ADAM STEER, HOST: As Jo and I were discussing earlier on, there was a Royal Commission into Youth Detention in the Northern Territory that had a suite of recommendations. Most of weren't enacted due to the fact that they basically weren't funded by the Federal Government. We then had the Dorelle Anderson report earlier this year after the crime wave in Alice Springs. Half of those recommendations also not followed because they require federal money. Luke Gosling is the federal Member for Solomon. Luke Gosling, what's the Federal Government going to do about the situation that is facing your electorate and the electorate of Lingiari right across the Northern Territory?

LUKE GOSLING, MEMBER FOR SOLOMON: Yeah, good morning, Adam and Jo. Well, as you all know, the Prime Minister went to Alice Springs and has been working with the Northern Territory Government and there's been no allocation of funding to implement some of the recommendations down there that are needed. And of course we stand ready to support the Northern Territory Government in anywhere in the Northern Territory that supports needed and both myself and Marion Scrymgour and Melinda McCarthy obviously keep in close contact with the Chief Minister to work in partnership with the NT Government when assistance is needed.

It's myself and Marion Scrymgeour and Malarndirri McCarthy, obviously keeping close contact with the Chief Minister to work in partnership with the NT Government when assistance is needed.

ADAM STEER, HOST: We have been peppered, inundated with stories in the last 24 hours, the last 48 hours, the last week, the week before that, in fact for months about the situation that's going on in Darwin and Palmerston. Is your electorate in a law-and-order crisis, Luke Gosling?

GOSLING: Look, there's no doubt that people are feeling unsafe at times, in particular around places where there's a gathering of people who haven't particularly got much to do and may have been drinking. Whenever people are under the influence it always increases the level of danger, frankly. So we need to be not only— and I acknowledge what the Chief Minister's announced today in terms of the bail laws and so forth. That's important. Consequences are important. The safety of the community is paramount. And even though law and order obviously is the responsibility of the NT Government, we need all levels of government to be working together in partnership as closely as possible and encouraging groups like Neighbourhood Watch to be connecting with their community. And again, I'd echo exactly what Mick Murphy said, the Deputy Police Commissioner, that vigilantism is just going to lead to more unfortunate accidents. You know, things escalate out of control, leave it to the professionals. But at the same time, I do understand why people are talking to each other and saying, “we need to work together to keep the streets safer”.

STEER: Well, I mean, you said the Northern Territory Government, they're primarily in control of the law and they're responsible for law and law and order. But you do say that all levels of government need to work together. What's the federal government going to do to help Darwin and Palmerston at the moment?

GOSLING: See, that's what you said, Adam. We remain willing. I'm in contact with the Chief Minister about what their needs are. They are obviously looking at a whole suite of measures.

STEER: And so, nothing? Is that like, what are you offering here? That's what I'm asking.

GOSLING: The Chief Minister has obviously announced this morning a suite of measures and obviously they will be in contact with us about additional supports that they may need from us. But they're getting on to a suite of measures, as you've just heard. But what I want to stress, I suppose, is that it's this is not just an issue for governments. Governments need to be working together, whether it be local government or federal government. But it's a whole community, including the business community. And there needs to be a discussion about how many taxpayer dollars go to safety around a venue that sells alcohol late into the night. Those are the sorts of issues that industry need to be talking with government about. What is responsible here? We need to make sure that those who are addicted to alcohol and will continue to seek to break into places to steal alcohol or to assault people in order to get to alcohol—alcohol is a problem. Now, we need to make sure that law-abiding citizens are able to access alcohol, but we also need to have a robust conversation about what responsibilities there are in having a regime. I'm not saying that we need to do what we're doing in Alice Springs around the whole of the Territory, but we also need to have a sensible grown-up conversation about the harm and—

JOLENE LAVERTY, HOST: Sorry, can I Just pull you up a little bit, Luke, on one of the thoughts that you've offered up is how much responsibility the business owners need to take and how much the taxpayers should be supporting business owners who choose to have licensed premises, liquor outlets that run late into the night. So how much should the taxpayer contribute and how much should be the onus of the business owner, do you think, Luke Gosling?

GOSLING: Well, the business owners, you know, they've got a business to run. They've got a product that's popular, but they've also got a product that leads to harm when it's abused. So we need to be having a discussion, I think, about what are what are the appropriate opening hours for bottle shops.

LAVERTY: Do you think they're too great at the moment? The opening hours of bottle shops in the Northern Territory, particularly the Top End?

GOSLING: Well, I think there's a discussion about how many, how available we're making alcohol late at night. If someone is trying to access alcohol late at night because they've run out, good chance is that there's already been significant drinking preceding that. Now I understand why industry and Alex Bruce, for example— you know, it's a difficult position. They've got to represent the employers, but they've also got to make sure that when young Territorians or any Territorians turns up to work, that they don't end up losing their life. So there's got to be a safety element, occupational health and safety element put in here and I congratulate the unions, for example the SDA and the work that they're doing, because that at the end of the day is what we all want. This has been a massive shock. You know, Declan’s death has been a massive shock. But it's got to lead to change in the way that we talk about what is a responsible service of alcohol in our community.

LAVERTY: Interesting to speak with you on this, Luke Gosling, and I'm sure that you've put up a few ideas there which people will be cheering and other people will be arguing against how many bottle shops we need, how late they need to be open, how early they should be open. Oh, gosh. If you would like to comment on this, 04879 157 is the text number.

STEER: Luke, before we let you go, you talk about the number of takeaway outlets. Would you be supporting the Darwin City Council's push to buy back the liquor licenses from those small mixed business suburban stores?

GOSLING: I think that's a conversation that we need to have, Adam. Some do the right thing, without a doubt, and some let people turn up in taxis, buy an enormous amount of grog with no idea as to where that's going to be consumed. And we want to reduce harm. And if there are – and there are – some of the smaller venues that have not been responsibly selling alcohol, which does cause harm when it's abused, then I think that's a conversation that we need to have. But again, it needs to be between the NT Government with the Council discussing—and the community's expectations. And that's why I appreciate that you're getting advice from your listeners about what the community thinks is a proper balance.

LAVERTY: And there is of course secondary supply, Luke Gosling. That it’s not just the outlets that are perhaps doing the wrong thing. There's also a lot of money to be made in selling on a bottle of rum to somebody who desperately wants it. That's Luke Gosling, Member for Solomon, offering up a lot of very interesting bits of food for thought.

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