Leader of the Opposition – Lia Finocchiaro
Under Labor, the month of January in the Northern Territory was plunged into further chaos with more house break-ins, theft and violence.
The release of government crime statistics for January 2024 further exposes the severity of the situation with rises since last month of:
- Darwin House Break-ins up 150%
- Katherine Commercial break-ins up 100%
- Alice Springs abduction, harassment and other offences up 66%
- Tennant Creek Domestic Violence up 42%
Territorians have seen frightening events as youths wield weapons and drive stolen cars recklessly through suburbs, targeting small businesses in ram raids.
With the crime crisis so out of control, it prompted the NT Acting Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole to speak out on Darwin radio back in February when discussing how four machete wielding youth offenders could get bail after an alleged carjacking in Darwin’s Northern Suburbs:
“There are stringent conditions that we have to abide by when considering that bail. I hear those concerns of the public…but we work within the legislation parameters that we’ve got.”
Despite dangerously high crime levels, Chief Minister Lawler just last week said she didn’t have any new solutions.
When asked whether her government was looking at doing anything legislation wise or changing anything in that space, Eva Lawler said, “There is no legislation.”
So, with no new solutions or credibility, what we see is a government who are more interested in blaming others for their past failures rather than taking accountability, as evidenced by Police Minister Brent Potter’s youth bail comments directed at the Judiciary.
“The legislation is there for a judge to deny a youth bail and hold them on remand, and it squarely rests with the judiciary.”
Since 2016 under Territory Labor, crime rates have soared, like robbery and extortion, up over 225%, forcing businesses to close their doors and people to leave the Territory.
Unlike Labor’s ineffective strategies, the CLP’s plan focuses on empowering Police and addressing the underlying issues driving criminal behaviour.
Our Plan includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility, strengthening bail laws, and implementing rehabilitation programs for offenders.
A CLP-led Government will deliver a Safe, Strong Territory by taking back control of our streets, rebuilding the Territory’s reputation and get our economy moving forwards.
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