Mr STYLES - 2011-11-22
Problem drinkers are placed on the Banned Drinker Register by being taken to the police lockup, not sobering-up shelters or driven home. If the BDR is so effective, why not take problem drinkers to the police lockup and put them on the register?
ANSWER
Dear, oh dear, Madam Speaker, these questions really are quite bizarre. Of course, we have just had the Leader of the Opposition say the Police annual report shows that on 20 000 occasions last year people were taken to the lockup, then we have the genius member for Sanderson say they are not being taken to the lockup. Get your acts together.
Mr Bohlin: Answer the question!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Who is coordinating your Question Time strategy?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Who is coordinating? Either they are being taken to the lockup 20 000 times or 30 000 times …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale! Order
Mr HENDERSON: … or they are not being taken to the lockup at all and they are being taken home.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Sanderson! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: What a ridiculous assertion! The tragedy of this is so many people being picked up out of the gutter, night after night after night, because of their addiction to alcohol. That is what we are addressing through these reforms, putting people off tap so they cannot get access to alcohol, establishing the alcohol tribunals to get people into rehab. Over 1700 people who were living an existence in the grip of alcohol - many of whom were being picked up night after night after night and taken to the lockup - now have the opportunity to get their lives back together.
Our police say these new laws are the best tools they have to combat crime ...
Mr Styles: How many beds do you have?
Mr HENDERSON: If the member for Sanderson, who once was a police officer, has any mates left in the police force, talk to them about how effective this legislation is. Every copper I talk to says these are the best tools they have ever had …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: … and the opposition would scrap these tools, 1800-plus people would be back on the grog filling up our lockups and our police stations ...
Mr Westra van Holthe interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: Shame on the opposition. I believe it is an absolute tragedy that so many people are taken into the sobering-up shelters and the lockup night after night. We are giving those people an opportunity, through these reforms, of breaking the cycle of their access to alcohol - reforms the CLP would scrap, and those 1800 people who are now off tap would be back on the grog, across the Northern Territory, drinking and driving, committing assaults and domestic violence, filling up our lockups night after night because they have no policy …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: … and they would turn the tap back on to 1800 problem drinkers.
ANSWER
Dear, oh dear, Madam Speaker, these questions really are quite bizarre. Of course, we have just had the Leader of the Opposition say the Police annual report shows that on 20 000 occasions last year people were taken to the lockup, then we have the genius member for Sanderson say they are not being taken to the lockup. Get your acts together.
Mr Bohlin: Answer the question!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Who is coordinating your Question Time strategy?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Who is coordinating? Either they are being taken to the lockup 20 000 times or 30 000 times …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale! Order
Mr HENDERSON: … or they are not being taken to the lockup at all and they are being taken home.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Sanderson! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: What a ridiculous assertion! The tragedy of this is so many people being picked up out of the gutter, night after night after night, because of their addiction to alcohol. That is what we are addressing through these reforms, putting people off tap so they cannot get access to alcohol, establishing the alcohol tribunals to get people into rehab. Over 1700 people who were living an existence in the grip of alcohol - many of whom were being picked up night after night after night and taken to the lockup - now have the opportunity to get their lives back together.
Our police say these new laws are the best tools they have to combat crime ...
Mr Styles: How many beds do you have?
Mr HENDERSON: If the member for Sanderson, who once was a police officer, has any mates left in the police force, talk to them about how effective this legislation is. Every copper I talk to says these are the best tools they have ever had …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: … and the opposition would scrap these tools, 1800-plus people would be back on the grog filling up our lockups and our police stations ...
Mr Westra van Holthe interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: Shame on the opposition. I believe it is an absolute tragedy that so many people are taken into the sobering-up shelters and the lockup night after night. We are giving those people an opportunity, through these reforms, of breaking the cycle of their access to alcohol - reforms the CLP would scrap, and those 1800 people who are now off tap would be back on the grog, across the Northern Territory, drinking and driving, committing assaults and domestic violence, filling up our lockups night after night because they have no policy …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: … and they would turn the tap back on to 1800 problem drinkers.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016