Mr HIGGINS - 2013-08-21
Can you outline to the House what key stakeholders are saying about the government’s mandatory alcohol treatment system?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the alcohol mandatory treatment program we have rolled out has been highly controversial. However, it has the support of the opposition; they agree with alcohol mandatory treatment. It has met with the approval and acceptance of stakeholders throughout the Northern Territory …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The treatment regime does not have the support of the opposition. It is incorrect to say that on the Parliamentary Record ...
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down. Minister, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: All stakeholders we have consulted on this issue have been in support, philosophically, with mandatory treatment for people with severe alcohol abuse, apart from NAAJA. They are the only ones on the public record opposing, ideologically, alcohol mandatory treatment. There is widespread support across the community for what we are doing, without question.
Alcohol mandatory treatment is being considered and rolled out throughout the country. In New South Wales, they have an involuntary treatment program for people suffering from severe and acute alcoholism …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Again I heard the Leader of the Opposition running this line and calling out that members are misleading this House. Unless she wishes to proceed by way of substantive motion, she cannot utter those words and she should be made to withdraw. I respectfully remind you, Madam Speaker, that she is on a warning.
Madam SPEAKER: I do not need your reminding, thank you, member for Port Darwin. I did not hear those calls. Opposition Leader, I warn you not to use misleading terms in this parliament against any member or anyone. Minister, you have the call. Opposition Leader, cease interjecting.
Mrs LAMBLEY: The truth of the matter is the specialists in this area of the provision of residential alcohol rehabilitation services support what we are doing because they understand fully what we are doing. Other experts within the alcohol field are not so supportive, but the specialists in the area support us.
A classic example of this is CAAAPU in Alice Springs. It has been courageous in coming out publicly, against the approval of its peers to some extent, to support what we are doing.
Eileen Hoosan has been the most courageous spokesperson expressing support for what we are doing. She is the Chairperson of CAAAPU in Alice Springs. She said in a recent media interview:
Eileen Hoosan has been on the public record many times speaking about what we are doing. She can see from the ground that this will change people’s lives. She is concerned about her people dying from alcohol abuse.
Madam Speaker, never before has a treatment program for alcoholism like this been rolled out in the Territory. It is going to be a success as we work through the problems we encounter.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the alcohol mandatory treatment program we have rolled out has been highly controversial. However, it has the support of the opposition; they agree with alcohol mandatory treatment. It has met with the approval and acceptance of stakeholders throughout the Northern Territory …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The treatment regime does not have the support of the opposition. It is incorrect to say that on the Parliamentary Record ...
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down. Minister, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: All stakeholders we have consulted on this issue have been in support, philosophically, with mandatory treatment for people with severe alcohol abuse, apart from NAAJA. They are the only ones on the public record opposing, ideologically, alcohol mandatory treatment. There is widespread support across the community for what we are doing, without question.
Alcohol mandatory treatment is being considered and rolled out throughout the country. In New South Wales, they have an involuntary treatment program for people suffering from severe and acute alcoholism …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Again I heard the Leader of the Opposition running this line and calling out that members are misleading this House. Unless she wishes to proceed by way of substantive motion, she cannot utter those words and she should be made to withdraw. I respectfully remind you, Madam Speaker, that she is on a warning.
Madam SPEAKER: I do not need your reminding, thank you, member for Port Darwin. I did not hear those calls. Opposition Leader, I warn you not to use misleading terms in this parliament against any member or anyone. Minister, you have the call. Opposition Leader, cease interjecting.
Mrs LAMBLEY: The truth of the matter is the specialists in this area of the provision of residential alcohol rehabilitation services support what we are doing because they understand fully what we are doing. Other experts within the alcohol field are not so supportive, but the specialists in the area support us.
A classic example of this is CAAAPU in Alice Springs. It has been courageous in coming out publicly, against the approval of its peers to some extent, to support what we are doing.
Eileen Hoosan has been the most courageous spokesperson expressing support for what we are doing. She is the Chairperson of CAAAPU in Alice Springs. She said in a recent media interview:
- We shouldn’t be taking the position that one way is good and another is bad - there is no one size fits all approach to the alcohol reform.
CAAAPU’s approach is not the only way, but it is one way we can deliver culturally appropriate programs to deal with the scourge of alcohol abuse.
Eileen Hoosan has been on the public record many times speaking about what we are doing. She can see from the ground that this will change people’s lives. She is concerned about her people dying from alcohol abuse.
Madam Speaker, never before has a treatment program for alcoholism like this been rolled out in the Territory. It is going to be a success as we work through the problems we encounter.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016