Dutton commits ‘in principle’ to Alice Springs crime plan

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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has agreed “in principle” to meet all seven of the Northern Territory chief minister’s “key asks” of the federal government if the Coalition wins the next election.

Lia Finocchiaro said she wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month, seeking support for her Country Liberal Party government’s plan to reduce crime in the NT and specifically in Alice Springs.

The list of requests included Centrelink reforms, performance audits for federally funded programs, and changes to the distribution of royalty payments to traditional owners by the territory’s land councils.

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At a joint press conference in the Red Centre on Wednesday, Ms Finocciaro said the Albanese government had only responded to one of her requests by enacting exemptions to federal laws that previously restricted Alice Springs police officers’ use of drones.

“By allowing our police to use drones more freely it means they’ve been able to support the stopping of stolen vehicles, the apprehension of offenders and [it] acts as a very strong deterrent on the ground,” she said.

“When that drone is in the sky, would-be offenders know that they are going to get caught, so I thank [the Prime Minister] for that.

‘We also continue to work in good faith around the other six remaining items but none have been supported.”

Lia Finocchiaro says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met one of her seven requests, with the other six still outstanding. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

Mr Dutton said he discussed the seven point plan with Ms Finocchiaro in Alice Springs on Wednesday.

He said a future Coalition government would “commit in principle to those issues and to those points because it will lead to a reduction in crime”.

“It will lead to a safer environment here in Alice Springs and for those reasons [we] are very happy to work hand in glove with the [NT] government and to make sure that we can provide the police with every resource and provide them with every support that we can so that people can live a happy life and live a life free of crime,” he said.

“When people go home to their homes of a night time I want them to do so safely, when they turn up to their businesses in the morning I don’t want there to have been damage to a front window.”

Peter Dutton Alice Springs 1

Peter Dutton says the CLP government’s plan “will lead to a safer environment” in Alice Springs. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

The Prime Minister’s office has been contacted for comment.

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