The Fyles Labor government shut down the most important crime debate in parliament today, refusing to even discuss a key contributor to Labor’s crime crisis – the failures of the Minister for Police.
Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, said there was no more pressing issue in the community than the crime and police crisis.
“Everywhere we go and everyone we talk to, it’s the same thing – crime is killing the Northern Territory,” she said.
“Businesses are closing down because of the crime crisis, tourists stay away because of the crime crisis, locals hide in their homes in fear of the crime crisis, businesses can’t recruit workers to the Northern Territory because of the crime crisis, and Territorians are moving interstate because of the crime crisis.
“But we have a Labor government refusing to admit there is a crime crisis, despite the community experiencing it on a daily basis.
“The Labor Police Minister says there are enough police, despite the community knowing that’s not the case. Some of her own colleagues disagree with her.
“And now the Fyles government won’t even let the Opposition and Independents hold them to account on their failures.”
“If Labor are doing such a great job – they should stand up in parliament and defend themselves, but they know they can’t so instead they run and hide.”
The Opposition moved to censure Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Kate Worden, after a series of failures, bungles, and embarrassing gaffes, some of which were highlighted in Question Time today.
The Fyles Government quickly shut down the censure motion and not only that, were so defensive that they shut down question time as well.
Mrs Finocchiaro said as much as the Labor didn’t want to talk about the crime crisis, it couldn’t stop the subject being the main topic at barbecues, pubs, and dining tables in the Northern Territory.
“The police minister today said she was working with police, she was working with youth justice and she was working with Territory Families but none of it is working and public knows it,” she said.
ENDS