Mrs BRAHAM - 1995-11-29
As the minister is aware, more than 400 drunks were detained in Alice Springs over the weekend. The wine cask levy strategy introduced earlier this year was intended to assist Territory communities to reduce alcohol-related antisocial behaviour of the kind that Alice Springs experienced. What progress has been made following the implementation of this strategy?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the wine cask levy program is making some progress. It is not surprising to hear the Leader of the Opposition's well thought out suggestion. He has no answers to these vexed questions except to set up another inquiry. He has no answers and he provides no leadership. Obviously, he is inept. We have just had another classic demonstration of his inability even to communicate with his colleagues, let alone lead them.
Some 400 drunks - and I understand that most of them were from out of town - were locked up over the weekend. That is to the credit of the police and others involved. That action resulted from 3 days of disorderly behaviour which coincided with events such as a music festival and a football final. As a consequence, many more people than usual were in Alice Springs and I understand that they had much more money than was normal. That led to this splurge. Our fundamental problem is that there is a group of people who will not take responsibility for their own actions. That is where we have to target our energies and resources - not on more paperwork, inquiries and discussion. I know it makes people feel
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good when inquiries are under way and they are able to express their views but, in the end, what counts is the results that can be achieved.
I do not know whether the wine cask levy will provide perfect answers to this problem. However, for the sake of Alice Springs, one would hope that the $1m raised - $200 000 per year over 5 years - will address at least partly that public face of drunkenness. On the way from the Alice Springs committee at present, I have a recommendation for at least the commencement of its program, involving some additional patrol officers. Hopefully, that will help.
Proposed modifications to the 2 km law will provide an opportunity to see how hard members opposite are prepared to bite the bullet in relation to this misbehaviour by people who come in from out of town. We know what their attitude to the 2 km law has been previously. Before too much longer, we will hear what their attitude is towards strengthening the enforcement of the 2 km law.
We know the effectiveness of the police in Alice Springs. We have seen 400 people rounded up over 3 days. An additional 33 police officers will go to Alice Springs during December to boost the numbers there. However, the task cannot all be placed on the police, nor can it be hung on the Liquor Commission which should, according to some people, suddenly find the answer by closing down every takeaway outlet in town. That is the answer some would propose. There has been the same number of liquor outlets in Alice Springs for 12 years. That action would not be the answer at all. Let us be a little realistic about it.
The answer was to be to provide them with a drinking club. I understand that the club operates fairly successfully, but it appears to attract some of these troublemakers like bees to a honey pot. There are enormous problems outside the club, and in areas to and from the club.
Some answers have to be found. It is unacceptable to have people come to town with their pockets bulging with money, fully intent on wiping themselves out with drink. The Leader of the Opposition is certainly no leader. His only suggestion is that another inquiry be held. I believe that a great deal more can be done. Hopefully, the wine cask levy will be part of the answer. A namby-pamby approach to these people, who will not accept responsibility for their own actions, is inappropriate. In relation to the pockets bulging with money, why don't members opposite write to their socialist mates in Canberra and have those social security payments paid out bush thereby enabling the families and children to obtain some benefit from the taxpayer-funded social security system? Instead, those people go to town because there is a football match or rock concert on, and they create havoc not only for themselves and their families, whom they leave behind, but also for the good people of Alice Springs.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the wine cask levy program is making some progress. It is not surprising to hear the Leader of the Opposition's well thought out suggestion. He has no answers to these vexed questions except to set up another inquiry. He has no answers and he provides no leadership. Obviously, he is inept. We have just had another classic demonstration of his inability even to communicate with his colleagues, let alone lead them.
Some 400 drunks - and I understand that most of them were from out of town - were locked up over the weekend. That is to the credit of the police and others involved. That action resulted from 3 days of disorderly behaviour which coincided with events such as a music festival and a football final. As a consequence, many more people than usual were in Alice Springs and I understand that they had much more money than was normal. That led to this splurge. Our fundamental problem is that there is a group of people who will not take responsibility for their own actions. That is where we have to target our energies and resources - not on more paperwork, inquiries and discussion. I know it makes people feel
Page 1070
good when inquiries are under way and they are able to express their views but, in the end, what counts is the results that can be achieved.
I do not know whether the wine cask levy will provide perfect answers to this problem. However, for the sake of Alice Springs, one would hope that the $1m raised - $200 000 per year over 5 years - will address at least partly that public face of drunkenness. On the way from the Alice Springs committee at present, I have a recommendation for at least the commencement of its program, involving some additional patrol officers. Hopefully, that will help.
Proposed modifications to the 2 km law will provide an opportunity to see how hard members opposite are prepared to bite the bullet in relation to this misbehaviour by people who come in from out of town. We know what their attitude to the 2 km law has been previously. Before too much longer, we will hear what their attitude is towards strengthening the enforcement of the 2 km law.
We know the effectiveness of the police in Alice Springs. We have seen 400 people rounded up over 3 days. An additional 33 police officers will go to Alice Springs during December to boost the numbers there. However, the task cannot all be placed on the police, nor can it be hung on the Liquor Commission which should, according to some people, suddenly find the answer by closing down every takeaway outlet in town. That is the answer some would propose. There has been the same number of liquor outlets in Alice Springs for 12 years. That action would not be the answer at all. Let us be a little realistic about it.
The answer was to be to provide them with a drinking club. I understand that the club operates fairly successfully, but it appears to attract some of these troublemakers like bees to a honey pot. There are enormous problems outside the club, and in areas to and from the club.
Some answers have to be found. It is unacceptable to have people come to town with their pockets bulging with money, fully intent on wiping themselves out with drink. The Leader of the Opposition is certainly no leader. His only suggestion is that another inquiry be held. I believe that a great deal more can be done. Hopefully, the wine cask levy will be part of the answer. A namby-pamby approach to these people, who will not accept responsibility for their own actions, is inappropriate. In relation to the pockets bulging with money, why don't members opposite write to their socialist mates in Canberra and have those social security payments paid out bush thereby enabling the families and children to obtain some benefit from the taxpayer-funded social security system? Instead, those people go to town because there is a football match or rock concert on, and they create havoc not only for themselves and their families, whom they leave behind, but also for the good people of Alice Springs.
Page 1071
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016