Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as you've heard this morning, the Chief Minister Natasha
Files and the Minister for Police and Territory Families and
also Fire and Emergency Services Kate Warden, have just finished
at that press conference at Parliament House where they have
announced Michael Murphy is the next Northern Territory Police Commissioner
and CEO of Fire and Emergency Services, and the Minister
(00:22):
for Police and Territory Families joins me in the studio
right now, Kate Warden, Good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Great to be with you, Minister, Thanks so much for
your time.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now, why was Michael Murphy the successful person for the job.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Well, he has had a twenty six years career in policing.
As it was pointed out to us by the media
who did some obviously some good diligence this morning and
has pointed out to him as well by some of
the troops, that he has been at every level of
the organization. He's come up through the ranks, he has
worked importantly in remote areas and over time he has
(00:56):
being in this really senior operational role, He's got a
wealth of experience. He's already started to even though he's
been in that job and the you know, holding the
space if you're like for a while now, he's already
done some of the big reforms and he's kept those moving,
particularly in the air of well being of police. You know,
he's proved himself and I've absolutely enjoyed working with him
(01:18):
and I think, you know, we've got good things ahead together.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
He's a really good person and a good leader.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
By large.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
A lot of positive feedback following on from that announcement
earlier this morning. A lot of people really very pleased
actually to hear that he is the next Northern Territory Katie.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I can tell you as we walked out the room,
that man's phone was running hot and the text messages
that were coming through, and I said to him, you know,
that's a real indication he won't Mandy sharing. You know,
he had text message after text message of congratulations. I
think he has absolutely learned earned this position, and I
think he'll serve the territory well, but he'll also lead
(01:56):
his members well.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
And I think that that is so incredibly important because
the morale of the Northern Territory Police Force over recent years,
as has well been documented, has been low. And I'll
get into that a little bit more in a moment.
But what are you hoping to see happen with the
police force with the announcement of Michael Murphy as the commissioner.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So we've already started that work.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
He's already showed around the well being of police and
he's got a real focus on that. I know that
he is really looking for where efficiencies can be made
so we can have more police out on the front line.
And there's a number of things that we'll work through together.
But of course today we also announced the review kicking
off with Vince Kelly leading that and a lot of
(02:39):
your listeners will remember Vince Kelly. He was a strong
head of the Northern Territory Police Association for a while,
but very importantly he was a career police officer as well.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So I think what will.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Happen is these things in tandem. You know, I know
that Commissioner Murphy. We say that today, we're not saying
acting it's Commissioner Murphy. We'll have the opportunity to help
and assist that review and make sure that it reflects
and I really look forward. This is the beginning of
a journey and he will be the person at the
end that we will work with to implement the recommendation.
(03:12):
So there's a you know, the timing's perfect for today well.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And obviously the Annual Police Association Conference was held last Friday.
The president, Nathan Finn had said that we are stretched
beyond breaking point. They were his words. He says that
we do need an additional two hundred police. So as
you've just touched on, obviously the announcement of this review,
as I understand, it's going to kick off on September one,
and Vince Kelly going to head that review up.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
What's it going to focus on?
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Is it really going to focus on those police numbers
and resourcing and making sure that our police are adequately resourced.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So we've been talking to the NTPA and Nathan for
a little bit now about what they'd like to see
particularly in there. He is keen to make sure that
we've got the review of organizational structure, but also that
it looks at workflow and we've incorporated that into the
terms of reference, which are public. I can leave you
a copy today, perfect Katie, if you'd like those.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I did bring them with me today.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
But also making sure that around fatigue management that's looked at,
so They were the very specific requests that Nathan had
made and we have incorporated those. But we're going to
look at staffing structures and the operations, particularly employee well
being and fatigue management along with minimum staffing levels.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
We're going to look at relook at remote and.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Regional policing and make sure that that model is fit
for purpose and that we're able to properly resource that.
That's good timing because we're talking to the federal government
around that bigger or the agreement that we have with
their Mentiray we call it they are Remote Area Investment discussion,
so that's good timing around that. Here'll also be a
(04:52):
bit of a focus on culture leadership practices, diversity and inclusion,
and a lot of that work's already started, so it
will be good to look at that and the review
of general orders.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
So there's a lot of components.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Is a number of other smaller things that will be involved,
but we will be The Chief Minister was very clear
this morning and I totally agreed with this position, is
that as we go along, we'll hear from the review
reviewer from Vince regularly and if there are things that
we can explore and fix along the way before the
recommendations come down early next year. Then we will fix
(05:27):
those things as we go.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And is that going to be made public?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So you're actually going to keep that absolutely take us
along for the journey.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
So we may not make it public as we go,
but we will definitely be publishing the final report and
we will definitely be taking on the recommendations.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Okay, there's going to be a lot of people listening
right now who are saying, why did the government have
to be dragged to this review?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Kicking and screaming.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I don't believe that we've been dragged to it. I
think it's timely.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I think your commissioner coming for there has been a
lot of calls for it.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But as you know, Katie, you can't just go ahead.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
We've had to very carefully make sure we've got the
right person to do the review. I've been on the
public record as saying, you know, at least for the
last six months that we are working towards a review,
and but you have to do it properly, and it
takes resources to do it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Look, you don't you just don't walk down the streets.
Excuse me? Can you come on?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
This is the suggesting that been a long time that
the police force has been under stressed and.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I think amount to change.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I think that's been the biggest call from the association,
right from when Paul Mchew was still in there, is
that they wanted this review to happen. They wanted the
government to understand how their resourcing was working or not working,
and at a time when.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The Northern Territory has been suffering through crime.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Look, I need to be very clear that NTPA is
a union that represents its members, the three of them
last week at the conference, that we're not going to
agree on everything, but we have agreed that a review.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
That was probably time for a review, but we have
to go.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Through very carefully and you'll see when I leave you
the terms of reference that we've very carefully thought out
and worked with people about what's incorporated, including taking on
what Nathan was suggesting for the NTPA. So I mean,
I heard him make statements last week that he knew
nothing about the review. That was very disingenuous because he
knew that we were working towards it.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So he's not telling the truth.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Well, he said he said publicly that he was not
he wasn't aware of any of the details.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Of the review.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
We had been speaking, so he was absolutely he was
aware of some of the details of the review.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, so I am. You know, I'm not going to
get into it, he said.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
She said, but sort of, just well I have does
the NTPA have a position as the union they represent
their members? They have.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, we're never going to agree on everything I've had.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
You've got you've had surveys where the police have been
saying that morale is at an all time low. And
I will say that that was under a former Those
surveys were done under the former Northern Territory Police competing.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
But you've got to see that we have put three
million dollars a year every year into well being and
I've been out.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
To the launch of that.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Do you reckon it's not working so well.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You've got to give these things some time.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And the three million dollars every year came down on
the first of July this year. The police didn't wait around.
That had started already. We'd already got the chaplains back
and recruited. We'd already made massive changes to HR going
back into the organization. So a lot of things had
happened before the first of July, so to say we'd
been doing nothing was not true. But with the new money,
(08:30):
they've been able to do a whole heap of new
programs and make sure that serving members get the services
that they need to be effective in their jobs, but
also that when they leave the service, they continue to
get supported.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So we've done all of that.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
I think that's incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Now, Minister, do you believe that the number two hundred
is accurate?
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So the commissioner outlines more hundred short I should clarify, yes.
So the Commissioner outlined this morning when we were doing
the media that that number is a cumulative number of
essentially officers that are currently on leave, some of those
on sick leave and some of them on different forms
of leave. And now I think they're quite right if
we can get all of those members re engaged in
(09:11):
a return to work program for people who you know,
there's people that are genuinely unwell that we need to
support and make sure that if they do want to
come back and they do their fit fit for the job,
then we need to get them back in.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
We've recognized that.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But this is what the review's all about. The review
is saying, Okay, how many do we need. Do we
need a police officer sitting there doing all that paperwork?
Do we need a police officer in that role at
the front counter.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And that's what this.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Review will give us, will show us where we can
make efficiencies. So it's much broader than just saying we
need two hundred more coppers.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Nathan has recognized that, and we've been working towards what
that looks like. And it's a comprehensive terms of reference
and it will be a comprehensive review.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I'm pleased to hear that the review is happening on
please to hear that it's going to be comprehensive, and
also that Vince Kelly is going to be undertaking that,
andicularly the fact that it is actually going to be
made public. I think that that's really important for Territorians
to know exactly what's going on, where we might be
falling short, where we might need additional resources. I do
want to say, though, I think from the outside looking in,
(10:13):
for a lot of Territorians, they do feel like there's
not enough police or that things are not working the
way in which they should be, based on the level
of crime.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
That we're seeing in the Northern.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Territory right now and for a long time there certainly
under the former Chief Minister as well, it felt as
though we'll be in gas lit. It felt like the
community was screaming out saying we've got an issue with
crime and that the government was refusing to listen.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I take you change back, Katie, and there is a
change of foot. There's been a change of foot for
the last you know, twelve months.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
I've been very very focused on number one well being,
making sure I got the money and the budget. I
fought hard to get that three million dollars out of
the budget this year.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's a tight budget.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
You'll see that there wasn't a massive spend by government
this financial year. Making sure that we we've got a
new police station going in at Pepperminarti and making sure
that we're supporting our police officers. That's what we've done
and this is just the start of a bigger journey.
There have been points in time if you look back historically,
which I've been doing, looking at previous reviews and you know,
remember the O'Sullivan review. I've spoken to former Chief Minister
(11:19):
Paul Henderson to make sure that We're not misstepping because
I think that they did a very good job of
making sure that that review worked. So learning lessons along
the way, and we are very very focused on making
this a very functional police force, a police but also
a police force that people want to join and also
stay in. I mean, the most important part for me
(11:41):
now is to make sure that we can stay in.
One of the jobs that the Commissioner has done is
he has rung around and trying to get police officers
back and well last week we did see a number
of police officers returning to the Northern Territory, but we
also saw nine fully fledged police officers join our police
force from into State. So there's some pleasing signs. And
(12:02):
can I say, this is a slow bit of work.
You can't just suddenly magic up two hundred police officers.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
But I'm really keen.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
To make sure that we've fully explored how many police
officers we can get back to work and really support
them to, you know, do the job that they love.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Minister, do you hope that a bit of a dark
cloud has been lifted off the police force?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, I believe it has.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
I did say that at last sittings, and I think
the appointment of Michael Murphy. You know the reception that
he's having now around.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
He knows that. You know, we've talked about it.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
This is where the rubber hits the road, and we
are working really really hard together to get a change,
and you know, we are working really hard with.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
The Police Association as well.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
I'd say, you know, Nathan has advocated strongly with us,
and we've listened to him and his members and we're all,
I believe, stepping forward together.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Minister, can I ask there's a couple of things that
I do still want to go into. We spoke to
Samara Lavity, the mother of Decklund, just a little while ago.
She wants the government to She's said to us this
morning that her understanding is that the government is going
to debate the petition that with twenty six thousand people
have now signed, that it's going to be debated on
(13:10):
Tuesday morning. All that happened for more than sixteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
My understanding is that they're decisions of caucus. So I
need to be not just not cautious, but I don't
want to say something and then everybody go, oh, you
shouldn't have said that, because we haven't agreed on it.
These are so they're standing orders, and the standing orders
are if you like the rules of this school counsel,
if I can make that enough year so that because
I heard someone talking about standing orders the other day
(13:35):
and I thought, oh, people won't understand.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
But that's just the rules of how we have a meeting.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
So I've been broken before, have been.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Broken before, and we know that this is something that
territories want us to discuss in the Parliament at length,
and we have agreed that on Tuesday that the debate
will be brought forward because so essentially it could have
been done any day, but we are bringing it forward
to being a matter of priority on the agenda.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
For Tuesday for longer than sixteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
That's my understanding.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So hope your understanding is that it's going to.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Debate speakers, So this is why I don't want to
preempt this. So with every debate you are going to speak, and.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You're going to speak.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I want to be sure that what has been the
biggest issue for them when it comes to crime, that
it's going to get the debate that it does.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
So Katie, I will be talking about this on the
floor of Parliament on Tuesday morning. In my role, we
may have other members of our team that would like
to talk on it. In fact, I know we've got
members of our team that want to, you know, have
a contribution to this discussion on Tuesday, and we.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Will at decision and the Independent talk.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
For the Opposition and Independence about who wants to speak.
They will have to make up their mind themselves.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
But the government determines whether the debate happens for sixteen
minutes or longer. I mean, I know that they're the
standing orders and I know that they're the rules, but
they can change so they can be.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Tranentially, my understanding is that we will have a fullsome debate.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
For you personally, do you think there should be that
fullsome debate?
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Well, I want an opportunity to make a contribution myself
and lay things out, so you know that will be
a discussion at our next caucus meeting we or often caucus, well,
we always caucus coming into Parliament on a number of occasions.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
It's not just once. And this is a topic that's
being discussed at the moment.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Do you acknowledge that for a lot of Territorians right now,
crime is the biggest issue on their agenda.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Can I say to you, Katie, if you tune into
sittings and I know a number of people, do we
talk about crime at every city sometimes extends knowledge.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
That it is the biggest issue for a lot of
territorians right now, for a lot of territories.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Absolutely, Katie.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
I've said that repeatedly when I've been on your show.
You know, crime is an issue for people, but community
safety and the perception of community safety is.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Also very important.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
So we need to make prescription.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
No.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I didn't say that, Katie, you need to stop that.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
No. No, but you said, you know you've said those words,
not me.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
No. So some people get frightened because they feel that
they've read a lot of things in the media. Other
people have had personal experiences. I've had my own experiences
with crime. I have seen crimes being committed in my
local shopping center. I've seen crimes commit on my local streets.
But I have also know that when I dawknock, which
I do regularly and talk to people about, you know,
(16:07):
they'll say, you know, I'm really worried, and I'll say, well,
what was your experience, and they'll say, oh, well, no,
I did see that. I can see it on my
community page. So I think people, you know, we are
very connected as a community now and I think that's
a fabulous thing. I think we can see what's going on,
and I see regular traffic on media sites around you know,
perhaps something like the WALLAGI site.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
People will put on there. Look, people are trying to
get in.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
My gate tonight, and I think that can make people
more alarmed.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well, of course, someone in your game course, and I've
said this repeatedly.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Under a liberal government, I had my home broken into
and I also watched somebody breaking into the house opposite
that was walking past, and I called the police and
we had a good response. So what my job is
to do as Police Minister is to make sure that
our police are well resourced to respond to the levels
of crime that are happening. And I can tell you
our guys are rest rate, They are fantastic.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
They are a police force of excellence and they do
their job very very well.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Just going back to that debate very quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I mean, I am hoping at some stage to speak
to about some of the issues with territory families and
some of the other things we've been discussing, but we're
not going to get time this morning. Unfortunately, I can
invite me back last week absolutely, but the Opposition is
obviously going to move that motion for the petition to
be the first order of business for Parliament next week,
(17:23):
So for those standing orders to be suspended.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Will the government support that?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
So I can't prevent what will happen in there.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I know that it is our intention, and I don't
know the mechanics of how that will work, but it
is our intention that it will come on first thing
order of Business on Tuesday morning.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I can tell you that exclusively.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
And it's your intention that it goes for longer than
sixteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I will be contributing as extensively as I can to
that debate.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Kate Worden.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
That is unfortunately all we've got time for this morning.
I appreciate your time. Thank you very much for coming in.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Always a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Thank you,
Now, as you've heard this morning, the Chief Minister Natasha
Files and the Minister for Police and Territory Families and
also Fire and Emergency Services Kate Warden, have just finished
at that press conference at Parliament House where they have
announced Michael Murphy is the next Northern Territory Police Commissioner
and CEO of Fire and Emergency Services, and the Minister
(00:22):
for Police and Territory Families joins me in the studio
right now, Kate Warden, Good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Great to be with you, Minister, Thanks so much for
your time.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now, why was Michael Murphy the successful person for the job.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Well, he has had a twenty six years career in policing.
As it was pointed out to us by the media
who did some obviously some good diligence this morning and
has pointed out to him as well by some of
the troops, that he has been at every level of
the organization. He's come up through the ranks, he has
worked importantly in remote areas and over time he has
(00:56):
being in this really senior operational role, He's got a
wealth of experience. He's already started to even though he's
been in that job and the you know, holding the
space if you're like for a while now, he's already
done some of the big reforms and he's kept those moving,
particularly in the air of well being of police. You know,
he's proved himself and I've absolutely enjoyed working with him
(01:18):
and I think, you know, we've got good things ahead together.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
He's a really good person and a good leader.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
By large.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
A lot of positive feedback following on from that announcement
earlier this morning. A lot of people really very pleased
actually to hear that he is the next Northern Territory Katie.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I can tell you as we walked out the room,
that man's phone was running hot and the text messages
that were coming through, and I said to him, you know,
that's a real indication he won't Mandy sharing. You know,
he had text message after text message of congratulations. I
think he has absolutely learned earned this position, and I
think he'll serve the territory well, but he'll also lead
(01:56):
his members well.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
And I think that that is so incredibly important because
the morale of the Northern Territory Police Force over recent years,
as has well been documented, has been low. And I'll
get into that a little bit more in a moment.
But what are you hoping to see happen with the
police force with the announcement of Michael Murphy as the commissioner.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So we've already started that work.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
He's already showed around the well being of police and
he's got a real focus on that. I know that
he is really looking for where efficiencies can be made
so we can have more police out on the front line.
And there's a number of things that we'll work through together.
But of course today we also announced the review kicking
off with Vince Kelly leading that and a lot of
(02:39):
your listeners will remember Vince Kelly. He was a strong
head of the Northern Territory Police Association for a while,
but very importantly he was a career police officer as well.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So I think what will.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Happen is these things in tandem. You know, I know
that Commissioner Murphy. We say that today, we're not saying
acting it's Commissioner Murphy. We'll have the opportunity to help
and assist that review and make sure that it reflects
and I really look forward. This is the beginning of
a journey and he will be the person at the
end that we will work with to implement the recommendation.
(03:12):
So there's a you know, the timing's perfect for today well.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And obviously the Annual Police Association Conference was held last Friday.
The president, Nathan Finn had said that we are stretched
beyond breaking point. They were his words. He says that
we do need an additional two hundred police. So as
you've just touched on, obviously the announcement of this review,
as I understand, it's going to kick off on September one,
and Vince Kelly going to head that review up.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
What's it going to focus on?
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Is it really going to focus on those police numbers
and resourcing and making sure that our police are adequately resourced.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So we've been talking to the NTPA and Nathan for
a little bit now about what they'd like to see
particularly in there. He is keen to make sure that
we've got the review of organizational structure, but also that
it looks at workflow and we've incorporated that into the
terms of reference, which are public. I can leave you
a copy today, perfect Katie, if you'd like those.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I did bring them with me today.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
But also making sure that around fatigue management that's looked at,
so They were the very specific requests that Nathan had
made and we have incorporated those. But we're going to
look at staffing structures and the operations, particularly employee well
being and fatigue management along with minimum staffing levels.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
We're going to look at relook at remote and.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Regional policing and make sure that that model is fit
for purpose and that we're able to properly resource that.
That's good timing because we're talking to the federal government
around that bigger or the agreement that we have with
their Mentiray we call it they are Remote Area Investment discussion,
so that's good timing around that. Here'll also be a
(04:52):
bit of a focus on culture leadership practices, diversity and inclusion,
and a lot of that work's already started, so it
will be good to look at that and the review
of general orders.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
So there's a lot of components.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Is a number of other smaller things that will be involved,
but we will be The Chief Minister was very clear
this morning and I totally agreed with this position, is
that as we go along, we'll hear from the review
reviewer from Vince regularly and if there are things that
we can explore and fix along the way before the
recommendations come down early next year. Then we will fix
(05:27):
those things as we go.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And is that going to be made public?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So you're actually going to keep that absolutely take us
along for the journey.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
So we may not make it public as we go,
but we will definitely be publishing the final report and
we will definitely be taking on the recommendations.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Okay, there's going to be a lot of people listening
right now who are saying, why did the government have
to be dragged to this review?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Kicking and screaming.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I don't believe that we've been dragged to it. I
think it's timely.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I think your commissioner coming for there has been a
lot of calls for it.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But as you know, Katie, you can't just go ahead.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
We've had to very carefully make sure we've got the
right person to do the review. I've been on the
public record as saying, you know, at least for the
last six months that we are working towards a review,
and but you have to do it properly, and it
takes resources to do it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Look, you don't you just don't walk down the streets.
Excuse me? Can you come on?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
This is the suggesting that been a long time that
the police force has been under stressed and.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I think amount to change.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I think that's been the biggest call from the association,
right from when Paul Mchew was still in there, is
that they wanted this review to happen. They wanted the
government to understand how their resourcing was working or not working,
and at a time when.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The Northern Territory has been suffering through crime.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Look, I need to be very clear that NTPA is
a union that represents its members, the three of them
last week at the conference, that we're not going to
agree on everything, but we have agreed that a review.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
That was probably time for a review, but we have
to go.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Through very carefully and you'll see when I leave you
the terms of reference that we've very carefully thought out
and worked with people about what's incorporated, including taking on
what Nathan was suggesting for the NTPA. So I mean,
I heard him make statements last week that he knew
nothing about the review. That was very disingenuous because he
knew that we were working towards it.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So he's not telling the truth.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Well, he said he said publicly that he was not
he wasn't aware of any of the details.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Of the review.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
We had been speaking, so he was absolutely he was
aware of some of the details of the review.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, so I am. You know, I'm not going to
get into it, he said.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
She said, but sort of, just well I have does
the NTPA have a position as the union they represent
their members? They have.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, we're never going to agree on everything I've had.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
You've got you've had surveys where the police have been
saying that morale is at an all time low. And
I will say that that was under a former Those
surveys were done under the former Northern Territory Police competing.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
But you've got to see that we have put three
million dollars a year every year into well being and
I've been out.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
To the launch of that.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Do you reckon it's not working so well.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You've got to give these things some time.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And the three million dollars every year came down on
the first of July this year. The police didn't wait around.
That had started already. We'd already got the chaplains back
and recruited. We'd already made massive changes to HR going
back into the organization. So a lot of things had
happened before the first of July, so to say we'd
been doing nothing was not true. But with the new money,
(08:30):
they've been able to do a whole heap of new
programs and make sure that serving members get the services
that they need to be effective in their jobs, but
also that when they leave the service, they continue to
get supported.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So we've done all of that.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
I think that's incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Now, Minister, do you believe that the number two hundred
is accurate?
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So the commissioner outlines more hundred short I should clarify, yes.
So the Commissioner outlined this morning when we were doing
the media that that number is a cumulative number of
essentially officers that are currently on leave, some of those
on sick leave and some of them on different forms
of leave. And now I think they're quite right if
we can get all of those members re engaged in
(09:11):
a return to work program for people who you know,
there's people that are genuinely unwell that we need to
support and make sure that if they do want to
come back and they do their fit fit for the job,
then we need to get them back in.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
We've recognized that.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But this is what the review's all about. The review
is saying, Okay, how many do we need. Do we
need a police officer sitting there doing all that paperwork?
Do we need a police officer in that role at
the front counter.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And that's what this.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Review will give us, will show us where we can
make efficiencies. So it's much broader than just saying we
need two hundred more coppers.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Nathan has recognized that, and we've been working towards what
that looks like. And it's a comprehensive terms of reference
and it will be a comprehensive review.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I'm pleased to hear that the review is happening on
please to hear that it's going to be comprehensive, and
also that Vince Kelly is going to be undertaking that,
andicularly the fact that it is actually going to be
made public. I think that that's really important for Territorians
to know exactly what's going on, where we might be
falling short, where we might need additional resources. I do
want to say, though, I think from the outside looking in,
(10:13):
for a lot of Territorians, they do feel like there's
not enough police or that things are not working the
way in which they should be, based on the level
of crime.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
That we're seeing in the Northern.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Territory right now and for a long time there certainly
under the former Chief Minister as well, it felt as
though we'll be in gas lit. It felt like the
community was screaming out saying we've got an issue with
crime and that the government was refusing to listen.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I take you change back, Katie, and there is a
change of foot. There's been a change of foot for
the last you know, twelve months.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
I've been very very focused on number one well being,
making sure I got the money and the budget. I
fought hard to get that three million dollars out of
the budget this year.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's a tight budget.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
You'll see that there wasn't a massive spend by government
this financial year. Making sure that we we've got a
new police station going in at Pepperminarti and making sure
that we're supporting our police officers. That's what we've done
and this is just the start of a bigger journey.
There have been points in time if you look back historically,
which I've been doing, looking at previous reviews and you know,
remember the O'Sullivan review. I've spoken to former Chief Minister
(11:19):
Paul Henderson to make sure that We're not misstepping because
I think that they did a very good job of
making sure that that review worked. So learning lessons along
the way, and we are very very focused on making
this a very functional police force, a police but also
a police force that people want to join and also
stay in. I mean, the most important part for me
(11:41):
now is to make sure that we can stay in.
One of the jobs that the Commissioner has done is
he has rung around and trying to get police officers
back and well last week we did see a number
of police officers returning to the Northern Territory, but we
also saw nine fully fledged police officers join our police
force from into State. So there's some pleasing signs. And
(12:02):
can I say, this is a slow bit of work.
You can't just suddenly magic up two hundred police officers.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
But I'm really keen.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
To make sure that we've fully explored how many police
officers we can get back to work and really support
them to, you know, do the job that they love.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Minister, do you hope that a bit of a dark
cloud has been lifted off the police force?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, I believe it has.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
I did say that at last sittings, and I think
the appointment of Michael Murphy. You know the reception that
he's having now around.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
He knows that. You know, we've talked about it.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
This is where the rubber hits the road, and we
are working really really hard together to get a change,
and you know, we are working really hard with.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
The Police Association as well.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
I'd say, you know, Nathan has advocated strongly with us,
and we've listened to him and his members and we're all,
I believe, stepping forward together.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Minister, can I ask there's a couple of things that
I do still want to go into. We spoke to
Samara Lavity, the mother of Decklund, just a little while ago.
She wants the government to She's said to us this
morning that her understanding is that the government is going
to debate the petition that with twenty six thousand people
have now signed, that it's going to be debated on
(13:10):
Tuesday morning. All that happened for more than sixteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
My understanding is that they're decisions of caucus. So I
need to be not just not cautious, but I don't
want to say something and then everybody go, oh, you
shouldn't have said that, because we haven't agreed on it.
These are so they're standing orders, and the standing orders
are if you like the rules of this school counsel,
if I can make that enough year so that because
I heard someone talking about standing orders the other day
(13:35):
and I thought, oh, people won't understand.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
But that's just the rules of how we have a meeting.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
So I've been broken before, have been.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Broken before, and we know that this is something that
territories want us to discuss in the Parliament at length,
and we have agreed that on Tuesday that the debate
will be brought forward because so essentially it could have
been done any day, but we are bringing it forward
to being a matter of priority on the agenda.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
For Tuesday for longer than sixteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
That's my understanding.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So hope your understanding is that it's going to.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Debate speakers, So this is why I don't want to
preempt this. So with every debate you are going to speak, and.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You're going to speak.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I want to be sure that what has been the
biggest issue for them when it comes to crime, that
it's going to get the debate that it does.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
So Katie, I will be talking about this on the
floor of Parliament on Tuesday morning. In my role, we
may have other members of our team that would like
to talk on it. In fact, I know we've got
members of our team that want to, you know, have
a contribution to this discussion on Tuesday, and we.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Will at decision and the Independent talk.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
For the Opposition and Independence about who wants to speak.
They will have to make up their mind themselves.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
But the government determines whether the debate happens for sixteen
minutes or longer. I mean, I know that they're the
standing orders and I know that they're the rules, but
they can change so they can be.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Tranentially, my understanding is that we will have a fullsome debate.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
For you personally, do you think there should be that
fullsome debate?
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Well, I want an opportunity to make a contribution myself
and lay things out, so you know that will be
a discussion at our next caucus meeting we or often caucus, well,
we always caucus coming into Parliament on a number of occasions.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
It's not just once. And this is a topic that's
being discussed at the moment.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Do you acknowledge that for a lot of Territorians right now,
crime is the biggest issue on their agenda.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Can I say to you, Katie, if you tune into
sittings and I know a number of people, do we
talk about crime at every city sometimes extends knowledge.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
That it is the biggest issue for a lot of
territorians right now, for a lot of territories.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Absolutely, Katie.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
I've said that repeatedly when I've been on your show.
You know, crime is an issue for people, but community
safety and the perception of community safety is.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Also very important.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
So we need to make prescription.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
No.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I didn't say that, Katie, you need to stop that.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
No. No, but you said, you know you've said those words,
not me.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
No. So some people get frightened because they feel that
they've read a lot of things in the media. Other
people have had personal experiences. I've had my own experiences
with crime. I have seen crimes being committed in my
local shopping center. I've seen crimes commit on my local streets.
But I have also know that when I dawknock, which
I do regularly and talk to people about, you know,
(16:07):
they'll say, you know, I'm really worried, and I'll say, well,
what was your experience, and they'll say, oh, well, no,
I did see that. I can see it on my
community page. So I think people, you know, we are
very connected as a community now and I think that's
a fabulous thing. I think we can see what's going on,
and I see regular traffic on media sites around you know,
perhaps something like the WALLAGI site.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
People will put on there. Look, people are trying to
get in.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
My gate tonight, and I think that can make people
more alarmed.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well, of course, someone in your game course, and I've
said this repeatedly.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Under a liberal government, I had my home broken into
and I also watched somebody breaking into the house opposite
that was walking past, and I called the police and
we had a good response. So what my job is
to do as Police Minister is to make sure that
our police are well resourced to respond to the levels
of crime that are happening. And I can tell you
our guys are rest rate, They are fantastic.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
They are a police force of excellence and they do
their job very very well.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Just going back to that debate very quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I mean, I am hoping at some stage to speak
to about some of the issues with territory families and
some of the other things we've been discussing, but we're
not going to get time this morning. Unfortunately, I can
invite me back last week absolutely, but the Opposition is
obviously going to move that motion for the petition to
be the first order of business for Parliament next week,
(17:23):
So for those standing orders to be suspended.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Will the government support that?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
So I can't prevent what will happen in there.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I know that it is our intention, and I don't
know the mechanics of how that will work, but it
is our intention that it will come on first thing
order of Business on Tuesday morning.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I can tell you that exclusively.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
And it's your intention that it goes for longer than
sixteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I will be contributing as extensively as I can to
that debate.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Kate Worden.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
That is unfortunately all we've got time for this morning.
I appreciate your time. Thank you very much for coming in.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Always a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Thank you,
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