LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Yesterday afternoon in broad daylight a man lost his life, stabbed to death outside the Todd Tavern in Alice Springs.
The Opposition along with Territorians fuelled by fear, anger and sadness are calling for Natasha Fyles to finally front up and outline what immediate actions will be taken to stop the recurring violent offending causing loss of lives.
When Territorians hear of these horrific deaths they want action, they want answers and they want change. Natasha Fyles must front the media today and do her job.
How many more lives have to be lost on her watch? How many more thousands have to rally desperate for change to keep going unheard? Enough is enough.
Weeks ago the Fyles Government announced they would stamp out knife crime, since then we have had more stabbing in shopping centres, in our streets and at our workplaces.
Every Territorian can see this hasn’t worked, but can Natasha Fyles?
We recently heard from the Prime Minister that she has not even requested AFP support!
Natasha Fyles and Kate Worden, stop your excuses about complexities and long term change, we need action now.
Bill Yan, Shadow Treasurer and MLA for Namatjira, and Gerard Maley, Deputy Opposition Leader and MLA for Nelson, both pictured at top.
The News has asked Mr Yan and Mr Maley what exactly the action is that they want Ms Fyles and Ms Worden to take.
UPDATE June 13
Mr Yan and Mr Maley provided the following answer:
The Labor Government needs to work with the CLP to send a strong message to offenders by imposing serious consequences.
We need strong bail reform for all violent and repeat offenders, not the tinkering seen by Labor.
We need an immediate public inquiry into police to see they are properly resourced to do their jobs.
We need to strengthen laws that give police the powers they need to tackle crime, including alcohol related crimes. And we need to tackle youth offending to stop the cycle of crime.
We’re asking the Labor Government to work with us to tackle crime but just like we saw on Bail, all they want to do is score political points.
As well as telling us what should be done Mr Yan and Mr Maley should cost their solution.
Neither have a track record of successfully winding back serious crime.
Mr Yan ran the local Correctional Centre. He oversaw the Sentenced to a Job program that not only failed to put a dent in recidivism but though escaping prisoners put lives at risk.
All to easy to demand answers to crime but an Opposition should also have ideas of their own and the courage to make them public.
I just witnessed the tail end of a group of youths assaulting a man at the Yeperenye Centre.
Five onto one.
The victim put up a good fight and the youths ran off.
Among the spectators were Talice Security staff.
One informed me they can’t get involved except to call the police.
Had they done that?
Well no but they were about to.
It seems the numerous guards in our town provide a false sense of security.