Mr KIELY - 2003-05-27
The budget delivered this morning provided significant funding for the delivery of jobs and safer communities. I am somewhat disappointed that the member for Drysdale failed to grasp the significance of the first Stirling budget in regard to these issues. Can the Chief Minister please outline initiatives in the budget to address antisocial behaviour and deliver safer communities for all Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson. This is an important question. The budget delivered this morning had three headlines to it: jobs, safer communities and tax cuts. I will talk about one critical element of that: safer communities.
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is quite offensive that the member for Drysdale keeps prattling on, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: The issue of itinerancy and antisocial behaviour in the Territory goes to the heart of our community. We are aspiring to have safe communities, even though we are having the level of antisocial behaviour that has grown right across the Territory in the last 27 years and more, with nothing done under the previous government. If you went to our community and said: ‘What did the CLP do in government about antisocial behaviour, and the disruption and the concern it brought to our communities?’, they would probably think a little and say: ‘I can remember one Chief Minister who said the best thing to do is monster and stomp’. There were no funds allocated, there was lots of hot air and rhetoric, but nothing was done.
I am proud to stand here today and say that, in this budget, there is a significant allocation of $5.25m to complement funds that are already being spent, which were allocated in previous budgets. We have increased in this budget, our capacity to tackle what is a serious issue of community safety. This is not just about tackling it in Darwin and Palmerston, but about tackling the issue of antisocial behaviour right across the Territory - in Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine. It is a major issue for our communities, and affects ordinary members of the community, with a direct impact on our ability to do business.
These are not only short term measures, but longer term. We have seen some of them put in place already. They will range across issues of implementing our Summary Offences Act, which is a tough measure as well. There are tough measures and longer term measures. Have no doubt about it, when we start seeing more community patrols, we will start seeing more ability for those who have serious alcohol problems getting the rehabilitation they need. We are looking at the range of low-cost accommodation options we need. I commend the Top End Aboriginal leaders, who came to town a couple of weeks ago and went, camp by camp, around Darwin and Palmerston and said to people who had been living there for, who knows how long: ‘It is time to go home’. That return to home strategy is a very important component of what we are doing within this $5.25m allocated today, also matching the funds we have previously allocated.
There is no easy fix to this; no easy fix at all. However, for the first time we have seen significant allocation of dollars and a commitment from a government to tackle what is a serious issue right across the Territory. Just look at the difference: lots of hot air, rhetoric, and doing nothing from the previous government, and with this government, the hallmark is action.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson. This is an important question. The budget delivered this morning had three headlines to it: jobs, safer communities and tax cuts. I will talk about one critical element of that: safer communities.
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is quite offensive that the member for Drysdale keeps prattling on, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: The issue of itinerancy and antisocial behaviour in the Territory goes to the heart of our community. We are aspiring to have safe communities, even though we are having the level of antisocial behaviour that has grown right across the Territory in the last 27 years and more, with nothing done under the previous government. If you went to our community and said: ‘What did the CLP do in government about antisocial behaviour, and the disruption and the concern it brought to our communities?’, they would probably think a little and say: ‘I can remember one Chief Minister who said the best thing to do is monster and stomp’. There were no funds allocated, there was lots of hot air and rhetoric, but nothing was done.
I am proud to stand here today and say that, in this budget, there is a significant allocation of $5.25m to complement funds that are already being spent, which were allocated in previous budgets. We have increased in this budget, our capacity to tackle what is a serious issue of community safety. This is not just about tackling it in Darwin and Palmerston, but about tackling the issue of antisocial behaviour right across the Territory - in Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine. It is a major issue for our communities, and affects ordinary members of the community, with a direct impact on our ability to do business.
These are not only short term measures, but longer term. We have seen some of them put in place already. They will range across issues of implementing our Summary Offences Act, which is a tough measure as well. There are tough measures and longer term measures. Have no doubt about it, when we start seeing more community patrols, we will start seeing more ability for those who have serious alcohol problems getting the rehabilitation they need. We are looking at the range of low-cost accommodation options we need. I commend the Top End Aboriginal leaders, who came to town a couple of weeks ago and went, camp by camp, around Darwin and Palmerston and said to people who had been living there for, who knows how long: ‘It is time to go home’. That return to home strategy is a very important component of what we are doing within this $5.25m allocated today, also matching the funds we have previously allocated.
There is no easy fix to this; no easy fix at all. However, for the first time we have seen significant allocation of dollars and a commitment from a government to tackle what is a serious issue right across the Territory. Just look at the difference: lots of hot air, rhetoric, and doing nothing from the previous government, and with this government, the hallmark is action.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016