Northern Territory Chief Minister Should Attend Summit

Last night's Lateline program demonstrates why the Chief Minister must reconsider her position and attend the national summit called by the Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough, Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney said today.

"If the Chief Minister ever doubted that the endemic levels of abuse in many remote communities was serious, last night's program must surely have changed her mind”, she said.

Ms Carney said that the Chief Minister's '20 year plan' was an inadequate response.

"Women and children can't wait 20 years”, Ms Carney said. "Action needs to be taken now”.

Although Ms Carney wrote to the Chief Minister last month, outlining some initiatives that Government could undertake, and offering a bipartisan approach to this issue, the Chief Minister has ignored her letter.

"There are some immediate things Clare Martin can do. At the summit, she can ask her State and Territory colleagues to 'loan or second' police and welfare works for a period of time to work in some communities to target offenders, and support victims. These operations could be based on principles similar to those that operate for special operations for drug dealers, for instance”, she said.

Ms Carney has raised (in and out of Parliament over the years) a number of initiatives that would assist victims of violence and abuse. They include:

- Legislating for 'victimless prosecutions'. This would ensure that certain prosecutions could proceed without the need for victims to give evidence. It is used overseas.

- Removing offenders from the communities while they wait to be dealt with by a Court.

- Government ceasing to do with business with Aboriginal organisations where men who hold public office have been convicted of sexual or physical violence. (This could further include funding being conditional upon Councils and other organisations having policies about domestic and other violence).

"There are things that can and should be done now. The first step for the Chief Minister is to attend the summit, and to do so with a framework for immediate action.” Ms Carney said.

2006-06-22