Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And joining me in the studio right now is the
opposition leader Leo FANOCHI are oh, good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
To you, Lead morning, Katie, and to your wonderful listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Now plenty happening around the place, but I do want
to ask. Yesterday we heard the yes and No pamphlets
for the referendum on the voice. They're going to begin
landing in territory households this week now. Many people are
still uncertain on how they're going to vote. It has
obviously been a point of contention. I think you'd say
within the colp have you decided yet how you're going
(00:30):
to vote?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I have, Katie, and I guess the pamphlet coming out
today was the final opportunity, in my mind for Labor
to express to the community what this is about. We've
been calling for more information for territorians, gosh, since late
last year, I suppose, because we believe people should really
understand what they're voting for. And off the back of
(00:51):
the Labor Party national conference last week and the pamphlet today,
which really doesn't have any additional detail, I've made the
personal decision that I'll be voting no.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
So you're going to vote no at the reference that's.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Correct, Katie.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
I'm really disappointed that more information hasn't come to light.
I'm very concerned about the lack of territory representation that
there's likely to be on any voice, and to me,
that means we're not going to be getting the best
outcomes for territorians. I'm really concerned about a Canberra based
body that's going to be really predominantly filled with people
(01:28):
from other jurisdictions, and I just can't see how people
sitting in Melbourne and Sydney are going to be able
to drive better outcomes for Aboriginal territorians. And so it's
a real concern that more information hasn't come out. And
because of those reasons, I'll be voting no.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I mean, Leah, there are going to be some people listening,
agreeing with you and thinking, yep, I agree.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I feel exactly the same.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's going to be others who are thinking to themselves,
we'll hang on a second, what further information do you need?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, I'm really concerned about what it's going to look
like and the representation of territorians and that's something I
fight for across a range of issues every single day,
and to me, and this is something.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I've sat down with Senator Malanderry McCarthy and asked her
for detail. She hasn't been able to provide it. The
Prime Minister hasn't been able to provide it. The pamphlet
doesn't provide it, and I don't want to leave this
to chance. I don't think it's okay for Federal Labor
to have turned such an important issue into a political issue. Now,
don't get me wrong, I absolutely one hundred percent believe
(02:28):
in recognition in the Constitution, and I think those questions
should be split because the feedback I'm getting right around
the territory is it's a no brainer to have constitutional recognition.
It's just enshrining the voice in the constitution is the problem.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So if you believe in that recognition, shouldn't you vote yes.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Well, unfortunately the questions are tied.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And so whilst you're absolutely, with my whole heart believe
yes for one component, I feel very strongly about no
for the other. So unfortunately those questions are tied. I mean,
many people right around this country have begged the Prime
Minister to separate the questions, and I had a lovely
conversation with an Aboriginal woman last week at a mobile
office where we were talking about this very issue and
(03:11):
how it's so unfortunate that if and you know, I
don't know, Katie, but if the result is no, it
means we've missed that huge opportunity to have recognition.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I mean, Lea, are you just hedging your bits here?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Absolutely not, Katie.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I have been calling for more information for months and
months and months. The official pamphlet has now been printed,
it will hit mailboxes this week and it doesn't have
that detail.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
How is the parliamentary wing going to vote?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Does this mean that they're voting the same way as you?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
No, So we've always said that we're not going to
campaign either way, and my position on that remains the same,
and that every member of our parliamentary team gets their
own votes, so they are out talking to their communities
making up their own mind. And what's very clear to us, Katie,
is that this is not an issue that's of mine
and a priority for people we talk to. They really
(04:03):
want to see at a territory level stronger action, particularly
around local government reform.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Have you been forced to this, you know, to come
out and say that you're going to vote no because
you've literally sort of been dragged there.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
By the party, by the CLP.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
I mean, you've got you've got just Enterprise who's prominently
on the No campaign. We know that at the Catherine
Show there was apparently a dust up between Steve Edgington
and Josh Burgoyne on this very topic. You know, we
understand that the party have decided that they're voting no,
and you'd sort of been, you know, hesitant to say
(04:40):
what you're going to do.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So have you been dragged there kicking and screaming?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
No, Katie.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I've been waiting for the information and very hopeful and
I've been very open minded about it. So the CLP
has had a No position since February and here we
are fast forward to August, and now that the official
information has been put forward, the Prime Minister has said,
that's it, that's all we're going to announce. It's very
(05:06):
clear to me that there's not the adequate level of information.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Is it a situation though, where you're actually having to
come out and say this and say that you're voting
no because the party is fighting with each.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Other over it?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
No, Katie, this is something that people are asking. We're
getting to that point now where the vote is imminent.
I'd always said, you know, ask me when it gets
closer to it, and I'll let everyone know. And so
I'm just being open and transparent about my views. But again,
I'm not campaigning one way or the other, and I
encourage all Territorians to have a look at the fact
sheet form your own views about this. There are passionate
(05:41):
people on both sides and a ton of people in
the middle, and I respect all of that, Katie. It's
just personally, for me, I'm very concerned about inadequate representation
for Territorians and that lack of detail makes me very hesitant,
and I'm very disappointed that the questions aren't being split.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, look, there's plenty of messages coming through this MO
on this topic, and you know we've got one here
from Susie and Annula. She said, well done Leah in
taking a stand and speaking so calmly on the issue
of the voice. It's getting too hysterical and divisive, reckon
Susie in Annula. So there are other messages there and
we'll get to all of those throughout the morning, but
I mean, you've.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Heard it here first, obviously.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Lea Finocchiaro the opposition later well, outlining the fact that
you're now going to vote no at the referendum.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Yeah, that's right, and you know, time will tell what
happens there, and I respect the outcome of the country.
It is like I said, I've always said, I get
one vote, just like everybody else.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But it's there could have been a lot more information.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The territory could have been place in a much more
powerful position. And all I want at the end of
the day is for the best interests of every single
territory in and I can't see this delivering that.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Leah. There are gonna be you know, there are going
to be people that are on the yes camp. They
will say the decision that you're making is racist.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Well, I mean that's a matter for them, Katie, it's not.
What I'm saying is that there's not enough information the
federal government, and I've had Senator McCarthy say it to
our face. The Parliamentary team have gone and sat down
and had a briefing, and we have explicitly been told
by Labor that they will decide what the voice is,
what it looks like, how it's comprised, who gets to
(07:21):
sit on it. And I don't think that's acceptable for
a national referendum and change to the constitution.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
And I'm not going.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
To let Territorians be sidelined by people and other jurisdictions.
It's just I will fight every day for territory rights
and us to determine our own futures. And I don't
see having more bureaucracy, more people in other states telling
us what to do, is going to drive any better
outcome for any Territorian.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
There are a lot of issues that Territorians are keen
to continue to talk about, so I do want to
ask you. I know that there have been calls for
a time frame as to when the Justice for Decklar
Lavity petition is going to be debated in Parliament now.
I asked the Chief Minister about this last week. She
had said that yes, it'll be happening next week. We
(08:08):
haven't been given a day or time at this stage.
Do you have any update?
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I don't, and it's incredibly disappointing. I know Samara Lavity
Declan's mother has just had to book flights. She doesn't
know when the debate's going to be. Government haven't spoken
to her about it, which is hugely disappointing, given twenty
six thousand people have signed that petition, and let's not
forget her son has lost his life. You know, this
(08:33):
is a very serious issue. And for Natasha Files to
come out and say, oh, these are the.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Rules of the parliament. You know, we have to follow
the rules is a joke.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
She has on seven occasions this term changed the rules
of the Parliament to suit her for whatever government are.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Trying to do.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So for what kind of yep, So five times to
bring legislation on urgently, they've disbanded all the rules of
parliament to urgently bring forward legislation. For two times they've
done it just to change the rules around remote participation
of members of Parliament.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
So which is really rather insignificance.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So the legislation that they've brought on urgently, I mean,
has it been stuff that is actually important?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Oh I'm not saying the legislation isn't important. What I'm
saying is Natasha Files knows very well that she can
change the rules of Parliament at a whim. She can
do it in a blink of an eye, and she
has done that seven times in the blink of an eye.
We've also know that this government writes the rules of
the Parliament, and she has rewritten the rules of our
parliament three times this term to suit themselves and crush
(09:38):
scrutiny and transparency and crush how the opposition are able
to use the Parliament for free debates. So this is
a government that, at least on ten occasions this term
has done whatever it wants to the rules of Parliament.
And she can walk into Parliament Monday morning and make
sure that this petition is the first order of business
and that it is fully debated to the end, not
(09:59):
a six minis sixteen minute debate as she is currently
constraining it too.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I think that this should actually be debated in full tot.
I'm going to get no arguments from me there. I
mean the fact that twenty six thousand people have signed
this petition. I can't understand why the government's not listening
to those voices. I'm sure that they'd be saying to themselves, oh,
some of those people are from interstate, and all sorts
of garbage to make themselves feel as though it's not as.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Many people as what it is.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
But the fact here is that it's twenty six thousand
people that have signed that petition and we've got a
grieving family who is asking for a date and time
to be able to make sure that they are there
when this debate happens. Now, I would urge the government
to be sensible on this. I would seriously urge them
to be sensible and allow that debate to happen. But Leah,
(10:47):
last Friday, on the week that was when Jared Mayley
had spoken about this, we did actually have somebody message
through and said, Katie, if the CLPS so passionate about this,
why didn't they or why aren't they going to move
for MPI for this to be able to happen.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well we can go one further, Katie, and that's an
excellent suggestion obviously by your listener. And the reason we
hadn't done that is because Kezia had flags she would
which we obviously would support. But we are very concerned
that government are continuing to restrict this to a sixty
minute debate at a time no one knows, which means
no one can be there. So first thing on Tuesday morning,
(11:22):
at ten am next Tuesday, I will stand up and
suspend the rules of the Parliament, or try to suspend
the rules of the Parliament so that we can bring
on the debate for the petition and that that debate
be unlimited. And that is what I will do at
ten o'clock on Tuesday morning. It requires the support of
government and we are seeking their support to make sure
(11:44):
that Territorians can be in the gallery. Samara Lavity can
be in the gallery and people can transparently and openly
hear a debate on a critical issue to all of us.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Lea, are you setting that family up for disappointment if
that doesn't happen on Tuesday morning at ten if the
government doesn't agree to this, because they've not agreed to
anything like this in the past. So are you setting
the Lavity family up for absolute disappointment? Here?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Well, that question sits in the lap of Labor and
Natasha Philes because all they have to do is support
it and we can have the debate.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
This is critical. It should be the first sort of business.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
And let's not forget Natasha Philes hasn't learned her lesson
after Declan died. The first thing they did on that
Tuesday morning in Parliament was move a motion into vaping.
I mean, what kind of priorities does this government have.
We can go into Parliament Tuesday morning and immediately debate
this petition, which means people can be in the galleries,
(12:42):
Samara can be there, anyone can be tuning in and
listening from their work computers or at home, and we
can have a fully fledged, proper debate about an issue
that is on the mind and in the hearts of
every territory. And because we all want to be safe
and we're not under labor.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So at ten am on Tuesday, you're going to move
that motion to suspend the rules of the Parliament correct
to allow that debate to happen. Yes, what if they
don't agree to it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
If they don't agree to it, then the petition takes
its normal course, which will mean no one other than
Natasha Files will know when the petition comes on.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
All right, we're going to stay on to this.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I do want to ask you just about a couple
of things very quickly before we get before you've got
to go. But yesterday we spoke quite a bit about
the National Children's Commissioner telling the ABC that she's written
to the Northern Territories Police Minister calling for that video
that the Northern Territory Police had posted last week of
them chasing and arresting two teenagers to be taken down.
(13:38):
Do you think that that video needs to be taken down?
Do you think that it's been framed in a way
that's potentially dangerous?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Absolutely not, And I think surely the National Children's Commissioner
has better things to do than worry about what territory
police are out there doing their job. I mean, anyone
who watches that video will very clearly see that we
have an exceptional police force. And I'm not really sure
what some people think police do, Katie, but they're out
there to catch the bad guys, the crims, and police
(14:06):
can't just stand there and say, oh, excuse me, sir,
can you come over here, I'm going to arrest you.
That is the harsh reality of policing and crime, and
I think the more people that see what our police
do the better.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Now.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
You attended the Northern to Treat Police Association annual conference
on Friday last week. The president, Nathan Finn says that
police are stretched beyond breaking point. He reckons we need
an extra two hundred police. Do you agree? And how
would the COLP actually.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Make that happen?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
We understand exactly the pain that our police are going through.
I spoke at that conference as well, Katie, and that's
why we are committed to making our police safe. In
order to deal with the extremely high attrition rates. They
need to feel supported and safe. That's why our policy
is to have minimum mandatory sentencing for assaults on police.
It's why our policy is to strength and bail, to
(15:00):
strengthen police powers so they can deal better with alcohol.
It's why our policy is to fix the broken destructive
disciplinary system our police suffer. It's why our policy is
to bring back spitthood so that cops don't have to
be spat on by people who have no respect and
no regard for the law, along with the range of
other things, Katie. So we hear their concerns, we will
(15:22):
back the blue, give them the power they need, make
our community safe, drive down the number of crime, and
grow our police force so that they can be supported
and the community can be saved.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well. Look, one of the things that they are calling
for is new legislation which makes actions such as posting
videos of offending on social media and aggravation. Do you
think that this would have an impact with some of
the offenses which we are seeing being committed.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
We absolutely do, and we are actually working through legislation
right now looking at that and how we can better
support our police. Have additional consequences for people who post
their crimes. It is to totally unacceptable to break the
law and then to flaunt it and to think that
it's okay to spread that right around social media like
(16:07):
criminals as some sort of hero. That is not what
we want to see and people should be held accountable
and responsible for that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Leah Finocchio, we are going to have to leave it there,
no doubt. We'll talk to you again very soon. Appreciate
your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Thank you, and just on the petition, put pressure on
your labor local member and let's get this done at
ten am Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Leah, thanks so much for your tom this morning. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
It is just on nine point thirty eight nine four
one one oh four nine. If you'd like to call through,
If you want to send a message, and there are
a lot of them coming through, feel free to send
us a text zero four double nine seven double one
three six zero.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Starting your day the right way.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
It's mixed Brecky with Dan and Sam b Fall Great
Aszie TV Show
And joining me in the studio right now is the
opposition leader Leo FANOCHI are oh, good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
To you, Lead morning, Katie, and to your wonderful listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Now plenty happening around the place, but I do want
to ask. Yesterday we heard the yes and No pamphlets
for the referendum on the voice. They're going to begin
landing in territory households this week now. Many people are
still uncertain on how they're going to vote. It has
obviously been a point of contention. I think you'd say
within the colp have you decided yet how you're going
(00:30):
to vote?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I have, Katie, and I guess the pamphlet coming out
today was the final opportunity, in my mind for Labor
to express to the community what this is about. We've
been calling for more information for territorians, gosh, since late
last year, I suppose, because we believe people should really
understand what they're voting for. And off the back of
(00:51):
the Labor Party national conference last week and the pamphlet today,
which really doesn't have any additional detail, I've made the
personal decision that I'll be voting no.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
So you're going to vote no at the reference that's.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Correct, Katie.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
I'm really disappointed that more information hasn't come to light.
I'm very concerned about the lack of territory representation that
there's likely to be on any voice, and to me,
that means we're not going to be getting the best
outcomes for territorians. I'm really concerned about a Canberra based
body that's going to be really predominantly filled with people
(01:28):
from other jurisdictions, and I just can't see how people
sitting in Melbourne and Sydney are going to be able
to drive better outcomes for Aboriginal territorians. And so it's
a real concern that more information hasn't come out. And
because of those reasons, I'll be voting no.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I mean, Leah, there are going to be some people listening,
agreeing with you and thinking, yep, I agree.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I feel exactly the same.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's going to be others who are thinking to themselves,
we'll hang on a second, what further information do you need?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, I'm really concerned about what it's going to look
like and the representation of territorians and that's something I
fight for across a range of issues every single day,
and to me, and this is something.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I've sat down with Senator Malanderry McCarthy and asked her
for detail. She hasn't been able to provide it. The
Prime Minister hasn't been able to provide it. The pamphlet
doesn't provide it, and I don't want to leave this
to chance. I don't think it's okay for Federal Labor
to have turned such an important issue into a political issue. Now,
don't get me wrong, I absolutely one hundred percent believe
(02:28):
in recognition in the Constitution, and I think those questions
should be split because the feedback I'm getting right around
the territory is it's a no brainer to have constitutional recognition.
It's just enshrining the voice in the constitution is the problem.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So if you believe in that recognition, shouldn't you vote yes.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Well, unfortunately the questions are tied.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And so whilst you're absolutely, with my whole heart believe
yes for one component, I feel very strongly about no
for the other. So unfortunately those questions are tied. I mean,
many people right around this country have begged the Prime
Minister to separate the questions, and I had a lovely
conversation with an Aboriginal woman last week at a mobile
office where we were talking about this very issue and
(03:11):
how it's so unfortunate that if and you know, I
don't know, Katie, but if the result is no, it
means we've missed that huge opportunity to have recognition.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I mean, Lea, are you just hedging your bits here?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Absolutely not, Katie.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I have been calling for more information for months and
months and months. The official pamphlet has now been printed,
it will hit mailboxes this week and it doesn't have
that detail.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
How is the parliamentary wing going to vote?
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Does this mean that they're voting the same way as you?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
No, So we've always said that we're not going to
campaign either way, and my position on that remains the same,
and that every member of our parliamentary team gets their
own votes, so they are out talking to their communities
making up their own mind. And what's very clear to us, Katie,
is that this is not an issue that's of mine
and a priority for people we talk to. They really
(04:03):
want to see at a territory level stronger action, particularly
around local government reform.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Have you been forced to this, you know, to come
out and say that you're going to vote no because
you've literally sort of been dragged there.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
By the party, by the CLP.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
I mean, you've got you've got just Enterprise who's prominently
on the No campaign. We know that at the Catherine
Show there was apparently a dust up between Steve Edgington
and Josh Burgoyne on this very topic. You know, we
understand that the party have decided that they're voting no,
and you'd sort of been, you know, hesitant to say
(04:40):
what you're going to do.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So have you been dragged there kicking and screaming?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
No, Katie.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I've been waiting for the information and very hopeful and
I've been very open minded about it. So the CLP
has had a No position since February and here we
are fast forward to August, and now that the official
information has been put forward, the Prime Minister has said,
that's it, that's all we're going to announce. It's very
(05:06):
clear to me that there's not the adequate level of information.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Is it a situation though, where you're actually having to
come out and say this and say that you're voting
no because the party is fighting with each.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Other over it?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
No, Katie, this is something that people are asking. We're
getting to that point now where the vote is imminent.
I'd always said, you know, ask me when it gets
closer to it, and I'll let everyone know. And so
I'm just being open and transparent about my views. But again,
I'm not campaigning one way or the other, and I
encourage all Territorians to have a look at the fact
sheet form your own views about this. There are passionate
(05:41):
people on both sides and a ton of people in
the middle, and I respect all of that, Katie. It's
just personally, for me, I'm very concerned about inadequate representation
for Territorians and that lack of detail makes me very hesitant,
and I'm very disappointed that the questions aren't being split.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, look, there's plenty of messages coming through this MO
on this topic, and you know we've got one here
from Susie and Annula. She said, well done Leah in
taking a stand and speaking so calmly on the issue
of the voice. It's getting too hysterical and divisive, reckon
Susie in Annula. So there are other messages there and
we'll get to all of those throughout the morning, but
I mean, you've.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Heard it here first, obviously.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Lea Finocchiaro the opposition later well, outlining the fact that
you're now going to vote no at the referendum.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Yeah, that's right, and you know, time will tell what
happens there, and I respect the outcome of the country.
It is like I said, I've always said, I get
one vote, just like everybody else.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But it's there could have been a lot more information.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The territory could have been place in a much more
powerful position. And all I want at the end of
the day is for the best interests of every single
territory in and I can't see this delivering that.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Leah. There are gonna be you know, there are going
to be people that are on the yes camp. They
will say the decision that you're making is racist.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Well, I mean that's a matter for them, Katie, it's not.
What I'm saying is that there's not enough information the
federal government, and I've had Senator McCarthy say it to
our face. The Parliamentary team have gone and sat down
and had a briefing, and we have explicitly been told
by Labor that they will decide what the voice is,
what it looks like, how it's comprised, who gets to
(07:21):
sit on it. And I don't think that's acceptable for
a national referendum and change to the constitution.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
And I'm not going.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
To let Territorians be sidelined by people and other jurisdictions.
It's just I will fight every day for territory rights
and us to determine our own futures. And I don't
see having more bureaucracy, more people in other states telling
us what to do, is going to drive any better
outcome for any Territorian.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
There are a lot of issues that Territorians are keen
to continue to talk about, so I do want to
ask you. I know that there have been calls for
a time frame as to when the Justice for Decklar
Lavity petition is going to be debated in Parliament now.
I asked the Chief Minister about this last week. She
had said that yes, it'll be happening next week. We
(08:08):
haven't been given a day or time at this stage.
Do you have any update?
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I don't, and it's incredibly disappointing. I know Samara Lavity
Declan's mother has just had to book flights. She doesn't
know when the debate's going to be. Government haven't spoken
to her about it, which is hugely disappointing, given twenty
six thousand people have signed that petition, and let's not
forget her son has lost his life. You know, this
(08:33):
is a very serious issue. And for Natasha Files to
come out and say, oh, these are the.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Rules of the parliament. You know, we have to follow
the rules is a joke.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
She has on seven occasions this term changed the rules
of the Parliament to suit her for whatever government are.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Trying to do.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So for what kind of yep, So five times to
bring legislation on urgently, they've disbanded all the rules of
parliament to urgently bring forward legislation. For two times they've
done it just to change the rules around remote participation
of members of Parliament.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
So which is really rather insignificance.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So the legislation that they've brought on urgently, I mean,
has it been stuff that is actually important?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Oh I'm not saying the legislation isn't important. What I'm
saying is Natasha Files knows very well that she can
change the rules of Parliament at a whim. She can
do it in a blink of an eye, and she
has done that seven times in the blink of an eye.
We've also know that this government writes the rules of
the Parliament, and she has rewritten the rules of our
parliament three times this term to suit themselves and crush
(09:38):
scrutiny and transparency and crush how the opposition are able
to use the Parliament for free debates. So this is
a government that, at least on ten occasions this term
has done whatever it wants to the rules of Parliament.
And she can walk into Parliament Monday morning and make
sure that this petition is the first order of business
and that it is fully debated to the end, not
(09:59):
a six minis sixteen minute debate as she is currently
constraining it too.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I think that this should actually be debated in full tot.
I'm going to get no arguments from me there. I
mean the fact that twenty six thousand people have signed
this petition. I can't understand why the government's not listening
to those voices. I'm sure that they'd be saying to themselves, oh,
some of those people are from interstate, and all sorts
of garbage to make themselves feel as though it's not as.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Many people as what it is.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
But the fact here is that it's twenty six thousand
people that have signed that petition and we've got a
grieving family who is asking for a date and time
to be able to make sure that they are there
when this debate happens. Now, I would urge the government
to be sensible on this. I would seriously urge them
to be sensible and allow that debate to happen. But Leah,
(10:47):
last Friday, on the week that was when Jared Mayley
had spoken about this, we did actually have somebody message
through and said, Katie, if the CLPS so passionate about this,
why didn't they or why aren't they going to move
for MPI for this to be able to happen.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well we can go one further, Katie, and that's an
excellent suggestion obviously by your listener. And the reason we
hadn't done that is because Kezia had flags she would
which we obviously would support. But we are very concerned
that government are continuing to restrict this to a sixty
minute debate at a time no one knows, which means
no one can be there. So first thing on Tuesday morning,
(11:22):
at ten am next Tuesday, I will stand up and
suspend the rules of the Parliament, or try to suspend
the rules of the Parliament so that we can bring
on the debate for the petition and that that debate
be unlimited. And that is what I will do at
ten o'clock on Tuesday morning. It requires the support of
government and we are seeking their support to make sure
(11:44):
that Territorians can be in the gallery. Samara Lavity can
be in the gallery and people can transparently and openly
hear a debate on a critical issue to all of us.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Lea, are you setting that family up for disappointment if
that doesn't happen on Tuesday morning at ten if the
government doesn't agree to this, because they've not agreed to
anything like this in the past. So are you setting
the Lavity family up for absolute disappointment? Here?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Well, that question sits in the lap of Labor and
Natasha Philes because all they have to do is support
it and we can have the debate.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
This is critical. It should be the first sort of business.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
And let's not forget Natasha Philes hasn't learned her lesson
after Declan died. The first thing they did on that
Tuesday morning in Parliament was move a motion into vaping.
I mean, what kind of priorities does this government have.
We can go into Parliament Tuesday morning and immediately debate
this petition, which means people can be in the galleries,
(12:42):
Samara can be there, anyone can be tuning in and
listening from their work computers or at home, and we
can have a fully fledged, proper debate about an issue
that is on the mind and in the hearts of
every territory. And because we all want to be safe
and we're not under labor.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So at ten am on Tuesday, you're going to move
that motion to suspend the rules of the Parliament correct
to allow that debate to happen. Yes, what if they
don't agree to it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
If they don't agree to it, then the petition takes
its normal course, which will mean no one other than
Natasha Files will know when the petition comes on.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
All right, we're going to stay on to this.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I do want to ask you just about a couple
of things very quickly before we get before you've got
to go. But yesterday we spoke quite a bit about
the National Children's Commissioner telling the ABC that she's written
to the Northern Territories Police Minister calling for that video
that the Northern Territory Police had posted last week of
them chasing and arresting two teenagers to be taken down.
(13:38):
Do you think that that video needs to be taken down?
Do you think that it's been framed in a way
that's potentially dangerous?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Absolutely not, And I think surely the National Children's Commissioner
has better things to do than worry about what territory
police are out there doing their job. I mean, anyone
who watches that video will very clearly see that we
have an exceptional police force. And I'm not really sure
what some people think police do, Katie, but they're out
there to catch the bad guys, the crims, and police
(14:06):
can't just stand there and say, oh, excuse me, sir,
can you come over here, I'm going to arrest you.
That is the harsh reality of policing and crime, and
I think the more people that see what our police
do the better.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Now.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
You attended the Northern to Treat Police Association annual conference
on Friday last week. The president, Nathan Finn says that
police are stretched beyond breaking point. He reckons we need
an extra two hundred police. Do you agree? And how
would the COLP actually.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Make that happen?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
We understand exactly the pain that our police are going through.
I spoke at that conference as well, Katie, and that's
why we are committed to making our police safe. In
order to deal with the extremely high attrition rates. They
need to feel supported and safe. That's why our policy
is to have minimum mandatory sentencing for assaults on police.
It's why our policy is to strength and bail, to
(15:00):
strengthen police powers so they can deal better with alcohol.
It's why our policy is to fix the broken destructive
disciplinary system our police suffer. It's why our policy is
to bring back spitthood so that cops don't have to
be spat on by people who have no respect and
no regard for the law, along with the range of
other things, Katie. So we hear their concerns, we will
(15:22):
back the blue, give them the power they need, make
our community safe, drive down the number of crime, and
grow our police force so that they can be supported
and the community can be saved.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well. Look, one of the things that they are calling
for is new legislation which makes actions such as posting
videos of offending on social media and aggravation. Do you
think that this would have an impact with some of
the offenses which we are seeing being committed.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
We absolutely do, and we are actually working through legislation
right now looking at that and how we can better
support our police. Have additional consequences for people who post
their crimes. It is to totally unacceptable to break the
law and then to flaunt it and to think that
it's okay to spread that right around social media like
(16:07):
criminals as some sort of hero. That is not what
we want to see and people should be held accountable
and responsible for that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Leah Finocchio, we are going to have to leave it there,
no doubt. We'll talk to you again very soon. Appreciate
your time this morning.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Thank you, and just on the petition, put pressure on
your labor local member and let's get this done at
ten am Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Leah, thanks so much for your tom this morning. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
It is just on nine point thirty eight nine four
one one oh four nine. If you'd like to call through,
If you want to send a message, and there are
a lot of them coming through, feel free to send
us a text zero four double nine seven double one
three six zero.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Starting your day the right way.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
It's mixed Brecky with Dan and Sam b Fall Great
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