NT Safe Measures Bill 2023 could reinstate Stronger Futures prohibitions

A Territory Senator’s divisive call for federal intervention could see the NT’s self-governed liquor laws overridden.

A Territory Senator is calling for the federal government override the NT’s liquor legislation, putting intervention-era prohibitions on the table instead.

Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price tabled the Northern Territory Safe Measures Bill 2023 in February, just one week before the NT government passed its Liquor Amendment Act 2023 on urgency.

In her explanatory note, Ms Price said the Bill comprised “measures aimed at supporting Territorians to live safely with alcohol”.

It would “provide relief and facilitate recovery from alcohol-related harm in communities across the Territory”.

But an Independent senator has made a case for the NT to pave its own way out of the alcohol-related crime issues dominating the nation’s headlines.

Independent ACT Senator David Pocock said he was concerned about the Bill’s impact on territory rights. Picture: Gary Ramage

In speaking against Senator Price’s Bill, Senator David Pocock on Thursday said state and territory issues should fall under local parliaments’ jurisdictions.

“As someone from the ACT, I really believe that people need to be putting pressure on their local parliament to deal with these issues,” he said.

“It is my understanding that the NT are dealing with this in a similar way through their Legislative Assembly, and there has been much commentary about whether this has happened fast enough.”

Mr Pocock said addressing alcohol-related harm would require an understanding of the underlying problems of alcohol abuse.

“Substance abuse, wherever we see it, is people’s way of coping,” he said.

Labor Senator Jess Walsh also rejected the Bill and pointed to the federal government’s partnership with the NT to produce long-term solutions.

Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan said the removal of alcohol restrictions was a “massive error and mistake”. Picture: Sarah Marshall

Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan, based in Queensland, said alcohol restrictions in the NT were “needed to make people’s lives better”.

“It’s clear that the removal of alcohol restrictions was a massive, massive error and mistake over the past couple of years, and they should be reintroduced in full,” he said.

Liberal Senator Paul Scarr and Liberal National Party Senator Susan McDonald also supported Senator Price’s Bill.

Thursday’s debate was adjourned after Senators’ time expired – Senate sittings begin again on March 20.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announced new alcohol restrictions for Aboriginal communities. Alice Springs in February. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government’s investment in tackling long-term alcohol-related harm challenges was higher than any previous.

“Already, we have world-leading measures including the Banned Drinker Register, the floor price, PALIs, and our risk-based licensing framework,” she said.

“People in the Territory want safer communities now, which is why we acted quickly – we don’t need Jacinta Price’s bill.”

Ms Fyles said the NT government’s Liquor Amendment Act reverted town camps and communities to dry zones, and doubled-down on the “clear and robust opt-out process requiring the development of a Community Alcohol Plan”.

“These new changes focus on local decision making, under which a Community Alcohol Plan needs to be approved by 60 per cent of the community and by the Director of Liquor Licensing to opt-out, ensuring it is in the public interest and will not have significant adverse impacts,” she said.

“However, as all the experts and community leaders have pointed out, alcohol restrictions alone will not address the underlying causes of alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour.

“The issues are complex and have developed over decades.”

Ms Fyles said the preference has been for federal funding for “health-based therapeutic investment” to address disadvantage and inequality - and her government had “consistently” asked for that.

“In partnership with the Territory Labor Government, the Commonwealth will deliver $250m to Central Australia to do just that,” she said.

Originally published as NT Safe Measures Bill 2023 could reinstate Stronger Futures prohibitions