Mr MILLS - 2008-02-20
In your answers to my questions today, you have claimed alcohol is the cause of much of the problem relating to violence in the Territory. On 18 October 2005, you said that there were only about 200 to 300 drunks on our streets in the Territory. The police apprehended that handful of people 26 448 times last year. The Police, Fire and Emergency Services have a $226m budget and employs 900 police officers. Why, with those resources, are you still not able to keep our parks and streets free from a handful of drunks?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question because statistics can paint 1000 stories. At least he is having a go today in trying to create some sort of picture that is not supported by the statistics. The reason that more people are being taken into protective custody is because there are more police out there. There are an additional 200 police across the Northern Territory. There are more police in Alice Springs and Darwin than there have ever been under the CLP. With the increased police activity, more people are being taken into protective custody. Those are the reasons for that particular rise in numbers.
As I outlined earlier this week, we are introducing a comprehensive package of measures to deal with the issues of antisocial behaviour right across the Northern Territory, with a frontline patrol that will have police and Justice officers who will engage with camps that emerge in the long grass, and intervene early to ascertain why people are here, why they cannot get home, and move them into temporary accommodation. We have additional resources that have been applied to sobering-up facilities across the Northern Territory, with alcohol courts in place that can now place orders on people.
We have had the Justice minister announce and legislation passed through this House, that identification is required in many parts of the Northern Territory for people to access takeaway alcohol and prevent people who have orders against them from purchasing alcohol. This is a complex matrix of very important issues. There are no silver bullets. The CLP is an absolutely policy-free zone. They might try and pick away at what the government is doing around the edges, but look at their website. Look at the announcements from the opposition about …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, what are the complex policy solutions that the opposition may have to deal with those issues? They have none. They are an absolute policy-free zone on this issue. There are more police in the Northern Territory than there ever were under the CLP. They are doing a very difficult job out there. The reason there are more people in protective custody is because there are more police out there keeping our streets safe across the Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question because statistics can paint 1000 stories. At least he is having a go today in trying to create some sort of picture that is not supported by the statistics. The reason that more people are being taken into protective custody is because there are more police out there. There are an additional 200 police across the Northern Territory. There are more police in Alice Springs and Darwin than there have ever been under the CLP. With the increased police activity, more people are being taken into protective custody. Those are the reasons for that particular rise in numbers.
As I outlined earlier this week, we are introducing a comprehensive package of measures to deal with the issues of antisocial behaviour right across the Northern Territory, with a frontline patrol that will have police and Justice officers who will engage with camps that emerge in the long grass, and intervene early to ascertain why people are here, why they cannot get home, and move them into temporary accommodation. We have additional resources that have been applied to sobering-up facilities across the Northern Territory, with alcohol courts in place that can now place orders on people.
We have had the Justice minister announce and legislation passed through this House, that identification is required in many parts of the Northern Territory for people to access takeaway alcohol and prevent people who have orders against them from purchasing alcohol. This is a complex matrix of very important issues. There are no silver bullets. The CLP is an absolutely policy-free zone. They might try and pick away at what the government is doing around the edges, but look at their website. Look at the announcements from the opposition about …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, what are the complex policy solutions that the opposition may have to deal with those issues? They have none. They are an absolute policy-free zone on this issue. There are more police in the Northern Territory than there ever were under the CLP. They are doing a very difficult job out there. The reason there are more people in protective custody is because there are more police out there keeping our streets safe across the Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016