Ms CARNEY - 2007-10-09
As you know, the crime statistics were released last week and they clearly reveal that you are failing to tackle a range of law and order problems across the Northern Territory. There are a number of damning figures, which are included in a graph. Most alarming of all was in relation to assaults. Using your preferred comparison of quarter-on-quarter from the previous year, in Darwin, there was an increase of 88%; in Palmerston, there was an increase of 124%; and in Alice Springs, there was an increase of 60%. Chief Minister, is it any wonder that people are frustrated and frightened? Will you admit that you have failed them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, one thing that we do consistently, which starkly contrasts with what the previous CLP government did, is to actually release figures about crime. We do that. We know that sometimes, some areas of crime will be down and others will be up. If you look at the figures of which the Attorney-General has carriage, in areas like assault, yes, the figures are up; in areas like property crime, the figures are down; motor vehicle theft figures are down as well. What we have across the Territory is some areas where you have a decrease and others where it has increased.
None of us want to see assaults at levels we are seeing now, and there are a number of reasons for that. One of them is a very proactive police force. We could say to the police force: ‘Do target people who are assaulting others, whether it be a domestic violence situation or in some of our CBD areas’. We could say that and the figures would look lower, but we have a police force and a government that are targeting violent crime with a very strong violent crime reduction strategy. What this means is that people are being arrested for assault, and they are contributing to the level of assaults recorded across the Territory.
As Chief Minister and Police minister, I will encourage the police to continue this. We have to tackle the insidiousness of domestic violence. We will continue to target those who breach orders, and those who are assaulting others in areas like Mitchell Street or wherever it is happening, we will continue the focus of the police in stopping that happening. So we will see figures like that. We would like to say that it will not happen, but it will happen because we have a very active police force.
Over 60% of assaults that happen across the Territory are alcohol related. That is why we have a very focused alcohol strategy, whether it be in Alice Springs where we are starting to see significant results, the work that has been done in Katherine by the minister in reducing alcohol supply, right across the Territory, we will continue to do it because we are not going to see a reduction in those assaults until we tackle the damage done by alcohol.
I do not like the figures. I do not think anyone here would like figures where we see an increase in assaults, but you have to understand that there are factors involved. There is a very active police force that is targeting those who assault - not closing their eyes to it, actually targeting it and particularly in relation to protection of women. Everyone in the Chamber would want the police to be encouraged in that respect. We also have to keep our eyes very firmly on the damage done by alcohol and the relationship between alcohol and assaults. Madam Speaker, we will continue that as well.
Madam Speaker, I would like support from the other side of the House in doing that. It is a problem that has been entrenched in the Territory for a long time and we will continue to tackle it.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, one thing that we do consistently, which starkly contrasts with what the previous CLP government did, is to actually release figures about crime. We do that. We know that sometimes, some areas of crime will be down and others will be up. If you look at the figures of which the Attorney-General has carriage, in areas like assault, yes, the figures are up; in areas like property crime, the figures are down; motor vehicle theft figures are down as well. What we have across the Territory is some areas where you have a decrease and others where it has increased.
None of us want to see assaults at levels we are seeing now, and there are a number of reasons for that. One of them is a very proactive police force. We could say to the police force: ‘Do target people who are assaulting others, whether it be a domestic violence situation or in some of our CBD areas’. We could say that and the figures would look lower, but we have a police force and a government that are targeting violent crime with a very strong violent crime reduction strategy. What this means is that people are being arrested for assault, and they are contributing to the level of assaults recorded across the Territory.
As Chief Minister and Police minister, I will encourage the police to continue this. We have to tackle the insidiousness of domestic violence. We will continue to target those who breach orders, and those who are assaulting others in areas like Mitchell Street or wherever it is happening, we will continue the focus of the police in stopping that happening. So we will see figures like that. We would like to say that it will not happen, but it will happen because we have a very active police force.
Over 60% of assaults that happen across the Territory are alcohol related. That is why we have a very focused alcohol strategy, whether it be in Alice Springs where we are starting to see significant results, the work that has been done in Katherine by the minister in reducing alcohol supply, right across the Territory, we will continue to do it because we are not going to see a reduction in those assaults until we tackle the damage done by alcohol.
I do not like the figures. I do not think anyone here would like figures where we see an increase in assaults, but you have to understand that there are factors involved. There is a very active police force that is targeting those who assault - not closing their eyes to it, actually targeting it and particularly in relation to protection of women. Everyone in the Chamber would want the police to be encouraged in that respect. We also have to keep our eyes very firmly on the damage done by alcohol and the relationship between alcohol and assaults. Madam Speaker, we will continue that as well.
Madam Speaker, I would like support from the other side of the House in doing that. It is a problem that has been entrenched in the Territory for a long time and we will continue to tackle it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016