I know that
with some Bush members. A lot of US town members
opt for a private vehicle. I think Marie Claire probably
has a private vehicle because we've both got ours badged up.
But you know they've opted for government vehicles. It's the
same like we get. I've always said this, I'm very clear.
We get twenty five thousand dollars a year for a vehicle,

(36:48):
and that's what you spend that twenty five and it's
an allowance, so you need to spend that allowance on
that vehicle.

Speaker 3 (36:55):
Fuel limits on those fuel cards?

Speaker 1 (36:58):
Is that like for the members that the other option
where they have a government fleet car or a government vehicle,
is there a limit on how much they can spend
on fuel?

Speaker 5 (37:06):
What?

Speaker 4 (37:06):
I believe that would be the same amount. It's about
twenty five thousand dollars a year that would be on
a vehicle that is the case. I believe I'd have
to ask for that. I mean, you know, you wouldn't
travel all year round into state. But I think the
fact is is that they do do long distances in
those vehicles. Seven thousand dollars is higher obviously because he
did a lot of driving in that time. But we

(37:28):
all do a lot of driving in our vehicles, and
nobody queries about how much private use we actually have
in our own vehicles anyway, But we get the allowance.
So there's two options, and this is something definitely for
the real numeras renumeration Tribunal. It's been the same forever
and a day.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
Is my underchanged in two thousand and six, I believers
when it changed to include the fuel card, that's my
understanding based on what the information that I've been provided
by the speakers.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
Of first I thought it was as well for my time. Yeah,
but look, I.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
Mean the thing is, I don't think anybody's got a
real issue with, you know, with the vehicle allowance or
with those vehicles being used into state. But I think
what people are going hang on a say, how far
do you take this is when you're using a fuel
card to actually pay for your travel into state holidaying around.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Yes, and we're not every minutes that you've spoken to
Katie and on Channel nine News basically defend and back
these labor members for you have the same entitlement for
using those fuel cards. And just because it's in the determination,
it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I mean,
we have territorianes who are suffering high cost of living
and you've still all these don't care about stuff. Would

(38:36):
you use it, Murray Claire, I would not go into
state and travel around on the taxpayers perse.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
You will in your own private car. So I'm just
here's a question for you.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
But you'd pay for your own petrol.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
So I get twenty five thousand dollars a year for
my vehicle. I don't pay petrol because I have an
electric vehicle. One of my car is electric. So but
I would ask that question, Murray Claire. You've got a
private vehicle which you get government taxpayer money to pay for.
When you go over the border, do you suddenly use
money out of your bank that's separate to your car allowance?

(39:08):
Are you saying that, because if you're saying.

Speaker 3 (39:11):
No, this is very different. Like I think you're blurring
the two lines.

Speaker 4 (39:17):
Being clear. Maybe I'm not being clear. There's two schemes
that you can opt. You can for twenty five thousand
dollars a year, which is given to you. There is
no checks and balances around spending it. It's an allowance,
but you put it back into your car. That's fuel, right,
So we could actually Mary Claire could be actually driving
her car. Hang on a moment, Mary Claire could be
driving her car into state now using money over twenty

(39:38):
five thousand dollars on fuel, which is taxpayer payer money,
and hiding behind that and then saying those that opted
for the other scheme are doing the wrong thing. Doesn't
all of those can't let.

Speaker 3 (39:47):
Me do it this way?

Speaker 1 (39:48):
Then, So let's go by Durand's fuel records for a
four month period. So you're talking here about seven thousand
dollars over a few month over that twelve month period,
if he continues traveling at that's right, that's twenty one
thousand dollars twenty one grand plus a car that you're
driving around for free on the taxpayer's dime. So that's
where I think it's time.

Speaker 4 (40:11):
You did some holiday travel. You wouldn't do that twelve
months of the year.

Speaker 5 (40:14):
That was a lot of holiday travel all around New
South Wales, around traveling.

Speaker 3 (40:19):
Box spend of taxpayers money.

Speaker 6 (40:21):
So would you take your car across the border Murray Claire, Well,
I would not use taxpayer money for my interstate true,
so you wouldn't use that I spent fuel personally your
allowance money.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
So essentially, like again, I'll go back to that fuel,
the amount that you're using on fuel and using the
fuel card interstate. Nobody is disputing the vehicle being used
into state. People are going, hang on a second, should
you be paying for your petrol on the taxpayer's dime?

Speaker 4 (40:52):
Essentially, if you're taking out of your allowance to do
the same thing, it's the same thing, Katie. So Mary
Clay's nothing here about I would actually ask for those
of us there own private vehicles, how many of us
have taken them over the line and used our car allowance.
It's the same thing. This is a matter for the
tribunal to determine, and I would think given the publicity lately,

(41:13):
maybe they're going to look at that. They're going to
have to I think it's an absolutely privilege to get
the allowance to have a vehicle to be able to
do and deliver on my job properly. So this is
a question for that tribunal. They sit every single year
and review our allowances and the rigor around that. And
I think if these are valid questions then.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
They will look at it.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
I think those are it doesn't mean sure, Look we
are going to have to take it. We're going to
have to take a very short break. You are listening
to Mix one O four nines three sixty. It is
the week that was. You are listening to Mix one
O four nines three sixty. It is the week that
was in the studio with us this morning Murray clear
Booth by Kate Warden and Georgia Dickinson. And well, let's

(41:54):
talk about these parking fees very quickly. In the CBD
City of Darwin have announced it Saturday on stream. Parking
fees are going to be reintroduced in Zone A only
in Darwin, CBD, effective from the first of August.

Speaker 3 (42:09):
Might ask if I can borrow someone's field card to
pay my own.

Speaker 4 (42:12):
Katie, you're disgrace.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
Just telling that market is coming.

Speaker 1 (42:18):
Now, what do you think of these of these parking fees?
So I don't know, my god, i't mind it's only
two dollars and for me, I don't want people parking
there all day. But I can understand why it's going
to have an impact for some people.

Speaker 4 (42:30):
I think the reason that it got taken away, Katie
was because people wanted people to be able to park
in the city quite close to shops, so it's a
bit of a balancing act. I wouldn't want to be
on the council right now making that decision, but I
enjoyed free parking. I thought it was a good incentive
for people to shop in the city, particularly when you've
got air conditioning centers that they're up against. So I

(42:51):
probably wouldn't have voted for it, but that's no longer
on council.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
I think it's it is a real concern because we
do have our city retail who you know, they haven't
had a great time recently with a lot of antisocial
behavior that's been going on, plus you know, just a
low trade anyway, and I think that having an extra
disincentive to charge people to park in front of their stores,
like I know that they would not be happy about this,

(43:16):
and I really hope that council listened to the retailers
about that.

Speaker 5 (43:20):
On the devils advocates side, I could have encouraged more
people through the CBD. If people have to move after
two hours, if they don't want to keep paying, then
therefore we've got another car coming through shopping.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
It could on that flip side be something moving.

Speaker 5 (43:33):
Look, I'd rather not pay for parking, but if it's
two bucks.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
Well you could be like me and start the app
and then forget to turn it off.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
That's me every time you go and remember and you
just keep buying. Well, we are going to have to
wrap up. Thank you all so very much for your
time this morning.

Speaker 4 (43:56):
Very clear.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
He can I just give a shout out to the
Parmesan Boxing class who are really striving to get new
committee members on board. They're looking to do some more
youth activities and parmesans, so if anyone wants to join,
please get in touch.

Speaker 3 (44:07):
Kate Warden, thank you, Thank you Katie.

Speaker 4 (44:09):
And if I can give it a last minute plug
as I did this morning with the mixed crew, it's
not too late to sign up for the Grand Fondo
one Sunday. It's a nice early ride. You can do
the family run, you could do the twenty two k's
if you're like me, you can do the fifty two
k's struggle through but the polypedal luck yeah, absolutely, you'll
be fine. We'll be done and dusted within maybeast five hours.

Speaker 3 (44:29):
Fantastic fantastic.

Speaker 4 (44:31):
Yeah, but people can still hop on today and sign up.
Just have that first crack, get on your bike.

Speaker 3 (44:35):
Good stuff, Georgie, thank you, first time in wonderful to have.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
It with you.

Speaker 3 (44:39):
My shot UT's territory day.

Speaker 5 (44:40):
Go buy some crackers and set the friend Saturday and
a safe way.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
Thank you all so much for your time this morning.
You are listening to Mix one O four nine and
that was the week that was