Mr MILLS - 2000-10-12
In delivering the Nugget Coombs lecture on 20 September, the member for Arnhem claimed that 76% of inmates in Territory prisons are Aboriginal. He also claimed that the number of Aboriginal women in Territory jails had increased by 220% since mandatory sentencing laws were introduced. I ask the minister just how accurate are these figures?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can assure this House that both figures quoted by the member for Arnhem are quite wrong. Indeed, they were only two, two of many inaccuracies in the speech which was riddled with false allegations. It was abrasive, racist, it was divisive rhetoric. I just refer honourable members to comments made last night by former Labor leader, former Governor-General, former Labor minister, Bill Hayden. He warned Aboriginal leaders that their divisive tactics risk a backlash from the general community. Mr Hayden’s comments were clearly directed at people like the member for Arnhem who used the Nugget Coombs lecture to tip a bucket of hatred on all Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: It disturbs me that the member for Arnhem laughs and thinks it is funny. This is a very serious matter we are talking about here. The member for Arnhem and other opponents of mandatory sentencing continue to pluck imaginary figures from the air to support their case and sadly these people’s figures get picked up and reported by local, national and sometimes international media without any question.
Now, isn’t it any wonder that we see cartoons like this which appeared in the national newspaper, the Weekend Australian, look at this disgraceful cartoon. I think all members saw it and the Chief Minister actually wrote a very good letter to the newspaper. It actually depicts Cathy Freeman being placed in the Don Dale Correctional Centre with two policemen wearing blue uniforms, laughing about the gold medal and saying, “‘I won it in a race’ she says, ‘I won it in a race’”. What a disgraceful perception of the Territory.
That is the sort of publicity that the member for Arnhem brings upon the Northern Territory and the Leader of the Opposition has to also accept blame in this because she …
Members interjecting.
Ms Martin: You hypocrite, you hypocrite.
Mr PALMER: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The honourable Leader of the Opposition knows that she should not make those imputations and should withdraw that.
Mr STIRLING: Point of order, Mr Speaker. It is used in this Chamber on a daily basis.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Just a minute. Just keep it cool. I am not going to rule a point of order because in fact the word has been thrown backwards and forwards across this Chamber on many occasions. I would though prefer that you don’t use those sorts of words in the Chamber, because they will cause problems. I did ask for a withdrawal on a matter yesterday which was a very, very minor offence. I did allow it, but I just ask members to be very careful. It can get very hot here at times and I would just ask you to be very careful about what you say against one another because that can cause some problems.
There is no point of order at this stage.
Mr MANZIE: The Leader of the Opposition, all members of the opposition have to accept some blame for this because they continue to distort the facts. They continue to distort the facts about mandatory sentencing and in doing so they besmirch the Territory’s reputation.
This cartoon is a direct insult to all Aboriginal sports people in the Territory, to all the non-Aboriginal people in the Territory, to the staff of Don Dale Centre, to police, to our legal system. It is an absolute lie from beginning to end, yet the member for Arnhem continues to deliberately misrepresent the facts to bring about these sorts of situation. The opposition playing the race card.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Correctional Services has the floor.
Mr MANZIE: In doing so they certainly bring all Territorians into dispute.
Let’s just have a look at the figures that the member for Arnhem quoted. According to the latest official stats from the Commonwealth Statistician 60% of the prisoners in the Territory are indigenous, substantially less than 76% quoted by the member for Arnhem. Quoted in his speech, quoted in a newspaper. Substantially less. The same statistics showed the Northern Territory has an indigenous imprisonment rate significantly lower than the national average, and the Northern Territory rate is …
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Will you listen to this. You are the one who deliberately provides incorrect information. Listen to the real figures so you can try and get it right instead of besmirching Territorians.
The figure, the Northern Territory rate is 1154 per 100 000 adult indigenous population compared to the national average of 1728. Those figures are significantly below figures from New South Wales, from Queensland, from South Australia, from Western Australia. Those facts put the lie to the claims that the Territory’s mandatory sentencing laws impact adversely on Aboriginal people. Absolute rubbish!
Let’s have a look at the other figure. The member for Arnhem falsely claimed that the number of Aboriginal women in detention had increased by 220% under mandatory sentencing. Now those were his words, and it was reported on the ABC the next day. He said, its …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I tell you what should be pretty important to you people, the truth. The truth especially when it impacts on the reputation of the Territory. The truth is extremely important and I am now trying to show to all Territorians what the truth is and the member for Arnhem should listen because if he made a mistake because he was given the figures by some researcher, he should now get it right.
Let’s have a look. He says the figure increased by 220%. During 1997-98, a total of 197 Aboriginal women were sentenced to detention in the Northern Territory. In 1999-2000, the number was 124. Now on my calculations – and I think anyone else who has a pencil or a bit of capacity in mental maths – that represents a reduction of 37%. A reduction.
In fact, during the 12 months to June 2000, the number of Aboriginal women sentenced to detention more than halved from 252 to 124. So much for the truth. In fact, female imprisonment, the latest figures in the Territory show that just 2.1% of the Territory’s prisoners are female against the national average of 6.2%. In fact our daily average has gone down from 28 in 1998 to 13 in June this year.
I would urge the member for Arnhem and other members of the opposition…
Ms Martin: Make it up, Daryl.
Mr MANZIE: That is just the point, these are the statistics – these are the truth. Now these are not made up unless you think that the Commonwealth Statistician makes them up, take it up with him, but I think that it is only fair and reasonable that the people – the member for Arnhem, he has this tactic, all the opposition…
Mr Stirling: Peter Reith should be in jail.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the member for Nhulunbuy please refrain from that constant interjection, the same interjection time and time again. He is heading for an hour out.
Mr MANZIE: They make this background noise to prevent Territorians hearing on the radio the facts. It is becoming over the top. I urge the member for Arnhem and all members of the opposition, take note of the warning from your former federal Labor leader. Territorians are sick and tired of having your racist rhetoric shoved down their throats. All you are doing, as Mr Hayden says, is dividing the community.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can assure this House that both figures quoted by the member for Arnhem are quite wrong. Indeed, they were only two, two of many inaccuracies in the speech which was riddled with false allegations. It was abrasive, racist, it was divisive rhetoric. I just refer honourable members to comments made last night by former Labor leader, former Governor-General, former Labor minister, Bill Hayden. He warned Aboriginal leaders that their divisive tactics risk a backlash from the general community. Mr Hayden’s comments were clearly directed at people like the member for Arnhem who used the Nugget Coombs lecture to tip a bucket of hatred on all Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: It disturbs me that the member for Arnhem laughs and thinks it is funny. This is a very serious matter we are talking about here. The member for Arnhem and other opponents of mandatory sentencing continue to pluck imaginary figures from the air to support their case and sadly these people’s figures get picked up and reported by local, national and sometimes international media without any question.
Now, isn’t it any wonder that we see cartoons like this which appeared in the national newspaper, the Weekend Australian, look at this disgraceful cartoon. I think all members saw it and the Chief Minister actually wrote a very good letter to the newspaper. It actually depicts Cathy Freeman being placed in the Don Dale Correctional Centre with two policemen wearing blue uniforms, laughing about the gold medal and saying, “‘I won it in a race’ she says, ‘I won it in a race’”. What a disgraceful perception of the Territory.
That is the sort of publicity that the member for Arnhem brings upon the Northern Territory and the Leader of the Opposition has to also accept blame in this because she …
Members interjecting.
Ms Martin: You hypocrite, you hypocrite.
Mr PALMER: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The honourable Leader of the Opposition knows that she should not make those imputations and should withdraw that.
Mr STIRLING: Point of order, Mr Speaker. It is used in this Chamber on a daily basis.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Just a minute. Just keep it cool. I am not going to rule a point of order because in fact the word has been thrown backwards and forwards across this Chamber on many occasions. I would though prefer that you don’t use those sorts of words in the Chamber, because they will cause problems. I did ask for a withdrawal on a matter yesterday which was a very, very minor offence. I did allow it, but I just ask members to be very careful. It can get very hot here at times and I would just ask you to be very careful about what you say against one another because that can cause some problems.
There is no point of order at this stage.
Mr MANZIE: The Leader of the Opposition, all members of the opposition have to accept some blame for this because they continue to distort the facts. They continue to distort the facts about mandatory sentencing and in doing so they besmirch the Territory’s reputation.
This cartoon is a direct insult to all Aboriginal sports people in the Territory, to all the non-Aboriginal people in the Territory, to the staff of Don Dale Centre, to police, to our legal system. It is an absolute lie from beginning to end, yet the member for Arnhem continues to deliberately misrepresent the facts to bring about these sorts of situation. The opposition playing the race card.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Correctional Services has the floor.
Mr MANZIE: In doing so they certainly bring all Territorians into dispute.
Let’s just have a look at the figures that the member for Arnhem quoted. According to the latest official stats from the Commonwealth Statistician 60% of the prisoners in the Territory are indigenous, substantially less than 76% quoted by the member for Arnhem. Quoted in his speech, quoted in a newspaper. Substantially less. The same statistics showed the Northern Territory has an indigenous imprisonment rate significantly lower than the national average, and the Northern Territory rate is …
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Will you listen to this. You are the one who deliberately provides incorrect information. Listen to the real figures so you can try and get it right instead of besmirching Territorians.
The figure, the Northern Territory rate is 1154 per 100 000 adult indigenous population compared to the national average of 1728. Those figures are significantly below figures from New South Wales, from Queensland, from South Australia, from Western Australia. Those facts put the lie to the claims that the Territory’s mandatory sentencing laws impact adversely on Aboriginal people. Absolute rubbish!
Let’s have a look at the other figure. The member for Arnhem falsely claimed that the number of Aboriginal women in detention had increased by 220% under mandatory sentencing. Now those were his words, and it was reported on the ABC the next day. He said, its …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I tell you what should be pretty important to you people, the truth. The truth especially when it impacts on the reputation of the Territory. The truth is extremely important and I am now trying to show to all Territorians what the truth is and the member for Arnhem should listen because if he made a mistake because he was given the figures by some researcher, he should now get it right.
Let’s have a look. He says the figure increased by 220%. During 1997-98, a total of 197 Aboriginal women were sentenced to detention in the Northern Territory. In 1999-2000, the number was 124. Now on my calculations – and I think anyone else who has a pencil or a bit of capacity in mental maths – that represents a reduction of 37%. A reduction.
In fact, during the 12 months to June 2000, the number of Aboriginal women sentenced to detention more than halved from 252 to 124. So much for the truth. In fact, female imprisonment, the latest figures in the Territory show that just 2.1% of the Territory’s prisoners are female against the national average of 6.2%. In fact our daily average has gone down from 28 in 1998 to 13 in June this year.
I would urge the member for Arnhem and other members of the opposition…
Ms Martin: Make it up, Daryl.
Mr MANZIE: That is just the point, these are the statistics – these are the truth. Now these are not made up unless you think that the Commonwealth Statistician makes them up, take it up with him, but I think that it is only fair and reasonable that the people – the member for Arnhem, he has this tactic, all the opposition…
Mr Stirling: Peter Reith should be in jail.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the member for Nhulunbuy please refrain from that constant interjection, the same interjection time and time again. He is heading for an hour out.
Mr MANZIE: They make this background noise to prevent Territorians hearing on the radio the facts. It is becoming over the top. I urge the member for Arnhem and all members of the opposition, take note of the warning from your former federal Labor leader. Territorians are sick and tired of having your racist rhetoric shoved down their throats. All you are doing, as Mr Hayden says, is dividing the community.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016