The Week That Was – 31st May 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, we're coming to you live this morning from Darwin
MASDA in BERRIMA very exciting stuff that it is. Of
course they're masda's end of financial year specials.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
They are on now, but the week that.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Was coming to you live this morning from Darwen MASDA
and we're joined this morning by Murray Claire Boothby from
the Opposition.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning to you, Murray Claire, Good morning Katy, and
to your listeners, we've.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Got Brent Potter from the Labor Party and the Minister
for Police and various portfolios.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning to you morning, Katy.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
I hope I don't walk away by a current.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh mate, We'll try our best. And we've got Tom Morgan.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thomas Morgan, the political reporter with the ABC. Lovely to
have you here with us today.

Speaker 4 (00:36):
Good morning, Katy.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
I keep going to say that we're in the studio,
but of course we're out and about.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
It's wonderful. Yeah, it's so good to be out and about.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Now. Look, there is so much to cover off on
this morning, and I do just want to start with
the fact that we know that Donald Trump has been
found guilty this morning. I think it's you know, it's
an interesting situation. That we now find. But we might
talk about that a little bit more in depth a
little later this morning. But I do also want to
just let our listeners know that overnight and some police

(01:03):
news emergency workers were called to the rural area yesterday
in the afternoon after another person was struck by a
vehicle yesterday afternoon as he was trying to cross the
Stuart Highway. Now, my understanding is that that person has
been taken to hospital. That is in addition to the
hit and run which occurred the night before last, which
saw a man killed on Progress Drive. The police had

(01:24):
been calling for that driver of the vehicle to come
forward and yesterday the man was arrested after handing himself
to detectives at the Darwen Police station. Now, his vehicle
was located on Wood Street and declared a crime scene.
While major crash detectives and forensic crime scene examination officers
inspected the vehicle.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
It's since been seized by police.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Now, look, I'm not aware of the exact circumstances with
these incidents, but we are seeing a lot of pedestrians
being struck by vehicles at the moment. From some of
the conversations that I've had with Northern Territory Police at
different times as well. Very unfortunately in some of these situations.
You're talking about alcohol involved by the pedestrians.

Speaker 5 (02:08):
Yeah, absolutely, it's a driving cause factor. Same with speed
and not wearing a seatbelt. And tragically, I think we're
now we had twenty sixty other day and we were saying,
can you guests over the last week, people need to
be aware of their surroundings. They need to use the crossings,
that's why we put them in and drivers obviously you
redrivening they can and they need to reduce their speed.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
It is pretty sad as well.

Speaker 6 (02:27):
Like this time last year, the police were saying at
a press conference on earlier this week that you know,
the number of people lost in our roads was four
at this time, yeah, last year, and now it's something
above twenty. It's it's pretty remarkable.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Eating Yeah, it's terrible. It's a terrible situation.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
But look, let's move along because there is really so
much to cover off on this morning and I want
to take our listeners across to the fact that just
a couple of days ago, we know the Northern Territory
Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was the final witness at the
inquest into the police shooting death of common Walker during
an arrest in.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
You and to move back in twenty nineteen.

Speaker 5 (03:03):
Now.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
It was an explosive final day, with the Commissioner admitting
that he had unintentionally misled the public when he denied
knowing about racist internal awards six months after he was
told about them, saying I should have reported it earlier.

Speaker 5 (03:20):
Now.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
The Northern Territory News had reported earlier in the week
that mister Murphy told the court that he first learned
of the Sea of the Year awards from an ex
police officer, Kerry Joy, at a meeting in August last
year that also included Alice Springs anti crime activist Darren Clark. Now, Brent,

(03:41):
does the government still support the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Absolutely, that's my absolute full support. Put me clearer on that.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
I think what's important out of the EIKAK report is
that these related to twenty seven in twenty sixteen, and
there's no identified ongoing systemic institutional racism. We have our issues,
we have our issues, no doubt, but I think at
the end of the day, that's a very specific period
that's been reviewing the coronial. The commissiony ofhiself said he
will do better. I wasn't there for the conversation between
those two individuals and the commissions. I can't comment on it,

(04:10):
but I think he's made it very clear if he
made a mistake, and he would have done differently. In hindsight,
everyone makes mistakes. I've done it myself, but he has
my absolute support.

Speaker 6 (04:20):
I mean, the IKAK report did mention that he'd found
the IKAK statement that came out earlier this week, that
he'd found no evidence of anything happening past twenty sixteen.
My question, Brandt is how do you believe that has happened,
that this has just dropped off the radar. Is it
that there has been institutional change within police or is

(04:41):
it the police certain police, not all police, but that
they're using different channels that may not necessarily be as
easily trackable for authorities for the ARKAK.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
What's your feeling.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
Yeah, I think it's and I know you've asked me
questions about this out the last couple of days, as
many outlets have.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
We've got to be really clear.

Speaker 5 (04:57):
Institutional racism, systemic racism believe occurs in the Northern Territory
Police Force. They have all of the policies and processes
to recruit, retain and support people from multiple different backgrounds.
In terms of individual pockets, yes, there will be that,
and that is in every organization, and you are right
they use different platforms or I can tell you specifically
the Territory Response Group, the hierarchy in there has change.

(05:18):
I've gone and met them and I know who they
are and they've absolutely done a huge body of work
since twenty sixteen in that particular organization.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
I line, I mean, do you believe that the Northern
Territory Police Force has issues with racism?

Speaker 3 (05:30):
I think every organization does. It's a frontline organization.

Speaker 5 (05:33):
Think about what they're dealing with every day, the trauma
they go and see what they get asked to go
and do. There's no doubt about that. The Veterans Royal
Commission found that dark humor is a cover for some
of the mental health issues that we see. So I'm
not making excuses for what I'm saying is that it
will happen. It does happen, and the commissioners recently, I
don't know if it's public, but he's bringing some people
on internally.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
In the organization.

Speaker 5 (05:54):
From another government agency that's to address these issues and
do lead the cultural reform through the average or justice
principles and foundations that we've agreedr.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Look, there is going to be some people listening this
morning who are saying, well, how can the police minister
sort of you know, how can he make a judgment
call on this when you yourself came under fire for
posts on your own social media So there's no judgment.

Speaker 5 (06:16):
Call for me to be making in the context of
the commissioner and there's nothing criminal that has occurred here.
He's owned his mistake. Can he said or do better?
And that's why we have the coronial. The Coronial is
literally there to go through and bring this stuff out.
I'm not saying that there is an issues from the
police force. I'm not saying there is any pockets of races.
I'm just saying when people say he's a systemic racism
which is also known as institutional racism that does not

(06:36):
exist inside the organization, that would mean the organization there's
policies in place and barriers which they don't have. They
got eleven percent First Nations participation in that organization. The
only other department that beats them is the Aboriginal Interpreted Service,
Like they have got all these policies in place and
they're doing great work in that Lury Claire does.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
The CLP continue to support the Northern Territory Police Commissioner
Michael Murphy despite these revelations earlier.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
In the week.

Speaker 7 (07:00):
We absolutely back our police. I mean they do an
incredible job under extremely difficult circumstances. You know, we know
that Labor have created a crime crisis, and I just
think it's interesting that Brent is providing a lot of
commentary around this and he is the police Minister, and
yet he is conflicted. And I think territorianes who are
listening today would realize that because you know, he too

(07:20):
has been approved and admitted that he too was being
racist as well. So, you know, I think that the
police do an incredible job. They definitely need more support.
They need stronger laws so they can do their job,
and that is something that labor has failed to give
to them. And they talk about they talk about all
this money and you know, all these promises of all
this extra funding, but the police actually need a lot

(07:43):
more than just big money thrown at them.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
And so you do, though indeed, support the Northern Territory
Police Commissioner.

Speaker 7 (07:49):
I think that the police and the Commissioner do an
incredible job with the limited resources they've got. You know,
they are under extreme pressure with having to deal with
offenders who continue to be out on our store. They
continue to pick up the same people all the time,
they're put for the judge and all of a sudden
they're back out on the street again. Do you support well,
I think we support the police and the Police commissioner.

(08:11):
I think an incredible job.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
I mean, he's definitely like he has stepped in at
a really difficult time. You cannot deny that that the
Northern Territory Police Commissioner, Michael Murphy has stepped in at
a really difficult time. No matter how anybody wants to
view it. We know that police morale has been incredibly low.
We know that the crime rates have been continuing to grow.
We know that we've got issues of course with retention

(08:34):
and retaining stuff. All the while, those coroonial in quests
continue on, not just the one in to Come and
Joe Walker, but also into deaths of Aboriginal women to
domestic violence.

Speaker 5 (08:44):
It's worth noting that the Commissioner's work that he has
done over the last sort of six to eight months
and the time of years of deputy. The nutrition rate
is now down in the six percent of so we've
gone from eleven down to six. Now, that is absolutely
his hard work. It is the money we're putting into police.
So an anyone that' said is that he's.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
Not getting.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
An absolute shit show and.

Speaker 5 (09:05):
You can only answer for what he's done, and you
think that is before his time. I think that he's
unreasonable to have someone personally own that, but as an
organization they have.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
But so the question I've got now and I think
what's going to be really what's going to be really
difficult over the coming months, is that we've got a
situation where our Northern Territory Police Force have been on
their knees. So it felt like they're unsupported by the
Northern Territory government. In previous Northern Territory Police Association surveys,
they have felt like there's not enough of them to
go out to different jobs. And we know that there's

(09:32):
work now happening in that space, but they're also now
in a situation where for a lot of those officers
that do an incredibly good job, that have worked bloody
hard for years and years. They're now probably feeling like
the Northern Territory and different Territorians think that they're racist,
when for a lot of them, they go out to
incidents every single day where they stand up for territorians.

(09:56):
They go there when they're at their absolute lowest. And
I am not dining in any way any racist towards.
In fact, I think they're disgusting. But what I will
say is that some of the things that our Northern
Territory Police go out to every day, and a lot
of their clients, it does not matter whether you what
color your skin is and where you come from.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
They do an incredibly good job.

Speaker 1 (10:17):
And if we didn't have them, if we didn't have
the TRG to go to some of those incidents, what
situation would we be in.

Speaker 5 (10:23):
No, we'd be lost to a degree, to be completely frank.
And those officers very recently went down Ali springstre in
the curfew and they saved a man's life that it
was quickly stabbed. They were first unseen and they kept
him alive, and then it was even the next day
Saint John's came and gave them. I think it was
a letter of appreciation or made comment, and it was
disappointing that the first article that was published said the
TRG save this man's life and then use out let's

(10:43):
later on change it just to Northern Territory Police Force.
I'm not saying it's deliberate, but we need to make
sure we're not punishing the guys that are in the
the guys and girls in the organization now who are
like you rightly pointed out, disappointed that the reputation of
their organization has now been brought into question for actions
that they haven't done. And they've done a lot of
work since twenty sixteen, like you talk to them, it
is not the same organization that it was in two thousands.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
No doubt. Some further work though, it's going to need
to happen, right.

Speaker 5 (11:07):
And we've said the anti discrictly, we said the Anti
discrim Commissioner will do some work, and I think the
commission's just to I know, the Commission's just hired someone
from the Average or Justice Unit that's come.

Speaker 3 (11:17):
Over to do a bunch of work inside the organization.

Speaker 6 (11:19):
And there will need to be work in the community
as well to restore that faith, because you can't have
a situation where people are seeing these headlines and they're
getting an impression of the Northern Territory Police and therefore
they're not wanting to come forward and report absolute times
and report things that have happened to them. So there
needs to be work done in the public space as
well to make people have faith in them.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:41):
Absolutely, and that work within the communities and getting out there,
and I know that that is something that our police do.
I do just want to also mention that we know
the Northern Territory i CAC did indeed will they had
been investigating allegations of racism as we know within the
Northern Territory Police Force, and mister Richards did indeed release
that statement earlier in the week saying that he'd been
in contact with twenty past and present TRG members and

(12:05):
had been presented with two awards with racist woods in them.
You know, we know then that it had well, it
had been found that he believed that there was that
shift in attitudes as you've touched on Brent and behavior
in twenty sixteen, finding no evidence of racism from thereafter,
and has renewed his call for information that may assist

(12:28):
with the investigation. So so no doubt there will be
some further I guess we're going to We're going to
wait and see what the findings of that coronial do
come out with as well, so there will be more
on this. But look we are going to take a
bit of a break. You are listening to Mix one
O four point nine's three sixty. Well, we're out and
about on the road today. We are out here at

(12:48):
Darwin Mazda Beerroma where they have got their end of
financial year of sale on.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Now head on out.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
If you're after a vehicle, there are some beautiful cars
out here, Brent Potti, you're not going to leave with
a new one Area.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
I just had to give it one of our cars
to our daughters to jo.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
We'll wait and see what happens. You look quite they're lovely. Now, look,
there is so much to discuss this morning.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
If you've just joined us, We've got Murray Clair Booby,
Brent Potter and of course Tom Morgan from the ABC.

Speaker 6 (13:15):
Now.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
In some pretty disappointing news earlier in the week, a
Darwin business owner who's described well he's he's decided to
shut shop after what he has described as six and
a half wonderful years of serving gelato to the beautiful
city of Darwin. John Conig spoke to me earlier in
the week to say that he's going to be closing
at the end of the dry season now. He said,
the escalating crime and anti social behavior over the years have.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
Taken a toll.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
Customers and lifelong friends have told him that they're refusing
to come into the city with their children as they
do not feel safe and the behavior that occurs on
the streets is disgusting. Like many others, he said, I've
decided to close down and look to move into state.
Darwin City has been my home for over thirty years,
a city that I used to love deep. However, times

(14:01):
have changed and I've fallen out of love with USh now.
I'd spoken to him just a couple of weeks ago
after he'd been left really quite shaken after being threatened
by a man who'd earlier been involved in a fight
just next to John John's.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
I've got to tell you it's a fan favorite at
my house.

Speaker 1 (14:18):
You know, my daughter wanted to go there last night,
was begging to go there after we've been for sushi.
It is a wonderful little business, and he is a
really great young fella trying to make a go of
it in Darwin. It is really disappointing that we're in
a situation that in our Darwin CBD, we've got a
business that sells ice cream that has decided to shut

(14:39):
up shop. He said, Katie, I've seen more naked people
in the city than anyone should have to see.

Speaker 7 (14:45):
And I think, Katie, it really goes to the point of,
you know, what our lifestyle should be like and used
to be like here in the territory. I mean, when
you can't even take your kids into the city to
have an ice cream, and then that really goes to
the heart of what we're talking about with the fact that,
you know, crime and antisocial behavior has just been left

(15:06):
for them to do whatever they want these days, which
is just not okay. I mean the fact that John
has tried so hard to keep this business open. I
mean he's closed down a number of times to try
and keep his staff and his customers safe and the
kids that are there, and then he closes down, he reopens,
he's trying to do it again, but he's heartbroken. I mean,

(15:27):
and this is the problem. We have so many of
these businesses who have tried so hard and they just.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
Can't do it anymore.

Speaker 7 (15:33):
And that the thing we've got is that the labor
government are talking a big talk. They like to say
a lot of things, and I know Brenton is going
to have something to say, and he'll say a lot
of words, but it is all talk and what we're
not seeing is actually I mean, of course, we have
to be able to deal with these offenders and make
sure that they've rehabilitated and they've got a life beyond

(15:55):
crime and the antisocial things that we see every day,
but there has to be a line drawn where there
are consequences for their actions, and consequences is just something
that this government does not want to hear about.

Speaker 5 (16:05):
You know.

Speaker 7 (16:06):
It doesn't have consequences for itself and it certainly doesn't
have consequences for criminals.

Speaker 6 (16:10):
And mentioned there in the statement that you know John
is opting to move into State to pursue other opportunities,
and that's something that has been a bit of a
theme lately. We saw the latest immigration and sort of
population day to come out and we saw, as per
usual but even more so now an exodus of people
moving into State from the Northern Territory, which has been

(16:31):
an ongoing issue, and it's one where the government has
been talking a lot about wanting to hit this three hundred.

Speaker 4 (16:36):
Thousand people population target for many years now.

Speaker 6 (16:40):
They're talking about new housing estates out in parts of
Palmerstan and the northern suburbs, but at the same time
we're seeing people.

Speaker 4 (16:47):
Leave one hundred and sixty eight net. The quarter number that.

Speaker 5 (16:51):
Leb is that the quarter number that you've had to
correct yourself on because I agree with John John's leaving.

Speaker 3 (16:56):
Seriously, I'm going to believing the territory.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
I mean is I'm going to correct u MCB. I'll
let you talk now. It goes around, so what we
do in a panel. It's horrible that John John's leaving.
I've spoken to him. It is disgusting. I went out
there like two times. I've spoken on the phone since
he spoke to you. We put on additional security patrol
out there because council stop the funding into the new year.
So there's an extra two person TPS patrol just around
his area and in the mall. And it has cleaned

(17:20):
that up. It's made he's working. The problem is there
is no short fix. As much as I hate saying that, yeah,
but it's like Dad.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Said, you guys, you got rid of the two kilometer
rule as well, so people can drink in the city.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Like you can say whatever you want. People are getting
drunk in the city. So why a there's still people
drinking in.

Speaker 3 (17:35):
The city because they are a substance addiction.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
And so what we just like you just leave it
to languish in the CBJ.

Speaker 3 (17:41):
So what should be happening?

Speaker 2 (17:42):
So what is happening?

Speaker 5 (17:43):
So they get picked up protective custody. It's disorderly conducted
public place. It's criminals.

Speaker 1 (17:47):
So someone's getting drunk and the walking around the cbdor
someone's threatening him with the machete and the in the CBD.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
And then how are they back there the next start?

Speaker 3 (17:55):
That is all criminal what you describe it.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
But so how are they back there the next day?

Speaker 3 (17:58):
Well, they won't be back there if they get their
bail testing.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Well, they were back there the next day after it
happened the first time.

Speaker 1 (18:04):
Right, So I get it, you guys, like I get
told all the right things every Friday, you know, by
every politician. We're getting told all the right things, but
all the while the place continues to suffer. And the
point that Tom's making about the population not growing is
such a good one. We want the population to grow,
but we also want the people that are here to stay.

(18:24):
We want to keep these wonderful people in the northern
terrat Not.

Speaker 5 (18:27):
Getting a disagreement from Kadia. All I'm saying is when
we talk about the stats, because that feeds into everything
we talk about.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
We have had a net increase, not huge, but it's
growing by point in land.

Speaker 4 (18:35):
But that's driven by international migration, not into state migration.

Speaker 5 (18:39):
Correct, But some of the international migration that comes to
territory stays for the minimum period and then they go
down south. So if we're talking about our largest population
growth with international migration.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
How are we going to sort it?

Speaker 1 (18:49):
Right?

Speaker 2 (18:49):
If fundamentally you're saying, oh no, hang on, that's roll no.

Speaker 5 (18:53):
The only way to solve it is resources. That's the
only way we're going to fix this is having more police,
having more transit.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
Stated about laws at least need to be done.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
No criminal hars. I'm just going to go to Tom
for a second. Are you going, Tom?

Speaker 6 (19:04):
It's really interesting that John John's is literally diagonally across
the road from a station in the CBDs, and even
they are having trouble with this, and you've said that
there are more blue shirts now patrolling the CBD, but
you know that obviously hasn't been enough to convince this
business that it's worth staying in that location.

Speaker 4 (19:21):
So the question is you know what needs to be done.

Speaker 6 (19:25):
I know you talk about resourcing, but but surely something
should be done now to fix this situation so they
can stay.

Speaker 3 (19:31):
It's so right now as.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
Of June twenty eight, sixty three offs are graduating out
of the college and they're going straight in the Territory
Safety Division.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
If you if you want to deal with the behaviors,
because this is his behaviors. It's changing behaviors no matter
what the opposition says, no criminal things.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
They do what you say.

Speaker 1 (19:47):
Because these are the conversations right that I'm having with
mums and dads through the week, not on air. I've
literally got mums saying to me, Katie, I no longer
allow my child to get off at the bus stop
at parap or In when they're or near the narrows,
you know, near the narrows there, and this is why,

(20:07):
And sending me photos at three o'clock in the afternoon
of people urinating at that bus stop, sitting in the gutter, intoxicated,
doing the wrong thing. So what do you say to
those families, to those moms that have changed the way
that they look after their children and have had to
change the way that they do things in the afternoon

(20:28):
because they actually don't feel safe leaving their child in
that environment or allowing their child to walk home a
short distance because of the dangerous behavior.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
That goes on. I mean, you know yourself, like You've
been very open and honest with me when my.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Daughter's been in dangerous situations at the bus stop through
absolutely no fault of her own. So this is something
that everyday people are dealing with and it's.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
Just not good enough.

Speaker 5 (20:52):
So I have been honest with you, and I'm honest
with every parent saying it's not going to change overnight
the behaviors that have managed. How is that.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Okay for a kid to not be able.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
To get on they'd had on? It's not okay. I'm
not saying it is okay. I never said it has.

Speaker 5 (21:05):
I'm just saying the way to get the resolution that
everyone wants is going to take resources in time or
use parap as an example. When I took hold on
when I took over, that was a daily occurrence. What
you describe it is barely a daily occurrence. Now we
have peaks and troughs. And so one of the things
that I've brought in in Parap was the local liquor
coord You can't buy grog unless you're from the area.
Now that has now been rolled out across Darwin. It

(21:26):
comes in Gazettel very shortly from the administrator. But no
criminal things. They're going to get caught Cake, I hate
saying it, but they don't think they're going to get caught.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
So they also don't think they're going to get in
trouble at the moment.

Speaker 5 (21:35):
Well, they don't care whether they get in trouble not.
They don't need to get in caught. And the fact
is our prisons, our prisons are so full. People are
getting a consequence. Whether the Seal people want to believe
it or not, there are more people in prisons.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
Look, I've got a message here that's just come through
from Gaye. It says Hi Kat.

Speaker 1 (21:49):
I've been sitting on the fence waiting when the public
will actually when we're going to be informed about the
brutal machete attack on Friday afternoon in parapp last week.
Maybe not a lack of police or reporters, or one
would say political censoring. There's the general public don't know.
This happened outside of Brent Potter's office.

Speaker 5 (22:06):
Apparently was there, so I called the police. I saw it,
and it hasn't been held from anyone there. I think
there was a media release that went out from police
on it. They know the offender that they're after, and
I think, I'm well, yeah, actually.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
I'm pretty sure.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Crystal followed up on this yesterday and there hasn't been
any arrest made. Oh yes, So Crystal got in contact
with police for an update on this yesterday and we've
been told investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been
made at this stage.

Speaker 3 (22:27):
But I know who it is. They've just got to
catch the person, so they do know who it is.

Speaker 1 (22:31):
When was this last Friday afternoon that Katie this happens
On the afternoon.

Speaker 7 (22:36):
Last week in at a last shopping center, the exact
same thing happened. A guy walking around with a one
meter axe came at the staff at Cole's like they
were petrified. It was during the day and I've heard
it was an off duty police officer who was able
to come and assist with that at that incident. But
those staff they're too scared to go to work. Now,
this isn't just in perhaps where Brent's office is.

Speaker 5 (22:57):
This is all so let's talk about consequence though in
that instance if that individual is arrested, and he will
because they know who it is, they know what community.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
So at the moment, though, we've got somebody at large
who has injured somebody else with the machete last Friday
afternoon in broad daylight.

Speaker 5 (23:12):
Yes, that's what the police are saying. And to be honest,
there are criminals that are always at large that police
are chasing down. Like, we don't get everyone, but they
will get him. They have a very good success rate
in getting individuals. And a no viper so tried and
has taken that over and they'll get him. Oh look
what is in that instance when we talk about consequence,
because that's what she's going to say next, That person,
because of what they've done with the weapon in public,
will start from a presumption of no bail.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Oh a bloody hopes. So I would absolutely hope.

Speaker 5 (23:36):
And that very specifically that law has broke their bottle,
that law has been there. That law has been there,
and you talk about consequences in bail being too light
that individual, nothing has changed.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
He will go to the court. He'll start from a
presumption of no bail.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
All right.

Speaker 1 (23:50):
I want to I want to sort of move along
to some of the other elements of this discussion. I
think and and one of those, And Brent, you did
touch on this just a moment ago. You know that
people are going to now be showing their idea and
having to prove where they have to drink to be
able to purchase alcohol. That is something that the Parliament
had passed at the last parliamentary sittings.

Speaker 2 (24:09):
It still has to be gazetted, so it's.

Speaker 5 (24:10):
Not quite there yet, but it will be before that
we see the sort of school holiday period coming.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
In Okay, which is look, I hope that that's a
good step.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
I really really do we know The Territory government is
also enlisting consultants to help dry communities develop alcohol management plans,
with Alcohol Minister Brent Potter yourself telling the Northern Territory
News that anti social behavior happens when people travel to urban.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Areas to access grog. I mean, do we think that
this is going to make a difference.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
Do we think that if people are able to access
alcohol in their communities, Tom, that it could make a difference.

Speaker 6 (24:41):
I mean, you know that is a likelihood. I do
remember sort of sitting around on the week that was
two years ago, talking to I think was Selina Eyubo
on the panel at the time, the changes that the
government were making because of the sunsetting of stronger futures,
and the same line of it will be safe for
everyone because this will something that will allow safe access

(25:01):
in communities, And what we saw, unfortunately, was a bit.

Speaker 4 (25:05):
Different Springs exactly, wasn't it. Well I'm not going to
be drawn on any you know, one way or the other.

Speaker 6 (25:12):
But the issue here is that whether or not we're
simply sweeping the issue into remote communities and sort of
ignoring it here in Darwen and Alice Springs and just
letting it happen elsewhere because we're confronted by it in
Darwen and Alice Springs. So I want to put that
question to you, Brent, whether you think that's a possibility.

Speaker 5 (25:32):
Well, I think it's happening regardless whether we have community
clubs in communities or we have them here unless be
really clear the violence is happening at the moment in
the community. It's happening in town. I don't believe making.
And you talk about the two kilometeral right now, you
cannot have an open container in Darwin.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
It's just people have them there. But that's my big
question is we keep hearing that, but why do people
have them all happening before?

Speaker 1 (25:55):
Well? And you know what, we also had a situation
though where we got told exactly what you are saying now.
Then Chancey Pake stood up in Parliament and said the
reason that it changed is because it was they wanted
to decriminalize alcoholism and people drinking in those public places.
So you guys are saying one thing inside Parliament and
something quite different when you're then out in the public.

Speaker 5 (26:14):
I can tell you right now, as the Alcohol Policy Minister,
to have an open container, and as the Police Minister,
have an open container. Yes, the act of having a
drink is not criminal, but the behavior that comes from
being intoxicated is still absolutely criminal.

Speaker 7 (26:26):
Drink so.

Speaker 5 (26:28):
You and I can go to East Point and have
a drink and not be disorderly and that's not illegal.
But if the two kilometer rule was there you and I.
If a police officer rocked up and if they weren't
being picking and choosing who they gave it to, you
and I would be committing offense.

Speaker 1 (26:39):
And I wouldn't care because if it's the rules and
regulations and that's what I need to abide by, well.

Speaker 5 (26:43):
I would make everyone should be able to have a
beer on the foreshore, whether your two kilometers within the
bottle shop at the time of sunset. Your behavior is
the problem, and the behavior we've seen the cities is
the problem. And hence why I say getting a community
club in community communities have to start to own how
they live with alcohol.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
We have to start having a discussion that paternalistic.

Speaker 6 (27:01):
Well, my understanding is the two kilometer rule still does exist.
It's still technically illegal to drink with.

Speaker 3 (27:07):
Anywhere in Darwin, so the.

Speaker 6 (27:09):
But there's no charge, there's no offense attached to it,
there's no criminal penelty attached.

Speaker 3 (27:14):
Technically, the alcohol is confiscated.

Speaker 5 (27:16):
And then when you're acting in a disorderly way, that
is an offense and you'll be you can be charged
in rest.

Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well, look, I won't get we won't. We'll try not
to get too bogged.

Speaker 4 (27:23):
Out in that.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
But back to the alcohol in communities.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
Look, my biggest my biggest question, I guess or concern is,
and I think it will be the concern of a
lot of people, is how do we make sure that
in those communities where there are alcohol management plans that
women and children are indeed safe and looked after. Because
that's my biggest worry that the most vulnerable R and
D kep site.

Speaker 5 (27:44):
And this won't be if you're in a remote community
you can go to a takeaway venue and take it
to your house in the community.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
That's not it.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
We're talking community clubs where there are strict rules around
when you can access what is served. For example, is
one of the provisions for the community club to open
school attendance, you know, and obviously one of them will
be the domestic familyviolence offenders will not be going and
having access to ALCOHO because they get put in a BDR.
Now with the changes that we've made, but we need
to make it so that people can learn to live
with out go becomes normalized because at the moment we

(28:09):
do have people transitting significant different distances to access ol
Coal and Alice Springs and Dalwen where we are seeing
that manifestation of any social behavior. Until we get people
living with it, prohibition is not going to work. People
are still going to do secondary supply and rod running.
We need to have another way.

Speaker 6 (28:23):
My question though, is you know you're moving on this issue,
but what about the provision of domestic violence safehouses in
remote communities. We had a Senate committee come up here
a few months ago that really noted that there's very
few places where people who are fleeing domestic violence can
go in remote communities. So shouldn't that be something that

(28:45):
should be there before alcohol is allowed interronot community?

Speaker 5 (28:49):
And so you're raised an absolutely great point, and we're
putting more money in the sect gap, but no plan
will be just approved off the cuffew so it'll have
to go to a vote in the community.

Speaker 3 (28:57):
It will need to be assessed against all of those pieces.

Speaker 5 (29:00):
Do we have the domestic family sexual violence support in
the community, Do we have the safe houses?

Speaker 3 (29:03):
Do we have health od So.

Speaker 6 (29:05):
You won't approve those litqual licenses or anything if there
isn't that sort of provision in place.

Speaker 5 (29:10):
If that's what comes back in the plan they com mitigate.
Those are the questions that the committee reviewing. We'll be
assessing it against We're not just going okay, you've got
a building where we can give you out come.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
That's not how it works.

Speaker 5 (29:19):
They will have to have all these revisions in place,
and we need to see police, the remote health staff
there at the same time, we need to see our
domestic family violence specialists at the point of saying so
they can have the discussion it works in.

Speaker 1 (29:31):
Twe Now I want to move along just slightly. Like
I said, there is so much to cover off on
this morning. Our to Saint Vinnie's move. Now, we spoke
about this earlier in the week, Brent, You and I
and our listeners will recall a few weeks ago as well,
we had people get in contact concerned that Saint Vinie's
were moving their homeless services from Stuart Park to Coconut Grove.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Now we did have that confirmation, of course with you
earlier in the week.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
We then spoke to the CEO, Rob Blutter yesterday, who
had confirmed that yes, that is going to be happy
for a two year period and they have met with
the Northern Territory government more than one hundred meetings, he said,
over three and a half years to try to find
a permanent location for Saint Finnis. I mean, look, it's
not an ideal scenario for the Northern Territory government as

(30:17):
you lead into an election to have these services moving
from Stuart Park to Coconut Grove, where a lot of
those locals are going to be a bit worried that
there's going to be an increase in anti social behavior,
rightly or wrongly, but also in a location where it's
not only like I know, it's a your electorate, but
it also sort of is potentially going to impact on
Nightcliff and even on Johnson if there is a flare

(30:38):
up of anti social behavior. Look, I want to say
right from the get go that we definitely need to
have homelessness services. You'll never get an argument from me
on that. But gee, it's hard to find a location
where people are happy.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
To have them, Katie.

Speaker 7 (30:51):
I mean the fact that they had to have one
hundred meetings with government, I mean that just goes to
show that Vini's have been having this conversation with government
for so long, but government haven't been enable to come
up with a suitable location. I mean Mark Monahan, the
Member for fong Limb, promised in twenty twenty at that
election that he was going to have that service moved

(31:11):
from the people around Stuart Park because they were complaining
about it. Now four years on, nothing has happened. Vinni's
have had all those hundreds of meetings with no avail,
and we've got Brent Potter and Natasha Files all saying no, no, no,
Mark Monahan, we don't want it in our patch either.
I mean, this is Labor who are absolutely devised.

Speaker 2 (31:30):
The CLP support the move.

Speaker 7 (31:32):
We do support the move, but this is where some
Vinnie's have just been stuck between a rock and a
hard place and they're having to deal with this mess
because Labor can't sort it out. What we would do, Kdie,
is we would actually sit down with Vinnie's and the
community and we would find a suitable location for it
to happen, because we absolutely the last four years well
and that's the point, Brent, it's taken four years. I mean,

(31:54):
you guys can't deliver on anything on time.

Speaker 5 (31:57):
Let's just be really clear, right, So I'm absolutely supportive
of it moving from Stuart Park. And Mark made a
commute and guess what he's delivering on the commitment that
he made to his constituents. We said, we went in,
door knocked, We went and spoke to the residence in
my electud. I've not seen my counterpart out there at all,
door knocking anyone. They haven't seen her on this issue.
I know my residents are unhappy with the location. It
was originally slated for five years. They've done a body

(32:18):
of work to get it down to two.

Speaker 2 (32:19):
Did you say they're happy with this location?

Speaker 5 (32:21):
No, No, they're this location. They originally asked for five years.
I believe ven he's in the department and it got
knocked back to two. We will find them a permanent
home because it is a service that we believe should
be funded. And I think more than anyone a labor
government has put more money into remote housings and homelessness services.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
What the thing is two years?

Speaker 1 (32:38):
Like, I have people contact me yesterday saying, Katie, how
are they going to do this over a two year period.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
It took me that long to get my house built
and all the.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
Approvals, and I own the land, so they've got well,
they've got the DCA now to move in.

Speaker 1 (32:50):
I think it's demundables, I know, but I mean into
their new location in two years time, Like, how are
you going to get to that point where they've got
somewhere new to move into in two years time if
you don't even know where it's going to be.

Speaker 3 (33:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (33:01):
Sure, they've taken four years to have a temporary location
which is already there, So I don't think territories Wasn't's.

Speaker 5 (33:06):
Be really clear, that wasn't game, That wasn't their first
location choice, nor was it ours. But they'll be able
to move into a new location and we've made a
commitment to work with them on that. It's interesting that
you know, you talk about being able to get the
you'll have discussions with Vinni's in the community. Well, I'm
having the discussions with the community and they don't want
it there. So if you can find a place right
now that the community wanted in their location, then go

(33:26):
for it. But I can tell it's not as easy
as you make it out to be. Marray Claire, Look, we.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Are going to take a very short break. You are
listening to Mix one oh four point nine three sixty. Well,
it's a very busy hour down here this morning. We
are coming to your live from Darwin Mazda in Berrima
for their end of financial year specials. I'll tell you
more about those after ten o'clock this morning, but with
me today I've got Thomas Morgan from the ABC. I've
also got Brent Potter, and we've also got Marie Claire

(33:50):
Boothby and quite a lot.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
To cover off.

Speaker 1 (33:53):
I do want to touch on the fact that the
Darwen Turf Club their board met earlier this week to
discuss this year is great Northern Darwe but have decided
to take a cautious approach to operational and infrastructure investment
due to a general decline in ticket sales now. The decline,
they say, is attributed to limited interstate access to the
Northern Territory, cost of living pressures and other economic challenges

(34:17):
reducing discretionary spending, and attempts to secure additional funding from
stakeholders to enhance the carnival have been unsuccessful and consequently
the board has decided to close the center field and
focus those resources on improving service delivery to other guests
on the grandstand side of the track. Now, look, I
think it's a sensible decision by the board in the

(34:37):
sense that if you really can't guarantee that you've got
the same numbers that you've had in previous years. It
would be I think it would be irresponsible for a
board then to go down the path of still putting
that infrastructure in place and still spending that level of
money if you're just not sure whether you're going to
get the visitorship. Now I can almost anticipate what everybody's

(34:57):
going to say from our political perspective.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
If so, Tom, what do you make of version? We'll
go to you first night.

Speaker 6 (35:03):
The bit you said they're about limited interstate something I
can't remember exactly the word, but it does remind me
that sort of it is quite difficult for people.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
To travel here.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
It's still expensive.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
And this was something that I heard as well with
regards to Base in the Grass, that a whole bunch
of people actually booked flights to come up here for
the festival with Bonza. Then Bonsa went down and so
they were left having to rebook flights with jet Star
that were like, you know, seven hundred dollars one way.
And it does remain a pretty I guess it's a

(35:33):
fact of law in the territory that like the flights
to the Northern Territory expensive, that the Northern Territory are
expensive and when you have all these other alternatives elsewhere,
you're not going to come up here and do those
sorts of things. So you know, the territory government has
been talking a lot about it's you know, aviation attraction scheme,
about trying to get people up here for tourism. We've

(35:55):
got cheap flights to Ellara apparently. But I do wonder
whether the anti government needs to be more because you know,
as we're seeing here with Base in the Grass and
now with the Darwin Cup, there is I guess a
tourism exodus from an northern territory.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's a huge part of our livability.

Speaker 7 (36:11):
It is absolutely, Katie. I mean the fact that we've
got the Darwen Cup carnival, which is iconic right around
the nation. I mean you would know lots of people
who would come here, boys trip, girls trip, family trip,
the racing die hards and they come to the Darwin Cup.
They spend their money not only when they're here at
the Cup, but they you know, they're in our businesses,
our hairdressers, our dress shops. They might get souvenirs of course,

(36:33):
our cafes and restaurants. And if there's less people coming
for the Darwin cup. That's a real huge impact for
our dry season on our businesses are already doing it
really tough. I mean, the fact that we have a
crime reputation which is also a factor. I know what
Brent's gonna say, but it absolutely is a factor. If
you're looking to come on a trip to the territory
and you google, you know what's it like up here?

(36:54):
Of course you're going to read all these headlines. I mean,
you know, look at John John's as an example. And
so now the Darwen Cut Carnival they're a victim of this.
You know, the state in which our territory is at
the moment. We have a terrible rip reputation which needs
rebuilding and it's not going to see any rebuilding under
this current government who have failed to deliver on.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
All of these actions.

Speaker 7 (37:14):
And it's it's our businesses that are going to suffer.
And of course, if our economy is growing and the
Darwen Carnival really should be growing, not reducing, then of
course everyone does better. And that's what that's why we're
so focused on this. And I mean, of course Brent's
going to say, well, I'm going.

Speaker 5 (37:29):
To say is you're not an economist and neither am
I and to say if the economy is growing, therefore
and make the link that the Darwin Cup therefore grows.

Speaker 1 (37:38):
Going.

Speaker 5 (37:38):
Well, the one thing, one thing that's not that she's
not mentioning here is the country isn't cost of living crisis.
We have interest rates still sitting higher, there's anticipation of
another rate increase potentially at the end of the year.
Those have an impact on people's expendable cash.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
I agree. The issue is flights.

Speaker 5 (37:53):
When we talk about the Aviation Attraction Fund, it isn't
about getting flights from down South to Darwen. The key
to getting more flights from down South to Darwen is
to get more into national flights into daw and to
create the pool for the national carriers to come up.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
And we see that recy of it.

Speaker 5 (38:05):
We are so we've got contests that starts up there
Singapore leg later this year. We've had Singapore Airlines start
up their Singapore Link as well. We need more international
flights to create your market.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
I want to point out that I know and look
a lot of people know, my husband actually works out
of Cans and out of the Cans airport, so I
know that Cans is absolutely bustling in terms of having
additional flights flying to other parts of the country, to
other parts.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Of the world. You know, they've got these additional routes
that are coming on board. We're being left behind and
they're in at the moment they are, but we're being
left behind.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
So even if we have Singapore, like that's one route
and yes, that's great, but over the years we've just
seen them come and go so often out.

Speaker 7 (38:44):
Of So you'll admit the problem and then we can
actually start to address what were you going to say there?

Speaker 6 (38:53):
Well, you know, I remember going to the day on
airport not too long ago, and this was after COVID
everything's opened back up and looking at the departures board
and it was just all Quantus, Jetstar, Jetstar Quantas, which
are one company. Right, there's the odd Virgin flight to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne.
But there is a lack of competition in the territories
air market and that does have consequences in terms of

(39:15):
how much they can actually charge you and I to
fly into state. And so there is an argument that
there does need to be competition, but there have been
promises of competition the government, you know, backed bonds are
and unfortunately that didn't really have payoff.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
We actually we.

Speaker 5 (39:31):
Should be doing that and I think we can only
back in where we think aircrafts are going to be successful.
And when you talk about competition, the reality of it
is you have Rex Alliance, you have Jetstar and Quantus
and Virgin. They're the five players and arguably all five
of them in some way, shape or form less Rex.

Speaker 2 (39:45):
Fly to Darwin, and the cost of flights the model four.

Speaker 5 (39:50):
Kids and my parents live in Melbourne, like it is
an expensive piece for us to go down there. But
I think the way that we draw the National carries
to Darwen on more legs because they're doing the legs
which need more of it is getting to National flights
and true in the darn one.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
Look, the thing I'm sort of hearing this morning is
is and you know, obviously I expect and anticipate that
the opposition is going to be quite critical of everything
that the government does. But Brent, what I am hearing
from you this morning, and I get it because you
are obviously in government and both of you are trying
to be re elected, but that you've sort of got
an answer to everything when it comes to the issues
that we've got right now, but things aren't getting better.

(40:22):
So what hope can we give people listening today that
anything's going to change if the attitude of the government
is that, well, look, you know, the reason that it's
this way is because of X, Y and Z, And
there isn't a real, you know, admission or a real
kind of acknowledgment that things aren't great.

Speaker 5 (40:39):
So I've come on your show every time we talk
about crime, and I acknowledge it's not great. I've never
said that it isn't. My point is, we get your
advice in the department, we get your advice from Treasury,
and Treasury are saying from next year a two percent
increase on our GSP state product, so the economy is growing.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
The opposition don't want to hear that.

Speaker 5 (40:54):
And then seven years ago, yeah, because the impacts shut down,
So we had the impects it's well, he's going to
get better because we have the Santos baross A project
coming online seven percent increase in the second year of production.
So twenty six twenty seven, we see that going up
by seven percent. On shore beater lou gas coming online,
we see our a few resources likely to get to
FID later this year we're going to and then potentially

(41:15):
in twenty thirty. We sing impets talking about a third
train development like the next five to six years is
good for the economy and that will bring workers and families,
which will bring flights. And that's not and that's not
a politicians say, that's Treasury that are telling us that
is what is coming.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
I really hope. So look, we are going to have
to take a quick break. You're listening to Mix one
O four nine's three sixty. We are coming to live
today from Darwin masdak. Well, if you've just joined us,
you've missed out on a cracking hour of the week
that was out here at Darwin MASDA.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
With me this morning. Murray Claire Boothby from the CELP,
thank you so much for your time.

Speaker 7 (41:45):
Thank you, and I just want to say good luck
to all of the nominees at the GTNT Training Awards
that are on tonight.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Awesome.

Speaker 7 (41:51):
Thank you to all those trainees plus their employers who
obviously take them under their wing and teach them everything
they know.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
Yeah, wonderful stuff. Brent Potter from the Labour Party, good
to have you in this not in the studio, out
on the road.

Speaker 3 (42:03):
Two times in a week, so thanks Katie.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Thank you Toomas Morgan from the A b C. Lovely
to have you on the show this morning, mate, Thank you,
Thanks Katie, and anyone running in the city to surf
on Sunday, any of.

Speaker 3 (42:14):
You getting roped in to run.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
I heard this, I'll be there, I'll be ready to MC.
I'll be giving the legs a rest. But wonderful to
have you on with us this morning. Thank you so
much for your time.