The Northern Territory government has accused Alice Springs-based senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of failing to properly consult on alcohol policy she proposed for the troubled outback town — an accusation she has since rejected in federal parliament.
The federal Senate gathered this morning to debate legislation brought by the senator that would see alcohol bans returned to some town camps and communities.
While similar to the NT government's own plan to reinstate bans before developing community-specific alcohol management plans, the senator’s legislation would see continued oversight from the federal government.
Senator Price told parliament she believed that was necessary because she did not trust the NT government's handling of alcohol policy since intervention-era alcohol bans lapsed in the middle of last year.
"The Northern Territory government’s response to community cries was followed by neglect and inaction, all justified by accusations that alcohol restrictions were nothing more than race-based policy," she told the senate.
However, in a letter leaked to media, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles accused the senator of failing to consult with both her as alcohol policy minister and the statutory bodies the legislation would affect.
"I'm sure we can both agree that it is most appropriate to allow for the Northern Territory to legislate for itself in the NT Legislative Assembly, and not in Canberra, where the majority of voices in such a debate will have limited experience or understanding of our community," the letter, sent on Tuesday, says.
"It is evident that this approach has failed previously and does not empower communities to be involved in decision-making or implementing actions to reduce harm.”
Senator Price rejected the accusation, telling the Senate she wrote to the chief minister to discuss the bill last October.
"I've had no response to that correspondence," she said.
The senator said she had consulted with alcohol and drug services, legal groups and town camp residents over the course of several months.
The Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT on Wednesday said they did not support Senator Price's private senator's bill, labelling it "another example of politicians coming in over the top of our people".
Labor senator says NT government acted 'real slow'
The Fyles government has also come under fire from within its own Labor ranks.
NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy, who opposed the private senator's bill, suggested the government had acted too slowly in response to social unrest in Alice Springs.
"Did they do it too late? Have they been real slow? Well I think we can all answer that," she said.
"But they're doing it."
Senator McCarthy also herself urged the NT government to reinstate the bans after the federal legislation lapsed in July.
"And of course we had so many things to also do in that time period — again that's not an excuse, it's an explanation of timing," she said.
The NT government on Monday unveiled a plan to reinstate blanket alcohol bans in affected towns and communities as well as $250 million in Commonwealth support for local services.
Ms Fyles said she expected the bans would be reinstated by the end of next week.
