Ms LAWRIE - 2003-04-29
Minister, could you please inform the House of any recent initiatives undertaken by Northern Territory police to address street crime in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I …
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, just wait for a moment. Wait for the member for Drysdale to stop.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question because, if we go back through the Hansard record of our 21 months in office, I have probably had more questions about Central Australia from the member for Karama than I have had from members opposite. We have done a little research, picking up on the Chief Minister’s point.
Of the 316 questions we have received as a government in the Northern Territory since August 2001, only 22 have been in relation to Central Australia. If we look to the leadership aspirants on the other side and their representation for the people of Central Australia, the member for Greatorex, in 21 months, has only asked six questions in relation to Central Australia. The member for Araluen is probably running about 7:1 or 8:1; we only had six questions from her. The long shot - we did not think he would get back up in Macdonnell during the last election, but congratulations, Johan, you did get up. He leads the pack: 10 questions about Central Australia. So, it is great to be here in Central Australia, because at last the opposition are representing the people of Central Australia like they should have been doing for the last 20 months.
Madam Speaker, I digress. I will get back to the point of the question. The Northern Territory Police do a magnificent job under very difficult circumstances, and they get very little credit for the work that they do. In regard to the spate of rock throwing incidents we have had in Alice Springs over the last few weeks, I came down as soon as I could to meet with senior officers in Alice Springs regarding a very significant problem that we were having, wanting to be briefed first-hand on what the police were going to do to respond to what I consider, as Minister for Police – and I agree with the Chief Minister – is outrageous behaviour that is extremely dangerous. It is intolerable behaviour, wherever it occurs in the Northern Territory.
Unfortunately, this is not new. This is not behaviour that has just been occurring in the last 21 months. There have been outbreaks of rock throwing across the Northern Territory for many, many years. It is an offence that is hard to detect and to lay charges. But what the police did was comprehensively deploy an operation called Operation Hurricane. I can say to the House that in the three weeks that this operation has been in force, we have seen a vast reduction in the incidence of rock throwing. The police have done a magnificent job: over 30 people of interest are assisting police with their inquiries. We are informed that charges will be laid as a result of those investigations. Already, charges have been laid – not against a juvenile, but a 28-year-old man who has been apprehended and charged with being armed with an offensive weapon; namely rocks. He will have his day in court. Thirty other people have been identified. I am pleased to advise the House today that the police will be renewing and extending this operation, to be called Spitfire II, that will be announced very shortly.
The police are doing a magnificent job in Central Australia in trying to get on top of a whole range of very complex issues. It is very disappointing that the local representatives in Alice Springs have not sought a briefing from local police in relation to this behaviour. They are happy to be out there politically whipping it up, but they have not put any constructive suggestions on the table as to how to deal with this issue and what the police should be doing.
I applaud the community of Alice Springs which did get behind the police. There has been significant reporting to the police in respect of suspicious persons in relation to this. The people of Alice Springs have got behind the police. It is a pity that the opposition do not get behind the police and the work that they have to do. I congratulate police for their efforts.
We are in the middle of a significant recruitment campaign. We are going to have over 50 new police officers coming into the force over the next few months. A large number will be deployed in Central Australia. Let us get behind our Northern Territory Police Force. Let us get behind the good work that they do. Let us support them, and drive this antisocial behaviour out of the Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I …
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, just wait for a moment. Wait for the member for Drysdale to stop.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question because, if we go back through the Hansard record of our 21 months in office, I have probably had more questions about Central Australia from the member for Karama than I have had from members opposite. We have done a little research, picking up on the Chief Minister’s point.
Of the 316 questions we have received as a government in the Northern Territory since August 2001, only 22 have been in relation to Central Australia. If we look to the leadership aspirants on the other side and their representation for the people of Central Australia, the member for Greatorex, in 21 months, has only asked six questions in relation to Central Australia. The member for Araluen is probably running about 7:1 or 8:1; we only had six questions from her. The long shot - we did not think he would get back up in Macdonnell during the last election, but congratulations, Johan, you did get up. He leads the pack: 10 questions about Central Australia. So, it is great to be here in Central Australia, because at last the opposition are representing the people of Central Australia like they should have been doing for the last 20 months.
Madam Speaker, I digress. I will get back to the point of the question. The Northern Territory Police do a magnificent job under very difficult circumstances, and they get very little credit for the work that they do. In regard to the spate of rock throwing incidents we have had in Alice Springs over the last few weeks, I came down as soon as I could to meet with senior officers in Alice Springs regarding a very significant problem that we were having, wanting to be briefed first-hand on what the police were going to do to respond to what I consider, as Minister for Police – and I agree with the Chief Minister – is outrageous behaviour that is extremely dangerous. It is intolerable behaviour, wherever it occurs in the Northern Territory.
Unfortunately, this is not new. This is not behaviour that has just been occurring in the last 21 months. There have been outbreaks of rock throwing across the Northern Territory for many, many years. It is an offence that is hard to detect and to lay charges. But what the police did was comprehensively deploy an operation called Operation Hurricane. I can say to the House that in the three weeks that this operation has been in force, we have seen a vast reduction in the incidence of rock throwing. The police have done a magnificent job: over 30 people of interest are assisting police with their inquiries. We are informed that charges will be laid as a result of those investigations. Already, charges have been laid – not against a juvenile, but a 28-year-old man who has been apprehended and charged with being armed with an offensive weapon; namely rocks. He will have his day in court. Thirty other people have been identified. I am pleased to advise the House today that the police will be renewing and extending this operation, to be called Spitfire II, that will be announced very shortly.
The police are doing a magnificent job in Central Australia in trying to get on top of a whole range of very complex issues. It is very disappointing that the local representatives in Alice Springs have not sought a briefing from local police in relation to this behaviour. They are happy to be out there politically whipping it up, but they have not put any constructive suggestions on the table as to how to deal with this issue and what the police should be doing.
I applaud the community of Alice Springs which did get behind the police. There has been significant reporting to the police in respect of suspicious persons in relation to this. The people of Alice Springs have got behind the police. It is a pity that the opposition do not get behind the police and the work that they have to do. I congratulate police for their efforts.
We are in the middle of a significant recruitment campaign. We are going to have over 50 new police officers coming into the force over the next few months. A large number will be deployed in Central Australia. Let us get behind our Northern Territory Police Force. Let us get behind the good work that they do. Let us support them, and drive this antisocial behaviour out of the Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016