Police Minister Brent Potter has backed Police Commissioner Michael Murphy after an ICAC inquiry found he was too intoxicated to remember if he had racially abused staff at a Chinese restaurant in Alice Springs two decades ago, with the Chief Minister also downplaying the alleged incident as occurring “long ago”, when he was “in his late 20s or early 30s”.
Urban Rampage has been ordered by the national corporate regulator to stop customers on welfare paying through a federal government credit scheme, with the agency saying the company targets welfare recipients living in remote Aboriginal communities, and more than 5,000 customers had signed up at the Alice Springs store alone.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was too drunk in a Chinese restaurant to recall if he racially abused staff, the ICAC says, so the anti-corruption watchdog has determined it is not in the public interest to pursue the complaint, a letter to the coronial inquest has revealed.
The Territory Response Group’s so-called “Noogada awards”, which were handed out annually to members of the elite NT Police unit who exemplified the worst personal hygiene “or feral behaviour”, were written on paper with an Aboriginal flag in the background, the coronial inquest has heard, the day after TRG members swore in statements that the awards had nothing to do with race.
The Lawler Government has agreed with a recommendation from a review of the Territory’s secondary school system to scrap middle schools across the NT, and rolling them into high schools.
A 12-year-old and two 13-year-olds who were on bail were caught allegedly attempting to ram police cars in a stolen car in Darwin overnight, a senior member of Strike Force Trident has said, adding that the latest incident comes amid an emerging trend of kids driving stolen cars at police vehicles in Darwin and young offenders becoming more violent.
Territory Response Group members confirmed in sworn affidavits that the “Noogada” award was handed out annually to the member who exhibited the worst personal hygiene “or feral behaviour” at the group’s fancy dress Christmas party, with the winner being presented with an “improvised weapon” that had been seized during riots at Wadeye, but insisted there was nothing racist about the award.
A man died after a collision between two cars in Alice Springs on Wednesday night, with alcohol and distraction believed to have contributed to the crash, NT Police said.
Two men were arrested by the Tactical Response Group and Serious Crime Squad members last week in connection to the stabbing of a man last month that police had not told the public about, citing unspecified “operational reasons”.
A man was killed after being hit by a car on Tiger Brennan Drive, while another man is in hospital after being hit by a car outside his Palmerston home, and after the driver allegedly deliberately swerved towards him, NT Police said.
Former NT Police constable Zachary Rolfe defended his use of force when arresting Aboriginal people, as well as the language used in his text messages, while giving evidence at the Kumanjayi Walker coronial inquest on Tuesday, stating he was not concerned a judge called him a liar because that judge was known for making outrageous and racist comments.
Tourism Central Australia is calling on the NT Government to relax bottle shop operating hours in Alice Springs amid reports by tourism operators that business had declined by up to 50 per cent during the 2023 tourist season.
