2011-02-23
Violent Assaults – Inadequate Sentences
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER referred to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The unprovoked stabbing of Adam Sargent in the driveway of his Alawa home whilst shielding his baby from his attackers was described by Justice Southwood as a vicious, sustained and cowardly attack. Mr Sargent was stabbed 10 times, and he was kicked and punched whilst protecting his baby. He would have died from his wounds without medical treatment. His life has been devastated by the emotional, financial and physical pain he has had to endure. Each of his attackers received effective sentences of just 12 months. Why did you not demand the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal these totally inadequate sentences?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I agree with the Leader of the Opposition: I believe those sentences were totally inadequate. It came home to me in spades when I recently met Mr Sargent on a building site. I was very confronted by the pain, anguish, and terror not only he felt, but also his wife. He showed me the scars he had sustained in that horrific attack. I have given him my word that I will get back to him through the Victims of Crime scheme to see that we are offering every assistance and financial compensation we possibly can through the scheme.
I will refer the details of the question to the Attorney-General. The Attorney-General has moved legislation in this House today that strengthens the arms of the DPP to ensure there is no technical obfuscation in the future that would stop the DPP from appealing a sentence such as this …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Before the referral to the Attorney-General, the question was specifically: why did the Chief Minister not appeal to the DPP at the inadequacy of these sentences?
Mr HENDERSON: If the Leader of the Opposition understood how the system works, I have no powers to direct the DPP. As a government we have introduced legislation today to close a loophole which provided the DPP with a reason not to appeal. I will hand to the Attorney-General.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister is quite right. There are no powers. The DPP is an independent statutory office; it has been established that way. It was established that way under the CLP. That is the way due process occurs.
Regarding the disgraceful acts Mr Sargent has had to suffer, as the Chief Minister has said, we felt the sentencing was lenient. We had hoped there would be an appeal on the sentencing. We cannot direct; we do not have the powers.
In the decision - and the DPP was very public about his reasons for that - he did say there were constraints around any decision to appeal. As Attorney-General, quite appropriately, I asked for further information on what constraints may exist in the law referred to by the DPP. The constraint the DPP referred to - and I talked about this in the second reading for the legislation this morning in the Chamber - is the principle of double jeopardy that exists in sentencing. We have introduced legislation today to remove that constraint and principle. We want sentences that are viewed as too lenient to be able to be appealed, and we are removing a technical impediment to that.
Christchurch - Earthquake
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please update the House on the tragedy in New Zealand?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. This has been a very challenging, traumatic and devastating time for everyone watching the horrific images of Christchurch in New Zealand. Everyone who has seen those images is chilled to the bone. The emergency services, fire and rescue, and police officers exhibited enormous bravery going into those buildings very tenuously still standing in a region where there are going to be many aftershocks. People are putting their lives at risk to rescue some hundreds of people who are still missing from that devastation.
The Northern Territory has offered every assistance we possibly can. As I said yesterday, we are a small jurisdiction, but we will offer every support and help that we can to the people of Christchurch through the Australian relief effort. The Prime Minister has announced today that 300 police from across Australia will be deployed to New Zealand and I have asked our Police Commissioner to see what support we can provide. Our hospital is on standby to receive casualties, if appropriate, and our Emergency Services staff stand by ready as well.
My heart goes out to our New Zealand community in the Northern Territory. Many of them are really struggling with the images they are seeing on their television screens. At this stage, I have received no advice of any Territorians missing or killed in this event.
It is an appalling and very horrifying tragedy New Zealand is working through. Australia will do everything we can to support our cousins across the Tasman, and the Northern Territory stands by to do whatever we can to support our friends, relatives and cousins in New Zealand.
Crime Levels – Violent Assault
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Violent assault has increased by more than 80% since Labor came to power, which is a decade ago. Soft sentencing has contributed to a generation of young criminals who hold the law in absolute contempt. One of the offenders who attacked Mr Sargent has a previous conviction of aggravated assault; and he has drug and alcohol problems. This young offender needs very serious correction and justice needs to be seen to be done. Why is he eligible for release from Don Dale in a fortnight’s time and, more to the point, why has it taken you 10 years to react?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I said before that the attack on Adam Sargent and his family was an appalling, cowardly outrageous attack and that I believe the sentences handed down were too lenient. Let us divorce the issue from Mr Sargent and the other issues of crime and violence across the Territory.
In regard to the false assertion that violent crime has increased to the extent that the Opposition Leader continues to assert is false and wrong. Regarding the statistics he talks about, we made significant changes to the reporting of domestic violence some years ago. Previously, assaults that were not recorded in official police records of serious assaults are now being recorded because the government and the police force targeted domestic violence. It was an issue that previously was behind closed doors in the Northern Territory. It was out of sight, out of mind, behind closed doors, and it was an issue that would be sorted out between a husband and wife, or spouse and partner. That is no longer the case in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: The very reason that we targeted domestic violence and insisted that these figures are now recorded and reported on through the domestic violence strategy the police introduced four or five years ago have seen those reports come through into the figures.
It is not because more assaults are occurring across the Territory. It is because domestic violence is now being recorded and given the priority that it should have in order to protect women and children across the Territory.
The Leader of the Opposition knows that. We will have a debate on law and order any day of the week, Madam Speaker, but let us not put our head in the sand …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! Opposition members!
Mr HENDERSON: Maybe the CLP would do this if they were to get back into government, that we are no longer going to record those domestic violence assaults. Sixty per cent of all assaults in the Northern Territory are domestic violence-related assaults. Tragically, most of those assaults are an Aboriginal man on an Aboriginal woman. For many years, that was the hidden tragedy of the Northern Territory. The hidden tragedy of the Northern Territory - out of sight, out of mind. Well, it is not out of sight, out of mind any more. We will continue to target those issues and not hide them from the community as the CLP did for decades.
Cash for Containers Scheme – Community Support
Ms SCRYMGOUR to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you update the House on the community’s support for the government’s plans to introduce Cash for Containers into the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. This is a significant day for the Northern Territory and, hopefully, this House will this afternoon pass the legislation to establish a Cash for Containers scheme, the second such scheme in Australia and a scheme which is supported by 80% of all Territorians. It is good for the environment, the community and the Northern Territory.
At a business in Berrimah this afternoon with my colleague, the Environment minister, it was great to see piles of crushed cans from the McArthur River Mine where the mining company is already doing the right thing even before Cash for Containers, by backfilling its freight and recycling the cans from the mine.
This is supported by business across the Northern Territory: big business, medium business, small business. They are representative of the community. Eighty per cent of people support this scheme.
Today, in the biggest backflip we have seen from the CLP since the days they walked away from the Hotel Darwin and allowed that to be demolished in the middle of the night, they have rolled over to big business, multinational big businesses …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is incorrect. I urge the Chief Minister, before he runs down this line, to read the speech he is reporting on.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, resume your seat! It is not a point of order.
Mr Mills: It is just not correct.
Madam SPEAKER: You may approach me about making a personal explanation.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, for seven years they were all on the record supporting Cash for Containers. Now they do not support Cash for Containers because they have their eyes fixed on cash for the Country Liberal Party …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … and the donations they need from business to fund their next election campaign. We have had years of the Country Liberal Party supporting Cash for Containers and, at the last minute, it is time to walk away from this …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale! Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: … to sell out to big business, to sell out to the multinational industries, to roll over and betray the 80% of Territorians who support this particular scheme. There is still hope …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, there are far too many interjections. I am actually interested in the answer. I would like to hear what the Chief Minister has to say. There was an important question asked. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you. There is still hope for the CLP to come to their senses, support the government, support the 80% of the Territory community who want this scheme, and tell the multinationals to take their grubby campaign and run it somewhere else.
Sentencing Regime
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
There is no doubt that Labor’s soft sentencing regime has helped create a generation of young criminals who hold the law in contempt. The other offender who attacked Mr Sargent had a lengthy criminal record, which included stealing and possession of a controlled weapon, namely a knife. He breached numerous Youth Justice Court orders which stemmed from previous criminal behaviour, and on each occasion no action was taken. On 23 February 2010, he stole a knife again. This time he used that stolen knife to viciously attack Mr Sargent. How is our community safer by giving this young criminal a slap on the wrist for his vicious attack?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has woken after a six month slumber. After a six month slumber he is finally awake and running out the focus group lines, getting back on message, and we will get more of the same.
There is no doubt that the Northern Territory has the toughest sentencing regime in the country by a country mile. We have more people in our prisons per capita than any other place in Australia. Legal commentators point to the fact all the time that the Northern Territory has the toughest sentencing regime in Australia by far. Those facts are shown every day by the horrendous prison statistics we have.
Leader of the Opposition, get off the focus group lines. I agree that the sentences handed down to the attackers of Mr Sargent and his family were manifestly inadequate. We will be closing a technicality in the legislation which provided for the DPP not to appeal. When we look at crime and assaults in the Northern Territory, it comes back to one thing, and that is alcohol ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: We had the member for Sanderson sending out an idiotic media release today about the figures in the latest report - and he is the shadow Alcohol Policy minister – saying:
- … the links between community violence and alcohol consumption are negligible.
I ask the member for Sanderson: which hole does he live in; which rock does he shelter under, as a former police officer? Any copper can tell you in the Northern Territory ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: ... member for Sanderson, that 60%, 70% or 80% of all call-outs in regard to crime in the Northern Territory are alcohol related. This clown on the other side says the links between community violence and alcohol consumption are negligible. Until the Country Liberal Party gets tough on grog, they will never be tough on crime.
Supplementary Question
Sentencing Regime
Sentencing Regime
Mr MILLS: Yes, you have awoken me to a challenge that I put to you, Chief Minister. Does the challenge still stand to have this debate in the public, in the community?
Madam SPEAKER: I would say that is not a supplementary question; however, I will allow it.
Mr HENDERSON: We have this debate all the time and I do not shy away from this debate. Let us have a factual debate instead of the Leader of the Opposition running focus group lines. Eighty-six per cent of defendants proven guilty in the NT Supreme Court received an actual prison sentence compared with 66% in courts ...
Mr Conlan: Assault up by 87%; sexual assault ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning!
Mr HENDERSON: ... nationally. As I said, until the Country Liberal Party gets tough on grog, they will never get tough on crime, and ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: … the clown who masquerades …
Mr Mills: Name the place and the time.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr HENDERSON: … as the shadow minister for Alcohol Policy, a former police officer, says the links between violence and alcohol consumption are negligible …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: They are a rabble, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Please resume your seats. Honourable members, the level of interjection is totally ludicrous. I remind you of Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance, which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaker.
Member for Drysdale, next interjection you are on a warning. The member for Greatorex is already on a warning. There are also a number of other members who have been consistently interjecting.
Bushfires NT – Personnel Issues
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
If Bushfires NT is so well resourced, why did Bushfires staff state that they would have to stop fighting the recent Deep Well/Orange Creek fires because they are not paid for working overtime?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her very important question. She asked this question during the last sitting. As I said then, last year, I met with Bushfires NT staff and other stakeholders involved in the serious issue of bushfires confronting Central Australia this year. In relation to the question, they are operational issues. I do not get involved in operational issues at that level. I can say that the government has fully resourced Bushfires NT with equipment, materials and the training needed to get out there and fight this serious issue of bushfires.
Last year, I went to the Batchelor Bushfire Brigade and thanked the volunteers for the work they had done in battling the fires at Howard Springs. I respect the work they do. I understand the pressures regarding resources and materials; however, I believe government has adequately funded Bushfires NT.
Last sittings, I advised that we have provided a new front end loader for the people in Alice Springs to help deal with firebreaks. We are getting in there early before the big bushfire season is upon us. We know we have had record rainfall in the Centre and through the Barkly. It is a serious issue, and I will again be meeting with those stakeholders - the Cattlemen’s Association, the land councils, and Bushfires NT staff - to ensure we are prepared for what is going to be a big bushfire season.
Cash for Containers Scheme - Update
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Can you please inform the Assembly of the wide consultations the government has undertaken regarding the government’s Cash for Containers scheme? What has been the feedback from the community to date, and are you aware of any alternative proposals?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I know the member for Nhulunbuy is very interested in Cash for Containers and what it is going to do for regions such as her electorate of Nhulunbuy.
It is landmark legislation we are debating in the House. It is legislation this government has put on the public record for some time. We have been up-front with the public of the Northern Territory about what our container deposit legislation model looks like. It is financially, legally, and reasonably based. It is a sound model supported by 80% of Territorians across the Northern Territory.
We know not everyone supports Cash for Containers. Not surprisingly, the beverage industry, led by the former Liberal Chief Minister of the ACT, has continued their decade-long opposition to schemes such as the Cash for Containers. More surprisingly, coinciding with the member for Brennan’s trip to New Zealand at the behest of the beverage industry, the CLP has backflipped on their previous support for Cash for Containers, a bit like the Angela Pamela uranium mine in Alice Springs ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Katherine! Member for Goyder!!
Mr HAMPTON: The only conclusion to draw from this about-face is that those opposite are more interested in cash for the CLP than cash for the containers. We all know the leadership of the CLP is available …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Clearly, the minister has just read that comment. Can he table the notes he is reading from?
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, is it personal notes, or is it a document you are willing to table?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, they are personal notes.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, continue.
Mr HAMPTON: They are very clearly disturbed by this. We know they have done a backflip on Cash for Containers. We know they have done a backflip on Angela Pamela, the uranium mine 20 km south of Alice Springs. Their environmental credentials are thrown out the window. There is no leadership over there. We know their leadership is up for sale, along with their environmental credibility.
Breach of Bail Legislation
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Today, you tabled a bill that proposes making breach of bail an offence. Can you explain to this House whether there is a presumption in favour of the offence of breach of bail and, if so, why?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I know the shadow already knows the answer to this question, because he was in the Chamber as I read the second reading speech. There is, of course, discretion in the judicial system for breach of bail.
Introducing breach of bail as an offence is a direct result of the government listening very carefully to the aspirations and needs of the Alice Springs community. It is a useful tool right throughout the Territory. What we are doing is introducing an offence that exists in Australia, and it is timely to introduce it here in the Territory. Very clearly, we need discretion because, for example, if someone is genuinely trying to get to their court appearance, a car breaks down and they can prove to the judicial officer that they did not intentionally breach the bail, of course, you need the judicial discretion. We make no apology …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was very specific pertaining to a single issue: do you get bail for breaching your bail under her model?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, it is not a point of order. Please continue, minister.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: We spelt out very clearly in introducing the legislation today that discretion rests with the judiciary. The jurisdiction will be both in the Summary Court of Jurisdiction as well as the Supreme Court ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She is not addressing the very specific issue under question: relevance. Do you get bail for breaching bail? Yes or no?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Ms LAWRIE: He clearly does not want to understand the process, even though it was spelled out very succinctly. Both the Summary Court of Jurisdiction as well as the Supreme Court have jurisdiction in the proposed legislation before the House, making breach of bail an offence. There are harsh penalties in there: up to two years imprisonment, up to $26 000 in fines. We are sending a clear message that it is unacceptable to breach bail. There will be a criminal offence and conviction attached to it. Discretion about when it is used in custody will occur with the judiciary, because there may well be arguments led about why the breach occurred, such as someone genuinely trying to get to court but their car broke down.
Cash for Containers Scheme – Coca-Cola Amatil
Mr GUNNER to TREASURER
Can you please outline to the House the discussions you had with Coca-Cola Amatil in relation to the government’s Cash for Containers scheme?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in my capacity as Treasurer and Deputy Chief Minister, I met with Coca-Cola Amatil last year, at their request, to discuss the Cash for Containers scheme. In the meeting I made it very clear to Coca-Cola Amatil that the government was committed to the introduction of a Cash for Containers scheme and, of course, they made it very clear that they were very opposed to our scheme.
At the end of the meeting, they clearly outlined that they would be approaching the opposition, the CLP, to discuss how they might help the CLP oppose the legislation. I told them at that meeting – bear in mind this was last year – that they would be wasting their time because the CLP was clearly on the public record supporting the introduction of CDL, and that it was also part of CLP policy.
The member for Port Darwin is making his usual claims about outrageous and false allegations that he always does whenever the internal workings of the CLP are exposed. He was not at the meeting, so I am unsure why he can make these allegations. If he wants to make it clear that he is not opposing Cash for Containers in an attempt to raise the $1.5m he needs for leadership of the party, there is a simple way to prove that. He could vote for the Cash for Containers legislation this afternoon. If not, it is very clear that he is trying to raise the money to take the leadership.
Bushfires NT - Resources
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
An e-mail sent on 8 February by a regional coordinator with Natural Resources Management Board NT states: ‘CLC has an active fire management program, however, once again, the lack of staffing at Bushfires NT limits the on-ground work that can be done’. The same e-mail adds that Bushfires NT will be invited to the next Natural Resources Management Board meeting but, due to their limited capacity, may not be able to attend. Is it true that Bushfires NT is so understaffed that they cannot even attend the meeting, let alone conduct strategic fire prevention work?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. It is not true they are under-resourced to deal with bushfires. I am not aware of that e-mail or its contents. I am more than happy to talk to you, or obtain a copy of the e-mail to ensure we get people to that workshop. It is vitally important that we have Natural Resource Management and the Board working with Bushfires NT, working with volunteers, because I know, talking to the group last year, we need more volunteers - a very important part in battling bushfires as well.
Over the years, volunteer brigades have shrunk. Sometimes people become complacent and we cannot afford to be. We know there is going to be a huge bushfire season throughout the Barkly and Central Australian regions. I call on Territorians who are listening to this broadcast to sign up as volunteers. Bushfires NT does a fantastic job, as does the Natural Resource management organisations and boards. As the minister, I want to ensure we can get them around a table. I am more than happy to ensure they are at the table.
Alice Springs – Allegations of the Illegal Sale of Alcohol
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Nowhere is the manifest of Labor’s failure on crime - their softly, softly approach to crime - more evident than in Alice Springs. Soft sentences and not enough police on the beat have created a lawless zone throughout the town after dark. In Saturday’s Weekend Australian, there is a very serious claim that illegal grog shops are selling cheap wine in Alice Springs, which is fuelling violence, crime and antisocial behaviour across the town. If there are enough police on the beat in Alice Springs, why have these illegal grog shops been able to trade with such impunity?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an interesting question. Selling sly grog is illegal; it is a crime, it is an offence. If anyone has any evidence of - if it is happening with such impunity in Alice Springs, maybe the member for Greatorex should report to the police which house in which street is selling the grog, and it will be closed down.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: To come here, make allegations …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question clearly related to a feature in Saturday’s Weekend Australian …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Greatorex, your question had a long preamble.
Mr HENDERSON: He asks a question based on an unsolicited report in The Australian, which makes allegations without any evidence to back it up as fact. The reality is, if anyone in this House - the Alice Springs members, or the journalist who wrote the article - has any indication of any house selling sly grog in Alice Springs, they have an responsibility to report it to police, and police will close it down, not just use it to pump up the law and order debate in Alice Springs.
Ms ANDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That incident has been reported to the top dog, and that is the Police Commissioner.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, resume your seat!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! You are on a warning, member for Macdonnell.
Mr HENDERSON: The tragedy of this is that the mob and rabble opposite find this funny. They are all laughing on the other side of the Chamber. If people are selling sly grog, report it to police, police will close it down. Alcohol abuse is destroying people’s lives. It is not a laughing matter, it is not a joke; it is not something to put in the paper without reporting it to the police first. It is about taking responsibility as a citizen seriously and reporting it to police.
Plastic Bags – Proposed Ban
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Can you please inform the Assembly of the wide consultations undertaken by government regarding the government’s proposed ban on plastic bags? What has been the feedback to date, and are you aware of any alternative proposals?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. The important element of this historic legislation, the environmental protection bill before the House, is the banning of plastic bags - that is the single use non-biodegradable bags you see in the shops. I have used the green bags you can buy at Woolies or Coles for the last five or six years and I still have the same bags. We know Territorians support it, and I support it when I do my shopping every Sunday at Woolies.
More importantly, industry supports it. We know that Coles and Woolies support it and are comfortable with the ban and the way we are going about it. From their perspective, Coles, Woolies and other major retailers want consistency with the South Australian model when it comes to banning plastic bags.
Last year, my department established the Plastic Bag Ban Leading Stakeholder Advisory Group. The group is comprised of national and local retailers and non-government organisations. It is very important that we engage the retailers and small businesses that are selling these bags or giving them out.
Updates on the progress of the legislation have been e-mailed to the department of Business’ retailer database, which comprises some 3500 local retailers. Regular updates have also been e-mailed to the Be Informed database, which is made up of 150 interested local residents. We introduced the legislation last year at the Parap Shopping Centre. I was there with the member for Fannie Bay. The media conference was gate-crashed by the local butcher – who was as tall as the member for Fong Lim – who said he supported the ban and was already doing it. This is an example of community support which the government is aware of. There is an extensive community communication plan which commenced last year and will continue until the plan is in place in September 2011.
A proposal is outlined by the CLP in their figleaf climate change policy which I dare say would include a big new tax on Territorians for every plastic bag they use. Once again, the CLP has sold out Territorians and has no credibility when it comes to the environment.
Alice Springs - Law and Order
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
My question is to the Chief Minister, whose reputation and credibility is clearly in tatters on law and order in Alice Springs. We have already been told that those reports were made to police. I can inform the Chief Minister that numerous complaints that have come through my office have been made to police. He is well aware of the situation. The previous question alluded to a newspaper article; dismiss at your own peril as it made very serious claims. Here we have on the front page of the newspaper the actual grog house.
There has been a 90% increase in wholesale supply of alcohol in Alice Springs. The Chief Minister repeatedly told the people of Alice Springs that the government’s alcohol restrictions are for their own good, while the problem drunks and gangs are taking control of the streets in Alice Springs. Will you now face the truth: the current restrictions have done nothing to restrict the supply to problem drinkers? When will you get tough and put the resources on the ground and get the drunks off the street and into rehab?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that, if you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. That is where the Country Liberals are at the moment. Let us have a reality check. Every single night …
Mr Bohlin interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Be quiet.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: Every single night in Alice Springs and across our regional towns, the police lock up is full of people taken into protective custody. Every day, our courts are full of people on charges relating to committing offences whilst affected by alcohol. We have a record prison population in the Northern Territory per capita as a result of people committing offences whilst they are intoxicated and are abusing alcohol. If you are not going to turn the tap off grog to people who have a problem with grog, you are not going to reduce crime in the Northern Territory. That is the simple fact. Unless you take away the fuel which is firing the crime and antisocial behaviour, you are not going to reduce the crime. That is the fact.
All of the evidence shows – and the member for Sanderson with his lame comments on this serious issue, defies any belief in any research. We had the member for Brennan doing a lot of research in the debate on Cash for Containers. Google alcohol and violence – here is the Australian Institute of Criminology:
- Indigenous Australians are up to 20 times more likely to commit offences of violence, due overwhelmingly to alcohol abuse …
says a new study. The World Health Organisation:
- Harmful and hazardous alcohol use are risk factors both in being the victim and perpetuating violence.
That is just two. Just Google it! There will be hundreds and hundreds of studies which link, very clearly, excessive alcohol consumption and crime. The Country Liberals just want to run focus group research to demonise Indigenous people in Alice Springs and not attack …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Fong Lim thinks it is funny. He thinks it is a joke. It is not a joke for the businesses which are being broken into. It is not a joke for the women who present to Alice Springs Hospital night after night as a result of alcohol and the link to violence. Yet, here you have a potential minister of the Crown, in a media release today, saying the link between violence and alcohol consumption is negligible.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Banana Crops
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES and RESOURCES
You helped launch the NT Agribusiness Industry Strategy last week. That document mentions the availability of additional land for agriculture has been identified as a restraint to growth, and it also mentions that the NT government’s commitment is to identify suitable land for sustainable agribusiness. You know that the banana industry has nearly been wiped out because of Panama Disease. Do you support the application by one of the largest known banana growing companies to purchase the last available horticultural block at Lambells Lagoon so that this land could be developed to extend the life of the industry by rotating banana crops?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. It is true that we have a large demand for land for increased agriculture and horticulture in the Northern Territory, to the effect that I commissioned a report by the CDU to assess expansion of agricultural land by looking at the Keep River plain in Western Australia, and also Katherine. The future of agriculture in the Territory relies on the availability of land. Unfortunately, in certain areas, especially Darwin, we have demand for land for competing purposes. We assess every demand on how the land is going to be utilised. Is it clever to have a land bank for 10 years and then sell that land at a huge profit to someone, or to develop land now that will provide jobs and growth in the industry? My priority is to make land available to industry to provide jobs and growth to the industry. I have discussions all the time with my colleague, the minister for Lands, because there is demand for competing purposes and we have to find the right solution to this problem.
I support the availability of land for expansion. I spoke to the people and I encouraged them to put in a formal submission to the government for the land they want to acquire from us. That will be assessed by me and .my colleague, the minister for Lands.
National Radioactive Waste Management Act
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
The federal government has now approved the National Radioactive Waste Management Act. Can you please update the House on this government’s opposition to the Muckaty proposal?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, members on this side of the House are very disappointed with the passage of the bill relating to the National Radioactive Waste Management Act. As the member for Barkly, this directly relates to my constituency as the proposed site of Muckaty Station is 100 km north of Tennant Creek. There is currently a federal court hearing that we hope will deliver a resolution to the traditional owners in their quest to be heard.
The Northern Territory government’s bottom line is that we are opposed to this act ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim! Cease interjecting!
Mr McCARTHY: The member for Fong Lim has already shown his cards in the Howard government, so we know where he sits. The Northern Territory government is opposed to it but, unfortunately, I have not heard much from the other side in a matter of significance to the Territory …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We would be happy to support a motion of no confidence in Warren Snowdon.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. It is not a point of order. Minister, you have the call. Order! Order!
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, I waste considerable time reading the spin from the CLP and all the media releases – the all-care-and-no-responsibility media releases …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling!
Mr McCARTHY: … and I have been reading about the internal squabbling. I believe there are three camps over there now. I would like to unite those three camps with our government. You talk about bipartisan support …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling!
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He is being completely irrelevant. The question is about a radioactive waste facility …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table this document …
Madam SPEAKER: You do not need to seek leave.
Mr McCARTHY: … to inform members opposite. This document is produced by the Beyond Nuclear initiative. It is a collaboration with the Muckaty traditional owners. It is a 10-minute DVD. I encourage those courageous members on the other side to step forward in this matter to support the Northern Territory government …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Are you going to give a copy of that to Warren Snowdon?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
You can just table it, minister; you do not have to seek leave.
Mr McCARTHY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. For those who …
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister. Resume your seat.
Honourable members, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like trying to listen to this broadcast today. Sitting here in the Chair it is extremely difficult. It shows contempt of the people of the Northern Territory with this kind of behaviour. We are all elected to high office and, quite honestly, people do not expect this kind of pathetic behaviour. So, honourable members, I would appreciate better behaviour over the next few minutes in the rest of Question Time.
Centenary Events in 2011
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for STATEHOOD
Last week, you launched the logo for our centenary year. Can you please outline to the House the spirit and the feelings which are embodied in the logo, and how Territorians can get involved in centenary events throughout 2011?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. I would like to advise the House of the logo we launched last week for the first centenary sittings for 2011. This was a collaboration …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Ms McCARTHY: It is an important year for people of the Northern Territory. It is important for members of the opposition to listen to this. This is about all of us working together for a better place for all people in the Northern Territory.
This logo, for members opposite who do not know, embodies our centenary theme of ‘100 years of the Territory, over 50 000 years of stories’.
Yalmay Yunupingu, one of the artists on this, joined me last week for the launch. Jane Young, a founding member of Tangentyere Artists in Alice Springs and Chair of DesArt, collaborated with this logo, together with Chips Mackinolty. We had two women involved with this because it is also 100 years of women across the world celebrating International Women’s Day.
The theme is about representation from across the Northern Territory, using artists from the north and south. It is about reconciling differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians. Our focus as a government this year is to look at the vision for the Northern Territory, to reflect on the past, on the good and the bad, and elements in our history, especially in relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. We know that this year is really about reflecting on that history and ensuring we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, that we make a concerted effort to walk and work together for future generations of Territorians.
The way we deal with issues today, the way we deal with issues across Central Australia, is absolutely pivotal in how we create a vision for the future of all Territorians.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I believe the order of questions was …
Madam SPEAKER: Excuse me, member for Port Darwin, the call is entirely up to the Chair. If you wish to dispute that, you can leave the Chamber.
Alice Springs – Increase in Crime
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Madam Speaker, I agree with your previous statement about what people must think listening to this broadcast, particularly the contempt coming out of the mouths of the government …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, is this a question to a minister?
Mr CONLAN: … when it comes to law and order issues in Alice Springs. It certainly is.
Madam SPEAKER: Who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is interesting to note that, in a previous question …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is to the Chief Minister, I beg your pardon, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
The Chief Minister, while he had complete contempt and disrespect for the story in last Saturday’s Weekend Australian, still failed to answer the question or deny that illegal grog shops were taking place and operating with such impunity. I would like that on the record. The Chief Minister is still unable to deny these things are taking place.
My question is, if there are enough police on the beat in Alice Springs, as so vehemently claimed by the Chief Minister and the Northern Territory government, why have gangs of youth claimed the streets of Alice Springs after dark?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not resile one moment from the fact that there are unacceptable levels of crime and antisocial behaviour currently in Alice Springs. As a government, we are doing everything we can to tackle that level of crime.
The first part of any resolution to a problem is to accept it. I stand here as Chief Minister and say the people need to take personal responsibility. There will be no more excuses for antisocial behaviour and crime in Alice Springs. That is why we are making it an offence to breach bail. That is why we will be establishing secure and safe facilities in Alice Springs where police can take kids who are roaming the streets at night and get them off the streets.
Most importantly, in regard to people who abuse grog, commit crime, belt up their women, break into properties in Alice Springs and are an antisocial menace and get picked up and taken into protective custody three times in three months, we will deny them access to alcohol. At the end of the day, unless you deal with the issues of alcohol abuse, you are not going to deal with the issues of crime.
If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. The only thing I hear from those opposite, despite all the evidence, is to increase the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, and by increasing the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, magically, the level of crime will reduce.
When you are in government and have the responsibility of government, you should work from an evidence base. You do not have to do too much research - the member for Brennan is very good at research, particularly constitutional law and trans-Tasman agreements. There are reams of documents available from criminologists which very clearly link excessive consumption of alcohol to crime and antisocial behaviour. The members opposite have their heads in the sand on this issue. If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. We will continue to do everything we can in Alice Springs to get the youth off the street, to crack down on crime in Alice Springs, and deny people who abuse alcohol access to it.
East Arm Boat Ramp
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES and RESOURCES
I congratulate the government on its new boat ramp and jetty at Palmerston. There should be more jetties around the Darwin and Bynoe Harbours for those non-boaties who would like to sit by the sea and throw a line in. You have another boat ramp at East Arm which, once again, has a problem. What is wrong with the pontoon, why is it broken, and what are the government’s long-term plans to fix it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a very important question, especially if you are a fisherman and you want to put your boat in to go fishing. There was minor damage at the East Arm pontoon. I have been advised by my colleague, the minister for Lands, that the estimated cost is about $400. It was caused by Carlos. Some of the problems have now been fixed and it is back in working order.
That was very minor damage compared with the damage caused to the fishing industry and recreational fishing by the CLP. The CLP sold the original boat ramp to private interests and forced us to replace it with a very expensive, new boat ramp. It was sold to one of the civil servants. They could have done a better deal. They could have replaced it, but they did not. They sold it and we were forced to have an agreement that we could use it for two years before we built a new boat ramp.
Four hundred dollars’-worth of damage needing to be fixed, but millions of dollars-worth of damage was done by the CLP in selling a government asset to a private business. I believe the business did really well out of this transaction, but not recreational fishermen.
Alice Springs – Antisocial Behaviour
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
While you sit upstairs on the 5th floor, streets in Alice Springs are being taken over by gangs and vandals, and kids as young as 10 are rioting into the night. Some business owners have even felt it necessary to sleep in their premises overnight just to guard the businesses, as highlighted in this newspaper article. The people of Alice Springs once felt safe in their town. They now live in fortified residences and fear for the safety of their families. This is evidenced by everyday events in my office.
When will you start listening to the community of Alice Springs, step up to the plate, put more police on the beat, and protect the town of Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I accept there has been, recently, a level of crime and antisocial behaviour which is unacceptable in Alice Springs. Police have had a number of specific operations which have seen many people arrested and charged for offences. Given this is the last question in Question Time, I put some perspective in this debate. I accept many businesses are angry; however, I do not believe amplifying the problems and trashing the reputation of Alice Springs is going to solve issues for those businesses.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: There is a media release from Tourism Central Australia today with significant concerns. I will read a letter from a tourism operator to the Centralian Advocate a couple of days ago. I quote Deborah Rock, Alice Springs:
- I want to be very clear here about my message. My anger at the current media campaign which started with TV ads and now continues with that appalling article in The Australian last weekend does not mean that I am denying we have a crime problem at the moment in this town. I am as aware as anyone that there has been a big spike in the past few months and that everyone is scrambling to do what they can.
What I am really annoyed with is that the law and order lobby groups and at least one Independent politician are using the media to achieve their own goals and they are doing so at the expense of other business operators around town.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex ...
Mr CONLAN: ... not reading out some letter that suits his agenda of deniability.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, it is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex is a grub.
- There are other ways to achieve change. At this rate, it is the anti-crime campaigners who stand to hurt my business even more than the gangs of criminals running around town. But for me, my annoyance goes beyond that. I am also very disturbed by the fear being stirred up around town which I think is way out of proportion right now.
I’ve heard people who haven’t been touched in any way by crime (and yes, despite what you hear there are a very large number of us) saying they are scared to leave their houses. Why? Because blasted across our media are messages telling us to be afraid ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Drysdale! Member for Katherine! Member for Macdonnell!
Mr HENDERSON:
- The police have been granted additional resources in the past week and things are already calming down. Crime is not over, but we’re going in the right direction. Could everyone take a deep breath and relax, please?
I love this crazy, complicated, fascinating and beautiful town.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We have a responsibility in this debate not to trash the reputation of Alice Springs, not to drive tourists unnecessarily away from Alice Springs, and ...
Mr Bohlin: Why do you not fix the problem?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, leave the Chamber for an hour, please.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell, leave the Chamber for an hour, please.
Mr Conlan: If anyone is driving them away it is you, Chief Minister!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, leave the Chamber, please. Member for Greatorex, you will leave the Chamber for an hour, thank you.
I believe your time has expired, Chief Minister.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! With the number of Notices at the beginning of Question Time we did not get under way until approximately six or seven minutes past ...
Madam SPEAKER: The Leader of Government Business has already moved that the questions be put on the Question Paper.
Mr ELFERINK: I am speaking in relation to that motion, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: It is a motion without debate.
Mr ELFERINK: In that case, Madam Speaker, we are being truncated.
Members interjecting.
Mr Conlan: Because it does not suit their agenda of deniability.
Mr Henderson: Get out, please!
Mr Conlan: That is all it is with you, isn’t it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leave the Chamber!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016