Debates Day 2 - Wednesday 17 May 1995
Parliamentary Record 10
Debates for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997
1995-05-17
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English
Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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DEBATES - Wednesday 17 May 1995 who are almost too afraid to allow their children to walk home from school these days. Parents talk about their children being harassed as they walk through schools and parks, but no one can expect a police escort to walk them home each day. It is not an indictment of the government, nor an indictment of the police force. However, in this instance, we have been able to devise a measure that will go part of the way towards assisting with the problem, although not all of the way, and that is supported by the business community. Indeed, members of the business community have expressed their interest in actually extending that scheme a little further. I believe that this program has great merit. It allows people who may offend, and who may actually get into the court system, to be put back on the streets and made to work out community service orders under the supervision of these particular officers. I believe there is no better way of them serving time and doing their penance than by undoing perhaps some of the damage that they have caused. Thus, this is in no way a bandaid measure. It complements well what will be happening in my particular electorate. It is another part in the complex jigsaw that has been put in place through the Living With Alcohol program, a program of which we can all be proud. Mr EDE (Opposition Leader): Mr Speaker, no one likes crude offences. No one likes public drunkenness and antisocial behaviour or, as the minister described it, public brawling, swearing, urinating, fornicating and verbal abuse, and the litter that results from public drinking. We should not and we will not tolerate it. We will not tolerate the threats and the assaults, but neither will we tolerate tokenism, and that is exactly what this is - tokenism at its worst. Does any member opposite, does any one of these Darwin members, really believe that 2 people employed by the council, with a Toyota, will have ... Mr Adamson: It is a start. Mr EDE: Ah, it is a start! Is it to expand? Excellent! That is what I want to hear because obviously 2 people and a Toyota will have no effect whatsoever on this problem. We are talking about suburb after suburb where the problem exists. These 2 people must have leave and they can work only one shift a day. What will they be required to do? In their spare time, when they are not chasing around trying to stop public brawling, swearing, urinating, fornicating, verbal abuse, littering and drinking within 2 km of a licensed premises, they will be required to keep an eye on programs for people working community service orders, and the clean-up programs. What a joke! Mr Reed: There are 2 of them. Mr EDE: Yes - 2 of them, for the whole of Darwin. It is a joke! Why not give the police the resources they need to do the job? The minister says that the police are very busy. It is very true that they have other jobs to do and that there are not enough of them to do all that needs doing. Has the minister heard of multiskilling? He says that, if an offence is being committed, the multiskilled officers in the police force will not be asked to attend and catch the offender. Instead, the government will break the law-and-order authorities into little groups again and is to have a specialised local government council police force. What a road to go! Have you talked to the Police Association about this? 3230