1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Now we know the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Northern Territory am SANT have been calling on the Northern 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: Territory government to step up and fulfill its one hundred 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: and eighty million dollar commitment to tackling domestic and family violence, 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: the crisis that we're experiencing here in the Northern Territory. 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: The Coroner, Elizabeth Armitage, yesterday then handed down her findings 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: and indeed the recommendations in relation to the deaths of 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: four Indigenous women at the hands of their partners. The 9 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: coroner made thirty five recommendations in total, including calling for 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: a significant funding boost to the sector, including for frontline 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: emergency service responses and also women's shelters. Now joining me 12 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: on the line is am SANT CEO doctor John Patterson. 13 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, John. 14 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: Hey, good morning, Good morning listeners. 15 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, not too bad, John, I tell you know, we've 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: known that this coronial has been going on for seventeen months. 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: I don't think that any of the recommendations, I mean, 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: the coroner herself said many of her recommendations are not 19 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: radical and that there is a lot of evidence that 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: the issue well there a lot of it was issues. 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: With John absolutely, Katie, and look from Amstaan's perspective, we 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: welcome and thank the Coronat for producing this report. Obviously 23 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: it would have been built on and written upon a 24 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: lot of evidence that would have been presented in courts 25 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,919 Speaker 2: and you know, during those court processes, so one should 26 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: not doubt about some of the facts that she would 27 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: have seen and heard in some of those court procedures. 28 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: And look, we fully support and encourage governments to consider 29 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: this as quickly as possible. I think other commentators are 30 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: saying that we can't continue to have another review, another 31 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: plan to be established. I mean this, we're a desperate 32 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: need to get some action happening on the ground now. 33 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 2: I would even go to say that the one hundred and 34 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 2: eighty million the territory government's contribution is probably not going 35 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 2: to meet it. I would strongly call on all levels 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 2: of government, Katie, I think we all need to step 37 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 2: up here, show the political leadership and the political commitment 38 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 2: to this tragic, very terrible, terrible situation that's upon us. 39 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: And it is something John that we've been hearing, you know, 40 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: from both the Labor Party and the celpay that they 41 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: want that needs based funding for the Northern Territory as well. 42 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: I mean, we've not heard a lot from the federal 43 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: government since the recommendations were handed down yesterday. But I 44 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: mean you've just said then, you know one hundred and 45 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: eighty million dollars may not be enough. Does a federal 46 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: government need to step up as well? 47 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie, And if anyone's listening from the kommualth, I 48 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: encourage you to seriously consider perhaps matching it. I understand 49 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 2: that there's been a higher figure quoted that's probably required, 50 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: but for a start, let's get a dollar for dollar 51 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 2: territory and common funding commitment to this process, and let's 52 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 2: get some of those actions and some of those actions 53 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 2: that we can implement asapp done, and get the appropriate stakeholders. 54 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: I'm hearing commentators and representatives from a whole broad range 55 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 2: of stakeholders and front line workers that are saying, enough's enough, 56 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: let's stop matable gazing, let's stop procrastinating and get on 57 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: with the job. I mean, we've got a very What's 58 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: really concerning me, Katie, is the peak period over Christmas 59 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: in New Years Now. We all want to know down 60 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: tools and have a joyous Christmas with families and friends, 61 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 2: et cetera. But it's also we tend to see a 62 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: spike in domestic violence and a whole range of underlying 63 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: issues that could would probably need to we need to 64 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: be vigilant, and we need systems and processes and structures 65 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: in place to respond to any urgent calls that that 66 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 2: we're here or have from those victims of domestic violence 67 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: and other violence. You know, it's unacceptable, I'm saying them 68 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: perpetrators out there, just stop what you're what you're doing. 69 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: I mean, it's not the way that we behave in 70 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: the territory, and it's got to stop. If you've got 71 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 2: an issue, go and talk to somebody about it. Don't 72 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 2: bloody do domestic violence on other people, your families or relatives. 73 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 2: I'm so angry about it. 74 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: Good on you, John, because you know, one of the 75 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: things that really struck me yesterday was when the coroner 76 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: seed that there really is no way to turn this 77 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: around unless those perpetrating the violence change. She said, it 78 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: lies with the men who are choosing to use violence. 79 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: They must stop blaming someone else they might us take 80 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: responsibility and change their attitudes and behaviors. And I thought 81 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: those words were so. 82 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 2: Strong, absolutely and I'm totally with the Coronel. Look, there's 83 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 2: you know those thirty five recommendations. There's and I also 84 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: say that this needs a multi pronged approach, Kadie, not one. 85 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 2: Not one's you know solution is going to fix the problem. 86 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 2: There's recommendations to establish a domestic violence peak, there's alcohol 87 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: and drug recommendations. There's policing, and that's fair enough, you know, 88 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 2: police need to be involved in this process. But there's 89 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: also one there which the recommendation around men's community based 90 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 2: programs and preventions. And look, we've got a big We've 91 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 2: got a big march in Alla Springs in early December. 92 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: I'll be participating in that and bringing the attention to 93 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: the broader community. We got a whole lot of men 94 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 2: that are prepared to stand up and make a stand 95 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 2: on them. So I'll be down there supporting them with that. 96 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: And we also need to resource them being approached that 97 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 2: men are willing to to lead appropriate community initiatives and 98 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 2: get the message across two men particularly, And so I 99 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 2: put a call out to governments if there's anybody that 100 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 2: can assist us with that, with resourcing some of those initiatives. 101 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 2: That will be very welcomed, and. 102 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: Do you reckon, John? You know that that's a really 103 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: key part of this is, you know, having good men 104 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: like yourself saying this is enough. You know, we actually 105 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: need to all sit down together and enough enough. We 106 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: cannot continue to see this. 107 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: Happen exactly, Katie. Look, we need more men coming out 108 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 2: strongly and firmly and get message out there that this 109 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: is unacceptable behavior in our culture. This is not the 110 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 2: way we behave. That's got to stop. Like I said, 111 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 2: if you've got an issue, go and speak to somebody 112 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: about it, Go and call a friend, go and see 113 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 2: a mate, go and see family members to have that discussion. 114 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: But please do not put harm on your partners, families 115 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 2: and other people in trying to release any frustration or 116 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: trauma or stress that you might be experiencing. And this 117 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: is why I think men need to deal with that. 118 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 2: And I'm not saying that you know that that's a priority, 119 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 2: but it's got to be taken into consideration. You know, 120 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 2: there's a multi pronged AP program. We can't forget the 121 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 2: men who need the assistance in the court as well. 122 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: John, what do you reckon? You know, some of the 123 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: most urgent priorities are. With the recommendations that were handed down, I. 124 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 2: Think we've got to look, I don't have the solution. 125 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: That's why I want to encourage the government to get 126 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 2: now with all these groups. I understand there's some plans 127 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 2: that have already been developed, some strategies I've already identified. 128 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: I think, you know, we need an action group that 129 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 2: can now get in there and do some of this, 130 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 2: some implement some of those recommendations and some of those 131 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: things that aren't going to take months to establish. There's 132 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: some stuff here that you know we can we can 133 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: action immediately and implement. And that's that's why, you know, 134 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: governments need to coordinate ideas and getting a shared understanding 135 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: and shared approach to address this terrible term statistics. I 136 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 2: mean eight women eight Abergin Women's GUD this year alone, 137 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: you know, and then you know a third of the 138 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 2: four hundred you know that was done from over that 139 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 2: longer period. It's just unacceptable, Codie unacceptable. The community needs 140 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 2: to to all work in collaboration and partnership, and particular 141 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 2: those service providers. Let's put the politics aside, Let's get 142 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: the political will, let's get all levels of government working 143 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 2: together and find solutions and help out those that may 144 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: be in danger of more violence. 145 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: I reckon you spot on Dr John Patterson, with what 146 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: you've said there. Just before I let you go this morning, 147 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: we know that one of the pieces of legislation that 148 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: is going to go through Parliament is the COLP government 149 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: is looking to scrap the minimum floor price. What do 150 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: you make of that? 151 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I urged caution on that, Katie. We've seen 152 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 2: again the coroner alludes to alcohol and drugs, you know 153 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 2: some of the finings in there. She's suggesting that it 154 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 2: just whole five until I understand there's also been an 155 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: evaluation done on the minimum unit price of alcohol, done 156 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: by the appropriate research institutions. I think it's Mensies and others. 157 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 2: My call is just whole five. Don't go doing knee 158 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 2: jerk reactions because I think we might be I don't 159 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 2: want to see another situation, Katie. Yeah, and the coroner 160 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: alluded to this. I don't want to see another situation 161 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 2: of when we advise not to lift the restrictions of 162 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 2: the of the sunset clause, the intervention restrictions, and then 163 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 2: we had all helm play loose, and you know it 164 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: just you know, went from bad to worse in terms 165 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 2: of alcohol consumption. I just don't want another repeat of 166 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: that in the game. We're coming into a very busy 167 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 2: period of the Calimbie year. You know, people want to 168 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: have a break and have enjoy themselves, and that's all 169 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 2: well and good, but if we're going to you know, 170 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 2: I fear for the for the consequences that could have 171 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 2: up from us. 172 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: John, when you talk about, you know, what had happened, 173 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: do you mean the situation that we saw in Alice Springs. 174 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,599 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the lifting of the sumption. 175 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, for stronger futures. 176 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. 177 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: And look, I think a lot of people will also 178 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: be concerned about that night. Like I understand, you know, 179 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: people going, oh, hang on a second, why do we 180 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: all have to sort of be punished while we all 181 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: being charged more for alcohol. People are going to get 182 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: their hands on alcohol no matter what. But I think 183 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 1: you're right, you know, in what we saw in Olie 184 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: Springs was there wasn't really a thinking of what was 185 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: going to happen. 186 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 2: Next, That's right, Yeah, yeah, I don't think the consequences 187 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 2: were thought through, you know, and the cost the more importantly, 188 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 2: the cost to taxpayers in the community. At the end 189 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 2: of the decading, you know, somebody quoted a figure of 190 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 2: six hundred million to you know, fix or address VV stuff, 191 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 2: you know, and that's that's a lot of money that 192 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 2: we could be better resourcing to other meeting programs and 193 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 2: initiatives that communities are aspiring to and wanting. So we've 194 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 2: got to focus I think, more at the preventative than 195 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 2: rather than being the ambulance at the edge of the 196 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 2: cliff approach. I think this, and this is where I 197 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 2: think the Curenter was coming from. More preventative. Use the 198 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 2: evidence out there to develop, design, monitor work, you know, 199 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 2: in missions that we can say that are working. I'm 200 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 2: sure make tweaks that may need a little bit of adjusting, 201 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 2: but let's look at more of those preventative measures to 202 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: prevent more of the domestic violence happening in the first place. 203 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, doctor John Patterson, I always appreciate your time. 204 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: Some very strong words from you this morning. Thank you 205 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: very much for joining us on the show. Good Katy, 206 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: thank you, thanks so much.