Mr CONLAN - 2011-02-23
Madam Speaker, I agree with your previous statement about what people must think listening to this broadcast, particularly the contempt coming out of the mouths of the government …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, is this a question to a minister?
Mr CONLAN: … when it comes to law and order issues in Alice Springs. It certainly is.
Madam SPEAKER: Who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is interesting to note that, in a previous question …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is to the Chief Minister, I beg your pardon, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
The Chief Minister, while he had complete contempt and disrespect for the story in last Saturday’s Weekend Australian, still failed to answer the question or deny that illegal grog shops were taking place and operating with such impunity. I would like that on the record. The Chief Minister is still unable to deny these things are taking place.
My question is, if there are enough police on the beat in Alice Springs, as so vehemently claimed by the Chief Minister and the Northern Territory government, why have gangs of youth claimed the streets of Alice Springs after dark?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not resile one moment from the fact that there are unacceptable levels of crime and antisocial behaviour currently in Alice Springs. As a government, we are doing everything we can to tackle that level of crime.
The first part of any resolution to a problem is to accept it. I stand here as Chief Minister and say the people need to take personal responsibility. There will be no more excuses for antisocial behaviour and crime in Alice Springs. That is why we are making it an offence to breach bail. That is why we will be establishing secure and safe facilities in Alice Springs where police can take kids who are roaming the streets at night and get them off the streets.
Most importantly, in regard to people who abuse grog, commit crime, belt up their women, break into properties in Alice Springs and are an antisocial menace and get picked up and taken into protective custody three times in three months, we will deny them access to alcohol. At the end of the day, unless you deal with the issues of alcohol abuse, you are not going to deal with the issues of crime.
If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. The only thing I hear from those opposite, despite all the evidence, is to increase the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, and by increasing the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, magically, the level of crime will reduce.
When you are in government and have the responsibility of government, you should work from an evidence base. You do not have to do too much research - the member for Brennan is very good at research, particularly constitutional law and trans-Tasman agreements. There are reams of documents available from criminologists which very clearly link excessive consumption of alcohol to crime and antisocial behaviour. The members opposite have their heads in the sand on this issue. If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. We will continue to do everything we can in Alice Springs to get the youth off the street, to crack down on crime in Alice Springs, and deny people who abuse alcohol access to it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, is this a question to a minister?
Mr CONLAN: … when it comes to law and order issues in Alice Springs. It certainly is.
Madam SPEAKER: Who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is interesting to note that, in a previous question …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, who is the question directed to?
Mr CONLAN: It is to the Chief Minister, I beg your pardon, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
The Chief Minister, while he had complete contempt and disrespect for the story in last Saturday’s Weekend Australian, still failed to answer the question or deny that illegal grog shops were taking place and operating with such impunity. I would like that on the record. The Chief Minister is still unable to deny these things are taking place.
My question is, if there are enough police on the beat in Alice Springs, as so vehemently claimed by the Chief Minister and the Northern Territory government, why have gangs of youth claimed the streets of Alice Springs after dark?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not resile one moment from the fact that there are unacceptable levels of crime and antisocial behaviour currently in Alice Springs. As a government, we are doing everything we can to tackle that level of crime.
The first part of any resolution to a problem is to accept it. I stand here as Chief Minister and say the people need to take personal responsibility. There will be no more excuses for antisocial behaviour and crime in Alice Springs. That is why we are making it an offence to breach bail. That is why we will be establishing secure and safe facilities in Alice Springs where police can take kids who are roaming the streets at night and get them off the streets.
Most importantly, in regard to people who abuse grog, commit crime, belt up their women, break into properties in Alice Springs and are an antisocial menace and get picked up and taken into protective custody three times in three months, we will deny them access to alcohol. At the end of the day, unless you deal with the issues of alcohol abuse, you are not going to deal with the issues of crime.
If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. The only thing I hear from those opposite, despite all the evidence, is to increase the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, and by increasing the availability of alcohol in Alice Springs, magically, the level of crime will reduce.
When you are in government and have the responsibility of government, you should work from an evidence base. You do not have to do too much research - the member for Brennan is very good at research, particularly constitutional law and trans-Tasman agreements. There are reams of documents available from criminologists which very clearly link excessive consumption of alcohol to crime and antisocial behaviour. The members opposite have their heads in the sand on this issue. If you are not tough on grog, you are weak on crime. We will continue to do everything we can in Alice Springs to get the youth off the street, to crack down on crime in Alice Springs, and deny people who abuse alcohol access to it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016