Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It has been a busy weekend when it comes to crime.
By the look of things, A woman allegedly murdered at
the hands of a man who police say breached a
domestic violence order. The Chief Minister, Evil Laula joins me
in the studio. Good morning to your Chief Minister. Thanks
so much for your time this morning. Now, as I
just said, a woman allegedly murdered at the hands of
(00:21):
a man who police say had breached a domestic violence order.
Are you concerned that someone who is allegedly on a
domestic violence order has committed such a terrible crime.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, absolutely, horrific, shocking. Should not be happening. It should
not be happening in Northern Territory, should not be happening
in Australia. A terrible, terrible crime.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
And yeah, my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Goes out to the family. I think I read that
she'd come in from Maningrida to do some study or
something like that. So and I was in man Ingreda
for Monday and Tuesday last week.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You just can't fathom it, just how that somebody could
be so cruel, nasty, disgusting behavior.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
It's absolutely shocking stuff. Now I know that in November
twenty twenty two, the NTI Parliament did pass the Sentencing
and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. It removed compulsory jail time
minimums for assault, drug offenses and breaches of domestic violence
orders that sentencing. The sentencing reforms had promised the delivery
of on in community rehabilitation programs, with Chancey Paike's office
(01:26):
assuring that drug and alcohol, domestic violence and other enforced
behavior change programs were ready to roll and already accessible
in the community. Now, I don't profess to know the
ins and outs of the case on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I don't know exactly what the situation is. That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
But what I do want to know is do you
believe that this move towards you know, or away from
I should say some of that mandatory minimum sentencing is
the right path. When then we've got a situation like
what has unfolded on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
So a couple of things here.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
First of all, removal of the mandatory is actually a
good thing, because it isn't that was then you just
had to set sentence. What we need to do is
make sure that these people go before the courts and
then they look at the incidents or the incidences in
whole and then they get they get sentenced. So instead
of it just going you've got five days because you've
(02:20):
done DV, they actually need to be before the courts
and go, well you've done this, you get X, you've
done worse than that or more or whatever it is,
or recurrent and you get why, or you have had
a continuous record of this, you'll get that. So that
provides that domestic violence it is a scourge in the
Northern Territory. And I've said this on the radio before.
(02:41):
Sixty five percent of our people in our prisons in
the Northern Territory are there because of DV. So we
need to continue to work to reduce that figure around
prevention because it would be a good day when our
prisons weren't overflowing. So absolutely our focus of our government.
But when I was in Maningrida, as I said, for
two days for Community Cabinet, one of the things there
(03:04):
was a Malala which is a community justice group who
are looking at what they can do. So they've already
got some funding around it, not the serious crimes, but
addressing the smaller, smaller crimes that they see in the
community or less intense. I'm not sure what the word is,
but to be able to do things on country there
(03:25):
so if it's a young person that's broken into the
store or a home, to be able to take their
man country and do something rather than us seeing them
in town and through the court system.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
But I don't disagree it has to be there has
to be some serious change. And look, I don't disagree
that there needs to be those early intervention programs and
there's definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Needs to be that in country people.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, but we've now got a situation over the weekend
where you know, if I'm to read what's come through
from that police pressure as correctly that this person's breach
to domestic violence order and allegedly committed murder.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, there absolutely know whether there would have been alcohol involved,
which is, as I said, the most difficult thing we
see in the Northern Territory. Behind nearly all of these
incidences of assault are huge amounts of alcohol.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It's abhorrent behavior and it's one and this is why
I has gained my common sense approach to crime. This
is why we've invested five hundred and seventy million dollars
over five years into police in the Northern Territory. We
need to continue to tighten up around DV, but all
issues of crime. I mean, Katie, I heard you into
around crime in the Northern suburbs again that we've got
(04:37):
about sixty eight police who are going to be graduating
over the next few weeks. They will have to focus
on the Northern suburbs.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
So about ten youths we're captured on CCTV stealing items
from the rear of the complex there at Malac Shopping
Center and then at Red Rooster at North Lakes.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I mean, is what you're doing right now working?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Well, it's continuous, Katie. As I said, that's we've put
in additional five hundred and seventy million dollars. But also
why we've bought in the curfew legislation. We can need
to continue to tighten the screws around how these.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Young people like last night, well.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
In relation to the Northern suburbs. If we continue to
see a high level of crime, I mean, this is
the call of the Commissioner of Police. I'm meeting with
the Commissioner today. I meet regularly with him and I
happen to be meeting with him this morning. But yeah,
if you need to have a curfew in the northern suburbs,
because why are ten kids out on a Sunday night
at eleven fifteen? That's that's what I want to know.
(05:32):
And we've got nari Ar kit works really well with
that community in Karama Malak. She knows the family, she's
been there and worked with them for a long long time,
and she'll be asking those questions as well.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Commissioner this morning, you're going to have.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
A general conversation with the commission around along a lot
of things they said when you meet with the commissioner.
But that's what you asked me about a curfew. That's
one of the things that can be done. Why are
the kids in Karama Malak on the street at eleven fifteen?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That's Christian I wanted.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
To Honestly, it's at the point where it's where it's
it's so infuriating that and upsetting that. You know, we
live in a great place, but this kind of crime
is just infuriate.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I was thinking that, Katie, when you're talking like we
all had an amazing weekend. I was at the Nepalese function,
a beautiful community of people, everybody having a great time,
as you said, the city to surf. There was so
many things on over the weekend. I went to the
laying a wreath with all the families of people who
had been involved in the you know there the Battle
(06:36):
of Crete. So you're dealing with really good Territorians, great people,
and then you have this, you know, these issues around crime,
which are a minority that then upset our whole community.
So that one around those young people, I want answers
around that. Why are they on the street, are they
kids from out of town? Are they locals? Where are
the families? Why aren't they Why aren't those kids in
(06:59):
bed that's where they should be on a Sunday night
getting ready for school rather than breaking and entering into
a shopping center for what a couple of soft drinks.
Ridiculous stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It is ridiculous stuff, and it is and you know,
it's creating this feeling amongst the community where there are
some young people who who you know, it seems they
feel like they can do whatever they want. And it's
not like it's not fair to everybody within the community,
but particularly to the kids that are doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Absolutely one hundred percent agree with you as I said, yeah,
the news this morning should be should be talking about
all the good things that happened over the weekend in Darwen,
the great things that happen on a dry season weekend,
instead of talking about these specifically.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
It's unfortunately not the only thing.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I mean, a woman was apparently rushed to hospital after
being attacked with a machete in Gray as well. That's woeful.
It's just woeful stuff. We've all had a gutfull of
it is what your government's doing enough though.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Well, that's as I said, Katie, that's why we've investing
solidly into police, so we'll see more police on the beat. June.
I think, as I just said, sixty eight more cops
out there. So that's what you need to do. Keep
investing in police, but also the long term things, and
that is the long term around education. A million, sorry,
a billion dollars more invested in education. We need to
(08:14):
get kids, particularly in our remote schools, at school and
then on a trajectory to work. We need to have
we can't have generations of families that aren't getting up
in the morning, going to work, getting their kids to school.
We need to have that. That is a fact.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Chief Minister, then I want to move along slightly. The
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was last week forced
to admit that he had unintentionally misled the public when
he denied knowing about racist towards given out by the
police force by the TRG. Now he was the final
witness as we know, at the inquest into the police
shooting death of kumen Ji Walker, the commissioner admitting that
(08:50):
he'd unintentionally misled the public.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Chief Minister, do you continue to support the police commissioner?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Absolutely, one hundred percent. I support the police commissioner. He's
probably got the toughest job in the territory and this
issue of racism is one that he's been very open about.
He wants to stamp out racism. But now every organization
it is tough to deal with racism in the Northern
Territory and we've just been talking about a whole heap
(09:15):
of things that make people feel concerned and anxious in
the Northern Territory. But yeah, he's been committed to standing
out racism. He's talked about making sure that the police
force reflects the population. So having about thirty percent Indigenous
people in the police force as well. So I backed
the commissioner. He's doing a damn good job in tough,
(09:37):
tough conditions.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Interestingly, on Friday, the Anti Discrimination Commissioner issued a statement
saying that he has been approached by the Attorney General
to undertake a racism review. However, for the past few
months that he's been in negotiations with Chancey Pake's department
as well as the Minister for Police concerning the necessary
resources to conduct such a review. Now, the Commissioner says
(09:59):
that to date the funding put to the Anti Discrimination
Commission doesn't stretch to enable the setup of a designated
project team with carriage of such a review for its
full cycle. Has any funding been provided.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
So there has been conversations since May, so the Attorney
General has had conversations with the Anti Discrimination Commission and
Attorney Generals and Justice have allocated one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars, so one hundred and seventy thousand dollars to
Antidiscrimination Commission to do the review of the Anti Police
So there is money there, There is money on the
table to do that. You know, if there is and
(10:36):
I mean whether the Anti Discrimination Commissioner thinks that's not enough.
They're the things between the agency and anti discrimination. So
there is one hundred and seventy thousand that has been
put forward to do a review of police. But you know,
I did hear you saying about the five hundred centillion.
That five hundred and seventy million is for operational It's
for the for the Commission of Police to do the
(10:56):
operational work on the ground. We know we need to
have more call takers in the desk, we need more
sworn officers. That money is for police to do their
job in the Police review in the Kelly Review. One
of the recommendations in the Kelly Review, and I think
it's a recommendation eighteen. You can have a look at that.
It talks about changing the culture of the police force
(11:18):
from more punitive to more educative, and I agree with that.
You can't continue to Yes, you absolutely have to address
with people who break the rules of the police force,
but you also need to continue to provide professional learning,
professional development and grow the police force. So there is
a recommendation around that. We've seen the Commission of Police
come out very strongly around racism in the police force.
(11:41):
There's one hundred and seventy million dollars'll get on and
do the work.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
There's any discrimination Commissioner does say. Considering the government's budget
of that five hundred and seventy million dollars into police,
with four hundred and forty five million over five years
for the additional two hundred officers, he reckons it's timely
that the Northern Territory Police Force consider investing in a
racism review with the Anti Discrimination Commission. I mean, do
you think that that's in line with the community's expectations
(12:05):
to take money away from that operational budget.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Know, as I said, there is one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars on the table that is going to the
Antidiscrimination Commission. Obviously there's negotiations happening between the Department and Antidiscrimination,
but there is one hundred and seventy thousand dollars there. No,
the five hundred and seventy million dollars is about the
police having more boots on the ground, more vans on
the road. I've been very clear about that. It is
(12:29):
about stamping out crime, continuing to get on top of
crime in the Northern Territory. That's where that money is spent.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And so you wouldn't support any of that money going
towards a review. You think that one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars already remarked is enough.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I don't know. I'm a bit old fashioned. I think
one hundred and seventy thousand dollars as a hell of
a lot of money to get moving on a review.
But as I said, you will have to continue to
work with the Antidiscrimination Commission, Attorney generals. There are things
that aren't down at Minister's level. But I will tell
you that Brent pon Pot of the Minister for Police,
has meant also with the Anti Discrimination Commission around this work.
(13:02):
Of course, nobody wants racism. We want and the police
that I deal with are absolutely kind, compassionate people who
deal every day with some of the toughest situations. They
see the worst. I mean, can you imagine the horrific
scene around the DV incident in Nightcliffe. Of course, the
people that I deal with, the conversations I have most
(13:24):
of our remote most of our police have served time
in remote communities. They probably have a better understanding of
the issues of indigenous people than a hell of a
lot of other people in the territory.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Chief Minster, I know that you have just come from
an announcement where the Northern Territory Government and Charles Darwen
University have been well, they've entered into an agreement to
deliver more student accommodation in the Darwin CBD.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
What exactly is going to happen here?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
So we need to have student accommodation in the CBD.
We all know that, and we've been pushing as a
government to work with developers to try and get some
land and to get some student accommodation out of the ground.
But that's been really tough for a number of reasons.
One of them is we've seen building costs go up
thirty forty percent in the territory and again banks aren't
necessarily leaning. So what we've done, and this has been
(14:11):
some ongoing negotiations, there's some land on the old Darwen
Primary School site there that we're going to work with CDU,
so we've done I do not deal basically with the CDU,
so we'll give them an allocation of land. I think
it's about eight hundred square meters. CDU are in negotiations
with a developer to build student accommodation, so we're giving
them the land. They will then get the developer to build.
(14:34):
It'll be about three hundred and fifty places. It won't
impact the old Darwen Primary School. The Darwen Primary School
site will stay there, the trees will stay there. It's
an area of land at that Wood Street end. You
can sort of picture it near the doctors surgery there,
so it's at that end. But that land at Darwen
Primary School has always been earmarked in the planning documents
(14:56):
that we have around the land usee plan to be
a future secondary school or a future school in the CBD.
So as our old planning minister, you have to keep
and stick to the plans because at some stage we
will need to build a school in the CBD because
Laraki is pretty much full Stuart Park perhaps, so there
will be land there eventually for a school, so it
(15:18):
will be an education pre think there is not.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Some issues though at the moment aren't there with the
student caps, the international student caps at the Federal government's
announced and the need for accommodation to already be available
as I understand it, for those international students and for
those student caps to you know, to sort of change
for a place like the Northern Territory and I mean,
let's speak frank, this building, like getting this up and
running is kind.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
To take years. That's exactly right, So what do we
do in the meantime.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah, so I'm the vice chancellor. Scott Bowman was there
today at the media event and we've obviously had lots
of conversations. They've got their Students Day and he'll probably
talk about that more today, but they do have that
student s Day. So there's a lot of Territorians out
of Darwin, people who have have people in granny flats
or kid students in spare room so it's actually worked
(16:05):
out well. So they basically have enough accommodation for what
they have. But yes, we want to see more international students.
I've written to Jason Clare to say that we want
a vibrant CBD. That was the whole idea of building
the c CDUTH facility in the CBD, So we want
more students. It brings more people into work in hospitality,
but then you have young people at cafes and restaurants,
(16:27):
not just young people, but students at cafes and restaurants.
So this is the this is a big step to
be able to allocate land, as I.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Said, so they'll manage it themselves.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Charles Dalen Uni like, it'll be there, it'll be their
accommodation obviously, well.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It'll be their accommodation, but they'll have a provider there,
so it'll be there. Are people whose main job it
is to build student accommodation or worker accommodation, so you know,
it's one we have been pushing trying to get a
private provider, but the dollars just haven't stacked up. And
we've seen that with age care as well, so some businesses,
inverted commerce businesses. It is tough at the moment with
(17:02):
the high cost of building.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Look, there is so much to come off. I just
want to ask you though very quickly. Master Builders have
raised some concerns following the release of the latest ABS
residential building approval starta Now. Their CEO, Ben Carter said
that only twenty four new dwellings were approved for construction
in April twenty twenty four. That was down twenty nine
percent on the March figures. The figures confirmed that the
(17:25):
territory's on track to record one of the worst years
on record for the construction of new private sector dwellings.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What do you make of those figures?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So this has been an issue for a little while.
As I said, over the last twelve months or so,
we did see some really high high numbers and builds
when there were during that COVID period. So a number
of things. So first and foremost, we have the Housing Accord.
When you're in government, you can put in things like this.
So we've got the Housing Accord who have been working
(17:55):
on what possible incentives that can be, what levers can
we pull to increase the private builds in the Northern Territory.
So that's one side. The second one is we have
seen interest rates at high levels. We've seen banks make
it really tough to loan money, so even though there
might be availability, So we have done land releases, will
(18:17):
continue to do land releases. I think a lot of
people have been reluctant to build. They're holding on, they're
increasing their savings, they're keeping a really close eye on
the market because again that the people are reluctant at
the moment to take that step around.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Interest rate or do you think that part of that
as well is because of the issues that we are
experiencing with crime.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
It's all part of it, KDI. It isn't just one thing.
But if you're a young person and or anybody and
you're going to build a home, you want to know
that your interest rates are going to be steady. And
we've seen that volatility. I mean, yes, we're all predicting
that interest rates will get between that two and three
percent band, but after ten years of having nearly zero
percent interest rates, of course it's off putting for people.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Ben Carter has said that the level of new private
sector home construction is one of the most important indicators
of economic performance and confidence in the territory economy, and
that we should all be deeply concerned about these figures.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So I will point out to Ben, and he was
at the budget releases as well. Our GSP is growing
by two point three percent in twenty four to twenty
five and it's going to accelerate to seven point one
percent the following year. So our economy is in a
good position. We've got big projects that are coming to
the territory if they're not here already, so the Barosa
for example. But the other side of the coin is
(19:34):
there is substantial, huge amounts of social and affordable housing
going to be built across the Northern Territory, so four
billion in our remotes over the next ten years. Eleven
thousand social affordable homes also again will focus on private
that we can do as well, but that's social and affordable.
So we will be substantial amounts of housing built in the.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Non interc So although those new homes first homes, I mean,
is there going to be any kind of announcement made
by the Northern Territory government in the lead into the election.
We know the CLPS obviously made their announcement. Is it
something that's on your agenda to try and get people
into those holes?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So I probably didn't finish that the thought that I
was talking about. So the Housing Accord, so the government
has Alan McGill leading the Housing Accord. The Housing Accord
have that part of their work is to look at
what we can do to increase private investment across the
Northern Territory in homes and one of theirs that they're
looking at is around incentives, so incentives, land release. They
have a number of things on their agenda. They will
(20:34):
provide that information to government and then we'll go from there.
So when you're in government, Katie, As you know, you
can't just you just can't make things up. And we've
seen that with Lea's announcements around that. You know, the
costings probably around two hundred and twenty million dollars, but
they actually over the probably the forward estimates. But any
incentives from government actually have to hit the mark, absolutely
(20:57):
actually have to make a difference, not just increase the
price of a house in the Northern terri.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
If you have got the construction industry sort of screaming
out at the moment saying that more needs to be
done and that it isn't indicator that the economy is
not going well.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You also have to listen to well, Katie, the economy
is going well.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Let's be clear, a lot of people listening may not
agree though.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I mean, you know when you look at the projects,
the major projects that haven't gotten off the ground, and
that you know that we're in a situation where, yes,
we're all hopeful, we're definitely all hopeful that some of
those major projects will get off the ground.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But there are a lots of other major projects like
the Bross so that has that is well and truly underway.
So projects have got off the ground Katie. And as
you said, the fact, you can have a look at
the budget paper. So I know some people want to
talk down the economy.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
But the papers show that we're eleven billion dollars in
debt though as well, so there is work that needs
to be done, Okatie.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, Debt and a deficit two different things. We've put
a large amount of money into infrastructure, so there's about
a four point think four point four billion dollar program
around infrastructure. So there is a lot of money, government
money going into infrastructure. I think if you talked to
a lot of people in the construction industry, large construction industry,
they will tell you how busy they are. Plenty of
(22:06):
people are very very busy in the Northern Territory around
private housing. Absolutely, we know that there needs to be
more builds. But it is not just one thing, Katie.
It is a number of things. And one of those
is around banks loaning money young people or people being
feeling like they feel confident to actually invest and build
a home. So there are many, many factors. But I
(22:28):
can tell you the data shows GSP is two point
three percent in the territory.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Look really quick one because we do need to wrap
up I understand that the ICAC commissioner is currently on leave.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Do we know why?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So there are a number of allegations and I think
we saw that, and so the KAQ Commissioner sent some
information to me. That was Monday last week. There were
questions asks by a media outlet. I referred that to
the IKAQ inspector and the i CAAQ in inspector is investigating.
But the KAC Commissioner is on leave. But that's I
(23:05):
think he's on leave just and that's not related to
that specifically. But as I said, I have the KAC
Commissioner to investigate the allegations. But you know, no politician
of you know, any color can It's not our job.
I don't control the KAC Commissioner. I don't hire or
fire the IKAT Commissioner. I'm at absolute arm's length around that,
(23:27):
and that's the way it should be. You know, the
IKAT Commissioner can investigate me investigat gate government. I can't
have any say or anything over the work of the
KAC commissioner.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
But so the inspector is now taking.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Inspectors a person that will investigate allegations. And as I said,
it was the KAC Commissioner that provided me with those allegations.
And then I wrote to the KAQ Inspector to do
to do any investigation from.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Your understanding on leave separately.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
To that, Yes he's taken some leave.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Okay, Chief Minister, will leave it there. Thank you as
always busy morning. Thank you, I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Tom
It has been a busy weekend when it comes to crime.
By the look of things, A woman allegedly murdered at
the hands of a man who police say breached a
domestic violence order. The Chief Minister, Evil Laula joins me
in the studio. Good morning to your Chief Minister. Thanks
so much for your time this morning. Now, as I
just said, a woman allegedly murdered at the hands of
(00:21):
a man who police say had breached a domestic violence order.
Are you concerned that someone who is allegedly on a
domestic violence order has committed such a terrible crime.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, absolutely, horrific, shocking. Should not be happening. It should
not be happening in Northern Territory, should not be happening
in Australia. A terrible, terrible crime.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
And yeah, my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Goes out to the family. I think I read that
she'd come in from Maningrida to do some study or
something like that. So and I was in man Ingreda
for Monday and Tuesday last week.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You just can't fathom it, just how that somebody could
be so cruel, nasty, disgusting behavior.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
It's absolutely shocking stuff. Now I know that in November
twenty twenty two, the NTI Parliament did pass the Sentencing
and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. It removed compulsory jail time
minimums for assault, drug offenses and breaches of domestic violence
orders that sentencing. The sentencing reforms had promised the delivery
of on in community rehabilitation programs, with Chancey Paike's office
(01:26):
assuring that drug and alcohol, domestic violence and other enforced
behavior change programs were ready to roll and already accessible
in the community. Now, I don't profess to know the
ins and outs of the case on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I don't know exactly what the situation is. That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
But what I do want to know is do you
believe that this move towards you know, or away from
I should say some of that mandatory minimum sentencing is
the right path. When then we've got a situation like
what has unfolded on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
So a couple of things here.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
First of all, removal of the mandatory is actually a
good thing, because it isn't that was then you just
had to set sentence. What we need to do is
make sure that these people go before the courts and
then they look at the incidents or the incidences in
whole and then they get they get sentenced. So instead
of it just going you've got five days because you've
(02:20):
done DV, they actually need to be before the courts
and go, well you've done this, you get X, you've
done worse than that or more or whatever it is,
or recurrent and you get why, or you have had
a continuous record of this, you'll get that. So that
provides that domestic violence it is a scourge in the
Northern Territory. And I've said this on the radio before.
(02:41):
Sixty five percent of our people in our prisons in
the Northern Territory are there because of DV. So we
need to continue to work to reduce that figure around
prevention because it would be a good day when our
prisons weren't overflowing. So absolutely our focus of our government.
But when I was in Maningrida, as I said, for
two days for Community Cabinet, one of the things there
(03:04):
was a Malala which is a community justice group who
are looking at what they can do. So they've already
got some funding around it, not the serious crimes, but
addressing the smaller, smaller crimes that they see in the
community or less intense. I'm not sure what the word is,
but to be able to do things on country there
(03:25):
so if it's a young person that's broken into the
store or a home, to be able to take their
man country and do something rather than us seeing them
in town and through the court system.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
But I don't disagree it has to be there has
to be some serious change. And look, I don't disagree
that there needs to be those early intervention programs and
there's definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Needs to be that in country people.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, but we've now got a situation over the weekend
where you know, if I'm to read what's come through
from that police pressure as correctly that this person's breach
to domestic violence order and allegedly committed murder.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, there absolutely know whether there would have been alcohol involved,
which is, as I said, the most difficult thing we
see in the Northern Territory. Behind nearly all of these
incidences of assault are huge amounts of alcohol.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It's abhorrent behavior and it's one and this is why
I has gained my common sense approach to crime. This
is why we've invested five hundred and seventy million dollars
over five years into police in the Northern Territory. We
need to continue to tighten up around DV, but all
issues of crime. I mean, Katie, I heard you into
around crime in the Northern suburbs again that we've got
(04:37):
about sixty eight police who are going to be graduating
over the next few weeks. They will have to focus
on the Northern suburbs.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
So about ten youths we're captured on CCTV stealing items
from the rear of the complex there at Malac Shopping
Center and then at Red Rooster at North Lakes.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I mean, is what you're doing right now working?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Well, it's continuous, Katie. As I said, that's we've put
in additional five hundred and seventy million dollars. But also
why we've bought in the curfew legislation. We can need
to continue to tighten the screws around how these.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Young people like last night, well.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
In relation to the Northern suburbs. If we continue to
see a high level of crime, I mean, this is
the call of the Commissioner of Police. I'm meeting with
the Commissioner today. I meet regularly with him and I
happen to be meeting with him this morning. But yeah,
if you need to have a curfew in the northern suburbs,
because why are ten kids out on a Sunday night
at eleven fifteen? That's that's what I want to know.
(05:32):
And we've got nari Ar kit works really well with
that community in Karama Malak. She knows the family, she's
been there and worked with them for a long long time,
and she'll be asking those questions as well.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Commissioner this morning, you're going to have.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
A general conversation with the commission around along a lot
of things they said when you meet with the commissioner.
But that's what you asked me about a curfew. That's
one of the things that can be done. Why are
the kids in Karama Malak on the street at eleven fifteen?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That's Christian I wanted.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
To Honestly, it's at the point where it's where it's
it's so infuriating that and upsetting that. You know, we
live in a great place, but this kind of crime
is just infuriate.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I was thinking that, Katie, when you're talking like we
all had an amazing weekend. I was at the Nepalese function,
a beautiful community of people, everybody having a great time,
as you said, the city to surf. There was so
many things on over the weekend. I went to the
laying a wreath with all the families of people who
had been involved in the you know there the Battle
(06:36):
of Crete. So you're dealing with really good Territorians, great people,
and then you have this, you know, these issues around crime,
which are a minority that then upset our whole community.
So that one around those young people, I want answers
around that. Why are they on the street, are they
kids from out of town? Are they locals? Where are
the families? Why aren't they Why aren't those kids in
(06:59):
bed that's where they should be on a Sunday night
getting ready for school rather than breaking and entering into
a shopping center for what a couple of soft drinks.
Ridiculous stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It is ridiculous stuff, and it is and you know,
it's creating this feeling amongst the community where there are
some young people who who you know, it seems they
feel like they can do whatever they want. And it's
not like it's not fair to everybody within the community,
but particularly to the kids that are doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Absolutely one hundred percent agree with you as I said, yeah,
the news this morning should be should be talking about
all the good things that happened over the weekend in Darwen,
the great things that happen on a dry season weekend,
instead of talking about these specifically.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
It's unfortunately not the only thing.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I mean, a woman was apparently rushed to hospital after
being attacked with a machete in Gray as well. That's woeful.
It's just woeful stuff. We've all had a gutfull of
it is what your government's doing enough though.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Well, that's as I said, Katie, that's why we've investing
solidly into police, so we'll see more police on the beat. June.
I think, as I just said, sixty eight more cops
out there. So that's what you need to do. Keep
investing in police, but also the long term things, and
that is the long term around education. A million, sorry,
a billion dollars more invested in education. We need to
(08:14):
get kids, particularly in our remote schools, at school and
then on a trajectory to work. We need to have
we can't have generations of families that aren't getting up
in the morning, going to work, getting their kids to school.
We need to have that. That is a fact.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Chief Minister, then I want to move along slightly. The
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was last week forced
to admit that he had unintentionally misled the public when
he denied knowing about racist towards given out by the
police force by the TRG. Now he was the final
witness as we know, at the inquest into the police
shooting death of kumen Ji Walker, the commissioner admitting that
(08:50):
he'd unintentionally misled the public.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Chief Minister, do you continue to support the police commissioner?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Absolutely, one hundred percent. I support the police commissioner. He's
probably got the toughest job in the territory and this
issue of racism is one that he's been very open about.
He wants to stamp out racism. But now every organization
it is tough to deal with racism in the Northern
Territory and we've just been talking about a whole heap
(09:15):
of things that make people feel concerned and anxious in
the Northern Territory. But yeah, he's been committed to standing
out racism. He's talked about making sure that the police
force reflects the population. So having about thirty percent Indigenous
people in the police force as well. So I backed
the commissioner. He's doing a damn good job in tough,
(09:37):
tough conditions.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Interestingly, on Friday, the Anti Discrimination Commissioner issued a statement
saying that he has been approached by the Attorney General
to undertake a racism review. However, for the past few
months that he's been in negotiations with Chancey Pake's department
as well as the Minister for Police concerning the necessary
resources to conduct such a review. Now, the Commissioner says
(09:59):
that to date the funding put to the Anti Discrimination
Commission doesn't stretch to enable the setup of a designated
project team with carriage of such a review for its
full cycle. Has any funding been provided.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
So there has been conversations since May, so the Attorney
General has had conversations with the Anti Discrimination Commission and
Attorney Generals and Justice have allocated one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars, so one hundred and seventy thousand dollars to
Antidiscrimination Commission to do the review of the Anti Police
So there is money there, There is money on the
table to do that. You know, if there is and
(10:36):
I mean whether the Anti Discrimination Commissioner thinks that's not enough.
They're the things between the agency and anti discrimination. So
there is one hundred and seventy thousand that has been
put forward to do a review of police. But you know,
I did hear you saying about the five hundred centillion.
That five hundred and seventy million is for operational It's
for the for the Commission of Police to do the
(10:56):
operational work on the ground. We know we need to
have more call takers in the desk, we need more
sworn officers. That money is for police to do their
job in the Police review in the Kelly Review. One
of the recommendations in the Kelly Review, and I think
it's a recommendation eighteen. You can have a look at that.
It talks about changing the culture of the police force
(11:18):
from more punitive to more educative, and I agree with that.
You can't continue to Yes, you absolutely have to address
with people who break the rules of the police force,
but you also need to continue to provide professional learning,
professional development and grow the police force. So there is
a recommendation around that. We've seen the Commission of Police
come out very strongly around racism in the police force.
(11:41):
There's one hundred and seventy million dollars'll get on and
do the work.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
There's any discrimination Commissioner does say. Considering the government's budget
of that five hundred and seventy million dollars into police,
with four hundred and forty five million over five years
for the additional two hundred officers, he reckons it's timely
that the Northern Territory Police Force consider investing in a
racism review with the Anti Discrimination Commission. I mean, do
you think that that's in line with the community's expectations
(12:05):
to take money away from that operational budget.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Know, as I said, there is one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars on the table that is going to the
Antidiscrimination Commission. Obviously there's negotiations happening between the Department and Antidiscrimination,
but there is one hundred and seventy thousand dollars there. No,
the five hundred and seventy million dollars is about the
police having more boots on the ground, more vans on
the road. I've been very clear about that. It is
(12:29):
about stamping out crime, continuing to get on top of
crime in the Northern Territory. That's where that money is spent.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And so you wouldn't support any of that money going
towards a review. You think that one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars already remarked is enough.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I don't know. I'm a bit old fashioned. I think
one hundred and seventy thousand dollars as a hell of
a lot of money to get moving on a review.
But as I said, you will have to continue to
work with the Antidiscrimination Commission, Attorney generals. There are things
that aren't down at Minister's level. But I will tell
you that Brent pon Pot of the Minister for Police,
has meant also with the Anti Discrimination Commission around this work.
(13:02):
Of course, nobody wants racism. We want and the police
that I deal with are absolutely kind, compassionate people who
deal every day with some of the toughest situations. They
see the worst. I mean, can you imagine the horrific
scene around the DV incident in Nightcliffe. Of course, the
people that I deal with, the conversations I have most
(13:24):
of our remote most of our police have served time
in remote communities. They probably have a better understanding of
the issues of indigenous people than a hell of a
lot of other people in the territory.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Chief Minster, I know that you have just come from
an announcement where the Northern Territory Government and Charles Darwen
University have been well, they've entered into an agreement to
deliver more student accommodation in the Darwin CBD.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
What exactly is going to happen here?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
So we need to have student accommodation in the CBD.
We all know that, and we've been pushing as a
government to work with developers to try and get some
land and to get some student accommodation out of the ground.
But that's been really tough for a number of reasons.
One of them is we've seen building costs go up
thirty forty percent in the territory and again banks aren't
necessarily leaning. So what we've done, and this has been
(14:11):
some ongoing negotiations, there's some land on the old Darwen
Primary School site there that we're going to work with CDU,
so we've done I do not deal basically with the CDU,
so we'll give them an allocation of land. I think
it's about eight hundred square meters. CDU are in negotiations
with a developer to build student accommodation, so we're giving
them the land. They will then get the developer to build.
(14:34):
It'll be about three hundred and fifty places. It won't
impact the old Darwen Primary School. The Darwen Primary School
site will stay there, the trees will stay there. It's
an area of land at that Wood Street end. You
can sort of picture it near the doctors surgery there,
so it's at that end. But that land at Darwen
Primary School has always been earmarked in the planning documents
(14:56):
that we have around the land usee plan to be
a future secondary school or a future school in the CBD.
So as our old planning minister, you have to keep
and stick to the plans because at some stage we
will need to build a school in the CBD because
Laraki is pretty much full Stuart Park perhaps, so there
will be land there eventually for a school, so it
(15:18):
will be an education pre think there is not.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Some issues though at the moment aren't there with the
student caps, the international student caps at the Federal government's
announced and the need for accommodation to already be available
as I understand it, for those international students and for
those student caps to you know, to sort of change
for a place like the Northern Territory and I mean,
let's speak frank, this building, like getting this up and
running is kind.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
To take years. That's exactly right, So what do we
do in the meantime.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah, so I'm the vice chancellor. Scott Bowman was there
today at the media event and we've obviously had lots
of conversations. They've got their Students Day and he'll probably
talk about that more today, but they do have that
student s Day. So there's a lot of Territorians out
of Darwin, people who have have people in granny flats
or kid students in spare room so it's actually worked
(16:05):
out well. So they basically have enough accommodation for what
they have. But yes, we want to see more international students.
I've written to Jason Clare to say that we want
a vibrant CBD. That was the whole idea of building
the c CDUTH facility in the CBD, So we want
more students. It brings more people into work in hospitality,
but then you have young people at cafes and restaurants,
(16:27):
not just young people, but students at cafes and restaurants.
So this is the this is a big step to
be able to allocate land, as I.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Said, so they'll manage it themselves.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Charles Dalen Uni like, it'll be there, it'll be their
accommodation obviously, well.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It'll be their accommodation, but they'll have a provider there,
so it'll be there. Are people whose main job it
is to build student accommodation or worker accommodation, so you know,
it's one we have been pushing trying to get a
private provider, but the dollars just haven't stacked up. And
we've seen that with age care as well, so some businesses,
inverted commerce businesses. It is tough at the moment with
(17:02):
the high cost of building.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Look, there is so much to come off. I just
want to ask you though very quickly. Master Builders have
raised some concerns following the release of the latest ABS
residential building approval starta Now. Their CEO, Ben Carter said
that only twenty four new dwellings were approved for construction
in April twenty twenty four. That was down twenty nine
percent on the March figures. The figures confirmed that the
(17:25):
territory's on track to record one of the worst years
on record for the construction of new private sector dwellings.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What do you make of those figures?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So this has been an issue for a little while.
As I said, over the last twelve months or so,
we did see some really high high numbers and builds
when there were during that COVID period. So a number
of things. So first and foremost, we have the Housing Accord.
When you're in government, you can put in things like this.
So we've got the Housing Accord who have been working
(17:55):
on what possible incentives that can be, what levers can
we pull to increase the private builds in the Northern Territory.
So that's one side. The second one is we have
seen interest rates at high levels. We've seen banks make
it really tough to loan money, so even though there
might be availability, So we have done land releases, will
(18:17):
continue to do land releases. I think a lot of
people have been reluctant to build. They're holding on, they're
increasing their savings, they're keeping a really close eye on
the market because again that the people are reluctant at
the moment to take that step around.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Interest rate or do you think that part of that
as well is because of the issues that we are
experiencing with crime.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
It's all part of it, KDI. It isn't just one thing.
But if you're a young person and or anybody and
you're going to build a home, you want to know
that your interest rates are going to be steady. And
we've seen that volatility. I mean, yes, we're all predicting
that interest rates will get between that two and three
percent band, but after ten years of having nearly zero
percent interest rates, of course it's off putting for people.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Ben Carter has said that the level of new private
sector home construction is one of the most important indicators
of economic performance and confidence in the territory economy, and
that we should all be deeply concerned about these figures.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So I will point out to Ben, and he was
at the budget releases as well. Our GSP is growing
by two point three percent in twenty four to twenty
five and it's going to accelerate to seven point one
percent the following year. So our economy is in a
good position. We've got big projects that are coming to
the territory if they're not here already, so the Barosa
for example. But the other side of the coin is
(19:34):
there is substantial, huge amounts of social and affordable housing
going to be built across the Northern Territory, so four
billion in our remotes over the next ten years. Eleven
thousand social affordable homes also again will focus on private
that we can do as well, but that's social and affordable.
So we will be substantial amounts of housing built in the.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Non interc So although those new homes first homes, I mean,
is there going to be any kind of announcement made
by the Northern Territory government in the lead into the election.
We know the CLPS obviously made their announcement. Is it
something that's on your agenda to try and get people
into those holes?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So I probably didn't finish that the thought that I
was talking about. So the Housing Accord, so the government
has Alan McGill leading the Housing Accord. The Housing Accord
have that part of their work is to look at
what we can do to increase private investment across the
Northern Territory in homes and one of theirs that they're
looking at is around incentives, so incentives, land release. They
have a number of things on their agenda. They will
(20:34):
provide that information to government and then we'll go from there.
So when you're in government, Katie, As you know, you
can't just you just can't make things up. And we've
seen that with Lea's announcements around that. You know, the
costings probably around two hundred and twenty million dollars, but
they actually over the probably the forward estimates. But any
incentives from government actually have to hit the mark, absolutely
(20:57):
actually have to make a difference, not just increase the
price of a house in the Northern terri.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
If you have got the construction industry sort of screaming
out at the moment saying that more needs to be
done and that it isn't indicator that the economy is
not going well.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You also have to listen to well, Katie, the economy
is going well.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Let's be clear, a lot of people listening may not
agree though.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I mean, you know when you look at the projects,
the major projects that haven't gotten off the ground, and
that you know that we're in a situation where, yes,
we're all hopeful, we're definitely all hopeful that some of
those major projects will get off the ground.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But there are a lots of other major projects like
the Bross so that has that is well and truly underway.
So projects have got off the ground Katie. And as
you said, the fact, you can have a look at
the budget paper. So I know some people want to
talk down the economy.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
But the papers show that we're eleven billion dollars in
debt though as well, so there is work that needs
to be done, Okatie.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, Debt and a deficit two different things. We've put
a large amount of money into infrastructure, so there's about
a four point think four point four billion dollar program
around infrastructure. So there is a lot of money, government
money going into infrastructure. I think if you talked to
a lot of people in the construction industry, large construction industry,
they will tell you how busy they are. Plenty of
(22:06):
people are very very busy in the Northern Territory around
private housing. Absolutely, we know that there needs to be
more builds. But it is not just one thing, Katie.
It is a number of things. And one of those
is around banks loaning money young people or people being
feeling like they feel confident to actually invest and build
a home. So there are many, many factors. But I
(22:28):
can tell you the data shows GSP is two point
three percent in the territory.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Look really quick one because we do need to wrap
up I understand that the ICAC commissioner is currently on leave.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Do we know why?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So there are a number of allegations and I think
we saw that, and so the KAQ Commissioner sent some
information to me. That was Monday last week. There were
questions asks by a media outlet. I referred that to
the IKAQ inspector and the i CAAQ in inspector is investigating.
But the KAC Commissioner is on leave. But that's I
(23:05):
think he's on leave just and that's not related to
that specifically. But as I said, I have the KAC
Commissioner to investigate the allegations. But you know, no politician
of you know, any color can It's not our job.
I don't control the KAC Commissioner. I don't hire or
fire the IKAT Commissioner. I'm at absolute arm's length around that,
(23:27):
and that's the way it should be. You know, the
IKAT Commissioner can investigate me investigat gate government. I can't
have any say or anything over the work of the
KAC commissioner.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
But so the inspector is now taking.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Inspectors a person that will investigate allegations. And as I said,
it was the KAC Commissioner that provided me with those allegations.
And then I wrote to the KAQ Inspector to do
to do any investigation from.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Your understanding on leave separately.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
To that, Yes he's taken some leave.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Okay, Chief Minister, will leave it there. Thank you as
always busy morning. Thank you, I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Tom
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