David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

However, what we have seen in areas of the Northern Territory is the blatant disregard and blatant violation of this and of many, many more basic human rights. What is worse is that the violation of these rights has been fuelled by this government's incoherent, ideological driven and socially destabilising policies.

After the last election, the Albanese Labor government made a choice—an active choice to do nothing and to let the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act 2012 lapse. This led the Territory Labor government to implement an opt-in model rather than an opt-out model, with communities not required to have any alcohol management plans in place. To be clear, this government, the Albanese Labor government, knew that the communities in the Northern Territory had problems with alcohol and alcohol-related violence, and the choice they made was to do nothing. By doing nothing they increased people's access to and the availability of alcohol. Not taking an action is a choice; we must remember that. The choice that the government made was to help fuel alcohol related violence in our most vulnerable communities. We see that this came true, after all the warnings that were given to them. There was an increase of 54 per cent of alcohol related assaults alone after this policy change.

The explanatory memorandum states that the bill before us today, the Northern Territory Safe Measures Bill 2023, is:

… a Bill for an Act to make provisions for all Territorians to be safe consuming and being exposed to alcohol and alcohol-related harm and violence in the Northern Territory.

However, it is more than that. It is a bill that will undo the socially and economically destructive approach that the Albanese government has taken towards managing violence in the Northern Territory. This bill will reintroduce elements of the previous Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act, a legal framework to tackle alcohol abuse while putting in place requirements for the Northern Territory Labor government to work with communities to demonstrate a community driven alcohol management plan for a reinstated opt-out model. It will also, importantly, ensure safe measures are in place for consumers of alcohol, their children, families and communities, upholding the human rights of some of the most vulnerable citizens of Australia right across the Northern Territory. It will help do this by ensuring that the supply of alcohol is regulated, mitigating illegal alcohol supply and providing a framework for prosecution.

If the fly in, fly out Prime Minister spent some actual time in these communities, he would see the harm that he caused by letting the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act lapse after the last election. But, no, we see that, with his last trip to Alice Springs, he managed to spend more time at the Australian Open across the following days than he did in the Territory. It was really just for a photo-op. Spending less than four hours in Alice Springs and then holding a press conference is not good enough. That is not leadership. It is clear he went there without an objective other than to get a photo. But that is a defining feature that we are learning about this government: they spend all their time making grandiose statements and make good sound bites for their social media pages that make them feel good, but when it actually comes to delivering outcomes and improving the lives of Australians they are failing at every step.

As Senator Nampijinpa Price said in her second reading speech, this bill:

… was drafted in response to calls from vulnerable community members across the Northern Territory and a letter that was dated 9 June, representing nine separate Aboriginal organisations, seeking urgent support from the federal Minister for Indigenous Australians after failed attempts at communicating these concerns with the Northern Territory Fyles government.

Unlike many of the private senators' bills that we see coming from the Greens, or from Labor when they were in opposition, that are put forward to grandstand and make themselves seem relevant, this bill before us today is because of an urgent need that the government has been ignoring.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has told us that there is strong evidence of an association between the consumption of alcohol and violence. This fact has been known for quite some time. My good friend and colleague pointed this out to this government from this place many, many times. All the statistics back this up. Alcohol related assaults in Alice Springs alone have risen by 54.6 per cent from December 2021 to December 2022, and property damage has increased by 59.6 per cent. Those opposite should let that sink in a bit. Under this government's watch alcohol related assaults in Alice Springs alone rose by 54.6 per cent. That is a damning statistic.

Reports overnight show how effective alcohol restrictions can be. After some restrictions were lifted in January, youth disturbances declined by 36.36 per cent and unlawful entries across Alice Springs between 2 January and 30 January this year dropped by 45.96 per cent. Alcohol is a factor in domestic violence; it was down 27.7 per cent and had decreased in being a factor in 47 per cent of the 92 domestic violence incidents. And yet those opposite still decide to ignore the facts. They need to start listening to the experts and listening to the facts. They need to stop applying this ideologically driven approach to deal with what is a very complex and difficult matter.

Senator David Pocock spoke earlier in this chamber on this bill and, while I disagree with his position on the bill, I agree with him when he said that fixing these issues will be long and hard and that this is a step in the right direction. This government cannot sit on their hands and do nothing anymore. There is all the talk of the Labor government wanting to implement an Indigenous Voice to the parliament, but I think it would be more pertinent and useful if they stopped ignoring the Indigenous voices that actually are in parliament. They're the elected representatives who are screaming out on behalf of their communities about what they want and what they need. Instead, those opposite ignore the very voices they say they need to listen to.

The government must take urgent action to restore the rule of law. The federal government must provide law enforcement and social services resources to the Northern Territory to give the people of Alice Springs and other remote communities the law and order that they desperately need. The stories that we have heard coming out of Central Australia as a result of alcohol fuelled crime are heartbreaking. No-one should have to live in those conditions. I encourage everyone here to vote in favour of this bill for the good of all Australians.