NT budget estimates: Chansey Paech reveals knife crime strategy is under way
The Territory government is considering stronger penalties for weapon-related crimes as it works on a new ‘knife strategy’, looking at tough new laws across the border.
Northern Territory
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The Territory government is looking at a crackdown on knife crime alongside its long-running review into bail reform, estimates heard on Tuesday.
Attorney-General Chansey Paech said a knife crime strategy, which has involved police and various government departments, was due to be complete and publicly released in August.
Mr Paech said the taskforce had been looking to laws in other jurisdictions, including NSW where the state government is moving to double the maximum penalty for carrying a knife in public to four years’ imprisonment.
“Queensland is also looking at the same … so reaching out and working with our interstate jurisdictions around what developments are going on in that space,” he said.
Estimates heard the government was specifically looking at whether penalties under the Weapons Control Act were adequate.
It comes after acting Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said police were investigating whether handheld metal detectors, known as wands, could be used amid increasingly “prevalent” knife crimes.
Mr Paech said the knife crime strategy was separate to the government’s bail review, which is also being worked on internally, although both were due to be publicly released by August.
Additional bail reforms to those passed after Declan Laverty’s death are expected to be introduced immediately, if recommended, after that review is handed down.
The CLP has criticised the new bail laws as being too narrow, arguing they should apply to crimes with any kind of offensive weapon, rather than being restricted to a list of prohibited and controlled weapons.
Opposition justice spokesman Steve Edgington said the reforms should expand to include a presumption against bail for crimes involving weapons like a rock, screwdriver or stolen car.
“All serious violent offenders (should be) subject to those bail laws,” Mr Edgington said.
“Three months to conduct these reviews so far, with no particular date on when they’ll be released is clearly not good enough to Territorians.
“This bail review was sold to Territorians as ‘immediate’ … (but there’s) nothing to show for it.”
The CLP’s position has been backed by the police union, which has also urged the government to bolster bail bails.
NT Police Association president Nathan Finn said it was clear the current laws were not working.
“Our members have told us there has been a significant increase in the concealing and carrying of edged weapons along with their use in offending,” he said.
“Items such as axes, machetes, and spears – all of which are not defined as prohibited or controlled weapons under the Weapons Control Act 2001 – are readily available and commonly used.
“The changes do not go far enough and the presumption against bail should be extended to include offensive weapons, or any object used as a weapon to cause fear or harm to another.”
Mr Paech defended the snap reforms introduced before the bail review started, citing concerns victims of crime who use makeshift weapons in defence could be impacted.
“We also need to be mindful of the unintended consequences particularly for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, who in some instances may be protecting themselves from a horrific circumstance,” Mr Paech said.
‘Lack of integrity’: Fyles deflects crime questions
The Chief Minister has been called out for a “lack of integrity” as she stonewalled questions from crime to bail reform and the botched sacking of former police commissioner Jamie Chalker.
Natasha Fyles returned to work on Monday for a full day of estimates hearings, in which the CLP took every opportunity to grill her on her first year of leadership.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said Ms Fyles deflected questions as if they were not her responsibility.
“The Chief Minister’s performance showed a genuine lack of integrity around key issues that have been dogging this government over the last year,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
“And of course, crime is the single biggest issue impacting the lives and the livelihoods of Territorians no matter where they live.
“(Despite) claiming she would ‘stamp out knife crime’, she batted away questions on why knife crime has increased.”
Referring to Ms Fyles’ commitments in the wake of bottleshop worker Declan Laverty’s death, Ms Finocchiaro repeatedly asked how many Territorians had died from violent crime in the last year.
However, Ms Fyles said those questions should have been raised during the Police Minister’s hearings last week.
“We take community safety very seriously, crime and anti-social behaviour is unacceptable,” Ms Fyles said.
“But I do believe that the leader of the opposition’s line of questioning is one for the police portfolio.
“She had the acting commissioner and the police minister in here last week.
“But I have certainly, Mr Speaker, from my perspective made sure that there’s more police on the beat than ever before, there’s more consequences of crime than ever before and more investment in the things that help prevent crime.”
Faced with unrelenting questions she later said: “Mr Chair, does the leader of the opposition actually have a question on the Chief Minister and Cabinet budget, which is what we’re here to discuss?”
Ms Finocchiaro said they were “simple” questions relating to Ms Fyles’ seven-point plan to make the Territory safe after Declan’s tragic death.
“These are your policies, these are your words – and this is something Territorians are waiting for you to act on,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
Ms Fyles was also slung question after question about her role in the dismissal of former Mr Chalker, from whether she sent the letter asking him to resign to where the government’s legal fees were drawn from.
She maintained she could not comment on the matter as she was bound by confidentiality agreements.
“I know that you need to get your grab on the news tonight (Opposition Leader) but I cannot speak about these matters,” Ms Fyles said.
Bail review to be publicly released
Despite her best attempts to shift the estimates debate from policy to budget measures, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles did budge on one aspect of the government’s crime response.
Ms Fyles revealed an in-house review into the Territory’s bail laws would be made public “in the coming weeks”.
It comes after Attorney-General Chansey Paech previously said the report would not be publicly released nor would he commit to a timeline on its completion.
Ms Fyles’ admission came after Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro questioned her on what work had been achieved to date, three months after it was announced.
“I’ve been regularly briefed on that work … if any changes are needed – and any changes that are needed are acted upon, which is why you saw legislative change in March,” Ms Fyles said.
“I have not been provided with any other actions in the meantime.
“But I anticipate there’ll be some more I guess over the next few weeks as we conclude that work.
“There’s a sense of urgency from our government departments on this, absolutely, and as soon as we get that information we will share that with the community.”
Ms Finocchiaro raised concerns the full report would not be publicly released.
“When I went back and challenged the Chief Minister to clarify whether the full report provided by the department to the government would be made available she refused to answer,” she said.
“I think this government’s track record on transparency and accountability is very, very poor.
“It will remain to be seen what version, if any, of the so-called immediate bail review Territorians will actually get to see.”
Mr Paech will front the estimates committee on Tuesday.
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