Mr HIGGINS - 2014-03-19
I was in Alice Springs a few weeks ago - lovely town. Under the former Labor government, crime was out of control in Alice Springs. Can you please explain to the House how, for 11 years, the town suffered, but, thanks to this Country Liberals government, we are seeing real change in the region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. As a member of the Top End community, he is very engaged with his southern counterparts and spends as much time as he possibly can in the Alice.
Ms Lawrie: The Chief Minister says there is no more crime in Alice; it is all sorted.
Mr CONLAN: Crime has not completely dried up in Central Australia, Leader of the Opposition, but we have made incredible inroads in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in the 18 months we have been in government. It was 11 years before we could finally boot out the Labor government and bring in a Country Liberals government which is serious about tackling the real concerns of the community in Central Australia: crime; law and order issues; and antisocial behaviour. You left us with a huge mess to clean up, which we are still cleaning up.
Let us have a look at the 2013 and 2012 figures. I cannot make too fine a point on some of these figures, they are extraordinary. Comparing 2013 with 2012 in Alice Springs, we saw total property offences down by 31%, the lowest number in a calendar year since 2006. Property damage was down 34% and commercial break-ins down by 37%. I cannot tell you what these figures have done for the spirit of the community. People now feel they can live in their homes safely at night, without having someone jump the fence and break in to their back yard fridge or, worse still, into their home.
Car theft and related offences were down 40%; house break-ins were down 33% and sexual assaults were down 22%. These are the figures the Country Liberals have delivered to the Central Australian community in 18 months. I will run through it again …
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I am listening to the fine, disgraced member for Greatorex and I hope he will …
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw that comment and sit down. There is no point of order.
Mr VOWLES: I withdraw.
Mr CONLAN: This gives me an opportunity to run through some of those figures once again, because the heart of the question was: what have we done in 18 months that Labor could not do in 11 years?
You left a community reeling in a desperate state of disrepair when it came to law and order issues. I am proud to say the Country Liberals government has made incredible inroads to addressing those, to the extent total property offences are down 31%; property damages down 34%; commercial break-ins down 37%; car theft and related offences down 40%; house break-ins down 33%; and sexual assaults down 22%.
The figures do not lie. They are the figures we delivered to the community of Central Australia, which you could not deliver after 11 years. The shadow minister for Central Australia lives in the Top End. When was the last time you visited Central Australia, shadow minister? It is a fascinating question.
We have delivered for the Central Australian community, and we will continue to do so.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. As a member of the Top End community, he is very engaged with his southern counterparts and spends as much time as he possibly can in the Alice.
Ms Lawrie: The Chief Minister says there is no more crime in Alice; it is all sorted.
Mr CONLAN: Crime has not completely dried up in Central Australia, Leader of the Opposition, but we have made incredible inroads in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in the 18 months we have been in government. It was 11 years before we could finally boot out the Labor government and bring in a Country Liberals government which is serious about tackling the real concerns of the community in Central Australia: crime; law and order issues; and antisocial behaviour. You left us with a huge mess to clean up, which we are still cleaning up.
Let us have a look at the 2013 and 2012 figures. I cannot make too fine a point on some of these figures, they are extraordinary. Comparing 2013 with 2012 in Alice Springs, we saw total property offences down by 31%, the lowest number in a calendar year since 2006. Property damage was down 34% and commercial break-ins down by 37%. I cannot tell you what these figures have done for the spirit of the community. People now feel they can live in their homes safely at night, without having someone jump the fence and break in to their back yard fridge or, worse still, into their home.
Car theft and related offences were down 40%; house break-ins were down 33% and sexual assaults were down 22%. These are the figures the Country Liberals have delivered to the Central Australian community in 18 months. I will run through it again …
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I am listening to the fine, disgraced member for Greatorex and I hope he will …
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw that comment and sit down. There is no point of order.
Mr VOWLES: I withdraw.
Mr CONLAN: This gives me an opportunity to run through some of those figures once again, because the heart of the question was: what have we done in 18 months that Labor could not do in 11 years?
You left a community reeling in a desperate state of disrepair when it came to law and order issues. I am proud to say the Country Liberals government has made incredible inroads to addressing those, to the extent total property offences are down 31%; property damages down 34%; commercial break-ins down 37%; car theft and related offences down 40%; house break-ins down 33%; and sexual assaults down 22%.
The figures do not lie. They are the figures we delivered to the community of Central Australia, which you could not deliver after 11 years. The shadow minister for Central Australia lives in the Top End. When was the last time you visited Central Australia, shadow minister? It is a fascinating question.
We have delivered for the Central Australian community, and we will continue to do so.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016