Politicians respond to ‘out of control’ violence in Alice Springs as pressure grows for federal intervention
Linda Burney has ‘made my expectations clear’ to the NT Chief Minister, as the opposition demands an emergency recall of parliament to toughen laws.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Jacinta Price has called for the Defence force to descend on Alice Springs after a violent riot through the town on Tuesday, as discussions of federal intervention ramp up on both sides of the political aisle.
The Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians said she was “deeply disturbed” by the crisis in Alice Springs, which has so far led to five arrests, thousands of dollars in property damage, and terrified local residents.
“Violence is escalating, and to say it is out of control is an understatement – I think it’s the absolute worst I have seen the violence in my home town,” Senator Price said.
“The people of Alice Springs are beside themselves, businesses are petrified to stay open, nowhere else in Australia would this be accepted, so why is it being tolerated in Alice Springs?
“The Northern Territory government has to do whatever it takes to solve this crisis and I think that starts with admitting that they have lost control of the situation and asking for help.
“The Prime Minister has tried to pretend there are no problems in Alice Springs, but he can’t ignore it any longer.
“He must go to Alice Springs and he must offer the federal government’s full support, whatever form that takes, whether it’s riot squads or the ADF – something needs to happen and it needs to happen now.”
Senator Price also raised the issue in federal parliament on Wednesday.
But First Nations Territorians who lived through the 2007 Intervention said they were horrified at suggestion of a return of the “draconian” and “racist” policies imposed on “marginalised and impoverished communities”.
Intervention Rollback Action Group member and Warlpiri Elder Valerie Napaljarri Martin said politicians were not interested in solving the problems for Aboriginal people, “only using the issues for personal and political gain”.
“We tried lots of times to talk to (Ms Price), invite her out to Yuendumu to discuss all (of) this but she won’t budge.”
Arrernte Elder Elaine Kngwarraye Peckham condemned the calls from Alice Springs Mayor Matthew Patterson, and federal politicians Jacinta Price and Peter Dutton saying their “solutions... are futile”.
“Kids are disenfranchised, they are angry, they are hurt...These are ‘the children of the Intervention’,” she said.
In Question Time, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when he intended to return to Alice Springs.
Mr Albanese defended his record, telling parliament he had visited the Northern Territory more times in two years than the three previous Liberal prime ministers combined.
“Just last week, Mr Speaker, I took the entire cabinet to the Northern Territory and we had ministers in Alice Springs, in Katherine, in remote Northern Territory as well, and I visited a remote community to commit $4 billion to remote housing,” he said.
Mr Albanese took a swipe at the Opposition for letting “funding go off a cliff” in Alice Springs and said he would “continue to be a regular visitor to the Northern Territory”.
The NT News went to the office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ask what the federal government would do to ensure the safety of Australian citizens in Alice Springs.
Instead, a response attributed to Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, was received.
Ms Burney said she had spoken with Chief Minister Eva Lawler and “made my expectations clear”, but made no promises for federal support.
“This behaviour is completely unacceptable – it has no place in any community, in any part of Australia,” she said.
“The Northern Territory Government is taking this very seriously and is putting together options to take action in a way that will be effective.
“Like all states and territories the NT Government has a responsibility to ensure that community safety is prioritised.”
She said the federal government had made significant contributions through its $250m for Alice Springs, and would continue to work on long term solutions.
Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour said she would meet with federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in an attempt to co-ordinate immediate support from the Commonwealth.
Asked whether federal police or the Australian Defence Force could be deployed to Alice Springs, Ms Scrymgour told Mix 104.9 she “can’t commit to that” but “we’ve got to do something”.
“I’ve been talking to people on the ground and the despair that I’ve heard in people’s voices -when you look at what’s been happening, enough is enough.
“There’s a lot of violence happening, Aboriginal on Aboriginal, and young people are getting seriously hurt here.”
She said ADF or AFP intervention would require agreement from the NT government, but she believed “it does need extra resources”.
Ms Scrymgour said there was stigma and trauma associated with the federal government stepping in due to the 2007 Howard-led intervention.
“Previously when the federal government intervened in the Territory it targeted the wrong people,” she said.
“The problem is not out in remote communities, the problem was always going to be the rivers of grog and the lack of accountability in our urban centres.”
Northern Territory Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro wrote to the chief minister on Wednesday requesting parliament be urgently recalled for an emergency sitting to toughen laws.
“The present threat to safety must be addressed as a matter of priority, anything less is a dereliction of duty,” she said.
“We are not a failed state, we have a failed government.”
On the emergency recall, Ms Finocchiaro called for the Country Liberal Party’s policies to tackle crime to be adopted, including lowering the age of criminal responsibility, tightening bail laws and expanding police powers.
Ms Scrymgour said she made no excuses for her Territory Labor colleagues but called for politics to be put to one side to deal with an issue “that’s been coming for some time”.
“I feel for Eva (Lawler) because she’s got to clean up the mess … we need to do everything we can to work with her to try and do that.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Politicians respond to ‘out of control’ violence in Alice Springs as pressure grows for federal intervention
Mental health flags for woman who allegedly stabbed three people on bus
A young woman who allegedly stabbed three people with scissors amid a mental health crisis could be locked up in the hospital, rather than a prison cell, amid urgent local court battle.
Serious fire which threatened Alice Springs suburb ‘under investigation’
Authorities say a grass fire which threatened residents and homes in an Alice Springs suburb is now ‘under investigation’. Read the latest.