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

the lapse of alcohol bans was caused by the coalition is simply outrageous.

The fact of the matter is that the Stronger Futures Northern Territory legislation lapsed under the watch of the Albanese government, in July last year. Overnight, these communities began to spiral into the abyss of alcohol-fuelled violence and crime. The Labor government has let the people of Northern Territory communities down for far too long. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has had his head buried in the sand while alcohol has decimated the towns of the Northern Territory.

The lives of the most vulnerable people in our society are a responsibility for all of us, which is why both the Australian and Northern Territory governments need to act now and need to act fast. A more robust and all-encompassing approach must be put into place to ensure the lives of the most at-risk people are kept safe.

The Northern Territory Safe Measures Bill will reintroduce elements of the Stronger Futures Northern Territory act, while also ensuring that there is a legal framework to address alcohol abuse. It will also establish requirements for the Northern Territory Labor government to work with all communities to develop an alcohol management plan for a reinstated opt-out model. The Northern Territory government must take responsibility to support the development of alcohol management plans, while also working constructively with the Australian government.

This bill will also ensure that the supply of alcohol is regulated and will mitigate the legal framework for the prosecution of illegal alcohol supply. Safe measures will also be established for those who do consume alcohol, their children, families and the broader community, while also ensuring that human rights are upheld for the most vulnerable citizens of Australia. There will be provision for equitable consultation of men and women in these vulnerable communities, not just to meet a quota, as well as a provision for a 12-month Senate committee to review and make an assessment of the effectiveness of the act in addressing the reduction of alcohol related crime and the development and implementation of alcohol management plans.

Now is the time for action and change. The Prime Minister stated in last year's election that he was going to become Prime Minister and that he would not go missing when the going got tough or pose for photos and disappear when there was a job to be done. Prime Minister, there is a job to be done. You demonstrated last year you can recall parliament to pass legislation in a single day. The Northern Territory Safe Measures Bill 2023 needs to be legislated now.

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