Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty.
Now this week is set to be a busy one,
with Parliament sitting for the first time for twenty twenty five.
Some legislation set to be passed and also introduced around
the scrapping of the floor price and big changes when
it comes to corrections. The Chief Minister also set to
deliver her year a head speech this morning, so she
(00:23):
spoke to me a little bit earlier.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Chief Minister, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
To you, Good morning Katie and to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now you are set to deliver your year ahead speech
this morning. You're on your way there.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What are you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hoping that twenty twenty five is going to bring for territorians.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, twenty twenty five is shaping up to be a
great year, Katie, and we want the year to be
framed around three key things, action, certainty and security for territorians.
So we're really looking forward to a bumper years starting
with tomorrow in Parliament where we have a wide range
of legislation ready to go. It's a big year of reform,
(01:02):
but we've got to get this right in order to
put the territory on her best foot forward, and that
is what we're determined to do.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So talk me through some of that legislation and what
you think really needs to to kick off very quickly
in order to try and get the Northern Territory to
prosper well.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
We know that our debt is at eye watering levels, Katie.
We're set to hear the fifteen billion dollar debt ceiling
and you know this is a legacy we've inherited from labor.
So we have to grow our economy if we're going
to give territories every opportunity to have the services that
they expect and deserve, and of course then the opportunities
for themselves and for their kids. So kicking off this week,
(01:43):
we'll have Territory Coordinator legislation introduced into the Parliament. Our
payroll tax reforms should be passed during the parliament tomorrow.
We're also going to be introducing a removal of the
debt ceiling. We've got our Merits Review, which is a
big new announcement from today Katie, where third party Merits
(02:04):
Review will be scrapped from the Petroleum, Water and Planning legislation.
So there's lots going on and there's no time to lose.
We've got to put our best foot forward, including continuing
to keep the pressure on law and order. And I've
also got legislation this week to give police better powers
about entry into premises.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I do just want to ask, in terms of the
third party Merits Review and also the changes and the
legislation there around the Territory Coordinator, there is no doubt
you're going to get some pushback from those you know,
on the more green side of the fence, I guess,
or those that are really quite worried about the environment.
(02:45):
I mean, what do you say to those people that
are listening this morning that have got concerns that this
is going to mean that you know that there could
be projects going through here in the NT that are
maybe going to damage the environment.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's a great question. I'm glad you asked, because what
third party Merits review is is it gives people who
have no actual connection to a project the opportunity to
slow it down through the courts. Now, that doesn't protect
the environment. It's not a type of regulation that ensures
that we've got the right safeguards in place. All it
does is give people with no connection at all the
(03:20):
opportunity to engage in law fare and protract the length
of project times. So what this doesn't do is, I
mean it still protects people who do have a connection
to the project, so they still have all of their
review options, and of course it still maintains judicial review.
But this is about giving certainty to investors that there's
(03:41):
just not going to be this continued obfuscation of projects
because we need them now more than ever.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Chief Finister, there is no doubt that for the Northern
Territory to prosper we need to see some serious changes
when it comes to the issues of crime. Now, early
yesterday we learned a woman had been killed dan Allie Springs,
a thirty nine year old man is in custody. Some
media reporting this is another horrific domestic violence incident.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Is that your understanding.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I've seen the reporting as well, Katie, and I know
that police have apprehended the alleged offender and so more
details I'm sure will come to light over the coming days.
But it's horrific, Katie, and we know this year alone,
we're set to spend thirty six million dollars on prevention
and family and domestic violence. We know it's a major
issue right across the Northern territory. But you know, so
(04:34):
is alcohol, field harm and a range of other things
that are a big part of our plan for this year.
You know, this year we will will next this week
we will be scrapping the minimum flaw price. This year
we will be doing our consultation on what our mandatory
alcohol treatment will look like going forward and review the
ban drinker registers. So there's plenty of work to be
(04:55):
done in the territories, unquestionably and bad shape, Katie, but
there is a way forward and that's why we've got
to stay the course and get it done.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
When do you anticipate that we are really going to
see that domestic violence funding sort of hit the ground
and mean some genuine change in this space.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Well, it's certainly. I mean we're obviously expending a lot
of money right now, but at thirty six million kicks
in up you know when the budget happened in May,
and we hope it makes a huge impact. Of course,
this is about personal responsibility above anything else. Governments can
throw tens of millions of dollars supporting women and children
with safe places to live, We can pay in goos
(05:38):
to deliver behavior or change programs, but at the end
of the day, this is about people, particularly men, standing
up and being responsible for their behavior and how they
treat people. So we'll throw everything at Katie and we
certainly hope that makes a big impact on the numbers.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Chief Finister.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Over the weekend, we also learned the horrific news that
a five year old boy was allegedly raped in a
remote Northern Territory community last week. Its triggered calls for
greater public disclosure of child sexual abuse. Now multiple sources
have confirmed to the Australian newspaper that a nineteen year
old male was arrested and charged following the alleged rape,
(06:17):
which occurred in a small community in the northern part
of the territory near the Gulf of Carpenteria is my
understanding on Tuesday last week. Now the nineteen year old
is set to face the Darwin Local Court today charge
with sexual intercourse of a child under the age of ten,
Chief Minister, it is utterly horrendous.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
The news broke.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Just hours after the Prime Minister was in Alice Springs
making the announcement with you when were you made aware
of this?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Oh, it is absolutely abhorrent. Katie. I was probably made
aware I would stay within about twenty four hours possibly, Katie,
I'd have to go back and check that, but I
just want there's absolute need for transparency in police reporting,
and I'll be the first person to advocate for that.
It's just from time to time police have to be
(07:10):
very careful because the last thing we ever want to
do is to do anything that would jeopardize a conviction.
And so it took the police a couple of days
to put that out into the media, but that's because
they're treading very very carefully to make sure nothing jeopardizes
our opportunity to deliver justice for victims. And I just
(07:32):
that's a really important test that police have to undertake
every single time a crime happens before they put it
out into the public.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Chief Finister, we know today the Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi,
he's going to be delivering his well closing the Gap
speech in Canberra, you know, the same time we've got
this report by Liam Mendez that this case has led
child safety advocates to call for more information to be
made public about is sexual assaults on children to increase
(08:02):
awareness of widespread child abuse in the Northern Territory. I
mean we're i'm e merging a couple of issues here,
but we're talking about closing the gap.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yet we every single week.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Just about I'm reporting on terrible rates of domestic violence
in the Northern Territory, reporting on this horrendous, horrendous sexual
assault of a child under the age of five years old.
I mean, it is like, it's appalling that this kind
of thing is still happening in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh, it is appalling, Katie. There's no sugarcating this stuff.
It's absolutely abhorrent. And that's why a stronger focus on
law and order is required. I know, out of the
funding we received from the federal government that we announced
last week, a big portion of that is for remote policing,
which is incredibly helpful for the territory. But that's why
(08:56):
we walk into Parliament every sittings, Katie, and we're giving
police better powers. That's why we're trying to build prisons
faster than you can blink. You know, we've got to
be putting law in order for and for so long,
I mean for nearly a decade, the rights of people
doing the wrong thing have been put above people's right
to be safe it's just so wrong. That's why we're here, Katie,
(09:19):
and we've got to take all the actions we can
from a legislative, from a policy perspective, and from making
sure our justice system is strong, to make sure that
we're protecting particularly our most vulnerable, our children.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I mean, at the same time, though, you've got these
discussions about closing the gap, and these discussions about the
high incarceration rate of Indigenous people.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I mean, what do you make of that.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, look, you know there's a lot of focus on
closing the gap, and of course that's important, and I
think some people then point to incarceration numbers and sort
of draw the two together. I think the reality is
the law is the law, and people who do the
wrong thing end up in front of the justice system.
That's how it works now. Yes, unfortunately, Aboriginal people are
(10:07):
well and truly overrepresented, and our crime data, you know,
in people in prison. But at the end of the day,
what we need is strong communities. We need people not
to break the law. And that's also why this year,
kad part of our plan is to do the consultation
on what can future local community government look like. The
(10:28):
super Shires have disempowered people living in the bush have
completely failed to create economic growth and opportunities for Aboriginal people.
So this again is something we have to tackle so
that we can deal with those root causes of crime.
And a big part of that is also getting kids
to school at all costs, and our forty seven School
Attendance Officers are really helping go part of the way
(10:51):
there to make sure we are absolutely focused on supporting
young people above everything else.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
All right, Chief Minister, I know you are pressed for time,
but I want to you. Last week, of course, your
government shocked correctional staff across the Northern Territory announcing contractors
are going to be used in a number of roles
across the Northern Territory correction system. Now, when Parliament resumes
this week, I know the Government set to introduce these
targeted amendments to the Correctional Services Act. It is subject
(11:19):
to passage through the Legislative Assembly. But the Commissioner of
Corrections spoke to us on the show on Friday he's
going to have the power to appoint special officers to
supplement the core Correction's workforce. Now, these changes are going
to include the condment of interstate officers and the appointment
of specialist officers. Correctional officers have raised serious concerns about
(11:42):
these changes. They are telling me that this is the
first step they believe in privatizing corrections and they worry
that the appointment of these special officers is going to
mean private security are effectively dealing with some of the
territory's worst criminals. Chief Minister, why are these changes to
corrections happening.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
They're happening because we've got our corrections offices currently spending
one hundred and sixty eight thousand hours every year moving
prisoners back and forward from court to the watchhouse, to
the prison and to hospital. I mean, it's an unbelievable
waste of time and it's contributing to around eleven million
dollars in overtime costs. So that means our corrections officers
(12:25):
aren't getting the rest they need, They're not spending time
at home with their families because they're being called back
on overtime to escort prisoners to hospital, for example, sit
there for four ten hours, two days, whatever it takes
drives them back. Every day. We have police and corrections
shuttling people to and from watchhouses and courts backwards and forwards,
(12:48):
up and down from Darwen and Palmerston every day and
it is a total waste of their time. So by
being able to bring in highly trained professionals to do
those services, we're going to free up literally hundreds of
thousands of hours of correctional officers to be able to
focus on their core job, which is in sign prisons.
(13:08):
And of course that means we also have a much
bigger opportunity to deliver the rehabilitation that we've committed to
focusing on. Because corrections, the actual word is to correct.
Correcting behavior is what our hard working prison officers do,
not very people around like a taxi.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Service, Chief Finister, can you guarantee that you aren't going
to privatize corrections?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Absolutely, Katie, we have no interest in doing that. What
we're interested in is dealing with our crisis. And you know,
the unions can't have it both ways, Katie. They're screaming
out saying the correction staff are overworked and doing too
much over time. This is an absolute solution to that,
and they don't like that solution either. I mean, it
(13:52):
doesn't pass the reasonableness tests. The everyday territory thinks, yep,
this is a solution to a big problem, and that's
what we're going to do.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Chief.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
I have spoken to numerous corrections officers. Some have said
to me, Katie, I feel like Lea has been doing
a great job despite how overcrowded things are. We've agreed
to the moves that she's been making. But they feel
like this is a kick in the face. They're worried
about safety, and they're worried that they're going to be
left to clean up the mess when things fall apart.
(14:20):
What do you say to those officers who are feeling
like you've let them down.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I think change can sometimes be hard, but this is
not a new thing, Katie. This happens in other jurisdictions,
and it even happens here. For example, in our Supreme Court,
we have the sheriff and the Sheriff's staff are the
ones who look after prisoners in the cells at the
Supreme Court. Now it's just an habitual thing. The Territory's
done is to have police and corrections officers do these transfers.
(14:49):
But it's certainly not the only way this can be done.
So we're not breaking the mold here. This is not
a brand new thing that's happening, and ultimately it's going
to give our corrections officers the time they need actually
working inside our coreational facilities instead of sitting in the
car driving between Darwen and Palmerston and roll Darwin Hospital
every day. So we hear you. This is going to
(15:11):
make their life safer, better, easier and provide that really
important respite that they need.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
All right, Chief Minister, just quickly.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
The Prime Minister last week obviously in Alice Springs with
you announcing eight hundred and forty two point six million
dollars over six years.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's set to deliver.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
The Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment, which includes continuation of
essential services for remote communities including policing, women's safety, education
and alcohol harm reduction. How is this money going to
roll out in a practical way for territorians to.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Seek, Well, that's the detail we've got to go through now, Katie.
We certainly welcome the announcement. This is a lot of
money coming into the territory and it's for really essential services.
We're talking about health services out in the bush. There's
about two hundred million of that allocator for remote policing,
for example, and so now our job is to make
sure as best as we can as a territory, the
(16:07):
federal government are spending that money. Well, we know in
the past we've called for audit to federal spending and
we always get worried about a lack of KPIs around outcomes.
Is it is actually delivering outcomes. But we really welcome
the news. We welcome the Prime Minister into Alice Springs
and we're looking forward to this money hit him the
(16:29):
ground where it needs to go.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
All right, just a very quick one, Chief Minister, from
out in your electorate. We've had a few questions come
through last week in fact, about there being a lot
of rubbish around the place in Palmerston. Now Oki got
in contact with us. He'd actually sent us through some
photos of you know, of of rubbish sort of all
(16:50):
around the place. One of the very highly visible spots
is near Gateway shopping Center there. He's saying, we need
visible policing and what is being done about the homeless
people or the people that are out in that area
just leaving mess everywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, we have had quite a number of complaignts as
local members about things happening in Palmerstand and a meeting
with POKED together early last week amongst the local members
and police and a range of keyy stakeholders. So this
is something we continue to work on. Obviously, our police
numbers aren't we they need to be, and our police
(17:27):
powers up where they need to be either, which is
why we just continue to bring those into the Parliament.
But it is about all services working together and thengos
and also the Council has an important role to play,
so I appreciate everyone sending through the feedback. It's really
important and as local members are exactly the type of
(17:47):
on the ground information we need to be able to
take action.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Chief Finister Leah Finocchiaro will let you go. I know
you've got to get in to deliver that speech. Thank
you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Thank you, Katie, take care everyone.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Thank you
You're listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty.
Now this week is set to be a busy one,
with Parliament sitting for the first time for twenty twenty five.
Some legislation set to be passed and also introduced around
the scrapping of the floor price and big changes when
it comes to corrections. The Chief Minister also set to
deliver her year a head speech this morning, so she
(00:23):
spoke to me a little bit earlier.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Chief Minister, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
To you, Good morning Katie and to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now you are set to deliver your year ahead speech
this morning. You're on your way there.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What are you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hoping that twenty twenty five is going to bring for territorians.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, twenty twenty five is shaping up to be a
great year, Katie, and we want the year to be
framed around three key things, action, certainty and security for territorians.
So we're really looking forward to a bumper years starting
with tomorrow in Parliament where we have a wide range
of legislation ready to go. It's a big year of reform,
(01:02):
but we've got to get this right in order to
put the territory on her best foot forward, and that
is what we're determined to do.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So talk me through some of that legislation and what
you think really needs to to kick off very quickly
in order to try and get the Northern Territory to
prosper well.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
We know that our debt is at eye watering levels, Katie.
We're set to hear the fifteen billion dollar debt ceiling
and you know this is a legacy we've inherited from labor.
So we have to grow our economy if we're going
to give territories every opportunity to have the services that
they expect and deserve, and of course then the opportunities
for themselves and for their kids. So kicking off this week,
(01:43):
we'll have Territory Coordinator legislation introduced into the Parliament. Our
payroll tax reforms should be passed during the parliament tomorrow.
We're also going to be introducing a removal of the
debt ceiling. We've got our Merits Review, which is a
big new announcement from today Katie, where third party Merits
(02:04):
Review will be scrapped from the Petroleum, Water and Planning legislation.
So there's lots going on and there's no time to lose.
We've got to put our best foot forward, including continuing
to keep the pressure on law and order. And I've
also got legislation this week to give police better powers
about entry into premises.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I do just want to ask, in terms of the
third party Merits Review and also the changes and the
legislation there around the Territory Coordinator, there is no doubt
you're going to get some pushback from those you know,
on the more green side of the fence, I guess,
or those that are really quite worried about the environment.
(02:45):
I mean, what do you say to those people that
are listening this morning that have got concerns that this
is going to mean that you know that there could
be projects going through here in the NT that are
maybe going to damage the environment.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's a great question. I'm glad you asked, because what
third party Merits review is is it gives people who
have no actual connection to a project the opportunity to
slow it down through the courts. Now, that doesn't protect
the environment. It's not a type of regulation that ensures
that we've got the right safeguards in place. All it
does is give people with no connection at all the
(03:20):
opportunity to engage in law fare and protract the length
of project times. So what this doesn't do is, I
mean it still protects people who do have a connection
to the project, so they still have all of their
review options, and of course it still maintains judicial review.
But this is about giving certainty to investors that there's
(03:41):
just not going to be this continued obfuscation of projects
because we need them now more than ever.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Chief Finister, there is no doubt that for the Northern
Territory to prosper we need to see some serious changes
when it comes to the issues of crime. Now, early
yesterday we learned a woman had been killed dan Allie Springs,
a thirty nine year old man is in custody. Some
media reporting this is another horrific domestic violence incident.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Is that your understanding.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I've seen the reporting as well, Katie, and I know
that police have apprehended the alleged offender and so more
details I'm sure will come to light over the coming days.
But it's horrific, Katie, and we know this year alone,
we're set to spend thirty six million dollars on prevention
and family and domestic violence. We know it's a major
issue right across the Northern territory. But you know, so
(04:34):
is alcohol, field harm and a range of other things
that are a big part of our plan for this year.
You know, this year we will will next this week
we will be scrapping the minimum flaw price. This year
we will be doing our consultation on what our mandatory
alcohol treatment will look like going forward and review the
ban drinker registers. So there's plenty of work to be
(04:55):
done in the territories, unquestionably and bad shape, Katie, but
there is a way forward and that's why we've got
to stay the course and get it done.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
When do you anticipate that we are really going to
see that domestic violence funding sort of hit the ground
and mean some genuine change in this space.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Well, it's certainly. I mean we're obviously expending a lot
of money right now, but at thirty six million kicks
in up you know when the budget happened in May,
and we hope it makes a huge impact. Of course,
this is about personal responsibility above anything else. Governments can
throw tens of millions of dollars supporting women and children
with safe places to live, We can pay in goos
(05:38):
to deliver behavior or change programs, but at the end
of the day, this is about people, particularly men, standing
up and being responsible for their behavior and how they
treat people. So we'll throw everything at Katie and we
certainly hope that makes a big impact on the numbers.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Chief Finister.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Over the weekend, we also learned the horrific news that
a five year old boy was allegedly raped in a
remote Northern Territory community last week. Its triggered calls for
greater public disclosure of child sexual abuse. Now multiple sources
have confirmed to the Australian newspaper that a nineteen year
old male was arrested and charged following the alleged rape,
(06:17):
which occurred in a small community in the northern part
of the territory near the Gulf of Carpenteria is my
understanding on Tuesday last week. Now the nineteen year old
is set to face the Darwin Local Court today charge
with sexual intercourse of a child under the age of ten,
Chief Minister, it is utterly horrendous.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
The news broke.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Just hours after the Prime Minister was in Alice Springs
making the announcement with you when were you made aware
of this?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Oh, it is absolutely abhorrent. Katie. I was probably made
aware I would stay within about twenty four hours possibly, Katie,
I'd have to go back and check that, but I
just want there's absolute need for transparency in police reporting,
and I'll be the first person to advocate for that.
It's just from time to time police have to be
(07:10):
very careful because the last thing we ever want to
do is to do anything that would jeopardize a conviction.
And so it took the police a couple of days
to put that out into the media, but that's because
they're treading very very carefully to make sure nothing jeopardizes
our opportunity to deliver justice for victims. And I just
(07:32):
that's a really important test that police have to undertake
every single time a crime happens before they put it
out into the public.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Chief Finister, we know today the Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi,
he's going to be delivering his well closing the Gap
speech in Canberra, you know, the same time we've got
this report by Liam Mendez that this case has led
child safety advocates to call for more information to be
made public about is sexual assaults on children to increase
(08:02):
awareness of widespread child abuse in the Northern Territory. I
mean we're i'm e merging a couple of issues here,
but we're talking about closing the gap.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yet we every single week.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Just about I'm reporting on terrible rates of domestic violence
in the Northern Territory, reporting on this horrendous, horrendous sexual
assault of a child under the age of five years old.
I mean, it is like, it's appalling that this kind
of thing is still happening in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh, it is appalling, Katie. There's no sugarcating this stuff.
It's absolutely abhorrent. And that's why a stronger focus on
law and order is required. I know, out of the
funding we received from the federal government that we announced
last week, a big portion of that is for remote policing,
which is incredibly helpful for the territory. But that's why
(08:56):
we walk into Parliament every sittings, Katie, and we're giving
police better powers. That's why we're trying to build prisons
faster than you can blink. You know, we've got to
be putting law in order for and for so long,
I mean for nearly a decade, the rights of people
doing the wrong thing have been put above people's right
to be safe it's just so wrong. That's why we're here, Katie,
(09:19):
and we've got to take all the actions we can
from a legislative, from a policy perspective, and from making
sure our justice system is strong, to make sure that
we're protecting particularly our most vulnerable, our children.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I mean, at the same time, though, you've got these
discussions about closing the gap, and these discussions about the
high incarceration rate of Indigenous people.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I mean, what do you make of that.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, look, you know there's a lot of focus on
closing the gap, and of course that's important, and I
think some people then point to incarceration numbers and sort
of draw the two together. I think the reality is
the law is the law, and people who do the
wrong thing end up in front of the justice system.
That's how it works now. Yes, unfortunately, Aboriginal people are
(10:07):
well and truly overrepresented, and our crime data, you know,
in people in prison. But at the end of the day,
what we need is strong communities. We need people not
to break the law. And that's also why this year,
kad part of our plan is to do the consultation
on what can future local community government look like. The
(10:28):
super Shires have disempowered people living in the bush have
completely failed to create economic growth and opportunities for Aboriginal people.
So this again is something we have to tackle so
that we can deal with those root causes of crime.
And a big part of that is also getting kids
to school at all costs, and our forty seven School
Attendance Officers are really helping go part of the way
(10:51):
there to make sure we are absolutely focused on supporting
young people above everything else.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
All right, Chief Minister, I know you are pressed for time,
but I want to you. Last week, of course, your
government shocked correctional staff across the Northern Territory announcing contractors
are going to be used in a number of roles
across the Northern Territory correction system. Now, when Parliament resumes
this week, I know the Government set to introduce these
targeted amendments to the Correctional Services Act. It is subject
(11:19):
to passage through the Legislative Assembly. But the Commissioner of
Corrections spoke to us on the show on Friday he's
going to have the power to appoint special officers to
supplement the core Correction's workforce. Now, these changes are going
to include the condment of interstate officers and the appointment
of specialist officers. Correctional officers have raised serious concerns about
(11:42):
these changes. They are telling me that this is the
first step they believe in privatizing corrections and they worry
that the appointment of these special officers is going to
mean private security are effectively dealing with some of the
territory's worst criminals. Chief Minister, why are these changes to
corrections happening.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
They're happening because we've got our corrections offices currently spending
one hundred and sixty eight thousand hours every year moving
prisoners back and forward from court to the watchhouse, to
the prison and to hospital. I mean, it's an unbelievable
waste of time and it's contributing to around eleven million
dollars in overtime costs. So that means our corrections officers
(12:25):
aren't getting the rest they need, They're not spending time
at home with their families because they're being called back
on overtime to escort prisoners to hospital, for example, sit
there for four ten hours, two days, whatever it takes
drives them back. Every day. We have police and corrections
shuttling people to and from watchhouses and courts backwards and forwards,
(12:48):
up and down from Darwen and Palmerston every day and
it is a total waste of their time. So by
being able to bring in highly trained professionals to do
those services, we're going to free up literally hundreds of
thousands of hours of correctional officers to be able to
focus on their core job, which is in sign prisons.
(13:08):
And of course that means we also have a much
bigger opportunity to deliver the rehabilitation that we've committed to
focusing on. Because corrections, the actual word is to correct.
Correcting behavior is what our hard working prison officers do,
not very people around like a taxi.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Service, Chief Finister, can you guarantee that you aren't going
to privatize corrections?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Absolutely, Katie, we have no interest in doing that. What
we're interested in is dealing with our crisis. And you know,
the unions can't have it both ways, Katie. They're screaming
out saying the correction staff are overworked and doing too
much over time. This is an absolute solution to that,
and they don't like that solution either. I mean, it
(13:52):
doesn't pass the reasonableness tests. The everyday territory thinks, yep,
this is a solution to a big problem, and that's
what we're going to do.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Chief.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
I have spoken to numerous corrections officers. Some have said
to me, Katie, I feel like Lea has been doing
a great job despite how overcrowded things are. We've agreed
to the moves that she's been making. But they feel
like this is a kick in the face. They're worried
about safety, and they're worried that they're going to be
left to clean up the mess when things fall apart.
(14:20):
What do you say to those officers who are feeling
like you've let them down.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I think change can sometimes be hard, but this is
not a new thing, Katie. This happens in other jurisdictions,
and it even happens here. For example, in our Supreme Court,
we have the sheriff and the Sheriff's staff are the
ones who look after prisoners in the cells at the
Supreme Court. Now it's just an habitual thing. The Territory's
done is to have police and corrections officers do these transfers.
(14:49):
But it's certainly not the only way this can be done.
So we're not breaking the mold here. This is not
a brand new thing that's happening, and ultimately it's going
to give our corrections officers the time they need actually
working inside our coreational facilities instead of sitting in the
car driving between Darwen and Palmerston and roll Darwin Hospital
every day. So we hear you. This is going to
(15:11):
make their life safer, better, easier and provide that really
important respite that they need.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
All right, Chief Minister, just quickly.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
The Prime Minister last week obviously in Alice Springs with
you announcing eight hundred and forty two point six million
dollars over six years.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's set to deliver.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
The Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment, which includes continuation of
essential services for remote communities including policing, women's safety, education
and alcohol harm reduction. How is this money going to
roll out in a practical way for territorians to.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Seek, Well, that's the detail we've got to go through now, Katie.
We certainly welcome the announcement. This is a lot of
money coming into the territory and it's for really essential services.
We're talking about health services out in the bush. There's
about two hundred million of that allocator for remote policing,
for example, and so now our job is to make
sure as best as we can as a territory, the
(16:07):
federal government are spending that money. Well, we know in
the past we've called for audit to federal spending and
we always get worried about a lack of KPIs around outcomes.
Is it is actually delivering outcomes. But we really welcome
the news. We welcome the Prime Minister into Alice Springs
and we're looking forward to this money hit him the
(16:29):
ground where it needs to go.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
All right, just a very quick one, Chief Minister, from
out in your electorate. We've had a few questions come
through last week in fact, about there being a lot
of rubbish around the place in Palmerston. Now Oki got
in contact with us. He'd actually sent us through some
photos of you know, of of rubbish sort of all
(16:50):
around the place. One of the very highly visible spots
is near Gateway shopping Center there. He's saying, we need
visible policing and what is being done about the homeless
people or the people that are out in that area
just leaving mess everywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, we have had quite a number of complaignts as
local members about things happening in Palmerstand and a meeting
with POKED together early last week amongst the local members
and police and a range of keyy stakeholders. So this
is something we continue to work on. Obviously, our police
numbers aren't we they need to be, and our police
(17:27):
powers up where they need to be either, which is
why we just continue to bring those into the Parliament.
But it is about all services working together and thengos
and also the Council has an important role to play,
so I appreciate everyone sending through the feedback. It's really
important and as local members are exactly the type of
(17:47):
on the ground information we need to be able to
take action.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Chief Finister Leah Finocchiaro will let you go. I know
you've got to get in to deliver that speech. Thank
you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Thank you, Katie, take care everyone.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Thank you
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