Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says Territorians can’t wait any longer for action on the crime crisis and parliament should be urgently recalled to deal specifically with the issue.
“Territorians are suffering right now. They can’t wait until next month to see what the Chief Minister’s so-called crime plan will look like. Let’s recall parliament this week to deal with the Territory’s crime crisis. All we need is one sitting day to get it done.
“After burying his head in the sand for years, the Chief Minister can’t even commit to introducing legislation in May on urgency. That means we might not even see laws passed until the August sittings. This is degrading every victim of crime, and every police officer dealing with crime, right across the Territory.
“After the Chief Minister’s crime shame was broadcast on A Current Affair Labor scrambled to pull together a media release littered with empty promises. Now parliamentary counsel is working overtime to materialise Michael Gunner’s thought-bubble.
“The Chief Minister and his Labor team have now had more than a fortnight to comb through our six page Bail Amendment Bill. If the Gunner Government’s legislation isn’t ready to go, we can debate and pass the CLP’s Bill right now. Let’s recall parliament this week and reverse Labor’s weak bail laws.
“The Police Commissioner has warned it’s only going to get worse, telling Sky News recently that his officers are bracing for a property crime spike as COVID money runs out and people seek out alcohol.
“We need action now. That’s why the CLP introduced laws that will put the rights of victims above the rights of offenders. The Opposition has a simple first stage to its plan:
- Repeat offenders start with a position of no bail
- Bring back breach of bail as an offence
- Every repeat offender, every time they’re bailed will be electronically monitored
“Let’s be clear this is not a silver bullet, but it’s a first – and immediate step – towards giving residents and business owners a reprieve from the crime wave they’ve been battling now for four and a half years. There is no reason why we can’t recall parliament this week to deal with crime, and leave May for bluff and bluster on the budget. We don’t want the budget to overshadow important law and order reform.
“If the Gunner Government doesn’t recall parliament, Territorians can be certain that their laws still aren’t drafted and they have no intention to support tougher action on repeat offenders,” said Ms Finocchiaro.
Attached: A snapshot of crime reported to the public since Labor voted against debating the CLP’s
Bail Amendment Bill 2021 on urgency. Source: NT Police, NT News, ABC News, Nine News Darwin
SNAPSHOT OF CRIME REPORTED TO PUBLIC SINCE 24TH MARCH, 2021
- 60-year-old man assaulted by two males who unlawfully entered his home in Gillen (10th April)
- 35 arrests, 37 people taken into protective custody, 13 loitering notices and more than 100 referrals involving youths during first two weeks of Operation Livingstone in Alice Springs
- 14-year-old allegedly broke into home & entered the bedroom of a 12-year-old girl and demanded money in Bakewell (9th April)
- Fresh Point Café Parap broken into for seventh time since opening late last year (7th April)
- 19-year-old charged with attacking security guard with 2m fence pole at housing complex in The Narrows (7th April)
- 21-year-old male in custody after allegedly punching 16-year-old girl on bus from Casuarina to Karama (7th April)
- 78-year-old attacked, allegedly by three teenage girls who followed her off a bus in Tiwi (6th April)
- Fannie Bay IGA targeted by thieves who caused $10,000 worth of damage. A 16-year-old who was arrested and charged over break in was on a suspended sentence (5th April)
- Youths arrested for two unlawful entries in Palmerston (5th April)
- Two men allegedly broke into a Stuart Park home (5th April)
- 18-year-old rushed to hospital after being brutally bashed and robbed, allegedly by a group of youths in the Alice Springs CBD (5th April)
- Police reported a spike in break-ins, predominantly related to alcohol, across Darwin and Palmerston over Easter
- Hair dresser left with $5,000 damage bill on Easter Sunday after thieves broke into her Palmerston salon for third time in six months
- Puma service station in Malak targeted by thieves twice in one week. In one incident man entered servo allegedly armed with a knife and stick (3rd April)
- 26-year-old man arrested on assault and weapon charges after allegedly stomping on a man’s head and hitting two other people with a stick in Leanyer (2nd April)
- Beauty Salon at Karama Shopping Plaza forced to close its doors following attempted theft (2nd April)
- 10-year-old boy charged with unlawful entry, stealing and criminal damage after allegedly breaking into three units in Tennant Creek (1st April)
- 24-year-old man charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in Alice Springs (1st April)
- Two 19-year-old men charged with assaulting two police officers in Alice Springs (29th March)
- Alice Springs home ransacked while five family members were asleep inside (25th March)