The Week That Was – 2nd February 2024

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, a very good morning to you, and very good
morning to our wonderful guest this morning for the first
week that was for twenty twenty four, and I'm pleased
to say joining us in the studio this morning, Jared
Mayley from the COLP.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, Good morning to you, Matt.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Gooday Katie.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
And sharing a microphone today with keyesyer Puick, the member
for Goider. Good morning to you, Kezier, Morning Katie, Morning
Bush People. And we have also got on the show
Brent Potter, the police Minister and the ALP rep for
this morning. Good morning to you, Brings, Morning Katy. Good
to have you all in the studio now. I do
want to kick off this morning with well with the
fact that I've spoken to two property owners yesterday, one

(00:39):
in Timber Creek and the other along the Victoria River
who say that they've been stranded for eighteen days and
not even a phone call from any offer of support
from the Northern Territory government. Now one's told us that
she's gone to the federal government for support due to
the lack of action locally around flooding, with the other
saying that that he can't even get some funding assistance

(01:02):
for avgas after having to hire a chopper to bring
in essential supplies baby whites, baby nappies for several local families.
Now they're facing a long road to recovery, having now
been hit for a second time in two years to
replace fencing, replace livestock that have drowned and been washed away,
on top of repairs to that roadhouse and replenishing supplies. Now,

(01:24):
both property owners say that they feel like there's been
a lack of assistance from the Northern Territory government for
the township with other members of the community evacuated and
given assistance.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
With food and that kind of thing.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
I mean, Brent, what has been the response here from
the government and why didn't it come sooner?

Speaker 5 (01:42):
Well, obviously we did act with the floods, and we
had evacuated some people, and obviously certain cattle stations have
the ability to self sustain for a period of time.
It's disappointing if they're saying no one's reached out to them,
and we stood up a full emergency operation center at
Pete McCaulay, and obviously that has come to light through
the media. What we were told though, was a Timmercreek
store had four days worth supplies. Obviously, you don't want
them to run out before the end of the four days,

(02:03):
and we know that we're giving permits now for trucks
to go through, but they are back to either side.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Wouldn't the government, though, if you know an area has
been severely flooded, wouldn't you, like just human nature, reach
out to see if your fellow territorians are okay.

Speaker 5 (02:16):
To There's local plans in each area and every community
store is meant to be stocked to sustain them in
the event of a flood during the high risk weather season.
So that is what happens throughout one of those local
community and tom ahead it maybe one of the Aboriginal
community stores was under because they had some cultural business
before that. But the timber Creek store had four days
where the supply at the time that article was written,

(02:37):
so there was enough supplies there. But individually to the
cattle stations, I guess if they can't get from their
station to the roadhouse to get those supplies, that's an issue.
And I'm meeting with the NTCA later today to discuss it.

Speaker 6 (02:46):
Ultimately, it being flood let just be a gut wreaking
all your stock gone, your your homestead gone, and yet
another kick in the gut to and Labor government didn't
reach out to these We're not talking a huge number
of these takings out there are quite big and a
quick phone call or on the radio to see what's
going on. It just shows that the Labor government, in
confident in relation to handling an issue like that, never

(03:07):
owned the whole Northern territory.

Speaker 7 (03:08):
Well to find out exactly who is out there, I
mean someone's been hurt. Well, that's right, you know, because
and don't forget it's a major travel highway down to
West Australia and back again, so there would have been tourists,
and we know some tourists and notoriously dopey and try
and cross river crossings when they shouldn't. So yeah, I
think I find that disappointing and I feel for the
people out there who obviously just got overlooked in the

(03:30):
in the floods of everywhere, I mean, so perhaps it
should send a strong signal to the government, Hey there
are other people out there, are the territories who may
get flooded because that is a flood area I mean
it's hills and valleys and all that sort of stuff,
and to put a note that this is what could happen.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Well, even just assume that people are self sufficient. I mean, obviously,
station people by very nature are very self sufficient. I
know that you know that country mob they don't you know,
they don't often ask for help. But the thing is
you do need to check on people, and you do
need to check on them, and leaving them for seventeen
days eighteen days is not actually appropriate. There should be
that phone call when people have been severely affected by

(04:08):
flood and from what they were telling me on the
show yesterday, they are they're struggling, you know, like they're.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
In a bad spot.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
And when you look at the work that is going
to need to happen, surely there is going to be
some kind of of whether it's territory government or federal
assistance in terms of helping them get back online.

Speaker 5 (04:26):
So declaring an emergency, which I did so I declared
as the policeman. SITY declared those emergency as it did
for Barklay I did for timber Creek. That opens up
funding through ANIMA, which is a National Emergency Management Agency,
and that funding will come at a particular time we
enter the recovery phase. So obviously right now funding is
not going to flow tomorrow because of the fact that
we're still in recovery. There is supplemental payments for those

(04:47):
that are evacuated off for example, Calcorren's your pigeonhole, and
if we were to take cattle station owners off into town,
there'd be a payment to cover the period of time.
But they will get access to funding through the national
funding agreements once we go past.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Been seventeen days.

Speaker 6 (04:59):
You wouldn't I think there would be some sort of
making funny that these people need help right now. And
I heard on the media that the herd chop is
flying over and yet no one's stopped me in the
check on me.

Speaker 8 (05:08):
That was what he told us.

Speaker 6 (05:09):
So they need money right now. You know your Brent
saying we'll wait and we're going to see and that's
the funding. It's let me finish the funding to be available.
These people need it right now. They need to be
checked on and they need to be helped, and you
know about it. And what have you done to help
these people in the last three or four days?

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Have you reached out?

Speaker 5 (05:24):
There's two discussion points there that need to be Have
you reached out of the bat me individually? Know I
have not out with the n TCA later today, What
I would say is at a local level, the first
responders out there are responsible for the local coordination and
engaging with people in the individual communities and the cattle stations.
We'll do a review of that and find out where
it sits in what actually happened. I understand they're saying
they're not contacted, but it can also simply be sometimes

(05:47):
they don't have the correct detaps.

Speaker 8 (05:48):
I mean it is.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
It's a bit rich though from what we were hearing
yesterday that with one of those one of those people
that called through, he had said to us that there
was literally dog food dropped off, you know, to commit
but there was nothing you know, I dropped off to
there or no contact to that township, which I think, having.

Speaker 6 (06:06):
Reached out to them, we know about this now than
you or your organization, which is I haven't reached out
to these people.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
It disappoints me.

Speaker 7 (06:12):
There was also like, I know you spoke to Bicky Myers,
and I know Bicky Myers well and her family lives
over there, and she does too now, but there was
a whole swag of tourist stranded for sixteen days and
they will be around us. Yeah that too. Yeah, and
I've just left today or last night whenever, So there
was a lot of those people st and who knows
like greyhound buses tend to tend to have some elderly

(06:33):
people on them, medication issues, health issues, you know. So yeah,
sure people can ring or have satellite raised to cattle
station people. So it's not only the township people and
the people in the Aboriginal communities nearby and the cattle station.

Speaker 8 (06:45):
There was all the travelers.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, I'm going to catch up with Duran Young after
ten o'clock this morning as well, who is the local member,
because it was Tristan and Christina that we'd spoken about yesterday,
So they were from Timber Creek and Victoria River. Christina's
got the Victoria River right house as well.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
So to answer that question, my staff have been given
the details by Duran and they've been directed to reach
out and that was yesterday, so I can come back
to you and confirm if they've reached out of the roadhouse.
But I know for a fact that the EOC and
staff in there yesterday reached out to confirm how many
supplies they had left. So there was at the time
that this all came out, we were told they had
four days in relation to the greyhound bus. I've actually
done this before when I was in Now we get

(07:21):
called in to do emergency management. There are localized plans
and those people on the ground would be engaging with them.
At the EOC ministerial level, I don't get every individual
cattle station. I take your point, Jerry, but what I
would say is it's not for the minister to be
getting involved in the individual stations. It is that it
is the minister's responsibility to make sure that these overall
coordination across departments. Obviously, for that cattle station, they weren't

(07:41):
contacted and we'll follow up and see where that landed.
And I've got a meeting in the NTCA later today.
But yeah, everyone has to understand these instances are very fluid.
There's a lot of chance friction uncertainly occurring on the ground,
and we've got a limited amount of resources at every
individual station or police station to deal with it. Tee.

Speaker 6 (07:56):
What is fluid is your ability to manage issues in
the Northern Territory.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's just you and labor.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
He's getting the results that we have.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
As we get to the next segments.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
Anytime, well, look, we might take a really quick break
because when we come back, I am keen to talk
about the fact that the Environmental Defender's office in the
Northern Territory. Yeah, so we'll talk a little bit more
about that and whether they're going to continue to receive funding.
Much more coming your way this hour on three point sixty.

(08:29):
It is the week that was well, if you've just
joined us in the studio with us this morning, we've
got Brent Potter, Keesier Puic, Matt Cunningham, and Jared Mayley,
And it has been a busy first week for me,
that's for sure. But yesterday we saw that well the
Santos boss was in town, Matt, and first Gas from
Santos Barossa project has been delayed by at least several

(08:51):
months and the total estimated cost has blown out to
almost seven billion dollars because of a discredited legal process
and it's stalled the project.

Speaker 4 (09:01):
I know you've been right onto this story, Matt.

Speaker 5 (09:03):
Matt loves it.

Speaker 4 (09:04):
It's aware are.

Speaker 1 (09:05):
Things that I mean And then talking about the funding
for the Environmental Defender's Office.

Speaker 4 (09:10):
I know that.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
Well plenty of people saying should they continue to be funded.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
He was fairly measured under the circumstances.

Speaker 9 (09:18):
Yesterday, Kevin Gallagher when he held a press conference out
at East arm But he did say that that legal
challenge to the Santos Barossa project had delayed some work
for up to twelve months.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
And that the cost, he said, they don't know the
final cost.

Speaker 9 (09:36):
But it's looking like it's going to be north for
four hundred million Australian dollars, he said, two hundred to
three hundred US dollars the costs that they've incurred because
of that delay. Now last month, in that judgment that
was handed down by Justice Natalie Charlesworth in the Federal Court,

(09:57):
she actually found the law from the Environmental Defenders Offers
had distorted and manipulated her words not mine the views
of Indigenous people in a bid to try and stop
that pipeline. And she also found that an expert witness
who'd been hired by the EDO had in fact outright

(10:18):
lied to t Wii Islanders during that process. They were
doing this cultural mapping exercise where you know they were
attempting to show that the pipeline, which is seven k's
off the coast of Bathurst Island, would affect the spiritual
and cultural heritage of the Tewei Islanders, you know, the
Crocodile Man and the Rainbow Servant. But the way they
went about it, basically, if you read the judgment, and

(10:40):
it's long and complicated, but they held a workshop and
they basically, you know, put these ideas in people's heads
and then manipulated and distorted their views. Now this was
not I've seen a fair bit of reporting this week
saying that that the EDEO was accused of doing this. Well,
they weren't accused of doing this. Court has found that

(11:01):
they did this. The court, Federal Court has found that
they manipulated and distorted the views of indigenous people to
further their own agenda. The Federal Court found that their
expert witness lied to the Tee Islanders.

Speaker 3 (11:14):
And so now I was seeing the fallout from that.

Speaker 9 (11:15):
EVA Lawla on Monday morning came out and said that
the Anti government's reviewing the one hundred thousand dollars it gives
each year to the EEDEO.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
It should absolutely be reviewed.

Speaker 9 (11:26):
Well, yeah, and then a day later Peter Upton came
out and said that that a coalition government would scrap
it's federal fund.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
It's funding now that's two million dollars a year.

Speaker 9 (11:36):
And then Luke Gosling on Wednesday, after a bit of coaxing,
a bit of pushing. It took a bit of pushing
in front, but he Luke Gosling says that he's going
to raise the issue with Tanya Plibusek, the Environment Minister,
when the Federal Parliament sits in Camper next week.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
So the EEO is under a lot of pressure.

Speaker 5 (11:54):
Now.

Speaker 9 (11:54):
They put out some statements, you know, talking about the
importance of their work, but they haven't addressed at this
stage the criticism of that organization that is in that
Federal court judgment, and it is absolutely damning. And I think,
you know, if any other organization had had been found
by a court to have manipulated light to distorted the

(12:15):
views of indigenous people in that way, if a gas
company did that, there'd be a certain inquiry calls before
the sun went down.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's exactly right, you know, And so I think they've got.

Speaker 9 (12:23):
Some serious questions to answer, and you know, at the
moment they appear to be wearing the consequences of some
fairly appalling behavior.

Speaker 7 (12:34):
It also calls into question the integrity of the EDIO
office in the Northern Territory and also if this has
been found in this case be a major case.

Speaker 8 (12:41):
But what else have.

Speaker 7 (12:42):
They fludged and manipulated and lied about potentially in other
situations of their work with you know. I mean, it's
well recognized. I mean, I recall having issues with the EDO,
not so much the territory but in the state when
I was with the minerals industry and they were shockers
back then. It is within their psyche to stop any
development associated with the oil and gas in the mind.

Speaker 1 (13:02):
And the thing buss me off about that is it's
actually not up to them to those.

Speaker 4 (13:07):
Traditional people, you know.

Speaker 5 (13:11):
And I mean, we go to an election on these
issues and lets territorianes figure it out. And I think
we're all can agree in this room that they've done
themselves injustice. It actually hurts genuine environmental concerns and it
turns people off from them now, and I think we
all agree that we've got to review.

Speaker 7 (13:23):
That from Perhaps you should review not only the funding
that goes to the IDEO, but perhaps you should also
review the funding that goes to the Environmental Center because
I'm guaranteed they'll get money from the anti government.

Speaker 6 (13:31):
Well, I hope this is we need to make sure
that this honey agree of taxpayers money we're talking about,
This is taxpayers money is not spent on this activism.
You know, we're forum protecting environment, no question about that,
but we need to make sure that this activism doesn't
stop or or delay the progress from the northern cherity economy,
which is exactly what happened here. And I know the
COLP will will definitely look at that and cut that

(13:52):
funding because this isn't about environmental protection, this is about
activism to promote their cause and what they and let me,
I'm also a member.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
I'm a lawyer, right, so I'll be now done that.

Speaker 6 (14:03):
So I know that your role is to represent your
client and take your views of your client and put
them to the court. You're not meant to embellish them
and make them more better or film more flooding.

Speaker 9 (14:13):
Well anting and interesting development as well has been that
Mark Turner has actually now made a complaint about this
issue to the Law Society. Well, they should do that
internally and so I don't know how the law society works.
You'd have a better idea than me, Jared, But my

(14:34):
understanding is that if a lawyer engages in alleged misconduct,
the law society needs to look at that.

Speaker 6 (14:41):
Second, all the law society can make their own investigation.
So the law society, I've seen you read about stories
and then they go and conduct their own investigation, or
they can conduct it on complaints.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
And now they've got two Well.

Speaker 8 (14:52):
It depends also where the lawyers are based and where.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well in there's law society in every state.

Speaker 8 (14:56):
Yeah, well that's true.

Speaker 7 (14:56):
And and also there should be some question as to
the academic this academic fellow with from which is a
very fine university, having been there myself and so you know,
like his credibility is absolutely shot.

Speaker 8 (15:13):
He's rightly lied.

Speaker 5 (15:14):
So separate stepping away from the lawyers. And but what
I would say is we've got some really robust mechanisms
in place for onshore gas that we got through the
HFI that we brought in. I think not SEEMAN needs,
which is the federal agency that deal with offshore oil
and gas, They need to have a look at that.
They need to have a look at merits of view
and which is what the territory brought in. You know,
you have to be involved, have a direct stake in
the in the area that's being used, or have some

(15:36):
kind of vested interest and demonstrate that early. You can't
come in three or four stages down the line that
seems to be working for the onshore industry. Yes, we've
had to go through NTCAT and the Supreme Court, but
once it gets to that point, it set the precedence
of and moving forward. So I think we all agree
in this room that what they've done to shoot themselves
in the foot, and it's probably done them a lot
of damage going into any other cases in the.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
Quick questions, Has Minister Warden now met with the EDO.

Speaker 5 (15:59):
I don't know if she's meet I can ask. I
mean that was I think it's three days ago that
she said, and I haven't seen her since then. We've
been doing separate things. But I can come back to you.
I mean, I think she will meet with them, but
you know, whether she meets them or not so irrelevant.
The review will get done by the Department. Their funding
will obviously run till the end of the financial year,
and that's probably can't be changed. But going into the
next financial year and tell you what, if the review
turns around says it needs to be revoked because of

(16:20):
what they've done, then that's what will follow the recommendation.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
The question is somebody had raised Listen.

Speaker 5 (16:25):
I'd be very shocked if it doesn't say that, Jared,
because they've misled, misled territories and Missie needs to look
at the Federal court.

Speaker 3 (16:31):
Judson, how deep it needs to go report?

Speaker 5 (16:34):
Because a couple of thousand pages, very long.

Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah, a question that was raised.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
I don't know who raised it, but somebody said should
they continue? Should the government continue funding or providing funding
to the Environment Center?

Speaker 9 (16:47):
Yeah, look like that would be a bridge. That would
be a bridge too far, I think, you know. I
mean they have demonstrated not a huge fan.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Of all of the work of the Environment Centered.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
Somebody over, Well, it.

Speaker 5 (16:58):
Comes down to when you when you im and straight
mistrust and deliberately misleading someone in lying, that's when your
funding should be reviewed.

Speaker 4 (17:04):
And the Environment Center hasn't.

Speaker 8 (17:11):
In receiving government funding, how is it acquitted?

Speaker 7 (17:13):
How is how does the Environment de Vendors Office, an
Environment sent for that matter, or any other group that
gets money, how do they equit that money?

Speaker 8 (17:19):
And are there any KPIs attached to it?

Speaker 4 (17:22):
You would hope that there are government.

Speaker 5 (17:25):
That APIs and acquittal requirements, and when when they don't
acquit appropriately, as we all know, sitting on parliamentary accounts,
et cetera, it gets brought up with the Order General settings.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
That would not have done that for free, he would.

Speaker 5 (17:36):
Academic, he would have been paid, chosen that person for
a reason, and et cetera.

Speaker 7 (17:41):
The money they get each year from the anti government
courtesy taxpayers dollars, how have they acquitted it? And what
would the performance indicators the board agree?

Speaker 5 (17:50):
That's being really clear. It was the first one to
come out and say she's reviewing it because she's not
happy about it. And she's made it very clear where
she sits on jobs for territories in the oil and
gas and mineral sector.

Speaker 9 (17:58):
And I think that's this is the thing that gets
missed in all of this because when when the challenge
is happening, you know, ninety percent of the media coverage
and one hundred percent, I would say almost of what
people down south Sea is they see Teei Island traditional
owners opposed Santos Barossa project, and there's people marching with

(18:19):
banners in Sydney and Melbourne, outside offices in Adelaide and
whatever whatever. But I mean yesterday were about it at
the Santos events and with Tei Island traditional owners who
are absolutely supportive.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
Of this project.

Speaker 9 (18:32):
And I think in a lot of these cases, you know,
you get you're given the impression that every single Aboriginal
person in that area doesn't want it to go ahead, and.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
It's never true, you know.

Speaker 9 (18:44):
I mean, these things often can only happen with the free,
prior and informed consent of Aboriginal people, whether that be
fracking in the Beaterloo basin or whether it be.

Speaker 4 (18:54):
And like any community and like any perstructure.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
And their friend jobs, and they want a better future
for them.

Speaker 5 (19:00):
This is important we talk when we talk about the
Beagley like we did four years of the HFI, like
everyone comes out with what they say the sciences with
the sciences is in the HFI. And I think that
industry know this, that the opposition that they deal with
in this space are very well, very good at campaigning
and putting out alternative messaging. And it's on government and
he's on the industry. As well to get the right
messaging out there and get that science out there, and says, well,

(19:20):
actually it can be done safely two years.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
You stopped the onsore gas for two years and put
it back in years.

Speaker 5 (19:27):
Let's be really clear, you wouldn't have done the hre FI,
you wouldn't brought the protections and.

Speaker 7 (19:34):
Not I mean, if which I think it probably would
have happened with withdraws their funding. They're going to be
a world of strife anyway because they lost the court,
so they're going to have costs of wood against them, I.

Speaker 5 (19:46):
Think, beause they're actually representing it was the ts that
brought the.

Speaker 8 (19:48):
Claim, so that one on that side is going to
have to come up with the costs.

Speaker 4 (19:52):
So I'm pretty sure.

Speaker 9 (19:55):
In the press conference he said we will see in
time what happens there. But I think he s Quinley
said off camera to the ABC from what I've seen reporter,
that they won't pursue the Teewee Islanders for costs and
what gas company would.

Speaker 1 (20:09):
Work.

Speaker 9 (20:10):
And I think this is the other issue with all
of these issues, like you know, the resources companies have
to fight these issues with their hands tied behind their back.
You know, you just get this onslaught from one side.
That just gives a totally distorted picture of what's going on.
And then you have the resources companies who just basically
have to sit there and cop it. And then even

(20:30):
when a federal court judgment comes out that's as damning
as that.

Speaker 3 (20:33):
You know, I'm sure I want.

Speaker 5 (20:36):
Look at That's the point I make around not seeing
which is that federal agency the stuff we have around
hfive for on shore gas and the merits review works
like that, that works really well, and I think they
should be looking at a merits review for the federal legislation.
So we don't go down this path because it is
it is slowing down development and there's an nt gament.
We're very restricted because it's not our field, it's not
our ownership.

Speaker 1 (20:55):
Look, we are going to take a really quick break.
You're listening to Mix ONEOW four nine's three sixty. It
is the week. It was in the studio this morning,
Jared Maylee, Matt Cunningham, Brent Potter and Kesier Puric.

Speaker 4 (21:06):
And there's been a lot to cover off this week,
that is for sure.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
Now. Earlier in the week, I spoke to one business
owner in Darwin City who contacted me saying that cruise
ship passengers were being told not to venture into the
CBD because nothing's opened and it's unsafe. I had another
caller ring in and say that she'd been speaking to
some cruise ship passengers now she works in the CBD
and had told a similar story. You know. I asked

(21:31):
the tourism Minister, Joel Baden about it on the show.
He said he's not aware of the issue, but is
working with those cruise operators around the timing of their
arrivals and working with businesses to make sure that vacant
shops in the.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
CBD are filled.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
But look, the last thing we want is for cruise
ship passengers, hundreds of them arriving here in Darwin and
feeling like they can't get off or having to you know,
watch their backs because they feel like it's unsafe. And then, unfortunately,
you know, we wound up in a situation.

Speaker 4 (21:56):
Earlier in the week.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
I'd spoken to Salvatore's Cafe. I had them on the
show after seeing footage of a brawl just outside of
their shop at about three o'clock in the harv I
reckon it was earlier in the week and Sean said
you know the owner. Look, Katie, I don't feel unsafe,
but unfortunately there is violence. You know, there's people fighting
with each other and it is not nice. You know,
it's not nice for people that you arrive in town,

(22:19):
you want to go for a walk, you know, to
have a go and get whatever you want to do
in the CBD, and you're witnessing a brawl where people
are literally smashing each other in the face with chez.

Speaker 6 (22:28):
This is a classic example of the economic cost of
crime through the territory. So these people aren't victims of crime,
so crime doesn't affect them, But what it is affecting
is the economic cost because these people aren't coming into
the CBD and spending their money. So, you know, this
crime issue that's caused by the labor government. We know
the last seven years of crime have gone up one
hundred percent two hundred and fifty six, I think in
relating to one particular stat that I saw. So this

(22:49):
is a classic example of how that is now flowing
onto the economic cost affecting territories, business owners throughout the
CBD and right across the church. Because these people don't
just stay in the cv do they do tours and
they do all sorts of stuff and this is a
classic example of how this government of failed territories in
relation to dealing with the crime crisis. And now the
flow on effect is the economic cost of that as
people not spending their money into Northern Territory.

Speaker 5 (23:10):
Okay, so first, if you're going to give stats around
crime stats charity, you actually need to say which stat
is you're talking about. I absolutely agree we're seeing too
much any social behavior. I just for those that are listening,
it's worth noting that since the seven day band drinker
Order to be brought in in no December, I've put
eighteen hundred and forty one people on the band drinker register.
That is, and just for context, in October last year
to November last year, only ten people got put on.

(23:32):
We know that alcohol is a problem in the city
and that's where we see the any social behavior. I
said from day dight, I need to get more police
officers back to work. We're seeing good results in the
NTPA recent serve. I know the opposition would like to
talk about one stat The one stat that they're not
talking about though, is the six percent improvement in officers
feeling supported by government and the eighteen percent increasing.

Speaker 6 (23:53):
That's because that's because the other peoples are actually left phished.

Speaker 5 (23:57):
You youe let me finish. We haven't seen those things
pass before. But secondly, but.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
I do just want to say it's ninety one point
four four percent saying they don't feel supported.

Speaker 5 (24:06):
By for it's still a six percent increase. I'll take
a change because.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
What it means left no, what it means is.

Speaker 5 (24:12):
We're actually going in the right direction. Because if it
wasn't just continuing to get worse, well, then you'd be
asking me what I'm doing about to fix it.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
To get worse than ninety seven percent.

Speaker 5 (24:20):
You can get absolutely can't get worse. But the fact
that we've seen an eighteen percent increase in morale and
we've seen a six percent increase in around support to government.
But that also comes down to a couple of things.
We announced a Territory Safety Division in December because I
know that we need more police officers. At the time,
where there was ten officers, there's now nineteen working out
of the Nightcliff Police station. When those fifty officers, which
are brand new, fully funded, which the opposition don't like

(24:41):
to hear about, when they are fully funded and have
these people in there. They will be a at Nightcliff
Police station be the same capacity as down and Casarina
on the ground.

Speaker 9 (24:50):
Past Nightcliff Police Station last night and I saw for
the first time in my life an actual police officer
wow at the Nightcliff GA station.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
I bet you and the rest of the community it
has been something that no one's.

Speaker 5 (25:03):
Seen are I've committed to it and we're delivering on it.
Change Dolly incapacs, general order around police, so how they
deal with youth between the ages of twelve and fourteen.
Let the court decide on Dolly incapacs. We brought the
correspondent model in. I know Jared loves the corresponding model
even acknowledged on nine News that it's working. So we
can agree on something the Labour's done. He's very happy
to continue to support.

Speaker 9 (25:21):
I would suspect Dolly incapacs right, which is whether a
child has the mental capability to commit a crime. So
what was that from the Royal Commission? Was there a
change that's.

Speaker 5 (25:32):
Come out from the Royal Commission.

Speaker 9 (25:33):
But what I would say is and because of the
change of the Royal Commission, police then had to make
that assessment.

Speaker 5 (25:38):
It was an internal piece. They were doing what I
want to see in the commissions on the same page.
And that's what I've got to this point is getting it.
So the courts are the ones that determine it, and
they asked for the specialist assessment on it. Police are
police officers are not educators, they're not child workers.

Speaker 9 (25:50):
But I'm trying to get what was happening before they
would go through and identify if they met the criteria
as in knowing right from wrong.

Speaker 5 (25:57):
And I'm not very familiar with what of all the
questions were. We're constable.

Speaker 9 (26:00):
The first year constable who arrests a thirteen year old
has to suddenly make an assessment as to whether they're
a thirteen year old?

Speaker 5 (26:05):
Is there are specialists though also in police that help
them that advice. But yes, generally speaking, when police investigating.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's difficult process.

Speaker 5 (26:13):
It can I say that, yeah, you're right, and so
I got that directly from the front line when we
spoke to them. And then we come to a solution
where it's changed now. And I think the best place
to see that is the courts, and we do it
with parole. When a parole league comes before the parole
board and they ask for a specialist assessment. It's not
the courts, it's not necessarily community corrections. All the time.
They get the specialists from the specials. They pay for
that report, and I think in this instance we need

(26:33):
to do it. But it's worth noting for listeners. As
soon as they hit fourteen, DOLLY does not apply, so
that in that instance they're at fourteen.

Speaker 9 (26:40):
So it now only applies essentially appording twelve and thirteen
year olds. Yep, correct right, because of the age of criminal
response and.

Speaker 5 (26:48):
So before when it was ten the age it would
go ten through to thirteen. But again that was a
measure that police assport. It's a measure that we've changed.
It's a measure that commissions implemented to make it more
effective for his front line of becauset the end of
the day. And as with the corresponding model, we want
them out there catching criminals. We want them to feel
supported to go and catch criminals. I think I think
the fact that we're seeing an NTPA result that to

(27:09):
be fair, yes, it was seventy five percent of the
force said that. We think you know in that response
it was only forty five percent of their members that
actually complete it, so.

Speaker 4 (27:16):
There as a significance much lower than one.

Speaker 5 (27:19):
And that's what I'm saying. Yes, I understand that these
numbers aren't great, but it's still less than half of
the police force that completed it. And the fact that
we're starting to see an increase in the in them
feeling supported and then morale increasing says to me that
we're going on the right path to giving them the
tools that they need.

Speaker 6 (27:31):
Now.

Speaker 5 (27:31):
I know that the opposition will say they're field, they're
not supported any but forty five percent of the complete
the survey.

Speaker 6 (27:39):
Work or not give enough job or something, I don't
und acknowledge. Its acknowledged that the previous police minister file
because only seven or eight people on the bdo.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Now there's more.

Speaker 6 (27:49):
But it hasn't helped the community be taken because you
go out in the street and you're going you see
people fighting, you see people drinking. So you might, you know,
talk about how good a job you've done, Brennan and
I said, you talk about a lot, but industry out
on the community it's still there. It's still a massive,
massive problem and that's what needs to happen.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
We need to deal with it. Sort the people.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
One area where it is still a big issue, and
one area that's been raised with me this week about
it being a massive issue in terms of dealing with
some violent incidents is within our emergency.

Speaker 4 (28:17):
Staff at Royal dah And Hospital.

Speaker 1 (28:19):
So I've been contacted by various people telling me that
there has been terrible violent assaults. We've seen nurses kicked
and had things thrown at them. We've seen security guards
injured as a result of violent assaults that have occurred. Now,
I think we all understand that when you're dealing with

(28:40):
people who can sometimes be under the influence of drugs
or alcohol, sometimes in a lot of pain, we understand
that there's always going to be an element of danger
that comes with that. But I just think it's totally
unacceptable some of the behavior that we've seen go on
towards our doctors, nurses, security staff, support staff at Royal
dah And Hospital. It's disgraceful and they should not have

(29:02):
to go to work worrying that they're going to get punched,
well kicked, something happening to them.

Speaker 7 (29:08):
You know, the people who are committing these crimes or
you know, undertaking this kind of behavior. I mean, really,
it's like when paramedics get you know, attacked when they
go somewhere to try and help people.

Speaker 8 (29:20):
Like, what does it if you want person, you want to.

Speaker 7 (29:22):
Get help or you don't want to get Yeah, you
know so and I know medical people wouldn't do it,
but it's like go to the back of the line, mate.

Speaker 4 (29:28):
I know, say that they never would.

Speaker 7 (29:31):
If you get wounded and die in the meantime, well,
consequences of your actions, you know, Well, the government's got.

Speaker 8 (29:37):
To do something.

Speaker 7 (29:37):
I don't know exactly what, whether the measures have to
be changed. I mean, well what died to.

Speaker 1 (29:41):
Make of Earlier in the week, I interviewed Leofanocchiaro, the
opposition leader, and she said that, I mean, she did
say that the COLP is going to reintroduce SPI hoods
for young offenders if they're in the watchhouse here in
the territory. But the other part of it is that
she said that they are that the COLP is looking
at prescribed sentencing for some affect inserts. So what you're saying,
let's call it introduce center.

Speaker 6 (30:06):
To commit a crime, there needs to be a consequence.
And this is where labor government have watered down the crimes.
You know, the rage, crime responsibility. They took the police
powers away about drinking in the two K, so that
slowly eroded these police powers and loaded the consequences for
these criminals and the message he's been out there now
that you can do these crimes and not getting a consequence,
so let's go.

Speaker 5 (30:24):
And do it.

Speaker 6 (30:24):
And that's why these assaults have gone up. The alcohol
has gone up, the violence has gone up. You know,
these see videos of people getting bashed and hit, weapons
in the street, brawls of thirty forty people in the
street because the labor government have eroded these consequences and
they send a message that it's okay to do a crime,
where the colp through the community consultation that we deal with,

(30:44):
say that people want to make sure that there's a
consequence for your action. We know that Brent Potter himself
voted against the manatory sentencing for frontline workers last year
when the Seal people brot that into power. So it's
all good for the labor government here to say, oh,
we support these people. They had an opportunity to do
it last year and Brent himself voted against that. So
when it talks about these consequences, we know the CLP

(31:06):
want to make sure that the people in the community
are safe. We want to make sure that there's a
message sheet to criminals that if you commit a crime,
there's going to be a consequence. It's time to put
the rights off the victim over the rights of defender.
We're just lab the government have done for seven years.

Speaker 5 (31:20):
It sounds great, alright, I'm just going to go through
every one of those that you put in there because
it is an election year and I get to talk
to those. I did vote against it, but.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
What I also put frontline workers.

Speaker 5 (31:29):
Let me finish, I'll let you talk unhindered, mate, I did.
I did vote against it because in no other states
their mandatary sentencing, for example, spinning on a frontline worker.
What we did was increase the penalty to ten years
if you spit on a frontline worker.

Speaker 4 (31:40):
And as the mast sentenced to that there has.

Speaker 5 (31:42):
Been I'll get your details in ten years. I don't
know about ten years. I'll have to ask that. But
it's same for murder. We've got maxim penalties for murder.
Like how many of them actually get sentenced in ma plenty?
I don't know what I can every week a minimum
every every week I get a list of every officer
or event that occurred where they've been assaulted. So I've
asked for that as a minister, so I understand what's
occurring and I know the numbers that are coming through.

(32:04):
What I can tell you though, is.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
That you're going to get that list. Don't make it public.

Speaker 5 (32:08):
When if you ever become minister, or or your opposition
later becomes minister, she can do the same she so chooses.

Speaker 2 (32:13):
So you're not going to.

Speaker 5 (32:16):
Name on it. It's good for me to know as
the minister, to know what is actually happening on the ground.
In relation to ten year olds and spi hoods, well, anecdotally,
I can tell you I've not seen one of those
reports come through with the youth spitting, but they do
have other mechanisms in place. The actual bigger problem is
adults adults spinning, and we've got a ten year maximum
penalty for that, and I would encourage the courts and
if people believe that in not sending is we have
mechanisms to review that. But ultimately the penalty is there

(32:38):
for them to be brought before the cortner does happen.
In relation to the two kilometer rule we're drinking, you
can't have an open container anywhere in Darwin, so it's
greater than two kilometers. And I introduced legislation last year
that puts them straight on the BDR. If you have
an open container in Darwin and police tip it out,
you're going on the BDR for seven days, you get
caught again, you going back on and you eventually there
for ninety days. But additionally, to make that power easier,

(32:59):
we gave them payper arrest for anyone that fails to
give their name when police are So.

Speaker 9 (33:02):
If I'm having a beer at the footy tonight and
I've half finished my beer and I walk out of
the gates gardens overall and police officers stops me and
finds me with my half full can of beer, I'm
going on the BDR.

Speaker 5 (33:15):
And to be completely honest with you, it is when
you're that called. So they've got a bit of discretion.
But yes, you'll go on the BDR. If you've got
an open containing, you go on the BDR. But you're
not going to draw the attention of police. I wouldn't
have thought, Matt. But what I can say is what
I can say is also for those on Mitchell Street.
Now that are involved in alcohol related defenses and being disorderly,
they're being if they're taking in the watch out they've

(33:36):
been put on the BDR, and I think it needs
to send a really clear message to people that al
caol is the biggest problem. Any social behavior is the
one thing that we all see and we don't agree
shouldn't be occurring. Now. The Labor Party will continue to
implement measures around the Band Drink of Register. The CLP
hasn't confirmed that they'll remove it, but what I can
tell listeners with almost two thousand people on the BDR
in seven weeks, there are less people getting access to

(33:56):
alcohol and what it does do is allows police to
target secondaries apply better and over the next three months,
I made it pretty clear in media when I changed
the bottle shop times there will be making BDR changes
that are likes it easier and safer for staff to
report a suspicious transaction, but also for police to understand
who are those high volume users that potentially may be
doing second I.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
Was going to say what about because I spoke to
Tony in this earlier in the week from the noona
mar Tavn and he'd said to me, you know what
about people that are making big purchases at a few
different locations throughout the same day or the same week.

Speaker 5 (34:26):
So I'll be working with hospitality into the next three months.
And that was the commitment I made to Alex and
the team that we start to bring in thresholds and
if you're going and I don't know that should.

Speaker 9 (34:34):
Be easy to pick up for the BDR brought two
cartons at night.

Speaker 5 (34:41):
I just need to finish it. Work does do an
aalys you can have one transaction a day and there's
a suspicious transaction button. So what I'm what we're looking
at is how can we bring not the one transaction
a day, but if you're going fourteen times in five days,
is that suspicious enough? And then also giving the operator
of the ability to still serve you if you're not
If you're green BDR, but they think that a bit
sus hit the button and it just registers it's suspicious

(35:03):
and then allows police later on to start to target
secondary spot.

Speaker 6 (35:06):
Say one thing, it's all good, you know that you've
got all these measures coming into place, but remember this
Labor government has been in power for seven years, so
they've had seven years to fix all this and in
fact they how to fix it because we've got where
we are because of the the Labor government. So now
we're trying to fix it ine election year. Like Brent
just said, we you know, Gord, these things are coming
out in the last minute. But don't forget they've been
in power for seven years. These problems have been caused

(35:27):
because the Labor government have watered down the laws and
now they're trying to fix it in an election years.
So don't forget this was caused by the Labor government election.

Speaker 7 (35:36):
But Kie just a question to Brent as a minister
in the government. So you press the suspicious button and
then that alerts police.

Speaker 8 (35:45):
How does it alert police?

Speaker 5 (35:46):
So the data at the moment goes to licensing and
the like, and then that gets handed over so the next.

Speaker 7 (35:50):
Three so it's a physical transaction or so the data
goes into licensing and then who in licensing?

Speaker 8 (35:55):
How do they get the information to police.

Speaker 5 (35:57):
So they can export reports and the like, And over
the next three months we make it more streamlined so
that the police can get that directly. But the reality
is we've been very clear we support the BDR. I've
come in and said we need to make more changes
in the chiefs. Fill and the team. Autorey supportive on
that and that's what we've committed with Hospital and and
they're in principal supportive. What we don't want to do
is put more pressure on the retail and operator. I
don't want to punish everyday territories that have no issues

(36:18):
with alcohol, but those that want to misuse it and
want to play up on town that want to involve
themselves in secondary supply need to be targeted, brought before
the court and stop from getting alcohol.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Well, look, we are going to have to take a
very short break when we come back. Well I'm keen
to talk about the fact that we're in an election year.
You can't half tell, can you tell you what? It
is going to be a busy year? We know that
we are heading to the next Northern Territory election in
August and it can't half tell. I mean, everybody's out
with different policies and different things that they're doing. But

(36:48):
it's going to be an interesting race to that election
with a number of very experienced will two very experienced
labor members in Port Darwin MLA, Paul Kirby and also
Nicole Madison bo announcing that they're not going to run
in the August election. Some questioning whether they are jumping
off a sinking ship.

Speaker 5 (37:08):
You're going to answer that. I was going to close
it out, I think.

Speaker 7 (37:16):
First, I mean, Nicole announcing her a time, it didn't
surprise me.

Speaker 8 (37:21):
Paul Kirby wasn't.

Speaker 7 (37:22):
I was a little bit surprised, but ultimately not surprising
because I've heard rumors or whatever. But I think when
they lost their ministry's ship, you know, and even if
Labor gets back in, you know, they might have new members,
different situations, different talent, you know, and they may not
get back into the ministry. So I think they've done
a very calculated assessment of their position in life and

(37:42):
their career, I reckon. And they may even have other things,
you know, lined up for what they're doing. Maybe, I
mean this parents business, you know, I might want to
spend more time with my children, health.

Speaker 8 (37:51):
I'm leaving politics. I'm just running away from my family.

Speaker 5 (37:55):
Your kids are on the phone running served their lectures
really well over time the years that they've been in
I mean Nicole has had I think three of her kids. Yeah,
So I mean she's the right to go and be
a mother and go and spend some time with them,
and saying with Paul, Paul's got a young daughter, He's
done a period of time in Port Town, and he's

(38:16):
been a good local member. So I wish them all
all the best. And at the end of the day,
not every not every profession you do for the.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
Rest of your exactly the question it be interesting is
who then runs in those seats? And we know that
earlier in the week the seat, Yeah, that's exactly right,
And we know that earlier in the week it had
been noted that for Wane Guri I believe, and also
Andrew Moriarty yep. And then when you look at somewhere
like Port Darwin, I don't know who's put their hand up.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
I mean.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
The cast of thousands for Port Darwin and fong Limb.

Speaker 4 (38:49):
A cast of thousands, thousands, but let's.

Speaker 9 (38:52):
Say, but then struggling to get people in some of
those other northern suburbs cast.

Speaker 5 (38:59):
Of thousands though, Matt, well, have they kept advertising for
the last six months applications closest today? I don't know.

Speaker 6 (39:09):
Can I saying about just talk about these people resigning?
I think this really is and I'm sorry, Brent still
these nice words about spending time with their family and
stuff like that. But it really is a cover for
the chaos inside the Labor Party because you know, the
Cole Madison come out with a Facebook place saying I'm
going to run for Chief Minister.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
The next minute she's resigning.

Speaker 9 (39:27):
That's a good point, a good point, wanting to do this,
wanting to be the Chief Minister and presumably happy to
serve for at least another term if not to.

Speaker 3 (39:40):
I've had enough spending.

Speaker 2 (39:46):
And interesting what happens to attachment files next?

Speaker 1 (39:49):
Well, yeah, it is going to be very interesting to see.
I don't I'm not just with you know, with the
seat of Nightcliff, but with various seats I think at
the next Northern Territory election and see how things do
pan out. But who puts their hand up to run.
I think it's going to be really interesting sort of
you know, a thing to watch.

Speaker 8 (40:07):
Well, I mean I wouldn't.

Speaker 7 (40:08):
I'll be surprised that the Seal he picks up one
Guri but bought down and Fong Limo I think are
definitely vulnerable for the government, the Labor Party. But it's
like everything, it's those two seats will be interesting because
there's no incumbency, like.

Speaker 8 (40:22):
It's a fresh stay.

Speaker 3 (40:23):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 7 (40:23):
So you get good candidates from either side and they
work hard and they got good strategies, etc.

Speaker 8 (40:28):
Et cetera.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
Then you know, the best person who runs the best
campaign and isn't a good person will probably get the seats.
But at the end of the day, it's it's going
to be all about numbers. It's not only And don't
forget the redistribution. Some people keep forgetting that because even
Lawless seat in Drysdale, she lost Molden and Malden polled
very well for her in the last election, so that's
gone to Mark Turner's area. And the other one I

(40:52):
mentioned to people is Narrio Kids Karama. She has picked
up Nucky's Lagoon. Now no one in Knuckie's Lagoon votes
for labor Will and that's about three or four hundred votes.
And just that's in the polling status. I'm not telling FIBs.
You can go into the results. Jared knows because it
was his electorate. So she's picked up an there that

(41:12):
she is not going to get one vote.

Speaker 5 (41:14):
Out of voters up there, and.

Speaker 7 (41:16):
So so you know, suggest it's one thing to say
whether they've been working the elected and government and push
back for crime excel. But also don't forget to look
at the redistribution.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
And the very interesting thing I think in the Northern
Territory is the seats are not large. You know, the
number of votes that you're trying to get are not large.
So if you're popular, which.

Speaker 9 (41:33):
Is a thing, and to give up incumbency in two
seats possibly more, he's a big deal.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
To make your crime crisis going on.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
Well yeah, look it's you know, stuff before on top
hasn't worked.

Speaker 4 (41:50):
It's going to be very interesting.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
Matt wearing for an interesting year mate, you know, trying
to the No.

Speaker 8 (42:01):
He's still a bit good bet for the CLP. Know
who those bookies are talking to, but they should talk
to me.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Yeah, well look we are going to have to wrap
up for the hour. Jared Mailey from the CLP, Thank
you so much for your time today.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Thank you, Katie, Thank you listeners.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, thanks for joining us this morning. Mate.

Speaker 4 (42:18):
Thanks Katie Kezier Puric. Always good to have you in from.

Speaker 8 (42:21):
The rural area. Thank you, Katie and.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
Brent Potter, thank you so much for joining us. This
morning and we'll talk to you again on Monday session.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Thanks for having me, Thank you.

Speaker 1 (42:30):
You are listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty.
It is the Week that Was