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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me live in the studio right now is the
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Leofanocchiaro.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning, Good morning, Katie, and biggest congratulations to you
on an epic weekend of success.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
We're all very proud of you.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Thank you, thank you. And look, I wouldn't be able
to do my job without our wonderful listeners who tune
in every day, but also very regular guests like yourself.
You know, so many of our pollies that rock up
even when it's not easy, and you know, make the
show what it is, so we're grateful for that.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
It's a credit to you and Crystal and the entire team.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Thank you, Thanks so much. Now, look, we know the
Masters Games have kicked off in Alice Springs, but it
looks as though it's been a busy weekend for police.
Ten teenagers allegedly joy riding in stolen cars have been
arrested after police vehicles were deliberately.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Rammed in the Red Center Now.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Two stolen cars were reported as driving dangerously through the
CBD about three point forty in the morning on Saturday.
Northern Territory police say their vehicle was rammed from behind
by one of those stolen cars.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Officers then realize the stolen cars were targeting.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Their vehicles, those police vehicles, and police allege a second
police car was rammed by a stolen vehicle then on
Gregory Terrace. Both those incidents resulted in minimal damage and
no injuries fortunately, But then at four point fifty in
the morning, police spiked one of those alleged stolen vehicles
and that was on Telegraph terrorists, leading to the arrest

(01:21):
of multiple youths.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Now they were.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Aged between thirteen and seventeen. Leah, first off, I mean
it is so frustrating. I think that this kind of
thing just continues to happen. Have you had much of
a briefing from police and what's the latest.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, it's disgusting and this behavior is just continuing. I
spoke to a few police officers a couple of weeks
ago who had been in a police vehicle ram rated
again by a stolen vehicle with us at the helm.
It just shows the lawlessness that there is across the territory,
which just reinforces to me and just continues to light
that fire in my belly. Katie of why I'm standing

(01:59):
here passing laws in parliament over the next two weeks
to try and put a stop to this. It's just
totally unacceptable. It's dangerous, violent, scary behavior that puts everyone's
lives at risk, including the perpetrators. And what was worse
coming out out of that in my colleague the Attorney
General made it very very clear yesterday is that these
kids who were arrested had dozens, dozens and dozens of

(02:23):
prior offenses and the laws are just totally inadequate to
support police to deal with it.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
I think a lot of people are probably learning this
morning for the first time that one of these children,
or one of these young people. I actually don't know
the age of this young person, but one of these
young people has actually been involved with different incidents or
been in contact I guess you would say, is maybe
the right word with the Northern Territory Police on eighty

(02:50):
five occasions.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, it's disgusting.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
And you know it's even worse is that all of
the records of these young people, if they had records
prior to when they were twelve, bunged by the previous
labor government, so it could even be more.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Katie, it's quite extraordinary.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
We're not talking about kids stealing a loaf of bread
because they're hungry. We're talking about people who've been committing
crimes for a very very long time and present a continuous,
ongoing threat to our community. Now that is devastating. No
ten year old is born a criminal. Things have happened
in these kids' lives that are totally unacceptable and we're
working really hard to deal with those root causes of

(03:26):
crime as well. But a crisis situation requires a crisis
response and that's why our law reform and our reducing
crime package over the next two weeks is so important.
It's a crisis response to what is a law and
order crisis.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now. I know obviously I should have touched on Parliament
sitting tomorrow for the first time, and under the new
government there is well, there is so much legislation that
you are pushing through and we know that. The National
Children's Commissioner And Hollins and the Social Justice Commissioner Katie
Kiss issued a statement on Friday targeting your government so
the new government's reforms and calling for the COLP to address.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
The root issues now.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Miss Hollins said the Northern Territory government's plan ignored evidence,
while Miss Kiss said the change condemned First Nations people
to a lifetime of abuse. She said the Northern territories
proposed laws which will combine reducing the age of criminal
responsibility with the reintroduction of nuisance public drinking measures will
have a significant impact on First Nation's children in the

(04:26):
child justice system and their families, and that it also
undermines the Northern Territory government's commitments under the National Closing
the Gap Agreement. Leah first off, to the lowering of
the age of criminal responsibility, I mean to me, it
seems as though whatever we have been doing for the
last eight years, six years however many years you want

(04:48):
to say, is not working. So what do you say
to those like the National Children's Commissioner and Katie Kiss
who say that what your government is doing is the
wrong path?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, I wonder where they were seven weeks to go
under the previous government, Katie, when they were failing territorians
and youth offenders. Ultimately, I would rather that these child
protection advocates were actually focused on protecting children. We have
kids being born today, kids right now being neglected, abused, malnutritioned,

(05:22):
deprived of an education. That's where everyone's focus needs to
be and that's what we need to reset. As a
new government. My job is to come in and make
sure that we stop the bleed. The bleed being the
terrible rates of crime across the territory and so there
must be consequences for offending. But make no mistake, our
focus is on the right of the child to be

(05:43):
safe and have access to education is the absolute focus,
and that's why we make no apologies for going harder
on parents around parental accountability, making sure kids do get
to school and that we use punitive if required measures
to hold parents accountable. It's why we're really focused on
making income management referrals to the Commonwealth so that people's

(06:06):
centerlink is spent on looking after their kids and not
on grog. So we make no apologies for taking tough action.
Territorians have asked us to do this. They have an
expectation we will deliver and we have an obligation to
fulfill those commitments and we will do that.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
I mean, it's sort of like to me reading those
comments and reading between the lines, it's almost it does
almost feel as though they're insinuating that the Colp government
is acting in a racist way by introducing these laws
and legislation, and look, you know, we know that we
are grappling with so many issues in the Northern Territory.

Speaker 3 (06:43):
So I guess it's going to be a tough juggle.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
For you now governing for the whole of the Northern
Territory but actually keeping people safe.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
But this is about all people.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
And I can tell you, Katie, and you would have
people come to you as well. Aboriginal people are sick
and tired of being victims of crime. They are some
of these strongest.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
Advocates for tougher laws.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
I've had the number of teos and elders I've had
come to me and say, enough is enough, we want
stronger consequences.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
It's just ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
For these people pursuing political commentary to try and make
this an issue that it isn't. You know, the law
applies equally to everyone. And if you want to close
the gap, let's start by making sure Aboriginal kids haven't
access to education and can fulfill their life by living
a safe, happy life. They can be the best child

(07:34):
that they can be and grow up to participate in
our community.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
I mean, are you frustrated by people that don't live
in the Northern Territory chiming in and telling you how
to do things.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
Oh, of course, but it's they can carry on as
much as they like. I think they've got a better
way to spend their time and energy. If they want
to spend it politically commentating and throwing stones at me,
good for them. It just means they're not doing their
actual job, which is protecting children. And I tell you what, Katie,
We've got hundreds, if not thousands of them across the
territory that could use a bit more support.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
And if no one else is going to do it,
my government will.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
Well, Leah, we actually got contacted last week by a
couple of families with really dire situations that they're in.
One of them was a mum whose young fellas has
some health issues and some mental health issues. She's been
in a situation where he's threatened to harm her really
quite badly on a couple of occasions. She's called the paramedics.

(08:27):
They've been really help really helpful. Sorry, not the paramedics,
the police. She's had the support from the police. She's
then gone obviously to the hospital with her young fella,
had the support there as well, but then basically come
out and left with no support. You know, we do
not seem to actually have the mental health support network

(08:48):
that we need for young people in the Northern Territory.
So we can talk as much as we like about
ways that we can intervene and help young people, but
if we can't actually help a young person who's got
some really serious mental health issues and able to help
that family, what on earth?

Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, what on earth are we going to do?

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Oh? I agree, Katie, And don't get me wrong, there
are plenty of problems.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
You know.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
Every day a new labor legacy ends up on my
desk and we work through how to fix it. Right,
there's no perfect answer to the mess the territories in.
But we must move forward and we must every day
strive to be better, and that's what we're trying to do.
You're right, this is not just about dealing with kids
who are committing crimes or making sure kids are supported
to live strong lives into the future. It's also about

(09:33):
making sure our kids have those interventions they need families.
I mean, it's one thing for a child who's committed
crimes and is disengage with their family to end up
in skills training or another program to turn their life around.
But there is this other group of people who are
the good parents, who are trying really hard and against
all the odds. They just need much stronger support and

(09:54):
we've got to be providing opportunities for them as well.

Speaker 3 (09:57):
So this is absolutely on my radik.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
It's a lot of work we've got to do, and yeah,
I'm not shirking that responsibility. Seven weeks in, we've just
poured all our energy into making sure this next two
weeks of Parliament resets the framework gives our police the
powers they need.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
But I can tell you over the next four years
we would just have to work tirelessly at this.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
One of the other really practical things that we've been
contacted about was we had a grandma last week who
contacted us who said that her twelve year old granddaughter
was one of the people allegedly involved in some of
the crime that we saw last week. Now, she's contacted
territory families on numerous occasions.

Speaker 3 (10:32):
She said.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
She's also obviously the police have tried to help her.
She wants to help her granddaughter not go down this path. Yeah,
but she's literally written to me saying, you know, she's
never done anything like this, but she needs help. So
they'd been referred to Territory Families and not heard anything.
Now my understanding is that Territory Families then got in
contact with her last week after we'd spoken about it

(10:56):
on air. But we've literally got a situation right now
where there is there are kids whose families are going.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
Please help us, please help us.

Speaker 1 (11:04):
To deal with this young person. And I don't understand
where that breakdown is happening.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
Oh look, it's profound, Katie.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
So there's the families who are trying to get help,
then there's the kids we're trying to help whose families
couldn't care less. It's a mess, and that's part of
the reason why we've been very clear about what children
and families need to do. So we've dismantled that old
Territory Famili's department. We've taken use Justice out of it
and put that with corrections. That's just to deal with

(11:32):
kids who are sentenced and in the custodial system. They're
not kids in adult corrections. Despite what Labor will lie
to your listeners about, this is about having a correctional framework,
appropriate places for appropriate people in the system. Then we
need Children and Families to now refocus on the care
and protection of children.

Speaker 1 (11:51):
Do you think they've dropped the.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Ball in the past. Absolutely, That's why we're here, Katie.
That's why there's a new government, it's why I'm the
Chief Minister, and it's why we have so many kids
in incarceration amongst other things. Now, there are very good
people working in Children and Families, don't get me wrong.
They've been failed by a bad system, bad laws, bad frameworks,
inadequate resources. And so Robin Carl who is the Minister

(12:15):
for that agency now, is working over time on making
sure that that legislation actually puts the rights of the
child first because the framework isn't there for children and
Families to be doing what it needs to do. And
so that work is all happening. It's certainly imperfect at
this stage. I'll put my hand up and say that,
but we're working on it all right.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
Well, I hope we do start to see some change.
And look, as we do get contacted by families, we'll
make sure we get in contact with you. So I
think it's really important that you know that you understand
and know what those issues are that some of them
are dealing with because that's the only way that we
can move forward.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
Right Yet, one hundred percent we need to know and
we've always said I think someone asked me very soon
after the election what would success look like, and I
said success would be that we continue to be a
government that people feel they can come up to express their.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
Concerns connected to the community.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
And so people need to make sure that we understand,
either through our seventeen strong team or people like Katie
and Christ's great job because what's happening on the coal
face is really important to us and it allows us
to then change leavers at the top to get better outcomes.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, I mean we all want this place to succeed. Yes,
we absolutely do. Now we know that your government as
well is going to introduce some major reforms to protect
the community when it comes to alcohol. We've spoken quite
a bit about this last week. Now we know that
the Association of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies Northern Territory
is called on the government to retain the minimum unit

(13:39):
pricing as a major, evidence based and cost effective policy
to reduce alcohol related crime and harms. That's what they say, Leah,
Are you going to be getting rid of the minimum floor?

Speaker 3 (13:52):
Pricing.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yet we will be because what we've seen is more
glass smashed up in our parks and on our public
footpaths than ever before. We've seen people turning to hard
spirits instead of wine, people spending more money on alcohol.
It's a total mess. And at the end of the day,
that increase in money that.

Speaker 3 (14:11):
Goes on to the goes to the bottle shops.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
So it's not going back into the community to support
rehabilitation or any other measures.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
It's just not something that we support.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
We've been very clear on that for oh gosh, a
number of years now, Katie, probably four or five years.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
I can't remember when it came in.

Speaker 2 (14:28):
And so it's not something we're doing this sittings because
it wasn't an immediate focus. But it will be done
either in November or February, I imagine.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
All right, so a little later down the truck coming,
will you meet with the association to hear their concerns
before then?

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh, we're happy to, but at the end of the day,
we're not changing our minds, so perhaps their focus should
be on stopping our through other means. At the end
of the day, we've made several election commitments, will of them,
and I encourage everyone who wants to participate in bringing
the territory forward to start looking for nuances on how
we can make the territory a better place, rather than

(15:04):
nitpicking on what territorians have resoundingly voted for to be delivered.

Speaker 1 (15:08):
Chief Minister. I did notice will quite a notable difference.
I've got to say, when it comes to people loitering
around the CBD and drinking around the CBD. Just yesterday
I was that will workzer in the CBD at the
bus stop where very often there's a lot of people
milling around drinking very publicly. What has the government been
doing in recent weeks, because it seems to be that

(15:29):
there's not as many people drinking around the place.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
We're working really consistently across government. So I've sent a
very clear message to every single government CEO of every
single agency that reducing crime is every agency, every public
servants responsibility. And so what we've got now is a
more coordinated focus on that being the primary issue. It
means agencies and they're doing a fantastic job. Katie shout

(15:53):
out to the public servants who have just embraced this
change wholeheartedly.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
And so we're seeing some real innovative.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
Solutions come forward, better connectivity with Larochia Nation for example,
and other agencies who perform in the NGO sector. Of course,
we've got more police out on the street than what
we had before, now in uniform and more marked vehicles,
so there's definitely been an increase in police presence, an
increase in morale. Of course, we're about to empower them

(16:21):
with laws they really need to do their job. So
I think generally speaking, everyone is putting their shouldered to
the wheel and the way that they can to help
contribute to a safer territory for everyone, and I think
the results are speaking volumes of that joint contribution between
the community, our agencies, our NGOs and the government.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Look, there does seem to be so much that you're
trying to make sure that it does get to well,
you know, it does happen over the next two weeks
of parliament. I know that it's a loss. I know
that the intention is very much on trying to reduce
the rates of crime that we're seeing. I guess the
concern sometimes that if is legislative is that if legislation

(16:59):
is pushed through quite quickly, there may be unintended consequences.
I mean, are you prepared to if there are some
unintended consequences to relook at things down the track.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
Oh, sure, we can always revisit. But what we know
is that we have a crisis situation. It requires a
crisis response. We also took all of this to the election,
so it comes as no surprise to anyone. Everyone's had
plenty of time to understand those key areas and so
it is unusual to pass this many laws on urgency
in one go, but we will be doing that because

(17:30):
we've ventilated it over years and years.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
And during an election period.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
But our focus for other legislation also includes having earlier
exposure drafts on things so that people can have a
really good look before it's even hit the Parliament. And
so going forward, you'll start to see a change in
the way that we run our legislation so people can
be more involved and have their say front footing that consultation.
But for this one, Katie, we've got the mandate to

(17:55):
get it done and we are going to do that.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
In terms of bringing that legislation forward a little bit
more quickly so that others can look at it. I mean,
is that something that you found very frustrating when you
were in opposition, but you weren't getting the opportunity to
look at things. So are you hoping to really, you know,
to bring a bit of a different look to the
Parliament where it is a little more cooperative in some ways,
because I've got to tell you sometimes it was very
poor behavior that we've seen in parliament previously.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
It's certainly our mission to build back a lot of
the stronger conventions and historical practices of a parliament where
there's a lot more mutual respect and you know, cross
floor engagement. So we also know that by having things
like exposure drafts, fund front foot in that consultation process
means you can get to the bottom of a lot

(18:40):
of the concerns people might have before you've even gotten
into Parliament, rather than trying to flesh all that out
at that time. It gives the opposition and crossbench and
independent members greater opportunities. So I think there's a lot
of ways in which we can make the Parliament stronger
and that means better outcomes for territory.

Speaker 1 (18:56):
A couple of really quick ones from our listeners that
they keep raising the Menager cock be vaccine. When is
that going to be made available for people?

Speaker 3 (19:03):
One January?

Speaker 2 (19:04):
So actually tomorrow, if you want to commemorate the life
of Skyler, Raise Patisserie and Sweet Brew are doing free
baby chinos because that was Skyler's favorite drink and it's
about raising awareness, so we've pushed really hard. Men BE
will be free for six weeks to twelve.

Speaker 3 (19:21):
Months from one January.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
There will then be a catch up program for twelve
months to two years. We will then be doing free
men B for all year nine as part of their
school immunization schedule, and catch up for all fourteen to
nineteen year olds. So it's a big program starting one January,
and we're very.

Speaker 3 (19:40):
Proud to deliver on this.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
For Ash and Sally Lawrence, who fought for seven years
to see this happen.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
They are incredible.

Speaker 1 (19:47):
The work that Sally has done over the years is
nothing short of incredible, urage O inspiring, absolutely, so I'm
really pleased that that's going to happen and for all
Northern Territory families. Another really quick one that keeps getting
raised by our listeners the solar rebates. When are things
going to change in this space? And you see electricity
is the grid going to be able to handle it.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yes, So we're working really hard on this because we
know it's such a popular one. So we haven't been
able to get it out the door yet, but it.

Speaker 3 (20:16):
Is a priority.

Speaker 2 (20:17):
Please don't despair. It is happy to get on foot.
We've just been really focused on the next two weeks.
But once this is done, we can put more energy
into some of those other key areas in click Man's
pay roll attacks. There's a range of things that we
have been working on. They've just not been as urgent
as some of the crime ones.

Speaker 1 (20:37):
Well, and you were very you know, you were very
honest about that before the election that the crime legislation
is going to be first thing on your agenda with
the first sittings of Parliament. So it looks like it's
going to be a busy couple of weeks. I'll be
the only nerds sitting and watching all of those question
times so that our listeners don't have to Leopanochi aro O,
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, a little longer than

(20:58):
expected this morning, really apprecid.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
Share your time. Thank you, Katie, and thank you listeners.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
Thank you
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