Mr BALCH - 2001-06-05
Mr Speaker, car theft in the Northern Territory costs the community $8m per year in insurance and criminal justice costs. Is there a way Territorians can reduce the chances of their car being stolen and how would such prevention measures fit the government’s community crime prevention initiative, NTsafe?
Mr Toyne: Move interstate.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I quickly pick up the interjection from the member for Stuart who said in response to the last part of the question, ‘Move interstate.’ I would advise the good member for Stuart that the ...
Mr Toyne: You are quick enough to say ‘Leave if you don’t like it’ on your side.
Mr REED: ... car theft interstate, you goose, is increasing and in the Northern Territory it is decreasing. Marginally, but it is improving here; getting worse interstate. Now, you are supposed to be an opposition spokesman who is putting yourself up as a minister in some whingeing government. If that is the case, do not put the Territory down. Do not continue to put the Territory down.
The trend in motor vehicle theft in the Territory is quite different from that interstate. Nonetheless, some 85 cars are stolen each month across the Territory, as the member said. That cost is anticipated at $8m a year. The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, which was formed by all Australian governments and the insurance industry, developed a program to combat rising car thefts. That is to install in vehicles engine immobilises. That is a project which, as I say, the insurance council and governments have focused on. For a reasonably low outlay of $200, people can have installed in their vehicle an engine immobiliser. The simple fact is that if you cannot start the car, it cannot be stolen.
Mr Toyne: So that’s the crime prevention policy, is it? Get them to pay for it.
Mr REED: You just can’t help yourself, can you? You were a teacher. You used to stand in front of our kids trying to get them to behave. God save us!
In terms of motor vehicle theft, this is an important initiative. It is particularly relevant to vehicles that are over nine or 10 years old because they do not have the anti-theft measures that the more recently manufactured vehicles do. With some warning on the windows that the vehicle is fitted with an immobiliser or some other anti-theft device, that, too, is a deterrent to would-be thieves.
The Immobilise Now campaign fits in well with NTsafe. In terms of NTsafe, I congratulate Police, Fire and Emergency personnel for a wonderful expo that they put on over the weekend. 11 000 Territorians visited expo and they are attracted to NTsafe. They do, as community members, want to work with police in terms of reducing the theft, in this case of motor vehicles. There will be seven Territorians who will enjoy the comfort of knowing their vehicle is much more secure after winning an immobiliser at NTsafe Expo on Sunday. I do ask people to consider the potential to improve the safety of their car by having a further deterrent from it being stolen, particularly if it is an older model.
From the point of view of the honourable member for Stuart, get his facts right; recognise that it is safer here than elsewhere and for him to denigrate the Territory and say that it is worse here than interstate is not only wrong, it is a direct lie.
Mr Toyne: Move interstate.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I quickly pick up the interjection from the member for Stuart who said in response to the last part of the question, ‘Move interstate.’ I would advise the good member for Stuart that the ...
Mr Toyne: You are quick enough to say ‘Leave if you don’t like it’ on your side.
Mr REED: ... car theft interstate, you goose, is increasing and in the Northern Territory it is decreasing. Marginally, but it is improving here; getting worse interstate. Now, you are supposed to be an opposition spokesman who is putting yourself up as a minister in some whingeing government. If that is the case, do not put the Territory down. Do not continue to put the Territory down.
The trend in motor vehicle theft in the Territory is quite different from that interstate. Nonetheless, some 85 cars are stolen each month across the Territory, as the member said. That cost is anticipated at $8m a year. The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, which was formed by all Australian governments and the insurance industry, developed a program to combat rising car thefts. That is to install in vehicles engine immobilises. That is a project which, as I say, the insurance council and governments have focused on. For a reasonably low outlay of $200, people can have installed in their vehicle an engine immobiliser. The simple fact is that if you cannot start the car, it cannot be stolen.
Mr Toyne: So that’s the crime prevention policy, is it? Get them to pay for it.
Mr REED: You just can’t help yourself, can you? You were a teacher. You used to stand in front of our kids trying to get them to behave. God save us!
In terms of motor vehicle theft, this is an important initiative. It is particularly relevant to vehicles that are over nine or 10 years old because they do not have the anti-theft measures that the more recently manufactured vehicles do. With some warning on the windows that the vehicle is fitted with an immobiliser or some other anti-theft device, that, too, is a deterrent to would-be thieves.
The Immobilise Now campaign fits in well with NTsafe. In terms of NTsafe, I congratulate Police, Fire and Emergency personnel for a wonderful expo that they put on over the weekend. 11 000 Territorians visited expo and they are attracted to NTsafe. They do, as community members, want to work with police in terms of reducing the theft, in this case of motor vehicles. There will be seven Territorians who will enjoy the comfort of knowing their vehicle is much more secure after winning an immobiliser at NTsafe Expo on Sunday. I do ask people to consider the potential to improve the safety of their car by having a further deterrent from it being stolen, particularly if it is an older model.
From the point of view of the honourable member for Stuart, get his facts right; recognise that it is safer here than elsewhere and for him to denigrate the Territory and say that it is worse here than interstate is not only wrong, it is a direct lie.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016