MR GUNNER - 2014-03-20
The CLP scrapped the Banned Drinker Register and we saw alcohol-related hospital admissions and assaults go up. You defend the Territory’s drinking culture as a core social value; you said critics of the government’s alcohol rehabilitation plan were lefties who should, I quote, ‘Piss off’. The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency’s Priscilla Collins said:
Former Australian of the Year, John Boffa, said:
Who has it right? You or respected Territorians like Priscilla Collins and John Boffa?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I did not hear the last part of the question, but you come back to this statement about alcohol being a core social value. We do not want to penalise or belittle anybody who feels like a drink after work, or does not mind having a beer on a weekend after they have mowed the lawn. We do not want to say those people are criminals in society, we have to defend the freedom of those people to participate in something which is a legal commodity in our society.
Ms Fyles: It is a privilege.
Mr GILES: A privilege? A lot of the biggest critics - I will side step for a minute - of consumption of alcohol drink. Many of the critics we all talk about will sit down and have a beer with me. They are critics in this political environment, I understand this. But, I will not demonise or belittle those people who do not mind having a glass of wine or beer. I recognise there are people in our society who have a chronic alcohol problem and we want to assist them, which is why mandatory alcohol treatment is such a good policy. It is giving people the ability to get off the grog for three months, restore the cognitive ability in their brain and make functional decisions in their life about whether they want to have another drink or not.
We are giving people the opportunity and we think this is a good thing. I might have used colourful language in the back office of a Country Liberal Party meeting, people may not like it and I have said before …
Ms Lawrie: And in front of the media - offensive language.
Mr GILES: Keep bullying me and belittling me from over there, Leader of the Opposition. We are working hard to ensure those people with chronic alcohol problems do not succumb to it for the rest of their life and we are giving them an opportunity. They might get back on alcohol, we know a lot of them will, but we are giving them an opportunity. In regards to hospital admissions, numbers have been going up, because our police are doing a different job now regarding where they take people. Some go to sobering-up shelters, home or protective custody and some who need medical assistance are going to hospital. I said before, the ABC fact checking department have gone through some of these false claims that scrapping the BDR made a difference. It did not make a difference. Hospital admissions were going up before BDR, they went up more during the BDR, and it continued on the same trend.
The change in statistical data has been since the mandatory treatment program and APOs came in, or since our policing approach has been more compassionate to give people an opportunity in their lives. Things are starting to change and people are getting better lifelong outcomes, which is positive and I ask you to join the approach with us and give people a fresh start in life.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
- … that is the most horrible thing to even hear our leader say …
Former Australian of the Year, John Boffa, said:
- … these comments are not only unacceptable and inappropriate but they're also grossly untrue and show a level of ignorance that is not becoming of a Chief Minister.
Who has it right? You or respected Territorians like Priscilla Collins and John Boffa?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I did not hear the last part of the question, but you come back to this statement about alcohol being a core social value. We do not want to penalise or belittle anybody who feels like a drink after work, or does not mind having a beer on a weekend after they have mowed the lawn. We do not want to say those people are criminals in society, we have to defend the freedom of those people to participate in something which is a legal commodity in our society.
Ms Fyles: It is a privilege.
Mr GILES: A privilege? A lot of the biggest critics - I will side step for a minute - of consumption of alcohol drink. Many of the critics we all talk about will sit down and have a beer with me. They are critics in this political environment, I understand this. But, I will not demonise or belittle those people who do not mind having a glass of wine or beer. I recognise there are people in our society who have a chronic alcohol problem and we want to assist them, which is why mandatory alcohol treatment is such a good policy. It is giving people the ability to get off the grog for three months, restore the cognitive ability in their brain and make functional decisions in their life about whether they want to have another drink or not.
We are giving people the opportunity and we think this is a good thing. I might have used colourful language in the back office of a Country Liberal Party meeting, people may not like it and I have said before …
Ms Lawrie: And in front of the media - offensive language.
Mr GILES: Keep bullying me and belittling me from over there, Leader of the Opposition. We are working hard to ensure those people with chronic alcohol problems do not succumb to it for the rest of their life and we are giving them an opportunity. They might get back on alcohol, we know a lot of them will, but we are giving them an opportunity. In regards to hospital admissions, numbers have been going up, because our police are doing a different job now regarding where they take people. Some go to sobering-up shelters, home or protective custody and some who need medical assistance are going to hospital. I said before, the ABC fact checking department have gone through some of these false claims that scrapping the BDR made a difference. It did not make a difference. Hospital admissions were going up before BDR, they went up more during the BDR, and it continued on the same trend.
The change in statistical data has been since the mandatory treatment program and APOs came in, or since our policing approach has been more compassionate to give people an opportunity in their lives. Things are starting to change and people are getting better lifelong outcomes, which is positive and I ask you to join the approach with us and give people a fresh start in life.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016