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Speaker 1: But I think that everybody's been pretty disappointed, probably is

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Speaker 1: the right word, because shocked is no longer the way

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Speaker 1: to describe these kind of incidents. But overnight we know

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Speaker 1: that police arrested eight kids who allegedly stole a bus

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Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. Now. The bus was driven through locked gates,

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Speaker 1: as I understand it, at an Arra Lewin school and

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Speaker 1: was taken on a joy ride through town. That's according

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Speaker 1: to the ABC. Alice Now officers eventually stop that bus

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Speaker 1: using tire spikes and return the kids home to responsible adults,

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Speaker 1: as they were all under age of criminal responsibility. Now

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Speaker 1: joining me on the line is the mayor of Alice Springs,

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Speaker 1: Matt Patterson. Good morning to you, Matt.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. Matt.

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Speaker 1: I would love to say that this is a shocking incident,

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Speaker 1: but unfortunately, I don't think any of us are overly

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Speaker 1: shocked by some of the things that we hear in

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Speaker 1: the territory anymore. It's a frightening situation to have eight

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Speaker 1: kids steal a bus.

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Speaker 2: It's certainly not shocking, and it's just it's become the

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Speaker 2: new normal, unfortunately, and we're seeing it far too frequently.

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Speaker 2: It's just hard It's a hard deal to swallow. To

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Speaker 2: understand how we have eight kids under age been able

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Speaker 2: to steal a car and then be taken back home.

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Speaker 2: It's just, you know, I think it's got to be

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Speaker 2: a wake up call for the rest of the country.

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Speaker 2: They've got to start listening to us sooner or later.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like it is unbelievable really when you think

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Speaker 1: about it like that, because I know that you know

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Speaker 1: that obviously it's been reported that they were then taken

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Speaker 1: to responsible adults. Well, where were the responsible adults before

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Speaker 1: they got behind the wheel of a bus.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think that's a good question. I think that's

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Speaker 2: what people have been askying about the whole listing of

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Speaker 2: the age question. I mean, no one wants to see

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Speaker 2: a ten year old in juvenile attention. But we want

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Speaker 2: these kids to be in a safe place. It's what

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Speaker 2: everyone can agree on. But at the moment, they're not

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Speaker 2: being there, and then they're taking back to a place

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Speaker 2: that effectively they're left in the first place. So I

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Speaker 2: just can't understand how we keep kicking the can down

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Speaker 2: the road with this, because if we don't address it,

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Speaker 2: it's going to go on for another generation and another

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Speaker 2: generation after this.

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Speaker 1: I know you mentioned that people are questioning, you know what,

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Speaker 1: you know what exactly the goal was last night? But

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Speaker 1: what is everybody saying around town this morning? Because eight

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Speaker 1: kids under the age of twelve stealing this bus? Was

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Speaker 1: it from the school?

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Speaker 2: Yes, Monston, it was from you for in your school,

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Speaker 2: and you know they're doing some good things, and you

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Speaker 2: know this this is just a kick in the teeth

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Speaker 2: to that school. I mean, this is not you know,

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Speaker 2: this is a school for goodness sake that educates Indigenous

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Speaker 2: kids and they're getting buster to stolen driven through gates,

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Speaker 2: spending money on fixing up gates rather than you know,

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Speaker 2: running programs for these kids. Because it's just the constant

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Speaker 2: cycle of rinse and repeats. So what kind of saying

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Speaker 2: is they're very frustrated, Katie, They're very frustrated that we

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Speaker 2: got the eyes on our springs, yet the same stuff happens.

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Speaker 2: I mean, we know that it happens in summer when

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Speaker 2: the you know, it heats up, but this is this

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Speaker 2: is early August and it's happening already.

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Speaker 1: Mate. Are people they're sort of saying, as well, you

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Speaker 1: know what's going to happen with these kids now? Obviously

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Speaker 1: the age of criminal responsibility has been raised. The police

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Speaker 1: say that they were taken home to responsible adults, But

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Speaker 1: are they going to be I think a lot of

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Speaker 1: people will be questioning are they going to be forced

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Speaker 1: to do some kind of program? Is there going to

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Speaker 1: be some kind of additional resourcing around their families to

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Speaker 1: make sure that they're not engaging in this behavior?

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Speaker 2: Again, Well, that's you know, I think that's everyone's hope.

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Speaker 2: But I don't think that's anyone's understanding. I think it's

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Speaker 2: up to the child whether they choose to participate or

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Speaker 2: partake in that going forward. Now, I don't know, you know,

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Speaker 2: that's my understanding. I'm not saying that that's one hundred percent right, Katie.

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Speaker 2: But again, we're taking this this ten year old home.

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Speaker 2: What happens if they do it again and again and again.

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Speaker 2: I mean it's got to be at some point government

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Speaker 2: as an entity needs to step into the betterment of

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Speaker 2: the child. Otherwise we're setting these children up for failure.

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Speaker 1: Well you just ask as well, where's the duty of

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Speaker 1: care from the government, because this is a dangerous situation

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Speaker 1: obviously for everybody that's on the road, that's out and about.

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Speaker 1: But it's an incredibly dangerous situation for those kids as well.

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Speaker 1: I don't know what speeds they were driving at or

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Speaker 1: any of that level of detail, but you think tears off.

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Speaker 1: What would happen if that vehicle crashed and those kids died.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, and through earlier in the year when

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Speaker 2: all lives we're on other springs. Myself amongst many people

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Speaker 2: were saying that these young kids need a safe place

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Speaker 2: to go, and they need a safe place to have

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Speaker 2: a reparound services for them. But that's exactly right. What

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Speaker 2: happens if that car does flip and eight people, eight

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Speaker 2: young children are dead in a situation that could be avoided,

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Speaker 2: then what happens? Then we again have all eyes on us,

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Speaker 2: something that people have been screaming for change. And so

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Speaker 2: what point does that change come. Does it come after

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Speaker 2: the death of people stealing a car or is it

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Speaker 2: them hitting an innocent pedestrian who numbers? But again, we

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Speaker 2: can't keep the can down the road and we need

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Speaker 2: action on it.

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Speaker 1: Are people they're worried that, you know that this is

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Speaker 1: the start of things flaring back up as the weather

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Speaker 1: gets warmer.

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Speaker 2: Yes, they are. I mean we did have that you know,

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Speaker 2: a period where it was it was better. I mean,

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Speaker 2: the stats are extremely high, but it's because they're at

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Speaker 2: the ceiling last year. People are worried. I mean, this

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Speaker 2: is one incident. There's been many Kati already. I mean

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Speaker 2: you look at the airport last week at several break ins.

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Speaker 2: There was a property in the CBD that had five

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Speaker 2: thousand dollars worth of windows smashed. So this isn't just

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Speaker 2: a one incident. There's been many already.

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Speaker 1: Mate. Do you know with the incident last night, like

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Speaker 1: where have you have you heard much detail all about

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Speaker 1: where they were driving this bus around or you know

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Speaker 1: any of that kind of thing.

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Speaker 2: Now, I mean it's a question for police. Yes, my

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Speaker 2: understanding is that they are in the CBD, but that's

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Speaker 2: not you know, I can't confirm that. But again it's

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Speaker 2: just you know, putting innocent people at risk, and they're

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Speaker 2: putting themselves at risk, and as I've said many times,

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Speaker 2: they've got no fear and you've become very dangerous when

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Speaker 2: you've got no fear of life or death because you

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Speaker 2: don't suffer any consequences.

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Speaker 1: Matt, you know, we've spoken on so many occasions about

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Speaker 1: these issues in Olla Springs, but talking about some of

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Speaker 1: that funding that the federal government had announced and talking

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Speaker 1: about some of the initiatives that are meant to be underway.

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Speaker 2: Are you like, are.

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Speaker 1: You thinking that they're going to make much of a

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Speaker 1: difference or where are we ast? Well?

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Speaker 2: I think they have to make a difference. We've got it.

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Speaker 2: We have to invest them into areas where they will

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Speaker 2: make a difference. We can't keep investing them just giving

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Speaker 2: them to organizations and not holding anyone accountable. So whilst

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Speaker 2: that consultation piece is happening, that's great, but that immediate,

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Speaker 2: that immediate money needs to start rolling out. We need

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Speaker 2: to start wrapping services around well.

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Speaker 1: Matt Patterson, the mayor of Alice Springs, I always appreciate

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Speaker 1: your time. I wish we were talking about something more positive,

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Speaker 1: but on this occasion, it's a very ordinary situation from

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Speaker 1: overnight and yeah, I know that it's like it's incredibly

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Speaker 1: bad timing for the Northern Territory government at best. You

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Speaker 1: know the fact that this has happened just sort of

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Speaker 1: a week after they've raised the age of criminal responsibility.

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Speaker 1: Now you've got eight kids in a stolen bus.

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Speaker 2: Yes, and hopefully Katie will have something nice to talk

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Speaker 2: about soon, because I'd much prefer to be talking about

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Speaker 2: the good things in our springs rather than this sort

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Speaker 2: of stuff.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, Matt Patterson. Have a good weekend, mate. We'll

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Speaker 1: talk to you soon.

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Speaker 2: You too, Katie, stay stay, thank you, thank you,