PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO 2024 NTPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

I would like to welcome and acknowledge the following attendees: Minister for Police, the Honourable Brent Potter MLA, Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Police, Lia Finocchiaro MLA, Northern Territory Commissioner of Police Mr Michael Murphy APM, Police Federation of Australia Chief Executive Officer Mr Scott Weber APM, Police Federation of Australia President and Queensland Police Union of Employees President, Mr Ian Leavers APM, who has just been named Queensland’s first Cross-Border Commissioner. Congratulations on your new role.

Most importantly, I welcome our NTPA delegates, Executive Members and staff. As we mark our 85^th year, they continue to be the heart and soul of our Association, standing side by side with the members of the NT Police. Together we proudly celebrate 85 years of strength and unity.

Firstly, I’d like to address the elephant in the room. It’s no secret the last few weeks have been tense following the Commissioner’s apology speech. The NTPA has made its position clear, and any further discussion is best left for the Commissioner to address directly with our delegates, at a Q&A session later today.

That being said, to recognise the incredible dedication, sacrifice and resilience of our members over the Association’s proud 85-year history – I feel it is important to begin today by offering my own apology.

I apologise for the sacrifices you've made, the trauma suffered, and the tragedies you have witnessed. I apologise for the mistreatment by some of the senior management, the government, and at times, members of the community.

I apologise for the cowardly attacks on you and your workmates, when you’re simply doing your job. It’s disgusting, it’s appalling and its unacceptable. Our members have copped enough.

I also want to express my deep gratitude for the sacrifices you and your families have made. Your commitment to enforcing the laws of both the Territory and the Federal governments, often in extremely challenging and volatile circumstances – you should be commended.

The men and women who sit before us today, proudly in uniform, represent all our sworn police who are out there today risking their lives to keep us all safe. The thin blue line: a group of brave and dedicated people, who give their time to not only keep the community safe, but to look out for their mates. We say thank you, for doing this difficult job, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And their job is being made even more difficult by record levels of crime, harm and violence in our community. The Joint Emergency Communications Centre is overwhelmed with demand for an emergency police response. It’s estimated there were almost 200,000 triple-0 calls to the JESCC in the last financial year. That’s a 13 percent increase. Recently, the agency was forced to issue a call for volunteers to cover overtime shifts in the JESCC to address a surge in capacity needs.

For years now, our members have been expected to do more with less. That is an absolute cop out, because doing more with less has come at a significant cost to the health and wellbeing of our members. The burden that police shoulder is only getting heavier, with unsustainable expectations for expanded roles & responsibilities they have inherited over the years because government just gives everything to police to manage.

On top of their actual job of serving and protecting the community – why does Government also expect police to be:

• mental health clinicians
• ambulance paramedics
• relationship counsellors
• prison guards
• a youth taxi service
• MVR officials; and
• liquor licensing inspectors?

Government needs to stop expecting our members to pick up the slack. It is time to let our police be police. 

RESOURCE REVIEW

 

Members have spent far too long waiting for their concerns to be listened to, and the Kelly Review has gone some way to addressing those concerns. But progress is frustratingly slow. Our members are still on bottle shops, they’re still under resourced, they’re still being called on to fill service gaps of other Government agencies.

We are largely supportive of the 18 recommendations.  However, we are extremely disappointed with the NT Government – and the Opposition’s – refusal to support the removal of police from bottle shop duties, despite it being a key recommendation of the Kelly Review.

In fact, this is the second government-commissioned review that has given the recommendation, following the Riley Review. Our members have been clear: They want to be out there, helping people who require an immediate police response – but it’s hard to do that when you’re stuck on a bottle shop, turning away drunks.

Minister, why do you keep ignoring our members – and the experts? Instead of ensuring licensees take responsibility for their own compliance and security services, you’re more concerned with keeping alcohol retailers happy than supporting police.

Your Government has chosen to spend millions of dollars on private security guards to patrol the streets, while at the same time we have frontline police officers standing out the front of bottle shops as security guards. Wouldn’t that money be better spent supporting our frontline capabilities? You’ve got your priorities all wrong and the community is suffering.

We hope the recommendations outlined in the Kelly Review will go some way to alleviating the pressure placed on our members, due to chronic staffing and resourcing issues. Our members have endured years of neglect from the NT Government and the time for action is long overdue. It’s a pity it took an impending election for the NT Government to act.

The Police Minister and Chief Minister should not be patting themselves on the back, when the Government previously described a review into police as a ‘talk fest’, and only after persistent resistance did it reluctantly agree to this critical review, after years of lobbying from the NTPA.

The NT Government’s consistent failure to provide sufficient staffing and resources right across the Territory, along with its neglect of regional and remote policing including crucial infrastructure, and the relentless pursuit of poor law and order policies has had an incredibly detrimental impact on the NT Police.

PRE-ELECTION SUBMISSION

 

Tomorrow, Territorians will elect a new Government. The next Government must ensure our members are supported and adequately resourced. To ensure our members have concrete commitments from the major parties, the NTPA provided the Opposition Leader and the Police Minister with a comprehensive pre-election submission on the 9^th of August.

This document details critical issues affecting our members, including recruitment and retention, mental health, welfare and wellbeing support, fatigue management, overtime, Assaults on Police, remote policing, housing, internal discipline, Point of Sale Intervention; and second-tier policing.

These issues and concerns have been consistently identified by members through surveys, direct feedback, and input from NTPA Regions. The results while not surprising, reinforce and highlight some glaring broken promises of the past, and a significant lack of investment in the resources police need to perform their duties effectively and feel supported in their roles.

We received a response from the CLP, a week after we presented it to the major parties.

But we only received a response for Labor late yesterday. Interestingly though, it wasn’t from the Police Minister, but from the Chief, Eva Lawler. Minister, why didn’t you respond? Don’t our members deserve to hear what your plan is to address their concerns? It really shows how little you support and value our members and their priorities.

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

 

Our people are our greatest strength and our greatest asset. They need to be valued and supported. As outlined in the Kelly review, an additional 200 constables need to be recruited over the next four years to “meet current and projected demands on the NT Police.

We welcome the funding commitment for these additional 200 officers – but remain concerned the Police College currently lacks the necessary staff, infrastructure, and accommodation to support this level of recruitment. Without the appropriate staffing levels and infrastructure, significant pressure is placed on the Police College to deliver training and forces the postponement of internal courses to accommodate new recruits.

The focus, however, can’t solely be on boosting the NT Police through recruits – a priority of Government and the Commissioner must be taking care the of experienced members we already have. Our members are pleased with the completion of the Kelly Review and its recommendations – following years of advocacy by our Association – but the real work for the agency and Government is just beginning.

During a meeting back in May, the Police Minister informed me that the attrition rate was 6.1%, a surprising drop from over 9% the previous financial year. However, he admitted that the figure he was using excluded retirements, dismissals, and terminations. I requested clarification on how these figures were calculated and was promised a response by the end of the day. Despite repeated follow-ups, including phone calls and emails to the Minister, three months have passed, and I’m still waiting. This prompted the NTPA to conduct its own analysis, resulting in a higher attrition rate.

Instead of providing us with the information as requested, the Minister has publicly alleged I falsified the attrition rate for the NTPA’s betterment. Noting that is a serious allegation – Minister, I invite you to explain your comments. Alternatively, you can withdraw them, and apologise. We want to have a productive, professional working relationship where our members’ concerns are genuinely listened to, so that they can feel genuinely supported. That can’t happen if we keep getting stonewalled.

Retaining experienced police officers must be a priority for Government and the senior police executive. That is why the NTPA has lobbied for an ongoing retention bonus, independent of Consent Agreement negotiations, to encourage members to commit to longer periods of employment. This is one way you can demonstrate the value placed on the sacrifice and dedication of our members to the community throughout their careers and ensure the NT maintains a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

But it’s not just about the money. For members to enjoy a long and successful career, they need adequate support, effective resourcing and proper staffing. This includes appropriate and safe housing, and ensuring readily available and accessible mental health, welfare and wellbeing support.

Years of government neglect has left NT Police behind the eight ball. Announcements of record spending and additional members are meaningless if the funding isn’t rolled out swiftly, and attrition outstrips recruitment. Our members have waited long enough to be heard—why are you making them wait even longer for the tangible support they deserve and need so that they can continue their essential work for the community?

FATIGUE MANAGEMENT & WELLBEING

 

It’s not difficult to see how the lack of a workable Fatigue Management Policy, Safe Minimum staffing levels or Single Officer duties contribute to the unsustainable level of overtime our members are undertaking. Lack of adequate staff, low morale & excessive overtime all have an impact on members’ mental health & wellbeing.

It’s a vicious cycle: the lack of a Fatigue Management Policy, Safe Minimum Staffing levels, or single officer duties, combined with record levels of crime, leads to burnout. Burnout then results in sick leave, which causes workplace absences and forces members to undertake overtime.

At March 31, the Police overtime expenditure was $15.2 million for 170,347 hours which is an increase of 7 percent on the previous year. The reliance on overtime not only places pressure on the budget but also poses significant risk to the mental health and overall wellbeing of our members in trying to deal with the day-to-day demands of policing.

It is essential that Wellbeing Services remains well-resourced to provide the necessary services to our members. This service should include an early intervention model which incorporates illness and injury management and Workers’ Compensation. Too often our members report being neglected and forgotten, with their Return-to-Work hampered by unnecessary red tape and a lack of support from managers.

REMOTE POLICING

 

Members have been loud and clear in consecutive surveys: poor quality housing, lack of staff and little respite is why they don’t want to go bush. Plans to increase minimum staffing in remote stations are overdue and welcome news, but it will heavily rely on adequate and immediate investment from government. 

Intervention-era police stations established in 2007 are, incredibly, still being used 17 years later. This is a universal failure of decision-makers who quite clearly are not being asked to live and work in these run-down, bug-infested, dangerous shipping containers.

The Kelly Review recommended a long-term remote infrastructure investment of $192 million. That recommendation was accepted by Government in principle, but whittled down to $125 million, over five years. There is an urgent need to close hazardous temporary police facilities that are no longer fit for purpose – or invest in permanent infrastructure.

A majority of stations in rural and remote areas of the Northern Territory need replacing or require urgent repairs and maintenance. This is something that the Government and the senior police executive should be ashamed of. If our members are expected to invest their careers and their lives in remote communities, they need adequate staffing, resources, infrastructure, security and support.

ASSAULTS ON POLICE

Imagine a workplace where there is a risk – every single day – that you, or your colleague will be assaulted. That’s the reality of what police are confronted with each shift. Kicked, punched, spat at, belted with rocks and iron bars, threatened or stabbed with sharp edged weapons.

In 2023, there were 372 assaults on police – that’s a 45 percent increase compared with the previous year. These are shameful statistics, and the frequency and severity of attacks on our members is deeply concerning.

Recently, a violent offender who threatened the lives of two police officers, was granted a wholly suspended sentence. During the attack, the threat was so great, one of the officers was forced to protect themselves and their partner by discharging their firearm. When sentencing the offender, the local court judge praised the actions of the officers, saying:

“This was an unexpected, potentially life-threatening moment and they both acted with restraint and only used force because it was truly necessary.”

“Their actions on that day were commendable.”

The trauma and mental impact that violent assaults have on our members is immeasurable. When our members are being assaulted on a daily basis, it’s only natural for them to question: why do I even bother? Will the next attack be the one that ends my life? Will the next violent assault mean I won’t make it home to see my family?

Despite strong maximum penalties for assaults on police, it’s the Sentencing Act which lets police down, time and time again. Too often penalties are watered down to a fully suspended sentence, a night in the cells, or a rising of the court. The overwhelming message from our members is that they feel let down by the courts. Tougher mandatory minimum sentencing for assaults on police is a necessary deterrent. Police and other emergency service workers put their lives on the line, every single day. If our frontline workers aren’t protected, how can they possibly protect the public?

INTERNAL DISCIPLINE 

Without genuine legislative reform for internal discipline provisions, there will be no long-term change. Over the years there have been many reviews, recommendations made, and nothing progressed to meaningful changes in the law. We’re now in 2024 and the way discipline under Part IV is being applied by the Agency is heading in the right direction. The law hasn’t changed, the processes haven’t changed but the approach has.

In January 2024, the Agency brought Commander Jason Kennedy from the Australian Federal Police to take charge of the Professional Standards Command for 12 months. Since then, we have witnessed significant and positive changes – pro-active engagement with members, education, attempts to understand why behaviours occur and taking those matters into account when determining outcomes. This has resulted in positive outcomes for both affected members and the Agency.

However, this has highlighted just how fragile the current disciplinary system is. It should not depend on who the Commissioner of Police is and his or her attitude towards the membership – but unfortunately it does. So, whilst the situation has significantly improved, it remains at risk of reverting back to the tyranny our police force experienced not that long ago.

We still have a system where no time frames are provided for appeals to be determined – there are at least two matters that have been ‘on foot’ for more than two and a half years. That is completely unacceptable. Other employees in Australia have access to tribunals where the appeal process is completely independent of the employer. That is what our members should have access to – a process that members can have confidence in, not an appeal process controlled by the Respondent.

SUPPORT FOR ACPOs

 

Before I conclude, I’d like to highlight an important win for the NTPA and our Aboriginal Community Police Officers. Working conditions and industrial entitlements for our ACPOs is a priority and is something we have been active in progressing on behalf of the NTPA’s ACPO Regional Branch.

After years of lobbying the department, including formal motions at Annual Conference, which included requests for the roles and responsibilities of ACPOs to be clearly identified and defined – and equity through training and development, just two days ago, the department formalised a framework for this this to occur, and is providing a clear career pathway for ACPOs to transition to Constable.

CONCLUSION

 

In wrapping up, I again want to say thank you. To all our full-time staff… thank you for your dedication to ensuring the interests of our members are maintained.

I would simply not be able to do what we do without the tenacity, sacrifice and dedication you show as evidenced in the work required to make conference week happen, let alone the not so normal volume of work that our day-to-day operations take on.

Kyrrie, Ray, Lanna & Krystal and our Field Officers Ivana, Steve and Peter. To you all, I say from the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you and keep up the good work.

To our Executive – past and present – who tirelessly volunteer their time to ensure our members are supported and protected in the workplace, and ensure our Association is in the strong position it is in today... to you all I say a huge thank you.

Thank you also to our Regional Delegates – you continue to do your bit to look out for your mates, colleagues, and the members of our blue family by remaining the first point of contact for the NTPA in the workplace.

Thank you to our corporate and legal partners:

• Police Credit Union
• Police Health
• Fleet Network 
• Australian Financial Advisors
• Smith Real Estate
• Tindall Gask Bentley; and
• Basso Newman Accountants.

Last but certainly not least, I extend my deepest gratitude to the members of the NT Police Force. Each day, you exceed expectations and face adversity with unwavering dedication.

You are the backbone of the NTPA and the lifeblood of the Northern Territory. Your sacrifice and commitment are deeply appreciated and never go unnoticed.

The Police Association does not function without the enormous input from a lot of people, and while critics of the Association will come and go, only those who actively engage with, and are invested in the important work we do – truly understand the vital role of the NTPA.

And here’s is a tip. We have been around for 85 years so history dictates we will outlast those who wish to divide us.

I would now like to formally open the NTPA Annual Conference 2024.

Please welcome Police Minister, the Honourable Brent Potter, MLA to address our Conference.