Ms CARNEY - 2008-04-30
Yesterday, you got it wrong when you claimed on three occasions that the opposition opposed changes to domestic violence legislation. Also, in your answers in Question Time, you suggested that Domestic Violence Units did not exist under the CLP, yet they were established in 1994. You also said that you visited the domestic violence reduction unit, but there is no such unit. You referred to a domestic violence reduction strategy, but we can find no reference anywhere to such a strategy. Finally, the 52% figure you referred to is not, as you stated, to be found in annual reports or any other public document. How can you expect Territorians to believe what you say when what you say is just wrong?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her question. She gets those assertions absolutely wrong. We went through this up hill and down dale yesterday. This is a government that committed an extra 200 police into our police force and the establishment of dedicated Domestic Violence Units in Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Darwin, with a direct strategy in reducing domestic violence, policed right across the Northern Territory. As I said yesterday, if these units are fictitious, then I wonder who I was speaking to in the Alice Springs Police Station not a while ago, taking me through the tragedy of domestic violence in the Northern Territory.
The Violent Crime Reduction Strategy has been in operation since November 2004. I have spoken about it frequently; the Police Commissioner has spoken about it frequently. I am surprised the member for Araluen has not heard of this particular strategy ...
Ms Carney: No, you referred to the domestic violence reduction strategy. Your words.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The domestic violence reduction strategy is a core strategy that the Northern Territory Police Force works on every single day in the Northern Territory.
I went back to the debate on the particular bill that allows police officers to issue restraining orders. I acknowledge that the member for Araluen is a lawyer, and is practised in the use of words, but her argument all the way through the bill was that we should not be doing that, with weasel words at the end of it that ‘by the way, we support what you are doing’ …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr HENDERSON: It could only be, if you actually read what she said …
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Yesterday, I gave a personal explanation in this place as to how it was that the Chief Minister misrepresented the opposition’s position. Notwithstanding that personal explanation, he now seeks to do it again. I ask, in all of the circumstances, that you direct him to withdraw his comments.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek advice. Chief Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. If people are interested in this, read the second reading debate. I read it again yesterday. I was on my feet; I remember the debate ...
Ms Carney: The opposition does support the bill. What do those words mean to you, I wonder?
Mr HENDERSON: I was the Police minister at the time, it was a Justice bill. I well recall that the then Leader of the Opposition, the member for Araluen, all the way through her contribution in the debate, argued the reasons why police should not have these powers and, then, in the end, said ‘the opposition supports the bill’. So it is weasel words from the member for Araluen ...
Ms Carney: That is absolute rubbish! You are just a liar!
Mr HENDERSON: Any objective reading of the second reading debate would show that the member for Araluen …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, Chief Minister. Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw those comments.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw, Madam Speaker, that the Chief Minister is a liar.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, if anybody wants to have their own view, I urge people to look at the second reading debate.
Off the Intranet now, the Northern Territory Police has a unit - I might have got it slightly wrong - the Domestic and Personal Violence Protection Unit. These are not fictitious police squads …
Ms Carney: You consistently got the whole thing wrong.
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Araluen is just being pedantic.
The issue here is there is too much domestic violence in the Northern Territory. A huge amount of it is fuelled by alcohol. The tragedy is, at the end of this violence, unfortunately, are women the length and breadth of the Northern Territory who should not be bashed to any extent that is happening at the moment. The fact that this strategy is in place, that these police are there policing that strategy, is giving women the confidence to report. I gave those statistics yesterday. It is a tragedy that is occurring across the Northern Territory, and instead of quibbling about the statistics, it would be good to see the opposition …
Ms Carney: Most of those things you have said could be found in public documents, alas. You misrepresented, you have misled parliament.
Mr HENDERSON: … actually acknowledge the extent of the problem and propose any better solutions than what the government is currently applying ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, Chief Minister. Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw those comments.
Ms CARNEY: That he misled parliament, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Correct.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw those comments, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I ask you to cease interjecting, particularly with the type of interjections that you have made in the last few minutes.
Ms CARNEY: It is difficult, Madam Speaker, given that he is so loose with the truth, but I will certainly abide by your ruling.
Madam SPEAKER: But I am sure that you will be able to do it, member for Araluen. Resume your seat.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her question. She gets those assertions absolutely wrong. We went through this up hill and down dale yesterday. This is a government that committed an extra 200 police into our police force and the establishment of dedicated Domestic Violence Units in Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Darwin, with a direct strategy in reducing domestic violence, policed right across the Northern Territory. As I said yesterday, if these units are fictitious, then I wonder who I was speaking to in the Alice Springs Police Station not a while ago, taking me through the tragedy of domestic violence in the Northern Territory.
The Violent Crime Reduction Strategy has been in operation since November 2004. I have spoken about it frequently; the Police Commissioner has spoken about it frequently. I am surprised the member for Araluen has not heard of this particular strategy ...
Ms Carney: No, you referred to the domestic violence reduction strategy. Your words.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The domestic violence reduction strategy is a core strategy that the Northern Territory Police Force works on every single day in the Northern Territory.
I went back to the debate on the particular bill that allows police officers to issue restraining orders. I acknowledge that the member for Araluen is a lawyer, and is practised in the use of words, but her argument all the way through the bill was that we should not be doing that, with weasel words at the end of it that ‘by the way, we support what you are doing’ …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr HENDERSON: It could only be, if you actually read what she said …
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Yesterday, I gave a personal explanation in this place as to how it was that the Chief Minister misrepresented the opposition’s position. Notwithstanding that personal explanation, he now seeks to do it again. I ask, in all of the circumstances, that you direct him to withdraw his comments.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek advice. Chief Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. If people are interested in this, read the second reading debate. I read it again yesterday. I was on my feet; I remember the debate ...
Ms Carney: The opposition does support the bill. What do those words mean to you, I wonder?
Mr HENDERSON: I was the Police minister at the time, it was a Justice bill. I well recall that the then Leader of the Opposition, the member for Araluen, all the way through her contribution in the debate, argued the reasons why police should not have these powers and, then, in the end, said ‘the opposition supports the bill’. So it is weasel words from the member for Araluen ...
Ms Carney: That is absolute rubbish! You are just a liar!
Mr HENDERSON: Any objective reading of the second reading debate would show that the member for Araluen …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, Chief Minister. Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw those comments.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw, Madam Speaker, that the Chief Minister is a liar.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, if anybody wants to have their own view, I urge people to look at the second reading debate.
Off the Intranet now, the Northern Territory Police has a unit - I might have got it slightly wrong - the Domestic and Personal Violence Protection Unit. These are not fictitious police squads …
Ms Carney: You consistently got the whole thing wrong.
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Araluen is just being pedantic.
The issue here is there is too much domestic violence in the Northern Territory. A huge amount of it is fuelled by alcohol. The tragedy is, at the end of this violence, unfortunately, are women the length and breadth of the Northern Territory who should not be bashed to any extent that is happening at the moment. The fact that this strategy is in place, that these police are there policing that strategy, is giving women the confidence to report. I gave those statistics yesterday. It is a tragedy that is occurring across the Northern Territory, and instead of quibbling about the statistics, it would be good to see the opposition …
Ms Carney: Most of those things you have said could be found in public documents, alas. You misrepresented, you have misled parliament.
Mr HENDERSON: … actually acknowledge the extent of the problem and propose any better solutions than what the government is currently applying ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, Chief Minister. Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw those comments.
Ms CARNEY: That he misled parliament, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Correct.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw those comments, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I ask you to cease interjecting, particularly with the type of interjections that you have made in the last few minutes.
Ms CARNEY: It is difficult, Madam Speaker, given that he is so loose with the truth, but I will certainly abide by your ruling.
Madam SPEAKER: But I am sure that you will be able to do it, member for Araluen. Resume your seat.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016