Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for the week that was, and what a
huge week it has been. In the studio with us
this morning. We've got Josh Bergine for the COLP. Good
morning to you, Josh.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Morning Katie. Good morning to the Central Australians listening in.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Good to have you in the studio. We've got Matt
Cunningham from Sky News. Good morning to you, Matt.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
And we've got the birthday boy, Joel Madden. Happy birthday
to you.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Good morning Katie, and what a week it has been and.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
What a way to finish it off, finishing.
Speaker 5 (00:26):
Off here with you on my birthday, and then I
think I've got a full book of meetings today and
then hopefully I can get home for a birthday dinner.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, thank you for joining us this morning. And as
I said, it's been a massive week. We were due
to have Robin Lamley on the show. Unfortunately she's unwell,
but I know she'll be disappointed she's missed out this morning.
But look to kick things off, we know that Keith
kiranoa aged twenty, was yesterday found guilty of murdering bottle
shop employee dk Declan Lavity following an eight day trial
(00:55):
in the Northern Territory Supreme Court. Kieranoa was charged with
murder after he stabbed mister Lavity to death inside the
Airport Tavern BWS in Darwin's Northern Suburbs in March last year.
Twenty witnesses, including police, forensic experts, eyewitnesses to the crime,
and Kiranoa himself, gave evidence over the course of the trial,
(01:16):
with multiple CCTV clips showing the stabbing unfolding also played
in the court. Now, the verdict, as we know, sparks
screams and outcry from Kieranoa's family, while mister Lavety's mother
and sister cried and embraced and Kieranoa is going to
return to the Supreme Court of Darwin next Friday for sentencing,
(01:36):
where he will be given a life sentence, as I
understand it, a mandatory.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Twenty years non parole.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Defense lawyer John Tippett questioning mandatory sentencing outside of the
court yesterday. Look, I know that this is the case.
It's really caught the whole of the Northern Territory's attention.
The situation when it unfolded last year is something that.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
People felt really very up about. To say, the least.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Absolutely, it was a terrible situation. It happened on a Sunday.
I've got a call Sunday afternoon about the situation. Obviously
it's taken a long time.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
To play out through the court, but it's just awful.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
I know Deklon's family met with his mum a number
of times, and I think.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
She has really really struggled with this.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
I know she was being counseled and I think being
helped through with friends and family, but you can't imagine
what she's going through. Just awful sentencing next week, and
as you said, it's a life sentence for murder, can't you.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
And I've seen Samarra Lavity a number of times over
the last two weeks. Obviously just an incredibly strong woman
who has been there with her family and in her
words after what was revealed yesterday, you know, her words
with justice has been done and obviously thoughts are with
her family in what must be an incredibly tough time
(02:54):
to have to relive and hear about everything that had
gone on. And something that I think really touched me
that she's spoke to me about was hearing some of
the final words that were spoken by her son that
would have been really hard to sit there in court
and hear people give evidence and obviously incredibly tough time
for that family.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
I was there yesterday Katie when the verdict was delivered,
and it was a really emotional time I think for
the families of both Declan and Keith Keranua. There was
quite a bit of anger expressed by Keith Keranua's family.
There were some pretty dramatic scenes at court. In fact,
we were sort of the court was actually locked down
(03:32):
for a few minutes after the verdict because there was quite.
Speaker 7 (03:36):
A bit going on.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
I thought Samara Lavity really did speak well outside court
after that sentence was delivered. You can only imagine what
it is like for a mother to lose their twenty
year old son in such horrific circumstances. And as Josh
was saying, she didn't speak about that message she received
on the night he texted her and said I love you, mum,
(04:00):
I've been stabbed, and then she detailed what happened next.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
She called his phone.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
He or someone answered but wasn't speaking, and all she
could hear was screaming on the other end of the line.
You know, she said at that point I knew something
seriously bad had happened, and a few minutes later she
got a call from Declan's dad saying that he had
been killed.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
You know, this would have.
Speaker 6 (04:22):
Been, no doubt, an absolutely horrendous audeal for the family.
It's what is it now, fifteen months since the incident happens.
We've seen a lot of changes as far as you know,
security at bottle shops, the way we deal with these
sorts of issues. And that was the one thing she
said yesterday is that she hopes that, you know, if
one thing comes out of Declan's death, it's that this
(04:43):
sort of thing never happens again.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Oh, we are going to be speaking to Samara on
the show this morning at about ten thirty. And yeah,
it is an absolute tragedy and two lives changed forever,
you know, the and two families I think changed for
in so many different ways. And I really feel for Samara,
Lavity and also Declan's dad, Damien, who we have spoken
(05:07):
to on the show. Look, we will catch up with
Samara this morning at about ten thirty and certainly hear
from her. Following on From that case, we will move along.
There isn't there is so much I should say that
has gone on this week and we know that yesterday,
well it was the last day of parliament for the
current makeup of the Northern Territory Parliament, sixty four days.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Until the election. Not sure who else is counting, but
I am.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Katie.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
It's actually less than that because pre poll starts two
weeks before, so it's really only fifty days and then
people can start devating. You're counting, don't worry, I'm going
to stop watching on this one.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Well, look, it was an interesting day then as well,
because what happens obviously is estimates had ended after two
weeks and then you went back into parliament, into parliament
yesterday to pass the budget. But then interestingly there was
indeed a couple of other things that had happened now
Ikak recommendations from Operation Jupiter were tabled, as I understand,
(06:14):
and the government moved a motion to suspend standing orders
at the beginning of parliament without circulating the report to
the opposition or the Independence. I'd sort of seen a
bit of the jostling that was going on then at
that point in time. Now, as I understand, it was
recommended that a committee form to implement the recommendations. So
this is Operation Jupiter for those out there listening that
(06:35):
don't know what I'm talking about. It was the report
into the travel before the last Northern Territory election. Now
so recommended that this committee be formed to implement recommendations
which include the well which indicates I should say that
those changes now cannot be implemented before the election.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So, I mean, this is an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I think we're all I don't know that we're coecting
that there would be huge changes before the next Northern
Territory election. But what we saw from that report, we've
all spoken about this before. To me, laid out on
the table something that we should absolutely not be seeing
before any election, and that is taxpayers funds used for
political purposes. I know that there was no adverse findings
(07:21):
in that report. We've heard that lots of times, haven't
we met, but to me it certainly seemed like they
were pretty adverse and pretty critical of the former Chief Minister.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Well, there were some finals, Katie, and I think what
you'll find during this campaigns will be a lack of
travel by canaidas I know I'll be staying in darw
and I don't think anyone will be jumping on a
plane certainly evil all of the Chief Minister has openly
said she won't be going anywhere on a plane and.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Charging the taxpayers.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
And I think it'll be for the next parliament to
implement that report. However, I reckon watch this space over
the next sixty four or fifty days.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
There won't be too much trouble and I.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Think MLAs or candidates will be very circumspect in their
actions after that report.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
Why not just implement the recommendations?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Then?
Speaker 7 (08:06):
Why did you get pushed off until after the next.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Election because there's only fifty days to go.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
Mate, You.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Can't implement without without a bit of time to actually implement.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You need some time. But don't worry. From outside there is.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
An acceptance of the recommendations. There is also the guidelines
for MLAs and candidates. This will be a very squeaky
clean election campaign.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
That is all. Always tell you what.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I want to read out, Katie, loud and clear.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Anywhere that's right in Johnston.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I want to read out loud and clear part of
this labor motion from last night, just to just to
show you listeners how much of a joke this was.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Calls on members to.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
As far as reasonably practical, implement the recommendations. I mean again,
this was an attempt by government to make it look
like they were doing something. As soon as they realize
that the opposition and the independent members weren't going to
be supporting this, they really did start to go in
panic mode. They thought this was going to be an
(09:05):
easy win. Look, we're going to make it look like
we're doing something where we're telling people to please, please, please,
as far as reasonably practical, implement these recommendations. It kind
of backfired last night. You could see on the Chief
Minister's face. They're sitting in Parliament. They thought this was
going to be an easy hand passes. The member never
Johnson Wilkes to say down down the road it had
(09:25):
an ex parliament. It certainly didn't come off feeling like that.
It was a bit of a a non event too.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
It was like, honestly, I can't understand why we're not
in a situation or how we're not in a situation
where the Labor Party isn't repaying that money, because it
was pretty it was so off what had happened before
the last election. Everybody could see it. We've now got
a report that lays it out in black and white.
Yet there's this real hesitation or this real sort of oh,
well know, there was no adverse findings from the government,
(09:53):
so the money is not going to be repaid. And
I mean, as far as I can see anyway, I'm
hearing from everybody that it's not going to be repaid.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Minister said it's not going to be played.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
I think black and white and red all over is
what the what the report was, because it actually had
the pictures of them in their red shirts in the
communities on the days where the Electoral Commission just happened
to be there.
Speaker 7 (10:15):
So I mean, I don't know, I've made the point before.
Speaker 6 (10:18):
You know, maybe there were no findings of corrupt conduct
or proper conduct, but you know the instincts it doesn't
pass the pub times.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Well, those diary entries weren't very smart, were they Like
if if you were thinking about.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
Trying, they were instructive.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Instructive it's certainly.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You just thinks, but it also like it just goes
to the heart of you know, people thinking that that
politicians don't respect taxpayers dollars and and you know, I
think that that's a big concern here and nobody wants
to see taxpayers dollars being spent on getting yourself reelected.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Think that's why Katie, the government's accepted this, accepted the
recommendations and will be squeaky claimed that the tension or
the anxiety that Michael Gunner has experienced over the last
four years, I wouldn't want to have that hanging over
my head. So I'll be staying in Johnston, I know
evil law, that will be staying in Drysdale, and I'm
sure all candidates will be campaigning and doing it by
(11:20):
the by the letter of the law, but also the
recommendations that was reasonably practical exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Thank you Josh for articulated.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Is that the media you accept that that didn't happen
at the last election. Well, it is abundantly clear from
the report and the diary entry that that was not
what they were doing out there. And as you said,
I did, I did find it quite amusing looking at
those diary entries.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
It was pretty blatant.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
It was embarrassing really at back then.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Well, that's the decision for others to make, because you know, Matt,
this government is keen, very keen on abiding by the
letter of the law for this election.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But I won't be making any class.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
I I wasn't the Chief MINISA or a minister then,
and that is a decision for others.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Go oh goodness, mate, this is pretty embarrassing.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Well, as I said, I looked at those diary entries
and I went, jeez, if you were trying to cover
your track, you didn't do a very good job.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
A Well, look, we are going to take a very
quick break. You are listening to Mix one O four
nine's three sixty. It is the week that was. If
you've just joined us in the studio this morning, we've
got Josh Burgoyne, Matt Cunningham and Joel Bowden. Now, yesterday
was indeed the last day of the makeup of the
current parliament sitting.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
They were in to.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Pass the to pass the budget, but there was also
a second report tabled. This one was the report by
the Ikak Inspector tabled in the Northern Territory Parliament, and
it detailed why he cleared Commissioner Michael Richards of wrongdoing
over his handling of domestic violence allegations made by his
ex wife. Now, Matt, you've covered this one extensively in
(12:57):
the last twenty four hours.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
What did it say, Well, I.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Think there's two things that are interesting in this report.
In relation to the allegations that were made by Michael
Rich's former partner, the inspector basically found no evidence of wrongdoing.
There were six allegations that he looked at. Two of
them he said that he couldn't rule on, and they
were the allegations that he engaged in controlling behavior and
(13:23):
that he engaged in domestic violence. He said that it
was not within his remit He couldn't certainly in the
time that he had look into those particular issues. But
he looked at four other issues and found no evidence
of wrongdoing on Michael Rich's part. Now that those include
the suggestion that he paid his former partner twenty thousand
(13:46):
dollars to buy off the to buyer off to get
it to drop a DVO, he said that wasn't the case.
In fact, what he found was that it was a
perfectly I can't remember the exact word he used, but
it was like an unexceptional process that you know, couples
go through when they're settling a divorce, and the correspondence
(14:07):
between the lawyers was nothing out of the ordinary.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
He found that he couldn't well.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
In relation to the other claim that she made about
using cameras in the home to essentially spy on her,
he said that he accepted mister Richard's explanation that they
were security cameras that were placed in the home for security.
He said they didn't look into the hallways, that they
basically looked at entry points in the home. And then there.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Was the issue of disclosure.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
So it's interesting that this wasn't included in the Chief
Minister's statement when it was first put out about this issue,
because this became kind of a bit of a bit
of a storm and there were people calling for his
resignation because they were saying he hadn't reported it to
the inspector when it had happened. Well, as confirmed in
this report, he did in fact report that to the inspector.
(14:59):
He reported it to the inspector via email a day
after he was served with the domestic violence order application,
and as the inspector outlines in his report, Michael Riches
actually asked Bruce McClintock if he should resign, and McClintock
wrote back and said that he believed that would be
premature according to his report, right. And then the other
(15:20):
issue is the suggestion that he lied about trying to
set up a meeting with the then Chief Minister, Natasha Files,
And we spoke about this the other day. You know,
there's documentary evidence that proves that he immediately emailed the
Chief Minister's the then Chief Minister's chief of staff, to
try to organize a meeting. That meeting was dropped, was
canceled a few days later after the domestic violence order
(15:42):
application was dropped, and Bruce McLintock, the Inspector, found that
that was perfectly reasonable to counsel that meeting, given that
that domestic violence order application had been dropped a day
or two after it had been lodged in the court.
So basically, when it comes to the issue surrounding his
ex wife, the inspector found no issue with mister Rich's conduct.
(16:06):
What he did also find, however, in the course of
his investigation, he had staff members from the Office of
the Ikak come to him and raised allegations of inappropriate
behavior by the IKAK Commissioner, so those were referred to
the Chief Minister. The Chief Minster has now referred that
to the Commissioner for public employment, who has, who has
(16:27):
or is going to engage an external investigator to investigate
those claims. Michael Richards is on leave as we know.
The Chief Minister's statement yesterday said that he'll remain on
leave until sometime in September unless that investigation finishes sooner.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I mean, where to from here? Can the ik Commissioner,
you know, can he continue on in this role past
this point?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I think.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I think the frustration for myself as a member of Parliament,
as a territory is that this is a really important
office that we have in the Northern Territory to our
whole integrity. Right now, the Commission's on leave until September.
The current acting Commissioner, spoke at Estimates the other day,
has a conflict of interest in one of the biggest
reports that I can see is going to be hopefully
(17:16):
released between now and the election. That's the ikak's second
report into the Gunner's travel. If the current sitting there
ik acting IKAK inspector cannot be a party to those reports,
who is going to be driving this Who is going
to be ensuring that the integrity is uphold that these
reports are compiled.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
It's been mentioned.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Previously in the Jupiter Report that you know that these
things have moved at glacial place very slowly. We need
to ensure that this is dealt with, that the report
can be handed to the Chief Ministers, so the Chief
Minister can then release it and we can bear pressure
to say, hey, the public needs to know what's happened,
so that we can move forward from this because right now,
unfortunately everyone is asking themselves, how can we have trust?
(18:01):
How can we ensure that the integrity of one of
the highest officers in the Northern Territory is upheld?
Speaker 5 (18:08):
It is difficult, and especially with those conflict of interest
in Miss Louden, who's come in to act as the
k Commissioner, has had to declare a conflict straight away,
so it makes it even more difficult. As you said
at the outset KD, there's sixty four days or fifty
days before polling starts, so I don't think we're going
to see a resolution of this, and I don't think
we're going to see Missus Richie's back certainly before the elles.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Then sort of begs the question whether the IKK, the
Office of the i Cake is sustainable in the Northern
Territory I mean, if you've got a situation where you know,
like I get that there's a lot of moving parts here,
and I understand that you know that. Obviously the response
from the government would be, well, look, you know, they're
still able to operate and they're still doing their jobs
despite the fact that there's a conflict and despite the
fact that the K Commissioner is on leave. But it
(18:51):
does sort of beg the question, are we in a
situation with an i CAK in the Northern Territory where
there is always going to be conflicts and it's maybe
not actually workable with the amount of funding that they're provided.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yeah, I think it's better to have an IKK than
not have an IKAK and may know how many staff
are there, but we have continued to fund IK more
and more money each year. We didn't get off to
a great start with our our first i K commissioner
and he had to take some leave as well. This
is not a very good situation for mister Richie's to
be in and playing out in the public domain. I
(19:24):
know that he's taken leave and he's not actually coping
that well with this the public scrutiny, But we do
have a number of staff there who can one leadership
can declare conflict interest and then other people.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Who are trained legal practitioners can go and do the investigation.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
I think we're better off with an IK, Katie, rather
than without an IKAK.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
I think, Katie, how long has the IKAK been in
six years? I mean it's really it's been a disaster.
It started off on a really, really bad note. I
think one thing, you know, we had Ken Fleming when
he was the ik commissioner. We had him stand up
at a rally and Alice Springs and give just an
(20:02):
absolutely bizarre statement after the death of Clemen Jay Walker.
We subsequently learned through a report recently in The Australian
that Ken Fleming was then at a meeting where he
was directing police telling them that they needed to charge
Zachary Rolf. We had some other fairly just extraordinary things
(20:24):
happened under Ken Fleming's watch. We had the secret recording
of witnesses, which was just again bizarre and extraordinary. We
had several reports that were either that either had to
be withdrawn or was subject to legal challenges.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
He also made an extraordinary statement at the Estimates Committee
a few years ago when I was the chair, and
it meant we had to go into a whole wide
range of different in camera.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Lawrence because because he threatened a whole meeting.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
And reveal who in his office had been telling me
about the outrageous things that were happening in his office. So,
you know, it wasn't a great start. You know what's
happening at the moment. I think, you know, we could
take some comfort that mister Richards has been cleared by
(21:23):
the inspector over the issues relating to his former partner,
but we don't know what these allegations are by.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
The staff members, and so.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Until we know exactly what's going on there, you know,
I can't say. I will say I do think that
that Michael Richard, and I know he's copped a lot
of criticism. I know he's copt the criticism over the
Jupiter Report. In some ways, I think that Jupiter Report
was very good because it laid out, step by step
in detail, exactly what happened. And that's why we've got
(21:53):
Joel here today who cannot say anything other than, God,
it was in the diary. Isn't that a bad look?
He didn't make adverse findings, and people critical of him
for that. But then if he had made if he
had made findings of corrupt conduct, you know that we'd
probably be back in the Supreme Court spending millions of
taxpayers money. That's the other question that I'd rather an
(22:13):
ICA commissioner that under sells the one that oversells. I'd
rather one who's a bit boring and a bit conservative,
the one who gets on radio and says I'm about
to deliver a report that's.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Going to fill all your.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
Hopes and dreams, and then deliver that report and it
end up in a massive debarcle that cost taxpayers millions
of dollars.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
I suppose the other part of it is you know
how much has been paid out from the QQ office,
how much you know, how much is it costing, and
is it delivering on what territories expectations are. I tend
to agree with you, John, like I do think we
need an ey CAC in the sense that, you know,
you want to make sure that if there is corruption,
if there is things happening in the territory, that they
(22:52):
should not be happening. But I just wonder, given how
small we are, whether we're better placed having a national
ICAC body able to look over what happens in the
Northern Territory and it not cost territory tax payers quite
so much and not have to worry about those conflicts.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
The Office of the IK should be the ones that
are investigating people that are in the media for all
the wrong things, not the ones themselves that are in
the media for doing all these alleged wrong things. And
that's what's so frustrating. Right now. We've got an important
report where the labor travel routs. We have no idea
exactly when that's going to come out, if there's currently
anyone at the I office that's able to investigate that,
(23:28):
and whether the report will ever see the light of day.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Well, clearly there are people there who are able to
investigate that.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
That's the thing, right The current acting Q Commission can
declare the conflict of interests and others can investigate. There's
enough staff at IK to do the investigation, and Bruce
mclintoff is also able as the inspector to do investigation well.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
And then is someone able to oversee it though, I
guess because you know like that looking into the travel
is actually something that's pretty fundamental that we get it
right anyway, look, let's move along because there is a
lot happening. We're going to take a really quick break
when we come back. Well, let's talk about gil Neett's
plenty happening right here in the Northern Territory. You're listening
to the Week that was. You are listening to Mix
(24:08):
one O four nine's three sixty. It is the week
that was. In the studio with us this morning, we've
got Josh Burgoy, Matt Cunningham and Joel Bowden. Actually, Joel,
we did just get a birthday message for you as well.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Let me find it one here.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I sent myself birthday.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Well, happy birthday, Joel Bowden from your number one fan.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Rob Lee.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Oh thanks rob Lee.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Rob Lee yep, I think Rob Lee and Bruce Lee
are two of my biggest fans. And then there's Susannah Lee, Maylee,
Joe Lee from Ben's bake House.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
They're all my third and fourth and fifth biggest fans,
so I paid them well this morning to send the
message into the radio.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Come on, let's move along.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Well, I'm sure we'll go and get a birthday snack
later on.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
He Joel, Hey Ben.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Now, after months of speculation, the well, first off, I
don't know who said it first, but the Labor Party,
not the government, but the Labour Party announced that if
re elected that a Lawler led Labor government is going
to ban the use of commercial gill nets for barrow
Monday fishing and buy back commercial barrow Monday fishing licenses,
which they say is going to deliver a huge boost
(25:13):
to the territories world class wreck fishing industry. The colp
also have said that you guys will do the same.
What I found interesting, though earlier in the week, and
I did make this observation I suppose earlier in the
week on the show, is that I found it interesting
that the Labor Party had announced that when you have
the government's got the power to actually implement that now,
(25:35):
rather than waiting for the election. I know that the
last day of parliament was yesterday now, but this was
earlier in the week.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Yesky, let me say three things. One, it takes months
to get legislation ready for parliament. Josh knows this absolutely
a Two, we will ban gilness, but it's a four
year phase out process. We got fifteen million dollars in
a pool to allow for the buybacks of the licenses.
We want to transition this industry. Don't want to get
rid of the industry. We want to transition it because
(26:02):
it's good for our lifestyle, it's good for an environment,
and it's a two hundred and seventy million dollar industry.
The wreck fishing industry.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Not everyone's happy. The Northern Territory Seafood Council, they've come
out swinging saying they strongly oppose the Chief Minister Evil
lawless announcement to ban the use of commercial gillnets to
boost recreational fishing in the Northern Territory. They reckon the
policy is aimed at grabbing votes from a noisy minority
and lacks economic and scientific credibility. Meanwhile, we also know
(26:31):
that there was another pressure lease came out yesterday from
the Aboriginal Sea Company and it too said the Aboriginal
Sea Company shareholders that they well, they are not happy.
They say that their seafood related businesses have just taken
a major blow with the announcement of the Territory government's
election commitment for a total ban on gilnet fishing.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Katie, that's why we consulted heavily with industry and that's
why it's a phased approach to fail out banning gilnetting
and implement new gears. So it might be longline fishing
or something else that we're able to establish over the journey.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
But what I would say is this Cody.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Eight of the fourteen licenses are owned by a company
called wild Borough.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
They wrote to the Chief.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Minister requesting that the industry be reformed, and to the
point where they were so keen to see the industry
reform that they asked for buybacks.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
The Chief.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That's an important part of this, Katie, because well, I've
been speaking with stakeholders on this for a very long time.
Access to commercial fishing grounds over the last however many years,
has been restricted, restricted, restricted, to the point where the
commercial viability of this sector is seriously at stake. Now
now to be able to allow people to exit respectfully,
(27:46):
and that's what this is about. When you have one
of the largest commercial barrel money fisheries come to government,
come to opposition and say, look, we're really in a piccoliar.
The commercial viability of our industry is in strife. How
are we going to chart way forward? Obviously there's been
so much conversation about how this is going to look
over the next four years. Whoever gets into government, we
(28:08):
will work with that sector to phase our gilnettes. There
has been. There are people in Queensland right now who
are line fishing for barramundy. It's a high value product
where they essentially catch what they can. They sell it
to restaurants. They're getting a higher price for it. We
do need to transition this industry, and the industry itself
(28:31):
is asking in some instances. I'm not going to pretend
like every single person, but eight of the fourteen and
my understanding is there's only ten currently operating, so eight
of the ten that are operating wanted out that.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
What you're saying there, Josh and the Queensland experience does that?
And job does that not mean? Though? I mean at
the moment it's difficult to get a barrow, a wild
caught ant barrow in a Darwin restaurant, but you can
still get one. We're going to reduce the number of
barrow we're catching. From a commercial point of view, I mean,
for you know, mister and missus Malaki want to go
(29:03):
out for a nice dinner and have a wildcat barrel
mondy is that? Does this decision not right? Making it
more difficult to get that barrel money one and two,
meaning that the cost of that barra money, if you
can get it, is going to be significantly higher.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Well percent or more of the current barrel Monday that
is sold is from farmed or Humpty do barre, So
there's about five percent wild court barrow in the mix.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Yes, you can get wildcat barrows.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
That mister barrow just last week and there it was
available for sale, slightly more expensive than the skin on
Humpty do barre, but not significantly more expensive. Now, if
you do transition this industry, then we might actually see
a greater premium put on the wild court barrow that
if you want to go to a restaurant, a high
end restaurant, you'll get wildcourt barre. We don't want wildcurren
(29:51):
bar not on restaurant tables or kitchen or dinner tables,
because you should be able to get what we want
to do, and as josh as articulated, we want to
we want to reform, reset, and relaunch this industry so
that it's sustainable in the long run.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
It also helps her lifestyle and helps her environment. This
is a win win win.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
What hasn't been spoken about a lot and bo can't
from the Aboriginal Seafood Company. There's opportunities here for toos So's.
There's ways in which the Aboriginal Coastal licenses that. There
are other ways in which we can reform this industry
so that there's economic opportunity in areas where there simply
hasn't been before. And by putting a higher value price
(30:29):
on some of these things, opportunities that weren't previously viable
will become viable.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
So josh I was in Maningrida just a couple of
weeks ago for Community.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
Cabinet went out with the fishing group, the Sea Rangers
and the Fisheries Department.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
We went out and they explained exactly that.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Because the price is at its level currently, they're not economical.
They can't do enough volume and then get it back
to market to make a dollar. If the price goes
up a little bit for wild core bar that might
actually be a good thing for the industry.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
This is going to be for generations to come. Loves fishing.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
When out fishing last night he got a flat aead
and he got a queenie down at Rapid Creek. His
children and his children's children will be able to go
on fish for barramundy in clean fresh waters of the
Northern Territory without gillnets.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Look before we go to a break, because I am
very keen for us to discuss the Cyclone Tracy monument
before we wrap up for the morning, before we go
to a break though, there was plenty of other things
discussed this week throughout the estimates process, including will police
We know that unfortunately two hundred and ninety nine police
have apparently been assaulted from the first of the seventh
(31:32):
last year till the thirty first of March this year.
We also know three watch houses are still being used
as prisons, despite the Government and indeed the Police Minister
promising that they would be handed back around midyear. But
also one of the big sort of revelations I think
was the fact that the Police Minister had said they
(31:52):
had admitted one hundred and ninety nine thousand calls to
the emergency call center are for this financial year. That
e quite still around five hundred and forty five calls
every single Days'm pretty extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
It's incredible, Katie, and I'm fortunately I've had to be
a couple of those callers recently and it's really upsetting.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
When you do.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
I always try to call one through one triple four
if it's not an immediate emergency, And I'll tell you
what Nella springs. You're lucky to get through, and then
what generally happens is that the incident can get out
of hand very quickly, and I'm hanging up and I'm
calling Triple zero then, And sometimes you get through immediately,
sometimes you don't. And it is it is. I cannot
tell you when you're sitting there watching people in a
(32:37):
domestic dispute trying to get through to Triple zero, and
you cannot you feel helpless. You're sitting there going right,
Am I going to have to get involved now and
possibly be assaulted myself to try to protect this woman
who's been beaten up, who's been you know, no one
should have to deal with these sorts of things, but unfortunately,
at the moment, it's what we're having to deal with.
And we need to ensure that we have the resources
(32:58):
available to be able to protect people in our community.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:01):
I think I've made two Triple O calls in the
last couple of years. One was when I was driving
home from work at night and I saw a man
with a weapon chasing his partner. I presume across the
road near Gara Milla Boulevard along Minstreet, and I was
on hold for I think eight or nine minutes to
triple oh. And by the time they answered, I basically
(33:26):
and this is probably two years ago. By the time
they answered, you know that they're asking, is someone's life
in immediate danger? It's like, well, I can't tell now
that they might be dead for Alino. And the other
situation I've spoken oft before was at our home where
we were on hold for five minutes. We rang triple
O while there are kids there smashing our windows with
golf clubs where we're ringing triple O and it was
(33:47):
five minutes before, almost five minutes before the phone was answered.
And to Josh's point about the one to three to
one triple four number, yeah, you know, like I think
most people have given up because you know you're going
to be on hold.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
For it's extraordinary too long. Yeah, this is the thing.
It's extraordinary. But it also goes to the heart I
think of the biggest issue in the Northern Territory right now,
and that is it is still a real concern for people,
the crime and feeling as though we do not have
enough police to deal with what are incredibly serious situations.
(34:20):
And when you're seeing that kind of thing happen, it
is it's terrible. I mean, or if your home's being
broken into and you're not able to get somebody out,
it's an incredible feeling of helplessness where you just don't
know really what's going to unfold next.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
Also, there does seem to I think have been a
recent improvement, and we know they put more resources in.
So there was an incident at the Anti News a
week or so ago that was in the media, and
I mean we called one three one triple four then
certainly I did, and they answered reason sorry, no call
triple O. And they answered pretty like within a minute,
(34:56):
I would say, And we had a policeman there within
maybe ten minutes. So the situation might be improving. And
I know there'd been more investments, but geez, it's.
Speaker 7 (35:05):
Been it's been a time.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
It certainly has, as you said, Katie, that the calls,
the actual number of calls have gone through the roof.
Even we've said twenty five new operators in the call
center like that, that might not be enough. We might
have to put more on you know, we've committed to
two undred police.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
That might not be enough. We might have to put
more on. So it does concern me when you can't
get through.
Speaker 5 (35:26):
And I've spoken to a lot of people and I've
made a couple of cloned phone calls myself. Even my
wife has made a couple of phone calls at times
and sitting on hold. It creates our anxiety and that
heightened tension.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Absolutely, absolutely, Look, we are going to take a quick break.
You're listening to mix one O four nine's three sixty.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
It is the week.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
That was the thing that we have received more phone
calls and more messages about this week than anything else.
Is the Cyclone Tracy monuments. Now, we had a discussion
with the Lord Mayor convat Scarlets.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
A little earlier in the week.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
If you missed it, here's just a bit of a
snapshot of what he had to say.
Speaker 8 (36:02):
Well, it's not going to be a monument. It's going
to be a public art, a piece of art which
actually it shows the forces of nature and that was
the original idea.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
So what is this?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Is it a monument for cycle tracing? So why has
it been referred.
Speaker 8 (36:17):
To with you properly would not state it right, Okay.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
So we're getting seven So seven hundred thousand dollars is
going to a public art work, absolutely, so public artwork
for what public art.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
The same way that the jellyfish in front of the
of the East points.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
So is that funding from the federal government in any
way linked to it supposed to be a monument for
cyclone tracing.
Speaker 8 (36:42):
I'm telling you, and I have said before, this is
not the monument the real memorial is going to be.
In this point, Richard Craig has spoken and asked the
committee has actually agreed to actually approve this do so.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
That was part of the Lord Mayor on the show
a little earlier in the week.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
I'll tell you what clear is mud clear as mud coatie.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Well, well, that hat's off for the backflip. But it
was the wrong backflot that's right. It was like it
was a backflip with a twist because it like so
we're still.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Getting this strange iren, like I can't work it out.
Are we still getting the strange orange sculpture?
Speaker 3 (37:17):
I think they're called fillopif I don't, well, yes, apparently
we are.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And look the concerning part about this is we've also
I went back and I found the Prime Minister's pressure
release from the thirteenth of March this year and it
says fifty years after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, the Albanesi
and Lawler governments are going to honor the memory of
those who died and those whose lives were irrevocably changed
with the permanent monument and separate permanent memorial in Darwin.
(37:47):
The Australian Government's giving a total of six hundred thousand
dollars to the Northern Territory Government to work in partnership
with stakeholders to install a kinetic monument at Bundela Beach
as well as a memorial designed by local art by
a local artists.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
At each point.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
So it sounds as tho this money is absolutely tied
to this being for Cyclone Tracy, for a commemoration for
Cyclone Tracy for fifty years now. What I can't sort
of wrap my head around is why the Council's forging
ahead with something that the community is saying that they
don't want, they want something different.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Then this is a thing. The anniversary of Cyclone Tracy
is a very significant event, especially for those territories that
were in Dalen in nineteen seventy four. It's so important,
and I said this last week Katie, that this is
properly acknowledged and that those survivors, people that went through this,
because it still affects them to this day, are sort
of brought along on this journey and that there's something
(38:44):
there that properly signifies what people went through.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
And one of the problems with is every time we
delay this, every time the conversation continues, we're to get
closer to the twenty fourth of December on the fifty
year anniversary. What we don't want to do is not
respectful respect the fifty year.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Anniversary by arguing about this.
Speaker 5 (39:03):
And I think it's it's it's got to a point
where it is as clear as mud, and we're going
to get to a point where Tracy survivors, of which
I don't think any of us in this room, should
be respected and they should have something there that they
like and that they go to and they sit and
reflect and do what they want to do.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Exactly like it's clear that they are outraged by what's
been proposed. So I mean there's only once. I mean,
how can you possibly build a monument to represent them
if they hate it, that's just nonsense.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
It's a lot of money too, there's a lot of
money at least don't don't veil it with Cyclone Tracy, right,
build some art, do it somewhere, build some art, let
the community see it.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
But let's let's not use.
Speaker 5 (39:48):
Cyclone Tracy and that that funding coming from.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Elbas find interesting?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Is that what it sort of seems to me and
I get it right, Like we all want Bundilla Beach
to be activated. It's a beautiful area down there. Do
you want it to be activated? And you want it
to be somewhere that Territorians enjoy. But let's not use
this as an opportunity to do that. Let's actually, like,
let's actually do what the Cyclone Tracy survivors and territorians want,
you know, like to be really honest about it. Cyclone Tracy,
(40:16):
as we all know, absolutely devastated Darwin and the way
in which this place has been able to rebuild following
on from that is nothing short of amazing. And the
people that we're here for that should be respected and
should actually be listened to.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
The stories that I still hear now about the Red
Cross handing out presents to people that literally their Christmas
was torn apart about people that were washing beside fire
hydrants because I didn't have homes. You know, you think
about the stories that have come out of this and
the people that then went on to rebuild Darwin. There's
so many incredible things that could be depicted as part
of a monument.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Look, I hope that some common sense is able to
be found with this. We hear a lot about common sense,
but sometimes we don't see a lot of it. But anyway,
we better wrap up for the morning. Thank you so
very much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
Josh Bergwine. Lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Thank you, Katie, always good to be here.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, thank you for the late
call up and making it.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
We appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (41:11):
How Aries Katie, thank.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
You and Joel Bounden birthday boy, thanks so much for
your time this morning.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Thank you, Katie, and just a very very quick one.
Speaker 5 (41:18):
So around the wreck fishing stuff we've done, I just
want to say thanks to Lee Harris. Lee has did
a power of work behind the scenes. There is the
bloke some of the people we don't ever hear about,
but guess what today on my birthday. I'm going out
on a limb. Thank you, Lee Harris, you've done a
fabulous job.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Good stuff. Thank you all so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
This morning, you are listening to Mix one O four
nine's three sixty
It's time for the week that was, and what a
huge week it has been. In the studio with us
this morning. We've got Josh Bergine for the COLP. Good
morning to you, Josh.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Morning Katie. Good morning to the Central Australians listening in.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Good to have you in the studio. We've got Matt
Cunningham from Sky News. Good morning to you, Matt.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
And we've got the birthday boy, Joel Madden. Happy birthday
to you.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Good morning Katie, and what a week it has been and.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
What a way to finish it off, finishing.
Speaker 5 (00:26):
Off here with you on my birthday, and then I
think I've got a full book of meetings today and
then hopefully I can get home for a birthday dinner.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, thank you for joining us this morning. And as
I said, it's been a massive week. We were due
to have Robin Lamley on the show. Unfortunately she's unwell,
but I know she'll be disappointed she's missed out this morning.
But look to kick things off, we know that Keith
kiranoa aged twenty, was yesterday found guilty of murdering bottle
shop employee dk Declan Lavity following an eight day trial
(00:55):
in the Northern Territory Supreme Court. Kieranoa was charged with
murder after he stabbed mister Lavity to death inside the
Airport Tavern BWS in Darwin's Northern Suburbs in March last year.
Twenty witnesses, including police, forensic experts, eyewitnesses to the crime,
and Kiranoa himself, gave evidence over the course of the trial,
(01:16):
with multiple CCTV clips showing the stabbing unfolding also played
in the court. Now, the verdict, as we know, sparks
screams and outcry from Kieranoa's family, while mister Lavety's mother
and sister cried and embraced and Kieranoa is going to
return to the Supreme Court of Darwin next Friday for sentencing,
(01:36):
where he will be given a life sentence, as I
understand it, a mandatory.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Twenty years non parole.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Defense lawyer John Tippett questioning mandatory sentencing outside of the
court yesterday. Look, I know that this is the case.
It's really caught the whole of the Northern Territory's attention.
The situation when it unfolded last year is something that.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
People felt really very up about. To say, the least.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Absolutely, it was a terrible situation. It happened on a Sunday.
I've got a call Sunday afternoon about the situation. Obviously
it's taken a long time.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
To play out through the court, but it's just awful.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
I know Deklon's family met with his mum a number
of times, and I think.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
She has really really struggled with this.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
I know she was being counseled and I think being
helped through with friends and family, but you can't imagine
what she's going through. Just awful sentencing next week, and
as you said, it's a life sentence for murder, can't you.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
And I've seen Samarra Lavity a number of times over
the last two weeks. Obviously just an incredibly strong woman
who has been there with her family and in her
words after what was revealed yesterday, you know, her words
with justice has been done and obviously thoughts are with
her family in what must be an incredibly tough time
(02:54):
to have to relive and hear about everything that had
gone on. And something that I think really touched me
that she's spoke to me about was hearing some of
the final words that were spoken by her son that
would have been really hard to sit there in court
and hear people give evidence and obviously incredibly tough time
for that family.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
I was there yesterday Katie when the verdict was delivered,
and it was a really emotional time I think for
the families of both Declan and Keith Keranua. There was
quite a bit of anger expressed by Keith Keranua's family.
There were some pretty dramatic scenes at court. In fact,
we were sort of the court was actually locked down
(03:32):
for a few minutes after the verdict because there was quite.
Speaker 7 (03:36):
A bit going on.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
I thought Samara Lavity really did speak well outside court
after that sentence was delivered. You can only imagine what
it is like for a mother to lose their twenty
year old son in such horrific circumstances. And as Josh
was saying, she didn't speak about that message she received
on the night he texted her and said I love you, mum,
(04:00):
I've been stabbed, and then she detailed what happened next.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
She called his phone.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
He or someone answered but wasn't speaking, and all she
could hear was screaming on the other end of the line.
You know, she said at that point I knew something
seriously bad had happened, and a few minutes later she
got a call from Declan's dad saying that he had
been killed.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
You know, this would have.
Speaker 6 (04:22):
Been, no doubt, an absolutely horrendous audeal for the family.
It's what is it now, fifteen months since the incident happens.
We've seen a lot of changes as far as you know,
security at bottle shops, the way we deal with these
sorts of issues. And that was the one thing she
said yesterday is that she hopes that, you know, if
one thing comes out of Declan's death, it's that this
(04:43):
sort of thing never happens again.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Oh, we are going to be speaking to Samara on
the show this morning at about ten thirty. And yeah,
it is an absolute tragedy and two lives changed forever,
you know, the and two families I think changed for
in so many different ways. And I really feel for Samara,
Lavity and also Declan's dad, Damien, who we have spoken
(05:07):
to on the show. Look, we will catch up with
Samara this morning at about ten thirty and certainly hear
from her. Following on From that case, we will move along.
There isn't there is so much I should say that
has gone on this week and we know that yesterday,
well it was the last day of parliament for the
current makeup of the Northern Territory Parliament, sixty four days.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Until the election. Not sure who else is counting, but
I am.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Katie.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
It's actually less than that because pre poll starts two
weeks before, so it's really only fifty days and then
people can start devating. You're counting, don't worry, I'm going
to stop watching on this one.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Well, look, it was an interesting day then as well,
because what happens obviously is estimates had ended after two
weeks and then you went back into parliament, into parliament
yesterday to pass the budget. But then interestingly there was
indeed a couple of other things that had happened now
Ikak recommendations from Operation Jupiter were tabled, as I understand,
(06:14):
and the government moved a motion to suspend standing orders
at the beginning of parliament without circulating the report to
the opposition or the Independence. I'd sort of seen a
bit of the jostling that was going on then at
that point in time. Now, as I understand, it was
recommended that a committee form to implement the recommendations. So
this is Operation Jupiter for those out there listening that
(06:35):
don't know what I'm talking about. It was the report
into the travel before the last Northern Territory election. Now
so recommended that this committee be formed to implement recommendations
which include the well which indicates I should say that
those changes now cannot be implemented before the election.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So, I mean, this is an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I think we're all I don't know that we're coecting
that there would be huge changes before the next Northern
Territory election. But what we saw from that report, we've
all spoken about this before. To me, laid out on
the table something that we should absolutely not be seeing
before any election, and that is taxpayers funds used for
political purposes. I know that there was no adverse findings
(07:21):
in that report. We've heard that lots of times, haven't
we met, but to me it certainly seemed like they
were pretty adverse and pretty critical of the former Chief Minister.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Well, there were some finals, Katie, and I think what
you'll find during this campaigns will be a lack of
travel by canaidas I know I'll be staying in darw
and I don't think anyone will be jumping on a
plane certainly evil all of the Chief Minister has openly
said she won't be going anywhere on a plane and.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Charging the taxpayers.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
And I think it'll be for the next parliament to
implement that report. However, I reckon watch this space over
the next sixty four or fifty days.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
There won't be too much trouble and I.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Think MLAs or candidates will be very circumspect in their
actions after that report.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
Why not just implement the recommendations?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Then?
Speaker 7 (08:06):
Why did you get pushed off until after the next.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Election because there's only fifty days to go.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
Mate, You.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Can't implement without without a bit of time to actually implement.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You need some time. But don't worry. From outside there is.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
An acceptance of the recommendations. There is also the guidelines
for MLAs and candidates. This will be a very squeaky
clean election campaign.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
That is all. Always tell you what.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I want to read out, Katie, loud and clear.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Anywhere that's right in Johnston.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I want to read out loud and clear part of
this labor motion from last night, just to just to
show you listeners how much of a joke this was.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Calls on members to.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
As far as reasonably practical, implement the recommendations. I mean again,
this was an attempt by government to make it look
like they were doing something. As soon as they realize
that the opposition and the independent members weren't going to
be supporting this, they really did start to go in
panic mode. They thought this was going to be an
(09:05):
easy win. Look, we're going to make it look like
we're doing something where we're telling people to please, please, please,
as far as reasonably practical, implement these recommendations. It kind
of backfired last night. You could see on the Chief
Minister's face. They're sitting in Parliament. They thought this was
going to be an easy hand passes. The member never
Johnson Wilkes to say down down the road it had
(09:25):
an ex parliament. It certainly didn't come off feeling like that.
It was a bit of a a non event too.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
It was like, honestly, I can't understand why we're not
in a situation or how we're not in a situation
where the Labor Party isn't repaying that money, because it
was pretty it was so off what had happened before
the last election. Everybody could see it. We've now got
a report that lays it out in black and white.
Yet there's this real hesitation or this real sort of oh,
well know, there was no adverse findings from the government,
(09:53):
so the money is not going to be repaid. And
I mean, as far as I can see anyway, I'm
hearing from everybody that it's not going to be repaid.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Minister said it's not going to be played.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
I think black and white and red all over is
what the what the report was, because it actually had
the pictures of them in their red shirts in the
communities on the days where the Electoral Commission just happened
to be there.
Speaker 7 (10:15):
So I mean, I don't know, I've made the point before.
Speaker 6 (10:18):
You know, maybe there were no findings of corrupt conduct
or proper conduct, but you know the instincts it doesn't
pass the pub times.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Well, those diary entries weren't very smart, were they Like
if if you were thinking about.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
Trying, they were instructive.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Instructive it's certainly.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You just thinks, but it also like it just goes
to the heart of you know, people thinking that that
politicians don't respect taxpayers dollars and and you know, I
think that that's a big concern here and nobody wants
to see taxpayers dollars being spent on getting yourself reelected.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Think that's why Katie, the government's accepted this, accepted the
recommendations and will be squeaky claimed that the tension or
the anxiety that Michael Gunner has experienced over the last
four years, I wouldn't want to have that hanging over
my head. So I'll be staying in Johnston, I know
evil law, that will be staying in Drysdale, and I'm
sure all candidates will be campaigning and doing it by
(11:20):
the by the letter of the law, but also the
recommendations that was reasonably practical exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Thank you Josh for articulated.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Is that the media you accept that that didn't happen
at the last election. Well, it is abundantly clear from
the report and the diary entry that that was not
what they were doing out there. And as you said,
I did, I did find it quite amusing looking at
those diary entries.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
It was pretty blatant.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
It was embarrassing really at back then.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Well, that's the decision for others to make, because you know, Matt,
this government is keen, very keen on abiding by the
letter of the law for this election.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But I won't be making any class.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
I I wasn't the Chief MINISA or a minister then,
and that is a decision for others.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Go oh goodness, mate, this is pretty embarrassing.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Well, as I said, I looked at those diary entries
and I went, jeez, if you were trying to cover
your track, you didn't do a very good job.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
A Well, look, we are going to take a very
quick break. You are listening to Mix one O four
nine's three sixty. It is the week that was. If
you've just joined us in the studio this morning, we've
got Josh Burgoyne, Matt Cunningham and Joel Bowden. Now, yesterday
was indeed the last day of the makeup of the
current parliament sitting.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
They were in to.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Pass the to pass the budget, but there was also
a second report tabled. This one was the report by
the Ikak Inspector tabled in the Northern Territory Parliament, and
it detailed why he cleared Commissioner Michael Richards of wrongdoing
over his handling of domestic violence allegations made by his
ex wife. Now, Matt, you've covered this one extensively in
(12:57):
the last twenty four hours.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
What did it say, Well, I.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Think there's two things that are interesting in this report.
In relation to the allegations that were made by Michael
Rich's former partner, the inspector basically found no evidence of wrongdoing.
There were six allegations that he looked at. Two of
them he said that he couldn't rule on, and they
were the allegations that he engaged in controlling behavior and
(13:23):
that he engaged in domestic violence. He said that it
was not within his remit He couldn't certainly in the
time that he had look into those particular issues. But
he looked at four other issues and found no evidence
of wrongdoing on Michael Rich's part. Now that those include
the suggestion that he paid his former partner twenty thousand
(13:46):
dollars to buy off the to buyer off to get
it to drop a DVO, he said that wasn't the case.
In fact, what he found was that it was a
perfectly I can't remember the exact word he used, but
it was like an unexceptional process that you know, couples
go through when they're settling a divorce, and the correspondence
(14:07):
between the lawyers was nothing out of the ordinary.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
He found that he couldn't well.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
In relation to the other claim that she made about
using cameras in the home to essentially spy on her,
he said that he accepted mister Richard's explanation that they
were security cameras that were placed in the home for security.
He said they didn't look into the hallways, that they
basically looked at entry points in the home. And then there.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Was the issue of disclosure.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
So it's interesting that this wasn't included in the Chief
Minister's statement when it was first put out about this issue,
because this became kind of a bit of a bit
of a storm and there were people calling for his
resignation because they were saying he hadn't reported it to
the inspector when it had happened. Well, as confirmed in
this report, he did in fact report that to the inspector.
(14:59):
He reported it to the inspector via email a day
after he was served with the domestic violence order application,
and as the inspector outlines in his report, Michael Riches
actually asked Bruce McClintock if he should resign, and McClintock
wrote back and said that he believed that would be
premature according to his report, right. And then the other
(15:20):
issue is the suggestion that he lied about trying to
set up a meeting with the then Chief Minister, Natasha Files,
And we spoke about this the other day. You know,
there's documentary evidence that proves that he immediately emailed the
Chief Minister's the then Chief Minister's chief of staff, to
try to organize a meeting. That meeting was dropped, was
canceled a few days later after the domestic violence order
(15:42):
application was dropped, and Bruce McLintock, the Inspector, found that
that was perfectly reasonable to counsel that meeting, given that
that domestic violence order application had been dropped a day
or two after it had been lodged in the court.
So basically, when it comes to the issue surrounding his
ex wife, the inspector found no issue with mister Rich's conduct.
(16:06):
What he did also find, however, in the course of
his investigation, he had staff members from the Office of
the Ikak come to him and raised allegations of inappropriate
behavior by the IKAK Commissioner, so those were referred to
the Chief Minister. The Chief Minster has now referred that
to the Commissioner for public employment, who has, who has
(16:27):
or is going to engage an external investigator to investigate
those claims. Michael Richards is on leave as we know.
The Chief Minister's statement yesterday said that he'll remain on
leave until sometime in September unless that investigation finishes sooner.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I mean, where to from here? Can the ik Commissioner,
you know, can he continue on in this role past
this point?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I think.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I think the frustration for myself as a member of Parliament,
as a territory is that this is a really important
office that we have in the Northern Territory to our
whole integrity. Right now, the Commission's on leave until September.
The current acting Commissioner, spoke at Estimates the other day,
has a conflict of interest in one of the biggest
reports that I can see is going to be hopefully
(17:16):
released between now and the election. That's the ikak's second
report into the Gunner's travel. If the current sitting there
ik acting IKAK inspector cannot be a party to those reports,
who is going to be driving this Who is going
to be ensuring that the integrity is uphold that these
reports are compiled.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
It's been mentioned.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Previously in the Jupiter Report that you know that these
things have moved at glacial place very slowly. We need
to ensure that this is dealt with, that the report
can be handed to the Chief Ministers, so the Chief
Minister can then release it and we can bear pressure
to say, hey, the public needs to know what's happened,
so that we can move forward from this because right now,
unfortunately everyone is asking themselves, how can we have trust?
(18:01):
How can we ensure that the integrity of one of
the highest officers in the Northern Territory is upheld?
Speaker 5 (18:08):
It is difficult, and especially with those conflict of interest
in Miss Louden, who's come in to act as the
k Commissioner, has had to declare a conflict straight away,
so it makes it even more difficult. As you said
at the outset KD, there's sixty four days or fifty
days before polling starts, so I don't think we're going
to see a resolution of this, and I don't think
we're going to see Missus Richie's back certainly before the elles.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Then sort of begs the question whether the IKK, the
Office of the i Cake is sustainable in the Northern
Territory I mean, if you've got a situation where you know,
like I get that there's a lot of moving parts here,
and I understand that you know that. Obviously the response
from the government would be, well, look, you know, they're
still able to operate and they're still doing their jobs
despite the fact that there's a conflict and despite the
fact that the K Commissioner is on leave. But it
(18:51):
does sort of beg the question, are we in a
situation with an i CAK in the Northern Territory where
there is always going to be conflicts and it's maybe
not actually workable with the amount of funding that they're provided.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yeah, I think it's better to have an IKK than
not have an IKAK and may know how many staff
are there, but we have continued to fund IK more
and more money each year. We didn't get off to
a great start with our our first i K commissioner
and he had to take some leave as well. This
is not a very good situation for mister Richie's to
be in and playing out in the public domain. I
(19:24):
know that he's taken leave and he's not actually coping
that well with this the public scrutiny, But we do
have a number of staff there who can one leadership
can declare conflict interest and then other people.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Who are trained legal practitioners can go and do the investigation.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
I think we're better off with an IK, Katie, rather
than without an IKAK.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
I think, Katie, how long has the IKAK been in
six years? I mean it's really it's been a disaster.
It started off on a really, really bad note. I
think one thing, you know, we had Ken Fleming when
he was the ik commissioner. We had him stand up
at a rally and Alice Springs and give just an
(20:02):
absolutely bizarre statement after the death of Clemen Jay Walker.
We subsequently learned through a report recently in The Australian
that Ken Fleming was then at a meeting where he
was directing police telling them that they needed to charge
Zachary Rolf. We had some other fairly just extraordinary things
(20:24):
happened under Ken Fleming's watch. We had the secret recording
of witnesses, which was just again bizarre and extraordinary. We
had several reports that were either that either had to
be withdrawn or was subject to legal challenges.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
He also made an extraordinary statement at the Estimates Committee
a few years ago when I was the chair, and
it meant we had to go into a whole wide
range of different in camera.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Lawrence because because he threatened a whole meeting.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
And reveal who in his office had been telling me
about the outrageous things that were happening in his office. So,
you know, it wasn't a great start. You know what's
happening at the moment. I think, you know, we could
take some comfort that mister Richards has been cleared by
(21:23):
the inspector over the issues relating to his former partner,
but we don't know what these allegations are by.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
The staff members, and so.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Until we know exactly what's going on there, you know,
I can't say. I will say I do think that
that Michael Richard, and I know he's copped a lot
of criticism. I know he's copt the criticism over the
Jupiter Report. In some ways, I think that Jupiter Report
was very good because it laid out, step by step
in detail, exactly what happened. And that's why we've got
(21:53):
Joel here today who cannot say anything other than, God,
it was in the diary. Isn't that a bad look?
He didn't make adverse findings, and people critical of him
for that. But then if he had made if he
had made findings of corrupt conduct, you know that we'd
probably be back in the Supreme Court spending millions of
taxpayers money. That's the other question that I'd rather an
(22:13):
ICA commissioner that under sells the one that oversells. I'd
rather one who's a bit boring and a bit conservative,
the one who gets on radio and says I'm about
to deliver a report that's.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Going to fill all your.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
Hopes and dreams, and then deliver that report and it
end up in a massive debarcle that cost taxpayers millions
of dollars.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
I suppose the other part of it is you know
how much has been paid out from the QQ office,
how much you know, how much is it costing, and
is it delivering on what territories expectations are. I tend
to agree with you, John, like I do think we
need an ey CAC in the sense that, you know,
you want to make sure that if there is corruption,
if there is things happening in the territory, that they
(22:52):
should not be happening. But I just wonder, given how
small we are, whether we're better placed having a national
ICAC body able to look over what happens in the
Northern Territory and it not cost territory tax payers quite
so much and not have to worry about those conflicts.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
The Office of the IK should be the ones that
are investigating people that are in the media for all
the wrong things, not the ones themselves that are in
the media for doing all these alleged wrong things. And
that's what's so frustrating. Right now. We've got an important
report where the labor travel routs. We have no idea
exactly when that's going to come out, if there's currently
anyone at the I office that's able to investigate that,
(23:28):
and whether the report will ever see the light of day.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Well, clearly there are people there who are able to
investigate that.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
That's the thing, right The current acting Q Commission can
declare the conflict of interests and others can investigate. There's
enough staff at IK to do the investigation, and Bruce
mclintoff is also able as the inspector to do investigation well.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
And then is someone able to oversee it though, I
guess because you know like that looking into the travel
is actually something that's pretty fundamental that we get it
right anyway, look, let's move along because there is a
lot happening. We're going to take a really quick break
when we come back. Well, let's talk about gil Neett's
plenty happening right here in the Northern Territory. You're listening
to the Week that was. You are listening to Mix
(24:08):
one O four nine's three sixty. It is the week
that was. In the studio with us this morning, we've
got Josh Burgoy, Matt Cunningham and Joel Bowden. Actually, Joel,
we did just get a birthday message for you as well.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Let me find it one here.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I sent myself birthday.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Well, happy birthday, Joel Bowden from your number one fan.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Rob Lee.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Oh thanks rob Lee.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Rob Lee yep, I think Rob Lee and Bruce Lee
are two of my biggest fans. And then there's Susannah Lee, Maylee,
Joe Lee from Ben's bake House.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
They're all my third and fourth and fifth biggest fans,
so I paid them well this morning to send the
message into the radio.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Come on, let's move along.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Well, I'm sure we'll go and get a birthday snack
later on.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
He Joel, Hey Ben.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Now, after months of speculation, the well, first off, I
don't know who said it first, but the Labor Party,
not the government, but the Labour Party announced that if
re elected that a Lawler led Labor government is going
to ban the use of commercial gill nets for barrow
Monday fishing and buy back commercial barrow Monday fishing licenses,
which they say is going to deliver a huge boost
(25:13):
to the territories world class wreck fishing industry. The colp
also have said that you guys will do the same.
What I found interesting, though earlier in the week, and
I did make this observation I suppose earlier in the
week on the show, is that I found it interesting
that the Labor Party had announced that when you have
the government's got the power to actually implement that now,
(25:35):
rather than waiting for the election. I know that the
last day of parliament was yesterday now, but this was
earlier in the week.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Yesky, let me say three things. One, it takes months
to get legislation ready for parliament. Josh knows this absolutely
a Two, we will ban gilness, but it's a four
year phase out process. We got fifteen million dollars in
a pool to allow for the buybacks of the licenses.
We want to transition this industry. Don't want to get
rid of the industry. We want to transition it because
(26:02):
it's good for our lifestyle, it's good for an environment,
and it's a two hundred and seventy million dollar industry.
The wreck fishing industry.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Not everyone's happy. The Northern Territory Seafood Council, they've come
out swinging saying they strongly oppose the Chief Minister Evil
lawless announcement to ban the use of commercial gillnets to
boost recreational fishing in the Northern Territory. They reckon the
policy is aimed at grabbing votes from a noisy minority
and lacks economic and scientific credibility. Meanwhile, we also know
(26:31):
that there was another pressure lease came out yesterday from
the Aboriginal Sea Company and it too said the Aboriginal
Sea Company shareholders that they well, they are not happy.
They say that their seafood related businesses have just taken
a major blow with the announcement of the Territory government's
election commitment for a total ban on gilnet fishing.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Katie, that's why we consulted heavily with industry and that's
why it's a phased approach to fail out banning gilnetting
and implement new gears. So it might be longline fishing
or something else that we're able to establish over the journey.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
But what I would say is this Cody.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Eight of the fourteen licenses are owned by a company
called wild Borough.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
They wrote to the Chief.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Minister requesting that the industry be reformed, and to the
point where they were so keen to see the industry
reform that they asked for buybacks.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
The Chief.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That's an important part of this, Katie, because well, I've
been speaking with stakeholders on this for a very long time.
Access to commercial fishing grounds over the last however many years,
has been restricted, restricted, restricted, to the point where the
commercial viability of this sector is seriously at stake. Now
now to be able to allow people to exit respectfully,
(27:46):
and that's what this is about. When you have one
of the largest commercial barrel money fisheries come to government,
come to opposition and say, look, we're really in a piccoliar.
The commercial viability of our industry is in strife. How
are we going to chart way forward? Obviously there's been
so much conversation about how this is going to look
over the next four years. Whoever gets into government, we
(28:08):
will work with that sector to phase our gilnettes. There
has been. There are people in Queensland right now who
are line fishing for barramundy. It's a high value product
where they essentially catch what they can. They sell it
to restaurants. They're getting a higher price for it. We
do need to transition this industry, and the industry itself
(28:31):
is asking in some instances. I'm not going to pretend
like every single person, but eight of the fourteen and
my understanding is there's only ten currently operating, so eight
of the ten that are operating wanted out that.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
What you're saying there, Josh and the Queensland experience does that?
And job does that not mean? Though? I mean at
the moment it's difficult to get a barrow, a wild
caught ant barrow in a Darwin restaurant, but you can
still get one. We're going to reduce the number of
barrow we're catching. From a commercial point of view, I mean,
for you know, mister and missus Malaki want to go
(29:03):
out for a nice dinner and have a wildcat barrel
mondy is that? Does this decision not right? Making it
more difficult to get that barrel money one and two,
meaning that the cost of that barra money, if you
can get it, is going to be significantly higher.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Well percent or more of the current barrel Monday that
is sold is from farmed or Humpty do barre, So
there's about five percent wild court barrow in the mix.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Yes, you can get wildcat barrows.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
That mister barrow just last week and there it was
available for sale, slightly more expensive than the skin on
Humpty do barre, but not significantly more expensive. Now, if
you do transition this industry, then we might actually see
a greater premium put on the wild court barrow that
if you want to go to a restaurant, a high
end restaurant, you'll get wildcourt barre. We don't want wildcurren
(29:51):
bar not on restaurant tables or kitchen or dinner tables,
because you should be able to get what we want
to do, and as josh as articulated, we want to
we want to reform, reset, and relaunch this industry so
that it's sustainable in the long run.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
It also helps her lifestyle and helps her environment. This
is a win win win.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
What hasn't been spoken about a lot and bo can't
from the Aboriginal Seafood Company. There's opportunities here for toos So's.
There's ways in which the Aboriginal Coastal licenses that. There
are other ways in which we can reform this industry
so that there's economic opportunity in areas where there simply
hasn't been before. And by putting a higher value price
(30:29):
on some of these things, opportunities that weren't previously viable
will become viable.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
So josh I was in Maningrida just a couple of
weeks ago for Community.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
Cabinet went out with the fishing group, the Sea Rangers
and the Fisheries Department.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
We went out and they explained exactly that.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Because the price is at its level currently, they're not economical.
They can't do enough volume and then get it back
to market to make a dollar. If the price goes
up a little bit for wild core bar that might
actually be a good thing for the industry.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
This is going to be for generations to come. Loves fishing.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
When out fishing last night he got a flat aead
and he got a queenie down at Rapid Creek. His
children and his children's children will be able to go
on fish for barramundy in clean fresh waters of the
Northern Territory without gillnets.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Look before we go to a break, because I am
very keen for us to discuss the Cyclone Tracy monument
before we wrap up for the morning, before we go
to a break though, there was plenty of other things
discussed this week throughout the estimates process, including will police
We know that unfortunately two hundred and ninety nine police
have apparently been assaulted from the first of the seventh
(31:32):
last year till the thirty first of March this year.
We also know three watch houses are still being used
as prisons, despite the Government and indeed the Police Minister
promising that they would be handed back around midyear. But
also one of the big sort of revelations I think
was the fact that the Police Minister had said they
(31:52):
had admitted one hundred and ninety nine thousand calls to
the emergency call center are for this financial year. That
e quite still around five hundred and forty five calls
every single Days'm pretty extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
It's incredible, Katie, and I'm fortunately I've had to be
a couple of those callers recently and it's really upsetting.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
When you do.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
I always try to call one through one triple four
if it's not an immediate emergency, And I'll tell you
what Nella springs. You're lucky to get through, and then
what generally happens is that the incident can get out
of hand very quickly, and I'm hanging up and I'm
calling Triple zero then, And sometimes you get through immediately,
sometimes you don't. And it is it is. I cannot
tell you when you're sitting there watching people in a
(32:37):
domestic dispute trying to get through to Triple zero, and
you cannot you feel helpless. You're sitting there going right,
Am I going to have to get involved now and
possibly be assaulted myself to try to protect this woman
who's been beaten up, who's been you know, no one
should have to deal with these sorts of things, but unfortunately,
at the moment, it's what we're having to deal with.
And we need to ensure that we have the resources
(32:58):
available to be able to protect people in our community.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:01):
I think I've made two Triple O calls in the
last couple of years. One was when I was driving
home from work at night and I saw a man
with a weapon chasing his partner. I presume across the
road near Gara Milla Boulevard along Minstreet, and I was
on hold for I think eight or nine minutes to
triple oh. And by the time they answered, I basically
(33:26):
and this is probably two years ago. By the time
they answered, you know that they're asking, is someone's life
in immediate danger? It's like, well, I can't tell now
that they might be dead for Alino. And the other
situation I've spoken oft before was at our home where
we were on hold for five minutes. We rang triple
O while there are kids there smashing our windows with
golf clubs where we're ringing triple O and it was
(33:47):
five minutes before, almost five minutes before the phone was answered.
And to Josh's point about the one to three to
one triple four number, yeah, you know, like I think
most people have given up because you know you're going
to be on hold.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
For it's extraordinary too long. Yeah, this is the thing.
It's extraordinary. But it also goes to the heart I
think of the biggest issue in the Northern Territory right now,
and that is it is still a real concern for people,
the crime and feeling as though we do not have
enough police to deal with what are incredibly serious situations.
(34:20):
And when you're seeing that kind of thing happen, it
is it's terrible. I mean, or if your home's being
broken into and you're not able to get somebody out,
it's an incredible feeling of helplessness where you just don't
know really what's going to unfold next.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
Also, there does seem to I think have been a
recent improvement, and we know they put more resources in.
So there was an incident at the Anti News a
week or so ago that was in the media, and
I mean we called one three one triple four then
certainly I did, and they answered reason sorry, no call
triple O. And they answered pretty like within a minute,
(34:56):
I would say, And we had a policeman there within
maybe ten minutes. So the situation might be improving. And
I know there'd been more investments, but geez, it's.
Speaker 7 (35:05):
Been it's been a time.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
It certainly has, as you said, Katie, that the calls,
the actual number of calls have gone through the roof.
Even we've said twenty five new operators in the call
center like that, that might not be enough. We might
have to put more on you know, we've committed to
two undred police.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
That might not be enough. We might have to put
more on. So it does concern me when you can't
get through.
Speaker 5 (35:26):
And I've spoken to a lot of people and I've
made a couple of cloned phone calls myself. Even my
wife has made a couple of phone calls at times
and sitting on hold. It creates our anxiety and that
heightened tension.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Absolutely, absolutely, Look, we are going to take a quick break.
You're listening to mix one O four nine's three sixty.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
It is the week.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
That was the thing that we have received more phone
calls and more messages about this week than anything else.
Is the Cyclone Tracy monuments. Now, we had a discussion
with the Lord Mayor convat Scarlets.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
A little earlier in the week.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
If you missed it, here's just a bit of a
snapshot of what he had to say.
Speaker 8 (36:02):
Well, it's not going to be a monument. It's going
to be a public art, a piece of art which
actually it shows the forces of nature and that was
the original idea.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
So what is this?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Is it a monument for cycle tracing? So why has
it been referred.
Speaker 8 (36:17):
To with you properly would not state it right, Okay.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
So we're getting seven So seven hundred thousand dollars is
going to a public art work, absolutely, so public artwork
for what public art.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
The same way that the jellyfish in front of the
of the East points.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
So is that funding from the federal government in any
way linked to it supposed to be a monument for
cyclone tracing.
Speaker 8 (36:42):
I'm telling you, and I have said before, this is
not the monument the real memorial is going to be.
In this point, Richard Craig has spoken and asked the
committee has actually agreed to actually approve this do so.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
That was part of the Lord Mayor on the show
a little earlier in the week.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
I'll tell you what clear is mud clear as mud coatie.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Well, well, that hat's off for the backflip. But it
was the wrong backflot that's right. It was like it
was a backflip with a twist because it like so
we're still.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Getting this strange iren, like I can't work it out.
Are we still getting the strange orange sculpture?
Speaker 3 (37:17):
I think they're called fillopif I don't, well, yes, apparently
we are.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And look the concerning part about this is we've also
I went back and I found the Prime Minister's pressure
release from the thirteenth of March this year and it
says fifty years after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, the Albanesi
and Lawler governments are going to honor the memory of
those who died and those whose lives were irrevocably changed
with the permanent monument and separate permanent memorial in Darwin.
(37:47):
The Australian Government's giving a total of six hundred thousand
dollars to the Northern Territory Government to work in partnership
with stakeholders to install a kinetic monument at Bundela Beach
as well as a memorial designed by local art by
a local artists.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
At each point.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
So it sounds as tho this money is absolutely tied
to this being for Cyclone Tracy, for a commemoration for
Cyclone Tracy for fifty years now. What I can't sort
of wrap my head around is why the Council's forging
ahead with something that the community is saying that they
don't want, they want something different.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Then this is a thing. The anniversary of Cyclone Tracy
is a very significant event, especially for those territories that
were in Dalen in nineteen seventy four. It's so important,
and I said this last week Katie, that this is
properly acknowledged and that those survivors, people that went through this,
because it still affects them to this day, are sort
of brought along on this journey and that there's something
(38:44):
there that properly signifies what people went through.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
And one of the problems with is every time we
delay this, every time the conversation continues, we're to get
closer to the twenty fourth of December on the fifty
year anniversary. What we don't want to do is not
respectful respect the fifty year.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Anniversary by arguing about this.
Speaker 5 (39:03):
And I think it's it's it's got to a point
where it is as clear as mud, and we're going
to get to a point where Tracy survivors, of which
I don't think any of us in this room, should
be respected and they should have something there that they
like and that they go to and they sit and
reflect and do what they want to do.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
Exactly like it's clear that they are outraged by what's
been proposed. So I mean there's only once. I mean,
how can you possibly build a monument to represent them
if they hate it, that's just nonsense.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
It's a lot of money too, there's a lot of
money at least don't don't veil it with Cyclone Tracy, right,
build some art, do it somewhere, build some art, let
the community see it.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
But let's let's not use.
Speaker 5 (39:48):
Cyclone Tracy and that that funding coming from.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Elbas find interesting?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Is that what it sort of seems to me and
I get it right, Like we all want Bundilla Beach
to be activated. It's a beautiful area down there. Do
you want it to be activated? And you want it
to be somewhere that Territorians enjoy. But let's not use
this as an opportunity to do that. Let's actually, like,
let's actually do what the Cyclone Tracy survivors and territorians want,
you know, like to be really honest about it. Cyclone Tracy,
(40:16):
as we all know, absolutely devastated Darwin and the way
in which this place has been able to rebuild following
on from that is nothing short of amazing. And the
people that we're here for that should be respected and
should actually be listened to.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
The stories that I still hear now about the Red
Cross handing out presents to people that literally their Christmas
was torn apart about people that were washing beside fire
hydrants because I didn't have homes. You know, you think
about the stories that have come out of this and
the people that then went on to rebuild Darwin. There's
so many incredible things that could be depicted as part
of a monument.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Look, I hope that some common sense is able to
be found with this. We hear a lot about common sense,
but sometimes we don't see a lot of it. But anyway,
we better wrap up for the morning. Thank you so
very much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
Josh Bergwine. Lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Thank you, Katie, always good to be here.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, thank you for the late
call up and making it.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
We appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (41:11):
How Aries Katie, thank.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
You and Joel Bounden birthday boy, thanks so much for
your time this morning.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Thank you, Katie, and just a very very quick one.
Speaker 5 (41:18):
So around the wreck fishing stuff we've done, I just
want to say thanks to Lee Harris. Lee has did
a power of work behind the scenes. There is the
bloke some of the people we don't ever hear about,
but guess what today on my birthday. I'm going out
on a limb. Thank you, Lee Harris, you've done a
fabulous job.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Good stuff. Thank you all so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
This morning, you are listening to Mix one O four
nine's three sixty
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.