1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,760
Speaker 1: Now, the Opposition leader Leah Finocchiaro has renewed her calls

2
00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,400
Speaker 1: for the Chief Minister to name the date and time

3
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,639
Speaker 1: that the petition signed by more than twenty six thousand

4
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,080
Speaker 1: people for Justice for Declan Lavity when it's going to

5
00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:15,920
Speaker 1: be debated in Parliament. Now joining me on the line

6
00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,919
Speaker 1: to talk more about this is the leader of the Opposition,

7
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,520
Speaker 1: Lea Fanocchiaro. Good morning to you, Leah.

8
00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,040
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie and to your listeners.

9
00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,200
Speaker 1: Leah, why do you think the Chief Minister needs to

10
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,400
Speaker 1: name this date and time for the debate of Samara

11
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,240
Speaker 1: Laberty's twenty six thousand strong petition.

12
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,240
Speaker 2: This is really important for a number of reasons, Katie,

13
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 2: not just the fact that over twenty six thousand people

14
00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,960
Speaker 2: signed a petition for justice for Declar Lavity and action

15
00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:51,800
Speaker 2: against crime, but also because Samara Lavity, Declan's mother. She

16
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,320
Speaker 2: needs to book flights, she deserves and wants to be

17
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,800
Speaker 2: here for that debate, and she needs certainty around when

18
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,680
Speaker 2: they is, what time it's going to be. The community

19
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,280
Speaker 2: want to be there to support her as well and

20
00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,600
Speaker 2: represent themselves and hear for themselves what government have to say.

21
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,120
Speaker 2: In response to ever escalating levels of crime, and our

22
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,640
Speaker 2: democracy is a place for the people. We are representatives

23
00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,759
Speaker 2: of the people in parliament. People deserve to hear this

24
00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,560
Speaker 2: petition and it's really important that there is maximum transparency

25
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,160
Speaker 2: around the date and the time and of course the

26
00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:29,120
Speaker 2: length of the debate.

27
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that that's one of the most important

28
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,959
Speaker 1: things here is that I do think it's incredibly important

29
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,000
Speaker 1: that this is debated in full and that it is

30
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,520
Speaker 1: given the time and the respect that it deserves. Now,

31
00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,200
Speaker 1: I know that when you have an online petition, we

32
00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,600
Speaker 1: don't know exactly how many of the people that have

33
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,360
Speaker 1: signed that petition are local, but we're talking about twenty

34
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,520
Speaker 1: six thousand people here, and it has been driven by

35
00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,760
Speaker 1: locals exactly.

36
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720
Speaker 2: It's an enormous, profound number of people. I don't know

37
00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,560
Speaker 2: that breakdown, Katie, but it is irrelevant. It's a huge

38
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,280
Speaker 2: portion of our population saying that enough is enough. Of course,

39
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,040
Speaker 2: we've had the tragic loss of Declan, but other lives

40
00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,760
Speaker 2: as well, and people continue to be victimized on a

41
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,880
Speaker 2: daily basis. We've just had this government. You know, when

42
00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,520
Speaker 2: Declan died, we had the government come out and say, oh,

43
00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,280
Speaker 2: we're going to do an immediate bower review. That Bower

44
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:32,720
Speaker 2: review shockingly took five months, Katie. People waited so patiently,

45
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,120
Speaker 2: despite despairing the way our community is going. And then

46
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,720
Speaker 2: after five long months of patiently waiting, the government turned

47
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,240
Speaker 2: around and said, oh, actually fails perfect, We're not making

48
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:45,000
Speaker 2: any changes.

49
00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,880
Speaker 1: Well, I mean we've seen over the weekend though, that

50
00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,520
Speaker 1: there were staff actually threatened in a well in another

51
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,520
Speaker 1: bottle shop, allegedly.

52
00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,280
Speaker 2: Exactly exactly so, we had the incident in Palmerston where

53
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,000
Speaker 2: it was reported that at a bottleshep there was another

54
00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,000
Speaker 2: use of a knife or threat against staff. This is

55
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,839
Speaker 2: continuing to go on and for the government to take

56
00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,520
Speaker 2: five months and not make any changes to Bow, it's

57
00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,840
Speaker 2: totally unacceptable. Of course, we've had the raising of the

58
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,080
Speaker 2: age of criminal responsibility and we're seeing now the fallout

59
00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,400
Speaker 2: from that in our community. People have had enough.

60
00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,040
Speaker 1: I do just want to take you to that in

61
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:26,680
Speaker 1: I just want to give you a bit of an

62
00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,560
Speaker 1: update on that, because unfortunately in our springs overnight we

63
00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,720
Speaker 1: have been in contact with Gavin Morris, the principle of

64
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,400
Speaker 1: the Yepper in your school, and he tells us that

65
00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:41,840
Speaker 1: overnight there was unfortunately another another situation that had unfolded.

66
00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,760
Speaker 1: So kids under the age of twelve, by the sounds

67
00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,880
Speaker 1: of things involved in another crash, crashing a stolen vehicle

68
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,160
Speaker 1: last night. Now I believe they're under the age of twelve.

69
00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,760
Speaker 1: I don't actually have their their you know, their actual ages,

70
00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,200
Speaker 1: but the information that Gavin has given us is that

71
00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,680
Speaker 1: they've crashed in to a tree. A number of them

72
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,800
Speaker 1: are actually in hospital. He was due to join us

73
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,760
Speaker 1: on the show this morning just after ten o'clock, but

74
00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,600
Speaker 1: has had to delay that until tomorrow because he's up

75
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,800
Speaker 1: there at the hospital with them. Now, Leah, I know

76
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,680
Speaker 1: that you have You've said that the opposition is going

77
00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,279
Speaker 1: to reverse the age of criminal responsibility if elected. But

78
00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,600
Speaker 1: how do you think that that would help after what

79
00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,920
Speaker 1: we're seeing in Alice Springs over the weekend or over

80
00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,960
Speaker 1: the last few days.

81
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,560
Speaker 2: Well, it will help because what this labor government have

82
00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,760
Speaker 2: done is totally disempowered our police. They've failed to deliver

83
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,080
Speaker 2: any of the meaningful programs that are going to stop

84
00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,080
Speaker 2: young people entering the justice system, and then of course

85
00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,240
Speaker 2: programs that if they're in the justice system, it helps

86
00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,600
Speaker 2: move them into a stronger pathway for a future where

87
00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,320
Speaker 2: they can contribute to society.

88
00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,279
Speaker 1: So the Winister did say on the show yesterday that

89
00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,440
Speaker 1: an additional twenty territory Family's staff have started to case

90
00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,240
Speaker 1: manage the situations like we've seen over the weekend, but

91
00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,680
Speaker 1: didn't actually outline what programs would be available to kids

92
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,360
Speaker 1: under the age of twelve who engage in this kind

93
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,760
Speaker 1: of behavior. Is case management and family supporting us here?

94
00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,120
Speaker 2: It is not enough and we have seen the Police

95
00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,960
Speaker 2: Minister unable to answer this question, the Chief Minister unable

96
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,720
Speaker 2: to answer this question because the answer is there are

97
00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,880
Speaker 2: no programs now that people under the age of twelve

98
00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,039
Speaker 2: are not responsible for their crimes courtesy of the file's government.

99
00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,480
Speaker 2: It means no young person who commits a crime can

100
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,600
Speaker 2: be forced to do anything. This government has no mechanism

101
00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,080
Speaker 2: to make an eleven year old who steals a car

102
00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:43,080
Speaker 2: undertake any program. What we've seen is everyone's slate, white,

103
00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,720
Speaker 2: clean ankle bracelets have been taken. Old people have been

104
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,839
Speaker 2: let out of prison, they're records wipe. People have been

105
00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,400
Speaker 2: removed from programs, so even young people who were in

106
00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,960
Speaker 2: programs that were sentenced programs, you know, that's all been

107
00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,280
Speaker 2: removed and now we just have a total lack of

108
00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,560
Speaker 2: accountability or consequence for that behavior, because this government has

109
00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,120
Speaker 2: effectively decided that if you're under twelve and you have

110
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,520
Speaker 2: no criminality, it just does not meet any standard test

111
00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,440
Speaker 2: of the community, of community expectation, of our understanding of

112
00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,280
Speaker 2: the capabilities of people of that age. And just look

113
00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,880
Speaker 2: at what's happening at Yaparena with young people stealing cars

114
00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,719
Speaker 2: and you know what have these young people been required

115
00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,839
Speaker 2: to do by this government. Absolutely nothing.

116
00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,560
Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, I know it's tough at the moment because

117
00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,280
Speaker 1: there continues to be crime. But what's really tough is

118
00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,880
Speaker 1: you know, hearing from Gavin Morris and Alice Springs and

119
00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,280
Speaker 1: he's been calling to try to get a boarding facility

120
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,640
Speaker 1: up and running in Central Australia at Yperena, so that

121
00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,800
Speaker 1: kids have got somewhere safe to stay. You know, in

122
00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,719
Speaker 1: some of these instances, kids are committing crimes, but they're

123
00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,040
Speaker 1: still rocking up for school the next day, so clearly

124
00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,800
Speaker 1: school is a place where they want to be. I mean,

125
00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,360
Speaker 1: is this something that should be funded in your opinion.

126
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,000
Speaker 2: We're very supportive of the boarding school concept right across

127
00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,279
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory, but again this comes back to child protection.

128
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,720
Speaker 2: Of course, we heard from the Northern Territory Police Association

129
00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,280
Speaker 2: president yesterday pushing back on government, who are really forcing

130
00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,400
Speaker 2: police to be a taxi service when they've got plenty

131
00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:22,240
Speaker 2: of crime they need to be responding to and ultimately

132
00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,520
Speaker 2: right across the territory, more needs to be done to

133
00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,960
Speaker 2: be getting kids in school, keeping kids in school, and

134
00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:32,280
Speaker 2: dealing with child protection issues because the files governing will

135
00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:33,960
Speaker 2: be the first people to tell you there is a

136
00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,120
Speaker 2: correlation between child protection and the justice system, and yet

137
00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,280
Speaker 2: they haven't put in place the right processes, programs and

138
00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,680
Speaker 2: resources to make sure that we are protecting our most

139
00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:47,800
Speaker 2: vulnerable which is our children, so that they can go

140
00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,880
Speaker 2: to school and leave productive lifestyles.

141
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,280
Speaker 1: Lea just on that situation where the Police Association was

142
00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,320
Speaker 1: on the show yesterday speaking about those ongoing concerns around

143
00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,480
Speaker 1: their resourcing and Minister nari are Kid saying on the

144
00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,760
Speaker 1: week that was that people should call one three, one

145
00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,240
Speaker 1: triple four if they see anti social behavior. The Chief

146
00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,600
Speaker 1: Minister reiterated that yesterday, saying that you know those calls

147
00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,120
Speaker 1: would be directed then if they go to one three,

148
00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,800
Speaker 1: one triple four, they could be directed to territory housing

149
00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,480
Speaker 1: and other areas. Look, you've been calling for an inquiry

150
00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,800
Speaker 1: into resourcing for quite some time. I don't want to

151
00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,800
Speaker 1: cover off old ground here, but do you think that

152
00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,320
Speaker 1: there may be needs to be a direct hotline to

153
00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,040
Speaker 1: territory families or some other kind of avenue here.

154
00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,240
Speaker 2: Well, of course there needs to be, and actually there

155
00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:37,240
Speaker 2: is one. It's ridiculous that Natasha Varles, Naria Kid and

156
00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,679
Speaker 2: a whole lot of them are still they are like

157
00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,120
Speaker 2: systematically disempowering our police but still forcing our police to

158
00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,640
Speaker 2: respond even though it is no longer a policing issue.

159
00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,880
Speaker 2: I mean, it's just extraordinary that despite the fact that

160
00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,920
Speaker 2: the government knows our police are under resource, that crime

161
00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,959
Speaker 2: is higher than ever before they and they have taken

162
00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,520
Speaker 2: the way police powered to deal with young people, they

163
00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,520
Speaker 2: are still telling the community to call our police. If

164
00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,760
Speaker 2: this government want to have a territory famili's response to

165
00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,960
Speaker 2: youth issues and youth crimes, then they've got to resource

166
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,760
Speaker 2: and fund territory families to deal with that. They can't

167
00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,600
Speaker 2: expect our police to somehow respond to issues that they're

168
00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,160
Speaker 2: not allowed to respond to anymore. I mean, it just

169
00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,120
Speaker 2: it makes no sense to anyone, Katie. This government needs

170
00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,880
Speaker 2: to stop just having one or two people from territory

171
00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,240
Speaker 2: families on call of a nighttime and starting to resource

172
00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,760
Speaker 2: that properly so that there are people out on the

173
00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,760
Speaker 2: ground and our police can stop being taxis and babysit

174
00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:38,720
Speaker 2: all right, Lia.

175
00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,880
Speaker 1: Before I let you go, we know that the first

176
00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,520
Speaker 1: phase of the two hundred million dollar package to be

177
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,400
Speaker 1: split between the Darwin International Airport and the Rubleaf BA Starwin.

178
00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,160
Speaker 1: It is going to see the runway lengths reduced with

179
00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:55,320
Speaker 1: well they're saying no impact initially on airline operations. There

180
00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,679
Speaker 1: is then going to be some impacts from two am

181
00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:02,079
Speaker 1: until eleven thirty am daily October nine to November thirty

182
00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,880
Speaker 1: during phase two of the project. From your perspective, I mean,

183
00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,200
Speaker 1: we all understand that this work has to happen, but

184
00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:10,640
Speaker 1: are you concerned about the impact that it could have

185
00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,440
Speaker 1: for territorians and their connectivity around the nation.

186
00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:16,960
Speaker 2: Well, we are really concerned, and we're already hearing a

187
00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,880
Speaker 2: lot of feedback from people who have had massive disruptions

188
00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,679
Speaker 2: to their flights and their plans. But what's most alarming

189
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,200
Speaker 2: to me is not the upgrade itself, but the fact

190
00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,920
Speaker 2: that the government seemed to have been taken by surprise.

191
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,600
Speaker 2: I mean, the files government have been in power since

192
00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:36,600
Speaker 2: twenty sixteen. The runway upgrade was actually meant to happen

193
00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,600
Speaker 2: between twenty and seventeen and twenty twenty two. So here

194
00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,560
Speaker 2: we are all these years later and they still haven't

195
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,160
Speaker 2: had that connection with Defense in the airport to plan

196
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,200
Speaker 2: these works properly. I mean, it's actually work that's overdue.

197
00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,319
Speaker 2: It could have happened during COVID, and if this government

198
00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 2: communicated it better with the community and was actually managing

199
00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,280
Speaker 2: the territory and leading the territory like they're supposed to be,

200
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,559
Speaker 2: we could have It could have meant that people weren't

201
00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:06,520
Speaker 2: booking flights during this period that airlines were negotiated with. Well,

202
00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:07,360
Speaker 2: is it up to.

203
00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,040
Speaker 1: The Northern Territory government, though, to be managing a federal

204
00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,080
Speaker 1: department that is defense, Defense, and we know that this

205
00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,600
Speaker 1: is also a defense airport. Is it up to the

206
00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,120
Speaker 1: Northern Territory government to be project managing that?

207
00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,960
Speaker 2: It's not about project management. This is our This is

208
00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,440
Speaker 2: that international airport is our only way in and out

209
00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,240
Speaker 2: of our capital city by air. It is. But I mean, what.

210
00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,160
Speaker 1: You're suggesting that they that they should know the exact

211
00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,880
Speaker 1: days and exactly when different work is happening. Well, that

212
00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,520
Speaker 1: does sound like you're expecting them to project manage.

213
00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,680
Speaker 2: It, not the exact day that someone's going to dig

214
00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,440
Speaker 2: a hole and pour some concrete, Katie. To know whether

215
00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,160
Speaker 2: or not your airport is going to be shut down

216
00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:49,160
Speaker 2: for extensive periods of time would have been planned a year,

217
00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,200
Speaker 2: if not years in advance. And for this government to

218
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,880
Speaker 2: be taken by surprise show they're managing the optics, not

219
00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,280
Speaker 2: managing the territory. They could have planned for this, worked

220
00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,520
Speaker 2: with airlines, ensured that flight times would change and there

221
00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:06,440
Speaker 2: was minimal disruption, and instead they've been taken by surprise

222
00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,240
Speaker 2: one month out from work starting. This is a hands

223
00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:14,080
Speaker 2: off government that has totally given up on doing its job,

224
00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,480
Speaker 2: which is managing the territory for the good of all territory.

225
00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,280
Speaker 1: Well, Lea Finocchiaro, we always appreciate your time. We're going

226
00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,000
Speaker 1: to have to leave it there for this morning. Thank

227
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,000
Speaker 1: you very much for having a chat with us.

228
00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,600
Speaker 2: Take care everyone, no problem, Thank you,