1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,680 Speaker 1: A bit early there. 2 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 2: It is just eleven minutes away from ten o'clock. And 3 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 2: joining me live on the line is the Police Association 4 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 2: president Paul Mchue. 5 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Paul. 6 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 3: Good morning Kay. 7 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 2: Now, Paul, obviously over the weekend, well, some pretty terrible 8 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 2: scenes I think you'd have to say that we saw 9 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: at that rally, and I know that the Northern Territory 10 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 2: Police have charged seven people in relation to riotous behavior 11 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: is what they've called it in Darwen on the weekend. 12 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: The vision on social media was pretty confronting. 13 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 2: You can see police out a checkpoint, a large group 14 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: of protesters then attempt to break that police line, and 15 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: police say that protesters allegedly threw some kind of liquid 16 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: at them and a number of officers were injured. 17 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: Paul, what do you know so far? 18 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, obviously, very disappointing scenes there over the weekend. And 19 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 3: obviously our police are out there to simply doing their job. 20 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 3: I mean, they don't make the directions. They simply have 21 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 3: to go out and enforce, you know, what's required out 22 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 3: in the community from time to time. And we know 23 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 3: in terms of this particular rally, we know the Commissioner 24 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 3: made a recommendation for those individuals to postpone that rally 25 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 3: based on the restrictions that were in place. They ignored 26 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 3: that quite clearly, and very disappointingly, Katie, for the first time, 27 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 3: clearly with intent, you know, armed themselves with either a 28 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 3: substance or some other form of weapon and with the 29 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 3: intent to harm those officers. And that's extremely disappointing, unforgivable, 30 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 3: that is very cowardly, and you know, those officers don't 31 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 3: deserve that, and they deserve the protection of the communities, 32 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 3: no doubt. I know. 33 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: I've had some of the people who attended that rally 34 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: contact us here at the station this morning and say 35 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: that police shoes force and that they have tackled somebody 36 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: out of a wheelchair. Have you spoken to the police 37 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: this morning and what have they said to you? 38 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, look where you contacted some of those officers at 39 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 3: the scene over the weekend. And look, let's be quite 40 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 3: clear here, the rally took place when it shouldn't have. 41 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 3: Police are required to use force from time to time 42 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 3: if people are not following their direction. That's what they're 43 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 3: there to do, and that's what they're trained to do. 44 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 3: So people shouldn't be surprised if police have to use force. 45 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 3: There were seven people arrested aggravated assault, police writers behavior, 46 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 3: failing to abide by a Chow direction. Some of that 47 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 3: behavior by those individuals was disgraceful. They should not have 48 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 3: been there. We all know that everyone, as I've said previously, 49 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 3: has a right to have a peaceful and lawful protest. Sadly, 50 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 3: this time it turned violent, and right in the face 51 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 3: of that are hard working police officers who we represent. 52 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 3: They're our members, and we absolutely support the comments of 53 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: the commissioner and condemn those actions. And very fortunately those 54 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 3: officers are making a recovery. But heaven forbid, could you 55 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 3: imagine Katie having a substance shown at you. It may 56 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 3: burn you, it may who knows what it was and 57 00:02:58,160 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 3: what that impact has on those officers in the line. 58 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, the disappointing thing that I think is that 59 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: we keep hearing from from those who attend the rally 60 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: that they're doing things peacefully. I've seen several different versions 61 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: of that footage from the weekend, and nothing about it 62 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: looked peaceful in my opinion. I also, you know, they 63 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: keep saying that that they are not threatening or they're 64 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 2: not doing the wrong thing. Yet we keep receiving threatening 65 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: emails to us here at the station. 66 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: I know that we're not alone. 67 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 2: So I think that if they want to sort of 68 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 2: run that line, then they've got to practice what they're preaching. 69 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, quite clearly, you know. That's as we know, people 70 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 3: protest all the time. They do it in a peaceful 71 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 3: and lawful manner. But when it turns to violence, and 72 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 3: obviously police are directing you to do something, you ignore 73 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: that direction. They are required to then take certain action, 74 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: and as we saw on the weekend, that resulted in 75 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 3: some of those people being arrested and sadly using violence 76 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 3: against police, which is never acceptable. And they're the ones 77 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 3: on the front line. They're the ones that have to 78 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 3: put up. We've been kicked and punched and spat out 79 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 3: all the time, and heaven forbid to have substances thrown 80 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 3: at them. It is them that are in harm's way, 81 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: and people just need to do the right thing and 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 3: follow the directions of the police, as as simple as that, Paul. 83 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: In terms of those injuries, were any seriously injured or 84 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: are they minus sort of injuries and is everybody recovering? 85 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, I believe obviously they're doing some testing and 86 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 3: so forth. But obviously, like I said, when there's a 87 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 3: substance showing at you and you don't know what it 88 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 3: is and it does have an immediate impact in terms 89 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 3: of heat or burning sensation or whatever that may have been, 90 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 3: that plays on your mind. So we were certainly monitoring 91 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 3: those officers involved. We know they were exceptionally prepared, as 92 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 3: they always are in terms of these events. But of 93 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 3: course when it turns violent like that, that that is 94 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: a really sad state of affairs for the Northern Territory, 95 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 3: and we're monitoring those officers closely to make sure they 96 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: make a poor recovery, and I'm sure the police are 97 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 3: as well. 98 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: Paul, how is the mandate situation going from the Police's 99 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 2: Association's perspective. 100 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, obviously, the looming date is very near thirteth to 101 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 3: November is when the direction from the Commissioner flow on 102 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 3: from the chow direction is required for our members to 103 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 3: have their first vaccination. Of course, it naturally is causing 104 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 3: some concern from several members who obviously still have a 105 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: lot of questions that haven't been answered in terms of 106 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 3: what it means for them if they're in certain situations 107 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 3: where they can't get the vaccination by that date, there 108 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 3: are still a lot of questions to be asked. We're 109 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 3: obviously trying as quickly as we can to get those 110 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 3: answers for them, but of course, as we've seen into state, 111 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 3: it's inevitable. I would suspect that if you haven't had 112 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 3: that vaccination by that date, you'll either be faced on 113 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 3: leave or until such time as you can get those 114 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 3: answers or other action is taken. But we will continue 115 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 3: to help those individuals on a case by case basis. 116 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 2: Have you got any idea how many it's going to 117 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 2: impact how many people? 118 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,559 Speaker 3: No, Look, it's very difficult to tell, to be honest. 119 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 3: I mean we've had, you know, obviously quite a few 120 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 3: people contact us. When I say quite a few, maybe 121 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 3: up to a dozen officers contact us. But of course 122 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 3: there are likely to be many others that are either 123 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 3: on leave at the moment, perhaps on attorney leave or 124 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 3: other forms of leave, and they'll also be wondering when 125 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 3: they come back what they need to be doing. So 126 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 3: there's a lot of people out there that this effects. 127 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 3: But of course we do know there's a fairly high 128 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 3: uptake in terms of vaccinations for our members already as well. 129 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: Are you worried or are our police force worried come 130 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 2: the vaccine mandate sort of later this week? 131 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: Are they worried that we're going to see more. 132 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: Of the behavior that we saw over the course of 133 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: the weekend with the rally. 134 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I suspect you know now that that behavior 135 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 3: did take place, I'm sure, and obviously up till then 136 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 3: there hadn't been that sort of behavior. Then no doubt 137 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 3: the planning for our officers will will include the likelihood 138 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: of that occurring, and we just certainly hope that doesn't 139 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 3: take place ever again. But of course we've seen it 140 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:04,239 Speaker 3: in the jurisdiction bounce out, you know, where sadly those 141 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 3: have a protest have turned violent. It did here on 142 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 3: the weekend, and of course, no doubt the planning for 143 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 3: future protests will include that for sure. 144 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 2: Police Association President Paul Mchew, I always appreciate your time. 145 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: Thanks very much for having a chat with us today. 146 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 3: No, thanks, Katty, thank you.