Media Release from Shadow Minister for Territory Families and Shadow Minister for Youth Josh Burgoyne
One year on from the Prime Ministers fly-in-fly out visit Alice Springs continues to call out for change.
In just the last month we have seen riots on our streets which resulted in the youth curfew.
$250 million dollars was pledged on 6 February 2023, just weeks after $48 million to “improve community safety” was committed on 24 January 2023.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister pledged what is claimed to be an additional $14.2 million for extra police. Interestingly, this is the same amount that was promised as part of the initial $48 million promised in January. Is it new money or a re-announcement?
The Federal and Territory Labor Governments have failed Territorians. They have not met their promise to tackle alcohol related harm and provide more opportunities for young people. Where are the outcomes from the money already supposedly spent on the ground? The people of Alice Springs deserve an answer to these questions.
The whole situation slipped back into chaos when Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors (PALIs) on bottle shops were removed, before pressure from the community and the Opposition saw them reinstated.
Eva Lawler is too busy stealing glory from a local fisho who caught the million dollar fish rather than coming to Alice Springs to meet the Prime Minister over major issues of crime and anti-social behaviour and youth services.
The Prime Minister needs to listen to local Opposition members who wrote to him over a year ago and called for an audit into the millions of dollars the Federal and Territory Government spends on services and the effectiveness or otherwise of the current programs.
Anyone that invested $300 million dollars a year ago should have been ensuring that the money was being effectively spent and outcomes were achieved.
One year on what has actually been achieved?
