The Week That Was – 10th November 2023

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for the week that was, and joining me
in the studio this morning we have got the newly
minted minister Joel Badden.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Good morning to you.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Good morning Katie.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Congratulations on being appointed to the ministry.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (00:14):
It is a great privilege, a great honor, and I'm
looking forward to getting stuck in which after two weeks,
I know there's a lot of work.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
There's yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Kezier Puric, the Independent member for Goid, good to have
you in the studio with us this morning. Katy, Good
morning bush people, and of course Jared mainly the deputy
opposition later, Good morning to you.

Speaker 5 (00:31):
Jared, morning Katy, Good morning listeners.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
And I tell you what bit of rain heading our
way by the look of things, bloody time. It's dark
out the dancing in the paddic.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
Oh my godness, it's working, it's working.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh goodness me.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Well, do take care if you are out on the
road though, because it does look as though it's quite
a bit of rain about. And I know that sometimes
people forget to turn their headlights on and forget how
to drive, so please remember to look out each other
on our roads. Now we are going to kick off
this morning with the fact that there's been unfortunately more
bad behavior in Alice Springs. I know the NT News

(01:09):
is reporting this morning that an Alice Springs resident has
taken to social media to appeal directly to teenagers attempting
to break into a Braitling home. A resident who said
they lived around Lackman Terrace and Dixon Road area posted
at about two point thirty on the Action for Alice
facebook page that children were attempting to break into their home.

(01:29):
Two young kids were trying to open and break all
of our windows around the house. The unidentified resident wrote, Lucky,
our camera notifications woke me up, and my partner had
a look and turned on the sirens and they both
ran off like little scared kids. They couldn't be older
than fourteen. Now, I do want to play for you
a little bit of audio from an Alice Springs mum

(01:52):
who we spoke to on the show yesterday. Now, unfortunately
she was in a pretty horrifying situation. If you miss
that interview with this Alice Springs mum who does want
to remain anonymous, we'll just play a bit of it
for you right now.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Take a listen.

Speaker 6 (02:09):
They tried to come into the house to adults inside
with about seven little kids. When they left, the pilot
of the kids into the car in an attempt to
remove ourselves from the situation. They blocked us off on
the road and I'd turned into some flats to get
away from them, and they've rocked the back of my window,
chip in the back of my car.

Speaker 7 (02:27):
I've had the kids screaming and terrified, like you know,
the oldest kid is like nine. I called the police
and I waited for over two hours for them to respond, Like,
I don't know where else to look for help. Yes,
I'm terrified for my kids safety.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
So that was a mum who we spoke to on
the show yesterday. I mean, you can hear the fear
in her voice. It's a frightening situation for her to
be in, and you know, it's just terrible. No one
should feel unsafe in their home. Your home should be
the one place where you do feel safe and in
your sanctuary.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Absolutely, Kady, it's absolutely awful.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
It's horrendous and the experience that that mum and those
kids have had to go through, it's just totally unacceptable.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
I know.

Speaker 4 (03:11):
Within the Change of Ministry, Brent Potter has taken on
the police fort folio, and I'm pretty sure he's heading
down there this weekend and he'll talk to people on
the ground.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
But we've we've just got to do more.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
I know that we need more police in our springs
and Brent's acutely aware of that.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
So he'll be down.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
There and the police will be doing their job. I
understand there's already been some arrests, but the police are
doing their job and they'll be cha chasing them up.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (03:35):
But unfortunately it's that we always hear from the labor government.
We've got to do more. It's a generational thing. We've
got to do more. This Labor government have been in
power for seven years and before that they are inmpowerful
eighty in our the last twenty odd years. So these
young offenders who are offending now weren't even born when
this Labor government came to power, you know, twenty odd
years ago. And yet all we hear from the Labor
government we've got to do more. We've got to plan,
We're going to go down and visit, but just not enough.

(03:57):
These people down there are living in there. Last year
we had the Prime Minister come in at the summer
times to save the town and say look, enough's enough.
We've had the winter months come through and things died
off because it's cold. Now it's the summer month's coming
and already the crimes out of control. We've had the
police cars get thrown out. We've had that story with
this young lady was victimized and then took two hours
for the police to get that. Alice Springs isn't a

(04:18):
big town, and yet you know, it's just unbelievable that
just goes around and it just seems.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Been some info that we've just had come through from
the police. Detectives from Strike Force Viper have arrested a
fourteen year old male in relation to the offending and
he's expected to be charged later today. Now, our understanding
is that arrest does relate to the woman that we
spoke to yesterday. So no doubt police. Police are doing
their jobs, there's no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
But the lord, it's just that there's so many jobs.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
Remember, police just do interpret the law, and unfortunately the
law here is just not hard enough.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
These kids have got no consequence.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
We've got talking about a fourteen year old who's been
arrested for stoning someone's cart. You know, where does this
kid come from? How to get to that situation with
a fourteen year old think I think it's okay to
go to timidate a family of young people to stand
with there parked in a car park by the sounds
of it, terrified, waiting for the police to come. You know,
it's just unacceptable, and the Labor government do nothing about

(05:14):
it other than we all here, we've got to do more.
We're going to do this, We're going to do that,
We've got to do planet is something. We've had the
bail review six months of that and there was no action.
You know, the alcohol review came out and that review
said that there should be an opportunity for the police
to ask for names and for these people drinking in
the public street. The COLP had legislation in the House

(05:35):
that next scene essentially to get that fix, and the
Labor government wouldn't support it.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
It's just embarrassing and it's going to I suspect it.
I hope it doesn't, but it will get worse because,
as Jared said, the winter is passed and it's coming
into the summer month, so you know, it's not unpleasant
and not cold to be outside and running a mark
and historically we know from past experience that the summer
months in other springs, the crime just does go rapid.
But you know, it's in fairness to the police, like

(06:00):
it took two hours, probably because they had other jobs.
You just can't drop a job if you're on a
job something serious. So sadly for that lady, it probably
did take that time. But because the police have so
many jobs, and they have so many jobs because there's
so much trouble now.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
One thing that the mayor of Alice Springs raised with
us yesterday, and I think this is a really good point,
he said, Katie, there are thirty four community organizations working
in this space in Alice Springs, and if those thirty
four organizations are doing their jobs and doing their jobs, well,
why have we got kids out on the street offending?

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Katie met a few years back when I did I
was on the select committee looking into youth's suicide and
I've mentioned this before. We went to Alice Springs to
committee and we found out there was something like fifteen
I can't remember exact number, but it was a lot
of organizations like the churches, the nngos, the land Council
of the Aboriginal Associations, medical associations, you know, youth dropping Center.

(06:51):
There was about fifteen or twenty of these kind of organizations,
all getting government and philanthropic funding, and they didn't talk
to each other, and they wondered, why we've got a problem.
We went to Tenant Creek for the committee and then
there was only about six or eight sort of groups there.
Half them didn't even know the other half existed. So
there's a lot of organizations down there, Like there's thirty
four the mayor's talking about, and I'll bet you they

(07:12):
don't even know each other. So that's where the money
is being squandered because they're all doing a little bit
in isolation and then there's no cross communication and no coordinations.
Another one of those agencies, yeah, doing their bit.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
The other point that he made is that's thirty four CEOs,
that's thirty four HR staff members, that's thirty four sort
of support crew, and they all.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Protect their force no doubt. Yeah, that's just the way
it is.

Speaker 5 (07:34):
CLP and noted that we've called for we need a
review of that, how it's going to work, how much
money's going in at the top, and how much benefits
coming out of the bottom. And I think that's what
needs to happen. And I remember here, I'm Brent Potters
saying that when he's doing his ride bys with the police,
he was out there with the police doing a great job,
but he didn't see any other agency out there helping.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
And I'm sure he mentioned that.

Speaker 5 (07:51):
So where are these people out there who we know
the troubles at nighttime, we know the troubles after dark,
and yet there's over government to be any power again,
and the CEOs are there. Why haven't they organized that
in the last seven years and started to fix a problem.
We know that winter's just finishing, with summer's coming, we
know the crime coming up, So why haven't they got
those procedures and those plans ready in place, because you know,
we know what's going to happen and get Unfortunately, the

(08:13):
government failed, not just the people of Alice Springs, this
is happening right across the northern Cherokee. The same stories
in Palmersan in Countack Creek and Catherine in the CBD. Here,
it's just right across the northern The.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
Thing that did give me a bit of hope throughout
the week and maybe I'm naive, but it did give
me a bit of hope that the new police Minister
had instantly gone out with those with police officers and
with the police Association. Now I believe as well that
he's going to Alice this weekend or if you're this weekend,
very soon.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Going to al Springs.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yeah, and look, I you know, I think it's incredibly
important that that happens. But I know that for a
lot of residents in Alice Springs that are listening this morning,
they'll be thinking, well, it shouldn't have needed a change
of minister for that to happen, and we shouldn't need
a change of minister to get some action because this
is something that they've been calling for. Let's not forget
the years started with Alice Springs in.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
Christis Katie the other thing the two members. He may
be aware, but perhaps listeners aren't. Under the Youth justice,
a a child, a youth, a youth person does not
have to do youth diversion if they choose not to,
and the parent has to consent or the what do
you call it, the person who looks after them, the
care So I've been in discussions and I've had a
couple of briefings already about ways to look at amending

(09:27):
the Youth Justice Act, because you've got this said, this
fourteen year old who's been attacking this woman's car, and
no doubt he's done other things in his time. He
does not have to do a rehabilitation and a youth
diversion thing. I don't think that's quite right, and I
don't think it meets the expectations of the community. He
should be made to do something to amend for his
past actions. And well, the Youth Justice that excuse me,

(09:51):
currently doesn't allow that. They just say they may be diverted.
And so I'm putting it out there to government, if
you're listening. I'm looking to bring in a private members
bill just that we can control and perhaps manage better
in this situation of our youth just running a mark
with no consequences.

Speaker 4 (10:10):
And what I would say, Katie, is it is good
that the police have been able to act swiftly on this.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
They have arrested the fourteen year old and take the member.

Speaker 4 (10:17):
For Nelson's point, it is good to see a newly
minted police minister going out with police at night.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
I know he's engaged heavily with the.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
NTPA and Nathan Finn and Brent Potter is enthusiastic, but
he's also knowledgeable. He was the police Advisor for a
period of time. He's a former defense veteran. During good
it is a valid point because experience gives you an
opportunity to make better decisions. A good decision is made

(10:48):
with all the data, as much data and as much
information as you can get. Brent Potter has a lot
of data, He has a lot of information. Is he
has a lot of experience and I am in trusting
him as the Chief Minister has to take this portfolio
on and do the best job be possible.

Speaker 5 (11:02):
The thing's going to be with that, Joel, is that
when you go to your cabinet meetings, you've got a
junior minister. They're saying this one needs to happen. And
this is where the seal P is different from Labor.
We would have the Police Ministership with the Chief Minister
because that's how important it is. And when you have
these cabinet meetings and what's going on in behind these
closed doors, you need someone here who's a senior person
to be able to say I've been out on the street.
I've seen this. This needs to change and the person

(11:24):
without power is the Chief Minister. Unfortunately, I think sitting
around the cabinet table Brent Ponty might have all these
great ideas, but when it comes to that, you know,
spreading up the money and then the policy and all
the time, who's going to listen to it? And that's
why the Chief Minister should have the police port.

Speaker 4 (11:38):
Remember, for its just talking about cabinet processes of which
I've been exposed to now for two weeks. I've got
a folder in front of me which I'm now given
most days which sets out my day. The Chief Minister's
day is so busy, so busy, I don't think the
Chief Minister would have the opportunity to go and do
night drives with police, to meet consistently with the Police Association.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
I just have that understand.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
Who is opening his door to the NTPA to going
out with the police, to listening and doing the absolute
best he can. I don't think that that's going to
sit with the Chief Minister and get more attentional.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
Do you think that we are going to see though
over the next few months, because let's face it, how
many months are we out now from a Northern Territory election,
it's like ten months. So when you take Christmas into account,
when you look at the fact that we're coming to
the year's end, do you think that the government, the
current government, with Brent Potter now in as the Police Minister,

(12:36):
do you think we're going to see any change to
the issues that we're seeing, And noting the fact that
he'd even said on that ride along that he'd done
we need to be the police need to be able
to work with those other support services, or those support
services need to be out and about as well. You know,
if you're picking up kids that are kids, is there
an opportunity for the police to very quickly be able

(12:57):
to get them to territory families if that's what is required.
If you've got an offender that you're having to then
go to the hospital with and you're waiting there for
quite some time, and rightly so, the hospital is busy.
But are there ways that we can do things differently
that are going to see a noticeable change and fast?

Speaker 4 (13:15):
I definitely hope so, Curtie and already Brent has brought
a suite of measures to the Cabinet table to discuss
he hasn't presented them and asked for approval as yet,
but to discuss because he's only two weeks into the role.
And we know what happened last year and that was awful, right,
And I was in Alice Springs during that period of time.
I will be in Ali Springs again over the Christmas period,
and no one wants that to happen again. So there

(13:36):
are a suite of measures that we are talking about.
I don't want to steal Brent Potts thunder here and
make any premature announcements or anything of that, but I
absolutely hope that we can reduce the level of misbehavior
from young kids, right.

Speaker 3 (13:51):
And it's just ridiculous.

Speaker 4 (13:52):
I grew up in Alice Springs and I know some
of the reasons behind the misbehavior, and one of them
is boredom. One of them is boredom and kids who
haven't got a lot to do, so more programs over
this period of time indoors because it gets to forty
five degrees during the day in our springs over the
summer months.

Speaker 1 (14:07):
Would you support this private members bill that Kisi is
talking about, though we're with youths that are actually breaking
the law that they are forced to actually do a
diversion program.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
Like, no one's saying that that's jail time. I don't
think that anybody's you know, it's a program to try
and get them on trap.

Speaker 5 (14:23):
The government increase the criminal responsibility. So you're talking at
eleven or a twelve year old or a ten year
old kid and they and they aren't even doing thing criminal.
They can't be forced to do a diversion program.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
Not even with this.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
Could there be some kind of change? I mean, is
it something that the Labor Party with the plan.

Speaker 4 (14:42):
Any Private member's bill or any opposition bill goes through
the same process, and you don't rush those processes through.
We've seen a number of different pieces of legislation being
brought to the Parliament by the opposition. Some of them
haven't even made the floor of Parliament because there's a
there's a longer process.

Speaker 3 (14:56):
You can do things on urgency like.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
For you, do you think that it's in line with
the community's expectations that say a kid steals a car, right,
and then it comes down.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
To their choice whether they do a diversion.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
Program, Like I don't think that that's in line with
the community's expectations.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
I think I don't really want to do a division program.
Ye're gone a bit more stealing.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
And look, I'm not saying that a victim should have
to sit down with an offenderom they don't want to do.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
A version, No, but I think I do.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
Think, yeah, I do think that there is an expectation
from the community that if a kid commits a crime,
and if my kid committed a crime, I would expect
that there was some kind of diversion program for them
to go through, and I would expect that it had
to happen because I'd actually want.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
My child to try and get all the right track done.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
And that's actions and consequences.

Speaker 3 (15:45):
I do that at home with my kids.

Speaker 4 (15:46):
I've got a you know, eleven year old or thirteen
year old, fifteen and seventeen year old. If they don't
do the things that we ask them at home, there
are consequences. Now, that's the same within the law, and
the law stipulates those consequences. They're in black and white,
they're in the different pieces of legislation that are out there.
And I agree actions, if you do the wrong thing,
there needs to be a consequence.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
And look, I absolutely understand that not every family is
growing up in the same way that my little family is,
or the same way that you know that some of
our families are. I understand that not every child has
those opportunities, but we also like we need to make
sure that we're trying to get kids on the right track.
There's no doubt about that. At the moment though we
seem to be failing on that path. We do seem

(16:26):
to be having a situation where, unfortunately, you know, there
are kids still ending up on this path to crime
and to lives without that opportunity. And you know, I
don't know where we're failing given the fact that we have,
like we've heard in Alice Springs, you got thirty four
community organizations that are meant to be working in this space.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
Katie, there's still a lack of accountability at the basis
of all this, and that's in the family unit. Whatever
that family unit is, whether it's normal parents or whether
it's grandparents or cares or aunties, whatever, there's lack of
accountability and the intended consequences. The consequences should be that
the youth person, the young person one is confronted with

(17:08):
what they have done and the impact however that's done
but they should be made to do a diversion probe,
whatever that is, whether it means they do a community
service where that means they go and help someone, whether
it means, you know, they commit to going to school properly,
you know, because the fact that these kids are on
the streetment is they're not going to school, which means
they're not learning. So they'll end up being adults with
no education, no literacy, and then what hope is there

(17:31):
for them at that stage, and.

Speaker 5 (17:32):
They need that revolving door of shut out these kids
they don't get into trouble. We know, the labor government
age or raise the age groom responsibility that these kids
the message they get us, well we do all we
want because it's okay because the government sn't have to.
So the messaging send out by the government enforces the
fact that they can do what they want.

Speaker 4 (17:49):
And so case, I think you make a really good
point about education. And I saw something come up this
morning and I said, as a quote said education is
the most powerful weapon which we can use to change
the world.

Speaker 3 (17:59):
Absolutely from Nelson Mandela.

Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I think you're on the right track, and I
think we need Yeah, I think we need to focus
on yes, actions bad bad action ecals consequence, but also education,
also health, also the house, the household the.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
Last time screaming at their radios though going the Labour
Party has had several years to try and improve in
that space.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
And your two.

Speaker 5 (18:23):
Years have been in power for a lot longer than's
seven years. This government now has been in powerful seven years.
But like I said earlier, this Labor government being in
power in the Northern Jurory for eighteen out the last
twenty odd years. These kids, you know, were even born
when this when this Labor government come into power, and
the messages have just been getting less and less. Consequences
are roading away over year after year, and before we

(18:44):
end up with we end up.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
With crime going through the roof.

Speaker 5 (18:46):
We end up with people getting stone in the car,
police having the call.

Speaker 3 (18:50):
But it's just unacceptable.

Speaker 4 (18:52):
Member understand about the degenerational trauma. Do you understand that
the government leaves member for genuine about to take.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
Give everybody a quick breather.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
You are listening to Mix one O four nine three
sixty Now before we get into our next topic of
the day, I do just want to make mention of
our mate Matt Cunningham he's.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
Here today, Matt.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
So he has actually been awarded the Well, he's been
crowned the Sir Kent Keith Murdoch Journalist of the Year
the News Corps Australia.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
It's a very prestigious award.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
Congratulations in addition to his ent yes to be of
the Year.

Speaker 2 (19:40):
What a week for Matt Cunningham.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
There's a footy player, you'd be getting a part, You're
begetting an increase in your contract.

Speaker 4 (19:46):
Or something with There a reason why he didn't show this,
He didn't ask him.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
This is what happens when you have professionally in your job. Yes,
a few journists town that he's done incredibly well.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, he has done incredibly well and rightly deserved. He's
been across the nation throughout the year working bloody hearts.

Speaker 2 (20:10):
So good on him to the referendum.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
Yeah, and all the coverage of Alice Springs earlier in
the year, which we have indeed spoken quite a bit
about this morning.

Speaker 2 (20:17):
But I do want to talk about it.

Speaker 4 (20:18):
Can I just ad he's one of the funnier journalists
in town right because you see him. He's got his camera,
he's got his microphone, he sets everything up himself into
one man band, and so you'll see him on a
corner down on the corner of Cavanah Street or something,
and he'll be setting up and then he'll jump behind
the camera and then sometimes you'll be wearing a jacket,
any shorts and thoughts.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
The funniest time was when he was out in the
rural area and someone thought that he was doing something
dodgy and I think they even contacted the police, but
they should have just called you keys here and you
haven't been able to say, it's just coming in, it's
all good.

Speaker 2 (20:52):
That's dodgy. He didn't trust that town.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
Rule that you wear a shirt that.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
Exactly exactly.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
We will move along because if there is a lot
to cover off on this week, and I do want
to take you to a very serious situation, and that
is our domestic violence funding.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Now.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
We kicked the week off this morning, or the week
off this week on Monday with the Chief Minister, Natasha
Files really asking whether the federal government is going to
come to the table on this.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
Now.

Speaker 1 (21:25):
We know that the domestic violence Coronial inquest continues, but
the federal government has delivered The Northern Territory News was
reporting earlier in the week escathing response to repeated please
for more funding in the fight against the territory's domestic
violence scourge. Now, the Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth said

(21:45):
the territory was receiving more than its per capita share
in a national partnership for domestic violence responses. That's a
claim the Northern Territory government and local advocates have disputed.
It comes as a four month inquest into the murders
of four Aboriginal women continues in Darwin.

Speaker 2 (22:02):
And you know we have heard the.

Speaker 1 (22:05):
Coroner has heard that three Territory women are killed each
year on average, with more than nine in ten of
those victims being Aboriginal, and domestic violence related homicides in
the Northern Territory are seven times higher than the national average.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
Now that's a report in the Northern Territory News.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
And we speak about domestic violence very often on this show.
We speak about incidents of domestic violence very often, the
callouts that police are called to every single day. When
it comes to domestic violence, we have to be looking
at things differently.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
And Katie also don't forget there's a mandatory requirement to
report domestic violence incidents or suspected incidents or issues, so
they there may well be more that's not been captured
because one, people don't know about this legislative requirement. I mean,
we've all got this responsibility. If we think there's something.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
Wrong should be reasonably wide known.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
There is a there's mantory reporting if you're aware of
an instance.

Speaker 5 (23:04):
I know it's like that not that well known, but
I think people are just had enough of the DV
across the Northern Territory. And then the Labor government keep
trying to blame the feeds, and the feeds blame the
Labor government. Remember One, it's the anti government in charge.
They ultimately bus stops with them. Two, the Labor Government
is an Australia White Party, so their Labor Party cronies
are in power in the FED. So why do I

(23:25):
go and say to them and have a bit of
communication That doesn't happen obviously because they're trying to pass
the buck and blame each other.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
It really doesn't sound like the FEDS are going to
come to the table like it doesn't sound as though
they're going to provide more funny more funding in this space.

Speaker 2 (23:37):
So I guess what it makes Your question.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
Is how is the Northern Territory government going to make
some inroads in this space, because we'd heard yesterday as
well at that inquest that this is having an impact
then in other ways, even.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
On the topic that we were talking about a little
while ago.

Speaker 1 (23:50):
This has an impact in so many different ways, and
there are people that are working so incredibly hard in
this space, but there needs to be more work done, Kate.

Speaker 4 (24:01):
I think one, we need them to come to the party.
We need the feeds to come to the party. Has
been about two hundred and sixty million spent on dB
and associated stuff. So one, we need the federal government
to come to the party because we've got, as you said, Codie,
are seven times greater need so needs based funny means

(24:22):
we've got seven times it would be you know already
get great thought was less than that, right, but it's
not and we know the issues around that. As I said,
remember for Nelson, be genuine about the conversation. More money now,
and what we need is we need to engage through
everybody with the federal government around this and prosecute the
argument because there are budgets everywhere in every state and territory,

(24:43):
there's budgets and we need to prosecute our argument, like
I'm doing this when it comes to the dipple and infrastructure,
but I'm going to see Catherine King to prosecute the
element for more money for roads. We need to prosecute
the argument and Kate Warden's irrelevant minister for more money
for domestic violence and the hempts to stop this scourge
on our commission.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
She hasn't done that well up until this point, because
you would think that they'd understand that.

Speaker 4 (25:07):
I know that Kate Warden has written continually and extensively
to Amanda Riskworth. To the federal government we have a
very good relationship with. But it's a contested space when
you're coming to budgets anytime you talk.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
About those budgets, so and when you look at some
of the areas and where we blow out the budget.
You know, infrastructure is one. I know you've just taken over,
but it is an area where we totally blow out
the budget quite regularly in different you know, on different projects.
Some of those millions of dollars would go very well
onto something like domestic violence, wouldn't they.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
And we need to do both right.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
We need to one deliver infrastructure projects and to mitigate blowouts.
But two we need to work with the FED. We
need to argue with the fees to say hey, listen,
give us needs based funding.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
This is a great need in our community.

Speaker 4 (25:48):
It diverts resources from the police, which means they're not
doing another jobs. That's one area. But we need to
try and look after those who are impacted and affected
by the.

Speaker 1 (25:57):
Messa situation though, where the Northern Territory government sort of
trying to lay the blame on the fedce that we
need more money to try and fix this because they're
not making in rides.

Speaker 2 (26:05):
You're not making it well.

Speaker 5 (26:06):
As you know that the a Chief Minister thought Kate
Warden wasn't doing a very good job because she demoted
her right if you know that, that's a fact. She's
been demoted down and now she's just got these portfolios
and the main ones be taken off it. And we
know that domestic violence is going through the roof, and
we know that this Labor government keep trying to blame
other people. But they need a plan because just talking
about it, like they always say, we're going to do this,
We're going to talk about here. Something needs to happen,

(26:27):
right now because their domestic violence is a scourged right
across the Northern territory. It affects not just that victims,
it affects the whole range of other factors. And this
labor government are doing nothing about it because the facts
it's just going through the roof.

Speaker 2 (26:39):
I don't I haven't got my mind around why the
antigument expects the commonalf government to come and give them
more money. And I agree with Jared. If you want
to put in to get something from someone, whether it
be a bank, finance company, commwalf government, then you do
have to have a plan. You have to have a
detailed plan as to what you want, why you want it,
and where you're going to spend that money. Because if
you're getting common of money, is it going to be

(27:01):
is it going to be tied money or is it
going to be government agent has to equit the funds.
I presume they have to quit funds for lots of things.
But it's like where are you going to direct the fronds?
Like from what you've said about this data that's come
out of the Corona inquiry, it's heavily heavily within the
Aboriginal population. The domestic violence issue, not exclusively. We're just

(27:23):
see too clearly with shootings and the like in our community.
But you know, you've got to come up with some
detail or anti government. If they have got a plan,
let us know what it is so we can take
comfort that what you're doing is actually genuinely going to work.
I mean, there is no doubt the contributing factors to
the high level is alcohol. There's no doubt about that.
Overcrowding of houses, poor houses, people coming from out of

(27:44):
bush coming into town, not going home again, creating mischief,
more alcohol, and so it goes on and on. Children,
children getting beaten up, children being sexually abused for whatever reason. Olcohol, Yes,
is one of the as I said, the major contributing factors.
But if you want more money from the common world,
maybe then you need to explain where it's actually going
to be spent. Because clearly the money that's been spent,
and I don't take it away from all those people

(28:05):
out there who work in this space to help victims
and to stop this happening. I don't do that at all.
But it's not getting better, it's getting worse. More people
are being beaten up and killed.

Speaker 5 (28:16):
Well, look the government's spending money on my wasteful projects.
We've got this shape structure sitting here, there's been here.
There's spend one hundred thousand dollars a year on that
on just on maintenance, and.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
That's the wrong plant.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
We've had.

Speaker 5 (28:26):
We've had overspends and all sorts of infrastructure that Joel's
going to find out about.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
We've had the.

Speaker 5 (28:31):
Time playground over here, you know, a million dollars overspend there.
What about the priorities of spending that money where it's
needed in health, education and the police.

Speaker 3 (28:39):
What about the art galleries? Again, well, look, I.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
Do want to move along to another topic that that
in some ways alcohol obviously is intertwined with other areas
that we've spoken about this morning, and something well we've
spoken to earlier in the week. The one of the
operators that the owner actually of the matter, Aranka Supermarket
and Tony joined us on the show to talk about
the Northern Territory government's twenty five percent cap on alcohol

(29:05):
sales imposed on corner stores and the fact that it's
forcing some to shut shop and shut shop you know,
for numbers of days throughout the week to meet the requirements.
With fears growing from owners that they could soon go
out of business. Now, if you miss that interview with
Tony a little earlier in the week, take a listen
to what she had to say.

Speaker 8 (29:25):
We've had moments where we've had to work out how
we're going to pay wages to our staff. We've had
to cut back on stuff. I've gone without wages for
probably three months of this year, and probably we'll do
for the next month while week or our bottle shop
is closed for November. It's having a huge impact, not
just financially but mentally as well with their generation and
our market. Yep, it is our life is we are

(29:48):
going to be sacrificed for a twenty five percent rule
on alcohol. I need to see that it's been for
a reason and I need to know that having a
huge impact and it's not just been a decision that's
been made to be seen to be doing something about
alcohol problems in the Northern Territory.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
So that's Tony Kutchky on the show a little earlier
in the word yesterday.

Speaker 2 (30:07):
This is this is happening more and more. First of all,
it started with Zakoli with the Lay's shop, and then
there was I think Noulan boy had a shop or
one of those places over there, and now this lady
at Mataranka and see us. There's no doubt about it.
Because I can't name people. I won't name people, but
they are specifically targeting the corner store. Oh that's not
their prime business selling alcohol, they should should sell groceries.
Well that may have been historically, Move on people. Those

(30:30):
corner stores, whoever they are, do serve alcohol as part
of their service to the consumers. And you're going to
see more of these corner store small shops like at Mataranka.
There's nothing between Catherine and probably done Mara Tenant Creek.
You know that because if the store shuts, they also
take away the petrol. So it's going to have a
flow on effect into our tourism and our travelers and

(30:50):
our small business people that go up and down that track.
And they're not buying booze, they're buying the other goods
and services that those places provide. Like some of these
often have a mechanic kind of person. You know, they
can't cons out because put the wrong fuel in it.
You know, they're there to service with that kind of stuff.
So you know, I really think the government needs to
look at this carefully because you're doing a disservice. Thing

(31:12):
she'd spoken to us so about is the consequences which
they didn't think it through when they made this.

Speaker 5 (31:17):
Made this another example their government got the wrong priorities.
They're going after these small business operators and people out
there at the corner stores instead of going after the
actual problem, drunks of people causing the problem. They're going
over these small businesses and mums and dads are they're
trying to earn a living kind of.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
Stop the alcoholics just a word.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
I guess that's the thing, you know, That's what she said,
that people were able to then to drive to other locations.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
To get alcohol. I mean, Joel, do you reckon though.

Speaker 1 (31:41):
Like if we when we talk about harm minimization when
it comes to alcohol, is something like this twenty five
percent cap really going to make a difference or do
we actually need to you know, be looking at things
a bit differently because you know, we've seen historically throughout
the territory over the years. You know, we didn't have
Dan Murphy's into market because we're worried about the impact

(32:02):
that that was going to have. But we already had
the floor price in place. We've already got the BDR,
We've already got all of these other measures that if
they were working well, you wouldn't have to put a
cap on the supermarket.

Speaker 4 (32:12):
And so Katie, those measures came from Justice Trevor Riley's review,
which most people are aware of. It was a comprehensive
review and Justice Riley and his team put together a
large amount of recommendations, all of which were accepted by
one at the time. So the government has attempted, in
its best endeavors, to address this alcohol issue through a

(32:32):
comprehensive review. I understand the grocery store that has the
caps and that can inhibit their sales and their opening hours.
I run a small business myself. I know how hard
it is to run a small business. I take Tony's point.
I didn't pay myself wages many weeks when we were
running our cafe restaurant, So it is really hard and
it can be really stressful. We need to understand and

(32:54):
acknowledge the scourge of alcohol in our society, and this
was just one measure from Justice Trevor Riley put in
place to try and do something about this huge issue
that we've.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Got to do so as somebody who has run a business.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
As somebody who's run a business, you sort of go
imagine buying that business or having that business for three generations,
having your rules and regulations in place already, you know,
doing your best to sell and serve responsibly, respecting the community.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
She said.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
You know, there's different times where they don't open when
there's a funeral on and things like that, so respecting
the community. But then the government implementing a rule that
then totally sort of changes your business model and that
you're not able to, you know, to operate in the
same way that you previously had and that been totally
out of it.

Speaker 4 (33:38):
And that's hardly why there's been these licensed buybacked options.
And I know there's a number of conversations going on
in the background, but you know, we'll wait to see
where that lands. But it has changed the business model.
Right if you're a grocery store selling booze, then that's
different to just being intations.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
It's a bit different though, right, Yeah, like matter raka,
it is very different because you're you know, you're the
only grocery store there for miles, so it is it's
a very different scenario.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
You would think hand.

Speaker 3 (34:12):
Look at the house Spring shops.

Speaker 5 (34:13):
The house Ring Shops is there with the supermarket, and
you've got the takeaway literally twenty meters from it, you know,
the fund the actual selling the same stuff, so they've
got to twenty five percent.

Speaker 3 (34:22):
You don't want to buy it there.

Speaker 5 (34:23):
It's the pubble and they go the publish is twenty
fives away and the house Spring supermarkets a great super
Market's got a big selection of stuff and it's got
the alcohol on the side. So that is doing a
great community service and they might be affected by this.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
Katie Doather thing that perhaps justus Rali and his cohorts
didn't really think about it and look at properly. In
the business setting is the grocery corner store is not
what it used to be. But there are so much
more competitors in the marketplace now, so it might not
be that their alcohol sales are going up their grocery
sales are coming down. You go to any petrol station
now and you can buy pretty much everything that in

(34:55):
an emergent situation. You can buy pet food, dog food,
fishing gear, you can buy sereal, you can buy milk,
you can buy biscuits, you can buy things those noodle
things you put in and you get them and eat
them in five minutes. So the minute noodles.

Speaker 3 (35:09):
About about five.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
I don't know, I see, but.

Speaker 3 (35:15):
It is the favorite lifelove. It's more than two.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
Minutes back to the grocery stores. So the grocery the
corner stores, they have more competition now, so it is
it is not that their boot sales are necessarily going up.
Their grocery sales are coming down, and so that's putting
it out of proportion. And that's what this review and
Trevor Ryder's report didn't take into consideration. It didn't look
at the market forces.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
And I never know what the market's going to do.

Speaker 7 (35:43):
Right.

Speaker 4 (35:44):
Market in the last three years, the entire world change right,
and hence we've got inflation, and when inflations come in,
it's changed the way the market works.

Speaker 1 (35:54):
I do think, like from my discussion with Tony yesterday,
it does sound as though there needs to be some
serious work with these with these with these outlets or
with these stores to try and help them, but to
try and you know, if you're going to to absolutely
go down the path or stick down this path of
the twenty five percent, then you need to sit down
with those different businesses and be able to hear from

(36:16):
them exactly the kind of impact that it's having.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
But also you know, like all the corner stores they
have a liquor license and a bottleshop attached to it
in the labor held electrics close for a few days.

Speaker 4 (36:30):
Because then you're discriminating against location, against a small business.

Speaker 3 (36:35):
Remember the free market.

Speaker 4 (36:38):
On the conservative side of politics are going to let
the free market go.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
You need to send a strong message to the government.

Speaker 4 (36:43):
Remember for goid can you not be so and see
rageous they.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
See how their residents subject when they can't get their
milk or their ice coffee, whatever.

Speaker 3 (36:53):
Could immediately stop recording. They're going to season.

Speaker 5 (36:59):
So what I spread over a whole year, That'll be
one little, one way.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
That I think might help to some degree review.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
It because days are out there.

Speaker 5 (37:08):
You know, these small operators are hurting, so they could
change it very quickly.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
So common a whole year.

Speaker 4 (37:13):
Remember for not peak, and we're discussing the peaks, and
so we don't want to plant a market with alcohol.
That's what we don't want to That's why Dan Murphy's
was so contested.

Speaker 3 (37:27):
Recording.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
It's the quarterly reporting.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
That's hitting that because at the moment they're in a
situation where like weekly, you know, they're having to make
these changes, which is a huge thing for them because
you don't have the certainty for your customers either.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
They started it and they changed to at the beginning
of this year. If they went back to annual reporting,
it would solve this problem overnight.

Speaker 5 (37:48):
Look, we are going to have to take it, but
to fix it immediately back to a year to deal
with the wet season and dry season, tourist season, and
then review it because it can't keep.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Working before we're gonna have to go to a break,
I'm afraid.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Well, there's been quite a bit nationally happened this week
as well. Not only did we have that interest rate rise,
but we also well we had we had Optus customers
in a real spot of bother earlier in the week.

Speaker 2 (38:12):
And if you're wondering.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
Whether there are still payphones around the place, one of
our wonderful listeners throughout the week, she pulled over so
that she could actually ring from a payphone because she
was one of those Optus customers who could not use
the internet, make a phone call, do anything. The impact
that had on businesses.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Was why for Uber drivers who were lined up with Optics,
they because they wouldn't been able to use their phone,
which is where they get all their data from by
their phone for their bookings, et cetera. I mean, any
business with Optus would have suffered, whether it be the
telephone or the internet. And it's really up Optus has
to explain. You know, how does a major telecommunications coming
there's only two big ones in Australia to them and

(38:52):
tells her how is it that they just blew up? Well,
how about their call today? You know from the CEO.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
Oh, we're not going to compensate, but you can get
some addition, all data.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
Does anyone even use all their.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
Data some pre data on weekends?

Speaker 2 (39:05):
Going to doing about this? Forget to see. Let's go
Gladys Bay of Lin and say, Gladys, what's going going
on the game.

Speaker 3 (39:12):
Shouldn't it look a bit of pre planning.

Speaker 5 (39:13):
Imagine if the tel and some sort of terrorist to
tack or something that and they blew up whatever you to.

Speaker 4 (39:20):
Wake up call for me because my life is pretty
much in my phone.

Speaker 3 (39:25):
I don't carry a wallet anymore. No, not with otors.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
That's the problem. With people is they pay their cup
of coffee with their phone to help you magic to me,
but nothing beats still.

Speaker 3 (39:34):
In the cash economy.

Speaker 2 (39:37):
A lot of our listeners are as well.

Speaker 1 (39:39):
They were saying, Wolfy, that's why you've got to have
enough enough money in your wallets to.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
Have heiding money, have.

Speaker 4 (39:46):
Any loose change or cash to give my kids lunch money.
And they've got what they call striggy account got Spriggy
accounts and they go to school and they can that.

Speaker 3 (40:02):
Order that you can tap. Yeah, I mean I'm lucky.

Speaker 7 (40:04):
Now.

Speaker 4 (40:04):
I've actually got a folder in front of my front
of me with my diary because if I lost my phone,
I wouldn't.

Speaker 2 (40:12):
It does show you that it is important. Shows it
shows the weaknesses of going, you know, with advance of
digital and technology and everything you know, moving along in life,
and it just shows where the weaknesses are. What do
you reckon do your risk assessment on your business? You
should be looking at that, yeah, or you Evan Joel,
you know, like with your kids and with your phone
and everything.

Speaker 3 (40:31):
Well, and I've.

Speaker 4 (40:31):
Actually been given the Ministry for Business and this was
a wake up call for me yesterday thinking I wonder
whether business have actually got a float.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
You know.

Speaker 4 (40:39):
When I run my business, we always had a float,
We always had a knife.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
Still would I reckon?

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Yeah, but do that?

Speaker 1 (40:46):
Yeah, well maybe not. And I guess for some people,
you know, you sort of go. For some of us,
you never get money out. I always do. I like
to get one hundred bucks out a week and make
sure I've got that bit of cash just in case
it's replied for the kids lunches as.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Well, because well I want the kids to also understand
how cash. You know, I like that cash is key.
Basically forget what it does here in Australia. That's bad enough.
But if people then start to travel and they relied
upon their phones to pay things without having back up
cash or a backup credit card just for the trip,
then you're in serious trouble. And typically the more risky

(41:19):
countries you go to forget the sort of western bloody
England's in London's in this kind of place in Canada's.
But if you travel further afield and you're relying upon
your phone to pay everything and to receive all your information,
I think that's poor planning. You should always have. I
do a little stash of boring old cash, you know,
to get you out of moose situation, and a physical
credit card.

Speaker 1 (41:40):
The CEO of Optors survived this though, because you do
have to question what exactly has gone wrong here and
are they not maintaining the equipment that needs to.

Speaker 4 (41:49):
Be So there's two big issues in the last six months,
when the data breach happened and now when there was
no data available and essentially Optors shut down. I would
struggle to see if the CEO can survive. And it
reminds me a little bit of Alan Joyce at Quantas.
You know, with a number of big issues they brought

(42:12):
forward his retirement and now there's a Senate inquiry into Quantus.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
They should also be looking at the chairman of the
board of OPTAs because the chairman is at the highest
level of the directors on that board, and the board,
if there's any major decisions the same as Quantas, that
board would have known about it. So if the CEO
has to take a whole lot of responsibility, and as
she should be the CEO, then the board needs to
be looked at as well, because we saw that office.

Speaker 4 (42:37):
And we also saw that with Quantus when Richard Gory
copped a lot of Flak and my understanding is that
he won't be seeking reelection Richard Goyder in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
So the chair of Quantus is retiring.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
The CEO of Quantus has retired and was forced a
little bit earlier. I can't see the CEO at Optors
surviving too much longer.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
But it leaves that not only does people lose their
business as connections, there's also I don't know what you
call it, you know, the confidentiality the privacy was with
the going down of Optus, were the organizations or hospitals
or whatever that were put in a position of Sue's
confidentiality issues and privacy issue? Another question is, hang on,

(43:18):
but it's been good for Telster. Telster shares went up, Yeah,
I bet they did. We are going to have to
take a very quick break.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
You are listening to Mix one O four nine's three
sixty and that is pretty much it for us this morning.
For the week that was in the studio, we've had
Jared Jared Nelson.

Speaker 2 (43:33):
Jared Maley, the member for Nelson.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
Jared.

Speaker 5 (43:37):
It looks a bit of rain happening out the rural
areas where the map is.

Speaker 3 (43:40):
It's almost there.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
I think we'll make things interesting at footy if it
doesn't dry out a bit. The Savo Keezier puric. Thank
you very much for your time. And Joel Boud Joel Bodden.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
The minister.

Speaker 4 (43:53):
At Darwin Mazda Oval tonight at night the seven pm
so if there ain't comes in, calls it all down
Nightcliff for playing Palmston.

Speaker 3 (44:00):
I'll be down there. And good luck to Jared's daughter
first game snap snap.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
Against Pines in the under fourteen. Yeah, my daughter's in
the under fourteen. She's with Tars.

Speaker 4 (44:13):
You go to.

Speaker 2 (44:23):
Football that Sandlos gave me, can get.

Speaker 3 (44:27):
You a share of football with my name?

Speaker 2 (44:29):
I was gonna say, will teach how to kick it? Kezyzy.
We'll have to get you down to run some water.
Hey do that? Hey, I reckon you could do that'd
be great.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yeah, thank you all so very much for your company
this morning. And you are listening to Mix one O
four point nine three six eighties the week that was