‘National shame’: Peter Dutton calls for more action on Alice Springs

Further urgent action needs to be taken on the crisis in Alice Springs, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has declared, pledging to work with the Albanese government to tackle the issue after harrowing footage of everyday violence inside the town emerged.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has said the unfolding situation in Alice Springs “is fast becoming our national shame” as he challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step up the government’s response.

Mr Dutton pledged the Coalition’s support in tackling the problem, saying “this isn’t a problem of either side of politics, we need to work together to tackle this issue.”

“I spent three days in the Northern Territory, including in Alice Springs, before Christmas last year. I spoke to local Indigenous leaders, women, mothers, and grandmothers and I shared what I learnt with the prime minister.”

Mr Dutton said the appalling conditions in Alice Springs were at the root cause of the violence.

“Children are sleeping during the day and missing school to avoid being at home at night time, kids are out at night committing crimes because they don’t want to go back into their home environment - because they’re at risk of sexual and physical abuse,” Mr Dutton said.

The Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton has called on the Albanese government to take further steps to solve the unfolding situation in Alice Springs.

“It may make us feel uncomfortable to point out these facts, but this is the reality of life in Alice Springs and a number of other indigenous communities in 2023.”

“This situation needs the urgent intervention of the Prime Minister and the Government. And it needs to happen today.”

The violent reality of Alice Springs has

been exposed by a fed-up local nurse.

Mr Dutton’s comments came in the wake of shocking footage of everyday street violence in Alice Springs which emerged Tuesday morning, revealing a town under siege by out-of-control youths and a police force that is all but powerless to stop them.

The confronting videos, posted by an Alice Springs resident who wished only to be known by the name Rachel, were revealed after a harrowing interview with Ben Fordham on 2GB.

A former nurse and single mother, Rachel said she had to film “because no one was capturing what was happening,” adding that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had only provided an “easy answer” with last week’s announcement of temporary grog bans.

“It was back to back, all night long,” she said of the videos which she took from the upper story of a hotel in Alice Springs and posted Saturday night.

The videos show youths picking fights with patrons and brawling on the streets.

Rachel also said that many nights the violence is worse, adding that Alice Springs residents were regularly suffering home invasions at the hands of youths armed with machetes and businesses were unable to trade because customers were being bashed.

“There were hundreds of kids outside,” said Rachel, who said she feared for her life when the hotel was under siege.

“The hatred for anyone other than in their pack was so disturbing … all you hear is you’re a white this, you white bitch, that’s all you hear day in and day out.”

In the series of videos, Aboriginal youths can be seen brawling with makeshift weapons, taunting pub-goers, attacking hotel security and fighting with anyone who crossed their path.

In one video, the youths can be seen attacking a man who confronted them after they allegedly tried to steal items from his ute while he was in it.

Police arrive in the footage but were seen to do little to intervene.

In others, police appear to drive by but do not intervene in the situation.

Speaking to 2GB, Rachel was also highly critical of government responses to the deteriorating situation in Alice Springs.

“They just banned alcohol for a few days and moved on to the next thing … it was an easy answer for (the PM),” she said.

“These kids are being raped at home and the domestic violence is horrific.”

PM Anthony Albanese has been criticised for what Rachel called ‘an easy answer’. Picture: Gary Ramage

While Rachel said she was sympathetic to the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, it did not excuse their behaviour.

“When someone is waving a machete in your face I don’t care about your past trauma,” she said.

“You cannot unsee the things we have seen.”

Aboriginal leader and one of the names behind the “no” campaign against the government’s proposed Aboriginal Voice to Parliament, Warren Mundine, said Mr Albanese had spent more time watching the tennis at the Australian Open than on the ground at Alice Springs and that the government urgently needed to do more.

“The PM was in Alice for two hours but spent three days at the tennis drinking grog,” Mr Mundine said

“The country is hurting. Get out of the bloody corporate box and do your job.”

Originally published as ‘National shame’: Peter Dutton calls for more action on Alice Springs