Ms CARNEY - 2007-08-22
What specific measures can you point to, and which can be measured as to their success, that will improve the reporting rates, the apprehension rates and the conviction rates for those who sexually abuse children in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the release of Closing the Gap on Monday, and the statement in the House yesterday, is all about ensuring that we can, as a community, get better information to communities, to Aboriginal people across the Territory, about child abuse, about reporting child abuse and taking action on child abuse. Despite the fact that the Opposition Leader dismisses Closing the Gap and says it is a waste of time and is not dealing with the real issues …
Ms Carney: What are your specific measures, Clare?
Ms MARTIN: … in fact, it is at the heart of tackling that.
Mr Mills: Be specific.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: I am glad you are learning from my comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Ms MARTIN: I hope the Opposition Leader has read the Wild/Anderson Report.
Ms Carney: Oh, yes, you can count on that. Have you?
Ms MARTIN: It is easy enough to say ‘I do not like it at all’. Mouthing, Madam Speaker, mouthing …
Ms Carney: Have you? I do not think you have, Clare.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition! I remind the Leader of the Opposition that we refer to people by their titles, thank you.
Ms MARTIN: However, it is interesting, because, even though I have raised issues about the Wild/Anderson Report, the fundamentals of that report are very sound. The work is done, the directions are there. It is all very well for the Opposition Leader to come into this parliament and mouth the words, …
Ms Carney: And ask about conviction rates, apprehension rates and reporting rates, very reasonable questions, don’t you think?
Ms Martin: … I suppose, of who must be her master in Canberra, minister Brough, and say exactly the same things as minister Brough. It is interesting ...
Mr Mills: Something specific, Chief Minister.
Mrs Braham: Better than dollars and cents; you are not dealing with it.
Ms MARTIN: Every single dollar, in an holistic way, of the $286.43m in the package over five years is targeting the complex causes that lead to child sexual abuse. We are looking at more policing and a greater focus on alcohol abuse. There is no doubt - and the Opposition Leader can deny it and say things like ‘even if you take alcohol away, all Aboriginal men will belt Aboriginal women’. That is just an absurd statement and I was shocked to hear that ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you request the Chief Minister to withdraw that highly offensive remark.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I heard something very akin to that on radio this morning, maybe not those exact words; I do not have an exact memory: ‘Aboriginal men bash Aboriginal women because they want to’. I think that is what the Opposition Leader said …
Ms Carney: No!
Ms MARTIN: That was close to it, and we found it very offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause. There is no point of order. Chief Minister, if you could contain your debate perhaps?
Ms MARTIN: Yes, Madam Speaker. More policing, tackling alcohol abuse, focusing on early education, supporting families with domestic violence education, and many more things are in Closing the Gap as a package. No one element is going to do it by itself, but we are talking about more Correctional officers, and a whole range of things articulated in the Closing the Gap report.
Many elements of this are specifically to do with tackling the causes of child sexual abuse; ensuring that we have prevention as a key target, but also that we are intervening where appropriate and we are punishing where appropriate. These are all key elements, plus much more in closing the gap of disadvantage between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians.
Even though the Opposition Leader does not like it, and cannot bring herself to say, ‘Great package, let us move forward from here’, we are targeting the causes of child sexual abuse in a most comprehensive way. At least we, on this side of the House, welcome the support in the broader community which is right behind Closing the Gap.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the release of Closing the Gap on Monday, and the statement in the House yesterday, is all about ensuring that we can, as a community, get better information to communities, to Aboriginal people across the Territory, about child abuse, about reporting child abuse and taking action on child abuse. Despite the fact that the Opposition Leader dismisses Closing the Gap and says it is a waste of time and is not dealing with the real issues …
Ms Carney: What are your specific measures, Clare?
Ms MARTIN: … in fact, it is at the heart of tackling that.
Mr Mills: Be specific.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: I am glad you are learning from my comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Ms MARTIN: I hope the Opposition Leader has read the Wild/Anderson Report.
Ms Carney: Oh, yes, you can count on that. Have you?
Ms MARTIN: It is easy enough to say ‘I do not like it at all’. Mouthing, Madam Speaker, mouthing …
Ms Carney: Have you? I do not think you have, Clare.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition! I remind the Leader of the Opposition that we refer to people by their titles, thank you.
Ms MARTIN: However, it is interesting, because, even though I have raised issues about the Wild/Anderson Report, the fundamentals of that report are very sound. The work is done, the directions are there. It is all very well for the Opposition Leader to come into this parliament and mouth the words, …
Ms Carney: And ask about conviction rates, apprehension rates and reporting rates, very reasonable questions, don’t you think?
Ms Martin: … I suppose, of who must be her master in Canberra, minister Brough, and say exactly the same things as minister Brough. It is interesting ...
Mr Mills: Something specific, Chief Minister.
Mrs Braham: Better than dollars and cents; you are not dealing with it.
Ms MARTIN: Every single dollar, in an holistic way, of the $286.43m in the package over five years is targeting the complex causes that lead to child sexual abuse. We are looking at more policing and a greater focus on alcohol abuse. There is no doubt - and the Opposition Leader can deny it and say things like ‘even if you take alcohol away, all Aboriginal men will belt Aboriginal women’. That is just an absurd statement and I was shocked to hear that ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that you request the Chief Minister to withdraw that highly offensive remark.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I heard something very akin to that on radio this morning, maybe not those exact words; I do not have an exact memory: ‘Aboriginal men bash Aboriginal women because they want to’. I think that is what the Opposition Leader said …
Ms Carney: No!
Ms MARTIN: That was close to it, and we found it very offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause. There is no point of order. Chief Minister, if you could contain your debate perhaps?
Ms MARTIN: Yes, Madam Speaker. More policing, tackling alcohol abuse, focusing on early education, supporting families with domestic violence education, and many more things are in Closing the Gap as a package. No one element is going to do it by itself, but we are talking about more Correctional officers, and a whole range of things articulated in the Closing the Gap report.
Many elements of this are specifically to do with tackling the causes of child sexual abuse; ensuring that we have prevention as a key target, but also that we are intervening where appropriate and we are punishing where appropriate. These are all key elements, plus much more in closing the gap of disadvantage between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians.
Even though the Opposition Leader does not like it, and cannot bring herself to say, ‘Great package, let us move forward from here’, we are targeting the causes of child sexual abuse in a most comprehensive way. At least we, on this side of the House, welcome the support in the broader community which is right behind Closing the Gap.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016