1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: The big headline throughout the budget yesterday is of course 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: for the Northern Territory Police and it's certainly been deemed 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: that the Northern Territory Police are the big winners with 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: the budget which does very much seem to be crime focused. 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: It seems to be a bit of an election strategy. 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: I think you'd have to say ninety million dollar increase 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: is what we've been told to the budget across next year. 8 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: In total, it means that the police budget's going to 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: increase to five hundred and sixty one million dollars. But look, 10 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: there are sort of some questions being raised about whether 11 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: it is new money, whether it is going to be 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: additional money when you look at the operating costs from 13 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: last year. And joining us in the studio is Nathan Finn, 14 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: the president of the Northern Territory Police Association. 15 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: Good morning Finny, Good morning Kenny, Good morning to you listeners. 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 3: What do you make of the NT budget. 17 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: I mean it's a big focus, is what we're being 18 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: told on law and order and crime. 19 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: It's a huge focus on obviously law and order and 20 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: obviously this budget hasn't come soon enough. We've seen these 21 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: announcements being made over the last few months, and obviously 22 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: we acknowledge that the seeing again spending that the government 23 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: has actually put in now, but we're obviously what we're 24 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 2: saying is we need the clarity behind. Obviously what they're 25 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 2: saying that the ninety million dollar budget increased to the 26 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: police budget was obviously as a result of an overspend 27 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: this financial year of currently seven seventy three million dollars. 28 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 2: So the ninety million dollars is not going to go 29 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: too far when we've already overspent the seventy four million 30 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: dollars whatever it is. 31 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: So from your perspective, is this announcement or is what 32 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: the government's saying going to mean that we've got more 33 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: boots on the ground or that we've got the adequate 34 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: support as well for police. 35 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: No, definitely not Gadian and we're not going to see 36 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: that soon enough. And we've been asking for this for 37 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: a number of years and obviously we've been neglected for 38 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: a number of years by the government. We've seen these 39 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: announcements come out this year and they can't say it's 40 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: not an election year budget. It guaranteed it is election 41 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: year budget. Us they wouldn't be making these announcements they 42 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 2: wouldn't be going to further into dead for the Northern Territory. 43 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: We've seen that the amount of debt rising right across 44 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 2: their term of government. It's astronomical, it is it's astronomical, 45 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,639 Speaker 2: and it's put you in a position where we probably 46 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 2: they never going to get out there, or it's going 47 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: to be a very long time before we can actually 48 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: see the side of that. And again, that's going to 49 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: put everyone else at risk. That's going to put jobs 50 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: at risk. Yeah, that's going to put services at risk 51 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: for the Northern Territory people. And we're still seeing the 52 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: high levels of crime. Unfortunately. Our members are saying that 53 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: obviously they've born been the run of this over many years. 54 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: They're tired, they're stressed out, they're struggling to keep up 55 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 2: with the demand of policing and they just want to 56 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: see some change now. So they're very tired and just 57 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: want to see this action roll out. 58 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: From an outsider perspective, it seemed like that, you know, 59 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: it seems like what the government has announced with this 60 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: additional funding or with this funding for police, like it 61 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: is a real vote where a lot of normal people 62 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: would be listening going, oh great, this means that the 63 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police are going to have what they need, 64 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: the operational budget that they need to be able to 65 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: do their jobs, to make sure that if we call, 66 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: if there's an issue that has happened at our home, 67 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: let's say it's broken into, someone's assaulted, if we call 68 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: the police, there's actually going to be the call takers 69 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: and the police to be able to deal with it. 70 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 3: Are the police feeling that way though. 71 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: No, definitely not. They're struggling. They're not going to see 72 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: that change come within the next twelve months. They're obviously 73 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: been battling this for a long long time and these 74 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: announcements haven't come soon enough. Codie and our members are 75 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: reporting that back to its they're broken on the front line. 76 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: They're struggling to keep up with demand. Their mental health 77 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: is struggling. Their levels of overtime that they're expected to 78 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: work going through the roof. They are struggling, and unfortunately 79 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 2: this is not going to come quick enough for them. 80 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: And some of these members have already made those decisions 81 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: to leave. So how do we look after our staff 82 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: that are currently there? Why announcing all this money we 83 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: need to obviously retain our staff. It's not about recruiting 84 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: and recruiting inexperienced police officers from other jurisdictions or from 85 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: straight from the private market. It's about looking after the 86 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: people we've got, making sure that they're equipped to do 87 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: the job that they need to do, and making sure 88 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: our front line, which is the priority of when people 89 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 2: ring up and they're the ones that are going to 90 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 2: be responding to the levels of crime across the Northern Territory, 91 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: and to make sure that the community is supported if any. 92 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: The policemen said to us on the show on Monday 93 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: that comes sort of June, things are going to be 94 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: looking quite different. That we're going to have a number 95 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: of recruits graduating. 96 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 3: Things are going to be looking quite different. 97 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: Katie, and they're quite I've spoken to the minister about this, 98 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 2: and I've also spoken the Commissioner about this. There is 99 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: a graduation obviously occurring into June. These members won't be 100 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: rolled out immediately. Some of them would be staying at 101 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: the college till later on in July to undergo their 102 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 2: training that they've missed out on obviously being deployed Dallas Springs, 103 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 2: so the transition course. From all reports, they're not going 104 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: to complete their training until the end of July and 105 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 2: be operational till the start of August. So as much 106 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 2: as they say that we're going to have all this 107 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 2: additional police come the end of June, come next month, 108 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 2: as I currently see the announcements, it's not going to 109 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 2: come to fruition until sometime in middle of August. Will 110 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: start saying that extra ms on the street. But again 111 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: they're creating new positions and creating new sections and making 112 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 2: these announcements about the Territory Safety Division. Again, these aren't 113 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 2: general duties police officers. They won't be the ones initially 114 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: bonding to levels of crime and the reports you make 115 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: in the public that'll be taken from the front line police. 116 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,559 Speaker 1: Again, Finnie, there's going to be people listening this morning 117 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: that are feeling a bit confused. You know, like, on 118 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: one hand, we're hearing from the Northern Territory government that 119 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: we've got this big boost to police for their budget, 120 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: and you know, the Police minister saying on Monday that 121 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: we're going to have additional police operating end of June. 122 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: You're painting a very different picture. What do they believe? 123 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 3: Like what you know, That's how people are going to 124 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 3: be feeling. 125 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 2: And it's hard and obviously reading the documentation for the 126 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 2: budget and getting the briefings yesterday from government and going 127 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: to the obviously the lunch that they had and everything else. 128 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 2: They're very confused. And obviously I asked questions of the 129 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: treasure the Treasury Department when we're in there, which give 130 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 2: a gift different answer to what mister Potter give to 131 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: you on the radio about the ninety million dollars. It 132 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: was extra on top of the five hundred and seventy 133 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 2: one million dollars now and they're saying it's involved in 134 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 2: that and it's going to be obviously it's not related 135 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: to the overspend and we're going to budget all this. 136 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 2: But they don't know themselves, and I've asked the questions 137 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: of this, so here for the public again, I not 138 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: know what's going on, and that's what we're saying, the 139 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: smoke and mirrors, but there's no real clarity inside. And 140 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: that's there it comments at the moment, we support the 141 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: government in investing in police. We need to invest in police, 142 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: but as far as we're concerned and our members are concerned, 143 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:14,799 Speaker 2: it's too little. 144 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 1: Too late. Well, Nathan Finn, it's going to be really interesting, 145 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: I think to break down the budget. The main thing 146 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: that people want to really be certain of is that 147 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: our Northern Territory Police are able to do their jobs, 148 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: and they've got the support. 149 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 3: To be able to do their jobs. 150 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: Everybody in the community, you know, it really respects the 151 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: work that they do. It's bloody hard some of the 152 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: stuff that our police go out to. I cannot even 153 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: imagine going out to those kinds of incidents and having 154 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: to deal with them, but gee whiz, we want to 155 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: make sure we've got enough of them. 156 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 2: But that's exactly Katie and our members want to make 157 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 2: sure that if they do get in trouble, there's someone 158 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 2: there backing them up. If they get into a violent situation, 159 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 2: they want to make sure that someone's coming to actually 160 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 2: protect them. They throw their lives in danger every day 161 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: they go into work, and we make sure that they 162 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: come home safe and make sure that they're not damaged 163 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: in the process. And that's their main aim, and to 164 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 2: make sure that they're resourced and can do the job 165 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: that they want to do because they all of them 166 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 2: want to help the police, help the public and help 167 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 2: people reduce the crime across the Northern Church with discount at. 168 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: The moment, just very quickly in terms of the funding announcement, 169 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: like let's look at best case scenario, right, and so 170 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: that there is an additional ninety million dollars, Like the 171 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: police minister said, let's take him from his word, what 172 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: would you like to see that invested in? 173 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: We need to go into the recruitment space and obviously 174 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 2: retention of our current members. So we're currently at a 175 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 2: capacity at the college, so we can't actually recruit any 176 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: more than what we're recruiting at the moment, So our 177 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: attrition's still quite high. We're still not meeting obviously the 178 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 2: attrition rate of the numbers that are coming through the college, 179 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 2: so we're not actually getting an increase in the overall 180 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 2: numbers of police, and we want to see those numbers 181 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: in police rise, but we also want to look after 182 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 2: our police officer that we have, the ones that have 183 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: done the hard yards, have done everything they've been asked to, 184 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: been through the troubling times and seeing those crime rates 185 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 2: go up and up and up and not being able 186 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 2: to do anything. That's who we want to protect and 187 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 2: make sure that they stay for the long term and 188 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: make sure it's a place for them to bring up 189 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: their family and to make sure that they're supported going forward. 190 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: Nathan Finn, President of the Northern Territory Police Association. Always 191 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: appreciate your time and appreciate the work of our police. 192 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie, and good morning to all. Thank you.