Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in favour of the Northern Territory Safe Measures Bill 2023 to be introduced in the Senate by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. When the Albanese government let the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act 2012 lapse, alcohol supply and consumption became an opt-in model. The Northern Territory government has allowed communities to be opt in for alcohol provisions rather than the previous opt-out model. Committees were not required to have any alcohol management plans in place to support this change.

This opt-in model has devastated the lives of those living in the Territory. It is left children, families and the broader community vulnerable to alcohol related violence. Since the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act lifted, there has been a devastating increase in both consumption of alcohol and alcohol related crime. Northern Territory police statistics have shown that in Alice Springs alone property offences, assaults and stolen vehicles have jumped by 60 per cent, in the past 12 months, while domestic violence assaults have increased by 48 per cent.

The poorly managed transition out of the stronger futures NT legislation has not just affected the larger towns like Alice Springs but also the small, remote communities and their households, schools and workplaces. It is heartbreaking to see children wandering the streets in the early hours of the morning because it's safer than being at home. Every single child must be protected from the horrors of the abuse, neglect and sexual violence that have become out of control.

The people living in these communities are terrified of leaving their homes after dark, afraid of the violence that awaits them that is fuelled by alcohol. If the horrific crimes that we are witnessing were occurring in one of our capital cities, it would be consistent front-page news. Immediate action would be taken. What the Northern Territory communities received was a fly-in fly-out meeting from the Prime Minister that lasted four hours before he held a press conference. In fact, the tennis games that the Prime Minister indulged himself in for three days following his visit lasted longer than the time he spent in Alice Springs. Four hours is nowhere near long enough to address the severity and scale of the situation occurring in the Northern Territory. The people of Alice Springs deserve better than four hours and a photo opportunity.

Senator Price had warned the government of the impact in letting the Stronger Futures Northern Territory act lapse, and now the people of the Northern Territory are paying for the lack of action by this government. Labor's accusation that—

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