Lee Marshall: Motor Trade Association CEO on their 10-point wish list to clamp down on retail crime

Service station operators want the Government to step up to deliver tough-on-crime policies. 

The Motor Trade Association's released a 10-point wish list of things they want done to clamp down on retail crime. 

It comes amid a crime wave, with 60 aggravated robberies and 12 thousand theft incidents at service stations this year. 

MTA Chief Executive Lee Marshall told Mike Hosking things aren't getting any better and the Government needs to listen. 

He says while they're not crime experts, there are obvious and practical solutions that need to be implemented. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Reminder of the time's got the Motor Trade Association with
a campaign to better protect service station workers. In the
first six months of this year, there's been sixty aggravated
robberies more than twelve thousand reported thefts. MTA have released
a ten point action plan. Chief Executive Lee Marshals will
us leave very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hey, good morning mate.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
I was hoping you could come on the program and say,
I'll tell you what things are improving rapidly. So we're
really bullish about this. Are you saying anything like that
at all or not?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Really? No, unfortunately not. I think it's possible that we've
reached a point where things are not getting any worse,
but they're not getting any better either. Hence, you know,
in order to help out over almost one thousand petrol
station sites that we represent across the country, we're trying
to be their voice to make sure that this continues

(00:46):
to be an issue and doesn't become doesn't become normal
from the government's perspective, because crime is a serious issue
for petrol station retailers across the country. The vast majority
of them are small independent businesses, franch or brand licensees,
and crime hurts.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Are you seeing any sort of turnaround the police. The
government made a big deal about police cops on the
beach reacting to it getting and you know these twelve
thousand fifts cameras all of that. Do they react or not?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Like Look, I mean, I think that the rhetoric that's
come from the government has been has been very positive
to date. I don't know that it's necessarily translated into
a lot of action. I mean, to be fair to
the government, they are calling together a Ministerial Advisory Groups
for retail crime. I think we'll have a space on
that yet, but I mean, it's all in the right direction.
But I think what we need at this point is action,

(01:37):
and that's why we've pulled together a ten point plan
as part of saying, you know what, we're a motor
trade association, we're not crime experts. That we do think
there are practical things that can be done that are
not too difficult, that will make a meaningful difference to
the people who are ultimately the victims of these crimes
across the country.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
I'll put them to Mark mitchell Is with us after
I give us the top two what literally can we do?
It isn't being done currently.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I mean what we've tried to do that sir, that's
not necessarily normal in the seer at the moment is
be a little bit creative. So you know, one of
the things that we're calling for is given half the
cost of fuel this tax. It would be great if
the victims of fuel theft could claim that tax back.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
I get, I got rob and I want the three
dollars fifty that.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, if someone steals one hundred dollars worth of fuel
with the petrol station, fifty dollars of that is tax.
Is what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
That would be a motivation for the government. Of course,
if that it became to pass, be a motivation for
the government to actually crack down and get a bit
serious about it. Wouldn't because no one likes there.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
We go double incentive. I mean, otherwise, we know and
we have evidence here and overse these that extended beat
patrols really do make a difference. Would we would like
to see petrol stations, yeah, included and those And the
other one is we'd love to see remorse discounts disappear
for people who are sharing and glorifying their crimes on
social media, trying to encourage or not encourage, but you know,

(03:07):
trying to take credibility from promoting what they've done. From
our perspective, you don't get to firstly commit a crime,
secondly tell everybody else what a great thing you've done,
and then thirdly say you're sorry and get a remorse.
Discount That to us just doesn't make sense.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Now, it does not. I reckon that might actually and
I will ask Mark about this, that might actually be
a part of their discounting law that they're putting through
at the moment. Lee appreciate that. Lee Marshall, who's the
MTA chief executive. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio