Mr HIGGINS - 2014-11-27
Can you please outline for the Assembly what the most recent crime statistics reveal about property offences since the Country Liberals came to government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I referred to the Attorney-General answering a crime question today, but you have asked me one and I will acknowledge the hard work the Attorney-General, as minister for Corrections, is doing with the Sentenced to a Job program, reforming the lives of criminals and trying to get them back on the straight and narrow. Well done, minister.
You are quite right in asking about crime figures in the Northern Territory. The people on the other side would suggest, like Henny Penny, that the sky is falling in and it is all doom and gloom. They do not hear the message. Territorians know the Territory is the safest it has been since the 1990s.
Our tough law and order approach, backed by the efforts to achieve a 10% crime reduction strategy promised at the last election, has seen home break-ins across the Territory drop by a staggering 30%. You try to tell me Territorians are not feeling safer. Commercial break-ins and property damage were down 21% in the September 2014 quarter, compared to the same time two years ago when we came to government. This is why people are feeling safer.
Let me talk about a range of other areas, particularly property offences and the decreases across the regions. Darwin is down 19%, Palmerston is down 13%, and Alice Springs is down 28%. The member for Barkly has to be happy with Tennant Creek, because it is down 38%.
The member for Nhulunbuy must be happy, because property offences are down by 19%. You tell me that people are worried about the last 12 months. They will say to you they are now feeling safer because we are getting tougher on law and order. There is more policing, alcohol mandatory treatment, and tougher end sentencing, plus we are rehabilitating criminals who find themselves in gaol.
Alcohol-related assaults, Territory-wide, are down 18%. Katherine is down by 19%. Alice Springs is down by a whopping 31%.
Alcohol-related assaults in Tennant Creek – the member for Barkly should be giving us all a pat on the back – are down by, wait for it, 50%.
It has been a good 12 months, member for Barkly, my oath, particularly if you live in the Barkly.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I referred to the Attorney-General answering a crime question today, but you have asked me one and I will acknowledge the hard work the Attorney-General, as minister for Corrections, is doing with the Sentenced to a Job program, reforming the lives of criminals and trying to get them back on the straight and narrow. Well done, minister.
You are quite right in asking about crime figures in the Northern Territory. The people on the other side would suggest, like Henny Penny, that the sky is falling in and it is all doom and gloom. They do not hear the message. Territorians know the Territory is the safest it has been since the 1990s.
Our tough law and order approach, backed by the efforts to achieve a 10% crime reduction strategy promised at the last election, has seen home break-ins across the Territory drop by a staggering 30%. You try to tell me Territorians are not feeling safer. Commercial break-ins and property damage were down 21% in the September 2014 quarter, compared to the same time two years ago when we came to government. This is why people are feeling safer.
Let me talk about a range of other areas, particularly property offences and the decreases across the regions. Darwin is down 19%, Palmerston is down 13%, and Alice Springs is down 28%. The member for Barkly has to be happy with Tennant Creek, because it is down 38%.
The member for Nhulunbuy must be happy, because property offences are down by 19%. You tell me that people are worried about the last 12 months. They will say to you they are now feeling safer because we are getting tougher on law and order. There is more policing, alcohol mandatory treatment, and tougher end sentencing, plus we are rehabilitating criminals who find themselves in gaol.
Alcohol-related assaults, Territory-wide, are down 18%. Katherine is down by 19%. Alice Springs is down by a whopping 31%.
Alcohol-related assaults in Tennant Creek – the member for Barkly should be giving us all a pat on the back – are down by, wait for it, 50%.
It has been a good 12 months, member for Barkly, my oath, particularly if you live in the Barkly.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016