Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year I had the pleasure of visiting Alice Springs again to do my due diligence. This time I got to meet with Martin Dole, an assistant commissioner with the Northern Territory police and a born and bred proud Territorian. Martin is one of those most dedicated police officers who are always looking solutions and ways to empower the Aboriginal police and Aboriginal liaison officers working alongside our Northern Territory police. Not long ago, they were in the same building as the police. For a lot of Aboriginal people, a police station is a very scary place. Mr Dole gets this, so he decided to make a little critical change. He found the money, out of his own policing budget, and rented a building around the corner. He thought that with their own space, these officers could find their own solutions for their own communities. My goodness, has it worked! I was very honoured to meet these liaison officers and Aboriginal police officers in March this year. Many of them are traditional owners and they are already making such a massive difference.

I tell you what—I just love this story—a few months back there was some trouble in a remote community. This is how it works: a few of the young men were gathering and people were getting anxious that something big was about to kick off. Aboriginal police and Aboriginal liaison officers were already onsite because—guess what? They got a sniff of what was going on in their own communities. They talked down these boys and restored the peace, just like that.

How about that? This is a good lesson for all of us. When we listen to local communities, when we empower the Aboriginal communities and their leaders, we get solutions. Why haven't you done this? This is a small move. It doesn't cost a lot of money. You could have been doing that this year. Listen to the voices. Listen! This is something that works, and it is cost effective. Get out there and put it in place. (Time expired)