Ms WALKER - 2010-02-16
Can you update the House on how the government is cracking down on alcohol-fuelled violence in entertainment precincts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. We recognise every week people go out to have a good time, enjoy themselves and, on the whole, most of them are doing the right thing. However, there are a few troublemakers out there who are ruining it for everyone else. This government has worked with the police and the licensees to come forward with a raft of new measures - not re-hashing what already exists - new measures that do not currently exist to crack down on the troublemakers. These are measures which have been very much welcomed by the police and by the licensees. They say it goes to the heart of dealing with the troublemakers.
The tough new measures include new powers for police to provide bans for individuals who are doing the wrong thing, causing the trouble in the pubs, banning them from the precinct. Precincts will be designed and identified – Mitchell Street is an obvious one – but equally this legislation applies to Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Alice Springs. So they can be banned from the pubs, from the precincts; they can get on-the-spot fines - which did not exist before - for refusing to leave, or trying to re-enter when they have been evicted from these premises.
We are also going to the heart of people’s behaviour. We are targeting people’s behaviour with an advertising blitz. We have picked up on the Championship Moves advertising campaign that has run successfully in Victoria. We have tailored it to Territory content with Territory actors. It will be an advertising blitz across television, radio, print and web-based, clearly going to the heart of, ‘step in if your mate is starting to cause trouble’, preventing violence from happening, ‘step in and get your mate to do the right thing’.
The precinct bans are for 48 hours; they are on-the-spot bans, but if you are a repeat offender, you face going before the courts for up to a 12 month ban.
The message is clear: violence is unacceptable; alcohol-fueled violence is unacceptable. We are giving the police and the licensee the power to tackle this head on. We recognise that 51% of all assaults in the Territory are alcohol-related, which is too high. We are going after the people who cause the trouble, not the people who are drinking responsibly, doing the right thing, having a good time with their mates.
Mr Elferink: Window dressing!
Ms LAWRIE: We will absolutely cut down – I will pick up on the interjection from the member for Port Darwin. He calls it window dressing. The police say these are exactly the tools they need.
Mr Elferink: They already have them. They have had them for years.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The licensees who are at the coalface say this is exactly what they need.
Mr Elferink: They have had these powers for years. How about a government with the courage to arrest drunks, and tell the coppers to go and do it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: On his own, the member for Port Darwin is out there trashing it – no point in doing it. We make no apology for going hard after the troublemakers. The police and licensees agree with us.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. We recognise every week people go out to have a good time, enjoy themselves and, on the whole, most of them are doing the right thing. However, there are a few troublemakers out there who are ruining it for everyone else. This government has worked with the police and the licensees to come forward with a raft of new measures - not re-hashing what already exists - new measures that do not currently exist to crack down on the troublemakers. These are measures which have been very much welcomed by the police and by the licensees. They say it goes to the heart of dealing with the troublemakers.
The tough new measures include new powers for police to provide bans for individuals who are doing the wrong thing, causing the trouble in the pubs, banning them from the precinct. Precincts will be designed and identified – Mitchell Street is an obvious one – but equally this legislation applies to Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Alice Springs. So they can be banned from the pubs, from the precincts; they can get on-the-spot fines - which did not exist before - for refusing to leave, or trying to re-enter when they have been evicted from these premises.
We are also going to the heart of people’s behaviour. We are targeting people’s behaviour with an advertising blitz. We have picked up on the Championship Moves advertising campaign that has run successfully in Victoria. We have tailored it to Territory content with Territory actors. It will be an advertising blitz across television, radio, print and web-based, clearly going to the heart of, ‘step in if your mate is starting to cause trouble’, preventing violence from happening, ‘step in and get your mate to do the right thing’.
The precinct bans are for 48 hours; they are on-the-spot bans, but if you are a repeat offender, you face going before the courts for up to a 12 month ban.
The message is clear: violence is unacceptable; alcohol-fueled violence is unacceptable. We are giving the police and the licensee the power to tackle this head on. We recognise that 51% of all assaults in the Territory are alcohol-related, which is too high. We are going after the people who cause the trouble, not the people who are drinking responsibly, doing the right thing, having a good time with their mates.
Mr Elferink: Window dressing!
Ms LAWRIE: We will absolutely cut down – I will pick up on the interjection from the member for Port Darwin. He calls it window dressing. The police say these are exactly the tools they need.
Mr Elferink: They already have them. They have had them for years.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The licensees who are at the coalface say this is exactly what they need.
Mr Elferink: They have had these powers for years. How about a government with the courage to arrest drunks, and tell the coppers to go and do it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Ms LAWRIE: On his own, the member for Port Darwin is out there trashing it – no point in doing it. We make no apology for going hard after the troublemakers. The police and licensees agree with us.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016