Chief Minister-Elect Lia Finocchiaro has one-on-one meeting with NT Police Association President Nathan Finn
Within 36 hours of winning the election, Chief Minister-elect Lia Finocchiaro has sat down for a one-on-one meeting with NT Police Association president Nathan Finn. Read what Mr Finn said.
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In making law and order a priority, Chief Minister-elect Lia Finocchiaro has held a 45-minute meeting with NT Police Association president Nathan Finn, with a view to getting on the same page as the senior police leader on the issue of community safety and police empowerment.
After meeting Police Commissioner Michael Murphy and head of public service Ken Davies on Sunday, Ms Finocchiaro ensured her Monday included a sit down with Mr Finn.
With a queue of senior public servants yet to meet their new Chief Minister, Mr Finn said the early face-to-face underlined the Country Liberal Party’s focus on the cop community.
“I welcome the opportunity to meet with Mrs Finocchiaro on just her second day in the role, following her meeting yesterday with Commissioner of Police Mr Michael Murphy,” he said.
“This shows a commitment to our members and supporting them in their role.”
Mr Finn also welcomed Ms Finocchiaro’s decision to retain the police portfolio.
“Mrs Finocchiaro also reaffirmed her decision to personally hold the police portfolio, a responsibility that has traditionally been carried by the Chief Minister,” he said.
“The NTPA welcomes this decision and the prioritisation of our members.”
Mr Finn said he had the opportunity to reiterate the NTPA’s objectives to the Territory’s new leader.
“We outlined key priorities around recruitment and retention, mental health and wellbeing support, fatigue management, overtime, assaults on police, remote policing, housing, internal discipline, point of sale intervention, and second-tier policing.”
Mr Finn also briefed Ms Finocchiaro on how she could support NT Police on a national level.
“I look forward to a positive working relationship with the new Chief Minister, and the new government, to work together in the best interests of our members.”
With the CLP declaring bold changes to law enforcement, Mr Finn revealed he
would aim to sit down with Ms Finocchiaro at least once a month.
He was not the only police advocate appealing for support, with Police Federation of Australia chief executive Scott Weber urging Ms Finocchiaro to contact her Canberra counterparts.
“Right now, NT Police have more than 200 unfilled positions due to unmet recruitment needs, record levels of crime, harm and violence in the community and lack of mental health and wellbeing support for members,” he said.
“That’s why the PFA is calling on Ms Finocchiaro to meet with her federal government counterparts as soon as possible, to insist they make two simple changes that will make a very big difference to the working conditions of our policemen and women.”
Mr Weber said Ms Finocchiaro was in a position to lobby for “fair” and “necessary” concessions on behalf of the Territory’s cops.
“We ask Ms Finocchiaro to urge the federal government to grant police officers the same additional tax and health concessions as frontline public health workers, ambulance officers and defence personnel, particularly fringe benefit tax concessions reforms and the introduction of a Blue Card covering medical and allied health services.”
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Originally published as Chief Minister-Elect Lia Finocchiaro has one-on-one meeting with NT Police Association President Nathan Finn
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