Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But as you've heard, the Chief Justice of the Supreme
(00:02):
Court of the Northern Territory yesterday took the unprecedented step
of issuing a statement in response to public commentary concerning
the grant of bail to the teenager ten days ago.
I mean, we've covered the situation extensively, but that statement
relates to the concerns that we have spoken about on
this show for several days about the team not only
(00:23):
being granted bail, but the taxpayer footing the bill for
a seven thousand dollars charter flight to attend his grandfather's funeral. Now,
the statement was no doubt intended to provide some explanation
around the decision, and, according to that statement, outline the
conventions that limit the matter and extent to which judges
are able to participate in debate about decisions that they've made.
(00:46):
It continued to say that some of the commentary and
criticism misunderstands the considerations that the courts are required to
take into account when determining whether to grant compassionate bail
to youths on Remand the problem is the statement raised
many more questions from you, our listeners. Now, I will
just say There's been a small update on that statement
(01:09):
as well from the courts, and it says that paragraph
twelve of the statement issued by the Chief Justice yesterday
morning stated the bail was granted on the seventeenth of
February on condition, amongst others, that the youth would be
accompanied to Lajamanu by a NAJA through care officer. That
condition was amended on the morning of travel on the
(01:31):
nineteenth of February to substitute an officer from the Department
of Children and Families for the NAJA officer. As stated
in the press release issued by NAJA on the twentieth
of February, the youth was not accompanied on the flight
or in the community by any NAJA personnel. So I'll
(01:51):
have to have another read through that to make sense
of exactly what that means. But look, joining me in
the studio right now is the Deputy Chief Minister. He's
also the Minister for Corrections and Renewables and various other portfolios.
Jared Maylee, thanks so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Good morning Katie and good morning listeners.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Now, Minister, we did obviously invite you on to talk
corrections and renewables, but I do want to ask you
about this statement that was issued yesterday by the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Have
you seen that statement and what was your reaction to
the issuing of it.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, Katie, I have seen that statement. I've read through
it a number of times and ultimately it's a matter
for the court to make a statement from them and
they can do that's their own wish. They can do that,
and we do have the separation of power, so the
judge of the Jutiary is separate to the Parliament, so
he's quite the rights to do that. But ultimately, I
think Katie, in my view, this whole event really just
doesn't pass the pub test. This gone out there, he's
(02:45):
made a decision and just a matter of fact, he's
got to justify that position. To me, seems there's a
problem with it. And I've spoken to many people in
the community about this and people are outraged, and so
they should be. Why is the taxpayer money used to
do this. I've heard of stories to other people haven't
been able to go to funerals because they couldn't afford it.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Well, this is the thing everyday Territorians, you know, they
are saying, well, hang on a second, Do I need
to be locked up to then be able to attend
a funeral? And then is it going to be covered?
Are the travel costs going to be covered by the taxpayer?
So that's certainly the reaction to it. I've no doubt
that the issuing of this statement, like the intent of it,
was to provide that context to territorians about the reasoning
(03:24):
behind the granting of the bail for this team, this team.
But like I said, it's raised more questions I think
for listeners rather than answers. Now, if I understand this correctly,
from that statement, Corrections didn't actually approve Youth Justice officers
to accompany this young person, so the Department of Children
and Families took responsibility. Have you been briefed on why
(03:47):
Corrections didn't accompany him?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yes, I have, Kay, And I got to my department
and what they've told me, and they said that they
are asked to do an assessment and they assessed it
it's too high risk. So they said that they weren't
going to do it because the risk is too high.
So they said, no, they're not going to escort this prisoner.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So Hong on a second, So the Department of Corrections
have said this teenager is too high risk, so we're
not going to escort him to the funeral.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
So what happened next? So the judge determined or up, Well,
if Corrections, who are actually the appropriate people to transport
this person aren't going to do it, We'll find someone else.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I wasn't in the court.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I don't know, but I can certainly assure you that
there was an assessment done by the Youth Justice, which
is our Apartment of Corrections as too high risks, so
they're not going to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Like this is a whole other element to it that
people are going to be going, well, hang on a second,
so Corrections have said this is too dangerous, yet somehow
we've still allowed the team to be bailed to attend.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Exactly right, And like I said, I wasn't in the court,
and it's up to the court to consider and put
and wait whatever applications and submissions are before that court.
And Katie, I've been in the court many times. I've
done mail applications myself, so I know exactly what submissions
would have been said, and I know that the prosecution
would have had an opportunity to and they would have
been discussions about making and then the Judge Olden makes
a decision. But what I can say is that as
(05:12):
part of those submissions, somewhere along the lines it would
have been put to the judge that the Youth Justice
have assessed it and it's too high risk, and then
the court has made a decision based on that to
appoint someone else who who would have to say, would
not be in the same situation to be able to
assess the risk.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And remember, Youth Justice do a great job. That's what
they do professionally. They do it. They do every day.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
They escort people, They move people from the prison to
the court and to hospital and all around the Northern Territory.
And they assessed it as too high risk. That says
something in itself.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It does, I mean to me, it does say something.
And again I think it's going to be another element
of this whole situation that people are going hang on
a second, why did this, you know, why did this happen?
And why was this allowed? I mean, one of the
other things which was also outlined in the statement is
that courts frequently grant compassionate bail to adults and to
you in custody. I mean, as the minister responsible for prisons,
(06:04):
do you have any idea how often this happens.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Look, I've asked my department to do an urgent review
in relation to this. But what I can say the
normal practice in the adult prison is if you do
get the compassionate leave, your family or friends are required
to pay for the transport.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
So if you're in the adult prison and you're going
to go to your funeral, and you can convince the
commissioner on passionate grounds. And remember, Katie, there could be
someone who's been in custody for ten years and the
last year work through the whole system, and they're an
open rated prisoner.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Who are people at mown the lawns?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, the people are absolutely Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So they're open.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Rated prisoners and they could be in the last year.
So you're talking about reintegration because we are trying to
break their cycle of offending. So it does happen, but
it's not very often. My understanding is, but in the
adult prison, if you do get it, the tax payer
doesn't pay.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So you know, look for me, I'm very sympathetic when
there is a loss of life and when you do
need to attend a funeral. I understand that that's going
to happen from time to time. There's going to be
situations where prisoners, whether they're youths or whether they're adults,
where they do need to attend a funeral. And there's
going to be times where a judge is going to
have to make a very difficult decision as to whether
somebody is safe enough to be allowed out into the
(07:14):
community to do that. Now, from what I can gather
based on the statement that was issued yesterday, it really
doesn't seem to me that anybody really thought that the
youth was not at risk of absconding. I mean, that's
why I'm assuming the DPP opposed this from happening. That's
why corrections officers as you've just revealed, or youth justice
officers as you've just revealed on the show, you know,
(07:36):
didn't approve and didn't go. But I mean, look, the
main thing here is people are going to be going, well,
why did we also pay for it? And from what
you've said for adult corrections, you know, prisoners, they've got
to foot the bill themselves. What happens with other youths?
Like we are we paying for youths at other times too.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Well, Look, I'm not sure how the court does that be,
because ultimately it's really a matter for the court to
make the decision. But from what I understand is that
in the Youth Justice facility there is an offering for
it and it has to be made by the courts
or you can apply to the Commissioner as well to
do that. But it really comes back down to the
risk assessment. Is this person safe, like I said, is
(08:19):
it an open rated prisoner as a low rated prisoner
or it's a maximum rated prisoner. Do you have to
have more prison guards and do they have to be
in shackles? I don't know, but that's what the commissioner
using his wisdom and.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He's experienced the sides.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah, and we know in this case they are assessed
as unsuitable, too high risk, and yet it's still got
to happen. So we just need to get that balanced
right because it is compassion and people do go to
funerals and they do have people go to hospital yep,
and I think it's reasonable to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
But as you touched on.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Before, the costs, absolutely, the cost and also what security
rating they are has a huge part to play. As well, Jared,
I do want to ask you, do you have any idea.
I mean, when you look at this type of thing
that's happened. I know that you guys have been in
power now for six months around six months. Do you
have any idea whether there is a budget that's set
(09:08):
aside within corrections for things like bereavement and people being
able to travel away for funerals, particularly in the youth prison,
if that's where it seems to be happening.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Look, I can't answer that question right now, but I
do know that the Youth Justice and the Corrections do
have budgets that it does happen, but it's all based
on a risk assessment to make sure that and it's
about integrating back into the community. Like I said, open
rated prisoner who maybe has been sentenced for ten years
in the last year or last two years, going back
into community. And like I said, these people are at
(09:40):
mowing the lawns out picking up rubbish. So you work together.
You don't just become an opera prison. You've got to
work towards it. So we need to get that balance right.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
We do need to get it right. I mean, the
thing is here though we are alarm bells of rung
on this not only at the cost of that youth
attending the funeral, but also at the fact that he
was involved in an incredibly serious incident. That people do
not feel that it meets their standard of what is appropriate,
(10:09):
and I can understand why. And as I said, obviously
then we received this statement yesterday more questions I believe
being raised rather than answered. But I also want to
ask you about a report by Matt Cunningham yesterday that
the Northern Territory government and the judiciary there are at
loggerheads over a plan to hold court hearings on prison grounds.
Now senior government and legal sources have confirmed that the
(10:31):
COLP has been working on a proposal for the local
court to sit on the prison property and it seeks
to reduce a massive backlog, of course in cases that
are clogging up the courts and prisons. Does I mean
we're doing this? Do you think that it would be workable?
As the minister that's responsible for the prisons.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yes, it could be workable.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But remember, Kadie, we are dealing with eight years of
labor with a soft on crime approach. They haven't invested
in the prison system. They haven't invested in the court system,
and that's where we are at the moment. But all
I can say is nothing is off the table. And
if we just remain the same the status COO's not
going to work. It's not going to get better. We're
elected in August last year to keep the community safe,
(11:12):
to rebuild economy and to restore our lifestyle, and that's
all we intend to do. All options are on the
table here. We want to make sure that the community
is safe and when you get the balance right, but
it's just important that we go out and we consider
the big picture here, what is the best for the territory?
What is best for territory?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Do you reckon holding some of these hearings at the
prison obviously not behind the wire, but out there on
the prison grounds. Do you reckon it could ease some
of that backlog that we've currently got.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yes, it does, remember, but if they do.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Bush courts right across the Northern Charity and I've been
out on those bush courts where you go out into
a community and you literally I've been to where the
where the judge sits behind a plastic table, there's plastic chairs,
and then the court it's all recorded. It's just it's
an open court and anyone can go there, so it
doesn't have to be in a court room. What we
want to try and do is make sure that we
can deal with the batlog because we know, I'm exploring,
(11:59):
prison is back and forth is time consuming and expensive
and if we can deal with it on the spot,
well we can have a.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Go at it.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
So it's absolutely on the table, then.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
That nothing's off the table. But what is definitely not
off the table is we are going to keep the
community safe. That's our main goal.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Hey, did you end up meeting with the union earlier
in the week, the United Workers' Union in relation to
the concerns that have been raised, of course by prison officers.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Yes, I did meet with the union representatives and my
view went, well, we're going to open up a communication
channel and I've asked them to write with me with
their concerns and I'm assuming they're doing that right now.
I haven't seen that correspondence. But look, I want to
try and get what's best for the territory, Katie, and
dealing and just ignoring one side is not what I'm
going to do. I'm going to try and talk as
(12:44):
many people as possible, and we did have to say
that we agree to disagree. Yeah, straight, But that's what
it's about. How it's about having adult conversation about trying
to get the territory in a better place.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
How did that discussion go between you and the union
head eron or early? I know there've been some barbs
slung at each other ear the week, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Look, what I can say is that we're both adults
and we both want to what's best for the territory.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So you don't reckon she's just a union hack.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Well, look, I'm going to say that we're both adults
and we are going to continue our communication.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
All right, let's move along slightly, I mean still in
this space, though, Where do you go to from here?
If you've got correction stuff saying that they don't have
confidence in the commissioner.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Look, why not say upfront, I have one hundred percent
commonence in the commissioner. I support him one hundred percent,
and I support his executive team. But I also support
the prison officers. They do a great job. And I've
been hearing over the last six months that there's been
a staff shortage right across the territory and a matter
of what area in corrections in community justice. So what
(13:47):
we've done, if we made some legislation to be able
to deal with that, This is no one's going to
lose their job, Katie. This is about a surge workforce
to be able to come in and help the prison
officers do their job. They are doing a great job
under tremendous pressure. They're dealing with some really, really bad people,
and they deserve to go home safely as well.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
I'm just thinking out loud here. I mean, obviously, in
the situation with the team that was granted bail to
attend the funeral, correction staff deemed or Youth justice staff
deemed that it was too dangerous to or you know,
too high risk to be able to escort that person.
So what we ended up with, I guess, is a
situation where other departmental staff and NARJER staff have then
(14:27):
gone with that young person. Are you worried that, you know,
we are talking about the transporting of a youth prisoner,
but obviously with the changes happening with corrections, we're talking
about the transporting of adult prisoners. Are you worried that
if we do go from those specialist trained officers like
we've spoken about before to now to those you know
private sort of private officers that I know they're going
(14:48):
to have to have training, Do you think we will
see any more of this absconding?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Look, ultimately, what I can say is these special prison
officers are going to have the experience and the qualifications.
This happened right across the Northern Cherity, and I can't
stand here and say no, the's ever going to get
away again. Because people do break out of prisons, they
break out a watchhouse. I think they've done it twice here.
So that's just the nature of the game. It's not
a perfect world. But what I can say and assured
prison officers, we are going to make sure that anyone
(15:14):
who comes into the prison officer system is going to
be qualified and it's got the suitable skills and experience
to do the job properly.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
All right, minister, let's put your renewables hat on. I
know there's still a lot to talk about, but I
want to ask you. You're out yesterday making an announcement
around solar What were you announcing? So?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I was just giving an update to how our home
and battery business scheme is going well. It's going really
good at the moment, Katie, because what we want to
try and do is give people an opportunity to be
their own virtual power plan here where they have the
solar panels on the roof, the battery are in their
shed or in their home somewhere, and then they can
run off that system and that will ultimately reduce the
(15:51):
power bills because they can have the solos during the day,
the solo can also charge your batteries and then when
it comes to nighttime, the batteries can operate the house.
Because we know that there's a cost of living crisis
and this will help people go down because what the
COLP did when we come into powers we double the
amount of money from three million to six million dollars
in the pool and we also the battery grant went
from five to twelve thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Now, Minister, every day we get messages about this feed
in Tariff and the time, so I've got one here.
Andrew has just messaged through it says, hi, Katie, can
you ask mister Maylee why the solar feed in Tariff
is only being doubled from three until eight pm and
not during more daylight hours. If it is solar generation related,
(16:34):
you may have covered it, but please ask again.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Look, that's the peak time in relation to what power
and water to say the usage is and we need
to get the grid right.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Should it be peak time of when the sun's actually
out though.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Well, it's about getting the grid stable and allowing people
to have and that's why we double the battery bonus
to be able to have the battery becuse we understand
cost of living is a real pressure on families across
and on the territory, and what we're trying to do
is make it so, like I said, you can have
your own little power plane at home and you can
run and reduce the costs because we've got to make
sure the grid's stable. And there's been a massive underspent
(17:09):
over many years in relations to the grid and it
just needs to be get that balance right again.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Well, Rob contacted us yesterday. He called through about that
solar feed in tariff, asking why again why it's been
doubled from three till eight, saying it's pointless once the
sun goes down from seven till nine. He reckons he
signed a contract under the original offer which was which
was that feed in or the parody being feed in
and feed out at twenty three point five cents for both,
(17:37):
So doubling it still isn't back to what it used
to be.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Well, look, we know that Labor come out and said
that they were going to grandfather those people and keep that.
Then they broke that promise, and then what they also
did is they reduced a battery bonus from six down
to five.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Have you guys broken a promise though? Did you say
that you were going to make it you know better
than what you actually have.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
No, we've always said that we're going to double the
feed in tariff during peak times. That was in the
electrical commitment and that's been said many times by all
SELPY representatives. So that's what our promise has been. We've
committed to that, and we've delivered, and over three hundred
people have accept those applications and I think eighty percent
of those have been processed and there was one hundred
(18:16):
and ninety four just in December.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Lane, So to anybody listening this morning that's going this
isn't what I thought it was going to be. Is
it just tough cookies?
Speaker 3 (18:23):
They got to go with it the way it is, Well, Look,
it's not tough cookies. We've got to get the balance
right about trying to keep the majority of the territory
of the lights on and also allow people to have
their own solar panels and battery system.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Is that more the issue here that if you go
the other way, or if you give you know, if
there are more hours that the system just can't cope.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Well, Look, the system is a very technical system, and
I'm really speaking above what I know about it, but
I know that there's been a lack of infrastructure right
across the Northern Territory in prisons and in courts and
in power and water. And every time we've uncovered something
in the last six months, every rock we open, Katie,
and we're trying to fix it.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Well, Minister, look at there so much to cover off
on this morning. I really appreciate your time. But before
I let you go, I know that as the Minister
for Agriculture and Fisheries, there is indeed an announcement this
morning bolstering the territory's biosecurity preparedness with the launch of Burt.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Who's Burt Okay out there this morning. What Bird is
is a biosecurity response trailer. So what it's designed to
do is allow the officers to go out if there's
an incursion, because we know we've got foot in mouth
and lumpy skins jest to the north of us. We
know that bird flu H five is just to the
north of us. So what this is going to allow
those officers to go out into the field if they
(19:39):
get a call and hopefully contain it and at least
take the samples off it and just have a better
reaction and more quicker reaction time. And the other part
of it too, Katie, is it's going to be used
as an educational tool to go around through schools into
the shows. Because people out there in the community, our
eyes and ears.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
We don't have many.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
People out there because we've got such a vast space
and a small population. So what was going to do
do we want people to know if they see an
incursion or they see sick animals as doesn't look right,
there's one eight hundred number to call and we want
people to know what to do about that situation.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Well, Minister Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for various portfolios, I
think we pretty much covered them all this morning. Jared Maylie,
thank you so very much for your time, much appreciated.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Thank you, Katie, thank you
But as you've heard, the Chief Justice of the Supreme
(00:02):
Court of the Northern Territory yesterday took the unprecedented step
of issuing a statement in response to public commentary concerning
the grant of bail to the teenager ten days ago.
I mean, we've covered the situation extensively, but that statement
relates to the concerns that we have spoken about on
this show for several days about the team not only
(00:23):
being granted bail, but the taxpayer footing the bill for
a seven thousand dollars charter flight to attend his grandfather's funeral. Now,
the statement was no doubt intended to provide some explanation
around the decision, and, according to that statement, outline the
conventions that limit the matter and extent to which judges
are able to participate in debate about decisions that they've made.
(00:46):
It continued to say that some of the commentary and
criticism misunderstands the considerations that the courts are required to
take into account when determining whether to grant compassionate bail
to youths on Remand the problem is the statement raised
many more questions from you, our listeners. Now, I will
just say There's been a small update on that statement
(01:09):
as well from the courts, and it says that paragraph
twelve of the statement issued by the Chief Justice yesterday
morning stated the bail was granted on the seventeenth of
February on condition, amongst others, that the youth would be
accompanied to Lajamanu by a NAJA through care officer. That
condition was amended on the morning of travel on the
(01:31):
nineteenth of February to substitute an officer from the Department
of Children and Families for the NAJA officer. As stated
in the press release issued by NAJA on the twentieth
of February, the youth was not accompanied on the flight
or in the community by any NAJA personnel. So I'll
(01:51):
have to have another read through that to make sense
of exactly what that means. But look, joining me in
the studio right now is the Deputy Chief Minister. He's
also the Minister for Corrections and Renewables and various other portfolios.
Jared Maylee, thanks so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Good morning Katie and good morning listeners.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Now, Minister, we did obviously invite you on to talk
corrections and renewables, but I do want to ask you
about this statement that was issued yesterday by the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Have
you seen that statement and what was your reaction to
the issuing of it.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, Katie, I have seen that statement. I've read through
it a number of times and ultimately it's a matter
for the court to make a statement from them and
they can do that's their own wish. They can do that,
and we do have the separation of power, so the
judge of the Jutiary is separate to the Parliament, so
he's quite the rights to do that. But ultimately, I
think Katie, in my view, this whole event really just
doesn't pass the pub test. This gone out there, he's
(02:45):
made a decision and just a matter of fact, he's
got to justify that position. To me, seems there's a
problem with it. And I've spoken to many people in
the community about this and people are outraged, and so
they should be. Why is the taxpayer money used to
do this. I've heard of stories to other people haven't
been able to go to funerals because they couldn't afford it.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Well, this is the thing everyday Territorians, you know, they
are saying, well, hang on a second, Do I need
to be locked up to then be able to attend
a funeral? And then is it going to be covered?
Are the travel costs going to be covered by the taxpayer?
So that's certainly the reaction to it. I've no doubt
that the issuing of this statement, like the intent of it,
was to provide that context to territorians about the reasoning
(03:24):
behind the granting of the bail for this team, this team.
But like I said, it's raised more questions I think
for listeners rather than answers. Now, if I understand this correctly,
from that statement, Corrections didn't actually approve Youth Justice officers
to accompany this young person, so the Department of Children
and Families took responsibility. Have you been briefed on why
(03:47):
Corrections didn't accompany him?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yes, I have, Kay, And I got to my department
and what they've told me, and they said that they
are asked to do an assessment and they assessed it
it's too high risk. So they said that they weren't
going to do it because the risk is too high.
So they said, no, they're not going to escort this prisoner.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So Hong on a second, So the Department of Corrections
have said this teenager is too high risk, so we're
not going to escort him to the funeral.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
So what happened next? So the judge determined or up, Well,
if Corrections, who are actually the appropriate people to transport
this person aren't going to do it, We'll find someone else.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I wasn't in the court.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I don't know, but I can certainly assure you that
there was an assessment done by the Youth Justice, which
is our Apartment of Corrections as too high risks, so
they're not going to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Like this is a whole other element to it that
people are going to be going, well, hang on a second,
so Corrections have said this is too dangerous, yet somehow
we've still allowed the team to be bailed to attend.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Exactly right, And like I said, I wasn't in the court,
and it's up to the court to consider and put
and wait whatever applications and submissions are before that court.
And Katie, I've been in the court many times. I've
done mail applications myself, so I know exactly what submissions
would have been said, and I know that the prosecution
would have had an opportunity to and they would have
been discussions about making and then the Judge Olden makes
a decision. But what I can say is that as
(05:12):
part of those submissions, somewhere along the lines it would
have been put to the judge that the Youth Justice
have assessed it and it's too high risk, and then
the court has made a decision based on that to
appoint someone else who who would have to say, would
not be in the same situation to be able to
assess the risk.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And remember, Youth Justice do a great job. That's what
they do professionally. They do it. They do every day.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
They escort people, They move people from the prison to
the court and to hospital and all around the Northern Territory.
And they assessed it as too high risk. That says
something in itself.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It does, I mean to me, it does say something.
And again I think it's going to be another element
of this whole situation that people are going hang on
a second, why did this, you know, why did this happen?
And why was this allowed? I mean, one of the
other things which was also outlined in the statement is
that courts frequently grant compassionate bail to adults and to
you in custody. I mean, as the minister responsible for prisons,
(06:04):
do you have any idea how often this happens.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Look, I've asked my department to do an urgent review
in relation to this. But what I can say the
normal practice in the adult prison is if you do
get the compassionate leave, your family or friends are required
to pay for the transport.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
So if you're in the adult prison and you're going
to go to your funeral, and you can convince the
commissioner on passionate grounds. And remember, Katie, there could be
someone who's been in custody for ten years and the
last year work through the whole system, and they're an
open rated prisoner.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Who are people at mown the lawns?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, the people are absolutely Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So they're open.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Rated prisoners and they could be in the last year.
So you're talking about reintegration because we are trying to
break their cycle of offending. So it does happen, but
it's not very often. My understanding is, but in the
adult prison, if you do get it, the tax payer
doesn't pay.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So you know, look for me, I'm very sympathetic when
there is a loss of life and when you do
need to attend a funeral. I understand that that's going
to happen from time to time. There's going to be
situations where prisoners, whether they're youths or whether they're adults,
where they do need to attend a funeral. And there's
going to be times where a judge is going to
have to make a very difficult decision as to whether
somebody is safe enough to be allowed out into the
(07:14):
community to do that. Now, from what I can gather
based on the statement that was issued yesterday, it really
doesn't seem to me that anybody really thought that the
youth was not at risk of absconding. I mean, that's
why I'm assuming the DPP opposed this from happening. That's
why corrections officers as you've just revealed, or youth justice
officers as you've just revealed on the show, you know,
(07:36):
didn't approve and didn't go. But I mean, look, the
main thing here is people are going to be going, well,
why did we also pay for it? And from what
you've said for adult corrections, you know, prisoners, they've got
to foot the bill themselves. What happens with other youths?
Like we are we paying for youths at other times too.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Well, Look, I'm not sure how the court does that be,
because ultimately it's really a matter for the court to
make the decision. But from what I understand is that
in the Youth Justice facility there is an offering for
it and it has to be made by the courts
or you can apply to the Commissioner as well to
do that. But it really comes back down to the
risk assessment. Is this person safe, like I said, is
(08:19):
it an open rated prisoner as a low rated prisoner
or it's a maximum rated prisoner. Do you have to
have more prison guards and do they have to be
in shackles? I don't know, but that's what the commissioner
using his wisdom and.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He's experienced the sides.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah, and we know in this case they are assessed
as unsuitable, too high risk, and yet it's still got
to happen. So we just need to get that balanced
right because it is compassion and people do go to
funerals and they do have people go to hospital yep,
and I think it's reasonable to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
But as you touched on.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Before, the costs, absolutely, the cost and also what security
rating they are has a huge part to play. As well, Jared,
I do want to ask you, do you have any idea.
I mean, when you look at this type of thing
that's happened. I know that you guys have been in
power now for six months around six months. Do you
have any idea whether there is a budget that's set
(09:08):
aside within corrections for things like bereavement and people being
able to travel away for funerals, particularly in the youth prison,
if that's where it seems to be happening.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Look, I can't answer that question right now, but I
do know that the Youth Justice and the Corrections do
have budgets that it does happen, but it's all based
on a risk assessment to make sure that and it's
about integrating back into the community. Like I said, open
rated prisoner who maybe has been sentenced for ten years
in the last year or last two years, going back
into community. And like I said, these people are at
(09:40):
mowing the lawns out picking up rubbish. So you work together.
You don't just become an opera prison. You've got to
work towards it. So we need to get that balance right.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
We do need to get it right. I mean, the
thing is here though we are alarm bells of rung
on this not only at the cost of that youth
attending the funeral, but also at the fact that he
was involved in an incredibly serious incident. That people do
not feel that it meets their standard of what is appropriate,
(10:09):
and I can understand why. And as I said, obviously
then we received this statement yesterday more questions I believe
being raised rather than answered. But I also want to
ask you about a report by Matt Cunningham yesterday that
the Northern Territory government and the judiciary there are at
loggerheads over a plan to hold court hearings on prison grounds.
Now senior government and legal sources have confirmed that the
(10:31):
COLP has been working on a proposal for the local
court to sit on the prison property and it seeks
to reduce a massive backlog, of course in cases that
are clogging up the courts and prisons. Does I mean
we're doing this? Do you think that it would be workable?
As the minister that's responsible for the prisons.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yes, it could be workable.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But remember, Kadie, we are dealing with eight years of
labor with a soft on crime approach. They haven't invested
in the prison system. They haven't invested in the court system,
and that's where we are at the moment. But all
I can say is nothing is off the table. And
if we just remain the same the status COO's not
going to work. It's not going to get better. We're
elected in August last year to keep the community safe,
(11:12):
to rebuild economy and to restore our lifestyle, and that's
all we intend to do. All options are on the
table here. We want to make sure that the community
is safe and when you get the balance right, but
it's just important that we go out and we consider
the big picture here, what is the best for the territory?
What is best for territory?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Do you reckon holding some of these hearings at the
prison obviously not behind the wire, but out there on
the prison grounds. Do you reckon it could ease some
of that backlog that we've currently got.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yes, it does, remember, but if they do.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Bush courts right across the Northern Charity and I've been
out on those bush courts where you go out into
a community and you literally I've been to where the
where the judge sits behind a plastic table, there's plastic chairs,
and then the court it's all recorded. It's just it's
an open court and anyone can go there, so it
doesn't have to be in a court room. What we
want to try and do is make sure that we
can deal with the batlog because we know, I'm exploring,
(11:59):
prison is back and forth is time consuming and expensive
and if we can deal with it on the spot,
well we can have a.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Go at it.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
So it's absolutely on the table, then.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
That nothing's off the table. But what is definitely not
off the table is we are going to keep the
community safe. That's our main goal.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Hey, did you end up meeting with the union earlier
in the week, the United Workers' Union in relation to
the concerns that have been raised, of course by prison officers.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Yes, I did meet with the union representatives and my
view went, well, we're going to open up a communication
channel and I've asked them to write with me with
their concerns and I'm assuming they're doing that right now.
I haven't seen that correspondence. But look, I want to
try and get what's best for the territory, Katie, and
dealing and just ignoring one side is not what I'm
going to do. I'm going to try and talk as
(12:44):
many people as possible, and we did have to say
that we agree to disagree. Yeah, straight, But that's what
it's about. How it's about having adult conversation about trying
to get the territory in a better place.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
How did that discussion go between you and the union
head eron or early? I know there've been some barbs
slung at each other ear the week, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Look, what I can say is that we're both adults
and we both want to what's best for the territory.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So you don't reckon she's just a union hack.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Well, look, I'm going to say that we're both adults
and we are going to continue our communication.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
All right, let's move along slightly, I mean still in
this space, though, Where do you go to from here?
If you've got correction stuff saying that they don't have
confidence in the commissioner.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Look, why not say upfront, I have one hundred percent
commonence in the commissioner. I support him one hundred percent,
and I support his executive team. But I also support
the prison officers. They do a great job. And I've
been hearing over the last six months that there's been
a staff shortage right across the territory and a matter
of what area in corrections in community justice. So what
(13:47):
we've done, if we made some legislation to be able
to deal with that, This is no one's going to
lose their job, Katie. This is about a surge workforce
to be able to come in and help the prison
officers do their job. They are doing a great job
under tremendous pressure. They're dealing with some really, really bad people,
and they deserve to go home safely as well.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
I'm just thinking out loud here. I mean, obviously, in
the situation with the team that was granted bail to
attend the funeral, correction staff deemed or Youth justice staff
deemed that it was too dangerous to or you know,
too high risk to be able to escort that person.
So what we ended up with, I guess, is a
situation where other departmental staff and NARJER staff have then
(14:27):
gone with that young person. Are you worried that, you know,
we are talking about the transporting of a youth prisoner,
but obviously with the changes happening with corrections, we're talking
about the transporting of adult prisoners. Are you worried that
if we do go from those specialist trained officers like
we've spoken about before to now to those you know
private sort of private officers that I know they're going
(14:48):
to have to have training, Do you think we will
see any more of this absconding?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Look, ultimately, what I can say is these special prison
officers are going to have the experience and the qualifications.
This happened right across the Northern Cherity, and I can't
stand here and say no, the's ever going to get
away again. Because people do break out of prisons, they
break out a watchhouse. I think they've done it twice here.
So that's just the nature of the game. It's not
a perfect world. But what I can say and assured
prison officers, we are going to make sure that anyone
(15:14):
who comes into the prison officer system is going to
be qualified and it's got the suitable skills and experience
to do the job properly.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
All right, minister, let's put your renewables hat on. I
know there's still a lot to talk about, but I
want to ask you. You're out yesterday making an announcement
around solar What were you announcing? So?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I was just giving an update to how our home
and battery business scheme is going well. It's going really
good at the moment, Katie, because what we want to
try and do is give people an opportunity to be
their own virtual power plan here where they have the
solar panels on the roof, the battery are in their
shed or in their home somewhere, and then they can
run off that system and that will ultimately reduce the
(15:51):
power bills because they can have the solos during the day,
the solo can also charge your batteries and then when
it comes to nighttime, the batteries can operate the house.
Because we know that there's a cost of living crisis
and this will help people go down because what the
COLP did when we come into powers we double the
amount of money from three million to six million dollars
in the pool and we also the battery grant went
from five to twelve thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Now, Minister, every day we get messages about this feed
in Tariff and the time, so I've got one here.
Andrew has just messaged through it says, hi, Katie, can
you ask mister Maylee why the solar feed in Tariff
is only being doubled from three until eight pm and
not during more daylight hours. If it is solar generation related,
(16:34):
you may have covered it, but please ask again.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Look, that's the peak time in relation to what power
and water to say the usage is and we need
to get the grid right.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Should it be peak time of when the sun's actually
out though.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Well, it's about getting the grid stable and allowing people
to have and that's why we double the battery bonus
to be able to have the battery becuse we understand
cost of living is a real pressure on families across
and on the territory, and what we're trying to do
is make it so, like I said, you can have
your own little power plane at home and you can
run and reduce the costs because we've got to make
sure the grid's stable. And there's been a massive underspent
(17:09):
over many years in relations to the grid and it
just needs to be get that balance right again.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Well, Rob contacted us yesterday. He called through about that
solar feed in tariff, asking why again why it's been
doubled from three till eight, saying it's pointless once the
sun goes down from seven till nine. He reckons he
signed a contract under the original offer which was which
was that feed in or the parody being feed in
and feed out at twenty three point five cents for both,
(17:37):
So doubling it still isn't back to what it used
to be.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Well, look, we know that Labor come out and said
that they were going to grandfather those people and keep that.
Then they broke that promise, and then what they also
did is they reduced a battery bonus from six down
to five.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Have you guys broken a promise though? Did you say
that you were going to make it you know better
than what you actually have.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
No, we've always said that we're going to double the
feed in tariff during peak times. That was in the
electrical commitment and that's been said many times by all
SELPY representatives. So that's what our promise has been. We've
committed to that, and we've delivered, and over three hundred
people have accept those applications and I think eighty percent
of those have been processed and there was one hundred
(18:16):
and ninety four just in December.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Lane, So to anybody listening this morning that's going this
isn't what I thought it was going to be. Is
it just tough cookies?
Speaker 3 (18:23):
They got to go with it the way it is, Well, Look,
it's not tough cookies. We've got to get the balance
right about trying to keep the majority of the territory
of the lights on and also allow people to have
their own solar panels and battery system.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Is that more the issue here that if you go
the other way, or if you give you know, if
there are more hours that the system just can't cope.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Well, Look, the system is a very technical system, and
I'm really speaking above what I know about it, but
I know that there's been a lack of infrastructure right
across the Northern Territory in prisons and in courts and
in power and water. And every time we've uncovered something
in the last six months, every rock we open, Katie,
and we're trying to fix it.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Well, Minister, look at there so much to cover off
on this morning. I really appreciate your time. But before
I let you go, I know that as the Minister
for Agriculture and Fisheries, there is indeed an announcement this
morning bolstering the territory's biosecurity preparedness with the launch of Burt.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Who's Burt Okay out there this morning. What Bird is
is a biosecurity response trailer. So what it's designed to
do is allow the officers to go out if there's
an incursion, because we know we've got foot in mouth
and lumpy skins jest to the north of us. We
know that bird flu H five is just to the
north of us. So what this is going to allow
those officers to go out into the field if they
(19:39):
get a call and hopefully contain it and at least
take the samples off it and just have a better
reaction and more quicker reaction time. And the other part
of it too, Katie, is it's going to be used
as an educational tool to go around through schools into
the shows. Because people out there in the community, our
eyes and ears.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
We don't have many.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
People out there because we've got such a vast space
and a small population. So what was going to do
do we want people to know if they see an
incursion or they see sick animals as doesn't look right,
there's one eight hundred number to call and we want
people to know what to do about that situation.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Well, Minister Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for various portfolios, I
think we pretty much covered them all this morning. Jared Maylie,
thank you so very much for your time, much appreciated.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Thank you, Katie, thank you
Popular Podcasts
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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