July 2, 2026 • 44 mins
Katie Woolf was joined on the panel by 360 Producer Kathleen Gazzola, Education Minister Jo Hersey and Deputy Opposition Leader Ed Smelt.
The panel discussed Territory Day behaviour, OC Spray being expanded, Manuel Brown speeding and power prices
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning and welcome to the week that it's time
to discuss all the issues of the week and in
the studio with us this morning. Well, since taking on
his new role, the Deputy Opposition leader Ed Smelt, good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning Katy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Good to have you on the show. And we have
indeed got my producer Kathleen Gazola, Good morning to you, Canny,
and of course the Minister for Education and various other portfolios,
Joe Hersey, Good morning to you, Joe.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners, especially in k Town.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, big week for you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Been a very big week.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Did it go off?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It was absolutely fantastic. Yeah, Territory Day was fantastic. We
had a beautiful centenary cake. There's still some things happening
tomorrow for the centenary. Yeah, it's been a really there's
a real big buzz around town.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
At the time.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Stuff.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Well, is it going to expect it again next year? Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
For one hundred and I can't have a centenary every year.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
No, you certainly can't. Well, I tell you what. Territory
Day celebrations have wrapped up for another year, and it
looks as though there were fewer serious injuries than previous years,
despite the usual scenes of firework well chaos across the
top end in a lot of ways. Now. Saint John
Nt responded to six firework related incidents while Royal Darwin
(01:14):
and Palmerston hospitals. We spoke to the Nursing and Midwire
Free director yesterday who said that there were twenty seven
people treated for mostly minor burns and injuries related to
fireworks hitting them. Calls yesterday though about absolute chaos on
the esplanade, and footage has emerged well of all sorts
(01:34):
of things along the esplanade, but a man using a
traffic cone as a makeshift launcher for fireworks. And I'll
tell you I've seen some other vision this morning, and
I made sure to show it to all of you
so that we've all been able to see just what
was experienced along the esplanade, people acting like complete and
art of clowns. But in fact, I would say it's
(01:56):
a step further because their behavior was actually incredibly dangerous.
Now for those out there listening this morning who really
haven't seen, you know, we're talking young people holding fireworks
that are then shooting towards cars. We're talking about people
throwing fireworks into groups of people that are underneath shelter
at hotels, we're talking about tower buildings being evacuated. From
(02:19):
what we were told yesterday on the show, it was
completely and utterly unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I did speak to the acting police Commissioner yesterday morning,
Travis Wurst, and he had said that generally people have
been fairly well behaved. He did say that there were
some people behaving like dickheads, and that fireworks had to
be confiscated from some people, as well as the fact
that there'd been a few people taken into protective custody.
But there was really no mention of the chaos that
(02:47):
it unfolded along the esperanade. And I don't know whether
that is because people didn't have a huge amount of
detail at that point in time yesterday morning, but it
was just crazy. You've all seen the vision. I mean, Kathleen,
you taking calls from people yesterday who'd said that they
lived here their whole lives, and we're just horrified by it.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely disgusting behavior. And it's behavior like that
that does get a banned for everyone else who were behaving,
you know, responsibly and doing the right thing. I mean,
the fact that they're in the back of a ute
shooting it directly into buildings. It's not like it's an accident,
and they can't say there wasn't any intent to it.
I mean for them, they should be I think worried
that the cops are looking into this and perhaps looking
(03:28):
into whether it's criminal behavior, because that's intent to try
and effectively injure people, you know, and threaten, and these
are they can be used as weapons, and people have
talked about rocks being used as weapons. Why I couldn't
have a fire.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
It's actually going to be my question. Do we know
at this point whether the police are looking into it.
We haven't. I guess we haven't asked because we've really
only seen some of that vision unfolding this morning.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
But that's some way to do list, honestly. Yeah, So
whether they would be because I mean, social media has
its downside, but in this respect it kind of helps
the cops to try and perhaps track these.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I think that vision that you showed us just before, Katie,
I mean that was next level. And when I drove
in yesterday on the Esplanade, it was incredible the amount
of rubbish around and I was listening yesterday and people saying, oh,
can't we move on from this? Well, yeah we can,
and everyone's it's great to celebrate Territory Day, but there
(04:22):
are those few people that will ruin it for the majority.
And I think the fact that you can see the
faces in some of that vision that you've just shown,
I think, you know, potentially there could be some follow
up with police with that, but it is you know,
to be shooting those big cannon like looking firecrackers at
(04:42):
people and at buildings.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It is crazy behavior and it's totally unacceptable. It does
ruin it, and it takes the edge off what's a
fantastic celebration of self government. And just a big shout
out to the police, fire, emergency services, the nurses, the doctors,
everyone that those frontline workers that you know tended to
people or were out there on Territory Day.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I would have been under the pump, like there's no
doubt about that. I mean, ed, you've seen that vision, Like,
I'm assuming things were fairly calm in your electroc but
then when you see that, you just think, what on
earth is going on?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Exactly right, Katie.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
And the risk of this public opinion will turn on
this if people don't do the right thing. The vast
majority of people do, but these people can really wreck
it for everyone.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's a very special.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Part of our self government day, and I think it
would be a real shame if just a handful of
people had to change that.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, I agree, Like Kat, you've been here your whole
life letting fireworks off since you're a little girl, no doubt.
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I've said how I was chased along the ground by
a Catherine wheel that had come off a tree.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
You know that there's always the one that gets away, and.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
That sticks in my head. I remember being scared of that.
But like overall, I loved Territory Day. And I mean,
you know, you see those videos of absolute idiots doing
that on social media and then they're sharing it around
and it becomes viral, and then people down south at
us and look like we're absolute idiots and that we
all got cast in the same opinion, which is not true,
(06:10):
you know.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Or they come up and think we can do that
same exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you know what might stop them if a few
people got charged with actually using those unlawfully and using
those fireworks in a way where they're actually trying to
endanger other people. So I really hope that the Northern
Territory Police do go back and review that vision because
it's really really clear. In some of that vision you
can see people's faces follow it up at the very least,
(06:33):
and yeah, if a few people get charged for acting
like well dickheads, then hopefully it stops others from doing
it again.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
And it is so different from you know, younger people
you could say, standing there with one of those smaller
fireworks laying in their hand and pointing it away.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Intent you can see in that vision exactly. Yes, there's
absolutely intent intent. Do you ask though, I mean, there's
been some discussion about whether there should actually be designated area.
I guess following on from that and following on from what,
you know, what we've all seen, because we're talking about
vision that we've looked at this morning, but all of
our you know a huge number of listeners yesterday were
(07:10):
actually living it on the esplanat. They live in those
apartment buildings, and they were contacting us in droves to
say how upset they were, and you know, how did
really change their opinion of the personal use of fireworks?
I mean, do we need to look at whether there
should be designated areas or you know, should the esplanade
be a no go sign.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I think that's a that's an interesting comment. And when
I was just looking at that vision I did, that
came to mind for me of designated areas because I know,
even when you go I saw some vision of down
at the beach at Casarina Beach at mindle there, and
you know, the people are lighting crackers off very close
(07:53):
to each other. I don't want to be the fun police,
because I love it as much as the next person,
but you know, sometimes people are letting crackers off maybe
too close to each other, so you know, which.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Is what I would be concerned if there was designated areas,
because then you're confined to say everyone, yeah, everyone kind
of comes into that area. You know, if there's an
area cordoned off in a certain location and everyone's going
to let it off, I fear that that might get
crazier more issues.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, I mean, it doesn't need to be some personal responsibility.
And you know, at the end of the day, we
have this amazing celebration for Territory Day, and people need
to be responsible and take action take responsibility for their
own actions.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Yeah, absolutely, and particularly around the rubbish that gets left
behind as well. I think the Lord Mayor was saying
that cost counts of eighty thousand dollars just to do
that clean up.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I think it would have been eighty thousand on the esplanat.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Yes, I went down and joined the Rapid Creek Land
Care on Thursday morning. And yes, it's just those little
bits of cardboard, just those little caps that just end
up everywhere it gets in our waterways. So yeah, if
everyone can just try a bit harder to up half themselves,
that will make it a lot better.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It's not hard.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It's really not hard.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
If you want to have this privilege of being able
to let off fireworks, and it's not that hard. And look,
I'll be very blunt about it. Probably our listeners are
not the ones who need to be given this message
because they are responsible. I reckon, Hey, we're going to
take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one oh four ninees three sixty. It is the week
that was. You are listening to Mix one O four
(09:24):
ninees three sixty. If you've just joined us in the
studio this morning, We've got ed smelt, we've got Kathleen Gazola,
and we've got Joe Hersey and well, the Chief Minister
joined us on the show earlier in the week and
said that sixteen year olds could soon be allowed to
carry OC spray for self defense, with the territory government
considering expanding the current trial. Now, if you missed her
(09:46):
on the show a little bit earlier in the week,
here is part of what she had to say.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
I'm going to be saying, yep, let's keep it. We're
going to have legislation ready to go and it will
become a permanent feature. What I actually am doing right
now is reviewing whether we can expand any of the
uses of it or change some of the rules. For example,
we had a lot of feedback about it being eighteen
(10:11):
years and over, and a lot of people were saying, well,
I want my seventeen year old daughter to have one,
for example, so.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Cal she's leaving work or something exactly.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
You know, sixteen year olds can drive a car. You know,
there's a lot of responsibility we put on them.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So we're exploring, well, you know, in some states we're
not even well across the board, you're not even allowed
to use social media till you're sixteen. Do you think
it's the right move? Well, yeah, I'm looking at it.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
And you know what, Katie, people thought it was a
big call bringing it in, and I stared them all
down and the sky didn't fall in and the world
didn't explode, and everyone who thought it was the end
of the universe because we're bringing in OC spray, I
prove them wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So that was the Chief Minister Leofanocchiaro on the show
earlier in the week. I mean, Joe, have you had
people contact you saying that they would like it to
be expanded to sixteen year olds as well?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
No, I haven't. I haven't spoken to anyone about that,
And it was just about at the end of the trial,
there'll be an assessment and you know, we'll see what's
going on. I do know people that do have OC
spray that take it out when they, you know, go
for a walk or whatever. I just think, you know,
as as the Chief Minister said, there it's another tool
(11:20):
in your toolkit for self protection. But I think that's
you know, from the wash up of that trial. There're
are the things that will be assessed and then you know,
those decisions will be made in the future.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
We did speak to the Acting Commissioner about this as well.
Yesterday he'd walked us through some of those numbers. It's
over three thousand people now that do have OC spray
in the Northern Territory. There'd been forty unlawful like forty
sales to people who shot forty one YEP prohibited sales,
but they'd received back fifty seven canisters from those forty one.
(11:53):
Oh well, he told us fifty seven yesterday, sixty two
from yesterday or sorry, from throughout that trial period. But
it also said that there'd been, as I understand it,
one incident of note, and that was one that we'd
all reported on a few months ago. So all in all,
it does sound as though it's been a fairly calm trial,
(12:15):
you know, from what I can gather, And I don't like,
you know, I don't want to be calling something well
before it's ended, and I do understand that there's people
with concerns, but I sort of think to myself, well,
it hasn't changed my life, whether people are carrying OC
spray or not, as in, it hasn't been detrimental to
my life in any way. And if if I was
an older woman who maybe felt that I couldn't run
away fast enough from somebody and was able to purchase
(12:37):
it and it made me feel safe. Well, you know,
who am I to judge that person that might need it.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Look, I think, as the Chief Ministers said, there was
a lot of people that came up and said, you know,
they didn't think it was a great thing. And as
she said, the sky didn't fall in all whatever. There's
actually been four eight hundred and eighty six caniss purchased
across the territory and I think it's been fairly well
received or you know, those people have acted lawfully. And
(13:05):
as I said, I think it's just an extra tool
in your toolkit should you wish to have it. And
obviously there's plenty of people that don't have it.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
What about sixteen year olds show do you reckon? That's
a good age?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I wanted your daughter to have it if she worked
late at night or something like that.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I think though, that assessment needs to you know, I
think there needs to be some consultation on that. You know,
at the end of the trial. I'll certainly make sure
that I speak to people and ask the question, you know,
before the end of September, I feel.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Like you're as keen as the chiefest.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
I just think it's a personal thing. I don't have
oc spray myself, and I certainly walk whether it be
in Darwin here late at night or in Catherine early
in the morning. I don't feel the need myself to
have it. But that's not to say that, you know,
I do walk with someone that does have it. So
it is a personal choice, and I think again, it
(13:59):
just depends on whether there's people out there that want
to have it for their sixteen year old. And I
think that's all something that you know. In the wash
up of that assessment coming September, I think, you know, well, look,
we'll see.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I'm probably I think I'm the only person in the
studio that's got a daughter that's actually that age that
does indeed have to leave work sometimes later in the evening,
and look, my husband and I are usually there to
go and collect her. So I don't know whether it's
something that you know that I would be going out
to purchase for her, And in fact, I think it
would be something that had had to be quite a
serious discussion with her and my husband and I as
(14:36):
to whether we felt that it was necessary. But I
do think I've been, you know, like I've been a
young girl who's been really scared leaving work at different
times in Mount Isa and thought to myself, you know,
what do I do if someone tries to grab me
or if something happens. I've also been somebody who's been
followed home from my retail job when I was younger
living in Townsville by somebody on a motorcycle and felt
(14:58):
the fear of what that is like. And I've been
stalked here at the radio station. So if anybody should
want some OCS, but it's probably me. But I've not
gone out and purchased it. And that's a personal choice.
I guess for me, if I feel like I'm in
a dangerous situation, then you know, maybe I would. Equally,
I do feel as though my daughter is responsible enough
that if she needed it, she would only use it
(15:20):
at the absolute, you know, at a point where she
felt like there was no other option. And you know,
whether I don't know whether it's the right thing to
do or not, but I, you know, like you do,
worry about young girls, young women leaving work and how
frightened they must feel, you know, if somebody approaches them
and they're not sure what to do.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Yeah, I mean, I think the point is it's a
personal responsibility. It's having that option there if if it's needed.
You know, if someone has had an awful experience or
then they would probably feel much better to then have
the option to have it. I mean, if you haven't
had that, perhaps you feel like you don't need it,
although you have that kind of you know a little
bit of a Nigel. Even now, I feel like if
(16:04):
I'm in a late at night or something and I'm
having to walk to my car, you know, I've got
my keys in my hands in case i have to
do something, and you know, I had to catch the
bus home from high school and that was why my
parents gave me a mobile phone. When it wasn't just
willy nilly everyone kind of had ones, do you know
what I mean? So I feel like it is that
point of personal responsibility, and if it does come into play,
(16:24):
you do hope that there are some really kind of
important conditions and parameters in place that you know, it
takes a parent to go and get it. They have
to guarantee it, you know, responsibility maybe for on them.
If the child kind of misuses it or so on
and so forth.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
So I mean, I not to know ed what do
you reckon?
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Yeah, I think we'd need to put a lot more
thought into that. I think for sixteen and seventeen year olds,
there's definitely an aspect. They're kids who are working jobs
late at night. They do lots of different roles in
our economy and in our community. But I think let's
let's get the results of this current trial, Let's get
the evaluation, let's see all the facts out of that. Yeah,
(17:03):
we can to see where we go from there, but
I'm pleably be cautious on that one at this stage.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I mean, I think the hysteria when it was first
and ounce kind of hasn't come to fruition.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Correct, Yeah, correct, It definitely doesn't seem as though it has.
I mean, people were very worried that it was going
to end up in the hands, you know, in the
hands of people that maybe shouldn't have it. That doesn't
seem to have happened, you know, even with the incident
or with some of the incidents as I understand it,
that have occurred with one of them, that that OC
spray wasn't purchased in the Northern Territory was what the
(17:34):
Acting Commissioner had said to us. So there's a lot
of different factors at play here, but I think that
whenever you're making these decisions, they do need to be
based on you know, well, they need to be based
not only on evidence, but what regular people are saying
and what everyday territorians are feeling in terms of those
safety measures and whether they may help or not. I
guess we'll wait and see, but hey, we will move
(17:56):
along because there's plenty to discuss this morning. And well,
just when we thought that the Northern Territory labor oppositions
was couldn't get worse, it was reported last weekend that
Orifurura MLA Manuel Brown was again fined for speeding. As
we discussed on the show. Well last week he was
suspended from driving for three months last year for speeding,
(18:17):
and then over the weekend the Anti Independent reported once
he got his license back, he put his foot down
and he got fined again. Now, the opposition leader Selena
Yubo joined us on the show throughout the week and
I'd asked her, you know, whether she was aware of
this additional speeding fine when she was on the week
(18:37):
that was on Friday, and had said to us in
you know, in retrospect that she would have been more
upfront about the initial loss of license or suspension of license.
She said that, no, she was not aware of that
additional speeding fine, and you know, I got the vibe
she was pretty annoyed by it. All I would be,
(18:57):
I'd be annoyed. She also touched on the fact that
that manual may do some sort of driver's course. I mean,
I think it goes without saying he absolutely should.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Yep, absolutely wasn't acceptable. Road safety is incredibly important, as
like the members were held to a higher standard, and
so we should be. We need to set the example
in the community. And yet Manuel is going to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
He is going to do a driver. Of course, he
is going to do a driver He's committed to it.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Yes, yep, he's going to do that. And yeah, hopefully
that will I mean.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
If she does get you know, another fine for speeding
posts that course, will there be another level of accountability
or punishment.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
You know, some people are saying there should be like
it should be, there.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Should be more.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Yeah, you would have thought a suspension of three months
should be enough to do a driver course, well to
not do it again effectively. Now then he's going to
have to do the driving course. So if hypothetically it
was to happen again, what.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
Then Yeah, I can't buy into hypotheticals. But Manuel do
that course and hopefully he will change as his behavior
as a result of that. We've all got to do better.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And yeah, I'm sure he'll learn a lot out of that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
And we did also ask the opposition leader, Selena you Bo,
whether he should be stripped of his shadow portfolios. She
said that there is going to be a caucus meeting,
I believe in the coming days. I don't know exactly
when that's happening. I'm sure you do, but I mean,
do you really think that he should hang on to
those shadow portfolios at this point in time?
Speaker 5 (20:34):
That'll be a discussion for caucus. And we've obviously been
out and about in our communities over the last couple
of weeks, out talking with territorials about the big issues
around health and education and housing. And yet when we're
back all in person, we'll have a conversation with Manuel
and if something comes out of that, I'm sure Selena
will pass it on.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Do you think he should be stripped of his portfolio
shadow portfolios.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
I don't want to prempt that meeting, Katie. We'll sit
down together, the five of us, and we'll have a
conversation about it.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
How are things going with the team at the moment.
We know that you've obviously you're in as the deputy
opposition leader and Labour's been leaking like a bit of
a sieve since then. It is everybody happy.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Leadership changes are always very difficult, doesn't matter if it's
the coach of Collingwood or it's a change in the
public service. Leadership changes are never easy and so it's
really on me as a deputy leader to bring everyone together,
be focused on holding the CLP government to account and
preparing for the next twenty twenty eight election, Katie, which
I think is less than one hundred and ten weeks away.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, not too far away. So how are you doing that?
How are you trying to bring everybody together? Because at
the moment it does seem as though Will Manual is
mia obviously what's gone on or you know, after what's
gone on, or I've not heard from him aside from
that statement that came out chance he certainly is out Bush.
From my understanding, Duran has been in contact with me
about some issues out in the daily region. But you know,
(22:00):
how are you planning on bringing everybody together?
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
All five of us have been focused on our local electorates.
There is a lot going on, especially dry season, a
lot of events and a lot of activities. So yeah,
I think it's really just bringing people together, being available,
getting in touch with people, hearing the feedback that's really important, Katie,
and just being really focused with looking at education, housing,
all these issues that the Sealpeak government are not dealing
(22:25):
with and that came out through the two weeks of
estimates as well, and getting everyone focused on that and
holding the government to account.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
That's what's most important.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right. It's hard, though, isn't it. It's hard to focus
on those issues when people want to talk about what's
going on within labor. When something like this occurs with
Manuel Brown, I mean, is everybody on board with him
staying in those shadow portfolio roles?
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Oh, Look, those discussions will happen at the caucus meeting,
but everyone is focused on the big issues at matter
to territories. We know actricity waters going up by five
point three percent as of one July, and a lot
of people have been in touch with concerns about that
that's higher than inflation.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So we don't want to be talking about ourselves. We
want to be talking about what the government's doing.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Hard to not talk about your life when there's when
there's so much going on, and I just want to
you know, Katie, seventeen years ago, there was a it's
been discussed on radio. Manuel sped through an intersection in
Catherine and killed a client, one of my clients when
I was in business at the time. That was the
(23:27):
woman Edna Chong at the time. And nothing happened to
him then. And it clearly is a you know, pattern
of behavior that he has not learnt from. And I
think it's very interesting that even when he was the
candidate in the by election, I bought this up about
this accident. Then the community expectation is that people in
(23:50):
office should be held in high regard and that you
there is a standard there.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
What do you so, what do you think he needs
to do now? Do you think that the driver training
course is Look.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I think I think it's absolutely up to the chaos
that's going on in the Labor Party it's up to
them what they do and what the consequences are for manual.
But what I'm saying is that I potentially don't think
he should have been the candidate at the first place.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
You don't want him to stand down.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I think that's a matter for him. I mean, you know,
you don't want to. We also have to understand that
this would be affecting potentially his mental health and his
family's got to be taken into consideration. But that all
should have been done back then when he was the candidate.
He clearly hasn't learned anything. Nothing. There were no consequences
(24:38):
at the time for killing a woman.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
It all went through the court system as well, so
that went through the court system, and I guess that
that's you know, like whether there was a ramification or
whether there was a consequence from that or not. Is
that comes down to how it was dealt through the court.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Absolutely, But we're seventeen years on, he's still speeding. He
lost his license, he's then got it back, he's still
caught speeding again. I mean, how many cab charges has
he actually used in that time that the taxpayer is
paying for.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I did ask Selena Hula about that earlier work, and
she said that there is a certain I believe there's
a certain amount of money that you are or there's
a certain each member gets a certain value of cab
charges that is within the electoral allowance. I'm assuming it
is and that is what's been used. Is that your
understanding of it as well?
Speaker 5 (25:25):
Ed he's getting support from his electored officer and family
as well.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Yeah, I know his father in law has certainly been
driving him around him been in contact with us and
told us Sash, I mean, I guess you know. The
situation that Labour's in at the moment, though, Ed is
that it is chaotic. From the outside looking in, it
seems chaotic. Duran Young seemed that he was very unhappy
to sort of be ousted as the deputy deputy opposition leader.
(25:50):
Now I can understand why he'd be upset, but I
can also understand why Labor would do that from a
tactical sense that you know, you need to win back
the northern suburbs if you're going to win back government
at any point in the next however many years. So
that is absolutely something I think that at some point
Labor had to do to put you in to that
leadership team to try to win back the northern suburbs
(26:12):
and Palmerston. But what I can see is that Duran's
not overly happy about that, or he didn't seem happily
about happy about it at the time when he'd taken
to social media. But you've then got a situation where
now one of those members of a small five person
team has been done for speeding, has then had his
license suspended, gotten it back being done again. You know,
(26:35):
you have to sort of question what standards are being
set at this point in time and what is acceptable
and how labor is going to win back that trust
when this kind of thing's happening.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yep, No, we've got a lot of work to do,
Katie's no doubt about that. Opposition's always very difficult. You
don't have the resources that you do in government.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I don't think it comes down to resources. I think
it comes down to, you know, making sure that members
of do on the right thing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Morals, community expectations.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
All twenty five of us have that expectation on us,
and that's why we're going to be focused out talking
with our communities. We've got a lot of work to
build policy towards the twenty twenty eight election, and it's
my job to get everyone focused around how do.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
You all support Selena Ubo as the leader?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Yes, absolutely, well.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
I think that'll be very interesting to actually see if
everyone does support Selena, because clearly there is a rift
going on there. I mean, how do you feel it
about coming into this your three weeks or four weeks
in whatever it is, into this chaos.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
No. Look, I'm very excited to be a member of
Parliament and being deputy leader. It's a fantastic privilege and
a lot of responsibility too. We need to provide an
alternative to the CLP government. We've heard from estimates about
the things that are not going right, rising power prices
and the like, and that's what we're going to be
focused on.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
And I mean that's the issue that the opposition has right.
It's disunity is death in politics. We've heard that over
many years from back in the past from the CLP
and we saw that play out. So obviously, you know,
Labour's having to contend with these issues and the attacks
on policy aren't really cutting through as much. I mean,
we are facing power prices an increase of five percent,
(28:15):
five point three percent, and really that gets overshadowed when
you are having to talk about you know, the team itself.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Well, I do want to talk about these power prices though,
because they have gone up five point three percent and
it is something that listeners were in contact with us
about throughout the week. The increase was revealed during budget
estimates hearings with the treasure of Billya and saying that
higher generation and delivery costs mean extra expense must be
passed on to consumers. The governments also lifted its powers
(28:43):
to subsidy contribution by twenty five percent to help offset
those costs. The opposition leader said to us earlier in
the week that the increase is above inflation. We've just
said that from it as well and wage growth, and
argues that territory families are being squeezed at a time
when household budgets are all ready under pressure. I mean, Joe,
there is no doubt that people are under financial strain
(29:05):
at the moment that it is a cost of living crisis.
Is it the right time to be lifting those power
prices that high?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Look, I think in the budget papers it was there
was an estimated CPI increase across twenty five twenty six
to be five point two percent. The increase in the
power price is five point three percent. That actually equates
to in dollar terms one hundred and fifty dollars for
the average family. So not to play it down, but
(29:34):
there was certainly a lot of people that spent a
lot more than one hundred and fifty dollars on fireworks.
But I understand that, you know, when it comes to
your power and water, they're totally people.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
That be hurting, you know, like they're maybe not on
people that are out spending money or hundreds of dollars.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. But the thing is there
is with the cso this year there is a fifty
eight million increase. Now that's the subsidy that the government
pays for our power prices, so you know, it could
actually be a whole lot more. At the end of
the day, we know that, you know, the the increase
(30:14):
is there, and we've subsidized, as I said, to the
tune of an extra fifty eight million dollars two hundred
and fifty two.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Under every government.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Yes, we've actually increased that fifty eight million dollars this
year because of that increase. So you know, I mean
we came in with a maxed out ALP credit card.
There is only a certain amount of money to go around,
and you know, over the budget estimates and the you know,
(30:44):
the forward measures that we are doing. There are plenty
of other things out there to Katie that as a
government we are doing to make sure that we are
helping with the costumes.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
It's always it's a it's a tight rope to walk
on with those power prices because we've seen in the
past that certainly when those power prices rise significantly, as
Terry Mills had tried to do many many years ago,
people were really upset, weren't they.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Cathley, Yeah, I mean that was a thirty percent increase,
wasn't it? And twenty percent for sewerage and water, which
came off the back of obviously winning election promising to
keep cost of living down. So that was a big
broken promise there. I mean, yeah, we all know that
the territory has broke. So you know, as you said,
it's a tightrope of how much do you have to
subsidize to keep it down? And five percent is you know,
(31:29):
a big increase. I mean that is a prediction of
inflation in the budget, which I think has not come
back confirmed yet that it will probably be lower. But
I mean it goes to the broader issue of our
power situation in the Northern Territory. I mean, you know,
it was it the Henderson government had locked in that
gas contract with E and I that was meant to
go to twenty thirty one, and then the gas ran
(31:51):
out in twenty twenty one, and yeah, all that ridiculous
drama of going on to secure our gas to keep
the lights on is just just silly. So obviously we
do need beat Loud to finally come on board to
hopefully secure think if they're going to help, yeah, that's right.
Are we going to see them them drap?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I think.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I think also, you know that the cost to produce
energy has gone up also, and we see the fuel
crisis and things like that. But just in some of
those you know, savings for those people that you know
potentially you know need the support. You know, there's the
five hundred and fifty dollars pre card, prepaid card for
the seniors. You know, there's for families, there's the back
(32:29):
to school vouchers, there's free swimming.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
It is enough enough as.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
Far as I understand, None of them increased in the
last budget, they've just stayed the same. So your prices
are going up, but your subsidies are not, your wages
are not. And I think that's why people are really hurting.
I think this is the highest rise in the last
ten years. From what I could briefly see looking online.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
I think the wages are going to.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Three percent, but this is five percent.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Look what I wonder with Power and Water is what
is you know? What's on the cards? I guess. And
the reason I asked that is because there was a
report by cam Smith earlier in the week in the
Northern Territory News that cash Strap Power and Water is
in for a major shakeup with a high profile departure
and a shock return of a former senior executive. So
long serving chief Executive Junior Pollard in form staff on
(33:14):
Monday that her last day in the role would be
September thirty after six years in the job, and in
a major development that breaks with the COLP government's current
policy that it won't recycle old officeholders into new roles. Well,
former Power and Water Managing Director Andrew McCready's has been
appointed to chair the organization. Now Andy mccreadie's is a
(33:35):
fantastic operator. If you ask me. I worked with him
when I worked for the Minister for Essential Services many
many years ago when Casuarina substation had blown up and
the power went off for twenty hours and there was
all sorts of other issues within power and water. So
I understand probably better than most while investment into power
and water why it is needed. But what I guess,
(33:56):
what I wonder Joe, is what's going on, what's the
posturing that's happening here within power and water? If if
was was Junior asked to leave or did she decide
to resign on her own accord? And now with Andy
stepping in as the chairperson, are we looking at making
some major changes within power and water? Do you know?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
No?
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Well, I mean I don't know Andrew McCready's, but I
do know that he's a very well respected man out
in the Northern Territory community. Look, I think there's been
problems with power and water for a very long time
and we know that.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
I can vouch for that.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
Yeah, you know, I mean the fact that previously they
wanted to the COLP government we're going to up it
by the thirty percent. I mean, you know it's that
that was quite.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Well, it was on your back, but it was on
the back of what we'd seen was some major failures
in infrastructure within power and water because there actually hadn't
been investment into it for it had been ripped out.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
And I think that goes across lot of areas, Katie.
You know, there's there's for the last twenty years. I
just spoke to this to someone about this yesday. For
the last twenty years with a labor government, there has
not been you know, the infrastructure upgrades that actually have
needed to power and water, power and water.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
I'll tell you it's longer than twenty years, but it's
also probably for.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Him self government. You know, there just has not been
the infrastructure upgrades that that are needed to be done.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
So one person who is more aware of that than
anybody else is Andy mccreadi's right, So he oversaw, you know,
when all of these issues happened many years ago. He oversaw.
He famously said go and by a generator at a
press conference. He is upfront, he is honest, he's a
good man. And so what it indicates to me is
(35:50):
that hopefully the COLP is looking for somebody to get
in there and really sort things out.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
I'm to listen to him and his advice that he
provides because it is obviously a politically unpopular area to
make decisions in.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
I think we do need to watch this one closely
because we learned at Estimates the board chair for t GEN,
for Power and Water and Jacana, all three government owned corporations,
all three board chairs are stepping down.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
So there has been since we've come to government.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
They're resigning as well, Like is this being primed for
privatization or is it.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Being primed to bring everything back under one umbrella?
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Again, this is since we've come to government, there has
been a review right across all boards, and all boards
have been given a shake up, and this is just,
you know, part of that process as well. And I
think with Andrew McCready's there as we have all you know,
discussed a very well respected and regarded public you know,
(36:55):
I think, you know, he's he's the right man for
the job to get things.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Done to privatize or merge the entities.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I don't think there's any discussion in that way. Everything
needs a shake up and you need someone that is
well respected and regarded to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
All right, We're going to take a bit of a break.
You are listening to Mix one oh four ninees three sixty.
It is the week that was. You are listening to
Mix one O four nines three sixty And if you've
just joined us in the studio this morning, we have
indeed got the Deputy Opposition Leader, Ed Smelt, We've got
my executive producer Kathleen Gazola, and the Education Minister Joe Hersey.
I want to take you across to an article in
(37:33):
the Northern Territory News today by Harry Brill. Now, the
reason I raise this is because I think it's really
important for well for listeners to understand some of what
goes on within the justice system and within the courts. Now,
a teenager who broke into a home with a machete
and assaulted two women and a girl wants to get
out of prison and turn his life around. That is
(37:55):
what a court's been told. This nineteen year old's been
in custody for sixteen months after he led a terrifying
house invasion in February twenty twenty five, described by Justice
Judith Kelly as the ring leader of the invasion. He
and a male co offender broke into a Mitchell Street
resident residence armed with machetes, where they found two adult
(38:16):
women and a young girl. Both were assaulted by the pair,
as well as the young girl, who at one point
was chased into the backyard with a machete. Now this
blog opted to carry out the attack without a mask.
He was soon identified by authorities. Yesterday morning, he went
before the NT Supreme Court, where he pleaded guilty to
(38:37):
three counts of assault, trespassing and causing damage to property.
Now His lawyer argued that a suspended sentence was in order,
saying that it was in the community's interest for him
to reintegrate into society. Highlighting his client and only spent
three months of his adult life out of prison, The
(38:59):
court heard that he wants to become a five FO worker,
just as Kelly noted that she was in possession of
a pre sentenced report which she described as the worst
she has ever read. His lawyer conceded that he hadn't
been the perfect prisoner. The court heard that he'd been
involved in fourteen reported incidents during his sixteen month stint
(39:22):
on remand involving prison yard fighting, non compliance and assault.
Now he's going to appear before the court again today
or reappear. I just can't wrap my head around how
anybody's even trying to get this bloke out of prison
if he's been involved in such a terrible crime. By
the look of her, you know, you've got Justice Studith
(39:44):
Kelly there saying he's rap sheet is one of the
worst she's seen. And then you've got his lawyer saying
he wants to reintegrate into society. I get that the
lawyer is doing his job, but we've got to actually
meet community expectations and standards here as well.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I mean absolutely, I think you know, coming into government,
we strengthened the Boo laws, we bought in Declan's law.
You know, we've certainly strengthened that court system. But who
are these people actually representing this young person. It does
not pass the pub test, it does not pass community expectations.
(40:18):
And as you said, the rap sheet that he's got,
you know, is as long as you're armed. Well that's right.
If the judge is saying that.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I mean, so, how do you argue for that if
he's also while he's been on remand for that sixteen months,
been involved in a number of incidents. I just don't like.
I just don't get it. And I'm sure that the
courts and the justice system, I hope will uphold the
community's expectations, but it sort of blows my mind to
(40:49):
be honest too.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
You know, there's just some people out there that I've
heard the Chief Mythister say it before, there are some
people out there that are just monsters or bad people,
and it doesn't matter what kind of rehabilitation you try
and do whatever, nothing's going to change their behavior for
whatever reason. But I just think this, for this person
(41:10):
to be wanting to get out of jail, it does
not pass community expectations at all.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
I mean, a lawyer's obviously doing his job and is
putting forward the wishes of his client. I mean that
is he's paid to two essentially. I don't know where's
where he's from in particular, but Lack. Yeah, it's pretty horrific.
And for Justice Kelly to say it's one of the
worst that she's seen, and she is a very experienced
judge in the Supreme Court, is pretty incredible. I mean,
(41:37):
it also goes to the overarching issue of young people
out there in the community that obviously fall through the system.
I mean, if he's only spent three months of his
adult life outside of prison, and then clearly he's probably
got a pretty significant youth justice record in and of
itself so well.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
And you sort of want to be sure then, and
we've spoken about this before. When somebody is behind bar
that they are doing programs that make them better people,
that's right, they're not.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Yeah, absolutely, Katie.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
And this is a horrendous crime and it strikes fear
into everyone in our community. And that's what I'd really
like to know, is what programs have been offered, what
have been done? We know our prisons are absolutely stacked,
people being locked up for twenty three hours a day.
How are they going to get better? How are they
going to reintegrate in our society?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And we did catch up with the Acting Corrections Deputy
Acting Corrections Commissioner a little bit earlier, well, late last Friday,
I think it was, or maybe the week before, and
she had spoken to us. Kate had spoken to us about,
you know, some of those programs that are underway and
some of the different things that our prisoners are doing.
But look, I think it's imperative that they do so
that they are eventually able, when the time is right
(42:47):
for them to be released, that they're able to come
out better people, not better criminals. Look, we're going to
take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one oh four nine's three sixty it is the week
that was. You are listening to MIXONO Fortnite. If you well,
if you've finally just joined us, you've missed out on
the Hour of Power with Ed Smelt, Kathleen Gazola and
(43:07):
Joe Hersey. But don't worry, we will get it up
on the iHeartRadio app a little bit later this morning. Ed,
lovely to have you in the studio, thanks as always
for joining us.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
Thanks Katie, and looking forward to getting out to the
eighties of celebrations for chung La Society as awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
Yeah, wonderful. That should be fantastic. Kathleen Gazola, you'll be
back in the studio with us. You probably won't leave
because you've got to do the news very shortly. And
Joe Hersey, how are you celebrating Catherine over the last week.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Yeah, So this evening I've got the GTNT Awards up
here in Darwin and then it's a very early start
back to Catherine for a very busy day tomorrow. We've
got the Teddy Bears picnic, We've got the Show and Shine,
and then we've got the Railway Street Parade celebrating continuing
on with the celebrations of the centenary and Catherine, so
it's a big weekend.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
I liked the idea of the Drinks on the on
the Bridge. I think that was last was.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
The last Friday the Catherine Community Projects Association put that on.
It was absolutely fantastic. It's such a great iconic venue
to have. I've been to the Drinks on the Bridge
a couple of times now and as we all decided
last Friday night would be great if we could just
have that, you know, potentially a couple of times in
(44:20):
the dry season, just as a fundraiser for someone that
was fundraising for the museum.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
The other weekend sunset as well, it's magnificent.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
Yeah, it's an absolutely beautiful location to watch the sun
go down over the river.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Maybe spot a crocodile.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
No crocodiles, maybe it wasn't any crocodiles, there wasn't even
going over. But yeah, absolutely magnificent sunset.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Yeah, oh good stuff. Well, thank you all so much
for your time this morning, and no doubt we'll catch
up with you again very soon. You are listening to
Mix ONEO four nine's three sixty plenty more coming your
way this morning.
Good morning and welcome to the week that it's time
to discuss all the issues of the week and in
the studio with us this morning. Well, since taking on
his new role, the Deputy Opposition leader Ed Smelt, good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning Katy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Good to have you on the show. And we have
indeed got my producer Kathleen Gazola, Good morning to you, Canny,
and of course the Minister for Education and various other portfolios,
Joe Hersey, Good morning to you, Joe.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners, especially in k Town.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, big week for you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Been a very big week.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Did it go off?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It was absolutely fantastic. Yeah, Territory Day was fantastic. We
had a beautiful centenary cake. There's still some things happening
tomorrow for the centenary. Yeah, it's been a really there's
a real big buzz around town.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
At the time.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Stuff.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Well, is it going to expect it again next year? Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
For one hundred and I can't have a centenary every year.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
No, you certainly can't. Well, I tell you what. Territory
Day celebrations have wrapped up for another year, and it
looks as though there were fewer serious injuries than previous years,
despite the usual scenes of firework well chaos across the
top end in a lot of ways. Now. Saint John
Nt responded to six firework related incidents while Royal Darwin
(01:14):
and Palmerston hospitals. We spoke to the Nursing and Midwire
Free director yesterday who said that there were twenty seven
people treated for mostly minor burns and injuries related to
fireworks hitting them. Calls yesterday though about absolute chaos on
the esplanade, and footage has emerged well of all sorts
(01:34):
of things along the esplanade, but a man using a
traffic cone as a makeshift launcher for fireworks. And I'll
tell you I've seen some other vision this morning, and
I made sure to show it to all of you
so that we've all been able to see just what
was experienced along the esplanade, people acting like complete and
art of clowns. But in fact, I would say it's
(01:56):
a step further because their behavior was actually incredibly dangerous.
Now for those out there listening this morning who really
haven't seen, you know, we're talking young people holding fireworks
that are then shooting towards cars. We're talking about people
throwing fireworks into groups of people that are underneath shelter
at hotels, we're talking about tower buildings being evacuated. From
(02:19):
what we were told yesterday on the show, it was
completely and utterly unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I did speak to the acting police Commissioner yesterday morning,
Travis Wurst, and he had said that generally people have
been fairly well behaved. He did say that there were
some people behaving like dickheads, and that fireworks had to
be confiscated from some people, as well as the fact
that there'd been a few people taken into protective custody.
But there was really no mention of the chaos that
(02:47):
it unfolded along the esperanade. And I don't know whether
that is because people didn't have a huge amount of
detail at that point in time yesterday morning, but it
was just crazy. You've all seen the vision. I mean, Kathleen,
you taking calls from people yesterday who'd said that they
lived here their whole lives, and we're just horrified by it.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely disgusting behavior. And it's behavior like that
that does get a banned for everyone else who were behaving,
you know, responsibly and doing the right thing. I mean,
the fact that they're in the back of a ute
shooting it directly into buildings. It's not like it's an accident,
and they can't say there wasn't any intent to it.
I mean for them, they should be I think worried
that the cops are looking into this and perhaps looking
(03:28):
into whether it's criminal behavior, because that's intent to try
and effectively injure people, you know, and threaten, and these
are they can be used as weapons, and people have
talked about rocks being used as weapons. Why I couldn't
have a fire.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
It's actually going to be my question. Do we know
at this point whether the police are looking into it.
We haven't. I guess we haven't asked because we've really
only seen some of that vision unfolding this morning.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
But that's some way to do list, honestly. Yeah, So
whether they would be because I mean, social media has
its downside, but in this respect it kind of helps
the cops to try and perhaps track these.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I think that vision that you showed us just before, Katie,
I mean that was next level. And when I drove
in yesterday on the Esplanade, it was incredible the amount
of rubbish around and I was listening yesterday and people saying, oh,
can't we move on from this? Well, yeah we can,
and everyone's it's great to celebrate Territory Day, but there
(04:22):
are those few people that will ruin it for the majority.
And I think the fact that you can see the
faces in some of that vision that you've just shown,
I think, you know, potentially there could be some follow
up with police with that, but it is you know,
to be shooting those big cannon like looking firecrackers at
(04:42):
people and at buildings.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It is crazy behavior and it's totally unacceptable. It does
ruin it, and it takes the edge off what's a
fantastic celebration of self government. And just a big shout
out to the police, fire, emergency services, the nurses, the doctors,
everyone that those frontline workers that you know tended to
people or were out there on Territory Day.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I would have been under the pump, like there's no
doubt about that. I mean, ed, you've seen that vision, Like,
I'm assuming things were fairly calm in your electroc but
then when you see that, you just think, what on
earth is going on?
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Exactly right, Katie.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
And the risk of this public opinion will turn on
this if people don't do the right thing. The vast
majority of people do, but these people can really wreck
it for everyone.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's a very special.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Part of our self government day, and I think it
would be a real shame if just a handful of
people had to change that.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, I agree, Like Kat, you've been here your whole
life letting fireworks off since you're a little girl, no doubt.
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I've said how I was chased along the ground by
a Catherine wheel that had come off a tree.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
You know that there's always the one that gets away, and.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
That sticks in my head. I remember being scared of that.
But like overall, I loved Territory Day. And I mean,
you know, you see those videos of absolute idiots doing
that on social media and then they're sharing it around
and it becomes viral, and then people down south at
us and look like we're absolute idiots and that we
all got cast in the same opinion, which is not true,
(06:10):
you know.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Or they come up and think we can do that
same exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you know what might stop them if a few
people got charged with actually using those unlawfully and using
those fireworks in a way where they're actually trying to
endanger other people. So I really hope that the Northern
Territory Police do go back and review that vision because
it's really really clear. In some of that vision you
can see people's faces follow it up at the very least,
(06:33):
and yeah, if a few people get charged for acting
like well dickheads, then hopefully it stops others from doing
it again.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
And it is so different from you know, younger people
you could say, standing there with one of those smaller
fireworks laying in their hand and pointing it away.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Intent you can see in that vision exactly. Yes, there's
absolutely intent intent. Do you ask though, I mean, there's
been some discussion about whether there should actually be designated area.
I guess following on from that and following on from what,
you know, what we've all seen, because we're talking about
vision that we've looked at this morning, but all of
our you know a huge number of listeners yesterday were
(07:10):
actually living it on the esplanat. They live in those
apartment buildings, and they were contacting us in droves to
say how upset they were, and you know, how did
really change their opinion of the personal use of fireworks?
I mean, do we need to look at whether there
should be designated areas or you know, should the esplanade
be a no go sign.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I think that's a that's an interesting comment. And when
I was just looking at that vision I did, that
came to mind for me of designated areas because I know,
even when you go I saw some vision of down
at the beach at Casarina Beach at mindle there, and
you know, the people are lighting crackers off very close
(07:53):
to each other. I don't want to be the fun police,
because I love it as much as the next person,
but you know, sometimes people are letting crackers off maybe
too close to each other, so you know, which.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Is what I would be concerned if there was designated areas,
because then you're confined to say everyone, yeah, everyone kind
of comes into that area. You know, if there's an
area cordoned off in a certain location and everyone's going
to let it off, I fear that that might get
crazier more issues.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, I mean, it doesn't need to be some personal responsibility.
And you know, at the end of the day, we
have this amazing celebration for Territory Day, and people need
to be responsible and take action take responsibility for their
own actions.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Yeah, absolutely, and particularly around the rubbish that gets left
behind as well. I think the Lord Mayor was saying
that cost counts of eighty thousand dollars just to do
that clean up.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I think it would have been eighty thousand on the esplanat.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Yes, I went down and joined the Rapid Creek Land
Care on Thursday morning. And yes, it's just those little
bits of cardboard, just those little caps that just end
up everywhere it gets in our waterways. So yeah, if
everyone can just try a bit harder to up half themselves,
that will make it a lot better.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It's not hard.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It's really not hard.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
If you want to have this privilege of being able
to let off fireworks, and it's not that hard. And look,
I'll be very blunt about it. Probably our listeners are
not the ones who need to be given this message
because they are responsible. I reckon, Hey, we're going to
take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one oh four ninees three sixty. It is the week
that was. You are listening to Mix one O four
(09:24):
ninees three sixty. If you've just joined us in the
studio this morning, We've got ed smelt, we've got Kathleen Gazola,
and we've got Joe Hersey and well, the Chief Minister
joined us on the show earlier in the week and
said that sixteen year olds could soon be allowed to
carry OC spray for self defense, with the territory government
considering expanding the current trial. Now, if you missed her
(09:46):
on the show a little bit earlier in the week,
here is part of what she had to say.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
I'm going to be saying, yep, let's keep it. We're
going to have legislation ready to go and it will
become a permanent feature. What I actually am doing right
now is reviewing whether we can expand any of the
uses of it or change some of the rules. For example,
we had a lot of feedback about it being eighteen
(10:11):
years and over, and a lot of people were saying, well,
I want my seventeen year old daughter to have one,
for example, so.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Cal she's leaving work or something exactly.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
You know, sixteen year olds can drive a car. You know,
there's a lot of responsibility we put on them.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So we're exploring, well, you know, in some states we're
not even well across the board, you're not even allowed
to use social media till you're sixteen. Do you think
it's the right move? Well, yeah, I'm looking at it.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
And you know what, Katie, people thought it was a
big call bringing it in, and I stared them all
down and the sky didn't fall in and the world
didn't explode, and everyone who thought it was the end
of the universe because we're bringing in OC spray, I
prove them wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So that was the Chief Minister Leofanocchiaro on the show
earlier in the week. I mean, Joe, have you had
people contact you saying that they would like it to
be expanded to sixteen year olds as well?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
No, I haven't. I haven't spoken to anyone about that,
And it was just about at the end of the trial,
there'll be an assessment and you know, we'll see what's
going on. I do know people that do have OC
spray that take it out when they, you know, go
for a walk or whatever. I just think, you know,
as as the Chief Minister said, there it's another tool
(11:20):
in your toolkit for self protection. But I think that's
you know, from the wash up of that trial. There're
are the things that will be assessed and then you know,
those decisions will be made in the future.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
We did speak to the Acting Commissioner about this as well.
Yesterday he'd walked us through some of those numbers. It's
over three thousand people now that do have OC spray
in the Northern Territory. There'd been forty unlawful like forty
sales to people who shot forty one YEP prohibited sales,
but they'd received back fifty seven canisters from those forty one.
(11:53):
Oh well, he told us fifty seven yesterday, sixty two
from yesterday or sorry, from throughout that trial period. But
it also said that there'd been, as I understand it,
one incident of note, and that was one that we'd
all reported on a few months ago. So all in all,
it does sound as though it's been a fairly calm trial,
(12:15):
you know, from what I can gather, And I don't like,
you know, I don't want to be calling something well
before it's ended, and I do understand that there's people
with concerns, but I sort of think to myself, well,
it hasn't changed my life, whether people are carrying OC
spray or not, as in, it hasn't been detrimental to
my life in any way. And if if I was
an older woman who maybe felt that I couldn't run
away fast enough from somebody and was able to purchase
(12:37):
it and it made me feel safe. Well, you know,
who am I to judge that person that might need it.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Look, I think, as the Chief Ministers said, there was
a lot of people that came up and said, you know,
they didn't think it was a great thing. And as
she said, the sky didn't fall in all whatever. There's
actually been four eight hundred and eighty six caniss purchased
across the territory and I think it's been fairly well
received or you know, those people have acted lawfully. And
(13:05):
as I said, I think it's just an extra tool
in your toolkit should you wish to have it. And
obviously there's plenty of people that don't have it.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
What about sixteen year olds show do you reckon? That's
a good age?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I wanted your daughter to have it if she worked
late at night or something like that.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I think though, that assessment needs to you know, I
think there needs to be some consultation on that. You know,
at the end of the trial. I'll certainly make sure
that I speak to people and ask the question, you know,
before the end of September, I feel.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Like you're as keen as the chiefest.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
I just think it's a personal thing. I don't have
oc spray myself, and I certainly walk whether it be
in Darwin here late at night or in Catherine early
in the morning. I don't feel the need myself to
have it. But that's not to say that, you know,
I do walk with someone that does have it. So
it is a personal choice, and I think again, it
(13:59):
just depends on whether there's people out there that want
to have it for their sixteen year old. And I
think that's all something that you know. In the wash
up of that assessment coming September, I think, you know, well, look,
we'll see.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I'm probably I think I'm the only person in the
studio that's got a daughter that's actually that age that
does indeed have to leave work sometimes later in the evening,
and look, my husband and I are usually there to
go and collect her. So I don't know whether it's
something that you know that I would be going out
to purchase for her, And in fact, I think it
would be something that had had to be quite a
serious discussion with her and my husband and I as
(14:36):
to whether we felt that it was necessary. But I
do think I've been, you know, like I've been a
young girl who's been really scared leaving work at different
times in Mount Isa and thought to myself, you know,
what do I do if someone tries to grab me
or if something happens. I've also been somebody who's been
followed home from my retail job when I was younger
living in Townsville by somebody on a motorcycle and felt
(14:58):
the fear of what that is like. And I've been
stalked here at the radio station. So if anybody should
want some OCS, but it's probably me. But I've not
gone out and purchased it. And that's a personal choice.
I guess for me, if I feel like I'm in
a dangerous situation, then you know, maybe I would. Equally,
I do feel as though my daughter is responsible enough
that if she needed it, she would only use it
(15:20):
at the absolute, you know, at a point where she
felt like there was no other option. And you know,
whether I don't know whether it's the right thing to
do or not, but I, you know, like you do,
worry about young girls, young women leaving work and how
frightened they must feel, you know, if somebody approaches them
and they're not sure what to do.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Yeah, I mean, I think the point is it's a
personal responsibility. It's having that option there if if it's needed.
You know, if someone has had an awful experience or
then they would probably feel much better to then have
the option to have it. I mean, if you haven't
had that, perhaps you feel like you don't need it,
although you have that kind of you know a little
bit of a Nigel. Even now, I feel like if
(16:04):
I'm in a late at night or something and I'm
having to walk to my car, you know, I've got
my keys in my hands in case i have to
do something, and you know, I had to catch the
bus home from high school and that was why my
parents gave me a mobile phone. When it wasn't just
willy nilly everyone kind of had ones, do you know
what I mean? So I feel like it is that
point of personal responsibility, and if it does come into play,
(16:24):
you do hope that there are some really kind of
important conditions and parameters in place that you know, it
takes a parent to go and get it. They have
to guarantee it, you know, responsibility maybe for on them.
If the child kind of misuses it or so on
and so forth.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
So I mean, I not to know ed what do
you reckon?
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Yeah, I think we'd need to put a lot more
thought into that. I think for sixteen and seventeen year olds,
there's definitely an aspect. They're kids who are working jobs
late at night. They do lots of different roles in
our economy and in our community. But I think let's
let's get the results of this current trial, Let's get
the evaluation, let's see all the facts out of that. Yeah,
(17:03):
we can to see where we go from there, but
I'm pleably be cautious on that one at this stage.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I mean, I think the hysteria when it was first
and ounce kind of hasn't come to fruition.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Correct, Yeah, correct, It definitely doesn't seem as though it has.
I mean, people were very worried that it was going
to end up in the hands, you know, in the
hands of people that maybe shouldn't have it. That doesn't
seem to have happened, you know, even with the incident
or with some of the incidents as I understand it,
that have occurred with one of them, that that OC
spray wasn't purchased in the Northern Territory was what the
(17:34):
Acting Commissioner had said to us. So there's a lot
of different factors at play here, but I think that
whenever you're making these decisions, they do need to be
based on you know, well, they need to be based
not only on evidence, but what regular people are saying
and what everyday territorians are feeling in terms of those
safety measures and whether they may help or not. I
guess we'll wait and see, but hey, we will move
(17:56):
along because there's plenty to discuss this morning. And well,
just when we thought that the Northern Territory labor oppositions
was couldn't get worse, it was reported last weekend that
Orifurura MLA Manuel Brown was again fined for speeding. As
we discussed on the show. Well last week he was
suspended from driving for three months last year for speeding,
(18:17):
and then over the weekend the Anti Independent reported once
he got his license back, he put his foot down
and he got fined again. Now, the opposition leader Selena
Yubo joined us on the show throughout the week and
I'd asked her, you know, whether she was aware of
this additional speeding fine when she was on the week
(18:37):
that was on Friday, and had said to us in
you know, in retrospect that she would have been more
upfront about the initial loss of license or suspension of license.
She said that, no, she was not aware of that
additional speeding fine, and you know, I got the vibe
she was pretty annoyed by it. All I would be,
(18:57):
I'd be annoyed. She also touched on the fact that
that manual may do some sort of driver's course. I mean,
I think it goes without saying he absolutely should.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Yep, absolutely wasn't acceptable. Road safety is incredibly important, as
like the members were held to a higher standard, and
so we should be. We need to set the example
in the community. And yet Manuel is going to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
He is going to do a driver. Of course, he
is going to do a driver He's committed to it.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Yes, yep, he's going to do that. And yeah, hopefully
that will I mean.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
If she does get you know, another fine for speeding
posts that course, will there be another level of accountability
or punishment.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
You know, some people are saying there should be like
it should be, there.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Should be more.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Yeah, you would have thought a suspension of three months
should be enough to do a driver course, well to
not do it again effectively. Now then he's going to
have to do the driving course. So if hypothetically it
was to happen again, what.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
Then Yeah, I can't buy into hypotheticals. But Manuel do
that course and hopefully he will change as his behavior
as a result of that. We've all got to do better.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And yeah, I'm sure he'll learn a lot out of that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
And we did also ask the opposition leader, Selena you Bo,
whether he should be stripped of his shadow portfolios. She
said that there is going to be a caucus meeting,
I believe in the coming days. I don't know exactly
when that's happening. I'm sure you do, but I mean,
do you really think that he should hang on to
those shadow portfolios at this point in time?
Speaker 5 (20:34):
That'll be a discussion for caucus. And we've obviously been
out and about in our communities over the last couple
of weeks, out talking with territorials about the big issues
around health and education and housing. And yet when we're
back all in person, we'll have a conversation with Manuel
and if something comes out of that, I'm sure Selena
will pass it on.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Do you think he should be stripped of his portfolio
shadow portfolios.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
I don't want to prempt that meeting, Katie. We'll sit
down together, the five of us, and we'll have a
conversation about it.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
How are things going with the team at the moment.
We know that you've obviously you're in as the deputy
opposition leader and Labour's been leaking like a bit of
a sieve since then. It is everybody happy.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Leadership changes are always very difficult, doesn't matter if it's
the coach of Collingwood or it's a change in the
public service. Leadership changes are never easy and so it's
really on me as a deputy leader to bring everyone together,
be focused on holding the CLP government to account and
preparing for the next twenty twenty eight election, Katie, which
I think is less than one hundred and ten weeks away.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, not too far away. So how are you doing that?
How are you trying to bring everybody together? Because at
the moment it does seem as though Will Manual is
mia obviously what's gone on or you know, after what's
gone on, or I've not heard from him aside from
that statement that came out chance he certainly is out Bush.
From my understanding, Duran has been in contact with me
about some issues out in the daily region. But you know,
(22:00):
how are you planning on bringing everybody together?
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
All five of us have been focused on our local electorates.
There is a lot going on, especially dry season, a
lot of events and a lot of activities. So yeah,
I think it's really just bringing people together, being available,
getting in touch with people, hearing the feedback that's really important, Katie,
and just being really focused with looking at education, housing,
all these issues that the Sealpeak government are not dealing
(22:25):
with and that came out through the two weeks of
estimates as well, and getting everyone focused on that and
holding the government to account.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
That's what's most important.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right. It's hard, though, isn't it. It's hard to focus
on those issues when people want to talk about what's
going on within labor. When something like this occurs with
Manuel Brown, I mean, is everybody on board with him
staying in those shadow portfolio roles?
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Oh, Look, those discussions will happen at the caucus meeting,
but everyone is focused on the big issues at matter
to territories. We know actricity waters going up by five
point three percent as of one July, and a lot
of people have been in touch with concerns about that
that's higher than inflation.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So we don't want to be talking about ourselves. We
want to be talking about what the government's doing.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Hard to not talk about your life when there's when
there's so much going on, and I just want to
you know, Katie, seventeen years ago, there was a it's
been discussed on radio. Manuel sped through an intersection in
Catherine and killed a client, one of my clients when
I was in business at the time. That was the
(23:27):
woman Edna Chong at the time. And nothing happened to
him then. And it clearly is a you know, pattern
of behavior that he has not learnt from. And I
think it's very interesting that even when he was the
candidate in the by election, I bought this up about
this accident. Then the community expectation is that people in
(23:50):
office should be held in high regard and that you
there is a standard there.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
What do you so, what do you think he needs
to do now? Do you think that the driver training
course is Look.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I think I think it's absolutely up to the chaos
that's going on in the Labor Party it's up to
them what they do and what the consequences are for manual.
But what I'm saying is that I potentially don't think
he should have been the candidate at the first place.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
You don't want him to stand down.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I think that's a matter for him. I mean, you know,
you don't want to. We also have to understand that
this would be affecting potentially his mental health and his
family's got to be taken into consideration. But that all
should have been done back then when he was the candidate.
He clearly hasn't learned anything. Nothing. There were no consequences
(24:38):
at the time for killing a woman.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
It all went through the court system as well, so
that went through the court system, and I guess that
that's you know, like whether there was a ramification or
whether there was a consequence from that or not. Is
that comes down to how it was dealt through the court.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Absolutely, But we're seventeen years on, he's still speeding. He
lost his license, he's then got it back, he's still
caught speeding again. I mean, how many cab charges has
he actually used in that time that the taxpayer is
paying for.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I did ask Selena Hula about that earlier work, and
she said that there is a certain I believe there's
a certain amount of money that you are or there's
a certain each member gets a certain value of cab
charges that is within the electoral allowance. I'm assuming it
is and that is what's been used. Is that your
understanding of it as well?
Speaker 5 (25:25):
Ed he's getting support from his electored officer and family
as well.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Yeah, I know his father in law has certainly been
driving him around him been in contact with us and
told us Sash, I mean, I guess you know. The
situation that Labour's in at the moment, though, Ed is
that it is chaotic. From the outside looking in, it
seems chaotic. Duran Young seemed that he was very unhappy
to sort of be ousted as the deputy deputy opposition leader.
(25:50):
Now I can understand why he'd be upset, but I
can also understand why Labor would do that from a
tactical sense that you know, you need to win back
the northern suburbs if you're going to win back government
at any point in the next however many years. So
that is absolutely something I think that at some point
Labor had to do to put you in to that
leadership team to try to win back the northern suburbs
(26:12):
and Palmerston. But what I can see is that Duran's
not overly happy about that, or he didn't seem happily
about happy about it at the time when he'd taken
to social media. But you've then got a situation where
now one of those members of a small five person
team has been done for speeding, has then had his
license suspended, gotten it back being done again. You know,
(26:35):
you have to sort of question what standards are being
set at this point in time and what is acceptable
and how labor is going to win back that trust
when this kind of thing's happening.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yep, No, we've got a lot of work to do,
Katie's no doubt about that. Opposition's always very difficult. You
don't have the resources that you do in government.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I don't think it comes down to resources. I think
it comes down to, you know, making sure that members
of do on the right thing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Morals, community expectations.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
All twenty five of us have that expectation on us,
and that's why we're going to be focused out talking
with our communities. We've got a lot of work to
build policy towards the twenty twenty eight election, and it's
my job to get everyone focused around how do.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
You all support Selena Ubo as the leader?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Yes, absolutely, well.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
I think that'll be very interesting to actually see if
everyone does support Selena, because clearly there is a rift
going on there. I mean, how do you feel it
about coming into this your three weeks or four weeks
in whatever it is, into this chaos.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
No. Look, I'm very excited to be a member of
Parliament and being deputy leader. It's a fantastic privilege and
a lot of responsibility too. We need to provide an
alternative to the CLP government. We've heard from estimates about
the things that are not going right, rising power prices
and the like, and that's what we're going to be
focused on.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
And I mean that's the issue that the opposition has right.
It's disunity is death in politics. We've heard that over
many years from back in the past from the CLP
and we saw that play out. So obviously, you know,
Labour's having to contend with these issues and the attacks
on policy aren't really cutting through as much. I mean,
we are facing power prices an increase of five percent,
(28:15):
five point three percent, and really that gets overshadowed when
you are having to talk about you know, the team itself.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Well, I do want to talk about these power prices though,
because they have gone up five point three percent and
it is something that listeners were in contact with us
about throughout the week. The increase was revealed during budget
estimates hearings with the treasure of Billya and saying that
higher generation and delivery costs mean extra expense must be
passed on to consumers. The governments also lifted its powers
(28:43):
to subsidy contribution by twenty five percent to help offset
those costs. The opposition leader said to us earlier in
the week that the increase is above inflation. We've just
said that from it as well and wage growth, and
argues that territory families are being squeezed at a time
when household budgets are all ready under pressure. I mean, Joe,
there is no doubt that people are under financial strain
(29:05):
at the moment that it is a cost of living crisis.
Is it the right time to be lifting those power
prices that high?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Look, I think in the budget papers it was there
was an estimated CPI increase across twenty five twenty six
to be five point two percent. The increase in the
power price is five point three percent. That actually equates
to in dollar terms one hundred and fifty dollars for
the average family. So not to play it down, but
(29:34):
there was certainly a lot of people that spent a
lot more than one hundred and fifty dollars on fireworks.
But I understand that, you know, when it comes to
your power and water, they're totally people.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
That be hurting, you know, like they're maybe not on
people that are out spending money or hundreds of dollars.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. But the thing is there
is with the cso this year there is a fifty
eight million increase. Now that's the subsidy that the government
pays for our power prices, so you know, it could
actually be a whole lot more. At the end of
the day, we know that, you know, the the increase
(30:14):
is there, and we've subsidized, as I said, to the
tune of an extra fifty eight million dollars two hundred
and fifty two.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Under every government.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Yes, we've actually increased that fifty eight million dollars this
year because of that increase. So you know, I mean
we came in with a maxed out ALP credit card.
There is only a certain amount of money to go around,
and you know, over the budget estimates and the you know,
(30:44):
the forward measures that we are doing. There are plenty
of other things out there to Katie that as a
government we are doing to make sure that we are
helping with the costumes.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
It's always it's a it's a tight rope to walk
on with those power prices because we've seen in the
past that certainly when those power prices rise significantly, as
Terry Mills had tried to do many many years ago,
people were really upset, weren't they.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Cathley, Yeah, I mean that was a thirty percent increase,
wasn't it? And twenty percent for sewerage and water, which
came off the back of obviously winning election promising to
keep cost of living down. So that was a big
broken promise there. I mean, yeah, we all know that
the territory has broke. So you know, as you said,
it's a tightrope of how much do you have to
subsidize to keep it down? And five percent is you know,
(31:29):
a big increase. I mean that is a prediction of
inflation in the budget, which I think has not come
back confirmed yet that it will probably be lower. But
I mean it goes to the broader issue of our
power situation in the Northern Territory. I mean, you know,
it was it the Henderson government had locked in that
gas contract with E and I that was meant to
go to twenty thirty one, and then the gas ran
(31:51):
out in twenty twenty one, and yeah, all that ridiculous
drama of going on to secure our gas to keep
the lights on is just just silly. So obviously we
do need beat Loud to finally come on board to
hopefully secure think if they're going to help, yeah, that's right.
Are we going to see them them drap?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I think.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I think also, you know that the cost to produce
energy has gone up also, and we see the fuel
crisis and things like that. But just in some of
those you know, savings for those people that you know
potentially you know need the support. You know, there's the
five hundred and fifty dollars pre card, prepaid card for
the seniors. You know, there's for families, there's the back
(32:29):
to school vouchers, there's free swimming.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
It is enough enough as.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
Far as I understand, None of them increased in the
last budget, they've just stayed the same. So your prices
are going up, but your subsidies are not, your wages
are not. And I think that's why people are really hurting.
I think this is the highest rise in the last
ten years. From what I could briefly see looking online.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
I think the wages are going to.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Three percent, but this is five percent.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Look what I wonder with Power and Water is what
is you know? What's on the cards? I guess. And
the reason I asked that is because there was a
report by cam Smith earlier in the week in the
Northern Territory News that cash Strap Power and Water is
in for a major shakeup with a high profile departure
and a shock return of a former senior executive. So
long serving chief Executive Junior Pollard in form staff on
(33:14):
Monday that her last day in the role would be
September thirty after six years in the job, and in
a major development that breaks with the COLP government's current
policy that it won't recycle old officeholders into new roles. Well,
former Power and Water Managing Director Andrew McCready's has been
appointed to chair the organization. Now Andy mccreadie's is a
(33:35):
fantastic operator. If you ask me. I worked with him
when I worked for the Minister for Essential Services many
many years ago when Casuarina substation had blown up and
the power went off for twenty hours and there was
all sorts of other issues within power and water. So
I understand probably better than most while investment into power
and water why it is needed. But what I guess,
(33:56):
what I wonder Joe, is what's going on, what's the
posturing that's happening here within power and water? If if
was was Junior asked to leave or did she decide
to resign on her own accord? And now with Andy
stepping in as the chairperson, are we looking at making
some major changes within power and water? Do you know?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
No?
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Well, I mean I don't know Andrew McCready's, but I
do know that he's a very well respected man out
in the Northern Territory community. Look, I think there's been
problems with power and water for a very long time
and we know that.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
I can vouch for that.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
Yeah, you know, I mean the fact that previously they
wanted to the COLP government we're going to up it
by the thirty percent. I mean, you know it's that
that was quite.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Well, it was on your back, but it was on
the back of what we'd seen was some major failures
in infrastructure within power and water because there actually hadn't
been investment into it for it had been ripped out.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
And I think that goes across lot of areas, Katie.
You know, there's there's for the last twenty years. I
just spoke to this to someone about this yesday. For
the last twenty years with a labor government, there has
not been you know, the infrastructure upgrades that actually have
needed to power and water, power and water.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
I'll tell you it's longer than twenty years, but it's
also probably for.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Him self government. You know, there just has not been
the infrastructure upgrades that that are needed to be done.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
So one person who is more aware of that than
anybody else is Andy mccreadi's right, So he oversaw, you know,
when all of these issues happened many years ago. He oversaw.
He famously said go and by a generator at a
press conference. He is upfront, he is honest, he's a
good man. And so what it indicates to me is
(35:50):
that hopefully the COLP is looking for somebody to get
in there and really sort things out.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
I'm to listen to him and his advice that he
provides because it is obviously a politically unpopular area to
make decisions in.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
I think we do need to watch this one closely
because we learned at Estimates the board chair for t GEN,
for Power and Water and Jacana, all three government owned corporations,
all three board chairs are stepping down.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
So there has been since we've come to government.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
They're resigning as well, Like is this being primed for
privatization or is it.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Being primed to bring everything back under one umbrella?
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Again, this is since we've come to government, there has
been a review right across all boards, and all boards
have been given a shake up, and this is just,
you know, part of that process as well. And I
think with Andrew McCready's there as we have all you know,
discussed a very well respected and regarded public you know,
(36:55):
I think, you know, he's he's the right man for
the job to get things.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Done to privatize or merge the entities.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I don't think there's any discussion in that way. Everything
needs a shake up and you need someone that is
well respected and regarded to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
All right, We're going to take a bit of a break.
You are listening to Mix one oh four ninees three sixty.
It is the week that was. You are listening to
Mix one O four nines three sixty And if you've
just joined us in the studio this morning, we have
indeed got the Deputy Opposition Leader, Ed Smelt, We've got
my executive producer Kathleen Gazola, and the Education Minister Joe Hersey.
I want to take you across to an article in
(37:33):
the Northern Territory News today by Harry Brill. Now, the
reason I raise this is because I think it's really
important for well for listeners to understand some of what
goes on within the justice system and within the courts. Now,
a teenager who broke into a home with a machete
and assaulted two women and a girl wants to get
out of prison and turn his life around. That is
(37:55):
what a court's been told. This nineteen year old's been
in custody for sixteen months after he led a terrifying
house invasion in February twenty twenty five, described by Justice
Judith Kelly as the ring leader of the invasion. He
and a male co offender broke into a Mitchell Street
resident residence armed with machetes, where they found two adult
(38:16):
women and a young girl. Both were assaulted by the pair,
as well as the young girl, who at one point
was chased into the backyard with a machete. Now this
blog opted to carry out the attack without a mask.
He was soon identified by authorities. Yesterday morning, he went
before the NT Supreme Court, where he pleaded guilty to
(38:37):
three counts of assault, trespassing and causing damage to property.
Now His lawyer argued that a suspended sentence was in order,
saying that it was in the community's interest for him
to reintegrate into society. Highlighting his client and only spent
three months of his adult life out of prison, The
(38:59):
court heard that he wants to become a five FO worker,
just as Kelly noted that she was in possession of
a pre sentenced report which she described as the worst
she has ever read. His lawyer conceded that he hadn't
been the perfect prisoner. The court heard that he'd been
involved in fourteen reported incidents during his sixteen month stint
(39:22):
on remand involving prison yard fighting, non compliance and assault.
Now he's going to appear before the court again today
or reappear. I just can't wrap my head around how
anybody's even trying to get this bloke out of prison
if he's been involved in such a terrible crime. By
the look of her, you know, you've got Justice Studith
(39:44):
Kelly there saying he's rap sheet is one of the
worst she's seen. And then you've got his lawyer saying
he wants to reintegrate into society. I get that the
lawyer is doing his job, but we've got to actually
meet community expectations and standards here as well.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I mean absolutely, I think you know, coming into government,
we strengthened the Boo laws, we bought in Declan's law.
You know, we've certainly strengthened that court system. But who
are these people actually representing this young person. It does
not pass the pub test, it does not pass community expectations.
(40:18):
And as you said, the rap sheet that he's got,
you know, is as long as you're armed. Well that's right.
If the judge is saying that.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I mean, so, how do you argue for that if
he's also while he's been on remand for that sixteen months,
been involved in a number of incidents. I just don't like.
I just don't get it. And I'm sure that the
courts and the justice system, I hope will uphold the
community's expectations, but it sort of blows my mind to
(40:49):
be honest too.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
You know, there's just some people out there that I've
heard the Chief Mythister say it before, there are some
people out there that are just monsters or bad people,
and it doesn't matter what kind of rehabilitation you try
and do whatever, nothing's going to change their behavior for
whatever reason. But I just think this, for this person
(41:10):
to be wanting to get out of jail, it does
not pass community expectations at all.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
I mean, a lawyer's obviously doing his job and is
putting forward the wishes of his client. I mean that
is he's paid to two essentially. I don't know where's
where he's from in particular, but Lack. Yeah, it's pretty horrific.
And for Justice Kelly to say it's one of the
worst that she's seen, and she is a very experienced
judge in the Supreme Court, is pretty incredible. I mean,
(41:37):
it also goes to the overarching issue of young people
out there in the community that obviously fall through the system.
I mean, if he's only spent three months of his
adult life outside of prison, and then clearly he's probably
got a pretty significant youth justice record in and of
itself so well.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
And you sort of want to be sure then, and
we've spoken about this before. When somebody is behind bar
that they are doing programs that make them better people,
that's right, they're not.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Yeah, absolutely, Katie.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
And this is a horrendous crime and it strikes fear
into everyone in our community. And that's what I'd really
like to know, is what programs have been offered, what
have been done? We know our prisons are absolutely stacked,
people being locked up for twenty three hours a day.
How are they going to get better? How are they
going to reintegrate in our society?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And we did catch up with the Acting Corrections Deputy
Acting Corrections Commissioner a little bit earlier, well, late last Friday,
I think it was, or maybe the week before, and
she had spoken to us. Kate had spoken to us about,
you know, some of those programs that are underway and
some of the different things that our prisoners are doing.
But look, I think it's imperative that they do so
that they are eventually able, when the time is right
(42:47):
for them to be released, that they're able to come
out better people, not better criminals. Look, we're going to
take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one oh four nine's three sixty it is the week
that was. You are listening to MIXONO Fortnite. If you well,
if you've finally just joined us, you've missed out on
the Hour of Power with Ed Smelt, Kathleen Gazola and
(43:07):
Joe Hersey. But don't worry, we will get it up
on the iHeartRadio app a little bit later this morning. Ed,
lovely to have you in the studio, thanks as always
for joining us.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
Thanks Katie, and looking forward to getting out to the
eighties of celebrations for chung La Society as awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
Yeah, wonderful. That should be fantastic. Kathleen Gazola, you'll be
back in the studio with us. You probably won't leave
because you've got to do the news very shortly. And
Joe Hersey, how are you celebrating Catherine over the last week.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Yeah, So this evening I've got the GTNT Awards up
here in Darwin and then it's a very early start
back to Catherine for a very busy day tomorrow. We've
got the Teddy Bears picnic, We've got the Show and Shine,
and then we've got the Railway Street Parade celebrating continuing
on with the celebrations of the centenary and Catherine, so
it's a big weekend.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
I liked the idea of the Drinks on the on
the Bridge. I think that was last was.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
The last Friday the Catherine Community Projects Association put that on.
It was absolutely fantastic. It's such a great iconic venue
to have. I've been to the Drinks on the Bridge
a couple of times now and as we all decided
last Friday night would be great if we could just
have that, you know, potentially a couple of times in
(44:20):
the dry season, just as a fundraiser for someone that
was fundraising for the museum.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
The other weekend sunset as well, it's magnificent.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
Yeah, it's an absolutely beautiful location to watch the sun
go down over the river.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Maybe spot a crocodile.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
No crocodiles, maybe it wasn't any crocodiles, there wasn't even
going over. But yeah, absolutely magnificent sunset.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Yeah, oh good stuff. Well, thank you all so much
for your time this morning, and no doubt we'll catch
up with you again very soon. You are listening to
Mix ONEO four nine's three sixty plenty more coming your
way this morning.
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