Dr LIM - 2005-12-01
I applaud the minister’s concern about our rising road toll in the Territory and expressing our concern for that. However, I draw the minister’s attention to the increasing level of violence on Alice Springs streets. The Centralian Advocate reported two weeks ago that 50 people have rioted in an Alice Springs street. The article said that witnesses have claimed they saw a man armed with a knife during the riot. The article says that no arrests have been made, nor any charges laid. Have witnesses been interviewed and have charges been laid against the person who was seen with a knife? If not, what are you doing about it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. Maybe the member for Greatorex has a hearing problem. I answered a similar question before.
These operational issues are issues for the Police Commissioner in whether people have been arrested and charged. If the member for Greatorex thinks it is the role of the Police minister to instruct our Police Commissioner to arrest and charge people, he certainly has no understanding at all of the concept of the separation of powers. Maybe he is a fan of Bjelke-Petersen, a former Premier of Queensland, who had a much more hands-on role through his Police Commissioner all those years ago.
These are issues that are quite rightly and properly in the domain of the Northern Territory Police. I am absolutely confident that the police will be investigating these particular issues. I have every confidence in our Police Commissioner. In regard to Mark Coffey, the Commander for the Central Australian Region, I have every confidence that he will be investigating this issue. For members of the opposition, particularly from Alice Springs, to come in here and make allegations and assertions …
Dr Lim: Allegations!
Ms Carney: Concerns on behalf of the people of Alice Springs, if you do not mind minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … make allegations and assertions that police are not doing their job.
The member for Greatorex was in here in the adjournment debate last night accusing police of sitting around behind desks and pushing paper. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We have made an absolute commitment to this police force after the years of neglect when the CLP were running the police force. They ran the police force into the ground and anybody who is listening to this broadcast only has to get a copy of the O’Sullivan Report to show just how far the CLP had run the police force into the ground and had failed to fund them.
I have every confidence in our police force. I have every confidence in Mark Coffey in Central Australia. I am sure they will be investigating these issues. If the opposition want to continue to bag police, well so be it; it is on their head.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. Maybe the member for Greatorex has a hearing problem. I answered a similar question before.
These operational issues are issues for the Police Commissioner in whether people have been arrested and charged. If the member for Greatorex thinks it is the role of the Police minister to instruct our Police Commissioner to arrest and charge people, he certainly has no understanding at all of the concept of the separation of powers. Maybe he is a fan of Bjelke-Petersen, a former Premier of Queensland, who had a much more hands-on role through his Police Commissioner all those years ago.
These are issues that are quite rightly and properly in the domain of the Northern Territory Police. I am absolutely confident that the police will be investigating these particular issues. I have every confidence in our Police Commissioner. In regard to Mark Coffey, the Commander for the Central Australian Region, I have every confidence that he will be investigating this issue. For members of the opposition, particularly from Alice Springs, to come in here and make allegations and assertions …
Dr Lim: Allegations!
Ms Carney: Concerns on behalf of the people of Alice Springs, if you do not mind minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … make allegations and assertions that police are not doing their job.
The member for Greatorex was in here in the adjournment debate last night accusing police of sitting around behind desks and pushing paper. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We have made an absolute commitment to this police force after the years of neglect when the CLP were running the police force. They ran the police force into the ground and anybody who is listening to this broadcast only has to get a copy of the O’Sullivan Report to show just how far the CLP had run the police force into the ground and had failed to fund them.
I have every confidence in our police force. I have every confidence in Mark Coffey in Central Australia. I am sure they will be investigating these issues. If the opposition want to continue to bag police, well so be it; it is on their head.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016