Ms MOSS - 2015-03-25
You cut more than $1m in annual funding from Alice Springs youth services, including funding for the successful Youth Street Outreach Service. You closed the Youth Hub where successful integrated programs for young people were housed, and you slashed funding for after-hours youth activities. Things have gotten so bad in Alice Springs that a community meeting is being held tonight to find solutions to kids being on the street, and the old chestnut of a youth curfew has again been raised. Yesterday you admitted to ABC Radio that you should have continued to fund YSOS. What funding will there be in next month’s budget to restore YSOS and reintroduce an integrated after-hours youth service in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina for her question. It is the same as the last question when she asked me exactly what will be in the budget. She is only a new member of parliament, but budget information is available when the budget is released.
Let us talk about a couple of the issues the member just spoke about regarding Alice Springs. Alice Springs is not out of control. We have brought crime down to the lowest level since the 1990s.
Ms Fyles: Why is there a meeting tonight?
Mr GILES: Yes, there is a meeting tonight and people are talking about a youth curfew.
I spoke yesterday about the alleged rape of that child in Alice Springs because I believe there should be community outrage about what allegedly happened to that young girl. People are calling for children to be off the street and a youth curfew. We all know children should not be on the street late at night. We want parental responsibility, and government services should back up where parental supervision fails.
I want people to talk about this child – I did not want to politicise the child – as well as the issue and how we make improvements in that area. Instead, after I informed this House that I will be calling all government agencies together to look at how well we are performing, as well as statistical information and how we can make improvements, it has become a beat-up and not about the kid.
Your questions today have not been about this child or the alleged rape. I note that Tangentyere Council has issued a media release today, authored by Mandy Taylor, who is the ex-media adviser for Karl Hampton, the previous member for Stuart. Mandy Taylor only 18 minutes ago tweeted, ‘@Adam Giles appalling attempt to politicise a terrible rape #newlow’.
Mandy Taylor is now employed to write the media advice for Tangentyere; it is an horrendous disgrace that she would write this. Labor’s Mandy Taylor is writing releases for Tangentyere, which is now trying to politicise the argument of services in town camps rather than focus on the kid. Does anybody get it?
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was about the funding the Chief Minister cut from YSOS and whether he will restore the funding he cut to youth services in Alice Springs.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: If the member listened to the interview she would have heard we are putting $4.2m into youth services. Additional money is going back into youth services across the Territory, including Alice Springs.
To Mandy Taylor: how dare you say I am trying to politicise the alleged rape of a child …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! What specifically will you fund in regard to YSOS and the after-hours …
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Your strategy on this issue is terribly wrong. You should be working together to address the issues of children in this situation, not trying to politicise a poor child.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina for her question. It is the same as the last question when she asked me exactly what will be in the budget. She is only a new member of parliament, but budget information is available when the budget is released.
Let us talk about a couple of the issues the member just spoke about regarding Alice Springs. Alice Springs is not out of control. We have brought crime down to the lowest level since the 1990s.
Ms Fyles: Why is there a meeting tonight?
Mr GILES: Yes, there is a meeting tonight and people are talking about a youth curfew.
I spoke yesterday about the alleged rape of that child in Alice Springs because I believe there should be community outrage about what allegedly happened to that young girl. People are calling for children to be off the street and a youth curfew. We all know children should not be on the street late at night. We want parental responsibility, and government services should back up where parental supervision fails.
I want people to talk about this child – I did not want to politicise the child – as well as the issue and how we make improvements in that area. Instead, after I informed this House that I will be calling all government agencies together to look at how well we are performing, as well as statistical information and how we can make improvements, it has become a beat-up and not about the kid.
Your questions today have not been about this child or the alleged rape. I note that Tangentyere Council has issued a media release today, authored by Mandy Taylor, who is the ex-media adviser for Karl Hampton, the previous member for Stuart. Mandy Taylor only 18 minutes ago tweeted, ‘@Adam Giles appalling attempt to politicise a terrible rape #newlow’.
Mandy Taylor is now employed to write the media advice for Tangentyere; it is an horrendous disgrace that she would write this. Labor’s Mandy Taylor is writing releases for Tangentyere, which is now trying to politicise the argument of services in town camps rather than focus on the kid. Does anybody get it?
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was about the funding the Chief Minister cut from YSOS and whether he will restore the funding he cut to youth services in Alice Springs.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: If the member listened to the interview she would have heard we are putting $4.2m into youth services. Additional money is going back into youth services across the Territory, including Alice Springs.
To Mandy Taylor: how dare you say I am trying to politicise the alleged rape of a child …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! What specifically will you fund in regard to YSOS and the after-hours …
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Your strategy on this issue is terribly wrong. You should be working together to address the issues of children in this situation, not trying to politicise a poor child.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016