Dr BURNS - 2001-10-17
Will the Attorney-General tell the Assembly what approach the new government will be taking in relation to offenders who trash homes?
Mr Stirling: There will be room for them too, don’t worry.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I have just spoken to you about the cross-chat. Just behave.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. With all the rhetoric that has flowed through this House regarding who is toughest about crime, it gives me great pleasure today to talk about legislation that is in train that will deal with crime in the way that the householders in the Northern Territory see crime.
Crime dealt with under the mandatory sentencing was so ill-defined that it came to someone picking up a can of drink from a park bench, to picking up a towel in the back yard, to who knows what. It became increasingly obvious that the previous legislation, and the way that it was working, was not picking up the key things that the householders and the business people in the Northern Territory were worried about. They are worried about people going into their homes and their businesses and trashing the place. Whether that is their business or home, whether it is the car sitting in the driveway or the car in the carpark of the business premises, it all amounts to the same thing. People are getting sick and tired of seeing their vehicles and homes trashed, and seeing their homes trashed around the times that their family - including their kids - might still be in that home as it is under attack.
This government believes trashing is a serious offence. This government believes serious crime deserves serious time. Under our six-point plan for property crime, the legislation this government will introduce, for the first time in the Territory and Australia, gives appropriate recognition for the seriousness of this offence. Trashing is different to criminal damage. In fact, trashing is often not about the value of goods or amount of damage. It is about the invasion and the interference caused to individuals, whether they be businessmen or householders.
This discredited mandatory sentencing regime did not recognise trashing. It lumped serious offences in with trivial offences. Trashing is serious, and under this government it will have its own category of offence - home invasion - which will be considered an aggravated property offence. I commend the bills that I will be bringing forward to this House, and I hope we receive some support for them from the opposition.
Mr Stirling: There will be room for them too, don’t worry.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, I have just spoken to you about the cross-chat. Just behave.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. With all the rhetoric that has flowed through this House regarding who is toughest about crime, it gives me great pleasure today to talk about legislation that is in train that will deal with crime in the way that the householders in the Northern Territory see crime.
Crime dealt with under the mandatory sentencing was so ill-defined that it came to someone picking up a can of drink from a park bench, to picking up a towel in the back yard, to who knows what. It became increasingly obvious that the previous legislation, and the way that it was working, was not picking up the key things that the householders and the business people in the Northern Territory were worried about. They are worried about people going into their homes and their businesses and trashing the place. Whether that is their business or home, whether it is the car sitting in the driveway or the car in the carpark of the business premises, it all amounts to the same thing. People are getting sick and tired of seeing their vehicles and homes trashed, and seeing their homes trashed around the times that their family - including their kids - might still be in that home as it is under attack.
This government believes trashing is a serious offence. This government believes serious crime deserves serious time. Under our six-point plan for property crime, the legislation this government will introduce, for the first time in the Territory and Australia, gives appropriate recognition for the seriousness of this offence. Trashing is different to criminal damage. In fact, trashing is often not about the value of goods or amount of damage. It is about the invasion and the interference caused to individuals, whether they be businessmen or householders.
This discredited mandatory sentencing regime did not recognise trashing. It lumped serious offences in with trivial offences. Trashing is serious, and under this government it will have its own category of offence - home invasion - which will be considered an aggravated property offence. I commend the bills that I will be bringing forward to this House, and I hope we receive some support for them from the opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016