1
00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,720
Speaker 1: As we spoke about on the show on Friday, laws

2
00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,920
Speaker 1: have been passed in the Northern Territory Parliament to give

3
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,720
Speaker 1: police more powers to deal with public drinking in a

4
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,440
Speaker 1: bid to tackle anti social behavior and reduce alcohol related harm.

5
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 1: The changes are going to allow police to issue seven

6
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,400
Speaker 1: day ban drinker orders for public drinking or disorderly behavior

7
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:22,560
Speaker 1: in high risk areas.

8
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:25,200
Speaker 2: Those committing more.

9
00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,600
Speaker 1: Serious alcohol related defenses, including domestic violence, are going to

10
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,239
Speaker 1: automatically be hit with a mandatory three month BDO, and

11
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,080
Speaker 1: police are also going to be able to check people's IDs,

12
00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,159
Speaker 1: allowing them to also refer people to various treatments, including

13
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,800
Speaker 1: sobering up shelters, which was a recommendation in the liquorac

14
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,919
Speaker 1: to review. Now joining us on the line from Canberra

15
00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,400
Speaker 1: to talk more about the changes is the Chief Minister,

16
00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,040
Speaker 1: Natasha Files. Good morning to.

17
00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,640
Speaker 3: You, Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.

18
00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,600
Speaker 1: Now, Chief Minister, these changes really make a mockery of

19
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,400
Speaker 1: the fact that you and other ministers had been telling

20
00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,000
Speaker 1: territories for quite some time that the two kilometer law

21
00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,560
Speaker 1: was still in place when it comes to people consuming alcohol.

22
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,319
Speaker 1: Why did you wait so long to actually give police

23
00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,880
Speaker 1: the powers that they need to deal with the public

24
00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,760
Speaker 1: drunkenness that we're seeing the impacts off So.

25
00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,680
Speaker 3: Katie, in the seventies it was the decriminalization of alcohol

26
00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,680
Speaker 3: offenses and the two kilometers. It is and has been

27
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:27,960
Speaker 3: all the way through illegal to drink within two kilometers

28
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,800
Speaker 3: of a takeaway outlet. In terms of what we have

29
00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,000
Speaker 3: changed last week is giving police more powers to try

30
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 3: and tackle those that drink and cause harm in our community,

31
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,760
Speaker 3: whilst respecting the vast majority do the right things.

32
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:41,759
Speaker 2: Well, look, you.

33
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,800
Speaker 1: Know, we've heard at time and time again that it's

34
00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,880
Speaker 1: still illegal to drink within two kilometers of a takeaway outlet.

35
00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,440
Speaker 1: But I think that to anybody listening to the show,

36
00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,240
Speaker 1: they would be laughing at that claim given what we

37
00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,480
Speaker 1: see on the streets each and every day, Katie.

38
00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,800
Speaker 3: This is a difficult space because in terms of there's

39
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:04,200
Speaker 3: been numerous reports, the Ooriginal Justice Agreement, the deaths in custody,

40
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,440
Speaker 3: Royal Commission around how to manage alcohol. So trying to

41
00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,760
Speaker 3: make sure that people comply, but at the same time

42
00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,639
Speaker 3: that we don't for what needs a therapeutic response, make

43
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,560
Speaker 3: sure that we don't criminalize that, but we do see

44
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,799
Speaker 3: the behaviors when someone's intoxicated that are criminal and they

45
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,280
Speaker 3: are dealt within this So it's not a straightforward process.

46
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,160
Speaker 3: But the changes we made last week are about giving

47
00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,960
Speaker 3: police more powers and as I just said, to try

48
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,680
Speaker 3: and stop those that have problem drinking not impact the

49
00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:34,440
Speaker 3: broader community.

50
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,919
Speaker 1: The opposition has taken aim at the government for not

51
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,840
Speaker 1: making that change a month ago when the review was released.

52
00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,239
Speaker 1: Have you been negligent in allowing this issue to get

53
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:46,000
Speaker 1: to the point that.

54
00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,919
Speaker 3: It has so, Katie, the review of the legislation three

55
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,960
Speaker 3: years of the liquorat that report is sitting there. We

56
00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,919
Speaker 3: may changes to the band drinker register. We do anticipate

57
00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,799
Speaker 3: early next year that there'll be further changes with the

58
00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,040
Speaker 3: correct and we'll keep working with community and industry around those.

59
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,639
Speaker 3: So there's a multiple measures that can be adjusted and

60
00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,000
Speaker 3: to try and respond to the alcohol added harm we

61
00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:10,959
Speaker 3: see in our community.

62
00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:11,960
Speaker 2: Well look on that.

63
00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,040
Speaker 1: You know trading hours are set to be reduced at

64
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,880
Speaker 1: Darwin liquor outlets. They're going to open from midday on

65
00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,840
Speaker 1: week days from December eleven. Hospitality Into CEO Alex Bruce

66
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,880
Speaker 1: was furious about your lack of consultation over those changes.

67
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,520
Speaker 1: After you said that you would engage with the sector

68
00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,040
Speaker 1: at a recent industry event. I mean, you've just said

69
00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,280
Speaker 1: now that you're going to engage with the different different sectors.

70
00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,200
Speaker 2: But did you lie to the industry.

71
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:41,320
Speaker 3: No, Katie, I didn't.

72
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,680
Speaker 1: I mean, did you tell them one thing one day though,

73
00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:45,480
Speaker 1: and then backflip the next.

74
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:47,960
Speaker 3: No, Katie, that's not correct.

75
00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:49,840
Speaker 1: So you did tell them that you were going to

76
00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,480
Speaker 1: reduce those hours. Did you tell them that before doing it,

77
00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,160
Speaker 1: you know, not just a couple of hours beforehand.

78
00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,560
Speaker 3: So, Katie, I acknowledged last week that we could have

79
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,400
Speaker 3: communicated better within history around this, But I did not

80
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:02,360
Speaker 3: lie to them.

81
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,440
Speaker 1: But did you tell them one thing one day and

82
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,520
Speaker 1: then do the opposite a couple of days later, No, Katie,

83
00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,280
Speaker 1: So you didn't tell them that you would consult with

84
00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,600
Speaker 1: them before reducing hours, or you didn't say that you

85
00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,160
Speaker 1: would actually you know that you would be consulting with

86
00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,080
Speaker 1: them before making any major changes.

87
00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,320
Speaker 3: So, Katie, I acknowledged last week we could have communicated better,

88
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,720
Speaker 3: but we work with industry, we work with community around

89
00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,760
Speaker 3: these changes, and as I said, we could have communicated

90
00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,160
Speaker 3: these changes better, but we try and make adjustments that

91
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,960
Speaker 3: recognize the vast majority do the right thing. But we

92
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,440
Speaker 3: see and we've seen increases in our correlated assaults, domestic

93
00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,279
Speaker 3: and family violence, and that's what these changes are about,

94
00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:48,120
Speaker 3: trying to tackle those issues without impacting or causing the

95
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,839
Speaker 3: least impact. More broadly, well, look the changes.

96
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,160
Speaker 1: You know, some are really very accepting of the changes

97
00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,120
Speaker 1: and think and hope that this is going to make

98
00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,960
Speaker 1: a difference. Others have not been without criticism. The Northern

99
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,240
Speaker 1: Territory Police Association say that they do support the changes

100
00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,719
Speaker 1: to give police powers to require a name and address

101
00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,880
Speaker 1: to be required by people drinking in public places, but

102
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,719
Speaker 1: they say that the changes don't provide any health response

103
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,440
Speaker 1: or support to address the real issues that our community

104
00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:21,960
Speaker 1: faces every day in every major urban center across the

105
00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,599
Speaker 1: Northern Territory. What do you say to that?

106
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,040
Speaker 3: So, this is where it's important making sure that people

107
00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,840
Speaker 3: do the right thing and that we stop the supply,

108
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,960
Speaker 3: but also having those pathways for people to rehabilitate, so

109
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,000
Speaker 3: they're so bring up beds, the rehabilitation beds. We have

110
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,839
Speaker 3: increased those capacities right across the Northern Territory and trying

111
00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,080
Speaker 3: to make the pathways for people who have a problem

112
00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:46,799
Speaker 3: with drinking as easy as possible.

113
00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,120
Speaker 1: Now you did say as well last week that the

114
00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,440
Speaker 1: changes came into place at the request of the Northern

115
00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,520
Speaker 1: Territory Police Commissioner. This is those reduced drinking hours and

116
00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,000
Speaker 1: that this is a trial from my understanding, until the

117
00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,520
Speaker 1: end of January. How are you going to gauge the

118
00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,760
Speaker 1: success of the changed hours.

119
00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,640
Speaker 3: So we communicate regularly with the Police commissioner. He requested

120
00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:09,839
Speaker 3: a change around the trading hours, so we're doing that

121
00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,040
Speaker 3: under an emergency declaration just to the end of January.

122
00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,040
Speaker 3: We'll then look at those statistics, so alcohol related assaults,

123
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,440
Speaker 3: the domestic and family violence, but also in terms of

124
00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,360
Speaker 3: police's response. So the Commissioner feels that these changes will

125
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,159
Speaker 3: help him enormously and his officers out on the beat

126
00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,880
Speaker 3: in reducing the amount in the morning that people can

127
00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,760
Speaker 3: access to get intoxicated and cause harm later in the day.

128
00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,680
Speaker 3: So we'll look at those statistics, Katie, and so what.

129
00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,080
Speaker 1: If they do make a huge difference. What if these

130
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,160
Speaker 1: changed hours do make a huge difference. I mean, how

131
00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,120
Speaker 1: are you going to work through then with the hospitality industry.

132
00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,440
Speaker 3: I think we need to sit and have a conversation

133
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,480
Speaker 3: with the industry with the police commissioner, because we see

134
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,599
Speaker 3: adjustments right across the Northern territory. There's different measures in

135
00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 3: place for different communities, but if that works in the

136
00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,000
Speaker 3: dal and Palmerston area, then we need to look at

137
00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,800
Speaker 3: We all want to say ibrate community hospitality, want that

138
00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,359
Speaker 3: for tourist and locals alight. So we'll have to have

139
00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:05,880
Speaker 3: those discussions now.

140
00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:07,800
Speaker 1: Nathan finn as I say, he joined us on the

141
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:12,080
Speaker 1: show on Friday and he had this to say about

142
00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,720
Speaker 1: some of the concerns or some of the requests of

143
00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:15,720
Speaker 1: the Police Commissioner.

144
00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,960
Speaker 2: To take a listen, did.

145
00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,440
Speaker 4: They also tell you what the commission actually also requested

146
00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 4: of the government in relation to further obviously limitations on

147
00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:28,040
Speaker 4: bottle shop hours, establishing where the person's going to be

148
00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:29,800
Speaker 4: drinking if they haven't got a valid address. He wanted

149
00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,160
Speaker 4: the sales of alcohol not to be sold to those people.

150
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:33,920
Speaker 4: There was a number of suite of changes which the

151
00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,400
Speaker 4: government haven't taken. His advice on anyone to think, hang

152
00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,680
Speaker 4: on a second. The Commissioner of Police is asking for this.

153
00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,480
Speaker 4: There's a genuine reason why he's asking for this because

154
00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,800
Speaker 4: he sees the alcohol the harm that does in the

155
00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:46,560
Speaker 4: community every single day.

156
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,200
Speaker 1: So you were saying he wants much further changes, but

157
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,280
Speaker 1: that's not the Northern Territory government have not agreed to that.

158
00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:53,960
Speaker 4: That is correct.

159
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:55,480
Speaker 2: Have you had that conversation.

160
00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,560
Speaker 4: I had that conversation with the commission early.

161
00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,240
Speaker 1: In the week, and so he actually wants that situation

162
00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,160
Speaker 1: that we've spoken about on air before where if you

163
00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,440
Speaker 1: don't have an address to be able to drink your alcohol,

164
00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:05,800
Speaker 1: that you're not sold alcohol.

165
00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,120
Speaker 4: That's correct. That was a suite of the changes that

166
00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:09,800
Speaker 4: he recommended back to the government.

167
00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:10,760
Speaker 2: Chief Finister.

168
00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:15,920
Speaker 1: Is that something that the Police Commissioner requested, So, Katie.

169
00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,080
Speaker 3: Just before I directly answer that question, we brought in

170
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,800
Speaker 3: changes around the BDR, as I said, the Liquor Act.

171
00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,800
Speaker 3: We put out the review, the three year review in

172
00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,480
Speaker 3: the last parliamentary sitting, and we're working through those changes

173
00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,400
Speaker 3: in what we're talking about asking the question of where

174
00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,600
Speaker 3: someone's drinking. That was something that was utilized during the

175
00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,840
Speaker 3: COVID pandemic. It's a conversation the Commissioner and I have had.

176
00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,480
Speaker 3: You've seen it in some situations through liquor acords. So

177
00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,160
Speaker 3: a liquor accord, a group of retailers in that area

178
00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,320
Speaker 3: will work together on measures and all agree to put

179
00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,280
Speaker 3: in place those measures, So that question has been done

180
00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,600
Speaker 3: through some liquor coords. More broadly, if we were to

181
00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,040
Speaker 3: implement that, I think that's a further conversation that needs

182
00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,760
Speaker 3: to be had with industry. I think they have some

183
00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,560
Speaker 3: concerns around that, and this is where you're trying to

184
00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,040
Speaker 3: put in place measures that make a difference and keep

185
00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,720
Speaker 3: the community safe and support our police, but at the

186
00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,640
Speaker 3: same time making sure that we support those workers in

187
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,400
Speaker 3: our hospitality venue. So it's something that we haven't ruled out,

188
00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:18,040
Speaker 3: but we haven't enacted at this point.

189
00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,960
Speaker 1: But if you've made changes to the opening hours for

190
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,000
Speaker 1: bottle shops based on a request from the police commissioner,

191
00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,960
Speaker 1: will you do the same when it comes to this

192
00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,559
Speaker 1: area that we're discussing Oka do.

193
00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:31,920
Speaker 3: I think it's looking at those accords and where it

194
00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,280
Speaker 3: has been in place, if that's had an impact. So

195
00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,560
Speaker 3: it's around asking someone. So if you go into a

196
00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,280
Speaker 3: takeaway bottle shop, you're a regular there, they know you,

197
00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,520
Speaker 3: they proceed with the sale. But if you're someone that

198
00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,120
Speaker 3: they haven't come and you've got a license address that

199
00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,720
Speaker 3: is from out of that area, remembering we put the

200
00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,480
Speaker 3: licenses through the BDA, that's when you would ask the question.

201
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,520
Speaker 3: You could say, oh, yep, I'm staying with my mate

202
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,599
Speaker 3: for the weekend, and they can make an assessment do

203
00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,000
Speaker 3: you have a safe place to drink that alcohol? As

204
00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:58,440
Speaker 3: you can.

205
00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,360
Speaker 1: See that and so what the person behind the bottle

206
00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,160
Speaker 1: shop then has to make a decision whether to sell

207
00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:02,880
Speaker 1: it to them or not.

208
00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,320
Speaker 3: Correct And so I believe the BDR, where there's mechanisms

209
00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,120
Speaker 3: where the person behind the counter gets that red or

210
00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,960
Speaker 3: green screen, is a mechanism that is we've got across

211
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,120
Speaker 3: the territory and has worked this next step. We're seeing

212
00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:18,600
Speaker 3: it through some of the cords. To some of the

213
00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,520
Speaker 3: retailers Katie I've spoken to, do want to ask that question,

214
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,160
Speaker 3: but they also want to make sure that they're not

215
00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,720
Speaker 3: accused of breaking any laws in asking that question. So

216
00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,440
Speaker 3: it's not straightforward. But if it would be a measure

217
00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,680
Speaker 3: that would keep our community safe, we're not ruling it out,

218
00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,120
Speaker 3: but we are not enacting it at this point. I

219
00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,080
Speaker 3: think it's a conversation that would need to continue.

220
00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,360
Speaker 1: Okay, Now, on Friday, during the week that was there

221
00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,040
Speaker 1: was a lot of discussion about the BDR and if

222
00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,240
Speaker 1: it's actually effective. My understanding is that you told Parliament

223
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,240
Speaker 1: last week that the new police IT system sir PRO,

224
00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:56,079
Speaker 1: will have the ability to connect directly with the BDR. Now,

225
00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,000
Speaker 1: according to the Police Association, that's not actually going to

226
00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,320
Speaker 1: be able to have happen until March next year.

227
00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,120
Speaker 3: Is that the case, I don't know about the March date,

228
00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,199
Speaker 3: that there will be a period of a manual workaround

229
00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,520
Speaker 3: for a few weeks. With my impression speaking, I was

230
00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,520
Speaker 3: brief by a DCDD which is a digital agency around

231
00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,160
Speaker 3: the sur pro system standing up and rolling out and

232
00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,280
Speaker 3: the interface with BDR. But they felt that it could

233
00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:23,960
Speaker 3: be done. It just will take a few weeks to

234
00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:24,320
Speaker 3: do so.

235
00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,120
Speaker 1: Have you misled territorians by insinuating that it is going

236
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,199
Speaker 1: to happen immediately, No, Katie.

237
00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,720
Speaker 3: I think in the debate we talked about a manual

238
00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,760
Speaker 3: work around whilst the systems were interconnected.

239
00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,120
Speaker 1: Okay, we know that police have had to amp up

240
00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,360
Speaker 1: their operations in Alice Springs as crime continues to plague

241
00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,520
Speaker 1: the town. There does seem to be a real issue

242
00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,400
Speaker 1: right now with the Police Association and the Police Minister

243
00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:52,520
Speaker 1: not being on the same page with the police numbers

244
00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,920
Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. Nathan Finn says that there are three

245
00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,360
Speaker 1: less police in Alice and there was at the beginning

246
00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,960
Speaker 1: of the year. The policeman Brent Potter has accused the

247
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,080
Speaker 1: Association of spreading false information. Now he told us during

248
00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,040
Speaker 1: the week that was that since the Prime Minister announced

249
00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,720
Speaker 1: the additional funding for frontline police in January, that additional

250
00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,840
Speaker 1: police have been created and there's actually eleven additional officers.

251
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,280
Speaker 1: Are there additional officers in Alice Springs.

252
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,680
Speaker 3: Or not, Katie, that's information. I don't have the figures

253
00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,320
Speaker 3: in front of me, but eleven was what I was

254
00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,280
Speaker 3: told from when the Prime Minister was in Central Australia

255
00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,160
Speaker 3: earlier this year to now there's eleven additional officers.

256
00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,680
Speaker 1: So you guys maintained that there are an additional eleven

257
00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,400
Speaker 1: despite the fact that the Association saying that there's three

258
00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:39,920
Speaker 1: three down.

259
00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,680
Speaker 3: Creative information I've got from the Police Commissioner is there's

260
00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:45,240
Speaker 3: eleven additional Okay.

261
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,920
Speaker 1: Now, sources have told us over the last couple of

262
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,920
Speaker 1: days that the darw And Traffic Operations Unit is actually

263
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,520
Speaker 1: being sent to Alice Springs to help deal with the

264
00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,319
Speaker 1: staffing levels. Have those officers been sent to Alice.

265
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,360
Speaker 3: Katie, I don't have that information. They're operational matters. That

266
00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,920
Speaker 3: would be a question for the police commissioners. He decides

267
00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,320
Speaker 3: where he places his resources across the territory and I

268
00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,880
Speaker 3: don't I haven't been told either agreeing to that point

269
00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:11,920
Speaker 3: or disagreeing to that point.

270
00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,880
Speaker 1: Okay, we'll see what we can find out. But if

271
00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,080
Speaker 1: that is the case, it does fly against what we've

272
00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,240
Speaker 1: been told that their officers wouldn't be sent from Darwin,

273
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,920
Speaker 1: or wouldn't be surged down, that there'd be a managing

274
00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,479
Speaker 1: of holiday periods and that kind of thing instead, Katie.

275
00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,040
Speaker 3: That would be a question for the police commissioner around

276
00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,480
Speaker 3: his operations and they make decisions to try and put

277
00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:36,080
Speaker 3: pure measures in place before behaviors can turn criminal. And

278
00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:37,640
Speaker 3: then at the same time they do need to have

279
00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,320
Speaker 3: resources just you know, when people have done the wrong

280
00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,480
Speaker 3: thing to catch them. So their decisions that he would make,

281
00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:43,800
Speaker 3: and I'm sure he'd be happy to speak to you

282
00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:44,240
Speaker 3: about them.

283
00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,000
Speaker 1: I mean, do you think though that it could potentially

284
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,880
Speaker 1: be a dangerous thing up here in the top end

285
00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:49,760
Speaker 1: if that is the case, and we will ask that

286
00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,920
Speaker 1: question of the police. But if that were the case,

287
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,560
Speaker 1: to not have a dedicated traffic operations unit in Darwin

288
00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,560
Speaker 1: over the Christmas period when we know that we have

289
00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,000
Speaker 1: seen terrible situations our roads.

290
00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,520
Speaker 3: So Katie, he's making operational decisions. We do have that

291
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,600
Speaker 3: review underway with Bink Kelly looking at our police resourcing

292
00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,559
Speaker 3: across the board. And this is the balance with a

293
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,520
Speaker 3: frontline agency. You know you need to have preventatives, but

294
00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,520
Speaker 3: you also need to have the resources when sadly people

295
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:17,120
Speaker 3: do the wrong.

296
00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:18,480
Speaker 2: Thing or a mindful of time.

297
00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:19,920
Speaker 1: But I do want to just ask you a couple

298
00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,720
Speaker 1: more questions those liquor buybacks. We know that three supermarkets

299
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:28,240
Speaker 1: have agreed to the buyback of licenses. Many others are

300
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,920
Speaker 1: seriously struggling with the restrictions that you've placed on them. Though,

301
00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:36,560
Speaker 1: are you reconsidering those restrictions currently on supermarkets when it

302
00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,280
Speaker 1: comes to alcohol sales, No.

303
00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,800
Speaker 3: Katie, it's an ancillary of sale. It was never designed

304
00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,320
Speaker 3: to be a takeaway liquor outlet. The Riley review recommended

305
00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,720
Speaker 3: fifteen percent. We landed at twenty five percent. And so

306
00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,440
Speaker 3: we've offered that buyback and we've got some that have committed,

307
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,920
Speaker 3: and there's others that are continuing those conversations. But then

308
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,160
Speaker 3: we're never designed to be a takeaway liquor license.

309
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,360
Speaker 1: I mean in a place like Mattterarker. And again we

310
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,320
Speaker 1: spoke about this a couple of weeks ago. We then

311
00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,360
Speaker 1: covered it off during the week that was. But in

312
00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,280
Speaker 1: a place like Mattteraranka, it is having a serious impact

313
00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,800
Speaker 1: on their business. People can't then purchase their takeaway liquor

314
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,200
Speaker 1: outlet take away alcohol from where they were, but they're

315
00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,320
Speaker 1: able to go down to the pub or they're traveling

316
00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,560
Speaker 1: into Catherine to be able to get their hands on alcohol.

317
00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,240
Speaker 1: So it's not stopping people from buying alcohol, Katie.

318
00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,600
Speaker 3: This was their license condition. It was never designed to

319
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,280
Speaker 3: be a takeaway outlet. We've got a moratorium on takeaway

320
00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,960
Speaker 3: licenses in the Northern Territory. And when we look at

321
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,960
Speaker 3: the basis of so much of our crime and anti

322
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,920
Speaker 3: social behavior is alcohol. Restricting that supply is a part

323
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,160
Speaker 3: of the licensing process.

324
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,720
Speaker 1: So is there evidence to support that it is now

325
00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,080
Speaker 1: making a difference in a positive way.

326
00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,800
Speaker 3: So, Katie, we do see with those licenses when they

327
00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,880
Speaker 3: comply to their license conditions. And these are conditions, Katie.

328
00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,840
Speaker 3: You've got restaurant license, you've got bar authorities, take away

329
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,040
Speaker 3: store licenses. It's just one of many licenses. But when

330
00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,480
Speaker 3: people comply to their conditions, we have safety community.

331
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,840
Speaker 2: But so is there evidence to support it?

332
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:07,400
Speaker 3: Is there hard evidence, Katie, there is evidence that those

333
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,120
Speaker 3: store licenses need to comply to the license conditions in

334
00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:11,920
Speaker 3: which they were granted to their license.

335
00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,280
Speaker 1: And so what evidence are we saying, like what positive

336
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:19,200
Speaker 1: impacts are we seeing by by those licenses or by

337
00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,040
Speaker 1: those restrictions being in place for the supermarkets.

338
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,000
Speaker 3: So, Katie, with the licenses we've got, as I said,

339
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,760
Speaker 3: a moratorium on takeaway. We know, the more takeaway outlets

340
00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,360
Speaker 3: in the territory, the more grog we see and the

341
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,800
Speaker 3: more harm we see. So it's around restricting the amount

342
00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:35,960
Speaker 3: of alcohol getting out into our community. So we need

343
00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,400
Speaker 3: licensees to comply with their conditions.

344
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,360
Speaker 1: Okay, I will move along because because there is a

345
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:43,760
Speaker 1: lot to cover off and I know that you're in

346
00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:48,160
Speaker 1: Canberra at the moment. You are obviously there for the

347
00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,160
Speaker 1: meeting as I understand it, with the other state and

348
00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,320
Speaker 1: territory leaders.

349
00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,160
Speaker 2: What is on the agenda?

350
00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,320
Speaker 3: So, Katie, I'm meeting with a number of our federal

351
00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,880
Speaker 3: ministers Education, Health, Energy. It is really important that the

352
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,120
Speaker 3: homewalth ministers and I thank them. You know, we've seen

353
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,720
Speaker 3: multiple visits this year to the territory, but for them

354
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,560
Speaker 3: to understand the cost of service delivery and the need

355
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,680
Speaker 3: into the Northern Territory, and to make sure that we're

356
00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,680
Speaker 3: working in partnership with all of those agreements that we

357
00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,120
Speaker 3: receive what the Northern Territory needs to deliver those services

358
00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,120
Speaker 3: so we can support our community but also grow our economy.

359
00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,879
Speaker 1: So are we expecting there to be any additional funding?

360
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:23,879
Speaker 1: I know that education is going to be on the agenda.

361
00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,439
Speaker 1: Are we expecting any additional funding for the Northern Territory

362
00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,240
Speaker 1: when it comes to education?

363
00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,200
Speaker 3: So, Katie, in terms of education funding, we're shifting towards

364
00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,920
Speaker 3: an enrollment based model of funding and we've seen additional

365
00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,359
Speaker 3: dollars come into Central Australia. We'd like to see that

366
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,760
Speaker 3: across the Northern Territory. So that'll be one of the

367
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:42,360
Speaker 3: topics that I'll discuss whilst on here.

368
00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,040
Speaker 1: Now I understand as well from a national level, and

369
00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,760
Speaker 1: certainly the ABC had been reporting that well. The Federal Treasurer,

370
00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,000
Speaker 1: Jim Chalmers has been urged by his state and territory

371
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,600
Speaker 1: counterparts to make the GST no worse off guarantee a

372
00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,800
Speaker 1: permanent arrangement as he completes the finished touches on his

373
00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,760
Speaker 1: mid year Economic and Fiscal Outlook update.

374
00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,959
Speaker 2: What are you hoping for in that space?

375
00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,919
Speaker 3: So this is a complicated one, KD. In terms of

376
00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,240
Speaker 3: the Northern Territory, I've been in budget cabinet meetings where

377
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,119
Speaker 3: we thought we had a certain amount of money. The

378
00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,320
Speaker 3: GST figures have come through and we've seen that to

379
00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,399
Speaker 3: be significantly less, like hundreds of millions less than we thought.

380
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,440
Speaker 3: And that's you know, a lot of money in the

381
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,520
Speaker 3: territory's context. So the no worse off was put in

382
00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,960
Speaker 3: place by previous governments and that is coming to an

383
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,000
Speaker 3: expiring date and so working through to make sure that

384
00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,199
Speaker 3: under the methodology of funding to the states and territories

385
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:36,280
Speaker 3: that we aren't worse off. So the Board of Treasure

386
00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,200
Speaker 3: is met on Friday about that and those conversations will

387
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:40,760
Speaker 3: continue at the national cabinet level.

388
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,800
Speaker 2: And are we expecting that we're going to be no

389
00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:43,480
Speaker 2: worse off?

390
00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,200
Speaker 3: Well, we would always point that we shouldn't be worse off,

391
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,000
Speaker 3: But Katie, I think in terms of the Northern Territories budget,

392
00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,600
Speaker 3: we know we need to grow our own own source

393
00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,840
Speaker 3: revenue so that we can invest that into our community,

394
00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,399
Speaker 3: but we also need the Commonwealth to acknowledge that it

395
00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,800
Speaker 3: costs more to deliver services and we have a greater

396
00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,280
Speaker 3: need in the territory and that should be taken into account.

397
00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,720
Speaker 3: With a number of funding agreements health education. Some of

398
00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,359
Speaker 3: those agreements are coming up for negotiation and that's what

399
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:11,679
Speaker 3: I'll be.

400
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:12,840
Speaker 2: Pushing any update.

401
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,600
Speaker 1: When it comes to the domestic violence funding, I know

402
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,360
Speaker 1: that the Northern Territory government has been banging on about

403
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,440
Speaker 1: the needs based funding, so that'll be.

404
00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,080
Speaker 3: A point that I'll discuss and a meeting with the

405
00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,600
Speaker 3: Minister responsible for that as well as the Prime Minister.

406
00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,000
Speaker 3: They committed to that leading into the election. We need

407
00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:32,879
Speaker 3: to see that funding come through so that we can

408
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:34,040
Speaker 3: address the challenges we have.

409
00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,280
Speaker 1: They haven't acted like they're going to come to the

410
00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,560
Speaker 1: table on the it doesn't seem promising.

411
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,240
Speaker 3: So Katie, we have a number of the agreements and

412
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,680
Speaker 3: when those agreements expire is often when you negotiate leading

413
00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,199
Speaker 3: into that. But we also believe that commitments that have

414
00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,720
Speaker 3: been made should be funded whilst continuing agreements are in place.

415
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,880
Speaker 3: So I'll keep pushing the territory's case and Katie, we're

416
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,800
Speaker 3: not just saying give us a handout. We just want

417
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,880
Speaker 3: the handout forever. We've got a strong plan to grow

418
00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,879
Speaker 3: our economy to our own source revenue, but in the

419
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,680
Speaker 3: meantime we do need to see acknowledgment from the Commonwealth

420
00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,800
Speaker 3: of funding into the territory that we have a greater

421
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,080
Speaker 3: need and it costs more to deliver services.

422
00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,440
Speaker 1: All right, Chief Minister Natasha Files, we are going to

423
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:13,200
Speaker 1: have to leave it there.

424
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,120
Speaker 2: We appreciate your time this morning. Take care, Thank you.