Ms CARNEY - 2003-08-19
You have apparently pledged to tackle antisocial behaviour over the next two years. Clearly what you have done to date has failed. I will quote from the letter that I will table, dated 29 July, sent to me by a business in Alice Springs. It is a one-and-a-bit page letter that says:
The antisocial behaviour in this area has quite noticeably increased to the point where we feel something drastic
needs to be done.
Chief Minister, something drastic does need to be done and, after two years, do you intend to do anything?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Araluen. However, it should be based on a little information and fact, rather than just the member for Araluen’s hyperbole, which she is particularly good at.
The member for Araluen knows only too clearly that last financial year we put funds into tackling the problem. We put $5.25m worth of funds in this budget. There is a lot of activity taking place; some of it immediately, like extension of community patrols. The other is looking further at how we tackle the problems on our streets right across the Territory - Darwin and the other major urban centres. It is an important issue to tackle.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: I am glad to hear the sounds of ‘hear, hear’ from the opposition, because what did the opposition do when they were in government? What did …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: This is a very important question, because it goes to the heart of the absolute hypocrisy coming from the opposition. Twenty-seven years of one government, and what did we see happen to the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities? It grew by the year. What was done to tackle it? Very, very little. We had a previous Chief Minister whose best attempts were to say: ‘Let us monster and stomp’. Nothing was done by the previous Chief Minister, the now Opposition Leader, when he was in government to tackle the problem. We have had the guts to say this is a problem, it does demand whole-of-government attention, and that is the work that is being done.
Let me give you an example. A Territorian who lives on the Esplanade, in the member for Port Darwin’s electorate, said for the last few years she has felt very uncomfortable about going out in the early morning or late at night - in fact she has not done it - or being on the Esplanade in her place of residence by herself. Only a couple of weeks ago, she said: ‘I am delighted, I can now go out. After a number of years, I feel confident to do that. I can go walking at 6.45 am and I can spend that night …
Ms Carter: It is not what the action group says.
Ms MARTIN: This is a true story, so whatever hyperbole you have …
Ms Carney: So is this letter which, no doubt, you will read with great interest, Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: I was delighted to hear that. When you look at what we have already put in place across the Territory, we are seeing that antisocial behaviour has decreased. I am not saying it has gone away. If you had a government who said we could reduce it or eliminate it within six months, it cannot be believed. It is not believable to say that. However, what we are doing is putting all the strategies in place that will see a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour. We are committed to this, in stark contrast to the CLP. We are seeing those decreases happen right across the Territory. There is a lot more work to do; a lot more commitment. This is not about one year’s program, this is about year after year after year. However, we have the commitment and it stands in stark contrast …
Ms Carter interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, enough!
Ms MARTIN: … to those who are asking this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we go on, I believe the member for Araluen sought leave to table that letter. Is leave granted?
Leave granted.
The antisocial behaviour in this area has quite noticeably increased to the point where we feel something drastic
needs to be done.
Chief Minister, something drastic does need to be done and, after two years, do you intend to do anything?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Araluen. However, it should be based on a little information and fact, rather than just the member for Araluen’s hyperbole, which she is particularly good at.
The member for Araluen knows only too clearly that last financial year we put funds into tackling the problem. We put $5.25m worth of funds in this budget. There is a lot of activity taking place; some of it immediately, like extension of community patrols. The other is looking further at how we tackle the problems on our streets right across the Territory - Darwin and the other major urban centres. It is an important issue to tackle.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: I am glad to hear the sounds of ‘hear, hear’ from the opposition, because what did the opposition do when they were in government? What did …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: This is a very important question, because it goes to the heart of the absolute hypocrisy coming from the opposition. Twenty-seven years of one government, and what did we see happen to the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities? It grew by the year. What was done to tackle it? Very, very little. We had a previous Chief Minister whose best attempts were to say: ‘Let us monster and stomp’. Nothing was done by the previous Chief Minister, the now Opposition Leader, when he was in government to tackle the problem. We have had the guts to say this is a problem, it does demand whole-of-government attention, and that is the work that is being done.
Let me give you an example. A Territorian who lives on the Esplanade, in the member for Port Darwin’s electorate, said for the last few years she has felt very uncomfortable about going out in the early morning or late at night - in fact she has not done it - or being on the Esplanade in her place of residence by herself. Only a couple of weeks ago, she said: ‘I am delighted, I can now go out. After a number of years, I feel confident to do that. I can go walking at 6.45 am and I can spend that night …
Ms Carter: It is not what the action group says.
Ms MARTIN: This is a true story, so whatever hyperbole you have …
Ms Carney: So is this letter which, no doubt, you will read with great interest, Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: I was delighted to hear that. When you look at what we have already put in place across the Territory, we are seeing that antisocial behaviour has decreased. I am not saying it has gone away. If you had a government who said we could reduce it or eliminate it within six months, it cannot be believed. It is not believable to say that. However, what we are doing is putting all the strategies in place that will see a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour. We are committed to this, in stark contrast to the CLP. We are seeing those decreases happen right across the Territory. There is a lot more work to do; a lot more commitment. This is not about one year’s program, this is about year after year after year. However, we have the commitment and it stands in stark contrast …
Ms Carter interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, enough!
Ms MARTIN: … to those who are asking this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we go on, I believe the member for Araluen sought leave to table that letter. Is leave granted?
Leave granted.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016