Crime on the agenda as CLP target a safe Labor seat

The CLP has ventured into enemy heartland to try and swing votes around the hot-button crime issue. Read what was said.

Retired public servant Bill Tulloch moved with his young family into his Malak home in 1981 when it was Darwin’s most outer northern suburb and there was red clay still in the paddocks across the road.

In his fifth decade as a resident, Bill fronted the cameras on Monday to call for a change of government to bring a different approach crime and anti-social behaviour in his neighbourhood and for a more effective public housing policy.

“We started off with three-foot high pig-mesh fences and now we’ve got 15-foot high armoured gates with cameras because we don’t feel safe,” Bill said.

Malak resident Bill Tulloch with CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro and Karama candidate Brian O'Gallagher

“The whole community feels the same, we’ve banded together because we’ve had enough of the crime that goes on nightly at our place and we want to see some action and we’re hoping the CLP will get on board and stop this from happening.

“I’ve been broken into and had my hammer thrown on the roof. When I reviewed the cameras, four kids broke in and were walking around (the house) and if I had of woken up I probably would have worn that.

“We’ve seen a lot of daily anti-social behaviour, swearing, people that just walk around doing stuff at two or three in the morning, not caring about people going to work. It’s just not on.”

Brian O'Gallagher near the razorwire fence.

He said public housing needed reform.

“We need to make the Housing Commission (Territory Housing) responsible. Being given a housing commission home should be a privilege not a right and if you don’t look after it and maintain it, then consequences should happen.”

CLP Karama candidate Brian O’Gallagher, said they would approach crime differently if the party wins government when Territorians vote on August 24.

Mr Gallagher pointed to a house across from the Tullochs’ that had added razor wire-like metal teeth at the top of their fence to make it harder for intruders.

“That family, that mum and dad, take three-hour shifts at night to keep an eye on the place to keep their family safe,” Mr O’Gallagher said. “Everyone feels neglected. This is absolutely wrong. Enough is enough.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the CLP would move on week one of parliament “to give police the powers they need to protect our community”.

Karama is one of the government’s safest seats, with Ms Ah Kit winning a majority 59.8 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote in the 2020 election compared to Mr O’Gallagher’s 40.2 per cent.

Originally published as Crime on the agenda as CLP target a safe Labor seat