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Speaker 1: Now, obviously we've been talking about the situation with the

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Speaker 1: Northern Territory Government and mister Jamie Chalker. They'd issued a

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Speaker 1: statement over the weekend saying that Jamie Chalker has officially

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Speaker 1: retired from his position. It is weeks after it was

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Speaker 1: initially reported that he'd been asked to resign by the

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Speaker 1: Northern Territory government. Now joining me on the line is

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Speaker 1: well the outgoing Police Association President Paul Mchue. Good morning

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Speaker 1: to you.

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Speaker 2: Paul, Morning Katie. How are you going?

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Speaker 1: Not too bad now? Paul? What are members telling you

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Speaker 1: following the announcement about the commissioner or the former commissioner

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Speaker 1: now over the weekend?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously, you know, the announcement was made that Jamie

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Speaker 2: chalkers retired now as commissioner and the search begins, of

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Speaker 2: course for the very important replacement for that role. I mean,

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Speaker 2: obviously it's been a challenging few years for policing generally,

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Speaker 2: so obviously members of police are matters resolved. No one

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Speaker 2: needed to see a public debate going on about the

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Speaker 2: Commissioner of Police, and I think they're just please that's

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Speaker 2: been resolved now and it's time to move forward and

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Speaker 2: find a suitable replacement Paul.

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Speaker 1: Towards the end of last year, though, we did see

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Speaker 1: a survey which was conducted by the Northern Territory Police

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Speaker 1: Association that showed that a large number, well the majority

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Speaker 1: of those respondents no longer had confidence in the police commissioner.

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Speaker 1: Do you think that this change is going to see

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Speaker 1: a change in morale for the force?

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Speaker 2: A look, you would think it will be a shot

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Speaker 2: on the arm in terms of I guess, a short

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Speaker 2: term boost morale. People obviously were the rank and file,

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Speaker 2: the broader rank and file, certainly through evidence from those surveys,

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Speaker 2: not just that one, but others, you know, made it

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Speaker 2: clear they weren't happy with the direction that the Commissioner

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Speaker 2: was taking the organization and they weren't happy with him

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Speaker 2: for whatever reason. But you know, I think it's quite

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Speaker 2: clear this will be I guess, a change that they've

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Speaker 2: been looking for, and you know, ultimately they want to

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Speaker 2: see a person come in, no matter who that is,

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Speaker 2: that's going to obviously put them first, put them front

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Speaker 2: and center of the challenges that they've been facing, and

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Speaker 2: none more so than resourcing. So that's certainly certainly going

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Speaker 2: to be the case. I'm sure we know.

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Speaker 1: That Michael Murphy is currently acting in that role. He

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Speaker 1: does seem to be a well respected, well respected police officer.

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Speaker 1: Is he the right man for the job?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I'm sure if he was selected, you know,

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Speaker 2: there would be many of the members would be happy

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Speaker 2: with that. Obviously, we worked with mister Murphy for many

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Speaker 2: years and of course he's been deputy for a long time,

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Speaker 2: acting Commissioner for many many periods, and we have a

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Speaker 2: good working relationship with him. But of course he'll be

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Speaker 2: one of many candidates. I'm sure both within the NT

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Speaker 2: and nationally, I would suspect that are going to be

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Speaker 2: interested in applying for this position. But we just want

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Speaker 2: to see the right person selected. We want to see

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Speaker 2: characteristics which put our rank and file front and center

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Speaker 2: support and well being and make sure that you know,

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Speaker 2: they need to be wrapped around. I've gone through some

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Speaker 2: torrid times in the last few years, Katie, and it's

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Speaker 2: time we wrapped around them and made sure they had

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Speaker 2: what they need to do their job.

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Speaker 1: Honestly, I just think, thank goodness that the Northern Territory Police,

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Speaker 1: at our rank and file, have continued to work their

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Speaker 1: butts off over what have been incredibly difficult months last

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Speaker 1: couple of years. You know, what type of person do

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Speaker 1: you think that we actually need to take on that

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Speaker 1: commissioner's role?

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Speaker 2: Well, I think, I mean, obviously, sadly, we've seen national

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Speaker 2: coverage of the challenges facing our community around crime, and

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Speaker 2: of course the police bear the brun of that, so

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Speaker 2: I think it would be foolish to have someone apply

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Speaker 2: that doesn't understand those challenges, doesn't I guess, have a

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Speaker 2: full appreciation of what our police have been going through,

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Speaker 2: you know, for the last two or three years, and

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Speaker 2: of course what we're seeing play out and the public

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Speaker 2: almost daily with the crime here in the Northern Territory

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Speaker 2: across the whole territory. So you know, anyone that's going

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Speaker 2: to apply for this position needs to make sure they're

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Speaker 2: across those challenge, just make sure they've got a clear

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Speaker 2: planning place and really understand the reasons we seem to

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Speaker 2: be so short on police at the moment.

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Speaker 1: Do we need a local I know the names of

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Speaker 1: Michael Murphy and also Jeanette Kerr have been thrown around.

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Speaker 2: I've got no doubt they may be one or two

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Speaker 2: of many that might have a look at this position.

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Speaker 2: I mean, obviously We've got a lot of strong candidates

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Speaker 2: here in the Northern Territory, I'm sure, either either current

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Speaker 2: or former police officers. But I'm also obviously speaking with

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Speaker 2: my national counterparts on a regular basis. I know there's

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Speaker 2: no doubt going to be some interest from other police

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Speaker 2: forces as well, So you know, we look forward to

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Speaker 2: seeing a strong pull of people apply.

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Speaker 1: Well, do you reckon that the situation that we have

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Speaker 1: seen within the last you know, the last year or so,

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Speaker 1: in terms of that survey that had come out that

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Speaker 1: showed that a large number of officers said that they

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Speaker 1: didn't have confidence in the executive, in the former commissioner,

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Speaker 1: and you know, and some of the other concerns that

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Speaker 1: we've had. Do you think that they have had an

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Speaker 1: impact on our police when it comes to dealing with

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Speaker 1: the issues of crime, you know, i e. Having those

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Speaker 1: concerns with the upper ranks.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I've got no doubt. You know when you

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Speaker 2: look at some of the statistics, you know, since late

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Speaker 2: twenty nineteen or particularly around attrition rates which doubled. We're

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Speaker 2: over ten percent and have been for some period of time.

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Speaker 2: And many of those officers, Katie, really experienced people and

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Speaker 2: have been here for many, many years, so you can't

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Speaker 2: replace that experience overnight. That impact then flows onto our

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Speaker 2: very junior members in many of the regional areas Alice Springs,

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Speaker 2: Catherine and Tenant for example. And then of course you

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Speaker 2: know that really I guess high turnover of membership and

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Speaker 2: the feeling of a lack of numbers when you turn

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Speaker 2: up to work every day in many areas, including remote

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Speaker 2: and our regional areas, it really affects them around them.

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Speaker 2: Morale we know has been quite low for a couple

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Speaker 2: of years now, and of course that undoubtedly when you

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Speaker 2: don't have enough people to do the job, affects the

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Speaker 2: way that you can respond to the community needs. So

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Speaker 2: we know the government committed to a review and I

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Speaker 2: think any new commissioner comes in ought to make that

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Speaker 2: a priority to know where our people are.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I mean it's something that you and

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Speaker 1: I have spoken about on so many occasions. And the

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Speaker 1: reality is you and I have spoken on so many

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Speaker 1: occasions over the last few years. And Paul, today's actually

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Speaker 1: your last official day on the job.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it is after over ten years here with

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Speaker 2: the Police Association. Obviously the election CYC will come about.

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Speaker 2: I've as you know, decided to stand down from the

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Speaker 2: position of thoroughly enjoyed and being privileged to represent what

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Speaker 2: I consider the bravest and most dedicated people I've ever

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Speaker 2: come across. As you know, I've been through some enormous challenges,

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Speaker 2: and you know, I couldn't have been prouder of the

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Speaker 2: fact that they carried out their duties without fear or favor,

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Speaker 2: and I've been proud to represent them. But it is

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Speaker 2: time for someone else to take the reins. And you know,

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Speaker 2: it's my last official day today, but I leave knowing that,

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Speaker 2: you know, we're in a good place where we're obviously

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Speaker 2: in a position where we're going to have a new commissioner. Soon,

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Speaker 2: we'll have a new president of the NTPA, and I

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Speaker 2: think it's a good opportunity to reset and carry on

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Speaker 2: the good work we've all been doing.

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Speaker 1: Paul, You've you know, over the years, you've always made

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Speaker 1: time for us, you have always responded to all of

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Speaker 1: our requests for you to come on here. But one

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Speaker 1: thing that you have really done as well is stand

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Speaker 1: up for our Northern Territory Police officers, which I'm sure

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Speaker 1: that they are grateful for. I know that our listeners

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Speaker 1: have really appreciated your openness and your honesty over the years,

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Speaker 1: as have I. Mate, What is the process now for

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Speaker 1: your replacement and where are things at?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, the election periods underway. We've got four strong candidates

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Speaker 2: for my position. We've got obviously the executive positions open

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Speaker 2: as well, So that period of voting closes towards the

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Speaker 2: end of this month and then there'll be an announcement

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Speaker 2: shortly after for whoever my replacement will be. So that

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Speaker 2: process is well underway. We've currently got our senior vice

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Speaker 2: president working in here to keep the wheels turning, so

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Speaker 2: to speak. But you know, obviously, you know, business as

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Speaker 2: usual from our perspective, and we'll know the successor to

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Speaker 2: my position very soon.

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Speaker 1: What's next for you, Paul.

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Speaker 2: I'll just have a bit of a break, Conny, probably

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Speaker 2: have a catch a breath, and you know, obviously it's

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Speaker 2: been a long ten years, but as I said, it's

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Speaker 2: been an honor, and I'll thank you for the opportunities

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Speaker 2: obviously to keep enabling us to have a voice to

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Speaker 2: represent those very hard working police out there. And you know,

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Speaker 2: I'll have a bit of a break now and obviously

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Speaker 2: leave it to someone else to take the rains, which

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Speaker 2: you know, which I think will be a good thing.

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Speaker 1: Well, Paul mcute, Like I said before, we really appreciate

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Speaker 1: all the time, all the effort that you've given us

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Speaker 1: over those ten years. You've been a regular fixture on

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Speaker 1: the show and always bluntly honest. You know, whether people

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Speaker 1: really liked what you were saying or they didn't. But

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Speaker 1: one thing that you've always done is stood up for

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Speaker 1: those that are the rank and file police officers that

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Speaker 1: are part of the association. I'm sure that those members

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Speaker 1: are grateful for that, but we're very grateful for the

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Speaker 1: time you've given us. So all the very best. Thank

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Speaker 1: you so much and hopefully we'll talk to you again soon.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie appreciate it. Have a great day.

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Speaker 1: Thank you,