1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: We know, as I just touched on with the Opposition leader, 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: that written questions had been asked of the Northern Territory 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Government by the opposition as part of the estimates process 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: around legislative changes when it comes to crime. 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 2: Now joining me on the line is the. 6 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: Attorney General of the Northern Territory, Marie Claire booth Be. 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: Good morning to you. Hang on a second, I better 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: make sure I've got. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 2: Her on there. Let's try that again. Good morning to 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: your Attorney General. 11 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, and to your listeners. 12 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: Good to have you on the show. Now, Minister, what 13 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: do you think the information that the oppositions asked in 14 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: relation to the legislative changes around crime, the fact that 15 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: twenty five eight hundred and one chargers have been laid 16 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: since August last year to March this year, what do 17 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: you think it sees about the state of the Northern Territory. 18 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, it still continues to be a lot of 19 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 3: crime that we just don't want to see in our community. 20 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 3: And as your listeners would know, we were elected on 21 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 3: a basis to reduce crime because we just don't accept 22 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 3: that offenders should continue to get away. We've perpetrating those 23 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 3: crimes on territorians, and we have been very clear right 24 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: from the outset. We came to the first settings of Parliament, 25 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 3: passed all of those laws to ensure that we could 26 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,839 Speaker 3: crack down on the levels of crime that we're seeing, 27 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 3: and so you know, we won't stand for it. There's 28 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 3: there's still a lot of changes that we have to 29 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: make to you know, reduce that crime even further. And 30 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 3: we've seen with patchy areas where there is some statistics 31 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 3: which are coming down, which is a positive sign, like 32 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 3: in terms of say property crime as an example, has 33 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 3: dropped sharply by about forty three percent, which you know, 34 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: it's a bit that's a big number to come down 35 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 3: as an example, but of course we know that we 36 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 3: still have assaults and we still have domestic violence numbers 37 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: that far too high. 38 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: Well, this is the thing. 39 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean, even as people are listening property crime dropping 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: forty three percent, I'm not sure what period of time 41 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: that's over, but I know that unless people are feeling 42 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: like they're safe, and unless they can really see that 43 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: there's been a change, quite often, you know, they won't feel. 44 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: Like it's enough. 45 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 3: That's right, And we've always said, like the statistic is 46 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 3: only part of you know, the measure of success, and 47 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 3: in fact, the most successful part will be when territorians 48 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 3: do feel safe. And I guess you know the suite 49 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 3: of the new laws that we brought in as an example, 50 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 3: like the post and boast and the ram raids. I mean, 51 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 3: we're already seeing people charged and sentenced under both of 52 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 3: those laws, which didn't exist before the election. And so 53 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 3: you know, we know that that is now happening, which 54 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 3: is a good thing. We also know that less people 55 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 3: are getting bail because of the new strong laws that 56 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 3: we introduced, and that the numbers reflect that moment. 57 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: Yes, look, can to tell us some of those can 58 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: you tell us some of those numbers? 59 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, So basically, if you think about it like this, Katie, 60 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 3: we have five hundred and fifty more prisoners incarcerated than 61 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 3: we had before coming to government, and so that just 62 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 3: demonstrates that people are not getting bail. I mean fifty 63 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: percent of those roughly are on remand and so that's 64 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 3: just it's a pure easy statistic to go to which 65 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 3: shows you that you know that people are not getting 66 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: bailed because they are incarcerated, because those numbers are so high. 67 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: I mean, when you look at the fact that we've 68 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: got fifty percent of those people though on remand and 69 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: some of the delays that we're saying through the court system. 70 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: And I did touch on this yesterday with the Chief Minister, 71 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: and we also spoke about it last week with Naja. 72 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: I mean, how do we try to speed things up 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: further than what we currently are so that you don't 74 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: have that many people on remand and some of them 75 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: on remand, you know, in the Supreme Court. My understanding 76 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: is it's about three hundred odd days that they're on remand. 77 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: For Yeah, that's right, Katie, And I guess, first and 78 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 3: foremost though, our focus is on protecting victims and territorians, 79 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 3: and so we don't make any apology for having more 80 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 3: people incarcerated and on remand. But secondly, of course we 81 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 3: do want to see that addresses well. We don't want 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: them sitting around in prisons waiting for their trials, especially 83 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 3: if you think about it from a victim's perspective, when 84 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 3: a victim also has to go through all of that 85 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 3: time having to wait for hearings and sentences, and you 86 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 3: know they're watching and waiting to try and recover from 87 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 3: whatever ordeal they've gone through as a victim, so it 88 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 3: is important for us to get that down. It has 89 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 3: been a huge number in terms of the number of 90 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 3: days that people spend on remand and I guess that's 91 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 3: part of the work we're doing in the court's system. 92 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 3: So we obviously we put on more judges. We've secured 93 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 3: permanent contracts for the Director of Prosecutions, including four extra prosecutors. 94 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,239 Speaker 3: There's a task team now that's set up that goes 95 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 3: through all of the cases and tries to find the 96 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 3: ones that they could resolve earlier in the piece, you know, 97 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 3: if they've got the right evidence and they can organize 98 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 3: offer a guilty please, And so that works happening as well. 99 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 3: And there's been nearly three hundred of those cases reviewed, 100 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 3: which you know wasn't happening before we were elected and 101 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 3: now it is so. But I absolutely acknowledge there's still 102 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 3: so much work to be done in that space. And 103 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 3: the new budget of course allows for all of that 104 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 3: work to be bolstered. Like one point five billion dollars 105 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 3: in the budgets is the largest that we've ever seen. 106 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: Attorney General Old just move along. Obviously a number of 107 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: questions were asked about how many youths and adults have 108 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: been charged under those new posts and boast laws. We 109 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: know they also the opposition asking those written questions around 110 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: the ramraid legislation changes also around the assaults towards frontline workers. 111 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: I mean, when you look at the stats, when you 112 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: look at those numbers, it's quite a small sample period 113 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: to go off in terms of whether we can work 114 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: out whether something's working or not. From your perspective as 115 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: the Attorney General, do you feel as though these legislative changes, 116 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: the tough on crime approach that the COLP government is 117 00:05:58,120 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: taking is working. 118 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, if you think of it like this post 119 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 3: and boast as an offense as the example, there's been 120 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 3: seven individuals charged with that offense. Now that's seven people 121 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 3: who would not have been charged and held to account 122 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 3: for that crime under labor. So at the same thing 123 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 3: with ram raids, there were fourteen individuals that have been 124 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 3: charged with ram rate offenses. Again, that's fourteen individuals that 125 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 3: wouldn't have been charged under labor. So it is a 126 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 3: small number if you look at it from a perspective 127 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 3: of the timing. We've only had it in play for 128 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 3: a number of months, and of course we will see 129 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 3: the stats roll out over time. And of course our government, 130 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 3: you know, we're not a set and forget approach either. 131 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 3: We are continually looking at how it's going, what else 132 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 3: we need to do so that Territorians can feel safe 133 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 3: in their community, and will continue that work. But I think, 134 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 3: like I said, those numbers, they would have just been 135 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 3: back out on the street continuing their crimes under Labor 136 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 3: and we've made those changes, and you know we make 137 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 3: no apologies for that. 138 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: All right, I want to move along. 139 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: It is this morning being reported by the ABC online 140 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: that almost four years after the Northern Territory Government committed 141 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: to reviewing systemic racism within departments, that you did announce 142 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: that a racism review into NTI police has been scrapped. 143 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 2: Why has that been scrapped? 144 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie. This particular racism review was announced under the 145 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 3: former Labor government and it was three hundred thousand dollars 146 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 3: I can confirm, which we've committed under the previous government, 147 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: believed by the Chief Minister Evil Lawla at the time 148 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 3: to be given to the Anti Discrimination Commissioner to conduct 149 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 3: that review on into police. Now intercoming into government in August, 150 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 3: obviously we realized that there was a huge budget deficits. 151 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 3: You know, we didn't have We had nowhere near the 152 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 3: amount of money that we needed to be able to 153 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 3: push forward on our election commitments being you know, reducing crime, 154 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 3: rebuild an economy and restoring lifestyle. We then had you 155 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: may remember late last year we had Legal Aid who 156 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 3: was in absolute disarrays. So we had to make a 157 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 3: really tough decision and we had to find enough money 158 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 3: to give to Legal Aids so that people could be represented. 159 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 2: So you're saying instead of spending all that. 160 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 3: Round two thousand dollars yet from the Police Review Racism 161 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 3: Review over to Legal Aid. What I do know is 162 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 3: the police were already doing work about, you know, making 163 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 3: sure that racism wasn't an issue going forward. They employed 164 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: Lee and Little they're they're covering a broad range of 165 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 3: initiatives like including a cultural reform and internal strategies that 166 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 3: they have And my understanding is that work was Underwagh 167 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 3: and continues. But I guess, you know, we as a government, 168 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 3: we have to make tough decisions. We needed that three 169 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 3: hundred thousand dollars to assist Legal Aid, and of course 170 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 3: they needed assistance in part because the problems that Naja 171 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 3: were having as well. So it was like a much 172 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 3: bigger problem that needed to be addressed, and it was 173 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: certainly a priority that needed immediate focus. 174 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: And so the time, what do you say to anybody 175 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: listening this morning that feels as though that review should 176 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: have been undertaken and completed, you know, particularly when you 177 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: look into the fact that it was indeed as I 178 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: understand it, or it certainly had come out, or you 179 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: know that push for it had come through at the 180 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: coronial inquest into the police shooting of Kumenjai Walker. 181 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think if you look at it like this, Katie, 182 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 3: you can do review after review after review. And I 183 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 3: know Labor used to love a good review, but we 184 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 3: just want to get on with the job. We drew 185 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 3: a line in the sand. We said we needed to 186 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 3: use that money for something else. Very pressing. At the time, 187 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 3: we knew that the police were already undertaking work, which 188 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 3: meant that they probably would have received a review which 189 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 3: costs a lot of money, and said, oh, hang on 190 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 3: a minute, we're already implementing all this that maybe that 191 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 3: may have been a waste. So we were really clear 192 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 3: in terms of, well, we just have to get on 193 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 3: with the job. We've got our police doing the good 194 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 3: work they're doing and you know, working so hard to 195 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 3: try and keep our community safe. They didn't need to 196 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 3: keep going down this path of having more and more 197 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 3: reviews and so and of course the other problem that 198 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 3: we did need to work out with legal aid. So 199 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 3: we just had to make the tough decision. 200 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: All right, moving along, but still sort of in this area. 201 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: I guess the governments obviously announced reforms to the Anti 202 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: Discrimination Act. We know that in twenty twenty two Labored 203 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: main changes to the Act that you have claim blurred 204 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: the line between genuine discrimination and the simple expression of opinion, 205 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:02,199 Speaker 1: eroding territory AND's freedoms of speech and religion. What exactly 206 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: are you looking at changing here? 207 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 3: Yes, thank you for the question, Katie. So what we're 208 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 3: changing is that vague and overreaching section in the Act 209 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 3: that Labor had added in twenty twenty two when it 210 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 3: comes to terms like if you offend insult, then you 211 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 3: will maybe find yourself before the Anti Discrimination Commissioner. And 212 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 3: we're replacing those and strengthening those with the words which 213 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 3: are more in line with what other parts of the 214 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 3: country are doing. Say that the revised law will prohibit 215 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 3: conduct that incites hatred, serious contempt, or severe ridicule based 216 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 3: on personal attributes like race, sexuality, gender, religion, and there's 217 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 3: so many more. And in the section within the Act 218 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 3: there's about twenty different attributes. That is a range of 219 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 3: things that people have as an attribute, and it would 220 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 3: be illegal to discriminate always has been to discriminate against those. 221 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 3: But then what this does is just clears up that 222 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 3: vague terminology so that we don't want to see hatred 223 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 3: or ridicule in our community. We just we don't believe it. 224 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 3: It's territory. 225 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: Had there been concerns raised in order for these changes 226 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: to sort of be reversed. 227 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, So we actually talked about this prior to the 228 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 3: election and also in twenty twenty two with when Labor 229 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 3: brought in the original changes, and we had many people 230 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 3: from around the community explained that that seemed to have 231 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 3: gone too far. 232 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: We've had a lot of people contact us at the 233 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: station about it too, to be frank. 234 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 3: That's right, yeah, and not just that, Katie, but also 235 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 3: those religious schools protections. That's the other part that we're 236 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 3: changing because what Labour had done in twenty twenty two 237 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 3: was basically removed the protections so that religious schools and 238 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 3: faith based schools weren't able to employ just based on 239 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: faith alone. And we heard from so many religious groups, 240 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 3: so many parents that they did want to be able 241 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 3: to send their kids to school in a religious environment 242 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 3: and know that the teachers they had shared the same faith. 243 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 3: And so we're putting those protections back in place. But 244 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 3: I just want to make it really clear to all 245 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 3: your listeners. Schools still won't be able to discriminate against 246 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 3: those attributes, you know, the race, of sexuality, the gender. 247 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 3: It will be only that the school will be able 248 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 3: to employ someone of faith based and prioritize that employment 249 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 3: because we want our teachers to have the same faith 250 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 3: as their school, but that if there's conduct or anything 251 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 3: else that is outside of the values of their faith, 252 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 3: and of course like within the school, then of course 253 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 3: that can be protected so that they wounded up in court. 254 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: Attorney General, I'm just going to read a couple of 255 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: comments out for you because we are pressed for time, 256 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: but I've got one here from Janis and she said, 257 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: Katie a big loud boo for the Northern Territory government 258 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: that the government believes the rights of racists and bigots 259 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: to tell offensive jokes in crowded public places are more 260 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: important the members of our multicultural society to not have 261 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: to hear offensive, derogatory jokes and comments in public places. 262 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: What do you say to Janus this morning? 263 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's Jennas, thank you for that question. I think 264 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 3: that what our law does and the changes it actually 265 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 3: makes it very clear that we don't condone and we 266 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 3: prohibit the conduct that incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule. 267 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 3: And that's the exact words that will be in the Act, 268 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 3: and that's based on those attributes. So you if people 269 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 3: still feel like those kind of behaviors are occurring in 270 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 3: the community, that's not something we stand for. We love 271 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 3: our multicultural community and we think it's part of our 272 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 3: territory story and very well valued by everybody in the territory. 273 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 3: And so we definitely don't agree that those kind of 274 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 3: hatred words should be said. And that's why we've made 275 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 3: sure we've replaced the words that were there which were vague, 276 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 3: to the ones that are more fitting with the time 277 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 3: behavior we want to stamp. 278 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 2: Out Attorney General really quick. 279 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 3: One. 280 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: We know now that the project there at lee point 281 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: once again halted. At this point in time, it's not 282 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: able to continue on because we've got a situation where 283 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, a Northern Territory Tribunal, had ruled the 284 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: developer cannot continue to work at that site until a 285 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: major legal challenge from Larachie elder and senior traditional owner 286 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: Tibbi Quoll is heard. Now, what do you think this 287 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: sees about well developments projects in the Northern Territory that 288 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: they can be underway and be halted. My understanding is 289 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: that they had gone through the process to get that 290 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: project underway. 291 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, this is definitely the opposite of what the 292 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 3: territory needs right now, and we really need to be 293 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 3: rebuilding our economy and we just cannot afford to have 294 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 3: these projects that drag on endlessly or in this case 295 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 3: have shifting gold posts. I mean, we know that the 296 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 3: status quo delivers nothing, and it's not what our economy 297 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 3: needs and it's not what the Territorians need. So it 298 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 3: is disappointing. I mean the work that we had recently 299 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 3: done where we removed merits reviews for things outside of 300 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 3: you know, if you're not involved in the case, you 301 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 3: shouldn't be able to put forward a case. I mean, 302 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 3: that's why we were trying to address these kinds of 303 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 3: things and so this is it is disappointing. Like I said, 304 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 3: we can't afford for this a drag on anymore. We 305 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 3: just need to get on with the job. 306 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: Attorney General Murray Claire Booby really appreciate your time this morning. 307 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 2: Thank you for having a chat with us. 308 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 3: Thank you, Katie, and to your listeners, thank you.