Latest news with #LiaFinocchiaro
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Lidia Thorpe claims NT Chief Minister ‘complicit' in genocide amid ire over deaths in custody
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the Northern Territory's chief minister of being 'complicit in the ongoing genocide' of Indigenous Australians. The claim came after two men recently died in police custody in the Top End, sparking ire across the country. Senator Thorpe said on Tuesday 'there's no trust in the Northern Territory Police Force'. 'We know that they have systemic racism,' she told the ABC. 'We know through the Kumanjayi Walker inquest that the Northern Territory Police are racist, so families do not trust the Northern Territory Police and we need federal leadership. 'We need the feds to step in here.' There have been calls, including from Indigenous Affairs Minister Malindiri McCarthy, for an external review of deaths in NT Police custody. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has pushed back, instead saying she trusted the Territory's police to review itself. 'I think that shows how out of touch the Northern Territory Chief Minister is and that she is complicit in the ongoing genocide against our people,' Senator Thorpe said. Pressed on what grounds she was making the claim, Senator Thorpe said Ms Finocchiaro was playing a role in the system that causing 'ongoing harm of our people'. 'The definition of genocide, according to the Geneva Convention, is causing harm to a group of people,' she said. 'The ongoing killings of our people in custody is ongoing harm of our people. 'The incarceration rates of our people, particularly in the Northern Territory, particularly of our children, is an act of genocide. 'The stealing of children and putting them in with white families is an act of genocide. 'So we meet all the definitions of genocide and I've certainly seen that over my time.'
West Australian
5 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Fireworks on way to ensure Territory Day isn't a fizzer
A convoy of trucks is carting more than 100 tonnes of fireworks to ensure a territory's annual celebration of self-governance isn't a fizzer. For one day a year Northern Territorians are allowed to buy and set off their own fireworks to celebrate Territory Day, affectionately dubbed Cracker Night. But NSW authorities risked putting a dampener on the 2025 festivities after seizing the explosive cargo that was ordered for the big event on July 1. In the NT fireworks have become synonymous with the day that marks the anniversary of its self-government in 1978. Territorians are legally allowed to set them off for a five-hour period from 6pm on July 1. But the fireworks shipment had entered NSW unauthorised and was seized by the state's workplace safety watchdog, a NSW government spokesman confirmed on May 16. "While use of these fireworks is legal in the NT, they are not legal to sell and use in NSW," he said. To preserve the sparkling overhead display NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro went over the heads of state bureaucrats and engaged directly with NSW Premier Chris Minns and Queensland counterpart David Crisafulli. On Wednesday she confirmed negotiations had been successful and the trucks had left NSW bound for the NT via Queensland. "It's so important that Territorians get to celebrate their way, and not be held ransom by interstate decisions," she told NT News. "New South Wales and Queensland bureaucrats may have done their best to hold things up, but nothing gets in the way of Territory Day." She thanked the two state premiers for their help. In 2024, a 23-year-old man severed his arm and a 58-year-old man suffered an injury to his groin in a fireworks mishap, among a series of Territory Day incidents.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Fireworks on way to ensure Territory Day isn't a fizzer
A convoy of trucks is carting more than 100 tonnes of fireworks to ensure a territory's annual celebration of self-governance isn't a fizzer. For one day a year Northern Territorians are allowed to buy and set off their own fireworks to celebrate Territory Day, affectionately dubbed Cracker Night. But NSW authorities risked putting a dampener on the 2025 festivities after seizing the explosive cargo that was ordered for the big event on July 1. In the NT fireworks have become synonymous with the day that marks the anniversary of its self-government in 1978. Territorians are legally allowed to set them off for a five-hour period from 6pm on July 1. But the fireworks shipment had entered NSW unauthorised and was seized by the state's workplace safety watchdog, a NSW government spokesman confirmed on May 16. "While use of these fireworks is legal in the NT, they are not legal to sell and use in NSW," he said. To preserve the sparkling overhead display NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro went over the heads of state bureaucrats and engaged directly with NSW Premier Chris Minns and Queensland counterpart David Crisafulli. On Wednesday she confirmed negotiations had been successful and the trucks had left NSW bound for the NT via Queensland. "It's so important that Territorians get to celebrate their way, and not be held ransom by interstate decisions," she told NT News. "New South Wales and Queensland bureaucrats may have done their best to hold things up, but nothing gets in the way of Territory Day." She thanked the two state premiers for their help. In 2024, a 23-year-old man severed his arm and a 58-year-old man suffered an injury to his groin in a fireworks mishap, among a series of Territory Day incidents.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
NT ICAC commissioner Michael Riches resigns
The Northern Territory's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Michael Riches has resigned. It comes after an 11-month investigation into "workplace allegations" at his office was finalised. According to a NT government statement on Tuesday night, in June 2024, former chief minister Eva Lawler advised NT parliament she had referred "workplace allegations within the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption" to the Commissioner for Public Employment, for investigation. Those allegations about Mr Riches's behaviour were noted by the Inspector of the ICAC in a report delivered that same month, which investigated separate claims against Mr Riches. In a statement on Tuesday night, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said she had received a finalised report into the workplace allegations from the Commissioner for Public Employment on May 7. She said she "immediately" provided the findings to ICAC inspector Bruce McClintock "for him to consider and to determine whether the findings of the investigation warrant further action", with his report to be tabled in parliament once completed. However, she said Mr Riches had resigned on Tuesday, with his departure to come into effect on May 15. Given the resignation, Ms Finocchiaro said the ICAC inspector had informed her "he has exercised his discretion under the Act to terminate the investigation as it is no longer in the public interest and is an unnecessary expenditure of Territory resources". She said despite Mr Riches's resignation, she had requested the Commissioner of Public Employment publish the report on the agency's website. "As a result of the Inspector of the ICAC's investigation concluding, I have today requested the Commissioner for Public Employment necessitate sufficient redaction to allow for privacy and confidentiality concerns to be allayed and for the Confidential Report to be published on the OCPE's website," she said. Ms Finocchiaro confirmed Greg Shanahan would continue as acting ICAC commissioner "to provide certainty". "As a new government, we share the community's frustrations regarding the length of time and costs in which this whole process has taken," she said. Mr Riches has been on leave from his highly-paid position since June last year, when a separate investigation by the ICAC inspector was initiated. That investigation centred on legal documents which revealed Mr Riches had agreed to pay his estranged wife $20,000 at the same time as she withdrew a domestic violence order against him. An investigation by Mr McClintock found Mr Riches had not acted improperly when making this payment. Despite Mr Riches being cleared of any wrongdoing, then-chief minister Ms Lawler said at the time he would remain on indefinite leave as he required "time to focus on his health and recovery". She also said the ICAC inspector report would not be made public because it contained sensitive information. "The ICAC Inspector has identified that his report contains confidential information concerning both Mr Riches and Ms Riches' allegations, and legal documents which are the subject of legal professional privilege, as well as highly confidential medical information," she said. "On this basis it should not be published." In September, Ms Finocchiaro refused to provide a timeframe for Mr Riches's return or confirm if he was on paid or unpaid leave.
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Chief minister insists causes of crime being addressed
More than $500 million will go to one territory's prison system to keep pace with tough new bail laws but the chief minister insists her government is also addressing the root causes of crime. The Country Liberal Party government's first budget for the Northern Territory delivered on Tuesday features a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. Corrections services will get more than $500 million to ensure extra beds and services to cope with a boosted jail population resulting from the tougher bail laws, with youth offenders mainly impacted. The government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro insists her government is taking decisive action to break the cycle of crime by addressing its causes through a package of early intervention, education, family support and housing initiatives in the budget. "You don't fix crime by only responding after it happens. You prevent it by investing in addressing the root causes of crime," she said in a statement on Tuesday. The budget had a strong emphasis on youth engagement, family safety and community wellbeing, she said. Ms Finocchiaro said her government was driving reforms to improve school attendance and hold parents accountable for ensuring children attend. That involved referring parents to income support if they deprived their children of education, school attendance officers issuing infringement notices for chronic non-attendance and more school-based police officers to promote safety. The budget also delivers $204 million for family support services and $20.9 million for child protection, $138.6 million for out-of-home care and $73.2 million to support homelessness services. It includes $6.6 million per annum in ongoing funding for the Circuit Breaker program operating in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine. This initiative targets young people aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of entering the youth justice or child protection systems, offering case management and family support, supervised accommodation where needed, local supervision to keep at-risk youth off the streets and keeping kids in school and families accountable. To tackle overcrowding and poor housing conditions the government is investing in up to 2700 new homes and a major repairs and maintenance program under the jointly funded $4 billion remote housing agreement. A much-loved Darwin store owner's fatal stabbing on April 23 inspired what are being billed as Australia's toughest bail laws. The NT government brought in the reforms barely a week after 71-year-old Linford Feick was allegedly stabbed to death by a teenager who was on bail for "serious matters" and has since been charged with murder. When the bail laws were passed Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said Labor would support them "in good faith" but they were a "band-aid solution". Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri said the record spend on law and order was "a clear example of getting the policy and resource settings completely wrong". "The NT remains Australia's most imprisoned jurisdiction, with an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia – and that number continues to rise due to punitive legislative settings," she said. More than $500 million will go to one territory's prison system to keep pace with tough new bail laws but the chief minister insists her government is also addressing the root causes of crime. The Country Liberal Party government's first budget for the Northern Territory delivered on Tuesday features a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. Corrections services will get more than $500 million to ensure extra beds and services to cope with a boosted jail population resulting from the tougher bail laws, with youth offenders mainly impacted. The government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro insists her government is taking decisive action to break the cycle of crime by addressing its causes through a package of early intervention, education, family support and housing initiatives in the budget. "You don't fix crime by only responding after it happens. You prevent it by investing in addressing the root causes of crime," she said in a statement on Tuesday. The budget had a strong emphasis on youth engagement, family safety and community wellbeing, she said. Ms Finocchiaro said her government was driving reforms to improve school attendance and hold parents accountable for ensuring children attend. That involved referring parents to income support if they deprived their children of education, school attendance officers issuing infringement notices for chronic non-attendance and more school-based police officers to promote safety. The budget also delivers $204 million for family support services and $20.9 million for child protection, $138.6 million for out-of-home care and $73.2 million to support homelessness services. It includes $6.6 million per annum in ongoing funding for the Circuit Breaker program operating in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine. This initiative targets young people aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of entering the youth justice or child protection systems, offering case management and family support, supervised accommodation where needed, local supervision to keep at-risk youth off the streets and keeping kids in school and families accountable. To tackle overcrowding and poor housing conditions the government is investing in up to 2700 new homes and a major repairs and maintenance program under the jointly funded $4 billion remote housing agreement. A much-loved Darwin store owner's fatal stabbing on April 23 inspired what are being billed as Australia's toughest bail laws. The NT government brought in the reforms barely a week after 71-year-old Linford Feick was allegedly stabbed to death by a teenager who was on bail for "serious matters" and has since been charged with murder. When the bail laws were passed Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said Labor would support them "in good faith" but they were a "band-aid solution". Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri said the record spend on law and order was "a clear example of getting the policy and resource settings completely wrong". "The NT remains Australia's most imprisoned jurisdiction, with an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia – and that number continues to rise due to punitive legislative settings," she said. More than $500 million will go to one territory's prison system to keep pace with tough new bail laws but the chief minister insists her government is also addressing the root causes of crime. The Country Liberal Party government's first budget for the Northern Territory delivered on Tuesday features a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. Corrections services will get more than $500 million to ensure extra beds and services to cope with a boosted jail population resulting from the tougher bail laws, with youth offenders mainly impacted. The government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro insists her government is taking decisive action to break the cycle of crime by addressing its causes through a package of early intervention, education, family support and housing initiatives in the budget. "You don't fix crime by only responding after it happens. You prevent it by investing in addressing the root causes of crime," she said in a statement on Tuesday. The budget had a strong emphasis on youth engagement, family safety and community wellbeing, she said. Ms Finocchiaro said her government was driving reforms to improve school attendance and hold parents accountable for ensuring children attend. That involved referring parents to income support if they deprived their children of education, school attendance officers issuing infringement notices for chronic non-attendance and more school-based police officers to promote safety. The budget also delivers $204 million for family support services and $20.9 million for child protection, $138.6 million for out-of-home care and $73.2 million to support homelessness services. It includes $6.6 million per annum in ongoing funding for the Circuit Breaker program operating in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine. This initiative targets young people aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of entering the youth justice or child protection systems, offering case management and family support, supervised accommodation where needed, local supervision to keep at-risk youth off the streets and keeping kids in school and families accountable. To tackle overcrowding and poor housing conditions the government is investing in up to 2700 new homes and a major repairs and maintenance program under the jointly funded $4 billion remote housing agreement. A much-loved Darwin store owner's fatal stabbing on April 23 inspired what are being billed as Australia's toughest bail laws. The NT government brought in the reforms barely a week after 71-year-old Linford Feick was allegedly stabbed to death by a teenager who was on bail for "serious matters" and has since been charged with murder. When the bail laws were passed Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said Labor would support them "in good faith" but they were a "band-aid solution". Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri said the record spend on law and order was "a clear example of getting the policy and resource settings completely wrong". "The NT remains Australia's most imprisoned jurisdiction, with an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia – and that number continues to rise due to punitive legislative settings," she said. More than $500 million will go to one territory's prison system to keep pace with tough new bail laws but the chief minister insists her government is also addressing the root causes of crime. The Country Liberal Party government's first budget for the Northern Territory delivered on Tuesday features a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. Corrections services will get more than $500 million to ensure extra beds and services to cope with a boosted jail population resulting from the tougher bail laws, with youth offenders mainly impacted. The government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro insists her government is taking decisive action to break the cycle of crime by addressing its causes through a package of early intervention, education, family support and housing initiatives in the budget. "You don't fix crime by only responding after it happens. You prevent it by investing in addressing the root causes of crime," she said in a statement on Tuesday. The budget had a strong emphasis on youth engagement, family safety and community wellbeing, she said. Ms Finocchiaro said her government was driving reforms to improve school attendance and hold parents accountable for ensuring children attend. That involved referring parents to income support if they deprived their children of education, school attendance officers issuing infringement notices for chronic non-attendance and more school-based police officers to promote safety. The budget also delivers $204 million for family support services and $20.9 million for child protection, $138.6 million for out-of-home care and $73.2 million to support homelessness services. It includes $6.6 million per annum in ongoing funding for the Circuit Breaker program operating in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine. This initiative targets young people aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of entering the youth justice or child protection systems, offering case management and family support, supervised accommodation where needed, local supervision to keep at-risk youth off the streets and keeping kids in school and families accountable. To tackle overcrowding and poor housing conditions the government is investing in up to 2700 new homes and a major repairs and maintenance program under the jointly funded $4 billion remote housing agreement. A much-loved Darwin store owner's fatal stabbing on April 23 inspired what are being billed as Australia's toughest bail laws. The NT government brought in the reforms barely a week after 71-year-old Linford Feick was allegedly stabbed to death by a teenager who was on bail for "serious matters" and has since been charged with murder. When the bail laws were passed Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said Labor would support them "in good faith" but they were a "band-aid solution". Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri said the record spend on law and order was "a clear example of getting the policy and resource settings completely wrong". "The NT remains Australia's most imprisoned jurisdiction, with an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia – and that number continues to rise due to punitive legislative settings," she said.
