A bid by the Northern Territory Opposition to impose automatic prison terms on those who assault police officers and other frontline workers has been branded as a "headline grab" by the Labor government.
The Country Liberal Party said it planned to introduce the Sentencing Amendment Bill 2022 to the Northern Territory parliament this week, a legal reform which, in the unlikely event it passes parliament, would mean mandatory prison for anyone who assaults a frontline worker.
Already, the Territory has mandatory sentencing for those who cause physical harm to a police officer, however, the CLP's new laws would go a step further.
"We know that police and frontline workers are being assaulted at hideous rates and, as crime continues to increase across the Territory, unfortunately, what we're going to see is more people on the frontline assaulted while doing their job," Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said yesterday.
Ms Finocchiaro denied the CLP's policy would put a strain on the Territory's already-crowded jails.
A lack of support from the Gunner government — which criticised the bill and holds the majority of votes on the floor of parliament — means the bill is likely to be voted down.
When asked yesterday if the government would support mandatory sentencing for those who assault emergency workers, the Northern Territory's leader of government business, Natasha Fyles, said it was "a very complex situation".
"Mandatory sentencing is a headline grab by the opposition," Ms Fyles said.
Police Minister Nicole Manison said the Territory "already has some of the toughest penalties in the country for those who assault police".
However, she said, a review was underway to "identify any gaps" where laws protecting police and frontline workers might "be strengthened".
While the government has been backing its recent record on crime, ongoing attacks are still taking place in broad daylight, and ongoing and regular assaults on frontline workers.
The NT Police Association said a "mandatory term of imprisonment would go some way toward community expectations as punishment for the physical and mental impact of an assault".
