Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, we have spoken on numerous occasions in recent weeks
about some of the issues that were being experienced in
Catherine around crime and anti social behavior. Over the weekend,
as I touched on in the opener, police arrested four
youths after an aggravated robbery in the town where these
young people aged twelve, thirteen, thirteen and thirteen allegedly broke
(00:22):
into a woman's home, all armed with various edged and
blunt weapons, threatening a female resident before stealing her car
and ramming that through the properties gates and fleeing the scene. Now,
it is just one example of issues that the people
of Catherine have been facing, and I know that the
concerns did indeed lead the Mayor, Liz Clark a couple
(00:42):
of weeks ago to call for a reduction to bottle
shop opening hours. Now joining us on the line is
the local member for Catherine. She's also the Minister for
Education and indeed Public Employment. Joe Hersey, Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You, Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Joe, tell me how are things going at the moment?
I understand there was set to be a meeting I
think it was with the liquor accord. Did that happen
and how did it go.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, so there was a liquor Accord meeting Katie on
the third of June, and I did attend that meeting.
One thing that did you know, I was sort of
going there hoping that there would be some industry led
solutions coming out of that meeting, but there wasn't anything.
It was it was a bit disappointing. So, you know,
(01:30):
a further conversation could probably happen with them, but yeah,
it was. So we have had a few issues and
we've had you know, some funerals and people in town
for royalties and things, and there was a few weeks
ago where it was it was it was shocking. So yeah,
it was. It was disappointing at that meeting that there
(01:53):
was nothing really coming from them as solutions. I mean,
you know, government can come down and say this is
what you need to do, but I think it's better
when it comes from industry for some solutions with the
liquor so Joe, with you.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Know, some industry solutions. What were you sort of hoping
for from the industry.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, something that did come from the police as a
solution would be was that you know, there was just
that single point of sale, so only one you can
only purchase one purchase of alcohol per day, but that
wasn't something that they were interested in doing because of
(02:36):
the BDR.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Is that something then that realistically the government needs to go, Okay, well,
the police are telling us that this could work, let's
give it a go.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
They're conversations that I'm continuing to have, Katie, and so
you know in time that they will continue on those
conversations and you just see what kind of solutions we
can come up with for Catherine. But you know, it's
we know that prohibition doesn't work, and there's a lot
(03:08):
of early intervention and prevention work that needs to happen
as well that is happening.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I agree with you, you know, I think prohibition doesn't work.
We've all seen that, you know, over the years. We
all understand that. But if you've got the Northern Territory
Police sort of suggesting that something might be helpful, you
would think that, you know, if industry isn't prepared to
put their hand up and go all right, well let's
give this a crack, then you know there may be
people in the community wondering, well, can't the government just
(03:34):
step in here?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, that's right, Katie. But you know, at the end
of the day, you do want to make it the
best solution for everyone, and I think that will happen
in conversations still to come.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So do you reckon we're going to see or does
there need to be a reduction in opening hours for
bottle shops? Is it still a situation where you know,
Woolies has opened for less hours than what the bottle
shops are, or open and you know until an earlier
hour of the evening than what the bottle shops are.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah. Again, I think they're all conversations that we need
to keep on having. But what we don't want to
happen is by having you know, reduced alcohol hours here.
You know, I'm sure everyone in Darwin wouldn't be happy
if all those people then went up to Darwin. And
so it's also trying to come to some kind of
happy medium so that you don't have that secondary supply
(04:30):
issues coming in as well, because we know we already
have that.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
So from your perspective, are things traveling in Catherine? You know,
has the situation become any better?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Look? I do note that when I was I think
maybe last week, there was someone that rang in and said,
you know, there was all this stuff happening in the
street and whenever, and people were drinking. It was only
ten o'clock in the morning, and I thought, oh, well,
I'm on the street and I did a couple of laps.
I didn't see any but you know that's not to
see that I'm seeing everything. Yes, there's definitely a lot
(05:05):
of broken glass around. I will acknowledge that I've cleaned
some up on my way to work this morning. But
the police here are doing a fantastic job. They've got
the nightly patrollers meeting that now happens instead in the
town square, it happens at the Wall Weast shopping Center
when that's where they meet with the circuit breaker team
(05:27):
housing and also Kolano and so those and you know,
if they come across in the youth in the night,
then the circuit breaker team is dealing with them.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Though.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That is ongoing work that they continue to do and
that seems to be having good results. Also, the police
this year, Katie alone, have given one and twenty eight
band drinking orders out this year and since March they've
done eight hundred and twenty three. So that's the work
(05:58):
the police are doing in that prevention space is huge.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So from your perspective, is there other measures? Are there
other things that could be happening at this point in
time or do you feel as though the way that
that things are going is you know, the community satisfied
and that's sort of good enough.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I think the single sale per day, I think that's
something that definitely we could look at, but only and
it was put forward as a trial, So but that's
you know, that needs to have a lot more consultation
around that, talking to the you know, the people that
are on the liquor accord, talking with police and just
(06:40):
finding out, you know, how that can actually happen because
that has to be you know, through the band drinking
register to happen as well. And that was something that
came up with the liquor accord.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, all right, well we'll certainly continue that discussion, Joe.
Over the weekend, we saw kids age twelve and thirty
involved in a home invasion where they were allegedly armed
with edged weapons. What is going on with kids at
young involved in such a frightening crime?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And that's right, Katie, So kids so young. Not only
was it a house, it was a disability house, and
there was two disability houses that are kind of near
each other that had been broken into and had damage
over the weekend. And I have reached out to you know,
obviously this is an ongoing investigation, so I don't want
(07:33):
to talk too much about it, but I have reached
out to the owners of that business and you know,
it's shocking, but there is a lot of you know
that that's why as the Minister of Education, you know,
not that it was a school night, but we need
to make sure that these kids are going to making
(07:53):
sure they're going to school, getting educated, making sure parents
are responsible first and foremost, because why those two children
so young being out on the street. And that's where
Minister Carli's working with the Territory families and with the
circuit Breaker team, you know, working out some of those
solutions for those children, because if they're in a place
(08:13):
that is not safe for them to be at home
and they choose to be out on the street at night,
then that's a bigger picture that needs to be looked at,
and that's probably a lot of the issues.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Can I just confirm so they that home was actually
a disability service provider? Yes, So presumably the people that
were inside that home have disabilities. I mean, that is
terrible for kids that young to be praying upon the vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Absolutely, it is absolutely not acceptable at all.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Are they okay? Are the people that were inside that
home okay?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah? I have spoken to the owner and yeah, obviously
they are extremely shaken up. You know, as I said,
it's totally unacceptable. So you know, I know that's ongoing,
and i'd like to think that you know, we've got
the bail laws that we just went back recalled Parliament
(09:13):
to strengthen those bail laws and there's a lot of
work that the police are doing and as I said,
with Territory Families and the Minister in that area. So
you know, one would hope that those children are either
going to be in a safe environment or you know,
they would be dealt with accordingly with the law.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Just on those bail laws. I do want to ask
you about a report that was in the Australian newspaper
over the weekend. A Northern Territory Supreme Court judge reportedly
keeping secret the details of how she bailed a man
who allegedly assaulted a child. Two days after the Northern
Territory government passed those bail laws despite a previous judge
finding it would be inevitable that the accused would run
(09:56):
into the complainant and her family. So it's reported the
thirty four year olds been charged with two serious sex
offenses against a child in Catherine, but last month was
granted bail to live in the same town. That is
what multiple sources have told the Australian newspaper. Now, obviously
wanting to be careful what we say here, this is
clearly an active matter before the courts. But do you
(10:18):
think that that is acceptable and do you feel as
though there are some within the judiciary. I asked the
Minister for Corrections the same question, thumbing their nose at
the legislative changes that the government's made.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think that is absolutely not acceptable. And given that
I've been here for a very long time, you cannot
go too far around town without running into someone. And
the fact that that person has been bailed to the
same place where that young person is that he has
sexually assaulted is absolutely It does not pass the pub
(10:51):
test Katie at all. And I note that the Attorney General, well,
she obviously doesn't think it passes the pub test either,
and she has written to the DPP to urgently review that.
Obviously she you know, there's a separation for a reason,
but she has written to the DPP to urgently review
(11:13):
that because it does not pass the pub test to
be bailed to a location when you've done such a
heinous act to a young person.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Are the people of Catherine concerned about this? I mean,
is this something that's being raised at you as the
local member?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
This, actually, Katie, has not been raised with me as
the local member. Which is interesting that there's you know
that the incident on the weekend with the disability house,
and I think maybe you know, because this article was
in the Australian, I don't know. I mean, you know,
it came to my attention and I was appalled. But
(11:52):
given that, you know, the incident on the weekend was
just so so recent and so raw that the fact
that was to a disability house is just you know,
I cannot believe that young people would do that. But
this in particularly to this judge, it's not acceptable. And
I do note that this judge is also the same
(12:14):
judge that released the use. I think it costs taxpayers
seven thousand dollars for that year to go to a funeral.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
You sound pretty annoyed about it, Minister. I mean, obviously
it does not meet your level of expectation.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It absolutely does not meet my level of expectation. But
I think if you went out and spoke to people
in the community, it would not lea I mean, imagine
if that was your child, you know, because as a mother,
that's what I think of. I cannot even think that
that person that has done such a heinous act to
my child is released in the you know.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And obviously it is all alleged at this point in
time until that is finalized. But yeah, you know, look
I feel exactly the same. I think if that my child,
I actually don't know how I would react. Minister. I
do want to just move along quickly because there is
a bit to cover off and we've only got a
couple of minutes. I know you're a busy woman, as
am I a big one yesterday. We know the government
(13:13):
obviously planning to launch the trial of the OC spray
starting in September for eligible Territorians as a tool for
self defense. The Chief Minister making the announcement in Catherine
at Rod and Rifle. Some have indeed welcomed those plans.
There's been some criticism by the opposition and indeed am
Sand claiming that it won't improve community safety and will
(13:34):
fuel violence and put the lives of vulnerable people at risk.
What do you say to those concerns.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I would say to those concerns, Katie, that it cannot
be sold to people under eighteen years of age. You know,
I think it was another tool in the toolkit of
many other tools for community safety. But the announcement yesterday
was work received at Roden Rifle and as Trent said,
(14:03):
and you know, as a mother of a daughter that
runs around town with there is a lot of young
people that there's a big running group that happened, you
know during the week, especially on a Friday morning, and
that is something that I know with them that they
are very excited about and they are looking forward to that.
You know, it's something that the community has been asking
(14:26):
for for a long time, and it's about providing territorians
with more choice for their personal safety, you know, alongside
increased police presence. As I've said, you know, stronger laws
and preventative measures. So it's another time has actually been
in wa for quite some time, but we are not encouraging,
(14:48):
as I have heard some commentary to take for territorianes
to take the lore into our own hands. That's not
what this is about.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
At all, Absolutely not. And look, by and large, we've
actually received a lot of positive th feedback to this
announcement yesterday. I know that there are certainly some people
still contacting us with concerns, but yet there has actually
been quite a bit of positive feedback to it. People saying,
do you know what I go running or I'm out
and about and when I go to my car sometimes
at different times in Woolworths or wherever that they're concerned
(15:18):
about their safety and it would just set their minds
at ease.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
But look, I will just as they said yesterday. You know,
there is the police will be consulting. There's a reference group,
Community Oversight reference group will be established to for direct
community input into how it's structured and reviewed, and you
know the police will will lead that.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Minister, just a couple of ones in your role as
the Minister for Public Employment. Where are things at with
the police pay negotiations? Nathan Finn on the show yesterday,
The police union sounds like they're incredibly frustrated with this situation,
five percent, I believe is what there are looking for.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yes, the Public Service Minister, even though I am I
am that these negotiations actually happen with the Commissioner for
Public Service. They don't happen directly with me. I'd sit
aside from that. But they have had two pay deals
payoffers put to them. There's been fifteen meetings to date,
(16:22):
and these do these negotiations take time. They're done in
good faith, and we know and appreciate the hard work
that our police do each and every day. But it's
been disappointing to hear the president of the Anti Police
Assation Association, Nathan Finn, come out swinging and resorting to
personal attacks on me. And you know, I put it
(16:45):
to him that he puts this offer to the members,
put it to a vote and see what the members think.
I mean it is. The offer is a four year
pay deal of four percent, three point five percent, three
percent and three percent. And you know CPI is only
two point five percent at the moment, Kadie.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
So each year, by the sounds of it, it changes
each year. So four percent is what you said it
kicks off at and then three four year pay deal.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
So it's four percent the first year, three point five percent,
then three percent, then three percent.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
I mean, in terms of the value that we place
on Northern Territory Police, we speak about it every day.
You've just said that, you know, you highly value the
work that Northern Territory Police do. Do we need it
to actually go up that little bit more given the
fact that you know, you want it to be in
line or you want it to be more attractive I think,
to work here in the Northern Territory than what it
(17:39):
is in other states.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, and I think that's something that as I said
with the Commissioner in her negotiations, they're all of the
things that get put forward, and obviously we do want to,
you know, make sure that that offer is the best
offer for the NTY Police, and those negotiations will be ongoing.
(18:05):
But you know, I do put it to the President
to put that latest offer out to a vote to
their members and just see what their members say about that.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I mean, it sounds like it could be a bit
of a standoff between you and the Northern Territory Police Association.
That is not I don't feel like that's going to
end well.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
It's definitely not a standoff, Katie. This is these negotiations
do take time and there's you know still I think
the Commissioner is meeting with them again, maybe next week,
and so these negotiations will continue to go on. At
the end of the day, we want the best offer
for the police, and we want to make sure that
(18:47):
they are supported, you know, to the best of our ability,
and that they you know, they're the ones on the
front line going out and doing all this work and
all these new laws and everything that have been put forward.
The police are the ones that are that are out
there on the frontline dealing each and every day. And
as I said, we absolutely appreciate the hard work that
they do and you know, I thank them for the
(19:11):
work that they do. Is actually thank our first respond
to day today yesterday, Yeah, sorry and yeah. So those
negotiations will be ongoing with the police, commit with the Commissioner.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
For Public Service, well, Minister for Public Employment please do
and also Minister for Education, local member for Catherine. Really
good to speak with you. Thank you so much for
your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Thanks Katie.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Thank you have a great thay. Thank you
Now, we have spoken on numerous occasions in recent weeks
about some of the issues that were being experienced in
Catherine around crime and anti social behavior. Over the weekend,
as I touched on in the opener, police arrested four
youths after an aggravated robbery in the town where these
young people aged twelve, thirteen, thirteen and thirteen allegedly broke
(00:22):
into a woman's home, all armed with various edged and
blunt weapons, threatening a female resident before stealing her car
and ramming that through the properties gates and fleeing the scene. Now,
it is just one example of issues that the people
of Catherine have been facing, and I know that the
concerns did indeed lead the Mayor, Liz Clark a couple
(00:42):
of weeks ago to call for a reduction to bottle
shop opening hours. Now joining us on the line is
the local member for Catherine. She's also the Minister for
Education and indeed Public Employment. Joe Hersey, Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You, Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Joe, tell me how are things going at the moment?
I understand there was set to be a meeting I
think it was with the liquor accord. Did that happen
and how did it go.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, so there was a liquor Accord meeting Katie on
the third of June, and I did attend that meeting.
One thing that did you know, I was sort of
going there hoping that there would be some industry led
solutions coming out of that meeting, but there wasn't anything.
It was it was a bit disappointing. So, you know,
(01:30):
a further conversation could probably happen with them, but yeah,
it was. So we have had a few issues and
we've had you know, some funerals and people in town
for royalties and things, and there was a few weeks
ago where it was it was it was shocking. So yeah,
it was. It was disappointing at that meeting that there
(01:53):
was nothing really coming from them as solutions. I mean,
you know, government can come down and say this is
what you need to do, but I think it's better
when it comes from industry for some solutions with the
liquor so Joe, with you.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Know, some industry solutions. What were you sort of hoping
for from the industry.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, something that did come from the police as a
solution would be was that you know, there was just
that single point of sale, so only one you can
only purchase one purchase of alcohol per day, but that
wasn't something that they were interested in doing because of
(02:36):
the BDR.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Is that something then that realistically the government needs to go, Okay, well,
the police are telling us that this could work, let's
give it a go.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
They're conversations that I'm continuing to have, Katie, and so
you know in time that they will continue on those
conversations and you just see what kind of solutions we
can come up with for Catherine. But you know, it's
we know that prohibition doesn't work, and there's a lot
(03:08):
of early intervention and prevention work that needs to happen
as well that is happening.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I agree with you, you know, I think prohibition doesn't work.
We've all seen that, you know, over the years. We
all understand that. But if you've got the Northern Territory
Police sort of suggesting that something might be helpful, you
would think that, you know, if industry isn't prepared to
put their hand up and go all right, well let's
give this a crack, then you know there may be
people in the community wondering, well, can't the government just
(03:34):
step in here?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, that's right, Katie. But you know, at the end
of the day, you do want to make it the
best solution for everyone, and I think that will happen
in conversations still to come.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So do you reckon we're going to see or does
there need to be a reduction in opening hours for
bottle shops? Is it still a situation where you know,
Woolies has opened for less hours than what the bottle
shops are, or open and you know until an earlier
hour of the evening than what the bottle shops are.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah. Again, I think they're all conversations that we need
to keep on having. But what we don't want to
happen is by having you know, reduced alcohol hours here.
You know, I'm sure everyone in Darwin wouldn't be happy
if all those people then went up to Darwin. And
so it's also trying to come to some kind of
happy medium so that you don't have that secondary supply
(04:30):
issues coming in as well, because we know we already
have that.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
So from your perspective, are things traveling in Catherine? You know,
has the situation become any better?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Look? I do note that when I was I think
maybe last week, there was someone that rang in and said,
you know, there was all this stuff happening in the
street and whenever, and people were drinking. It was only
ten o'clock in the morning, and I thought, oh, well,
I'm on the street and I did a couple of laps.
I didn't see any but you know that's not to
see that I'm seeing everything. Yes, there's definitely a lot
(05:05):
of broken glass around. I will acknowledge that I've cleaned
some up on my way to work this morning. But
the police here are doing a fantastic job. They've got
the nightly patrollers meeting that now happens instead in the
town square, it happens at the Wall Weast shopping Center
when that's where they meet with the circuit breaker team
(05:27):
housing and also Kolano and so those and you know,
if they come across in the youth in the night,
then the circuit breaker team is dealing with them.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Though.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That is ongoing work that they continue to do and
that seems to be having good results. Also, the police
this year, Katie alone, have given one and twenty eight
band drinking orders out this year and since March they've
done eight hundred and twenty three. So that's the work
(05:58):
the police are doing in that prevention space is huge.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So from your perspective, is there other measures? Are there
other things that could be happening at this point in
time or do you feel as though the way that
that things are going is you know, the community satisfied
and that's sort of good enough.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I think the single sale per day, I think that's
something that definitely we could look at, but only and
it was put forward as a trial, So but that's
you know, that needs to have a lot more consultation
around that, talking to the you know, the people that
are on the liquor accord, talking with police and just
(06:40):
finding out, you know, how that can actually happen because
that has to be you know, through the band drinking
register to happen as well. And that was something that
came up with the liquor accord.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, all right, well we'll certainly continue that discussion, Joe.
Over the weekend, we saw kids age twelve and thirty
involved in a home invasion where they were allegedly armed
with edged weapons. What is going on with kids at
young involved in such a frightening crime?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And that's right, Katie, So kids so young. Not only
was it a house, it was a disability house, and
there was two disability houses that are kind of near
each other that had been broken into and had damage
over the weekend. And I have reached out to you know,
obviously this is an ongoing investigation, so I don't want
(07:33):
to talk too much about it, but I have reached
out to the owners of that business and you know,
it's shocking, but there is a lot of you know
that that's why as the Minister of Education, you know,
not that it was a school night, but we need
to make sure that these kids are going to making
(07:53):
sure they're going to school, getting educated, making sure parents
are responsible first and foremost, because why those two children
so young being out on the street. And that's where
Minister Carli's working with the Territory families and with the
circuit Breaker team, you know, working out some of those
solutions for those children, because if they're in a place
(08:13):
that is not safe for them to be at home
and they choose to be out on the street at night,
then that's a bigger picture that needs to be looked at,
and that's probably a lot of the issues.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Can I just confirm so they that home was actually
a disability service provider? Yes, So presumably the people that
were inside that home have disabilities. I mean, that is
terrible for kids that young to be praying upon the vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Absolutely, it is absolutely not acceptable at all.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Are they okay? Are the people that were inside that
home okay?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah? I have spoken to the owner and yeah, obviously
they are extremely shaken up. You know, as I said,
it's totally unacceptable. So you know, I know that's ongoing,
and i'd like to think that you know, we've got
the bail laws that we just went back recalled Parliament
(09:13):
to strengthen those bail laws and there's a lot of
work that the police are doing and as I said,
with Territory Families and the Minister in that area. So
you know, one would hope that those children are either
going to be in a safe environment or you know,
they would be dealt with accordingly with the law.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Just on those bail laws. I do want to ask
you about a report that was in the Australian newspaper
over the weekend. A Northern Territory Supreme Court judge reportedly
keeping secret the details of how she bailed a man
who allegedly assaulted a child. Two days after the Northern
Territory government passed those bail laws despite a previous judge
finding it would be inevitable that the accused would run
(09:56):
into the complainant and her family. So it's reported the
thirty four year olds been charged with two serious sex
offenses against a child in Catherine, but last month was
granted bail to live in the same town. That is
what multiple sources have told the Australian newspaper. Now, obviously
wanting to be careful what we say here, this is
clearly an active matter before the courts. But do you
(10:18):
think that that is acceptable and do you feel as
though there are some within the judiciary. I asked the
Minister for Corrections the same question, thumbing their nose at
the legislative changes that the government's made.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think that is absolutely not acceptable. And given that
I've been here for a very long time, you cannot
go too far around town without running into someone. And
the fact that that person has been bailed to the
same place where that young person is that he has
sexually assaulted is absolutely It does not pass the pub
(10:51):
test Katie at all. And I note that the Attorney General, well,
she obviously doesn't think it passes the pub test either,
and she has written to the DPP to urgently review that.
Obviously she you know, there's a separation for a reason,
but she has written to the DPP to urgently review
(11:13):
that because it does not pass the pub test to
be bailed to a location when you've done such a
heinous act to a young person.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Are the people of Catherine concerned about this? I mean,
is this something that's being raised at you as the
local member?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
This, actually, Katie, has not been raised with me as
the local member. Which is interesting that there's you know
that the incident on the weekend with the disability house,
and I think maybe you know, because this article was
in the Australian, I don't know. I mean, you know,
it came to my attention and I was appalled. But
(11:52):
given that, you know, the incident on the weekend was
just so so recent and so raw that the fact
that was to a disability house is just you know,
I cannot believe that young people would do that. But
this in particularly to this judge, it's not acceptable. And
I do note that this judge is also the same
(12:14):
judge that released the use. I think it costs taxpayers
seven thousand dollars for that year to go to a funeral.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
You sound pretty annoyed about it, Minister. I mean, obviously
it does not meet your level of expectation.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It absolutely does not meet my level of expectation. But
I think if you went out and spoke to people
in the community, it would not lea I mean, imagine
if that was your child, you know, because as a mother,
that's what I think of. I cannot even think that
that person that has done such a heinous act to
my child is released in the you know.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And obviously it is all alleged at this point in
time until that is finalized. But yeah, you know, look
I feel exactly the same. I think if that my child,
I actually don't know how I would react. Minister. I
do want to just move along quickly because there is
a bit to cover off and we've only got a
couple of minutes. I know you're a busy woman, as
am I a big one yesterday. We know the government
(13:13):
obviously planning to launch the trial of the OC spray
starting in September for eligible Territorians as a tool for
self defense. The Chief Minister making the announcement in Catherine
at Rod and Rifle. Some have indeed welcomed those plans.
There's been some criticism by the opposition and indeed am
Sand claiming that it won't improve community safety and will
(13:34):
fuel violence and put the lives of vulnerable people at risk.
What do you say to those concerns.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I would say to those concerns, Katie, that it cannot
be sold to people under eighteen years of age. You know,
I think it was another tool in the toolkit of
many other tools for community safety. But the announcement yesterday
was work received at Roden Rifle and as Trent said,
(14:03):
and you know, as a mother of a daughter that
runs around town with there is a lot of young
people that there's a big running group that happened, you
know during the week, especially on a Friday morning, and
that is something that I know with them that they
are very excited about and they are looking forward to that.
You know, it's something that the community has been asking
(14:26):
for for a long time, and it's about providing territorians
with more choice for their personal safety, you know, alongside
increased police presence. As I've said, you know, stronger laws
and preventative measures. So it's another time has actually been
in wa for quite some time, but we are not encouraging,
(14:48):
as I have heard some commentary to take for territorianes
to take the lore into our own hands. That's not
what this is about.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
At all, Absolutely not. And look, by and large, we've
actually received a lot of positive th feedback to this
announcement yesterday. I know that there are certainly some people
still contacting us with concerns, but yet there has actually
been quite a bit of positive feedback to it. People saying,
do you know what I go running or I'm out
and about and when I go to my car sometimes
at different times in Woolworths or wherever that they're concerned
(15:18):
about their safety and it would just set their minds
at ease.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
But look, I will just as they said yesterday. You know,
there is the police will be consulting. There's a reference group,
Community Oversight reference group will be established to for direct
community input into how it's structured and reviewed, and you
know the police will will lead that.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Minister, just a couple of ones in your role as
the Minister for Public Employment. Where are things at with
the police pay negotiations? Nathan Finn on the show yesterday,
The police union sounds like they're incredibly frustrated with this situation,
five percent, I believe is what there are looking for.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yes, the Public Service Minister, even though I am I
am that these negotiations actually happen with the Commissioner for
Public Service. They don't happen directly with me. I'd sit
aside from that. But they have had two pay deals
payoffers put to them. There's been fifteen meetings to date,
(16:22):
and these do these negotiations take time. They're done in
good faith, and we know and appreciate the hard work
that our police do each and every day. But it's
been disappointing to hear the president of the Anti Police
Assation Association, Nathan Finn, come out swinging and resorting to
personal attacks on me. And you know, I put it
(16:45):
to him that he puts this offer to the members,
put it to a vote and see what the members think.
I mean it is. The offer is a four year
pay deal of four percent, three point five percent, three
percent and three percent. And you know CPI is only
two point five percent at the moment, Kadie.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
So each year, by the sounds of it, it changes
each year. So four percent is what you said it
kicks off at and then three four year pay deal.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
So it's four percent the first year, three point five percent,
then three percent, then three percent.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
I mean, in terms of the value that we place
on Northern Territory Police, we speak about it every day.
You've just said that, you know, you highly value the
work that Northern Territory Police do. Do we need it
to actually go up that little bit more given the
fact that you know, you want it to be in
line or you want it to be more attractive I think,
to work here in the Northern Territory than what it
(17:39):
is in other states.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, and I think that's something that as I said
with the Commissioner in her negotiations, they're all of the
things that get put forward, and obviously we do want to,
you know, make sure that that offer is the best
offer for the NTY Police, and those negotiations will be ongoing.
(18:05):
But you know, I do put it to the President
to put that latest offer out to a vote to
their members and just see what their members say about that.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I mean, it sounds like it could be a bit
of a standoff between you and the Northern Territory Police Association.
That is not I don't feel like that's going to
end well.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
It's definitely not a standoff, Katie. This is these negotiations
do take time and there's you know still I think
the Commissioner is meeting with them again, maybe next week,
and so these negotiations will continue to go on. At
the end of the day, we want the best offer
for the police, and we want to make sure that
(18:47):
they are supported, you know, to the best of our ability,
and that they you know, they're the ones on the
front line going out and doing all this work and
all these new laws and everything that have been put forward.
The police are the ones that are that are out
there on the frontline dealing each and every day. And
as I said, we absolutely appreciate the hard work that
they do and you know, I thank them for the
(19:11):
work that they do. Is actually thank our first respond
to day today yesterday, Yeah, sorry and yeah. So those
negotiations will be ongoing with the police, commit with the Commissioner.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
For Public Service, well, Minister for Public Employment please do
and also Minister for Education, local member for Catherine. Really
good to speak with you. Thank you so much for
your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Thanks Katie.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Thank you have a great thay. Thank you
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