Mr GUNNER - 2013-05-16
In Budget Paper No 3, page 169, only 480 problem drunks will receive mandatory treatment next year, and under your alcohol protection orders a banned drinker can still walk into a bottle shop and buy as much alcohol as they can afford. Why are you banning drinkers and letting them drink as much as they like? How will that rehabilitate them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay. Once again, he has his figures a little skewed. We have committed to 200 beds in phase one of the implementation of this new mandatory alcohol treatment program. We will have 200 beds based in Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine as a starting point. We also have some existing beds in Gove which we hope to expand upon.
The 200 beds of phase one equates to - when you look at a 12-week mandatory rehabilitation program - 800 people going through mandatory alcohol rehabilitation in the next 12 months from 1 July, not 480. I am unsure where the member for Fannie Bay is getting his figures from, but we will certainly get this program up and running by 1 July.
Where the variation might occur is from day one where we will not have the 200 beds filled, but we intend to ensure they run at full capacity from the point at which people are identified as requiring rehabilitation ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Why are you banning drinkers and letting them drink as much as they like? How will that rehabilitate them?
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. Minister, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: That is very interesting question, member for Fannie Bay. Your Banned Drinker Register did exactly that. It pretended to ban drinkers, and people all over the Territory on the register were drinking as much as they wanted, being taken into protective custody time and time again for drunkenness. Your question is hideous; you just exposed yourself. The Banned Drinker Register did not work. We are looking at a broad range of alcohol reform strategies. We are not throwing our eggs into one basket. We are not saying supply is the only way to go.
We are looking at this demand-driven strategy which is about mandatory alcohol rehabilitation across the Northern Territory. It has never been done before in the history of Australia. We are extremely excited about this initiative. It will make a difference to the individuals, the families, the community and the whole of the Northern Territory. The criticisms from the other side are simply because they did not think of it themselves.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay. Once again, he has his figures a little skewed. We have committed to 200 beds in phase one of the implementation of this new mandatory alcohol treatment program. We will have 200 beds based in Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine as a starting point. We also have some existing beds in Gove which we hope to expand upon.
The 200 beds of phase one equates to - when you look at a 12-week mandatory rehabilitation program - 800 people going through mandatory alcohol rehabilitation in the next 12 months from 1 July, not 480. I am unsure where the member for Fannie Bay is getting his figures from, but we will certainly get this program up and running by 1 July.
Where the variation might occur is from day one where we will not have the 200 beds filled, but we intend to ensure they run at full capacity from the point at which people are identified as requiring rehabilitation ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Why are you banning drinkers and letting them drink as much as they like? How will that rehabilitate them?
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. Minister, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: That is very interesting question, member for Fannie Bay. Your Banned Drinker Register did exactly that. It pretended to ban drinkers, and people all over the Territory on the register were drinking as much as they wanted, being taken into protective custody time and time again for drunkenness. Your question is hideous; you just exposed yourself. The Banned Drinker Register did not work. We are looking at a broad range of alcohol reform strategies. We are not throwing our eggs into one basket. We are not saying supply is the only way to go.
We are looking at this demand-driven strategy which is about mandatory alcohol rehabilitation across the Northern Territory. It has never been done before in the history of Australia. We are extremely excited about this initiative. It will make a difference to the individuals, the families, the community and the whole of the Northern Territory. The criticisms from the other side are simply because they did not think of it themselves.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016