Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

On 20 May this year, in the company of three senators, I attended upon Mornington Island at the invitation of that island. We took evidence from the police force; we took evidence from their justice agency; we took evidence from the health centre. All said that the current issues facing Mornington Island were because of the home brew, which they described as being made from fruit juice, sugar and vegemite. It may be the case that there was some sort of placebo that they did not need. I would not know. But let me tell you a reflection from the month before. There were 186 charges on 72 persons in a community of 750, the vast majority being home brew. Many were breaches of domestic violence orders so they could again beat those people. It leaves me in absolutely no doubt that this is a serious issue and should not be made a laughing stock of. The fact that I have to continue to deal with this and rebut the silliness in the media is because I do not wish to further stigmatise communities in this way in the media. I am very disappointed that those on the other side have seen fit to continue to pursue this matter as if it is a laughing stock. All you have to do is to look back in the media—