Mr KURRUPUWU - 2013-11-28
There is no doubt that domestic violence in the Northern Territory is at an unacceptably high level. How do you plan on addressing this issue and how will it improve on the attempts of previous Labor governments?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a good question from a member who cares very much about this issue because …
Mr Wood: We all care, by the way.
Mr ELFERINK: … it deals with what happens in his electorate and – I pick up on the interjection from the member for Nelson – across the Northern Territory.
I acknowledge the initial efforts by the former Labor government to address the issue of domestic violence in our community.
How often did we hear them, when on this side of the House, say the reason the assault rates were going up in the community was because they were doing something about it? That was the argument they continually ran whenever they were asked that question, yet we hear them attack now because they know what is going on in this space.
There is an increase in domestic violence, but I refer to Labor’s own statistical releases from the early noughties. Those statistical releases, through research in the Northern Territory, stated that only around 24% of offences against the person were reported. That is not good enough. There was domestic violence legislation in place, but that meant the police would take a civil order to prevent a husband from going back to a premises or something like that. That was not reflected in the crime statistics.
The former Labor government started charging them, and I approve of that; it is a good policy. But that is where the former Labor government stopped. That was the solution. Get the copper to lock up more people and that will be the solution
We are committed to going a lot harder. The Chief Minister has said in this House that he finds domestic violence a reprehensible and disgusting crime.
Mr Gunner: As we all do.
Mr ELFERINK: As we all do. Hear, hear!
Let’s get real. Let’s get stuck into it. That is exactly what the police have done, and I note the presence of the Police Commissioner and congratulate him on his excellent work in this space.
The fact remains that domestic violence still has to be dealt with in a much broader context. So we have announced, and are pursuing, a comprehensive domestic violence reduction strategy across government, using NGOs and involving the federal government, to rip the scab off this infection and start going after the infection that lies within. Part of that process is looking for perpetrators, and we make no apologies about that. When we find a perpetrator they will be charged with a criminal offence and will answer for their criminality in front of a court of law in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a good question from a member who cares very much about this issue because …
Mr Wood: We all care, by the way.
Mr ELFERINK: … it deals with what happens in his electorate and – I pick up on the interjection from the member for Nelson – across the Northern Territory.
I acknowledge the initial efforts by the former Labor government to address the issue of domestic violence in our community.
How often did we hear them, when on this side of the House, say the reason the assault rates were going up in the community was because they were doing something about it? That was the argument they continually ran whenever they were asked that question, yet we hear them attack now because they know what is going on in this space.
There is an increase in domestic violence, but I refer to Labor’s own statistical releases from the early noughties. Those statistical releases, through research in the Northern Territory, stated that only around 24% of offences against the person were reported. That is not good enough. There was domestic violence legislation in place, but that meant the police would take a civil order to prevent a husband from going back to a premises or something like that. That was not reflected in the crime statistics.
The former Labor government started charging them, and I approve of that; it is a good policy. But that is where the former Labor government stopped. That was the solution. Get the copper to lock up more people and that will be the solution
We are committed to going a lot harder. The Chief Minister has said in this House that he finds domestic violence a reprehensible and disgusting crime.
Mr Gunner: As we all do.
Mr ELFERINK: As we all do. Hear, hear!
Let’s get real. Let’s get stuck into it. That is exactly what the police have done, and I note the presence of the Police Commissioner and congratulate him on his excellent work in this space.
The fact remains that domestic violence still has to be dealt with in a much broader context. So we have announced, and are pursuing, a comprehensive domestic violence reduction strategy across government, using NGOs and involving the federal government, to rip the scab off this infection and start going after the infection that lies within. Part of that process is looking for perpetrators, and we make no apologies about that. When we find a perpetrator they will be charged with a criminal offence and will answer for their criminality in front of a court of law in the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016