Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as we've just heard, the long awaited findings and
recommendations following an almost three year inquiry into the twenty
nineteen police shooting of kumen Jai Walker were handed down
by the Northern Territory Coroner yesterday. There were thirty two
recommendations handed down as part of her well as part
of a summary of her twelve chapter, six hundred page
(00:22):
findings into the death. Joining us on the show is
the Opposition leader Selena Rubo. Good morning to you, Selena.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Good morning to you Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Selena. What was your reaction to the findings handed down yesterday?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I think Katie, it's really important. Territorians have been
waiting for quite some time to see what the coroner's
in quest would produce. Obviously a very large document, thirty
two recommendations, which my team and I have been working through.
I've been speaking with my colleague Chancey Paik, the Memphi
Goyja who is the local member for Yindamuk Commune. He's
(01:00):
been out there yesterday as the coroner handed down her
findings and recommendations and so I've been speaking with him
just around how the community is feeling. Obviously, there were
police present as well just to see I guess sort
of where to from here. So that's sort of really important.
I think now, Katie, that after this big, long awaited
(01:22):
wait for the coroner's findings, what's going to happen now?
I understand that the colp government's just released a statement
welcoming the findings. No indication yet will they take up recommendations.
I'm sure they'll be working through that, but I'll think
it'll be a very pivotal moment for the government to
see what they'll do with these findings and where they'll
(01:43):
approach the community safety aspects and some of those changes
that are recommended in the finding.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Selena, were any of the recommendations a surprise to you?
I think that a lot of as sort of you know,
if you've been following the coronial inquest over recent years,
you know there was nothing that sort of came through
yesterday that hadn't been covered, I guess to some degree
by the coroner it was, but it was certainly a
(02:10):
putting together of all of that information and coming through
with those recommendations.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, Katie, I think that's a very fair summary. I
think putting the pieces of the puzzle together what we've
been hearing over the last couple of years since the
coronal inquest has been underway, and I think a very
clear step and approach with those recommendations, and I think
it really is exactly what you said, a very explicit
(02:37):
kind of pathway forward. So I don't think anything controversial
necessarily in the findings. I know that the coroner's statement
was quite quite forward and direct, but in terms of
the recommendations, I think that they've been very fair and
quite sensible, and I think very forward thinking as well.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Elizabeth Armitage did say yesterday, having considered all the evidence,
including mister Rolf's explanations and justifications, I found that mister
Rolf was racist and that he worked in and was
the beneficiary of an organization with hallmarks of institutional racism. Selena,
(03:18):
do you have concerns that there is institutional racism within
the Northern Territory Police Force?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, Katie, I think to coroner sort of stepped out
three types of processes when it comes to all I
guess concepts when it comes to understanding the impact of racism,
and those sort of three levels of things that she
spoke about in her statement, they weren't specifically put through
(03:48):
I don't think in the recommendations in the same way
as her statement spoke about, so I think that's also
the opportunity to look at processes of change for the better.
I think it's probably a big affirmation in a way
that there needs to be more done. I think this
will be the critical time to see what the government
(04:08):
adopts and the ways forward, and to be really proactive
about it, because you know, it's about the safety of
the territory. We want to make sure our police continue
to be supported, want to make sure our communities feel safe,
and are there ways forward. I think that this will
be the opportune time to move forward together.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Selena, we know that the coroner also outlined much of
Kumen Jay Walker's you know, final years of his life
and spoke about the fact that he had been in
and out of you know, of the care I guess,
or the you know, in and out of the justice system.
(04:48):
I mean. Looking at this and the fact that it
has happened over a number of years, many of those
years were under the former Labor government. Do you think
that more could have been done, you know, in the
year's past to try to prevent this from happening.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, Katie. I think when it comes to supporting a
young person on the right track, there always could be
more done. I think processes, whether they're individual, whether the community,
family base, whether they're institutional or systematic, I think all
of the processes. When we see something that's culminated in
you know, Coleman J. Walker and the circumstances that led
(05:28):
up to his death, I think then, you know, unfortunately,
to move forward, we do have to learn what we
can do better, not just in an individual and community sense,
but that systematic sense as well. I think this is
again something that highlights some of those flaws. Whether it's
a labor government or cop government, it's about making sure
(05:49):
a young person does find themselves supported and on the
right track.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Selena. In terms of the recommendations, do Labor support all
of those?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, O, Katie. I think the initial look at them,
we're comfortable to say that we support the thirty two recommendations. Again,
having only just sort of seen them yesterday. We'll be
looking at them with fresh eyes throughout the week and
of course seeing other positive ways forward that we could
support the government to adopt some of those recommendations quickly.
(06:22):
Are there things in principle that will need to be
worked through. We're very open to working with the government,
but at Labour's initial look at it, it doesn't seem
very controversial in terms of each of the recommendations and
we do want to support the government again, believing this
is a critical time that we can all move forward together.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Before I let you go. On Friday, the Northern Territory
government announced a crackdown on youth crime, expanding the list
of offenses for which youth must be sent to court,
including driving stolen cars, heat and runs, break in, serious harm, offending,
and assaults on frontline workers. Youth charged with those crimes
will no longer going to be eligible for youth diversion.
(07:03):
Do you support that announcement?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, Katie, we were looking at that announcement and I
think it's reasonable to move forward again with talking about
community safety. You want make to make sure that people
are safe in the community, young people and adults alike.
If you do the wrong thing, you need to face
the consequences. Understanding what some of those nuances are within
(07:27):
the court discretion around diversion as well as police discretion
around diversion, and if it's made more clear and I
think that's helpful for everybody.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Well, Selena Rubo, opposition leader, I'll let you go. Thank
you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Thank you very much, Katie, thank you
Now, as we've just heard, the long awaited findings and
recommendations following an almost three year inquiry into the twenty
nineteen police shooting of kumen Jai Walker were handed down
by the Northern Territory Coroner yesterday. There were thirty two
recommendations handed down as part of her well as part
of a summary of her twelve chapter, six hundred page
(00:22):
findings into the death. Joining us on the show is
the Opposition leader Selena Rubo. Good morning to you, Selena.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Good morning to you Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Selena. What was your reaction to the findings handed down yesterday?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I think Katie, it's really important. Territorians have been
waiting for quite some time to see what the coroner's
in quest would produce. Obviously a very large document, thirty
two recommendations, which my team and I have been working through.
I've been speaking with my colleague Chancey Paik, the Memphi
Goyja who is the local member for Yindamuk Commune. He's
(01:00):
been out there yesterday as the coroner handed down her
findings and recommendations and so I've been speaking with him
just around how the community is feeling. Obviously, there were
police present as well just to see I guess sort
of where to from here. So that's sort of really important.
I think now, Katie, that after this big, long awaited
(01:22):
wait for the coroner's findings, what's going to happen now?
I understand that the colp government's just released a statement
welcoming the findings. No indication yet will they take up recommendations.
I'm sure they'll be working through that, but I'll think
it'll be a very pivotal moment for the government to
see what they'll do with these findings and where they'll
(01:43):
approach the community safety aspects and some of those changes
that are recommended in the finding.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Selena, were any of the recommendations a surprise to you?
I think that a lot of as sort of you know,
if you've been following the coronial inquest over recent years,
you know there was nothing that sort of came through
yesterday that hadn't been covered, I guess to some degree
by the coroner it was, but it was certainly a
(02:10):
putting together of all of that information and coming through
with those recommendations.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, Katie, I think that's a very fair summary. I
think putting the pieces of the puzzle together what we've
been hearing over the last couple of years since the
coronal inquest has been underway, and I think a very
clear step and approach with those recommendations, and I think
it really is exactly what you said, a very explicit
(02:37):
kind of pathway forward. So I don't think anything controversial
necessarily in the findings. I know that the coroner's statement
was quite quite forward and direct, but in terms of
the recommendations, I think that they've been very fair and
quite sensible, and I think very forward thinking as well.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Elizabeth Armitage did say yesterday, having considered all the evidence,
including mister Rolf's explanations and justifications, I found that mister
Rolf was racist and that he worked in and was
the beneficiary of an organization with hallmarks of institutional racism. Selena,
(03:18):
do you have concerns that there is institutional racism within
the Northern Territory Police Force?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, Katie, I think to coroner sort of stepped out
three types of processes when it comes to all I
guess concepts when it comes to understanding the impact of racism,
and those sort of three levels of things that she
spoke about in her statement, they weren't specifically put through
(03:48):
I don't think in the recommendations in the same way
as her statement spoke about, so I think that's also
the opportunity to look at processes of change for the better.
I think it's probably a big affirmation in a way
that there needs to be more done. I think this
will be the critical time to see what the government
(04:08):
adopts and the ways forward, and to be really proactive
about it, because you know, it's about the safety of
the territory. We want to make sure our police continue
to be supported, want to make sure our communities feel safe,
and are there ways forward. I think that this will
be the opportune time to move forward together.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Selena, we know that the coroner also outlined much of
Kumen Jay Walker's you know, final years of his life
and spoke about the fact that he had been in
and out of you know, of the care I guess,
or the you know, in and out of the justice system.
(04:48):
I mean. Looking at this and the fact that it
has happened over a number of years, many of those
years were under the former Labor government. Do you think
that more could have been done, you know, in the
year's past to try to prevent this from happening.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, Katie. I think when it comes to supporting a
young person on the right track, there always could be
more done. I think processes, whether they're individual, whether the community,
family base, whether they're institutional or systematic, I think all
of the processes. When we see something that's culminated in
you know, Coleman J. Walker and the circumstances that led
(05:28):
up to his death, I think then, you know, unfortunately,
to move forward, we do have to learn what we
can do better, not just in an individual and community sense,
but that systematic sense as well. I think this is
again something that highlights some of those flaws. Whether it's
a labor government or cop government, it's about making sure
(05:49):
a young person does find themselves supported and on the
right track.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Selena. In terms of the recommendations, do Labor support all
of those?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, O, Katie. I think the initial look at them,
we're comfortable to say that we support the thirty two recommendations. Again,
having only just sort of seen them yesterday. We'll be
looking at them with fresh eyes throughout the week and
of course seeing other positive ways forward that we could
support the government to adopt some of those recommendations quickly.
(06:22):
Are there things in principle that will need to be
worked through. We're very open to working with the government,
but at Labour's initial look at it, it doesn't seem
very controversial in terms of each of the recommendations and
we do want to support the government again, believing this
is a critical time that we can all move forward together.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Before I let you go. On Friday, the Northern Territory
government announced a crackdown on youth crime, expanding the list
of offenses for which youth must be sent to court,
including driving stolen cars, heat and runs, break in, serious harm, offending,
and assaults on frontline workers. Youth charged with those crimes
will no longer going to be eligible for youth diversion.
(07:03):
Do you support that announcement?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, Katie, we were looking at that announcement and I
think it's reasonable to move forward again with talking about
community safety. You want make to make sure that people
are safe in the community, young people and adults alike.
If you do the wrong thing, you need to face
the consequences. Understanding what some of those nuances are within
(07:27):
the court discretion around diversion as well as police discretion
around diversion, and if it's made more clear and I
think that's helpful for everybody.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Well, Selena Rubo, opposition leader, I'll let you go. Thank
you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Thank you very much, Katie, thank you
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.