Ms WALKER - 2012-05-01
Could you please explain what Budget 2012-13 means for the safety of Territory families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. It is a record budget for Police, Fire and Emergency Services. I put on the record this afternoon my personal thanks to everybody who serves in uniform across the Northern Territory keeping families safe. They do an incredible job.
This year the budget is $343m, an increase of $14.7m. A large part of that is as a result of negotiations that concluded a $49m deal with the Commonwealth for 94 extra police for the Darwin Immigration Centre. That was a long and complex negotiation with the Commonwealth. Those extra police, when they are not deployed for incidents at the immigration centre, will be available to provide an extra presence around Darwin and Palmerston, and also additional capacity to relieve throughout the Northern Territory. It is a very significant expansion of our police force.
Also in the budget this year is extra funding for firefighters and a new fire station at Berrimah to support the incredible industrial growth happening at the East Arm precinct. This is in addition to more than 400 extra police since 2003.
This government has had a very proud track record of having extra police throughout the Northern Territory, also in partnership with the Commonwealth government to see extra police in our remote communities, keeping people safe, and we have rebuilt our police force after the years of neglect by CLP governments.
Importantly, Budget 2012-13 also includes continuation of funding for the most comprehensive alcohol reforms in this nation. As I have said many times, if you are not tackling alcohol, you are not tackling crime. In this budget, across the forward estimates, we have provided $71.5m for our Enough is Enough program, which includes spending for the SMART Court and the Alcohol and Other Drugs Tribunal to deal with banned drinkers. There is also increased funding for withdrawal support and community-based outreach remote alcohol and drug rehabilitation options.
Compare that with what little CLP policy there is, verbally, out there. Nothing is written. They say they would scrap the Banned Drinker Register, which would see 2500 extra people back on the grog throughout the Northern Territory. Our police force has said, at very senior levels, that this is the most important tool they have ever had to tackle violence and crime across the Northern Territory. When you look at the tragedy, particularly of domestic violence, to put alcohol back into those homes would be the most outrageous and irresponsible thing a CLP government could do.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. It is a record budget for Police, Fire and Emergency Services. I put on the record this afternoon my personal thanks to everybody who serves in uniform across the Northern Territory keeping families safe. They do an incredible job.
This year the budget is $343m, an increase of $14.7m. A large part of that is as a result of negotiations that concluded a $49m deal with the Commonwealth for 94 extra police for the Darwin Immigration Centre. That was a long and complex negotiation with the Commonwealth. Those extra police, when they are not deployed for incidents at the immigration centre, will be available to provide an extra presence around Darwin and Palmerston, and also additional capacity to relieve throughout the Northern Territory. It is a very significant expansion of our police force.
Also in the budget this year is extra funding for firefighters and a new fire station at Berrimah to support the incredible industrial growth happening at the East Arm precinct. This is in addition to more than 400 extra police since 2003.
This government has had a very proud track record of having extra police throughout the Northern Territory, also in partnership with the Commonwealth government to see extra police in our remote communities, keeping people safe, and we have rebuilt our police force after the years of neglect by CLP governments.
Importantly, Budget 2012-13 also includes continuation of funding for the most comprehensive alcohol reforms in this nation. As I have said many times, if you are not tackling alcohol, you are not tackling crime. In this budget, across the forward estimates, we have provided $71.5m for our Enough is Enough program, which includes spending for the SMART Court and the Alcohol and Other Drugs Tribunal to deal with banned drinkers. There is also increased funding for withdrawal support and community-based outreach remote alcohol and drug rehabilitation options.
Compare that with what little CLP policy there is, verbally, out there. Nothing is written. They say they would scrap the Banned Drinker Register, which would see 2500 extra people back on the grog throughout the Northern Territory. Our police force has said, at very senior levels, that this is the most important tool they have ever had to tackle violence and crime across the Northern Territory. When you look at the tragedy, particularly of domestic violence, to put alcohol back into those homes would be the most outrageous and irresponsible thing a CLP government could do.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016