Police Minister Kate Worden’s position is now untenable amid fears the Labor Government’s relationship with Territory Police is beyond repair, according to Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro.
Mrs Finocchiaro said the NTPA’s survey results show that police have lost all confidence in the Territory Government, with 96.7 % of respondents saying they did not feel supported by the NT Government.
“The Fyles Government’s lack of respect and support, not to mention the outright attacks on our hard-working police, have been shocking to all Territorians and can’t be allowed to continue,” she said.
“That relationship is not tenable but also not surprising when the police are so under-staffed, under-resourced, and under-appreciated by this Government.”
“The Fyles government’s excuse about the crime problem being too complex for Territory Labor suggests the job is beyond the Police Minister’s capability.
“Even yesterday the Chief Minister said she was working on long-term solutions. This means little to the police officers who, in the last week, have been kicked in the head, spat on, and had an axe thrown through their car window.
“With 85.3% of survey respondents having considered an exit strategy in the next six to 12 months, we won’t have any police left in the Territory if we wait for this government and their ‘long-term solutions’. They must take action now.
“Today, Natasha Fyles must take immediate action by doing the following: Sack Kate Worden as Police Minister, call an urgent inquiry into our police force, and make an immediate plan to strengthen the laws needed to keep police safe – as the CLP has tried to do multiple times, each time being voted down by the Government.”
Mrs Finocchiaro pointed to a long list of Labor failures that contributed to the relationship breakdown.
· Labor changed laws to make police work harder, including raising the age of criminal responsibility, removing breach of bail as an office, and scrapping mandatory sentencing;
· Labor failed to protect police by banning spit hoods, rejecting mandatory sentencing for assaulting an officer, and rejecting a law against offenders controlling an officer’s weapon;
· Labor failed to negotiate in good faith for a new pay deal, leaving cops without a pay rise for 18 months;
· Labor, on five separate occasions, voted against a police inquiry that would look at assaults, morale, and resourcing;
· Labor was caught out proposing a cut frontline staff in the budget; and
· The Chief Minister appallingly told police they needed to “step up” in the face of Labor’s Crime Crisis.
“Territorians know the only way we will see real change is with a general election and the quickest way to a general election would be for Labor backbenchers to stand up for the people of their electorate and vote with our motion of no confidence in the Fyles government next month.”
ENDS