Gunner’s visit to Alice Springs fails to address the town’s biggest issue

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has used his visit to Alice Springs, which are few and far between, to spruik a TV show, but has avoided addressing the town’s biggest issue.

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CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has used his visit to Alice Springs, which are few and far between, to spruik a TV show. But, has avoided addressing the town’s biggest issue — crime.

In fact, at no point on his three-day promotional tour through Alice Springs did he book in a meeting with anyone to discuss the soaring rate of house break-ins, which are up a staggering 17.5 per cent.

Or, the alarming increase in crimes against the person and business break-ins.

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It’s a pity, because both Mr Gunner and Police Minister Nicole Manison made the two-hour flight down.

To his credit, Mr Gunner pencilled in three days for this trip – a refreshing change from his all-too-common daytrips to town – but still didn’t appear to find time for a meeting with Mayor Damien Ryan, to ask the man in Alice Springs’ top job what he can do for the town.

And it’s not the first time.

As we watched the Chief Minister deliver his lines on the set of MaveriX, which have seemingly been hammered on repeat by the government for months, it was hard for the many victims of crime not to feel snubbed.

It undoubtedly led many Alice Springs residents to draw one of two conclusions about the appearance: either the NT’s chief minister has bad taste and struggles to read the room or he has no genuine interest in addressing the issues that Territorians outside of Darwin face each and every day.

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