Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as we know, parliament resuming today in the Northern
Territory for two weeks of sittings, and there's been a
number of pieces of legislation flagged. We were just speaking
to the Opposition leader, Selena Yubo, but joining us on
the line right now is the Northern Territory Speaker of
the Legislative Assembly, Robin Lamley. Good morning to you, Robin.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning Katie Wolves. How are you. Robin?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Always good? It's always good for me when parliament's sitting
because there is no shortage of stuff to talk about.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah, for all the politicians lining up to chat with you,
I can imagine.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, there seems like there's a bit on the agenda.
How is it looking from your perspective in terms of
what is going to be on the agenda for the
next two weeks.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, I just had your interview with Selena, so she's
pretty much covered off on everything I'm aware of. But
today we are talking about voluntary assisted dying. It's not
the legislation. I think some people are getting confused that
we're debating legislation for voluntary assisted dying today, not the
(01:02):
parliamentary committee that's just completed. Yet another Inquiry into Voluntary
Assisted Dying are tabling their report this morning, and I
know that many members intend to stand up and talk
about their position on VAD. So it is an important
day for a lot of members of Parliament because it
(01:23):
will probably be the first time that they've articulated where
they sit on this very very important issue in the
Northern territory. So probably worth listening into if people had
a particular interest in this.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
What time are we expecting that to happen, Robin, Well, we.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Go into parliament at ten, there's just a little bit
of business to deal with. Probably at around ten past
ten or a quarter past ten, the chair of the
Parliamentary Committee that undertook the inquiry, he will table the
report and he will talk to that and that's when
the debates will commands. And there's been a prediction that
(02:05):
it could go for quite a number of hours.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, and Robin, I guess a bit of confusion, you know,
even probably from me obviously, that is what the government's
going to do, and the and Or that's what we're
going to see with the with the LCAC, and I'm
assuming tans Or will be the one who delivers that
report or speaks first, then what's the go with Selena's
(02:31):
draft bill? Is that something that's also going to sort
of be discussed or tabled today. You know, what's the
difference between the two in terms of the way in
which it happens today in Parliament.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Well, there's nothing on the notice paper or the agenda
pertaining to what Selena, the Opposition leader is talking about doing.
So I can only assume that she will will take
the opportunity to stand and participate in the debate around
(03:06):
this report inter Voluntary assisted Dying, and she will use
her twenty to thirty minutes to talk about her bill
that they've put together, the private members bill that the
Opposition has come up with around VAD and possibly and
probably other members of the opposition will talk to that too.
(03:29):
I mean, because it's a broad subject, you can talk
about anything to do with VAD. And if you happen
to have a piece of legislation in your back pocket,
which is quite extraordinary because it will be a big
piece of legislation, whether it comes from the opposition or government,
that's what you can you can talk to that. So
I'm guessing that's what she will do this morning. She'll
(03:52):
get up on a feed after the members for song
lymb tables report and talks to it. I'd say the
opposition will be hot to trot and and contribute that
that bill and that discussion around what they've come up
with to that general debate on voluntary assisted dying.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Interesting thing I was going to It sounds like it
will be.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
People who are interested in this.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, it sounds like it will be really interesting and
it will be interesting to sort of get an idea,
I suppose, of where people stand on this issue or
you know what, you know what the next steps are
going to be and hopefully I don't know whether I'm
right or not, but hopefully a bit more of a
timeline potentially as to how this will roll out or
(04:36):
you know, the legislation at.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Least, that's right, Katie. I think a lot of members
of Parliament, members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, have
been somewhat undecided about where they sit. I've spoken to
a few recently who are kind of like me. Their
personal opinion doesn't necessarily line up with what they know
(05:00):
most of their constituents feel. So there's kind of this
conflict that you've got to manage where you've got your
own views that don't align with public opinion necessarily. So
I think we will hear from several people who have
that to contend with that they like me, I don't
(05:24):
fully agree with voluntary assisted dying, but I do accept
that all Australians have that right now except for Northern Territory,
and so I accept that Territorian should have the right
to access VAD. So my position is I will support
this a bill when it comes to the House, and
(05:44):
we don't know when that is, but I want to
make it absolutely fit for purpose for the Northern Territory
and the unique place where we live, and make sure
that it's the best possible model that we can come
up with. So that's my mission, and that's what I'll
be talking about.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Today, which I think is their commission.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, other people who have this sort of opposite position
where they personally agree with the AD but they know
that their constituents don't buy and large and.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
It is it's such a personal thing, and you know,
I respect other people's views, whether they're the same as mine,
different to mine, It doesn't really bother me. Like for me,
I sort of think, okay, well, Territorians deserve the same
rights as others within Australia and the choice if they
are dying, and that's you know, that is the big
(06:33):
sort of caveat here, is that somebody has to be dying,
and that work is really important to make sure that
the legislation is right, to make sure that we get
it right.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yes, and interestingly, the former Labor government they commissioned an
inquiry into voluntary assisted dying in twenty twenty four, and
then now the colp have commissioned another inquiry and the
recommendation of these two inquiries are somewhat different. So you know,
(07:05):
it's up to us as members of Parliament, as legislators
to look at the recommendations of both and work out
what we think is the best model. Some of them
contradict Some of the recommendations are directly in contradiction with
each other. For example, the timeline between prognosis a sorry
(07:29):
diagnosis to death. This latest report says there shouldn't be
any sort of time frame that it should be open,
whereas the inquiry from twenty twenty four said that it
should be the predicted prognosis should be six to twelve
months to death. So you know, there's lots of contradictions
that we all have to work through and make sure
(07:50):
that it's the best possible model at the end of
the day.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Absolutely, Robin, tell me what else is on the agenda
when it comes to legislation. I know Selena had touched
on a few and pieces, but what else is on
the agenda from your perspective as the speaker.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Well, today we could be moving to the Environmental Protection
Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags Act, and that's just broadening
out the scope of our beverage containers policy and laws,
so it's making it more inclusive. I think you ran
(08:27):
through it earlier this morning. The fact that they want
to include three leaders three leader containers. They want to
allow more people to be able to receive container to
become a container deposit businesses. This is a really positive
piece of legislation. I remember years ago when it was
(08:47):
first brought in twenty eleven by Carl Hampton, a Labor
minister at the time. It was I think we were
the first in Australia or the second or third. You know,
we're fairly early movers and shakers when it came to
contain a deposit legislation and to make it more applicable
(09:09):
and relevant and contemporary to twenty twenty five is good.
So I don't think anyone's going to be jumping up
and down about that one. There's amendments to the first
home Owner Grant legislation, and that's just extending the timelines.
From what I can see, it's just making it. Most
of the grant seem to be due to finish soon
(09:35):
and they're just extending them. There's one of the ones
that was more contentious from a few months ago was
the establishment of the new police public Safety offices. That
legislation could be coming up to make, you know, to
legislate and make those positions real and actual and move
(09:59):
along with that that. You know, there's quite a bit
of controversy around aspects of merging all those different positions,
the special constables, Aboriginal community police officers, police auxiliaries, and
public safety officers. They're merging them into one position called
(10:19):
police public safety officers. And you know, whether or not
they carry guns, I know, is something that people are
talking to me about. So a few little bits of
other legislation that they will be putting through over the
next couple of weeks, but the big one I think
is the anti discrimination legislation, which was strangely pulled by
(10:40):
the government last during last sittings. It was all sort
of set to go from what we heard, and then
it was suddenly withdrawn. I'm not sure what that looks
like now, if they've changed anything, but that that was
highly controversial, that legislation. I know the opposition strongly opposed
the men meant to that legislation that the government have
(11:04):
put forward. So we're just up in the air about
that that that could be coming forward over the next
week or two.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well, we'll all be keeping a very close eye on that. Robin,
really quick one before I let you go, just in
your as the independent member for Aurah Lawn, what do
you think about having the police commissioner based in Alice Springs.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Look, it's good news. Martin Dole is a local boy
and he's obviously got strong networks. He knows the town.
I mean, half the battle in Alice Springs is when
it comes to policing to some extent is the fact
that you've got such a turnover of coppers coming through
that don't necessarily understand the town and the way we work.
(11:47):
So having Martin in that position. Martin Dole in that
position will be good.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Well, Robin Lamley, you have got a busy couple of
weeks ahead of you. We'll probably talk to you again soon.
If you're in town at any stage for the week
that was, we'd love to have you on.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I'll let you know, thank you, let us.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Know good to speak to you. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Thanks, thank you,