Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, has echoed comments of the Northern Territory Police Association that Labor has failed Territorians.
“The Gunner Labor Government should be ashamed of its failure to address the crime crisis in our community.”
In an interview with Katie Woolf on Mix 104.9 this morning, President of the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA), Paul McCue said;
“The second half of the first term of government the Labor government, 2018-2019 they failed Territorians by not recruiting enough Constables. The facts do not lie, they didn’t cover enough constable attrition and we are now paying the price.”
Ms Finocchiaro said “The NTPA represents 99% of the Northern Territory’s Police Officers, and the message they are sending on this Government is very clear.”
“Labor is failing on crime.”
“They are not recruiting enough officers, they are not supporting the officers they have and we are seeing that in the record attrition rates.”
Mr McCue went on to reveal that police operations were struggling with limited resources , saying the Social Order Unit had been disbanded to free up officers for other roles, and that Shift Sergeants are “pulling their hair out trying to find enough troops”.
Ms Finocchiaro said “Half of all young people arrested last financial year were already on bail, yet Michael Gunner and Labor blocked the Legislative Assembly from urgently debating a bill to reform bail, a decision the Police Association was also highly critical of.”
“Twice last week, Labor put preserving the Chief Minister’s ego above the interests of Territorians.”
“In the same week they blocked bail reform, they also voted against jobs and business by opposing the Territory Coordinator Legislation, an economic reform suggested by their own reports.”
“The Gunner Labor Government need to pull their heads out of the sand, they need to listen to the community and listen to the hard working Police Officers on the front line of the Labor crime crisis.
“Labor must put Territorian’s interests over their political egos.”