Royal Commision into child detention sparked youth crime explosion, says MLA Robyn Lambley

THE Royal Commission into child detention did a huge disservice to the Northern Territory by effectively causing an explosion of youth crime, says a senior member of the NT Legislative Assembly

Former Royal Commissioner Mick Gooda has rubbished the claims of Territory MLA Robyn Lambley that the inquiry he led into child detention effectively caused an explosion of youth crime.

THE Royal Commission into youth justice did a huge disservice to the Northern Territory by effectively causing an explosion of youth crime, says a senior member of the NT Legislative Assembly.

Speaking about what she called a “relentless (youth) crime wave”, Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley — a former NT deputy Chief Minister — said she believes the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT had led to massive “unintended consequences” with youth crime.

But one of the two co-commissioners who presided over the royal commission, Mick Gooda, rubbished Ms Lambley’s claims, saying: “... she’s not even worth the time.”

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The royal commission sat in 2016 and 2017 and was presided over by joint co-commissioners, Mr Gooda and Margaret White.

“Those two (royal) commissioners ... did a huge disservice to the Northern Territory (in terms of effectively causing a youth crime wave on our streets),” Ms Lambley said.

“On one hand we applaud the notion of kids having a better opportunity to turn their life around and rehabilitate but on the flip side this royal commission has added to the state of lawlessness we now have in Alice Springs and many other towns across the NT.”

But former commissioner Mr Gooda was quick to brush off her criticisms.

“We’ve done our job and she’s not even worth the time,” he said.

“I don’t want to say anything else because it’ll cause trouble.”

The Member for Araluen said she stood by her comments.

“The general feel in Alice Springs is that there are no real consequences for their kids’ behaviour anymore,” Ms Lambley said.

“They commit crimes, go before the court and are let out on bail almost immediately nine times out of 10.

“The bail conditions are not exactly changing the behaviour of these kids, so we’re just on this roundabout where kids continue to commit crimes and get let out and their parents aren’t held responsible either.”

Earlier this week Ms Lambley heatedly berated Chief Minister Michael Gunner in parliament for the government’s “failing” response to the Territory’s youth crime issue.

“Kids are terrorising and destroying our town, every day and every night — this is no exaggeration,” she said.

Ms Lambley went on: “Chief Minister, your law and order strategy is not working in Alice Springs. It’s failing miserably.

“What are you going to do to stop this unrelenting, escalating assault on our town?”

Following the Country Liberal Party’s victory in the 2012 territory election, the CLP voted Ms Lambley the party’s deputy leader to then Chief Minister, Terry Mills.