Mr WOOD - 2014-02-12
According to an ABC news report on 8 January, your federal colleague, Senator Nigel Scullion, said the federal government will hold a parliamentary inquiry into reducing alcohol-fuelled violence which will focus on strategies to better tackle alcohol-fuelled violence across the nation, something I support. He said it would look at problems, ranging from an evaluation of whether the Northern Territory’s scrapped Banned Drinker Register reduced harm from takeaway alcohol sales, to reducing violence outside Sydney pubs. On 10 January the ABC reported federal Indigenous Affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, as being overruled, and the parliamentary inquiry will now only consider the effects of alcohol on Indigenous people. What are you doing, as Chief Minister, to convince the federal government to revert to its original terms of reference for a national alcohol inquiry, or do you support the racially discriminatory based one that we now have?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. This is a matter for the federal government about what they are doing about their own parliamentary inquiry, or whatever inquiry they may wish to pursue.
Ms Walker: It will be a navel-gazing exercise.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr GILES: I do know you are on a warning. I do not know what it actually means.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister!
Mr GILES: There is a lot of conversation about alcohol in the Northern Territory and it is always politicised, member for Nelson. Everyone says how bad it is and Labor likes to talk about how bad it is. I spoke, yesterday, about some specific statistics, how we are seeing a decrease and a change in the dynamics of what is occurring in the Northern Territory and how mandatory alcohol rehabilitation is having a significant effect and will continue to have a broader effect, particularly in Katherine and Tennant Creek, into the future. I spoke about how the APOs are driving down alcohol-related incidents and assaults. I spoke before, in a question, about how there has been a massive decrease in the consumption of alcohol in Alice Springs, and I find it very worrying and confusing that the political messages about the problems of alcohol are broader than they actually are.
Yes, there are people in the Northern Territory who have an alcohol problem. We are trying to help those people with mandatory alcohol rehabilitation, and we are trying to protect women through alcohol protection orders. There is a range of other measures we have in place – a regulatory environment through alcohol licensing - whether that is takeaways, restaurants, clubs, pubs or otherwise. I can go through a few statistics and then come back to your question, if I may.
Estimated per capita consumption of alcohol in the Northern Territory dropped to 12.84 litres per person in the 2012-13 financial year after we got rid of the BDR. This is the lowest estimated consumption value recorded for the Northern Territory since prior to 2001-02, which was the first period for which per capita consumption was estimated. Estimated per capita consumption in 2012-13 was 4% less than 2011-12 and 16% less than in 2004-05. If you put those into context, when we got rid of the BDR, alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory dropped substantially. Despite what you may think – and I am not putting words in your mouth –or what Labor is saying, our alcohol measures are working substantially.
Wholesale alcohol supply, litres in pure alcohol content in the Northern Territory in 2012-13 was 2% less than 2011-12, and I will let you read Hansard to take the context of these things. Wholesale alcohol supply in Darwin was 1% less, in Palmerston it was 2% less – we are talking 2012-13 compared to 2011-12 when the BDR was in. Wholesale alcohol supply in Alice Springs was 7% less - I am getting to your question.
It was 7% less in Alice Springs. We have seen a massive drop in alcohol consumption, wholesale and pure alcohol content …
A member interjecting.
Mr GILES: If you ask another question, I will give you another answer. While Senator Scullion is pursuing his endeavours, and very fruitfully, we believe we are on the right path to addressing alcohol issues in the Northern Territory and we will continue to do so.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. This is a matter for the federal government about what they are doing about their own parliamentary inquiry, or whatever inquiry they may wish to pursue.
Ms Walker: It will be a navel-gazing exercise.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr GILES: I do know you are on a warning. I do not know what it actually means.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister!
Mr GILES: There is a lot of conversation about alcohol in the Northern Territory and it is always politicised, member for Nelson. Everyone says how bad it is and Labor likes to talk about how bad it is. I spoke, yesterday, about some specific statistics, how we are seeing a decrease and a change in the dynamics of what is occurring in the Northern Territory and how mandatory alcohol rehabilitation is having a significant effect and will continue to have a broader effect, particularly in Katherine and Tennant Creek, into the future. I spoke about how the APOs are driving down alcohol-related incidents and assaults. I spoke before, in a question, about how there has been a massive decrease in the consumption of alcohol in Alice Springs, and I find it very worrying and confusing that the political messages about the problems of alcohol are broader than they actually are.
Yes, there are people in the Northern Territory who have an alcohol problem. We are trying to help those people with mandatory alcohol rehabilitation, and we are trying to protect women through alcohol protection orders. There is a range of other measures we have in place – a regulatory environment through alcohol licensing - whether that is takeaways, restaurants, clubs, pubs or otherwise. I can go through a few statistics and then come back to your question, if I may.
Estimated per capita consumption of alcohol in the Northern Territory dropped to 12.84 litres per person in the 2012-13 financial year after we got rid of the BDR. This is the lowest estimated consumption value recorded for the Northern Territory since prior to 2001-02, which was the first period for which per capita consumption was estimated. Estimated per capita consumption in 2012-13 was 4% less than 2011-12 and 16% less than in 2004-05. If you put those into context, when we got rid of the BDR, alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory dropped substantially. Despite what you may think – and I am not putting words in your mouth –or what Labor is saying, our alcohol measures are working substantially.
Wholesale alcohol supply, litres in pure alcohol content in the Northern Territory in 2012-13 was 2% less than 2011-12, and I will let you read Hansard to take the context of these things. Wholesale alcohol supply in Darwin was 1% less, in Palmerston it was 2% less – we are talking 2012-13 compared to 2011-12 when the BDR was in. Wholesale alcohol supply in Alice Springs was 7% less - I am getting to your question.
It was 7% less in Alice Springs. We have seen a massive drop in alcohol consumption, wholesale and pure alcohol content …
A member interjecting.
Mr GILES: If you ask another question, I will give you another answer. While Senator Scullion is pursuing his endeavours, and very fruitfully, we believe we are on the right path to addressing alcohol issues in the Northern Territory and we will continue to do so.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016