Mr STIRLING - 1998-04-28
Last week, he was caught out with dodgy graphs on mandatory sentencing, and making assertions which the statistics simply did not support. It was some consolation that he apologised to the parliament for some of his errors, but many Territorians are understandably confused by the Attorney-General's antics. Will he make available to Territorians, through this parliament and the media on a monthly basis, raw data on matters including conviction and sentencing rates, repeat offender rates, crime clearance rates, rates of reported offences broken down into categories, figures on police cautions and rates of short-term imprisonment? Does he agree that providing this raw data will reduce his capacity to mislead Territorians with dodgy graphs and incorrectly-labelled statistics?
Madam SPEAKER: I remind the member for Nhulunbuy that such a complicated question in relation to a series of data is very difficult for anyone
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to respond to.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, let me correct the member for Nhulunbuy. At no time did I indicate or say that my statistics or figures were wrong - far from it. For him to stand here in Question Time with the advantage of public broadcast and attempt to convey that I had agreed that the figures were somehow crook or dodgy is in fact to mislead, not only this Chamber but also Territorians. There was nothing dodgy about the figures. Mandatory sentencing works because the numbers of offenders are actually well down and reductions in property-related offences of 9% to 10%, and up to 15% over the Christmas/New Year period, were achieved.
The member for Stuart shakes his head, but he did not make a dint when it came to assessing the figures. As was pointed out, there were certainly more below the line than above the line. The member for Nhulunbuy went on television and was reported in the print media, as the shadow attorney-general, saying that Territorians should be on notice that, if the Labor Party were to win the next election, it would abolish mandatory sentencing. I hope that has not escaped the attention of Territorians.
By way of interjection this morning, when the member for Fannie Bay was challenged as to whether Labor would introduce a methadone program in the Territory here the answer was: 'Absolutely, yes'. We have very clear differences of policy which, I am sure, will not be lost on Territorians. If you elect Labor, you will have the abolition of mandatory sentencing and a methadone program. Both are discreditable policies if they were ever to be carried into effect.
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Madam SPEAKER: I remind the member for Nhulunbuy that such a complicated question in relation to a series of data is very difficult for anyone
Page 207
to respond to.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, let me correct the member for Nhulunbuy. At no time did I indicate or say that my statistics or figures were wrong - far from it. For him to stand here in Question Time with the advantage of public broadcast and attempt to convey that I had agreed that the figures were somehow crook or dodgy is in fact to mislead, not only this Chamber but also Territorians. There was nothing dodgy about the figures. Mandatory sentencing works because the numbers of offenders are actually well down and reductions in property-related offences of 9% to 10%, and up to 15% over the Christmas/New Year period, were achieved.
The member for Stuart shakes his head, but he did not make a dint when it came to assessing the figures. As was pointed out, there were certainly more below the line than above the line. The member for Nhulunbuy went on television and was reported in the print media, as the shadow attorney-general, saying that Territorians should be on notice that, if the Labor Party were to win the next election, it would abolish mandatory sentencing. I hope that has not escaped the attention of Territorians.
By way of interjection this morning, when the member for Fannie Bay was challenged as to whether Labor would introduce a methadone program in the Territory here the answer was: 'Absolutely, yes'. We have very clear differences of policy which, I am sure, will not be lost on Territorians. If you elect Labor, you will have the abolition of mandatory sentencing and a methadone program. Both are discreditable policies if they were ever to be carried into effect.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016