Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says a survey of Darwin kids which found a majority were more concerned about crime, and their personal safety, than how well they performed at school is a damning indictment on the Gunner Government.
The research was conducted by Charles Darwin University and released on The Conversation website.
“This is a blunt assessment of this Gunner Labor Government’s handling of crime. Darwin children should not have to worry about whether they’ll become victims of violence because of Labor’s failed policies.
“Even our school kids don’t believe the Chief Minister’s spin. They don’t feel safe in their homes, or on the street, and this is a reflection of the wider community’s sentiment. Darwin kids should not bear the burden of anxiety over being exposed to crime and violence.
“When our kids say things like: ‘I worry about getting kidnapped while walking home from school’, and ‘I am scared of people breaking into our home and attacking us’, it demonstrates our community is broken.
“Territorians are being victimised daily, Alice Springs is a town under siege, and the community is crying out for support.
“For years now the CLP has been calling on the Gunner Government to tighten bail laws. We need to clamp down on repeat offending, there needs to be an expansion of electronic monitoring and we need tough, immediate consequences for people who breach bail.
“This government has its priorities all wrong. The Chief Minister has his blinkers on, and Territorians are suffering because of it,” said Ms Finocchiaro.
Charles Darwin University report:
https://theconversation.com/children-in-darwin-are-more-worried-about-their-safety-than-their- grades-153306