Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's get into it, because, as I said, we know
the Territory Labor government say that they're undertaking a range
of activities to reduce alcohol related harm within the community.
So as part of this work, they have completed a
three year review into the Liquor Act. And as many
of you will recall, that Act came into effect on
the first of October back in twenty nineteen. The government
(00:21):
say it has been reviewed to determine whether the policy
objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms
of the legislative framework are still appropriate. Now joining me
on the show to talk more about this and also
about the Barkley Council being placed under official management. It
is the Attorney General of the Northern Territory, Chancey Pay.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
You, hey, Katie. How are you going?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, really good, Thank you for your time this morning. Now,
Attorney General. What are some of the more significant changes
that are being looked at as part of this alcohol review?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, So look, the Chief Minister, Natasha Files, the Alcohol
Policy Minister did table and that report yesterday and it's
an opportunity for us, Katie, to look at what we
have introduced and where it needs to be reformed or
some things need to be maybe strengthened.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Or are not relevant anymore. So, look, there are a
whole raft.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Of recommendations in that report. It's tabled now, so it'll
give the government time and the opposition and independent members
to really have a considered look at those recommendations and
really kind of provide feedback around that. As a government,
we'll be able to come out and publicly say what
(01:35):
we are going to further look at introducing and trialing.
But they're really a note. Some of those are around
the BDR, looking at how we can strengthen and do
that work there well, from what I.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Can see as well, in the discussion paper for the review,
it suggested that to address public drinking and the associated
anti social behavior, the Liquor Act be amended to empower
other appointed officers such as transit officers, public housing safety offices,
park ranges, council ranges, and contracted security to act as
(02:06):
ex officio inspectors with the authority to search individuals and
seize any unopened container that's believed to contain liquor.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Attorney General, is this really.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The job of those kind of officials or would it
land them in dangerous situations.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Again, look, now that that report summary report has been tabled,
will work through it. I think there's a whole range
of considerations to look at, and you know, I do
acknowledge and understand that there's pressures and there's consequences for
people in those positions, and we need to work through
that in a considered way. So I'm happy to have
those conversations, but certainly acknowledging that we need to be
(02:46):
working with, you know, the hospitality sector in our local
councils and safety offices even to understand what their aspirations
and views are around this area.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Do you reckon it could be effective though? I mean,
you know, there's a lot of criticism the government at
the moment that there's not enough police on the ground
to do those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So do you reckon it would actually be effective?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Look, Katie, I think it's got merit. I'm certainly not
ruling that out. Definitely, I think has merit. We need
to explore it further, and I think we also need
to acknowledge that the territory as a whole is not
homogeneous when it comes to some of the social issues
we're having with alcohol and allowing those tools for different
(03:27):
agencies or authorities to use might be a good situation
in particular parts of the territory, but that'll enable us now,
the government, the opposition, and the independence to have those
conversations with those sectors and see what their views are.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
One of the interesting things I thought in the report
was the noting that during COVID nineteen, during the health emergency,
the Director introduced special requirements for the sale of takeaway alcohol,
including the requirement for a person to prove that they
have a legitimate residence to consume takeaway alcohol. The same
measure has obviously voluntarily been applied by licenses in the
(04:03):
likes of Perap and Fanny Bay via the Darwin Outer
City Liquor Accord. At this stage, it's not recommended from
what I can gather, that this measure be legislated as
a condition for takeaway authorities, but it does seem as
though it's something that did stop that alcohol misue. Some
means should we actually be looking at doing this.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Look, as I said, I don't think we can rule
anything out in this stage. This really now and will
enable us to have a conversation territory wide around these matters,
and if these are things that come up from the community,
then we can certainly look at how we can look
at introducing those particular measures or ideas.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I mean, we're also looking at.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Updating the risk based licensing framework at Katie so that
only licensees who are doing the wrong thing are impacted. So, look,
there's a really good opportunity here for Territorians, for the
sector and for us as a parliament highly to work
together to come up with something that's really effective when
it comes to tackling alcohol and alcohol fueled violence in
(05:08):
our community.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, one area that I think we are all hoping
that both the Government, the Opposition and the Independence will
work together is this proposal that an amendment be made
to provide police with the power to identify the person
that they're searching or seizing alcohol from in regards to
a contravention of Section one hundred and seventy one, so
that drinking in various public places two kilometers away from
(05:33):
a takeaway outlet. Attorney General, this is something that you
know that the public has sort of been screaming out
for going well why don't police have greater powers in
this space? And the government's been at pains to say
that that two kilometer law is still in place, but
by the sounds of it, it had become a real
toothless tiger.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
So Katie that that two kilometer man or rule is
silly in place and I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Actually there's a lot of respects to it that mean
that the police can't do anything aside from tip out
that alcohol.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I've certainly first hand seen our hard working police tipping
out alcohol if people have it within that two kilometer rule. Again,
I'm absolutely saying today to you and everybody that the
summary reports out, it'll give everyone in Parliament an opportunity
to talk to those stakeholder groups and look at where
and what we need to do to address the concerns
(06:27):
in the community around alcohol and alcohol fueled violence. So
absolutely saying Katie, nothing's off the table, I'm certainly happy
to look at those areas.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So if nothing's off the table, would you support the
legislation being put forward by the CLP today in relation
to that two kilometer law.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I don't support that coming through today because I think
what we need to do is have a chat with
the sector, the hospitality community, with the wider community, and
certainly with the police around what we can do to
make sure that we're supporting them with this area, because
the police or have the power KAD to tip out
that alcohol and move people on.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, but that's where it stops.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
You know, you've got the power to tip out alcohol,
but they're not currently able to do exactly what is
you know, what is what's pointed out in that report,
the power to identify the person that they're searching or
seizing alcohol from. So I'm assuming can't run a search warrant.
There's various things that they can't actually do.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Okay, The legislation that the Colpa talking about hasn't been
introduced to parliament, so again we need to wait for
those things to be introduced and get ascertained from that
what it is intended to do. But again I'm certainly
working with my community, with my cabinet around where we
need to strengthen things to tackle alcohol fueled violence.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
We absolutely will.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
What if that legislation today though, does do what is
what's sort of recommended in the report, could you implement
it sooner and you know, really meet the needs or
meet the expectations of the community.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Again, Katie, I'm not going to pre empt legislation in
that area until I've had the opportunity to have a
full look at it and a conversation with people around
what it's intended consequences and its intended actions are It.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Sounds though, as you've said, nothing's off the table here
when it comes to that misuse of alcohol, which I
think is a really good thing because we are really
seeing the impacts of alcohol issues around the Northern territory.
Are we going to see some strengthening of the BDR
as well?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yeah, certainly.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In that summary report, Katie absolutely talks about changes that
should be considered, including the Band Drinker Register to simplify
pathways for police to issue those band drinking registered orders,
and that's basically put in as a priority to reduce
alcohol related harm. I'm really supportive of that, and I'm
(08:52):
really absolutely happy to talk further with people around what
we can do in that space. I certainly welcome that conversation.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
All right.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I do want to ask you about the situation with
the Berkley Regional Council under official management and all elected
members have been suspended from office.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Why was this decision made?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
No, Look, Katie, I made the decision yesterday to place
the Barkley Regional Council under official management and suspended all
elected members from office. That doesn't mean that they've been sacked,
they've been suspended.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
And Katie, look, I did that.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I made that decision because I believe that there are
or there may be serious decisiencies in the Council's conduct
of affairs. So certainly I've brought in an official manager
who will act in place of council. That is, he'll
be the acting mayor and counselors during that time. And
(09:48):
I appointed an investigator to examine council affairs and they'll
report back to me in March next year, Katie, and
the findings of that report will give me an opportunity
to review and then make the decision to reinstate the
council with a whole range of recommendations and improvements, or
to dismiss the council and go back for a general
(10:11):
election for the Berkley Council.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Attorney General, we know there was concerns about vision of
the mayor sitting on a child, but this is obviously
much more broader than that, or it would just be
the mayor that you'd be taking action against. Are we
talking about financial mismanagement here.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
OK, I think you raise a really really good point.
This decision has been made because the Department has been
working through issues with the Barkley Regional Council for an
extended period of time now working at how we can
better help them.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
To deliver services.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
This decision has been made because I had some concerns
around the fiscal management and the council's service delivery obligations.
Now I want to make it really clear as well, Katie,
there are some scent stick elected members on the Barkeley
Regional Council. It's not an issue around that. It's an
issue around me as the local government minister, needing to
(11:09):
have confidence that the fiscal management and the service delivery
obligations are being met because there are over eight thousand
people in the Berkeley Regional Council area that I need
to make sure are having the effective delivery of council services.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I mean, you know, what coulds or what are some
of those serious deficiencies that you're concerned about.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Look, Cdie, when.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
We talk about the council area, it's looking at council
delivery areas such as you know, waste management, annual management, control, governance,
supporting the local authorities those council services and making sure
that they're being delivered in accordance with how they are
attended intended in the Local Government Act.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
All right, it sounds like some pretty serious stuff. I
know that it's not unprecedented. We have seen in the
past in the Northern Territory the Palmerston Council many many
years ago under a similar situation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
But how I mean March next.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Year is when you're waiting for that report to come back,
our service is still going to be able to be
delivered in an efficient and effective manner.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, absolutely, Katie. We've got a new CEO who was
already scheduled to be commencing for the Berkeley Regional Council
next month.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Services and all staff.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
That the Barkley Regional Council absolutely still have their employment.
This is no impact on them. This is about making
sure that we have the official manager in there to
work with the CEO to make sure that the delivery
of services and the council moving forward can be as
(12:46):
strong as it can be, to make sure that community
have the absolute confidence in their local government.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Attorney General.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Just before I get you, let you go making national
news headlines this morning. Senator jac for jimper Price has
reacted to news that her motion calling on the Albanese
government to hold a Royal commission into Indigenous child sexual
abuse has been voted down. Miss Price has also called
for an audit of the billions of dollars being spent
on programs for Indigenous Australians and closing the gap. After
(13:17):
Labour's Voice to Parliament was rejected by Australians during Saturday's referendum,
she took to social media to share her frustration at
the outcome in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday afternoon.
Should there be a Royal Commission into Indigenous child sexual abuse?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, firstly, it's absolutely disgraceful that the Senator for the
Northern Territory is using our children as a political tool.
There was a whole section Katie in the Royal Commission
here in the Northern Territory that talked about what support
was needed from the Commonwealth, and her party at the
time were in government and did not contribute one cent
(13:56):
to the recommendations in that Royal Commission to to respond
and support territory families and children right across the territory
and Katie, I'll remind the Senator and all Territorians that
there is legislation in place around mandatory reporting that if
a child is in a situation where there is such
(14:20):
allegations being made, it has to be mandatory reported so
that we can.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Deal with it.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
So you're not concerned in any way, shape or form
of issues of child sexual abuse in your electorate.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
The Senator needs to start coming out rather than Motherhood's statements,
with actual tangible outcomes and facts that these issues are
taking place and if they are, we will absolutely respond
and deal with those to make sure that those young
people are supported and anyone who is posing a risk
to children in the Northern Territory is dealt by the
(14:53):
full raft of the law.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So, Attorney General, are you saying that she's making things up?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I'm saying that it's time that the Senate that can
start coming out and showing the data and the stats
and the evidence where this is happening, and we will
absolutely respond to it and deal with it where those
cases can be substantiated, and that there needs to be
mandatory reporting done in these instances. Now, Katie, I am
(15:18):
absolutely saying that as a government and as the Commonwealth
government as well. We all need to be working to
make sure that we are looking at the services for
young people in our communities, making sure that we give
them the best start at life as we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
And do you think the Northern Territory Government is living
up to that expectation right now?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
We are absolutely doing what we can with the resources
that we have. Of course, we continually continuously advocate to
the Commonwealth for a bigger share of the pie to
deliver and improve services and absolutely will continue to do
that and work with our stakeholders. But I make the point, Katie,
we had the Royal commiss and we had a Commonwealth
(16:01):
government at the time walk away from that commission and
all of its recommendations.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Attorney General Chancey Paig, we are going to have to
leave it there.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
We thank you for your time this morning.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
No worries mate, You have a good day you too,
Let's get into it, because, as I said, we know
the Territory Labor government say that they're undertaking a range
of activities to reduce alcohol related harm within the community.
So as part of this work, they have completed a
three year review into the Liquor Act. And as many
of you will recall, that Act came into effect on
the first of October back in twenty nineteen. The government
(00:21):
say it has been reviewed to determine whether the policy
objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms
of the legislative framework are still appropriate. Now joining me
on the show to talk more about this and also
about the Barkley Council being placed under official management. It
is the Attorney General of the Northern Territory, Chancey Pay.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
You, hey, Katie. How are you going?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, really good, Thank you for your time this morning. Now,
Attorney General. What are some of the more significant changes
that are being looked at as part of this alcohol review?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, So look, the Chief Minister, Natasha Files, the Alcohol
Policy Minister did table and that report yesterday and it's
an opportunity for us, Katie, to look at what we
have introduced and where it needs to be reformed or
some things need to be maybe strengthened.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Or are not relevant anymore. So, look, there are a
whole raft.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Of recommendations in that report. It's tabled now, so it'll
give the government time and the opposition and independent members
to really have a considered look at those recommendations and
really kind of provide feedback around that. As a government,
we'll be able to come out and publicly say what
(01:35):
we are going to further look at introducing and trialing.
But they're really a note. Some of those are around
the BDR, looking at how we can strengthen and do
that work there well, from what I.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Can see as well, in the discussion paper for the review,
it suggested that to address public drinking and the associated
anti social behavior, the Liquor Act be amended to empower
other appointed officers such as transit officers, public housing safety offices,
park ranges, council ranges, and contracted security to act as
(02:06):
ex officio inspectors with the authority to search individuals and
seize any unopened container that's believed to contain liquor.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Attorney General, is this really.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The job of those kind of officials or would it
land them in dangerous situations.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Again, look, now that that report summary report has been tabled,
will work through it. I think there's a whole range
of considerations to look at, and you know, I do
acknowledge and understand that there's pressures and there's consequences for
people in those positions, and we need to work through
that in a considered way. So I'm happy to have
those conversations, but certainly acknowledging that we need to be
(02:46):
working with, you know, the hospitality sector in our local
councils and safety offices even to understand what their aspirations
and views are around this area.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Do you reckon it could be effective though? I mean,
you know, there's a lot of criticism the government at
the moment that there's not enough police on the ground
to do those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So do you reckon it would actually be effective?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Look, Katie, I think it's got merit. I'm certainly not
ruling that out. Definitely, I think has merit. We need
to explore it further, and I think we also need
to acknowledge that the territory as a whole is not
homogeneous when it comes to some of the social issues
we're having with alcohol and allowing those tools for different
(03:27):
agencies or authorities to use might be a good situation
in particular parts of the territory, but that'll enable us now,
the government, the opposition, and the independence to have those
conversations with those sectors and see what their views are.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
One of the interesting things I thought in the report
was the noting that during COVID nineteen, during the health emergency,
the Director introduced special requirements for the sale of takeaway alcohol,
including the requirement for a person to prove that they
have a legitimate residence to consume takeaway alcohol. The same
measure has obviously voluntarily been applied by licenses in the
(04:03):
likes of Perap and Fanny Bay via the Darwin Outer
City Liquor Accord. At this stage, it's not recommended from
what I can gather, that this measure be legislated as
a condition for takeaway authorities, but it does seem as
though it's something that did stop that alcohol misue. Some
means should we actually be looking at doing this.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Look, as I said, I don't think we can rule
anything out in this stage. This really now and will
enable us to have a conversation territory wide around these matters,
and if these are things that come up from the community,
then we can certainly look at how we can look
at introducing those particular measures or ideas.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I mean, we're also looking at.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Updating the risk based licensing framework at Katie so that
only licensees who are doing the wrong thing are impacted. So, look,
there's a really good opportunity here for Territorians, for the
sector and for us as a parliament highly to work
together to come up with something that's really effective when
it comes to tackling alcohol and alcohol fueled violence in
(05:08):
our community.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, one area that I think we are all hoping
that both the Government, the Opposition and the Independence will
work together is this proposal that an amendment be made
to provide police with the power to identify the person
that they're searching or seizing alcohol from in regards to
a contravention of Section one hundred and seventy one, so
that drinking in various public places two kilometers away from
(05:33):
a takeaway outlet. Attorney General, this is something that you
know that the public has sort of been screaming out
for going well why don't police have greater powers in
this space? And the government's been at pains to say
that that two kilometer law is still in place, but
by the sounds of it, it had become a real
toothless tiger.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
So Katie that that two kilometer man or rule is
silly in place and I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Actually there's a lot of respects to it that mean
that the police can't do anything aside from tip out
that alcohol.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I've certainly first hand seen our hard working police tipping
out alcohol if people have it within that two kilometer rule. Again,
I'm absolutely saying today to you and everybody that the
summary reports out, it'll give everyone in Parliament an opportunity
to talk to those stakeholder groups and look at where
and what we need to do to address the concerns
(06:27):
in the community around alcohol and alcohol fueled violence. So
absolutely saying Katie, nothing's off the table, I'm certainly happy
to look at those areas.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So if nothing's off the table, would you support the
legislation being put forward by the CLP today in relation
to that two kilometer law.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I don't support that coming through today because I think
what we need to do is have a chat with
the sector, the hospitality community, with the wider community, and
certainly with the police around what we can do to
make sure that we're supporting them with this area, because
the police or have the power KAD to tip out
that alcohol and move people on.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, but that's where it stops.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
You know, you've got the power to tip out alcohol,
but they're not currently able to do exactly what is
you know, what is what's pointed out in that report,
the power to identify the person that they're searching or
seizing alcohol from. So I'm assuming can't run a search warrant.
There's various things that they can't actually do.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Okay, The legislation that the Colpa talking about hasn't been
introduced to parliament, so again we need to wait for
those things to be introduced and get ascertained from that
what it is intended to do. But again I'm certainly
working with my community, with my cabinet around where we
need to strengthen things to tackle alcohol fueled violence.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
We absolutely will.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
What if that legislation today though, does do what is
what's sort of recommended in the report, could you implement
it sooner and you know, really meet the needs or
meet the expectations of the community.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Again, Katie, I'm not going to pre empt legislation in
that area until I've had the opportunity to have a
full look at it and a conversation with people around
what it's intended consequences and its intended actions are It.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Sounds though, as you've said, nothing's off the table here
when it comes to that misuse of alcohol, which I
think is a really good thing because we are really
seeing the impacts of alcohol issues around the Northern territory.
Are we going to see some strengthening of the BDR
as well?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yeah, certainly.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In that summary report, Katie absolutely talks about changes that
should be considered, including the Band Drinker Register to simplify
pathways for police to issue those band drinking registered orders,
and that's basically put in as a priority to reduce
alcohol related harm. I'm really supportive of that, and I'm
(08:52):
really absolutely happy to talk further with people around what
we can do in that space. I certainly welcome that conversation.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
All right.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I do want to ask you about the situation with
the Berkley Regional Council under official management and all elected
members have been suspended from office.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Why was this decision made?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
No, Look, Katie, I made the decision yesterday to place
the Barkley Regional Council under official management and suspended all
elected members from office. That doesn't mean that they've been sacked,
they've been suspended.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
And Katie, look, I did that.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I made that decision because I believe that there are
or there may be serious decisiencies in the Council's conduct
of affairs. So certainly I've brought in an official manager
who will act in place of council. That is, he'll
be the acting mayor and counselors during that time. And
(09:48):
I appointed an investigator to examine council affairs and they'll
report back to me in March next year, Katie, and
the findings of that report will give me an opportunity
to review and then make the decision to reinstate the
council with a whole range of recommendations and improvements, or
to dismiss the council and go back for a general
(10:11):
election for the Berkley Council.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Attorney General, we know there was concerns about vision of
the mayor sitting on a child, but this is obviously
much more broader than that, or it would just be
the mayor that you'd be taking action against. Are we
talking about financial mismanagement here.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
OK, I think you raise a really really good point.
This decision has been made because the Department has been
working through issues with the Barkley Regional Council for an
extended period of time now working at how we can
better help them.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
To deliver services.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
This decision has been made because I had some concerns
around the fiscal management and the council's service delivery obligations.
Now I want to make it really clear as well, Katie,
there are some scent stick elected members on the Barkeley
Regional Council. It's not an issue around that. It's an
issue around me as the local government minister, needing to
(11:09):
have confidence that the fiscal management and the service delivery
obligations are being met because there are over eight thousand
people in the Berkeley Regional Council area that I need
to make sure are having the effective delivery of council services.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I mean, you know, what coulds or what are some
of those serious deficiencies that you're concerned about.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Look, Cdie, when.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
We talk about the council area, it's looking at council
delivery areas such as you know, waste management, annual management, control, governance,
supporting the local authorities those council services and making sure
that they're being delivered in accordance with how they are
attended intended in the Local Government Act.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
All right, it sounds like some pretty serious stuff. I
know that it's not unprecedented. We have seen in the
past in the Northern Territory the Palmerston Council many many
years ago under a similar situation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
But how I mean March next.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Year is when you're waiting for that report to come back,
our service is still going to be able to be
delivered in an efficient and effective manner.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, absolutely, Katie. We've got a new CEO who was
already scheduled to be commencing for the Berkeley Regional Council
next month.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Services and all staff.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
That the Barkley Regional Council absolutely still have their employment.
This is no impact on them. This is about making
sure that we have the official manager in there to
work with the CEO to make sure that the delivery
of services and the council moving forward can be as
(12:46):
strong as it can be, to make sure that community
have the absolute confidence in their local government.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Attorney General.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Just before I get you, let you go making national
news headlines this morning. Senator jac for jimper Price has
reacted to news that her motion calling on the Albanese
government to hold a Royal commission into Indigenous child sexual
abuse has been voted down. Miss Price has also called
for an audit of the billions of dollars being spent
on programs for Indigenous Australians and closing the gap. After
(13:17):
Labour's Voice to Parliament was rejected by Australians during Saturday's referendum,
she took to social media to share her frustration at
the outcome in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday afternoon.
Should there be a Royal Commission into Indigenous child sexual abuse?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, firstly, it's absolutely disgraceful that the Senator for the
Northern Territory is using our children as a political tool.
There was a whole section Katie in the Royal Commission
here in the Northern Territory that talked about what support
was needed from the Commonwealth, and her party at the
time were in government and did not contribute one cent
(13:56):
to the recommendations in that Royal Commission to to respond
and support territory families and children right across the territory
and Katie, I'll remind the Senator and all Territorians that
there is legislation in place around mandatory reporting that if
a child is in a situation where there is such
(14:20):
allegations being made, it has to be mandatory reported so
that we can.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Deal with it.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
So you're not concerned in any way, shape or form
of issues of child sexual abuse in your electorate.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
The Senator needs to start coming out rather than Motherhood's statements,
with actual tangible outcomes and facts that these issues are
taking place and if they are, we will absolutely respond
and deal with those to make sure that those young
people are supported and anyone who is posing a risk
to children in the Northern Territory is dealt by the
(14:53):
full raft of the law.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So, Attorney General, are you saying that she's making things up?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I'm saying that it's time that the Senate that can
start coming out and showing the data and the stats
and the evidence where this is happening, and we will
absolutely respond to it and deal with it where those
cases can be substantiated, and that there needs to be
mandatory reporting done in these instances. Now, Katie, I am
(15:18):
absolutely saying that as a government and as the Commonwealth
government as well. We all need to be working to
make sure that we are looking at the services for
young people in our communities, making sure that we give
them the best start at life as we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
And do you think the Northern Territory Government is living
up to that expectation right now?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
We are absolutely doing what we can with the resources
that we have. Of course, we continually continuously advocate to
the Commonwealth for a bigger share of the pie to
deliver and improve services and absolutely will continue to do
that and work with our stakeholders. But I make the point, Katie,
we had the Royal commiss and we had a Commonwealth
(16:01):
government at the time walk away from that commission and
all of its recommendations.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Attorney General Chancey Paig, we are going to have to
leave it there.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
We thank you for your time this morning.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
No worries mate, You have a good day you too,
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