Ms MARTIN - 1999-08-11
The Territory Liberals have been in government for 25 years. This morning on radio the Chief Minister admitted that only one 1 in 10 break-and-enter offenders in Darwin is caught. Is this appalling statistic part of the Territory Liberals’ ‘success story’?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I said on radio this morning that I didn’t dispute the figure, but I would take the advice of the Minister for Police. He may wish to speak on the subject. Our clear-up statistics for break-and-enter crimes right throughout the Northern Territory, I am led to believe, are no different from those in other jurisdictions around Australia. Break-and-enter continues to be a problem throughout Australia. The problem is dealt with decisively by the Northern Territory government through a whole range of activities. At one end of the spectrum we send an absolutely clear message to the offender: ‘If you do this crime, you are going to get …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: At some point Labor may say what they would do. At this stage we are telling you what we have done and continue to do. At one end of the spectrum we have mandatory sentencing. We also have, for juveniles, not only mandatory sentencing but also the ability for them to participate in diversionary programs - programs that have been shown to be successful in other jurisdictions and will be implemented throughout the Northern Territory.
We have, in my opinion, undoubtedly the best police force in Australia. It deals with a whole range of activities, including serious cultural issues, in their day-to-day environment. In terms of resources from this Northern Territory government, the force has had a 50% increase in its budget over the last 5 years. This has put more police on the street. It has put more high-tech communications into the police force. The force is well resourced. There are always gaps, but certainly no one could criticise this government in terms of its focused effort on the police force, certainly over the last 5 years under 2 police ministers.
We have also brought in DNA testing legislation which will be at the forefront in Australia. When we deal with this cohort of criminals you will find coming through, absolutely clearly with the DNA testing, that the police have the ability to target particular criminals. DNA, I believe, is going to be one of the most successful scientific advances in dealing with criminals.
We have changed pawnbroker legislation in the Northern Territory so that the police have far greater powers to see how some stolen property is fenced. We have Operation Surf and other programs which I’m sure the Minister for Police can expand on in terms of how we target break-and-enter crimes through police efforts. We have school-based constables ...
Mr Manzie: The only jurisdiction in Australia with school-based constables.
Mr BURKE: Absolutely! We are the first jurisdiction to introduce school-based constables, a very successful program that targets precisely the sorts of juveniles who may offend, among both primary school and secondary school children. They have incredibly good access in terms of communication and getting to the source of the problem.
There are difficulties. Break-and-enter is, in many respects, a symptom of modern society. There are stresses on families throughout Australia, including the Northern Territory. More and more families are becoming dysfunctional for various reasons. There is the inescapable fact that 27% of the Northern Territory population is Aboriginal, and a whole range of problems are endemic in many parts of the Aboriginal community. Taking all of those things together, I believe that no one would dispute the excellent efforts of this government in dealing with law and order through a whole range of programs which continue to receive resources and priorities from government.
I forgot to mention that we are about to buy a brand new aircraft for the police. I don’t know the cost of that aircraft, but it will be very significant. That is an example of the sorts of costs right across the board that the Police, Fire and Emergency Services portfolio alone demands from the coffers of government.
What we hear from the opposition is continual criticism. Never once do they put up a policy position stating how they would do it better. We are waiting to interrogate the way they will dip into the coffers somehow to resource the unheard of programs that they might conjure up. In our opinion their solution would be the same as Labor inflicted on Western Australia, the same it inflicted on South Australia, the same it inflicted on Victoria under the Kirner government, the same the Keating/Hawke government inflicted on the Commonwealth. Labor ran those jurisdictions broke, and it has taken Coalition governments to come in and rectify the situation.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I said on radio this morning that I didn’t dispute the figure, but I would take the advice of the Minister for Police. He may wish to speak on the subject. Our clear-up statistics for break-and-enter crimes right throughout the Northern Territory, I am led to believe, are no different from those in other jurisdictions around Australia. Break-and-enter continues to be a problem throughout Australia. The problem is dealt with decisively by the Northern Territory government through a whole range of activities. At one end of the spectrum we send an absolutely clear message to the offender: ‘If you do this crime, you are going to get …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: At some point Labor may say what they would do. At this stage we are telling you what we have done and continue to do. At one end of the spectrum we have mandatory sentencing. We also have, for juveniles, not only mandatory sentencing but also the ability for them to participate in diversionary programs - programs that have been shown to be successful in other jurisdictions and will be implemented throughout the Northern Territory.
We have, in my opinion, undoubtedly the best police force in Australia. It deals with a whole range of activities, including serious cultural issues, in their day-to-day environment. In terms of resources from this Northern Territory government, the force has had a 50% increase in its budget over the last 5 years. This has put more police on the street. It has put more high-tech communications into the police force. The force is well resourced. There are always gaps, but certainly no one could criticise this government in terms of its focused effort on the police force, certainly over the last 5 years under 2 police ministers.
We have also brought in DNA testing legislation which will be at the forefront in Australia. When we deal with this cohort of criminals you will find coming through, absolutely clearly with the DNA testing, that the police have the ability to target particular criminals. DNA, I believe, is going to be one of the most successful scientific advances in dealing with criminals.
We have changed pawnbroker legislation in the Northern Territory so that the police have far greater powers to see how some stolen property is fenced. We have Operation Surf and other programs which I’m sure the Minister for Police can expand on in terms of how we target break-and-enter crimes through police efforts. We have school-based constables ...
Mr Manzie: The only jurisdiction in Australia with school-based constables.
Mr BURKE: Absolutely! We are the first jurisdiction to introduce school-based constables, a very successful program that targets precisely the sorts of juveniles who may offend, among both primary school and secondary school children. They have incredibly good access in terms of communication and getting to the source of the problem.
There are difficulties. Break-and-enter is, in many respects, a symptom of modern society. There are stresses on families throughout Australia, including the Northern Territory. More and more families are becoming dysfunctional for various reasons. There is the inescapable fact that 27% of the Northern Territory population is Aboriginal, and a whole range of problems are endemic in many parts of the Aboriginal community. Taking all of those things together, I believe that no one would dispute the excellent efforts of this government in dealing with law and order through a whole range of programs which continue to receive resources and priorities from government.
I forgot to mention that we are about to buy a brand new aircraft for the police. I don’t know the cost of that aircraft, but it will be very significant. That is an example of the sorts of costs right across the board that the Police, Fire and Emergency Services portfolio alone demands from the coffers of government.
What we hear from the opposition is continual criticism. Never once do they put up a policy position stating how they would do it better. We are waiting to interrogate the way they will dip into the coffers somehow to resource the unheard of programs that they might conjure up. In our opinion their solution would be the same as Labor inflicted on Western Australia, the same it inflicted on South Australia, the same it inflicted on Victoria under the Kirner government, the same the Keating/Hawke government inflicted on the Commonwealth. Labor ran those jurisdictions broke, and it has taken Coalition governments to come in and rectify the situation.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016