Mr MILLS - 2011-02-24
The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures out today are yet another illustration of your government’s failure on law and order. Our shocking levels of crime show no sign of abating. The ABS figures also show that people committing acts of antisocial behaviour are now less likely to appear in court. Over the last year, the number of people caught committing an antisocial act increased to 5741, whilst the number of people actually facing court decreased by 389. What message does this send? How is it that there is more antisocial behaviour but fewer people facing the courts for that behaviour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is the Leader of the Opposition’s spin on those statistics. What these …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: What these figures clearly show is the link between alcohol and antisocial behaviour and crime …
Mr Conlan: Sexual assault by 97%; house break-ins 64%.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: … a link we on this side of the House are absolutely …
Mr Westra van Holthe: You have no solution for any of it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: … hell-bent on targeting and reducing, and those on the other side of the House would deny, as evidenced by the member for Sanderson’s appalling media release issued yesterday, which said the link between alcohol abuse and crime was miniscule - nothing could be further from the truth. The tragedy in these figures shows Indigenous Territorians are eight times more likely to be the victims of assault and violent assault than the rest of the population. The tragedy of these figures very clearly shows, as I have said numerous times in this parliament, that, unfortunately, our Indigenous population in the Northern Territory, particularly with crimes of domestic violence, are way too high and need to be tackled with every policy arm the government has. That is the tragedy in these figures – eight to one. Indigenous people are more likely to be the victims of assault and serious assault than non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.
The tragedy of these assaults, particularly the over 50% which are domestic violence assaults, is that this used to be hidden behind closed doors. It was not significantly targeted by police; police who now have domestic violence units in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, which provide significant support to women who are now more likely to come forward to report because they know police will tackle the perpetrators.
This is what these figures show. The tragedy of alcohol abuse and its link to crime is very clear. If you are not tackling alcohol in the Northern Territory, you are weak on crime and you are walking away, particularly from women who are the victims of domestic violence. These figures out today strengthen the arm of government to crash through on our reforms, despite the opposition which would seek to have the access to alcohol increased throughout the Northern Territory. We will not do that …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON: … and we will seek to protect Territorians.
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
As I asked yesterday, I ask again today: the line of defence you have just run, I look forward to having that run in a public forum. I challenge you once again to be very clear: do you accept the challenge for a public debate on such matters?
Dr Burns: Are we going to have it at the Stone Grill Restaurant?
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, that is right; we will have it at the Stone Grill Restaurant where the Leader of the Opposition hid from the media for six hours …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … cowered in the restaurant.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock for a moment. I remind honourable members that when I stand in my chair, anyone who is speaking or standing at the time should return to their seat and cease speaking, or those people will automatically be either on a warning or thrown out.
Chief Minister, you have 25 seconds.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have all sorts of opportunities to debate the opposition. I will continue to do that.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: In regard to the Leader of the Opposition …
Madam SPEAKER: You have the time; you have not finished, Chief Minister. You still have some time on the clock.
Mr HENDERSON: Oh, sorry, Madam Speaker, I thought I had been gonged over there. Regarding the Leader of the Opposition …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister has run out of time now.
Dr Burns: Don’t you want to hear his answer now?
Mr Elferink: No.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I am happy to move an extension. I still don’t know …
Madam SPEAKER: There are no extensions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Fannie Bay, I remind members, first of all, of Standing Order 51 in relation to interjections and loud and noisy disturbances, which has certainly been happening already, and it is only the first question.
Regarding the bells that ring, there is a 15-second warning for times in Question Time. In the question, the bell is rung at 45 seconds to alert you that you only have 15 seconds remaining to ask the question. In answers, there is a two minutes and 45 second warning to alert the minister on his feet that the answer will be finished in 15 seconds.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is the Leader of the Opposition’s spin on those statistics. What these …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: What these figures clearly show is the link between alcohol and antisocial behaviour and crime …
Mr Conlan: Sexual assault by 97%; house break-ins 64%.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: … a link we on this side of the House are absolutely …
Mr Westra van Holthe: You have no solution for any of it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Mr HENDERSON: … hell-bent on targeting and reducing, and those on the other side of the House would deny, as evidenced by the member for Sanderson’s appalling media release issued yesterday, which said the link between alcohol abuse and crime was miniscule - nothing could be further from the truth. The tragedy in these figures shows Indigenous Territorians are eight times more likely to be the victims of assault and violent assault than the rest of the population. The tragedy of these figures very clearly shows, as I have said numerous times in this parliament, that, unfortunately, our Indigenous population in the Northern Territory, particularly with crimes of domestic violence, are way too high and need to be tackled with every policy arm the government has. That is the tragedy in these figures – eight to one. Indigenous people are more likely to be the victims of assault and serious assault than non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.
The tragedy of these assaults, particularly the over 50% which are domestic violence assaults, is that this used to be hidden behind closed doors. It was not significantly targeted by police; police who now have domestic violence units in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, which provide significant support to women who are now more likely to come forward to report because they know police will tackle the perpetrators.
This is what these figures show. The tragedy of alcohol abuse and its link to crime is very clear. If you are not tackling alcohol in the Northern Territory, you are weak on crime and you are walking away, particularly from women who are the victims of domestic violence. These figures out today strengthen the arm of government to crash through on our reforms, despite the opposition which would seek to have the access to alcohol increased throughout the Northern Territory. We will not do that …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON: … and we will seek to protect Territorians.
Supplementary Question
Australian Bureau of Statistics – Crime Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics – Crime Statistics
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
As I asked yesterday, I ask again today: the line of defence you have just run, I look forward to having that run in a public forum. I challenge you once again to be very clear: do you accept the challenge for a public debate on such matters?
Dr Burns: Are we going to have it at the Stone Grill Restaurant?
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, that is right; we will have it at the Stone Grill Restaurant where the Leader of the Opposition hid from the media for six hours …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … cowered in the restaurant.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock for a moment. I remind honourable members that when I stand in my chair, anyone who is speaking or standing at the time should return to their seat and cease speaking, or those people will automatically be either on a warning or thrown out.
Chief Minister, you have 25 seconds.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have all sorts of opportunities to debate the opposition. I will continue to do that.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: In regard to the Leader of the Opposition …
Madam SPEAKER: You have the time; you have not finished, Chief Minister. You still have some time on the clock.
Mr HENDERSON: Oh, sorry, Madam Speaker, I thought I had been gonged over there. Regarding the Leader of the Opposition …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister has run out of time now.
Dr Burns: Don’t you want to hear his answer now?
Mr Elferink: No.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I am happy to move an extension. I still don’t know …
Madam SPEAKER: There are no extensions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Fannie Bay, I remind members, first of all, of Standing Order 51 in relation to interjections and loud and noisy disturbances, which has certainly been happening already, and it is only the first question.
Regarding the bells that ring, there is a 15-second warning for times in Question Time. In the question, the bell is rung at 45 seconds to alert you that you only have 15 seconds remaining to ask the question. In answers, there is a two minutes and 45 second warning to alert the minister on his feet that the answer will be finished in 15 seconds.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016