The government needs to be upfront when the data looks bad, as it is when it looks good

ALCOHOL contributes to an extraordinary amount of harm in the Northern Territory

ALCOHOL contributes to an extraordinary amount of harm in the Northern Territory.

Most drink responsibly, but immense damage is caused by problem drinkers.

We see that damage on our streets, in our hospital emergency departments, our women’s shelters and our prisons. For that reason, the Northern Territory government should be applauded for its efforts to address alcohol-fuelled harm.

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Since coming to power in 2016, the Gunner government has implemented the country’s toughest alcohol restrictions, and some of the most extreme measures in the world.

Territorians have largely accepted these measures, even though they’ve come at considerable cost.

But in return, the government has a responsibility to be upfront about the effectiveness of these policies.

When it announced the reforms, it was vague about how they would be assessed. The government promoted the data that supported its reforms, and tried to keep quiet the figures that brought them into question.

In April last year, the government put out a press release crowing about the success of its policies.

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After a request from the NT News, new data around alcohol-related emergency department presentations was published. It paints a far less rosy picture for the government’s reforms.

The government needs to be upfront when the data looks bad, as it is when it looks good.

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