1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: He's one of the territory's most recognizable leaders, with decades 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: at the very top of policing and the Northern Territory 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: right across the country as well. The former Northern Territory 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Police Commissioner and AFP Boss Rhese Kershaw. He was meant 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: to be enjoying retirement, but instead he's taking on a 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: new challenge as the interim see of Saint John Ambulance 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: NT and he joins me in the studio right now. 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: Good morning to Yureese. 9 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and I agree. I am a pensioner, 10 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 2: but I'm a working pensioner. 11 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,279 Speaker 1: You are not, as did you get bored while you're retired? 12 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 3: Mate? 13 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: Well, you know we've come back here to retire with 14 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 2: the family and my entire family and my grandkids, and 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,959 Speaker 2: we love the territory and anywhere I can help, I'm 16 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: there to help the Territorians and the territory as a whole. 17 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: And in the health sector there's some help that I 18 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: thought I could assist Saint John's with a coole range 19 00:00:59,080 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: of things. 20 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: What was it about this role that sort of drew 21 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: you back in in terms of coming out of retirement. 22 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 1: I know you're back in the Northern Territory, but coming 23 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: out of retirement to act in this position in an 24 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: interim role. 25 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: I know myself pretty well and you know my personality 26 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: profile is you know, helped me to not control everything. 27 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 3: But if you need help, I'll be there. 28 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 2: And I think when I received a call from the 29 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: board saying, look, we'd like some of your advice and 30 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: some of your experience, and you know, I jumped straight 31 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: in and I said, look, I'm not a permanent CEO, 32 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: but I'm happy to help out. 33 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 3: And prepare it for the next incoming CEO. 34 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: So what are your main priorities now as the interim CEO? 35 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: Presumably have you been in there for a little while 36 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: or how's it sort of going. 37 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've been in there for a little while. 38 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: I sort of started last year, and you know, getting 39 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: an idea of the internal some of the internal challenges 40 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: and external challenges. I think, as you know, the environments 41 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: in the NT are not dissimilar to down South in 42 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 2: the sense that they've gone from complicated to complex, and 43 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: so the complexity now is a real issue for all 44 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: sort of frontline services and delivering those services effectively can 45 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 2: be a real challenge in these environments. But knowing the 46 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: territory and the different cultures we have here, I think 47 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: sin John do an incredible job and the staff there, 48 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 2: the frontline staff, are really wearing the brunt of a 49 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: lot of major issues that they have to deal with 50 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: and complications with health and other things as in people's health, 51 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 2: and they do incredible work and really are very very busy. 52 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: So what are some of those major issues that you've 53 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: seen as you've stepped into the role. 54 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 2: I think, you know, in a good way, our ambulance 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: officers and paramedics are probably the best trained in my view, 56 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: because the experience they get to two or three years, 57 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 2: they're highly sought after. 58 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 3: So we do have a. 59 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 2: Higher than a normal attrition rate, which is something that 60 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 2: the board and also the CEO the incoming CEO will 61 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: be working on to try and retain more of those 62 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: paramedics and other officers. And I think also just the 63 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 2: culture is is that you know, they answer the call 64 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 2: and they're always out there on the front line helping 65 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: police where they can as well and vice versa. So 66 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: it's a really quite incredible thing to see these people, 67 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 2: you know, work with no breaks and you know, long 68 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: shifts be abused and still turn up the next day. 69 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: That's something we've spoken about at different times as well. 70 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: You know, I catch up with Saint John every week 71 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: to find out about some of the incidents that they've 72 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: been called out to. And what's been pretty horrible over 73 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: the years to hear is that when some of those 74 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: ambulance officers, those paramedics are going out those incidents where 75 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: people are in their moment of need, they're getting abused, 76 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: They're being assaulted, not all the time, but sometimes they are, 77 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: and in a pretty dramatic fashion. You know how big 78 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: an impact does that then have on those frontline workers. 79 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: When I've asked some of those more senior people, you know, 80 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 2: it's just not acceptable. The public have to be more 81 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 2: respectful of the officers and staff and what they do. 82 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 3: You know, the more recognition we as. 83 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 2: A community in the NT and beyond can actually recognize 84 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 2: what they actually go through and thank them when you can, 85 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: rather than throw rocks at ambulances and not let them 86 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: get in and be able to treat and save someone's life. 87 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 2: I mean, these officers go towards danger. 88 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, what are your main sort of what are your 89 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: main priorities? I guess over the coming weeks or months 90 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: that you feel need to sort of be worked on 91 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: pretty well immediate for the handover, I. 92 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: Think probably some more public communication about how things are 93 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: tracking and where the organization is heading, which is all positive. 94 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: I think more of that. 95 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: Sharing that with you know, the community are wanting to 96 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: hear from, you know, to I guess make up their 97 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 2: minds around what happened at this incident, all that incident. 98 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: So I think that's being done very well and will 99 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: continue to be so. More of a conversation with the 100 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 2: community about how they can help as well. And even 101 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 2: if you want to be a volunteer or you want 102 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: to somehow help Saint John, there's different portals you can 103 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: go through, So connecting at a deeper level with the 104 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: NT community is probably and they're all different communities as 105 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 2: you know where Saint John's based. 106 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: Hey, speaking of those volunteers like they're the backbone obviously 107 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: of Saint John. You know, is there work that needs 108 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: to be done to attract or retain them. I mean 109 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: it seems like Saint John it does have a lot 110 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: of wonderful volunteers. I was talking about it on the 111 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: show yesterday because a number of them actually recognized in 112 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: those Australia Day Honors and other awards sort of recipients 113 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: at some of the council events as well. There's some 114 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: incredible John volunteers. Some of them do it for years 115 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: and years as well. 116 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 2: They do, and you know, having met some of those 117 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 2: volunteers and they're incredible stories and people giving up their 118 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 2: time for free is really a great intrinsic thing that 119 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: you can do for your community and it's selfless and 120 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: you know, hats off. The more that we can get 121 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 2: volunteers the better, and really encourage people to go to 122 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 2: the website and you know, apply and become a volunteer 123 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: or talk to a volunteer and ask them what it's about. 124 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: Reason, why don't you want to do the job full 125 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: time to go fishing inside? 126 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: Yeah? I love my fishing as people, and I I 127 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 2: did promise the family I wouldn't necessarily go into a 128 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: full time job again. And having been a grandfather now 129 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: three three grandchildren, yeah, you know, it does change you. 130 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 2: So I'd like to still help out the territory where 131 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 2: I can and use some of my connections and skill 132 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: to assist the territory in being a better place, you know, 133 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 2: not that it's not that there's a it's. 134 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 3: A great place the territory. That's why I've retired here. 135 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, mate, I obviously have you in here as the 136 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: intimacy of Saint John. But what was it like for 137 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: you in your in your previous role, you know, with 138 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: the AFP like it you know, it was a massive, 139 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: massive job, and I've got to tell you, I think 140 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: people felt pretty proud that our former Northern Territory Police 141 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: Commissioner was then leading the Australian Federal Police. Like that 142 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: was you know, it was it was a great thing 143 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: to see. 144 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it was something that I had never expected. 145 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: I really I had mixed feelings about leaving the territory, 146 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: but we always planned to come back. 147 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, we just didn't necessarily tell everyone that. But that 148 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 3: was a big job. 149 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 2: And I also knew that I learned so much in 150 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 2: the territory and I think that, you know, I wouldn't 151 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: have been the AFP commission if it wasn't. 152 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 3: For the territory. So I'll always be backing in the NT. 153 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 2: And yeah, it was a great, great experience to go through, 154 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 2: but I never expected to be the AFP Commissioner and 155 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: then sort of finish up when I did, very grateful 156 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 2: and honored to serve the community, and I guess in 157 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 2: some way I still want to be able to do 158 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 2: that in some different way. 159 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, look, I think it's wonderful that you're back 160 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory. I love it when people come 161 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: back to the territory. It is such a great place. 162 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: And yes, we've got our issues and different things that 163 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: we have to work through and have for a long time, 164 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: but it is a wonderful place to live, a wonderful 165 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: place for your grandkids to grow. 166 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: Up, definitely, And I think my daughters have already booked 167 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 2: schools and everything, so they're all set good on our 168 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 2: houses as well, so you know, it's really proud of 169 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 2: my family, and you know, and we'll be permanent fixtures 170 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 2: up here. 171 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 3: Good stuff. 172 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: I'm glad to hear that Reese curse or the interim 173 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: CEO of Saint John. Really good to speak with you 174 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: this morning. Thanks so much for your time. Thank you. 175 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: Oh thanks mate. It's the lighting in here, the new studio. 176 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: It's a bit different to the old dingy one you 177 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: used to have to come into. Good on your rese 178 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:24,959 Speaker 1: Thank you.