Heads must roll over tragedy

IF ever a minister or department chief executive have shown that he or she does not deserve to be in the top job, Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield and Families CEO Ken Davies have left no doubt they should be removed from their positions

IF ever a minister or department chief executive have shown that he or she does not deserve to be in the top job, Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield and Families CEO Ken Davies have left no doubt they should be removed from their positions.

Their performance as the two people responsible for overseeing the crisis that has unfolded in Tennant Creek following the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl by a 24-year-old man has been extraordinarily inadequate.

Allowing this poor, innocent young girl to continue to live in such appalling conditions after so many police notifications to the organisation they run is totally inexcusable.

Tennant Creek is a town tearing itself apart over this horrific incident.

It is crying out for help and the responsible minister, who they most want help from to protect the town’s at risk children, has not bothered to travel to the town to listen to their concerns.

And what’s worse, she has no intention to do so until next week at the earliest.

This is not fit and proper behaviour by a minister of the crown and it’s not the way a minister should do their job.

Territory Families is her only portfolio.

For this incident to have occurred, it proves Ms Wakefield hasn’t owned the role, nor is she showing signs she should continue to own it.

Mr Davies, who has been in his position since September 2016, must take full responsbility for his department’s failings.

It is shameful that Ms Wakefield, right now, would find anything else but the horror and dysfunction of Tennant Creek more important. It beggars belief Ms Wakefield put everything else above the Tennant Creek crisis on Wednesday when Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison and Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw rushed to the devastated township.

Standing alongside the Health Minister Natasha Fyles in Alice Springs to launch a new Medical Retrieval and Consultation Care Centre, which is not her portfolio, was seemingly more important. It’s not a good look. At least Mr Davies had the decency to turn up to Tennant Creek on Wednesday.

This entire incident demands heads roll.

There must be serious consequences for those who failed this innocent two-year-old girl, who will now endure a lifetime of anguish and pain because of their mismanagement.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. The Territory simply can not accept what has happened.