Mr GUNNER - 2013-12-04
Alcohol-related crime in the Territory is out of control. Alcohol-related assaults are up by 11.4%. Tragically, domestic violence is up. Violent assault in Katherine has increased by 20% since the Banned Drinker Register was scrapped. Traders at the transit centre have said problems with drunks have increased since the Banned Drinker Register was scrapped. I quote a trader at the transit centre from this morning:
Your alcohol policies are a tragic failure. Will you agree to a parliamentary inquiry to find ways to stop grog-fuelled violence?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not accept the premise of the question. Our policies around alcohol are working in a fantastic way. The alcohol rehabilitation model which has been rolled out by the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation is changing people’s lives. We do not walk away from that.
The new legislation that went through last week around alcohol protection orders will now help people get off the grog, or not drink as much, and will help to change people’s lives. Our intensive policing efforts are now getting people to not consume as much alcohol. We are seeing a reduction in property crime; I know you do not relate this to alcohol. In most areas of the Northern Territory it is down substantially, with a 58% reduction in Palmerston alone.
There are now fewer people breaking into properties, getting grog and being locked up. The reason assaults are going up - I have explained this before - is because under your watch, only about 25% of assaults, particularly domestic violence involving alcohol, were prosecuted.
I have encouraged police to prosecute all those cases, and that is why the numbers are going up. The police are doing a fantastic job. The numbers will keep going up until we get in control of these assault cases, which you were not prosecuting, You were allowing 75% of domestic violence cases to go unheard, with people not charged.
What would happen? A man - I am generalising because it is not all men versus women - might go back and assault his wife again and again, because you were not intervening. We have police intervening now. We now have programs like SupportLink which are linking government services trying to drive change. It is a fantastic outcome that we are achieving. You do not reap results in 12 months after a change from a very poor performing Labor government. We are firmly committed to addressing the scourge of alcohol, particularly those people who have domestic violence and assault issues. It is a challenge.
I commend, first of all, our side of the Chamber, whose members stand firm on addressing alcohol-related issues. Alcohol rehabilitation, alcohol protection orders, SupportLink, and standing up for the police are fantastic outcomes.
I must also commend the opposition, which includes the member for Nelson who votes with Labor every time, because they only have one policy: the Banned Drinker Register. When it is all going bad …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Will you agree to a parliamentary enquiry to find ways of stopping the grog-fuelled violence?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, get to the point.
Mr GILES: They only have one policy, the banned drinker policy.
Stella Maris comes in - all their failures all over the place. What do you do? You run to the only policy you have. What other policies do you have? Where is the spreadsheet which shows what Labor stands for? One policy!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
- When we had the Banned Drinker Register that was working really well for us, but since that has been gone and done away with the problem seems to be escalating back up and very quickly.
Your alcohol policies are a tragic failure. Will you agree to a parliamentary inquiry to find ways to stop grog-fuelled violence?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not accept the premise of the question. Our policies around alcohol are working in a fantastic way. The alcohol rehabilitation model which has been rolled out by the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation is changing people’s lives. We do not walk away from that.
The new legislation that went through last week around alcohol protection orders will now help people get off the grog, or not drink as much, and will help to change people’s lives. Our intensive policing efforts are now getting people to not consume as much alcohol. We are seeing a reduction in property crime; I know you do not relate this to alcohol. In most areas of the Northern Territory it is down substantially, with a 58% reduction in Palmerston alone.
There are now fewer people breaking into properties, getting grog and being locked up. The reason assaults are going up - I have explained this before - is because under your watch, only about 25% of assaults, particularly domestic violence involving alcohol, were prosecuted.
I have encouraged police to prosecute all those cases, and that is why the numbers are going up. The police are doing a fantastic job. The numbers will keep going up until we get in control of these assault cases, which you were not prosecuting, You were allowing 75% of domestic violence cases to go unheard, with people not charged.
What would happen? A man - I am generalising because it is not all men versus women - might go back and assault his wife again and again, because you were not intervening. We have police intervening now. We now have programs like SupportLink which are linking government services trying to drive change. It is a fantastic outcome that we are achieving. You do not reap results in 12 months after a change from a very poor performing Labor government. We are firmly committed to addressing the scourge of alcohol, particularly those people who have domestic violence and assault issues. It is a challenge.
I commend, first of all, our side of the Chamber, whose members stand firm on addressing alcohol-related issues. Alcohol rehabilitation, alcohol protection orders, SupportLink, and standing up for the police are fantastic outcomes.
I must also commend the opposition, which includes the member for Nelson who votes with Labor every time, because they only have one policy: the Banned Drinker Register. When it is all going bad …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Will you agree to a parliamentary enquiry to find ways of stopping the grog-fuelled violence?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, get to the point.
Mr GILES: They only have one policy, the banned drinker policy.
Stella Maris comes in - all their failures all over the place. What do you do? You run to the only policy you have. What other policies do you have? Where is the spreadsheet which shows what Labor stands for? One policy!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016