Since the middle of last year, the Coalition has repeatedly expressed our concerns about
crime and violence in Alice Springs. I visited Alice Springs last year as did Peter Dutton.
This collapse in law and order was happening in broad daylight.
The rampant misuse of alcohol was apparent to all. It was all so avoidable.
The Prime Minister was too late and too slow in his response.
The government is so embarrassed by its failure, the Prime Minister didn’t even send out a
minister to formally respond to the report today.
Repeated calls to re-introduce alcohol bans to protect women and children were branded
racist by the Territory Government.
Whilst the report released today confirms what we have been saying since the middle of
last year, we feel no vindication. The cost to local families, residents and store owners in
Alice Springs has been far too high.
The road back for Alice Springs will be hard, long and slow. No one should sugar-coat
that. We have to rebuild something more difficult than buildings, and that is the community
itself.
We welcome the additional funding announced by the Federal Government.
My message to the government is we will keep watching.
