NT Chief Minister Not Serious ABout Tackling Crime

The Chief Minister’s decision to scuttle to an early election means few Territorians will now believe his July 14th promise to increase sentences for violent offenders.

“If the Chief Minister was serious about tackling violent crime by increasing sentences for violent offenders, he would have returned to parliament and passed laws mandating real jail time for those convicted,” says Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition.

“The Chief Minister’s rush to an early election has excused him from honouring his promise.

“This will be a re-run of Paul Henderson’s promise to tackle the growing problems with habitual drunks at the last Territory election.

“During the 2005 election the Chief Minister released a policy that promised habitual drunks would be forced into compulsory rehabilitation or jail.

“That promise was conveniently forgotten once Labor had been returned to office and the totally ineffective Alcohol Courts put in its place.

“Earlier this year it was revealed that in the first 18 months the Alcohol Courts were operating, a mere 99 people across the Territory were referred to them.

“Of the 99, just 27 had successfully completed a Court ordered treatment program.

“In the same period of time almost 40,000 people were taken into protective custody for being drunk in public.

“Now the Chief Minister wants the public to believe that after watching the rate of violent assault increase by 83% since Labor came to office, he’ll deal with the problem after an early election.”

2008-07-22