1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Certainly spoke a lot on Thursday last week about the 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: petition Justice for Declan Lavity and Action against Crime in 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Now, when we spoke about this early 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: last week, there were fifteen thousand people that had signed 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: that petition. That's already a huge number of people. But 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: that petition right now sits at twenty five thousand, eight 7 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty three signatures. Now joining me on the 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: line right now is Samara Lavity, Declan's mum. Good morning 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: to you, Samara, Good morning Katie. Thank you for having 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: a chat to us again this morning, Samara, before we 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: talk more about this debate happening in parliament. Twenty five thousand, 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: eight hundred and twenty three signatures. 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: That is unbelievable. It's amazing and there's just huge numbers. 14 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: It truly is. And you know, after we spoke to 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: you last week, you could see those numbers just going 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: up and up and up. And I think the really 17 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 1: interesting thing about this is that those numbers have gone 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: up since the Northern Territory Government made their announcement last week. 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 2: They have. 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 3: Part of that is as a result of their publicity 21 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 3: that you have given it, but also as a result 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 3: of the community, you know, again screaming out, but they're 23 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 3: just not being listened to, and so they're signing to 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 3: try and get the attension of the government, and that 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 3: just films. They just belief that the way this is 26 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 3: going is just being ignored from the government. 27 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: Samara, I don't know if you've had much of an opportunity, 28 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: you know, to listen to what sort of happened over 29 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: the recent days. But on Thursday, I was pretty gobsmacked 30 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: to learn that you know that this petition, we know 31 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: that it was obviously tabled in Parliament by the Opposition 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: leader Leofanocchiaro. Then I was pretty gobsmacked to learn from 33 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: the Independent member Fara lu and Robin Lamley that it 34 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't be debated in Parliament unless the Public Accounts Committee 35 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:22,399 Speaker 1: voted and approved that actually moving forward to debate in parliament. Now, 36 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: twenty two out of the last twenty four petitions that 37 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: have gone to the Public Accounts Committee have not been 38 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: approved to be debated in parliament. It seems that common 39 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: sense has prevailed and it is going to be able 40 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: to be debated. But I'm pretty shocked and gobsmacked to 41 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: learn that it's only going to be debated for sixteen minutes. 42 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: I feel exactly the same. It's great that it's been 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 2: referred back to Parliament for debate, but sixteen minutes to 44 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: discuss nine points of what we've put forward in the 45 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 2: petition is approximately one point met its per request that 46 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 2: we have. That's how I just don't understand how they 47 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 2: think that sixteen minutes will be sufficient to debate this. 48 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think everyone scratching their heads this morning, Samara 49 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: are thinking exactly the same thing. And I guess what 50 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: I've been pretty surprised by is that, you know, a 51 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: lot of this we just wouldn't have even realized unless 52 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: we're having Unless you know, we're having these discussions this 53 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: morning and going hang on a second, sixteen minutes that 54 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: is nowhere near enough time. 55 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 2: No, it's not, and it's a token effort. I don't 56 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: know what the rules around debates in the Parliament are, 57 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: so for a nine point petition based on twenty six 58 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: thousand odd signatures, it's just like in the. 59 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: Face Samara in what is good? A really good move? 60 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: I hope Keesy Epiric, the Independent Member for Goid, She 61 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: said on the show last Thursday that rightly. You know, 62 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: whether or not this Public Accounts Committee to prove the 63 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: debate happening or not, she's still going to make moves 64 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: to ensure that this is debated through a matter of 65 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: public importance. So I really hope that this petition and 66 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: that your son and the other victims of crime in 67 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory get the respect that they deserve. 68 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: I really really hope so too. Last night, my daughter 69 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,280 Speaker 2: was a little bit off and she ended up fasting 70 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: into tears and it took me a moment to get 71 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: out of her what was wrong, And all she could 72 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 2: say was I met my brother. So it's for her, 73 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 2: it's for the rest of our family and the Northern 74 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: Territory that we're not going to give up on this show. 75 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: It means too much to us. And the support that 76 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 2: we've had is amazing, and if we can get Kiddi 77 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: requests through, that would be absolutely amazing and it would 78 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 2: show that finally the people are being listened to. 79 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: They need to be. You know, you can't ignore twenty 80 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: six thousand people. It's a huge number and we've not 81 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: seen a petition get that kind of support in a 82 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: very long time. In fact, I don't know that we 83 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: have ever seen that many people sign a petition in 84 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory that. 85 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: In and of itself speaks to how angry and upset 86 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 2: people are over what is happening. I'm sitting here in 87 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: cans and all I see is anecdote after anecdote, newspaper 88 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 2: reports people reaching out for me, and it just still 89 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: seem ignored that people are so upset and so concerned 90 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 2: and hopefully having twenty six thousand odd people and will 91 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 2: make a difference that the way things are going. I'm 92 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 2: starting to think that everything is just a pope and 93 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 2: gesture and they have no intention of looking and debating 94 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 2: at these points properly and making something of what the 95 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 2: people are asking for. 96 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: Samara. I did ask the Chief Minister on the show 97 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: this morning if she's prepared to sit down with you. 98 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: She said, you know, she didn't want this to play 99 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: out in the media, But you'd said to me last 100 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: week you're open to that, aren't you. 101 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm absolutely open to that. But even today I 102 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 2: still have not heard anything at all from the Chief 103 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: Minister's office other than that one phone call last week 104 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: letting them know that the wandering changes had come in 105 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: or we're coming in. 106 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: What why do you reckon? You know, to me, it 107 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: seems like really common sense. But why do you think 108 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: it is so important that she actually does sit down 109 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: and speak to you and hear things from your perspective. 110 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 2: Look, I think it comes down to respect. She's a mother, 111 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: I'm a mother. How would she feel if this was 112 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 2: her child? What would she want done if she was 113 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 2: in my position? And how would she feel about the 114 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: way the government has gone around things? Again, if she 115 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 2: was in my position and she was sitting here, you know, 116 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 2: having to decide do I go and comfort my seventeen 117 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: year old daughter or do I keep fighting. 118 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 3: For this in this moment. 119 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: She needs to look at it from a humanity, a humanitary, 120 00:07:54,280 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: humanitarian point of view. But it's not just about politics, 121 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 2: about people and how they're feeling, and the results and 122 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: the consequences of what is happening in Parliament behind the 123 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: scenes that people are just not being told about. 124 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: That's you know. One of the things that made me 125 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: feel really sad this morning is when I spoke to 126 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: Billian from the COLP and he'd said to me, you know, Katie, 127 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: there are so many different petitions that never sort of 128 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: make the light of day in terms of being debated 129 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: or discussed in Parliament. And really, sadly, I think one 130 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: of those is one that the multicultural community had put 131 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: together in the wake of the absolute tragic loss of 132 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: Sea Fast And you know that petition is is not 133 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: it's it didn't even get to the point where it 134 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: was voted on by the Public Accounts Committee. And I 135 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: think that territorianus would be utterly shocked to hear that. 136 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 1: And you know, I really hope that the petition for 137 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: decline that it does see some change, because everybody deserves that. 138 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 2: Thank you. I really hope it does too. This is 139 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 2: not just a fight for us now. It's a fight 140 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 2: to make the territory safer, to support the people who 141 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 2: have supported us, and to get a government to understand 142 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 2: how this is affecting people. 143 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: Samara, so much love to you, to your daughter, to 144 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 1: your whole family, and to all of Deckland's family and friends. 145 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: It's I can't even imagine how you guys feel. And 146 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: I really appreciate the fact that you've spoken to us today. 147 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 2: No, thank you so much for having me on to 148 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 2: be able to say these things. I really appreciate it. 149 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: Thanks Samara.