Mr BALCH - 2001-06-07
We have heard in this place in the last few days that this government is about to give police greater powers to deal with antisocial behaviour. We have heard a lot of criticism from members opposite in that regard. These new powers will obviously have an effect on police activities especially at the operational level. Do you have any indication on the view of front line police towards these new laws?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Police Association has indicated that their members have been consulted in relation to the drafting of this legislation. It will be seen by some to be extreme legislation in that it does give police powers beyond those that they currently have. There is a very good reason for that. The laws to deal with contemporary issues need to be contemporary in terms of how different types of behaviour is both viewed by the community and those people who break the law, and the courts in turn as to what penalties they apply.
For example, the legislation regarding loitering is not considered to be as forceful or as useful as it was when it was first introduced. The use of bad language in a public place, be it in the main street of a major Territory centre and like behaviour, is hardly worth their while these days in charging someone for offensive language, because when they get to court, the courts no longer consider it a serious issue. Similarly, if there is a group of people who are drunk and disorderly and causing a ruckus and ...
Mr Stirling: They are really are onto you, Mick.
Mr REED: And it may include you, your behaviour this morning.
... police have only limited powers to deal with those issues. People living in the suburbs or places across the Northern Territory have a right to expect that they can go about their lifestyle in peace without being impinged upon by others, be it bad language, be it fighting in a public place or in the vacant block next door, and their kids being confronted by that type of behaviour, and the aggressiveness that often goes with it.
Currently, police are only able to take those people ...
A member: Harassing the people.
Mr REED: Harass them. I will pick up that interjection, and if that is your attitude towards making the Territory a safer place - a good demonstration to Territorians as to what the Labor position is. You lot are not serious about it in terms of law and order. You talk a lot but you don’t do anything in terms of putting out policies that have ...
Ms Martin: It is an enforcement issue!
Mr REED: It is an important issue.
Ms Martin: Enforcement issue!
Mr REED: It is an enforcement issue, and it is one that you take a particular interest in. I take it the Leader of the Opposition takes a particular interest in these matters ...
Ms Martin: Your lack of enforcement, yes.
Mr REED: No, doesn’t seem that she does. In terms of police powers at the moment, those people who are intoxicated and who cannot care for themselves, can be taken into protective custody and taken from the scene for six hours. Those who are not in that state can remain at the site and continue to create a disturbance, and those who were removed, after six hours can return and make the disturbance even greater than it was previously.
The powers that are to be introduced today will enable police to move people on from a particular location, from a public place ...
Dr Toyne: To where? To another place?
Mr REED: ... and ensure that they do not return for 72 hours. If they do return within 72 hours it becomes an offence and they can be charged. I pick up the interjection from the member for Stuart, because he is obviously quite happy that the lifestyle of Territorians can be impinged upon by a minority without providing police the opportunity to move them on and make the Territory a safer place.
In electorate offices around the Territory, I would expect one of the biggest single complaints relates to antisocial behaviour and the ability for police to be able to deal with it.
Ms Martin: Yes, after 27 years of you guys, 27 years.
Mr REED: Well, you are not sincere. The Leader of the Opposition by her interjection cannot demonstrate sincerity in relation to this particular ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is too much interjection.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition does not follow what is happening in this House in relation to improved powers for police. You are genuinely not concerned about providing police ...
Ms Martin: Oh, yes, I am.
Mr REED: Well, you’re not! I will pick up the interjection. What she says and what she does are two different things. I will demonstrate this by the introduction yesterday of the laws regarding prohibited weapons, and the article on page 2 of the NT News today explains to Territorians the meaning and the reason for this legislation, and bear in mind it does make the Territory, and will make the Territory, a safer place. It also makes the workplace of the police officer somewhat safer in that these weapons will no longer be available to be confronting police.
When asked for a comment on this legislation, the Opposition Leader responded thus: ‘Opposition Leader Clare Martin said Labor had not yet fully studied the new laws’. Now, she espouses that she cares about laws; that she is following the situation; she is developing a law policy that is going to make the Territory a safer place. How long does it take you to do your job? That legislation was tabled in November last year! November last year. Seven of you got seven copies of the legislation; not one copy of it fell on fertile ground. They are so bone-idle lazy that over six months later they have not even considered the legislation knowing that it was coming up in this House this week.
In addition to the tabling of the legislation in last November, there have since been explanatory notes for the discussion draft for a proposed Prohibited Weapons Act that has been out publicly. We have received 33 very detailed submissions. Anything from the members opposite who care about law and order? Not a squeak.
Dr Toyne: Crime up 20% last year. Nothing from you guys.
Mr REED: Be careful, do not be taken in by what the Leader of the Opposition says. Look at her actions, because there are not any of them and she is bone-idle lazy.
In terms of this legislation that I will be introducing today, it will make the Territory a safer place. It will ensure that those Territorians who are confronted and aggrieved by antisocial behaviour, that police will have powers to address it. And they will note with interest that the Police Association has put out a media release recognising that their members have been consulted and, indeed, accepting that any powers the police have over and above what they have to better apply the law and to keep the Territory a safer place are welcome.
In that regard it is a pity that the Leader of the Opposition was not a bit more serious and a bit more active and not so lazy. Stop whingeing, get on with your job. You have had legislation before you for six months that you have not reacted to. It is time that you worked out what you are up to.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the Police Association has indicated that their members have been consulted in relation to the drafting of this legislation. It will be seen by some to be extreme legislation in that it does give police powers beyond those that they currently have. There is a very good reason for that. The laws to deal with contemporary issues need to be contemporary in terms of how different types of behaviour is both viewed by the community and those people who break the law, and the courts in turn as to what penalties they apply.
For example, the legislation regarding loitering is not considered to be as forceful or as useful as it was when it was first introduced. The use of bad language in a public place, be it in the main street of a major Territory centre and like behaviour, is hardly worth their while these days in charging someone for offensive language, because when they get to court, the courts no longer consider it a serious issue. Similarly, if there is a group of people who are drunk and disorderly and causing a ruckus and ...
Mr Stirling: They are really are onto you, Mick.
Mr REED: And it may include you, your behaviour this morning.
... police have only limited powers to deal with those issues. People living in the suburbs or places across the Northern Territory have a right to expect that they can go about their lifestyle in peace without being impinged upon by others, be it bad language, be it fighting in a public place or in the vacant block next door, and their kids being confronted by that type of behaviour, and the aggressiveness that often goes with it.
Currently, police are only able to take those people ...
A member: Harassing the people.
Mr REED: Harass them. I will pick up that interjection, and if that is your attitude towards making the Territory a safer place - a good demonstration to Territorians as to what the Labor position is. You lot are not serious about it in terms of law and order. You talk a lot but you don’t do anything in terms of putting out policies that have ...
Ms Martin: It is an enforcement issue!
Mr REED: It is an important issue.
Ms Martin: Enforcement issue!
Mr REED: It is an enforcement issue, and it is one that you take a particular interest in. I take it the Leader of the Opposition takes a particular interest in these matters ...
Ms Martin: Your lack of enforcement, yes.
Mr REED: No, doesn’t seem that she does. In terms of police powers at the moment, those people who are intoxicated and who cannot care for themselves, can be taken into protective custody and taken from the scene for six hours. Those who are not in that state can remain at the site and continue to create a disturbance, and those who were removed, after six hours can return and make the disturbance even greater than it was previously.
The powers that are to be introduced today will enable police to move people on from a particular location, from a public place ...
Dr Toyne: To where? To another place?
Mr REED: ... and ensure that they do not return for 72 hours. If they do return within 72 hours it becomes an offence and they can be charged. I pick up the interjection from the member for Stuart, because he is obviously quite happy that the lifestyle of Territorians can be impinged upon by a minority without providing police the opportunity to move them on and make the Territory a safer place.
In electorate offices around the Territory, I would expect one of the biggest single complaints relates to antisocial behaviour and the ability for police to be able to deal with it.
Ms Martin: Yes, after 27 years of you guys, 27 years.
Mr REED: Well, you are not sincere. The Leader of the Opposition by her interjection cannot demonstrate sincerity in relation to this particular ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is too much interjection.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition does not follow what is happening in this House in relation to improved powers for police. You are genuinely not concerned about providing police ...
Ms Martin: Oh, yes, I am.
Mr REED: Well, you’re not! I will pick up the interjection. What she says and what she does are two different things. I will demonstrate this by the introduction yesterday of the laws regarding prohibited weapons, and the article on page 2 of the NT News today explains to Territorians the meaning and the reason for this legislation, and bear in mind it does make the Territory, and will make the Territory, a safer place. It also makes the workplace of the police officer somewhat safer in that these weapons will no longer be available to be confronting police.
When asked for a comment on this legislation, the Opposition Leader responded thus: ‘Opposition Leader Clare Martin said Labor had not yet fully studied the new laws’. Now, she espouses that she cares about laws; that she is following the situation; she is developing a law policy that is going to make the Territory a safer place. How long does it take you to do your job? That legislation was tabled in November last year! November last year. Seven of you got seven copies of the legislation; not one copy of it fell on fertile ground. They are so bone-idle lazy that over six months later they have not even considered the legislation knowing that it was coming up in this House this week.
In addition to the tabling of the legislation in last November, there have since been explanatory notes for the discussion draft for a proposed Prohibited Weapons Act that has been out publicly. We have received 33 very detailed submissions. Anything from the members opposite who care about law and order? Not a squeak.
Dr Toyne: Crime up 20% last year. Nothing from you guys.
Mr REED: Be careful, do not be taken in by what the Leader of the Opposition says. Look at her actions, because there are not any of them and she is bone-idle lazy.
In terms of this legislation that I will be introducing today, it will make the Territory a safer place. It will ensure that those Territorians who are confronted and aggrieved by antisocial behaviour, that police will have powers to address it. And they will note with interest that the Police Association has put out a media release recognising that their members have been consulted and, indeed, accepting that any powers the police have over and above what they have to better apply the law and to keep the Territory a safer place are welcome.
In that regard it is a pity that the Leader of the Opposition was not a bit more serious and a bit more active and not so lazy. Stop whingeing, get on with your job. You have had legislation before you for six months that you have not reacted to. It is time that you worked out what you are up to.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016