Latest news with #Finocchiaro
The Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Australian
NT moves to jail more kids despite evidence it creates 'career criminals'
'If you want to make a monster, this is how you do it.' This was the warning three years ago from lawyer turned children's court president Hylton Quail after he examined conditions at Perth's juvenile detention centre. Judge Quail asked for the log books for one boy, a 15-year-old burglar, and learned he had been kept in a glass cell for 79 days over the previous summer. Governments have been busy making monsters all over Australia since then, and rocketing Indigenous youth incarceration rates should terrify us. We are creating career criminals. Angry ones. In the Top End, the public has had enough of youth crime so the Finocchiaro government is bringing back spit hoods. The jurisdiction that has turned failure into a business model wants to jail 10 year olds again. What could go wrong? As the NT parliament prepares to consider legislative change that will make it easier to jail children and jail them younger, they are being urged to look at evidence on what works. The quiet and careful work of crime prevention could be a night patrol in a remote town that takes children off the streets and into the care of youth workers who figure out what is going on in their lives. It could be a family responsibility agreement that delivers help and support to a struggling parent who has made a commitment to work towards change. There must be much more of it. National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds acknowledged the angst in the NT about youth crime on Wednesday when she said: 'We all want communities to be safe places where children can thrive'. The NT government's proposed actions, she said, flew in the face of what is known about making communities safer. 'We know that making the justice system more punitive does not work to prevent crime by children. What the evidence shows is that when children are locked up and brutalised by the justice system, they are more likely to go on to commit more serious and violent crimes. This does nothing to make our communities safer,' she said. Last year, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss took the trouble to listen to children from troubled families – many Indigenous – and wrote a report that caught the attention of Coalition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Kerrynne Liddle. She is enthusiastic about Kiss's Help Way Earlier report for its message from children that authorities should not wait. They should help, way earlier. Back in Perth, the 15-year-old burglar is now 18. And in adult jail. Nobody is at all surprised. Paige Taylor Indigenous Affairs Correspondent, WA Bureau Chief Paige Taylor is from the West Australian goldmining town of Kalgoorlie and went to school all over the place including Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and Sydney's north shore. She has been a reporter since 1996. She started as a cadet at the Albany Advertiser on WA's south coast then worked at Post Newspapers in Perth before joining The Australian in 2004. She is a three time Walkley finalist and has won more than 20 WA Media Awards including the Daily News Centenary Prize for WA Journalist of the Year three times.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Come out and call me racist': NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro blasts ‘placard-waving activists' fighting her crime crackdown, flags more youth justice changes
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has slammed 'placard-waving activists' opposed to her government's crime crackdown as she flagged further changes to youth justice laws. The NT Government will urgently pass changes to the Youth Justice Act this week following the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy at the Royal Darwin Show on Saturday night. The boy remains in a serious condition in Royal Darwin Hospital while police have charged another 15-year-old boy with recklessly endangering life and possessing a weapon. There has been widespread criticism of the CLP Government's tough approach to crime, including from the NT Children's Commissioner and the Territory's four biggest land councils. They have argued for an 'evidence-based' approach to addressing crime, while the Northern Land Council accused the government of implementing racist policy. But Mrs Finocchiaro said the incident was 'not normal' and would not be accepted by her government. 'The Children's Commissioner can come out and say things like 'everyone should be safe but', and the Land Councils can come out and call me racist and whatever else they want to carry on about,' she told Mix FM radio. 'At the end of the day I'm standing here as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory because everyday Territorians put me here, and they gave me an important job to do and I can tell you, we're doing that job. 'The noisy people and the apologists and the activists, they can pack up their placards and go home. We're not listening to you. 'We're listening to people who want to be safe, we're listening to our police, and we're seeing a better future for the Territory, and if your evidence-based approach worked, we wouldn't be talking about this right now because I tell you what, for a decade I sat in parliament and listened to Labor bang on about evidence-based approach and where has it got us, in the worst possible position that we've ever been in before.' The legislative changes will roll back many of the policies implemented following the 2017 Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children. It will remove the requirement for detention to be a last resort for children, make the completion of diversion programs compulsory and return the use of spit hoods to youth detention facilities. In a joint statement issued last week, the Northern, Central, Anindilyakwa and Tiwi land councils called on the Federal Government to intervene over the NT Government's failure to address shocking rates of Aboriginal incarceration. 'Federal funding for our people props up the NT's budget,' Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said. 'The Australian government needs to hold the NT government accountable and make sure its laws and policies match the intent of that funding – to help our communities.' But Mrs Finocchiaro said she would not change her government's approach. 'Yes, our Aboriginal incarceration rates are huge,' she said. 'It's appalling. But does that mean if an Aboriginal person breaks the law that we don't arrest them? Does it mean we don't send an Aboriginal person to prison because they're Aboriginal, that's just not how law works.' The Chief Minister denied her government was implementing racist policy. 'It's very, very cheap politics to go to race,' she said. 'It's the lowest form of political exchange so I'm not interested in it. At the end of the day the law is colourblind, it doesn't know what religion you are, it doesn't know anything about you, it's applied equally and it's about doing the right thing. 'You make a law and it applies to everyone. I say this until I'm blue in the face and I can't believe I have to say this, but if you do the right thing you're all good.' Northern Territory Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the government had broken its promise to fix crime after winning last August's election. "The CLP continue to use slogans and catchy phrases but they fail to do the work and the heavy lifting expected of them,' she said. 'They promised Territorians they would make the Territory safer. We have not seen that in the 11 months of the CLP Government."
Perth Now
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Youth crime crackdown promises 'no more free passes'
There will be "no more free passes" for serious youth offenders with those caught more likely to be locked up, under one jurisdiction's crackdown. The Northern Territory's chief minister expanded the list of serious offences ineligible for youth diversion under new measures announced in Alice Springs on Friday. Lia Finocchiaro said an additional 13 offences would be added, meaning offenders who commit them will no longer get the benefit from Labor's previous catch and release scheme. "No more free passes for serious youth offenders," she told reporters. Ms Finocchiaro said repeat offenders had been able to avoid any real consequences and were able to reoffend "days or even hours later". "We are taking strong action to break the cycle of youth crime and restore community safety," she added. "The days of police being a taxi service are over." Crime, and the perception the government was unable to control it, formed the main plank of her party's campaign to oust Labor. Growing crime rates and anti-social behaviour have been major issues in various Territory communities for some time but they drew national attention last year following a series of wild brawls in Alice Springs. The violence prompted multiple city lock downs and curfews. Tougher bail laws, targeting mainly youth offenders, were also introduced earlier this year. While delivering its first budget last month, the Country Liberal Party pledged a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. But the government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. Social worker and former Northern Territory Australian of the Year Blair McFarland said the changes would not make any difference. "It's a really minor tweak in the legislation and it's not going to do anything to actually address the social problems that are creating all the crime," he told ABC News. "It doesn't address the chronic poverty that people live in and it doesn't give kids a future. "These are the kids who grew up with the state smashing Aboriginal legal systems to the best of their ability, and they grew up in a lawless sort of space and they get to an age where they realise that their life is going to be grinding poverty, chronic illness and early death and they have got nothing to lose." Under the latest changes, offences including serious harm offending, hit and runs, driving stolen vehicles, assaults on frontline workers and break-ins will no longer be eligible for youth diversion and will have a default position of proceeding to charge. "We're giving police the tools they need as we continue to roll out reforms aimed at reducing crime." Ms Finocchiaro said.
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Public pepper spray trial triggers stinging backlash
A landmark trial allowing the public sale of pepper spray will be introduced in a crime-hit territory, but opponents have issued stinging rebukes. The Northern Territory initiative has been called an "admission of failure", as citizens are being asked to protect themselves because "the government cannot do the job". The territory will become only the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow residents to carry pepper spray, giving people "more choice when it comes to personal safety". Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a 12-month trial would start in September, allowing approved members of the public to carry a low-percentage oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray under strict legal conditions. The move was part of the NT government's justice reforms that focus on reducing crime and restoring community safety, she said. "We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed," Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement. Her government made law and order the cornerstone of its first budget with a record $1.5 billion investment in corrections, courts and police. Consultation to determine the pepper spray trial's specifics will be led by NT Police, industry bodies, licensees and the broader community. Western Australia is the only jurisdictions in Australia which allows residents to carry pepper spray. "This is about giving territorians more choice when it comes to personal safety," the chief minister said. Opposition Leader Selina Uibo said the initiative was an "admission of failure" by Ms Finocchiaro and her government. "They are now telling territorians to defend themselves because the government cannot do the job," she told reporters on Wednesday. The government should invest more in policing if it was serious about community safety "rather than handing out pepper spray and telling territorians to hope for the best", Ms Uibo said. She said broad consultation and regulations would be needed to ensure there were no unintended consequences of the trial. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory said allowing the public sale of pepper spray would do nothing to improve community safety and instead put more lives at risk. "It is incredibly misleading to suggest that equipping the community with a weapon is any kind of solution to community safety," CEO John Paterson said. "Weaponising people and allowing wider access to a harmful substance like OC spray won't fix violence - it will fuel it." Dr Paterson said the decision was especially dangerous for vulnerable people, including those sleeping rough, who were disproportionately targeted and criminalised, many of them Aboriginal. Data shows the NT has an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia and has the highest reoffending rate, with six out of 10 prisoners returning to jail within two years of release. A landmark trial allowing the public sale of pepper spray will be introduced in a crime-hit territory, but opponents have issued stinging rebukes. The Northern Territory initiative has been called an "admission of failure", as citizens are being asked to protect themselves because "the government cannot do the job". The territory will become only the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow residents to carry pepper spray, giving people "more choice when it comes to personal safety". Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a 12-month trial would start in September, allowing approved members of the public to carry a low-percentage oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray under strict legal conditions. The move was part of the NT government's justice reforms that focus on reducing crime and restoring community safety, she said. "We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed," Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement. Her government made law and order the cornerstone of its first budget with a record $1.5 billion investment in corrections, courts and police. Consultation to determine the pepper spray trial's specifics will be led by NT Police, industry bodies, licensees and the broader community. Western Australia is the only jurisdictions in Australia which allows residents to carry pepper spray. "This is about giving territorians more choice when it comes to personal safety," the chief minister said. Opposition Leader Selina Uibo said the initiative was an "admission of failure" by Ms Finocchiaro and her government. "They are now telling territorians to defend themselves because the government cannot do the job," she told reporters on Wednesday. The government should invest more in policing if it was serious about community safety "rather than handing out pepper spray and telling territorians to hope for the best", Ms Uibo said. She said broad consultation and regulations would be needed to ensure there were no unintended consequences of the trial. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory said allowing the public sale of pepper spray would do nothing to improve community safety and instead put more lives at risk. "It is incredibly misleading to suggest that equipping the community with a weapon is any kind of solution to community safety," CEO John Paterson said. "Weaponising people and allowing wider access to a harmful substance like OC spray won't fix violence - it will fuel it." Dr Paterson said the decision was especially dangerous for vulnerable people, including those sleeping rough, who were disproportionately targeted and criminalised, many of them Aboriginal. Data shows the NT has an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia and has the highest reoffending rate, with six out of 10 prisoners returning to jail within two years of release. A landmark trial allowing the public sale of pepper spray will be introduced in a crime-hit territory, but opponents have issued stinging rebukes. The Northern Territory initiative has been called an "admission of failure", as citizens are being asked to protect themselves because "the government cannot do the job". The territory will become only the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow residents to carry pepper spray, giving people "more choice when it comes to personal safety". Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a 12-month trial would start in September, allowing approved members of the public to carry a low-percentage oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray under strict legal conditions. The move was part of the NT government's justice reforms that focus on reducing crime and restoring community safety, she said. "We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed," Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement. Her government made law and order the cornerstone of its first budget with a record $1.5 billion investment in corrections, courts and police. Consultation to determine the pepper spray trial's specifics will be led by NT Police, industry bodies, licensees and the broader community. Western Australia is the only jurisdictions in Australia which allows residents to carry pepper spray. "This is about giving territorians more choice when it comes to personal safety," the chief minister said. Opposition Leader Selina Uibo said the initiative was an "admission of failure" by Ms Finocchiaro and her government. "They are now telling territorians to defend themselves because the government cannot do the job," she told reporters on Wednesday. The government should invest more in policing if it was serious about community safety "rather than handing out pepper spray and telling territorians to hope for the best", Ms Uibo said. She said broad consultation and regulations would be needed to ensure there were no unintended consequences of the trial. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory said allowing the public sale of pepper spray would do nothing to improve community safety and instead put more lives at risk. "It is incredibly misleading to suggest that equipping the community with a weapon is any kind of solution to community safety," CEO John Paterson said. "Weaponising people and allowing wider access to a harmful substance like OC spray won't fix violence - it will fuel it." Dr Paterson said the decision was especially dangerous for vulnerable people, including those sleeping rough, who were disproportionately targeted and criminalised, many of them Aboriginal. Data shows the NT has an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia and has the highest reoffending rate, with six out of 10 prisoners returning to jail within two years of release. A landmark trial allowing the public sale of pepper spray will be introduced in a crime-hit territory, but opponents have issued stinging rebukes. The Northern Territory initiative has been called an "admission of failure", as citizens are being asked to protect themselves because "the government cannot do the job". The territory will become only the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow residents to carry pepper spray, giving people "more choice when it comes to personal safety". Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a 12-month trial would start in September, allowing approved members of the public to carry a low-percentage oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray under strict legal conditions. The move was part of the NT government's justice reforms that focus on reducing crime and restoring community safety, she said. "We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed," Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement. Her government made law and order the cornerstone of its first budget with a record $1.5 billion investment in corrections, courts and police. Consultation to determine the pepper spray trial's specifics will be led by NT Police, industry bodies, licensees and the broader community. Western Australia is the only jurisdictions in Australia which allows residents to carry pepper spray. "This is about giving territorians more choice when it comes to personal safety," the chief minister said. Opposition Leader Selina Uibo said the initiative was an "admission of failure" by Ms Finocchiaro and her government. "They are now telling territorians to defend themselves because the government cannot do the job," she told reporters on Wednesday. The government should invest more in policing if it was serious about community safety "rather than handing out pepper spray and telling territorians to hope for the best", Ms Uibo said. She said broad consultation and regulations would be needed to ensure there were no unintended consequences of the trial. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory said allowing the public sale of pepper spray would do nothing to improve community safety and instead put more lives at risk. "It is incredibly misleading to suggest that equipping the community with a weapon is any kind of solution to community safety," CEO John Paterson said. "Weaponising people and allowing wider access to a harmful substance like OC spray won't fix violence - it will fuel it." Dr Paterson said the decision was especially dangerous for vulnerable people, including those sleeping rough, who were disproportionately targeted and criminalised, many of them Aboriginal. Data shows the NT has an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia and has the highest reoffending rate, with six out of 10 prisoners returning to jail within two years of release.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
NT government to allow public to use pepper spray in self defence
The Northern Territory government is set to increase its safety measures by allowing the public use of pepper spray for self defence in a 12-month trial. The 12-month trial will allow the public to carry low-percentage Oleoresin Capsicum spray, better known as pepper spray, for self defence reasons and under strict legal conditions. The NT has faced law and order issues over recent times, raising concerns within the community over safety and crime. The Finocchiaro CLP government has passed a number of reforms since winning last year's election, including stricter bail laws and lowering the age of criminal responsibility. 'This initiative responds directly to community calls for more safety options and reflects the government's commitment to restoring the Territory lifestyle,' Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said. The spray is made with a nonlethal substance that an cause a painful and burning sensation, and temporarily impair vision, allowing the victims to escape, but it is not as powerful as sprays handled by police. Pepper spray is currently classified as a 'prohibited weapon' in the NT. Ms Finocchiaro said the trial would give residents 'more choice when it comes to personal safety'. 'We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed,' she said. Pepper spray will be available for purchase from licensed dealers across the NT from September 1, 2025, and will only be eligible under strict conditions A person must be over 18 to purchase the pepper spray, show valid NT photo ID and have no relevant serious criminal history or domestic violence orders. They must also be purchased in person from a licensed NT dealer. The specifics of the trial will be determined alongside the NT Police, key stakeholders, industry bodies, licensees and the broader community. A 'community oversight reference group' will also be established to oversee how the trial is run. She said she believed the trial would be well-received by the NT community, based on the reaction from a similar trial in Western Australia. Western Australia is currently the only state or territory to allow people to carry the nonlethal spray, under strict conditions. 'We've seen Western Australia undertake a similar trial, and it's provided valuable insights into how a controlled, lawful model can give people greater peace of mind without compromising public safety,' Ms Finocchiaro said. 'This is about equipping Territorians with more options, not less control. 'It's a practical step that balances personal responsibility with community safety, and we'll be watching the outcomes closely through reporting and evaluation.'
