Mr BELL - 1997-02-20
Superintendent Terry Ey told Territorians that to continue the successful blitz against traffic offenders would result in police being unable to respond to other crimes. Will the Chief Minister admit that his administration's refusal to resource Territory police adequately has placed the police in a position where they must choose either to respond to traffic concerns or to respond to other crime?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome this question, and again point to the misinformation that is being peddled by members opposite. On this occasion, it is the member for MacDonnell. Can the member point out where, at any point, Superintendent Ey said `other crimes'? The reality is that the member cannot because that is not what the superintendent said.
It is important that people listening to the broadcast understand how the Labor Party works in the Territory. In this Assembly, its members ask questions that are full of untruths. We had an example of it earlier in relation to Mr Wallace, and we now have an example in relation to Superintendent Ey. Let us see exactly what Superintendent Ey had to say. Territorians listening to the broadcast will come to the conclusion that the ALP cannot be trusted because its representatives do not tell the truth. I refer members to the headline in the NT News of 23 February: `Top Cops Out to Book NT Drivers'. Do you all remember that? Superintendent Ey said, in relation to the traffic blitz: `This could mean delays in processing minor crimes'. He was not saying that they would not be investigated. He spoke in terms of delays.
What did he have to say on the 8DDD Morning Program on 23 January? I will quote him in full, just as I will be quoting Mr Wallace shortly - something the Leader of the Opposition and her deputy did not do. Superintendent Ey said:
We are asking people to be patient with us and, if it is a very minor crime, if you can just wait or perhaps
report it over the telephone, come into the police station, it gives us the extra manpower and resources
we need to actually concentrate on traffic.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri would stop interjecting, there was no suggestion that other crimes would not be investigated. There was no suggestion that police had bailed out on other matters - far from it. They were going through a process of dealing with an appalling set of traffic statistics at that time. The strategy worked, notwithstanding the
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Leader of the Opposition's jumping on the political band wagon and calling for a dedicated traffic unit. The fact is that we have had 3 deaths on our roads this year compared with 9 at the same time last year. Modern policing is all about how you utilise the resources that you have at your fingertips.
I do not remember whether it was the Leader of the Opposition or her deputy who was quoting Mr Wallace, but it was done in a public broadcast and the truth was not told. The full quote was not given to Territorians. In fact, what Mr Wallace also said - they deliberately left this out, but I will quote from the transcript of the same radio program - was: `... that is notwithstanding the police force has doubled in size, and the population has doubled in size'.
Members opposite have tried to create an impression and to instil fear into the Territory community that police numbers have reduced. They have not. They have tried to con Territorians into believing that police are concerned only with traffic matters. They are not. They are trying to con Territorians into believing that the Territory police do not care about property offences. That is clearly not the case. What would they have the politicians do? What do they think Territorians would be more comfortable with? Do they want an interventionist minister who tells the commissioner that today he will have 10 patrols - 6 in Palmerston and the rural area and 4 in the city - and he can devote some resources to Operation Surf and perhaps the Drug Squad can do a raid today? The minister can then tell the commissioner to ring him in the morning to get his riding instructions for the next day. Of course Territorians do not expect that.
By all means, we should have a healthy debate about the nature of modern policing. Should police be involved in domestic violence programs? Should they be involved as school-based constables? Should they be manning those communication posts? Should we remove all police from administration and put civilians in that role? By all means, let us have that debate because that is something that the community is interested in. However, do not come into this Chamber trying to mislead Territorians into the view that the police force is under-resourced or undermanned.
I remind members opposite that they endorsed the McAulay/Bowe recommendation of a 775 member establishment. Why did the Leader of the Opposition change her mind? What happened? She saw a cheap political opportunity. She saw a chance to whip up fear and loathing in the community. She saw an opportunity to try to mislead Territorians into believing that there were in fact fewer police. Why did members of the Labor Party come into this Chamber and selectively quote Steve Wallace? What were they trying to hide? Didn't they want Territorians to hear the bit about him saying that we have twice as many police today as we had in 1976? Why did they leave that bit out? I think people listening to this broadcast would be interested to know why. They would also be interested to know why the member for MacDonnell couched the question the way he did, completely misquoting Superintendent Ey. What are they trying to do? Are they trying to convince Territorians that they should lock themselves in their homes? I have demonstrated this morning that we have filled the establishment numbers ...
Mr Bailey: Make a statement next week and we can debate it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri must be the rudest, most ignorant person who has ever graced this Chamber.
Mr Bailey: You suggested ...
Mr STONE: Will you stop interjecting!
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister will resume his seat. I warn the member for Wanguri for the second time. On the next occasion, I will name him.
Mr STONE: The facts speak for themselves. As I have said, these are important issues and we should ask those questions about how we use police resources. Those questions are being asked all around Australia. What is happening here is not unique to the Northern Territory. These issues are being canvassed all around the nation. However, look at the facts. We have more police per head of population than is the case anywhere else in Australia, and we spend more on police matters than is spent anywhere else in Australia.
Mr Bailey: Have a debate.
Mr STONE: If you want to spend the money differently, let us have a debate on that.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I welcome this question, and again point to the misinformation that is being peddled by members opposite. On this occasion, it is the member for MacDonnell. Can the member point out where, at any point, Superintendent Ey said `other crimes'? The reality is that the member cannot because that is not what the superintendent said.
It is important that people listening to the broadcast understand how the Labor Party works in the Territory. In this Assembly, its members ask questions that are full of untruths. We had an example of it earlier in relation to Mr Wallace, and we now have an example in relation to Superintendent Ey. Let us see exactly what Superintendent Ey had to say. Territorians listening to the broadcast will come to the conclusion that the ALP cannot be trusted because its representatives do not tell the truth. I refer members to the headline in the NT News of 23 February: `Top Cops Out to Book NT Drivers'. Do you all remember that? Superintendent Ey said, in relation to the traffic blitz: `This could mean delays in processing minor crimes'. He was not saying that they would not be investigated. He spoke in terms of delays.
What did he have to say on the 8DDD Morning Program on 23 January? I will quote him in full, just as I will be quoting Mr Wallace shortly - something the Leader of the Opposition and her deputy did not do. Superintendent Ey said:
We are asking people to be patient with us and, if it is a very minor crime, if you can just wait or perhaps
report it over the telephone, come into the police station, it gives us the extra manpower and resources
we need to actually concentrate on traffic.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr STONE: If the member for Wanguri would stop interjecting, there was no suggestion that other crimes would not be investigated. There was no suggestion that police had bailed out on other matters - far from it. They were going through a process of dealing with an appalling set of traffic statistics at that time. The strategy worked, notwithstanding the
Page 1934
Leader of the Opposition's jumping on the political band wagon and calling for a dedicated traffic unit. The fact is that we have had 3 deaths on our roads this year compared with 9 at the same time last year. Modern policing is all about how you utilise the resources that you have at your fingertips.
I do not remember whether it was the Leader of the Opposition or her deputy who was quoting Mr Wallace, but it was done in a public broadcast and the truth was not told. The full quote was not given to Territorians. In fact, what Mr Wallace also said - they deliberately left this out, but I will quote from the transcript of the same radio program - was: `... that is notwithstanding the police force has doubled in size, and the population has doubled in size'.
Members opposite have tried to create an impression and to instil fear into the Territory community that police numbers have reduced. They have not. They have tried to con Territorians into believing that police are concerned only with traffic matters. They are not. They are trying to con Territorians into believing that the Territory police do not care about property offences. That is clearly not the case. What would they have the politicians do? What do they think Territorians would be more comfortable with? Do they want an interventionist minister who tells the commissioner that today he will have 10 patrols - 6 in Palmerston and the rural area and 4 in the city - and he can devote some resources to Operation Surf and perhaps the Drug Squad can do a raid today? The minister can then tell the commissioner to ring him in the morning to get his riding instructions for the next day. Of course Territorians do not expect that.
By all means, we should have a healthy debate about the nature of modern policing. Should police be involved in domestic violence programs? Should they be involved as school-based constables? Should they be manning those communication posts? Should we remove all police from administration and put civilians in that role? By all means, let us have that debate because that is something that the community is interested in. However, do not come into this Chamber trying to mislead Territorians into the view that the police force is under-resourced or undermanned.
I remind members opposite that they endorsed the McAulay/Bowe recommendation of a 775 member establishment. Why did the Leader of the Opposition change her mind? What happened? She saw a cheap political opportunity. She saw a chance to whip up fear and loathing in the community. She saw an opportunity to try to mislead Territorians into believing that there were in fact fewer police. Why did members of the Labor Party come into this Chamber and selectively quote Steve Wallace? What were they trying to hide? Didn't they want Territorians to hear the bit about him saying that we have twice as many police today as we had in 1976? Why did they leave that bit out? I think people listening to this broadcast would be interested to know why. They would also be interested to know why the member for MacDonnell couched the question the way he did, completely misquoting Superintendent Ey. What are they trying to do? Are they trying to convince Territorians that they should lock themselves in their homes? I have demonstrated this morning that we have filled the establishment numbers ...
Mr Bailey: Make a statement next week and we can debate it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr STONE: The member for Wanguri must be the rudest, most ignorant person who has ever graced this Chamber.
Mr Bailey: You suggested ...
Mr STONE: Will you stop interjecting!
Mr SPEAKER: The Chief Minister will resume his seat. I warn the member for Wanguri for the second time. On the next occasion, I will name him.
Mr STONE: The facts speak for themselves. As I have said, these are important issues and we should ask those questions about how we use police resources. Those questions are being asked all around Australia. What is happening here is not unique to the Northern Territory. These issues are being canvassed all around the nation. However, look at the facts. We have more police per head of population than is the case anywhere else in Australia, and we spend more on police matters than is spent anywhere else in Australia.
Mr Bailey: Have a debate.
Mr STONE: If you want to spend the money differently, let us have a debate on that.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016