Mr GUNNER - 2010-10-20
Can you please outline to the House the Northern Territory government’s approach to tackling alcohol-related crime?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. This is another very serious and confronting issue for the Northern Territory. Sixty per cent of all violent crime is caused by alcohol. It is very clear that if you are not tackling alcohol abuse, you are failing to tackle crime. It is not just crime; it is health, education, disadvantage, and under-employment right across the board. All aspects of our society are affected by the abuse of alcohol in the Northern Territory. This comes at a cost - $640m in 2004-05. That is over $4000 for every adult. This money is being pumped into the system to pick up the pieces that could much better be spent investing in health and education across the Northern Territory. That is why we have decided to tackle this issue head-on, and we have our five-point plan out for public consultation at the moment.
Under our reforms, if you commit alcohol-related crime, or are repeatedly taken into protective custody, you will be banned from accessing takeaway alcohol, and treatment and mandated services will be expanded. We are saying enough is enough. We will create a banned drinker register. If you are banned, you will not be able to access takeaway alcohol. If you are not banned, nothing changes. This banned register is the clear difference between the government’s policy and the opposition’s policy.
The CLP opposes the banned drinker register; there will be no capacity under the CLP to actually regulate the bans. If you do not have a register and do not have to show ID, how on earth are the people selling takeaway alcohol supposed to identify that you are banned? A very clear difference. The CLP policy is also to increase trading hours that would directly lead to the increased consumption of alcohol. Increased trading hours means increased alcohol consumption, which means more crime. It is very clear. They have been roundly condemned by everyone.
In the recent by-election for Araluen, I was astounded to hear the new member for Araluen - and I hope she takes the opportunity to clear up this position during her first sittings of parliament - say: ‘Let them fall down before sundown’. That is the policy – open early and let them fall down before sundown. What an appalling thing for a member of parliament to say. They pretend to care about child neglect - they are hypocrites.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. This is another very serious and confronting issue for the Northern Territory. Sixty per cent of all violent crime is caused by alcohol. It is very clear that if you are not tackling alcohol abuse, you are failing to tackle crime. It is not just crime; it is health, education, disadvantage, and under-employment right across the board. All aspects of our society are affected by the abuse of alcohol in the Northern Territory. This comes at a cost - $640m in 2004-05. That is over $4000 for every adult. This money is being pumped into the system to pick up the pieces that could much better be spent investing in health and education across the Northern Territory. That is why we have decided to tackle this issue head-on, and we have our five-point plan out for public consultation at the moment.
Under our reforms, if you commit alcohol-related crime, or are repeatedly taken into protective custody, you will be banned from accessing takeaway alcohol, and treatment and mandated services will be expanded. We are saying enough is enough. We will create a banned drinker register. If you are banned, you will not be able to access takeaway alcohol. If you are not banned, nothing changes. This banned register is the clear difference between the government’s policy and the opposition’s policy.
The CLP opposes the banned drinker register; there will be no capacity under the CLP to actually regulate the bans. If you do not have a register and do not have to show ID, how on earth are the people selling takeaway alcohol supposed to identify that you are banned? A very clear difference. The CLP policy is also to increase trading hours that would directly lead to the increased consumption of alcohol. Increased trading hours means increased alcohol consumption, which means more crime. It is very clear. They have been roundly condemned by everyone.
In the recent by-election for Araluen, I was astounded to hear the new member for Araluen - and I hope she takes the opportunity to clear up this position during her first sittings of parliament - say: ‘Let them fall down before sundown’. That is the policy – open early and let them fall down before sundown. What an appalling thing for a member of parliament to say. They pretend to care about child neglect - they are hypocrites.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016