By ERWIN CHLANDA
The recommendation to reinstate alcohol bans in Alice Springs town camps and outback home lands was described as “finally some commonsense” by the Independent MLA for Araluen, Robyn Lambley.
But she says Dorrelle Anderson (pictured), who made the recommendation, should now go back to her work and “sort out child protection, the most critical problem in Central Australia” and “keep off the streets” children causing trouble.
Ms Anderson is the Southern Region Executive Director for Territory Families. She was appointed by the Prime Minister as Northern Territory Regional Controller last week, to make recommendations about crime and alcohol control.
Re-introducing the bans is so far the only detail of the report Ms Anderson was charged to produce that was made public.
Ms Lambley (at left) says the bans should be resumed until alcohol management plans are implemented.
“The bans were lifted without consultation,” she says.
“We need to start again, do it properly.
“The Chief Minister and Central Australian Minister Chansey Paech need to go.
“Their decision to open the rivers of grog across Central Australia has been the single most destructive decision made by any NT Government in decades.
“We need to sort out child protection. The most critical problem in Central Australia is neglect and abuse of children.”
Ms Lambley says as an NTG public servant Ms Anderson has shown “extraordinary courage” contradicting Chief Minster Natsha Fyles and Attorney General Chansey Paech: “Good on her.”
The Little Children are Sacred report in 2007 triggered the Intervention and provided details of child abuse.
“Where are the figures for 2022? We don’t have the figures,” says Ms Lambley.
Meanwhile the Opposition says victims of child sexual assault and domestic violence continue to stack up every day in Alice Springs while Territory Labor delays reinstatement of the grog ban.
Shadow Minister for Youth and Territory Families Joshua Burgoyne (at right) says the government’s own crime figures showed a 67% increase in reports of children being harmed the week after the grog ban was lifted.
“Every day in Alice Springs, police respond to 25 cases of domestic violence,” Mr Burgoyne says.
“Ms Anderson was given just one week to produce the report but now they’re telling us it will take a week to read it,” he said.
Completely agree and what disgrace Central Australian Minister Chansey Paech has been.
He allowed the opening of the floodgates of alcohol and agreed to even more pokies, both of which inflict harm on our town.
The alcohol decision was made on the basis of removing a racist policy, but the harm done has been enormous.
Far from endorsing the alcohol decision Paech, as a local, should have known better.
He should have been the grass roots knowledgable voice in government strongly opposing the change, if necessary by threatening to resign.
He is either a weak minister or sadly deluded.
Right now a backflip is needed but do Paech and Territory Labor have the courage to do it?
This failed government does not have one of their party in electorates in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek Katherine, Gove etc. Enough said. They don’t live here except the Attorney General whose electorate is way on bush as he retreated from an Alice Springs seat.
We have no upper house and with Labor having the majority there is no or little debate or review on government bills as is case for other governments in Oz except Queensland.
That is why class action [is needed] against government.
How else are they going to listen and sit down with the Opposition and independents etc.
I agree with Robyn Lambley: CM and AG must go.
NT Parliament meets for the first sittings of 2023 from Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th February.
Wonder if new legislation will be introduced within three days that adequately and properly addresses the current psycho-social issues impacting on Territorians around the jurisdiction?