‘Resign now’: Action for Alice admin Darren Clark heckles Lia Finocchiaro in Alice Springs
Anti-crime advocate Darren Clark has cornered Lia Finocchiaro with an emotional accusation she has failed Alice Springs and must resign as Chief Minister.
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An anti-crime advocate has cornered Lia Finocchiaro with an emotional accusation she has failed Alice Springs and must resign as Chief Minister.
Businessman and founder of the Action for Alice Facebook page Darren Clark posted a video confronting Mrs Finocchiaro when she landed in town on Thursday.
The Chief, along with Police Commissioner Michael Murphy, made an urgent trip to Alice Springs after an alleged violent home invasion left a baby with a fractured skull.
“Where have you been Chief Minister?” Mr Clark heckles in the video.
“You told us you were going to protect this town. Our women are scared, the place is terrified, you do nothing.
“Absolute disgrace, you promised us, you promised this community.”
In a second video he said “it’s time you resign now Finocchiaro, that’s enough”.
Mr Clark told this masthead he stood by his words, arguing the CLP’s plan to reduce crime was “smoke and mirrors” with no real impact.
“(Mrs Finocchiaro) belted Labor over this issue – and rightly so – but what was she doing in opposition? Where’s the plan?” he said.
“If you go to the election with crime being your number one issue, you need to have answers.
“The legislation she’s brought in is not going to be effective … it’s simply not good enough.”
Mr Clark said it was “a huge mistake” not to call in reinforcements from the AFP.
“We need serious boots on the ground, and pretending we’ve got enough in the Territory is simply not true.”
He said the NT was a failed state, and would like to see the federal government take back control of the jurisdiction.
Mrs Finocchiaro said the Central Australian community had a right to be angry.
“The level of offending we’re seeing is totally unacceptable, but that’s exactly why I’m here to stand side-by-side with the people of Alice Springs, to show them, along with the Police Commissioner, that we care very deeply about this community and its future, and we won’t stop until we’ve restored community safety here,” she said.
“The people of Alice Springs feel the whole system has let them down for a very long time.
“The recent tragic events highlight the dire consequences of years of policy failure.
“Despite the strong action taken by our new government in the last 100 days to increase police powers, strengthen the law, refocus child protection, roll out school attendance officers, and increase capacity for corrections, this is only the beginning.
“Much more needs to be done, and will be done.”
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