1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Well, you might recall back in July when the situation 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: in Alice Springs was flaring up again, the Northern Territory 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: Police suspended the liquor licenses at two venues. At the time, 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: we spoke to Alex Bruce from Hospitality NT who had 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: concerns around those suspensions and some of the comments made. 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: The managers of one of the pubs had also questioned 7 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: the evidence that police had used with their CCTV cameras 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: showing a different version of events to police. So they 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: told the Northern Territory News at the time that they'd 10 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: troled through their CCTV footage they tried to find evidence 11 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: which linked their patrons to an alleged large scale brawl 12 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: which police had said took place out the front of 13 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: the venue. Now, yesterday the Northern Territory Police issued a 14 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: media release correcting and retracting the statements. Hospitality NTCEEO Alex 15 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: Bruce joins me on the line. Good morning, Alex, Good 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: morning Katie. 17 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: Alex. 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: You had raised concerns with us about this on the 19 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: show at the time of the last curfew. Have you 20 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: spoken to the managers since that correction was issued? 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 3: Not directly, I know the office has been in contact. 22 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: We were aware that this retraction or apology was in 23 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 3: the works and we were just waiting for the police 24 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 3: to publish it. But I do want to say Katie, 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 3: it's not an isolated one for us, and I think 26 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 3: we've talken about it before. This power continues to get 27 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 3: misused and it's not being used for the intent of 28 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 3: Parliament gave it to the police. So we've written to 29 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 3: both sides, both major parties. We've got their responses back 30 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 3: and both teams have given some public commentary that they 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,559 Speaker 3: will be looking to review this section of our Act. 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 3: We look forward to participating in that. 33 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. So, Alex, in what way do you feel as 34 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: though it's maybe not being used as it's intended, you know, 35 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: as it should be. 36 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 3: Okay, So I'll tell you the story as far as 37 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 3: we understand it. Fight. It breaks out at the KFC 38 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 3: in the precinct of the KFC with predominantly kids. It's 39 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 3: spews down to the town Council lawn areas, which is 40 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 3: opposite the two venues predominantly kids. Understand a Territory Families 41 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 3: vehicle is watching this procession as it goes on. The 42 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 3: horrible situation happened in the Todd River subsequent to that, 43 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 3: with those off duty police officers being assaults, and two 44 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 3: days later two of our venues get shut down and 45 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 3: public commentaries made twofold that the people are kicking off 46 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 3: on the council lawn areas were people that have been 47 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 3: in the venues, and also that they've been an ongoing 48 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 3: responsible service of alcohol issues, even though the licensing regulator 49 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 3: had been into the venues the night before and given 50 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 3: them a clean bill of health. So one of the 51 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: venues lawyered up, stood up, challenged some of the assertions, 52 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 3: which led to yesterday's correction of what's actually gone on. 53 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 3: So why we say we've got a real problem with 54 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 3: that power is that's the scenario as we understand it 55 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: as unfolded. Why the hell are our venues getting named, 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 3: shamed and shut down for forty eight hours? 57 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: So what impact did that suspension of the license have 58 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: for those venues? 59 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 3: It often makes national news, Katie, and you know Alice 60 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 3: Springs tragically is in the spotlight for all the wrong 61 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 3: reasons far too often at the moment we saw it, 62 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 3: you know, Philly hot summer February or March seems to 63 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 3: flare up yearly now and if there aren't floods or 64 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 3: fires on the East Coast to worry about, we see 65 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 3: a conger line of interstate media flood into the town 66 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 3: and just start and you know, kids with smartphones just 67 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 3: start magnifying and projecting the real concerns and issues that 68 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 3: that town has, but onto a national stage. And every 69 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 3: time that that has happened, for the recent flare ups, 70 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 3: the police exercised this power and our venues get named 71 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 3: and shames nationally and very strongly linked to they're the 72 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: cause of this problem. Well, we've seen a little bit 73 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 3: of ground given yesterday. I'm not going to put words 74 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 3: in polices carefully drafted and scripted mouse, but the claims 75 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 3: that it's all our fold and it's all our fold 76 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 3: all the time are clearly not working. We absolutely appreciate 77 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 3: and love having a strong police presence in and around 78 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 3: our venues. We welcome them, especially down the track through 79 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 3: constantly doing walkthroughs of our venues. We get on really 80 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 3: well at a local level, local police local venues as well. 81 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 3: We should we work through our liquor accords. We look 82 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 3: at this power and we just say, look, they've overshot 83 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 3: the runway continuously on this one. The Liquor Act Review 84 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 3: recommended that was tabled in Parliament last year. The government 85 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 3: nip and tuck this power. We've just got to, you know, 86 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: come September, no matter who's empower, let's just get cracking 87 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 3: on that, because Alice, you've had enough of this. 88 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: I know there'll be some people listening this morning saying, 89 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: you know, like, are those venues and are all venues 90 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: practicing responsible service of alcohol? And you know they obviously 91 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: have a part to play as well. I mean, what 92 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: do you say to those listening this morning? 93 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 3: Absolutely, and you know, our cop on the beat as 94 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: it is is the Liquor Commission, and the chair of 95 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 3: the Liquor Commission actually resides in Alice Springs, and there 96 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 3: are ways to take our venues or our staff if 97 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 3: we're found to be doing the wrong thing through a 98 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 3: process and penalizes that. It's the structure that's what exists 99 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 3: in every other state, not this cowboy warrior stuff that 100 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 3: once the dost settles, Katie, like what's happened again, what 101 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 3: we get thrown at is proven to be not quite 102 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 3: right where the due process you're shredding the investment certainty 103 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 3: and opportunity for us to grow our venues. We keep 104 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 3: hearing that we want more offerings, diverse offerings, better offerings, 105 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 3: especially Lee and Ella Springs. How are you ever going 106 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,119 Speaker 3: to get a bank to finance that where every time 107 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 3: that town's problems are exposed, they come along and shoot 108 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 3: one about venues in the head. 109 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: I want to just play for you some comments that 110 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: were made by Minister Kate Worden on the week that 111 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: was take a listen. 112 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 2: Got some licensees down there that clearly was selling on 113 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 2: a lot of grog and then putting people out into 114 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 2: the street, and we saw the consequences of that. But 115 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 2: what I'll say about this confuted that dispute away, So 116 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 2: I don't want to have a discussion about that today. 117 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 2: They can dispute all they want, but the police have 118 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 2: the powers, and I've spoken to a number of police 119 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 2: officers and I have to tell you I've seen it myself. 120 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: So one of those bars that's being talked about now, 121 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 2: I've seen them pull the shutters down and I've reported 122 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: it in order to avoid scrutiny. So you can't see 123 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: who they're feeding grog too. That has to change in 124 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 2: our Springs. 125 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 3: That's a big call. 126 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 2: I am telling you a fact what I have seen, 127 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 2: and I have called it in myself. It's a disgrace. 128 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 2: So what we have to have is everybody working together. 129 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: We have to have responsible sale of alcohol. We have 130 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: to stop people doing these private sales and that's happening 131 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: as well, and we're aware of that. So the police 132 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 2: are we giving them the tools to be able to 133 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 2: do something about it. 134 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: Alex so a pretty big It was a pretty big 135 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: accusation for the minister to make. I mean, I'm sure 136 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: you heard it at the time. What do you now 137 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: say following on from you know, from the correction yesterday. 138 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: Well, the police proves that that was the worst performance 139 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 3: since Reagan in the Olympics, Katie. 140 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: So So, I. 141 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: Mean, unbelievable. Look what we've got at the moment. 142 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: Well, but do you think that, I mean that does 143 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: there need to be a correction then from the minister? 144 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 3: Well, which one? Because we're dealing with our alcohol policy. 145 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 3: Minister Police Minister Brent Potter, he is one of the 146 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 3: people that has publicly committed to having a look at that. 147 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 3: Following the election, leofanocchiiro is written saying her team's willing 148 00:07:58,280 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 3: to have a look at it as well, so we're 149 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 3: very preciative of that, the territory family's minister who had 150 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 3: a resource there when the profile was again predominantly kids. 151 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 3: So you see the little two step they do here. 152 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 3: They blame alcohol, they blame adults for an issue that 153 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 3: are predominantly children and young people, Katie, and we're just 154 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 3: getting a bit sick of it. 155 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Alex, I really appreciate your time this morning 156 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: as always, and I know that you know that you'd 157 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: spoken to us at the time as well and raise 158 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: the concerns on you know, the day after I think, 159 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: or you know, very soon after it had all unfolded. 160 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: So appreciate your time as always. And mate, look, I 161 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: don't think. I don't know if anything can be much 162 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: worse than ray Gun's dance moves at the Olympics are 163 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: very very bad. 164 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 3: That kick you just played was pretty average. Dating zero 165 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 3: out of. 166 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 2: Alex. 167 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: Thank you, thanks for your time this morning. 168 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 3: We'll talk to you again very soon. Cheers all the 169 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 3: bet Thank you you too.