Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me live on the line is the Senator for
the Northern Territory, the CLP Senator Center, naberjimpa Price.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
You, Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good to have you on the show this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Now, Jacintra, I first want to take you to a
couple of stories that have just sort of broken overnight.
A pretty concerning report by the ABC online this morning
that emergency departments across the Northern Territory are seeing an
increase in serious injury presentations due to family and domestic violence.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Now, the Northern.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Territory, as we know, already sees far higher rates of
this type of violence than anywhere else in Australia. But
the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, their president, Steve Gooley,
works as the director of the Alla Springs Hospital Emergency Department.
Now he has told the ABC that the department collected
data throughout the territory on the incidents of family violence
(00:53):
and found there was a steady increase over time. He's
also told the ABC the types of injuries being presented
were also much worse than usual due to the type
of weapons that perpetrators are using. Senator, what do you
make of this report? Are you surprised by what I've
just read out?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Like it's deeply saddening, But no, I'm not surprised. I'm
not surprised at all because both tears of government, the
labor governments that are in place are absolutely failing to
address any of these issues in any way that provides
a positive impact. And these issues have been allowed to fester.
(01:39):
And you know, we know that those high rates DV
are predominantly Indigenous women, which is an ongoing issue. But
apparently because those who like to push ideology don't want
to face up to the fact that there is a
problem within our indigenous kimmunity of DV. And if we
(02:02):
can't face up to that, honestly, we're not going to
be able to address these issues.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Honestly, how do you think we do that as a community? Like,
how do you think we get past this and make
sure that we're making some inroads Because you know that
we're talking about the most vulnerable in the community and
the kind of domestic violence that we often report on.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
On this very show. It's heartbreaking, to put it mildly.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well, we've got to stop making excuses for perpetrators, you know,
especially if they're indigenous perpetrators. We've got to stop making excuses.
They have to be condemned. We can't allow for people
who have perpetrated violence to be in significant positions of power,
like on the boards of you know, Aboriginal corporations or
(02:55):
councils or even as we know Naja. We can't make
excuses for these individuals. They have to be held to
account and if you do the crime, then you do
at the time. But we have to protect our vulnerable
which is our women and children. We know when we've
got these high rates, the children are being exposed to
(03:16):
this in their homes, the kids that are running around
on our streets, they're the kids of the families that
experience the high rates of domestic and family violence. We
have to protect these kids and uphold their human rights
and intervene at an appropriate time in their lives so
that they don't become perpetrators later on in life. But
we've got to be honest about this and instead of
(03:37):
trying to cover up what's going on because of ideological reasons.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I will get to Naja in just a moment, but
I know one of the things that the local You
know that labor on a territory scale have spoken about
quite a lot. Is that needs based funding. When it
comes to dealing with domestic violence, I mean, if a
coalition were elected, is that something that is going to
be looked at.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Oh, look, all of that's going to be looked at.
We'll also look at what the significant factors are. You know,
when it comes to substance abuse, we need to invest
more in rehabilitation for those who are suffering with substance
abuse and effectively ensure that we can support these people
better and their families as well going forward. But ultimately,
(04:26):
you know, we've called for a Royal commission into the
sexual abuse of Indigenous children. These are the sort of
things that needs to happen. You know, the national body
snake that likes to play down the levels of sexual
abuse of Indigenous children need to wake up to themselves
and stop trying to cover that up as well. But
these are all the issues that we want to address honestly,
(04:48):
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I want to move along to NAJA, the Australian newspaper
this morning reporting that they are once again making headlines.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency has lost its fifth
chief in executive in eighteen months, as the upper management
of the besieged organization continues.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To be gripped by chaos.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
According to this report in The Australian, Phil Brown has
stepped down in a shock departure from his position as
the acting CEO, having only been in that role for
four months. The Australian newspaper understands that mister Brown advised
NAGER Board and the Northern Territory Attorney General's Department of
his decision this month. And well, it's been reported here's
(05:28):
the nephew of NAJA Deputy chair Colleen Ross, whom the
Federal Court last month found had engaged in corrupt behavior
when sacking former CEO Priscilla Atkins. What do you make
of this latest headline, Senator.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
It's just a continued train wreck, and it's about time
that Minister Linda Bernie and Attorney General Dress actually stepped
in and flashed out. This board got rid of them
all together, because we know everybody is telling us what
we all can see for ourselves that they do not
(06:04):
know how to effectively govern this organization. The funding needs
to stop. I mean, what more evidence do they need
to tell us? That it's completely failed and they keep
propping it back up only for it to fail again.
(06:24):
It's blatant, it's ridiculous, it's becoming an absolute joke, and
it's such a shame because so many vulnerable people are
suffering as a result.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Well, there has been a former senior NAGE lawyer speak
to The Australian on the condition of remaining anonymous, saying
that the government should have torn down the organization following
the findings of Miss Atkins's case. Now the lawyer has
said there is a culture of nepotism within NAJA and
it's getting worse and worse. There are all these young
(06:53):
lawyers who come in from interstate who are eager and
want to help, but the upper management makes it impossible.
This senior lawyer, former senior NAGE lawyer says that NAJA
should be shut down and started over.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Do you agree absolutely?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I agree? And you know what, both governments, both labor governments,
are walking around with their eyes closed. If Mark Drapers
and if Linda Burnie want to continue to allow this
this surface to continue, well then Prime Minister should sack
them both for not doing their jobs effectively. I mean,
it's just it's become absolutely ridiculous, and I agree with
(07:34):
the former lawyer. They obviously are close to the action,
they know what needs to be done. I will back
them all the way.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Now, look, I want to take you across to Alice Springs, Senator,
your hometown, and I know in Alice Springs there has
been a lot going on over.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The last week.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
To put it mildly, some more chaotic scenes as we
widely reported on last week, but there's also been plenty
of calls from various voices, including yourself, for a serious
look into the organizations receiving funding to deliver youth services
and other services to minimize the issues.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
That are being experienced in the Red Center.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Now. Earlier this year, The ABC Online had reported that
Tongue and Gier Council Aboriginal Corporation, who we know are
paid tens of millions of dollars in government grants to
help improve social issues in Alice Springs. They'd come under
fire for declining meetings, also allegedly failing to deliver services
adequately and allowing a convicted domestic violence offended to sit
(08:30):
on the board.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Now, according to the report.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
By the ABC, this is back in May and I
know it's something you've spoken about before as well, that
in this past financial year they collected more than thirty
million dollars in government grants and contracts, including for servicing
sixteen town camps across the Alice Springs fringes and a
women's safety group and family violence prevention program. Now, the
(08:53):
organization we know employees about three hundred people. They hadn't
released an annual report since twenty eighteen. Now last week
we discussed this on the week that was and the
Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Kate Warden,
confirmed on the show on Friday that Tongue in Geer
had their funding doubled for the men's behavior change program
(09:14):
despite those concerns that had been raised in May.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Do you think that's appropriate, No, it's it's utterly disgraceful.
And you know, this is the standard that the Labor
government that Kate Warden upholds, This is the standard that
the Albanese government upholds. They would turn a blind eye
and this is why average organization failed, because they turn
(09:39):
a blind eye to the fact that you know, no
other organization it was a non averaginal organization with a
DV offender on their board. Would they continue to fund
these organizations? I mean, evidently their domestic violence program isn't
working if in fact, we're seeing an increase in presentations
(10:00):
in the hospital system. But what I will tell you
is that Tongue Jira are always out there handing out
how to vote, rounding up town campers to ensure that
they've got their how to Vote for Labor cards on
them and sending them straight to the voting boots. So,
you know, we've got to keep this in mind. We're
(10:20):
all questioning why the labor governments on both federal and
the territory continue to fund an organization like this when
the entire community have expressed their concerns with how the
place is run over and over again. Why they keep
funding organizations in millions.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's a big call to make. It's a big call.
So like are you are you.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Saying that you know that they turn that blind eye
because they're reliant on those votes.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Absolutely, I mean I've witnessed it myself. I've witnessed the
way that Tongue Jira kicks in the gear at every
election to ensure that labor is supported. I mean, what
other explanation do we have considering their continued failure to
deliver effectively. The state of the town camps in Alice Springs,
(11:14):
you would think that they would be in much better
state given the money that this council is provided. I mean,
the fact that the Alice Springs Town Council ended their
MoU speaks volumes as to the lack of the lack
of the community support to get behind such an organization.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Senator, before I let you go, I mean, do you
think that it could have been an opportunity to actually
say to the organization, Hey, you know, we aren't going
to increase that funding until we can see that you're
prepared to work with other organizations like the council, file
those annual reports and remove people from the board.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well you think so. I mean, that's the common sense
approach you'd think that a government would take. But unfortunately,
we've watched these governments. This is why I've called for
an audit into the spending of money and to Indigenous organizations,
because what we continue to experience is good money thrown
after bad and absolutely no outcome to account for the
(12:16):
spending of those funds.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Well, it is always good to catch up with you, Senator,
Thank you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Much appreciated.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Thanks for having me, Katie, thank you
Joining me live on the line is the Senator for
the Northern Territory, the CLP Senator Center, naberjimpa Price.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
You, Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good to have you on the show this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Now, Jacintra, I first want to take you to a
couple of stories that have just sort of broken overnight.
A pretty concerning report by the ABC online this morning
that emergency departments across the Northern Territory are seeing an
increase in serious injury presentations due to family and domestic violence.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Now, the Northern.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Territory, as we know, already sees far higher rates of
this type of violence than anywhere else in Australia. But
the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, their president, Steve Gooley,
works as the director of the Alla Springs Hospital Emergency Department.
Now he has told the ABC that the department collected
data throughout the territory on the incidents of family violence
(00:53):
and found there was a steady increase over time. He's
also told the ABC the types of injuries being presented
were also much worse than usual due to the type
of weapons that perpetrators are using. Senator, what do you
make of this report? Are you surprised by what I've
just read out?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Like it's deeply saddening, But no, I'm not surprised. I'm
not surprised at all because both tears of government, the
labor governments that are in place are absolutely failing to
address any of these issues in any way that provides
a positive impact. And these issues have been allowed to fester.
(01:39):
And you know, we know that those high rates DV
are predominantly Indigenous women, which is an ongoing issue. But
apparently because those who like to push ideology don't want
to face up to the fact that there is a
problem within our indigenous kimmunity of DV. And if we
(02:02):
can't face up to that, honestly, we're not going to
be able to address these issues.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Honestly, how do you think we do that as a community? Like,
how do you think we get past this and make
sure that we're making some inroads Because you know that
we're talking about the most vulnerable in the community and
the kind of domestic violence that we often report on.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
On this very show. It's heartbreaking, to put it mildly.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well, we've got to stop making excuses for perpetrators, you know,
especially if they're indigenous perpetrators. We've got to stop making excuses.
They have to be condemned. We can't allow for people
who have perpetrated violence to be in significant positions of power,
like on the boards of you know, Aboriginal corporations or
(02:55):
councils or even as we know Naja. We can't make
excuses for these individuals. They have to be held to
account and if you do the crime, then you do
at the time. But we have to protect our vulnerable
which is our women and children. We know when we've
got these high rates, the children are being exposed to
(03:16):
this in their homes, the kids that are running around
on our streets, they're the kids of the families that
experience the high rates of domestic and family violence. We
have to protect these kids and uphold their human rights
and intervene at an appropriate time in their lives so
that they don't become perpetrators later on in life. But
we've got to be honest about this and instead of
(03:37):
trying to cover up what's going on because of ideological reasons.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I will get to Naja in just a moment, but
I know one of the things that the local You
know that labor on a territory scale have spoken about
quite a lot. Is that needs based funding. When it
comes to dealing with domestic violence, I mean, if a
coalition were elected, is that something that is going to
be looked at.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Oh, look, all of that's going to be looked at.
We'll also look at what the significant factors are. You know,
when it comes to substance abuse, we need to invest
more in rehabilitation for those who are suffering with substance
abuse and effectively ensure that we can support these people
better and their families as well going forward. But ultimately,
(04:26):
you know, we've called for a Royal commission into the
sexual abuse of Indigenous children. These are the sort of
things that needs to happen. You know, the national body
snake that likes to play down the levels of sexual
abuse of Indigenous children need to wake up to themselves
and stop trying to cover that up as well. But
these are all the issues that we want to address honestly,
(04:48):
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I want to move along to NAJA, the Australian newspaper
this morning reporting that they are once again making headlines.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency has lost its fifth
chief in executive in eighteen months, as the upper management
of the besieged organization continues.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To be gripped by chaos.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
According to this report in The Australian, Phil Brown has
stepped down in a shock departure from his position as
the acting CEO, having only been in that role for
four months. The Australian newspaper understands that mister Brown advised
NAGER Board and the Northern Territory Attorney General's Department of
his decision this month. And well, it's been reported here's
(05:28):
the nephew of NAJA Deputy chair Colleen Ross, whom the
Federal Court last month found had engaged in corrupt behavior
when sacking former CEO Priscilla Atkins. What do you make
of this latest headline, Senator.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
It's just a continued train wreck, and it's about time
that Minister Linda Bernie and Attorney General Dress actually stepped
in and flashed out. This board got rid of them
all together, because we know everybody is telling us what
we all can see for ourselves that they do not
(06:04):
know how to effectively govern this organization. The funding needs
to stop. I mean, what more evidence do they need
to tell us? That it's completely failed and they keep
propping it back up only for it to fail again.
(06:24):
It's blatant, it's ridiculous, it's becoming an absolute joke, and
it's such a shame because so many vulnerable people are
suffering as a result.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Well, there has been a former senior NAGE lawyer speak
to The Australian on the condition of remaining anonymous, saying
that the government should have torn down the organization following
the findings of Miss Atkins's case. Now the lawyer has
said there is a culture of nepotism within NAJA and
it's getting worse and worse. There are all these young
(06:53):
lawyers who come in from interstate who are eager and
want to help, but the upper management makes it impossible.
This senior lawyer, former senior NAGE lawyer says that NAJA
should be shut down and started over.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Do you agree absolutely?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I agree? And you know what, both governments, both labor governments,
are walking around with their eyes closed. If Mark Drapers
and if Linda Burnie want to continue to allow this
this surface to continue, well then Prime Minister should sack
them both for not doing their jobs effectively. I mean,
it's just it's become absolutely ridiculous, and I agree with
(07:34):
the former lawyer. They obviously are close to the action,
they know what needs to be done. I will back
them all the way.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Now, look, I want to take you across to Alice Springs, Senator,
your hometown, and I know in Alice Springs there has
been a lot going on over.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The last week.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
To put it mildly, some more chaotic scenes as we
widely reported on last week, but there's also been plenty
of calls from various voices, including yourself, for a serious
look into the organizations receiving funding to deliver youth services
and other services to minimize the issues.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
That are being experienced in the Red Center.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Now. Earlier this year, The ABC Online had reported that
Tongue and Gier Council Aboriginal Corporation, who we know are
paid tens of millions of dollars in government grants to
help improve social issues in Alice Springs. They'd come under
fire for declining meetings, also allegedly failing to deliver services
adequately and allowing a convicted domestic violence offended to sit
(08:30):
on the board.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Now, according to the report.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
By the ABC, this is back in May and I
know it's something you've spoken about before as well, that
in this past financial year they collected more than thirty
million dollars in government grants and contracts, including for servicing
sixteen town camps across the Alice Springs fringes and a
women's safety group and family violence prevention program. Now, the
(08:53):
organization we know employees about three hundred people. They hadn't
released an annual report since twenty eighteen. Now last week
we discussed this on the week that was and the
Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Kate Warden,
confirmed on the show on Friday that Tongue in Geer
had their funding doubled for the men's behavior change program
(09:14):
despite those concerns that had been raised in May.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Do you think that's appropriate, No, it's it's utterly disgraceful.
And you know, this is the standard that the Labor
government that Kate Warden upholds, This is the standard that
the Albanese government upholds. They would turn a blind eye
and this is why average organization failed, because they turn
(09:39):
a blind eye to the fact that you know, no
other organization it was a non averaginal organization with a
DV offender on their board. Would they continue to fund
these organizations? I mean, evidently their domestic violence program isn't
working if in fact, we're seeing an increase in presentations
(10:00):
in the hospital system. But what I will tell you
is that Tongue Jira are always out there handing out
how to vote, rounding up town campers to ensure that
they've got their how to Vote for Labor cards on
them and sending them straight to the voting boots. So,
you know, we've got to keep this in mind. We're
(10:20):
all questioning why the labor governments on both federal and
the territory continue to fund an organization like this when
the entire community have expressed their concerns with how the
place is run over and over again. Why they keep
funding organizations in millions.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's a big call to make. It's a big call.
So like are you are you.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Saying that you know that they turn that blind eye
because they're reliant on those votes.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Absolutely, I mean I've witnessed it myself. I've witnessed the
way that Tongue Jira kicks in the gear at every
election to ensure that labor is supported. I mean, what
other explanation do we have considering their continued failure to
deliver effectively. The state of the town camps in Alice Springs,
(11:14):
you would think that they would be in much better
state given the money that this council is provided. I mean,
the fact that the Alice Springs Town Council ended their
MoU speaks volumes as to the lack of the lack
of the community support to get behind such an organization.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Senator, before I let you go, I mean, do you
think that it could have been an opportunity to actually
say to the organization, Hey, you know, we aren't going
to increase that funding until we can see that you're
prepared to work with other organizations like the council, file
those annual reports and remove people from the board.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well you think so. I mean, that's the common sense
approach you'd think that a government would take. But unfortunately,
we've watched these governments. This is why I've called for
an audit into the spending of money and to Indigenous organizations,
because what we continue to experience is good money thrown
after bad and absolutely no outcome to account for the
(12:16):
spending of those funds.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Well, it is always good to catch up with you, Senator,
Thank you very much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Much appreciated.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Thanks for having me, Katie, thank you
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